Converted Log Splitter

[iowa]

one moo. Can't wait for the test spin tomorrow on V2! LOL. :hmm3grin2orange::biggrinbounce2:

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I like that wedge a LOT better than the old one. Hope the new build irons all the kinks out!

Luck,
Ian

 

[iowa]

I got to try it out tonight. It's a winner. No binding and it splits effortlessly. The wedge is great. We did a cord tonight. I'm gonna finish up the rest of my wood laying around this weekend. I'm stoked! Whoohoo.

 

[iowa]

I wonder if I made blue prints for this design if people would be interested in building one like it? Or start making splitters like it and selling them?

 

[CUCV]

I wonder if I made blue prints for this design if people would be interested in building one like it? Or start making splitters like it and selling them?

What do you figure it would cost retail if you made them?

 

[iowa]

What do you figure it would cost retail if you made them?

I really don't know what the mark up on stuff is anymore. All I know is what I have into it for metal.. A lot of the smaller parts I made at work while getting paid.. shhhhh. Fringe benefits of being in a nice shop with mills, lathes, plasma cutter, band saws, and welders. LOL..

I bought the splitter new for $1250.
H beam was $145
1/2" 2'x4' plate was $90
Wedge was $40
steel tubing for log lift was $25
All the other small parts and extra hyd hoses I got from work.

I would say that I added an extra $500 in parts. HOWEVER I sold my original H beam and wedge that came with it. I could have used it since my first design with the rectangular tubing didn't work. So really you would just need the plate for the table, some square tubing, and a few other odds and ends..

It would probably be safe to say that a $2200-$2500 price tag for one would be in the ball park.

 

[CUCV]

LOL I go to my fathers work and Tig weld, They say we can still do it even after he retires in the spring. There electric, wire and gas!

Over the past 9 years I have got $1000's of dollars of metal out of the dumpster at my work (with permission). 10,000lbs trailer squatting time after time. The machine shop at my work is always overloaded so I can't get anything done there. I wish I could get some stuff powdercoated at work, we have a booth you could fit a truck in.

I really don't know what the mark up on stuff is anymore. All I know is what I have into it for metal.. A lot of the smaller parts I made at work while getting paid.. shhhhh. Fringe benefits of being in a nice shop with mills, lathes, plasma cutter, band saws, and welders. LOL..

I bought the splitter new for $1250.
H beam was $145
1/2" 2'x4' plate was $90
Wedge was $40
steel tubing for log lift was $25
All the other small parts and extra hyd hoses I got from work.

I would say that I added an extra $500 in parts. HOWEVER I sold my original H beam and wedge that came with it. I could have used it since my first design with the rectangular tubing didn't work. So really you would just need the plate for the table, some square tubing, and a few other odds and ends..

It would probably be safe to say that a $2200-$2500 price tag for one would be in the ball park.

 

[Steve NW WI]

I really don't know what the mark up on stuff is anymore. All I know is what I have into it for metal.. A lot of the smaller parts I made at work while getting paid.. shhhhh. Fringe benefits of being in a nice shop with mills, lathes, plasma cutter, band saws, and welders. LOL..

I bought the splitter new for $1250.
H beam was $145
1/2" 2'x4' plate was $90
Wedge was $40
steel tubing for log lift was $25
All the other small parts and extra hyd hoses I got from work.

I would say that I added an extra $500 in parts. HOWEVER I sold my original H beam and wedge that came with it. I could have used it since my first design with the rectangular tubing didn't work. So really you would just need the plate for the table, some square tubing, and a few other odds and ends..

It would probably be safe to say that a $2200-$2500 price tag for one would be in the ball park.

If you aren't doubling the cost of your materials, chances are you'll wind up on the losing end of a fab job. It sounds spendy, but by the time you work all the math, there isn't a lot of true profit left even at that markup.

 

[triptester]

The least expensive way of building this type of splitter with all new materials would be to convert an existing splitter.
The simplest to reconfigure would be a MTD short beam H/V splitter. The complete beam ,wedge ,cylinder ,and valve can be used as is with only minor modification. Reposition beam assembly, add table, lenghten hoses, and install log lift.
About $200 in new materials for the conversion.
New splitter to convert $1000 - $1200.
Labor ?
Profit ?

 

[iowa]

The least expensive way of building this type of splitter with all new materials would be to convert an existing splitter.
The simplest to reconfigure would be a MTD short beam H/V splitter. The complete beam ,wedge ,cylinder ,and valve can be used as is with only minor modification. Reposition beam assembly, add table, lenghten hoses, and install log lift.
About $200 in new materials for the conversion.
New splitter to convert $1000 - $1200.
Labor ?
Profit ?

You are correct on that. I keep forgetting about the mtd splitter. But you still need to be able to drop the cylinder down for storage and transport!

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I see the biggest problem as getting permission from your work to do that. If I were the owner, I don't think I would mind an employee doing a project for himself off the clock occasionally, but if he were making money with my lathes and bits, I would either put a halt to it or charge him a reduced shop rate to cover the wear and tear on my equipment.

The problem with blueprints is you sell one and it gets copied 10,000 times and posted on the net. Hard to protect and hard to sell if it's downloadable for free somewhere.

Ian

 

[iowa]

In no way shape or form would I use my workplaces equipment to make money on the side. My boss knew what I was doing on the clock. He has no issues with it when we aren't busy. I also asked to use the shop last Sunday.

If I were to build these to sell I would build my own shop and buy my own machines.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Ok, now that we have that established, how much to convert mine?

Ian

 

[triptester]

The MTD short beam splitters already have a cylinder that is front mounted that would only require minor change for quick raise and lowering for transport.

 

[iowa]

Ok, now that we have that established, how much to convert mine?

Ian

LOL. I don't have a shop built and machines in it yet!

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Working with CAD

Splitter is looking great!

I thought I'd play around with some CAD tonight....just for fun.....
It's not finished....but you get the idea.

No guys....CAD has more than on meaning! LOL :hmm3grin2orange:

<a href="http://s1108.photobucket.com/albums/h403/dan_laduke/?action=view&amp;current=SPLITTER.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h403/dan_laduke/SPLITTER.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[iowa]

Splitter is looking great!

I thought I'd play around with some CAD tonight....just for fun.....
It's not finished....but you get the idea.

No guys....CAD has more than on meaning! LOL :hmm3grin2orange:

<a href="http://s1108.photobucket.com/albums/h403/dan_laduke/?action=view&amp;current=SPLITTER.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h403/dan_laduke/SPLITTER.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Sweet! Good job. I have auto CAd 14 on my computer. So no 3 D stuff.

Where do u live in sw mn? My wife used to work in fairmont and I worked in algona ia. Born raised in nw Iowa.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Sweet! Good job. I have auto CAd 14 on my computer. So no 3 D stuff.

Where do u live in sw mn? My wife used to work in fairmont and I worked in algona ia. Born raised in nw Iowa.

Thanks for the kind words!

I live near a small town Green Isle. It's near.......Gaylord.....Glenco.....Arlington (it has the race track)..,...

 

[iowa]

Do you have a log splitter that you want to convert over? Or are you going to build one from the ground up?

Do you have a lot if trees there?

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Do you have a log splitter that you want to convert over? Or are you going to build one from the ground up?

Do you have a lot if trees there?

I have a horz/vert home made splitter (not by me) that I need to get working. I have my FIL's horz splitter that we pass back and forth.

Yes there a fair amount of trees around here. Where there isn't a corn field there's either a road or trees.

Here's a pic of my splitter. I need to get the hydraulics figured out!

Before I got this one I was thinking about building this one:

Here's another idea that I've been kicking around. A two stage wedge: