Logsplitter 2.0

[rswyan]

oldtimer,

Checked the engine last night - the cooling air exhausts in the same direction as the combustion exhaust: out the side and away from the splitter ...

:thumbsup:

 

[mikehaugen]

That's a beautiful cradle. I've been following this build but I can't remember if you mentioned if you are putting another socket somewhere to store the cradle.

Great job.

 

[rswyan]

mike,

That's a beautiful cradle.

Thanks ... I was happy with how it turned out.

I've been following this build but I can't remember if you mentioned if you are putting another socket somewhere to store the cradle.

Actually - assuming we're talking about the same thing - the table grate will rotate/pivot up (over 90 degrees) for storage/transport. It will be removable by taking out two 5/8" bolts.

Haven't figure out exactly how I'll secure it in the upright position ... might drill a couple of holes and use removable pins ... or just use a chain with clips on the ends.

BTW, I meant to include some additional specs: the table grate is 31" wide at the bottom rails, 38" wide at the top rails, the longest tubes are 36" long. The top rails sit above the bottom ones about 5" or 6" ...

Great job.

Thanks again ...

I'm following your build ... love the pivoting double front wheels ... :thumbsup:

 

[rswyan]

Didn't make any progress yesterday ... just too much screwin' around with keeping the home fire going and fixing the 'bota ... but I did manage to get these welded up night before last ... they are the lower arms that the table grate mounts to.

IIRC, they are 1 1/4" Schedule 40 pipe, about 30" or so long ... welded to some 1/2" x 1 1/2" flat stock:

 

[rswyan]

They bolt to a pair of plates (one pictured) that will be welded to the H-Beam on either side of the splitting wedge. This will allow the table grate to fold up and out of the way for transport. A piece of 1" solid round cold roll welded in the plate provides a rest or stop for them to sit on when in the lowered position:

 

[rswyan]

Hinge pins for the log lift:

These were made using some 5/8" hot roll solid rod and a couple of slugs that came from drilling holes in 1/4" plate using a hole saw. Had my friend Mike chuck two of the rods in his lathe and turn down the rod so that it fit inside the center hole in the slug, after which I welded them together.

Then I cut two more 4" lengths of 5/8" rod and welded those on to act as handles. The pins still need drilled for the hitch pin retaining clips.

 

[mikehaugen]

Had my friend Mike chuck two of the rods in his lathe and turn down the rod so that it fit inside the center hole in the slug,

I'm flattered that you consider me your friend and all, but I don't remember doing that.

 

[rswyan]

Frame for the log lift largely completed. Still have to do a little clean up grinding (probably won't happen until I take the splitter apart to paint it this summer), cut some sheet metal to cover the two open panels and weld those on, and weld on the attachment points for the hydraulic cylinder:

Pivot points for the log lift:

 

[rswyan]

I'm flattered that you consider me your friend and all, but I don't remember doing that.

LOL ... yeah ... different Mike ...

 

[rswyan]

I've finally managed to get back to puttin' in some real time on this project in the last couple of days ... rather than just picking at it as I have been over the last month ... so time for an update.

Took the wedge over to Pineridge's to mill an edge on it after welding on some 1" solid square to use as an aid in securing/clamping it.

That didn't work out all that well ... mainly because we really weren't able to secure the wedge well enough to eliminate all the chatter. It did however allow us to machine the tapers on the wedge so that they were planar (more or less)

After that I cleaned up the tapers with a flap disc and then used the Delta Sharpening Center to grind a sharp edge on the wedge.

Then I welded it the wedge to the piece of 1" x 3" x 8" bar stock with a root pass and stuck the assembly in the cut-out in the H-Beam and welded it all together:

 

[rswyan]

After the wedge was all welded in place, I welded on the pieces of H-Beam flange which serve as the attachment points and supports for the fold-up table grate, and which box in the area around the 1" x 3" x 8" bar that goes thru the H-Beam:

 

[rswyan]

Then I took a section of flange from the H-Beam and cut it length-wise to use to widen the back-end of the wedge, making it taper out further.

These pieces were warped pretty good from having cut the flange off the web of the H-Beam ... so I heated them, in a line, on the convex side with the O/A torch to a dull orange to straighten them and pull the warp out and then, after they cooled, welded them onto to the wedge/H-Beam:

In the process of doing that I managed to find a fairly good write-up from the Federal Highway Administration on using heat to straighten steel:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/02.cfm

 

[Depmandog]

You know, I have really enjoyed this thread. I appreciate your detail and candor when discussing the progress of the build.

I think you and I could be friends as long as we kept politics and religion off limits!!

 

[rswyan]

You know, I have really enjoyed this thread.

Glad to hear it ... :thumbsup:

I appreciate your detail and candor when discussing the progress of the build.

Thanks - I try to write enough detail in, keeping in mind the viewpoint of someone who has a general idea of what they want to do, but is unsure of the details (materials to use, how to go about it) ... and is looking for examples that will provide some guidance (right or wrong as the case may be )

I think you and I could be friends as long as we kept politics and religion off limits!!

I don't doubt it at all.

A friend of mine has it as a general rule that there are three things to avoid and steer clear of: politics, religion and a third one which I don't recall offhand.

Probably a far wiser man than I ... at least in that respect ...

Glad you've enjoyed the thread.

 

[rswyan]

Took some 1/4" x 3/4" flat stock and welded it in towards the rear to provide a little support. I'll probably cap/close off the rear by welding in some 1/4" x 1" flat stock:

 

[rswyan]

After that I took a piece of the H-Beam web, cut it to fit the top, and welded it on to cap the wedge:

 

[rswyan]

Have more to report ... but first I need to go take some pics ...

 

[LD1]

Looking good. At this rate, you will be ready to split for next winter:laughing:

 

[rswyan]

Looking good.

Thanks LD ...

At this rate, you will be ready to split for next winter:laughing:

LOL ...

Yeah, yeah ... Mr. "Speedy Gonzales" ...

Actually, that might be true ... if the warm weather holds up ... and our luck holds up the way it has been.

Last Sunday I told the wife I'd probably have to start the harvesting and gathering process again that day because we were running low on firewood.

Within the hour my young helper called and asked "Are you interested in a dump truck load of firewood ... for free ? It's seasoned and has been split once ... probably needs split again ..."

I told him "Heck yeah" ...

He showed up with a guy who he's worked for in the past, who was driving GMC cab forward dump with a 10' or 12' bed piled to the brim with wood. Guy was looking to get rid of this wood because it was so well seasoned that he wasn't getting long enough burn times out of it - he's away from the house 10 to 12 hours at a time - it was all hickory and oak ... that he'd actually bought and paid real money for ...

Turns out the guy was roofer and had four rust holes in the bed of dump truck that he wanted patched so he wasn't dropping nails ... so I welded that up for him the middle of this past week.

Actually though, the "to do" for the splitter is getting pretty short at this point. Here's what's left:

1. Finish grinding around the pipe flange for the suction strainer.

2. Weld one of the end caps for the hydraulic reservoir tube where a pin hole leak developed along the seam.

3. Cut and weld on two panels of 10 gauge sheet onto the log lift.

4. Flush the crud out of the reservoir.

5. Paint the bracket for the pump.

6. Install all components onto the splitter and fill it with hydraulic oil.

I do still have to cut the old four-way wedge apart and redo it ... since it was designed to fit on the wedge on the old splitter ... but that won't necessarily keep me from using the new one.

I finished welding up the table grate the other day ... so it's all ready to go ... just stick it on there and run the two bolts in that hold it on.

I'd guess I've got maybe a days worth of work or so ... putting the components on really won't take very long.

 

[rswyan]

Finished capping the back side of the wedge last night, after I picked up the 1/4" x 1" flat stock at Home Depot to do it: