Nother woodsplitter build

[toxicjeeper]

Is that a ball bearing pulley you are using for the additional speeds.

If it is, where did you purchase it ?

no it isnt.. i would have rather used one but was in a bit of a rush to rig it up and try drilling the holes.

 

[toxicjeeper]

3.5 cylinder --I just got mine done 16-gpm 2 stage pump 8 horse it works real good on the smaller wood but I save the big chuncks for the big splitter 6 inch cylinder and 28 gph -2 stage 16 hp koehler lift table 4 way wedge it will split anything but is a little slower I built this one 35 years ago.

Nice splitters..any pics? Also what kind of cycle time are you getting with your smaller 16 gpm splitter? Do you find that the 3.5 cylinder gets stuck in the bigger blocks often?

 

[dixstir]

close to 12 seconds its a small splitter but it does just fine.I will try to get some pictures up next few days.

 

[toxicjeeper]

Drill press worked good in 1/2 thick material with the 1/2 bit..no problem, no smoke what so ever. I used chain oil for the lube..spray a little at the top of the bit and start drillin..sticky chain oil works it way down the bit slowly..I hate reaching for the can constantly while drilling.

..Got all the holes drilled and pieces cut for pusher plate slide assembly..Know just need to get some grade 8 hardware to bolt it together..

 

[toxicjeeper]

This is a question to those who have built there own hydrolic tanks, i salvaged a peice of square tubing that will serve as my hydrolic tank as well as axle( 1/4 thick). However it has been sitting outside for a while and has rust on the inside...Should i sand blast the inside to clean it out or??? will a coat of paint on the inside hurt anything? I am thinking what will happen to the hydrolic components on initial start-up... and most set-ups i see have the filter on the return side..also can anybody shed some light on baffles? should i add them while i can?

 

[6sunset6]

Your time factors suggest the pump is running at the 4 GPM rate, and high pressure. Can you verify that.

Do you have a hyd gage installed?

I have a gage , have not put it into this problem yet. It is not at 4gpm because it does that as it enters the wood. Most of the time it never even down shifts. I never realized it was running so slow. But it definatly shifts back and forth. I am going to replace that kinked hose first. When I can get to it.
Maybe my stop watch is running fast.

 

[Scooby074]

This is a question to those who have built there own hydrolic tanks, i salvaged a peice of square tubing that will serve as my hydrolic tank as well as axle( 1/4 thick). However it has been sitting outside for a while and has rust on the inside...Should i sand blast the inside to clean it out or??? will a coat of paint on the inside hurt anything? I am thinking what will happen to the hydrolic components on initial start-up... and most set-ups i see have the filter on the return side..also can anybody shed some light on baffles? should i add them while i can?

Id be a bit weary of that tube.

Clean well painted metal is best. Rust or other particles and your pump is bad mojo.

 

[toxicjeeper]

Id be a bit weary of that tube.

Clean well painted metal is best. Rust or other particles and your pump is bad mojo.

I think i will take that sound advise and use this tube as the axle, plus a peice for extra height and buy a new hydraulic tank..they arent that pricey...

 

[Scooby074]

I think i will take that sound advise and use this tube as the axle, plus a peice for extra height and buy a new hydraulic tank..they arent that pricey...

Nope. Not from PA. Money well spent. Chasing minute oil leaks is the definition of PITA. And you'll know its clean. Pumps are too much $$$

 

[toxicjeeper]

Finally got some time to cut down my axle but before i weld it up something occurred to me..I cut the axle down from 7 feet to 5 feet( these are inside the hub measurments so it will probably be closer to 6 feet wide once tires are on)..However it wont fit in any trailer or truck that i have( yet anyway)..That is ok tho because i want to tow this on the road behind a truck and the axle and hubs i have are definitly heavy enough to take..

OR.. Should i shorten the axle more so it can be placed in the back of a truck if need be..what are the standard widths for others splitters.. I am gonna hold off on welding till I see what average widths are..

 

[Scooby074]

i tow mine, but you have to go SLOW, like 50. Otherwise its all over the road, and its beating itself up. No suspension on mine.

As to width, id go the max that fits into your box. Id say mine is 5' maybe, but it'll fit on my trailer if i have to take it any distance (more than 30 kms.)

 

[toxicjeeper]

That sucks about the towing bit..I probably shouldnt bank on the fact that i can tow mine at highway speeds then..i better cut another foot or so off the axle to be safe and have it down to a size that will fit in my truck or trailer..

 

[Scooby074]

That sucks about the towing bit..I probably shouldnt bank on the fact that i can tow mine at highway speeds then..i better cut another foot or so off the axle to be safe and have it down to a size that will fit in my truck or trailer..

If you add suspended axles, like a torflex you should be able to see highway speed. But unsuspended the thing literally beats itself to death going over bumps. With a couple hundred pounds of engine and hydraulic tank hanging off the sides, the last thing i want to do is hit something hard and break a weld so i go real slow. Having the axle spread the maximum that will fit in the box of your truck gives you the freedom to either tow or haul the splitter.

one issue with towing at high speed is going to be lights, registration and insurance.

Keeping the speed down and traveling with the 4 ways on gives a man a LOT of leeway with the police. At least around here.

 

[toxicjeeper]

Thanks for the insight Scooby..i figure with a set of lights i wouldnt get bothered too much around here either..but i did cut the axle down so it is under 5 feet with the wheels and will fit in a truck of trailer if need be..

Couple pictures..The axle is just clamoped in place till i get all the expensive componets. I figure that way i can just move the axle back and forth till i find the right balance.

There is nothing cheap about building your own splitter..I have around 250 + in steel already and my mig gun bite the dust so i had to buy another one..Oh well works great now...

where she stands as of today..

Lots of slag on that last weld but it was soild underneath..Those welds holding that square tubeing on where long hot welds at 400 inches a minute at 260 amps..Bacon baby..LOL

 

[toxicjeeper]

Well i now have everything except the motor.( it was the only thing not on sale at PA this week). I didnt notice till i got home( and because it was in the box) but i have a 4.5 inch bore cylinder now instead of the 3.5 bore i had planned..Now instead of a cycle speed of 7 sec it is 11 sec with the 16 gpm pump i have....Still faster than any store bought splitter and i reckon it will have enough power now to get through a 4 way wedge..

Got a free set of rim/tires but had to modify the bolt pattern..What a PITA..i dont plan on towing at highway speeds anyway..

 

[toxicjeeper]

Few more pics

 

[toxicjeeper]

few more

 

[toxicjeeper]

Done. Cycle time wasnt as fast as i wanted because of the bigger 4.5 inch ram.. It has a 10 sec cycle time as of now. Split 1/2 a cord today and no trouble..Made the hydraulic ram pin on my chochester lathe.

It was a fun project..Might sell it to buy a milling machine and build a faster splitter with a smaller ram..:thumbsup:

 

[toxicjeeper]

Modified 4 way splitting wedge.

 

[Scooby074]

interesting 4 way.

You didnt go for a hydraulic lift for the 4 way eh? I have to say its one of the better features on mine.

Raise the 4 way out of the way when needed, yet be able to adjust the centre height when using it.

I use my 4 way 80% of the time. only on really gnarly or stuff in splitting into small pieces (like kindling) do i use the single blade.