Home made splitter mishap

[pelhamjeff]

Evening gents. I have a hydraulic splitter I built 10 years ago. It has a stationary wedge at the end of the beam and the pusher attaches to the ram. I was splitting this evening and got a sliver of green oak between the beam and the pusher. I cant believe how tight it is jammed in there. I didn't notice it till I stepped on the back stroke pedal and all hell broke loose. The cylinder came my way, twisted a bracket, broke a brace and shot a piece of metal past my head. I can attach pics tomorrow if anybody is interested. Does anybody have suggestions on how to get that wood out from under the pusher? The pusher is captive, meaning that taking it off the beam is not an option. I have oxy/acetylene but I don't know if I could burn it out without weakening the metal. Has this happened to anybody else?

 

[Ted Jenkins]

I would grind as much as possible with a small angle grinder then try to drill some of the wood out. Option #2 would be to take some metal the same size as the wood is jammed in and try to drive some of it out until it starts to wiggle. Thanks

 

[U&A]

I don’t know much about hydraulic splitters but can you use a torch to burn it out?

Have some water near by to keep things cool?


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[pelhamjeff]

I would grind as much as possible with a small angle grinder then try to drill some of the wood out. Option #2 would be to take some metal the same size as the wood is jammed in and try to drive some of it out until it starts to wiggle. Thanks

That's what I have done so far using a slide rule. I got a little of it out that way.

 

[pelhamjeff]

I don’t know much about hydraulic splitters but can you use a torch to burn it out?

Have some water near by to keep things cool?


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

that's my last resort

 

[dave_dj1]

Burn baby burn, seems like the only way and of course we want pics! Glad you didn't get hit. I had a similar thing happen to mine but I was able to move the slide back and forth and finally got it out, Good luck

 

[motoman3b]

I had a split come over the push pad on retract and completely shear off the fitting the hydraulic hose plugged into on the cylinder, instant oil bath fun experience this was shortly after replacing the previous cylinder that exploded because the previous owner over tightened the fittings on the end gland, luckily I was able to retap the fitting on the new cylinder to remove the sheared threads. In your situation I'd agree burning it out might be your best option

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Consider yourself lucky.
Scrap it.
Buy a new unit and get back to splitting firewood.

 

[SS396driver]

Saws all with an aggressive wood blade. Get in between and hack away at the wood

 

[pelhamjeff]

Saws all with an aggressive wood blade. Get in between and hack away at the wood

Hey, I didn't think about that! By the way, I had a 66 SS396 clone from 89 till 2000. Had all the SS badges and SS hood. 402, saginaw 4 speed and 12 bolt 3.73:1 posi. Thanks for that slick idea!

 

[sundance]

Evening gents. I have a hydraulic splitter I built 10 years ago. It has a stationary wedge at the end of the beam and the pusher attaches to the ram. I was splitting this evening and got a sliver of green oak between the beam and the pusher. I cant believe how tight it is jammed in there. I didn't notice it till I stepped on the back stroke pedal and all hell broke loose. The cylinder came my way, twisted a bracket, broke a brace and shot a piece of metal past my head. I can attach pics tomorrow if anybody is interested. Does anybody have suggestions on how to get that wood out from under the pusher? The pusher is captive, meaning that taking it off the beam is not an option. I have oxy/acetylene but I don't know if I could burn it out without weakening the metal. Has this happened to anybody else?

Pictures would be nice. Good luck resolving it.

 

[pelhamjeff]

Ok in the 1st picture you can see the broken end of that brace that runs from the cylinder end of the beam. The nut and the rest of that brace hummed right by my head. Anyway I got the pusher free with my torch. I'll have her going again by the weekend. Thanks for all the cool ideas!

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

That's an odd design. It shouldn't need a brace near the rod end like that.

 

[tla100]

Beef up cylinder mount. Extend ram and put pin back in pusher. Retract and hope. Wood chunk stays with I-eam....

 

[pelhamjeff]

That's an odd design. It shouldn't need a brace near the rod end like that.

That's all there is to keep the ram from coming my way. And it was always strong enough..till last night

 

[pelhamjeff]

Beef up cylinder mount. Extend ram and put pin back in pusher. Retract and hope. Wood chunk stays with I-eam....

that be the plan

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

That's all there is to keep the ram from coming my way. And it was always strong enough..till last night

It's not pinned at the back and also at the pusher? The pusher should be tight to the beam.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

That's an odd design. It shouldn't need a brace near the rod end like that.

I agree. The cylinder should be strong enough to handle the flex that will occur there. I think allowing it to move is safer than trying to contain it like that. I could be wrong though.

 

[dave_dj1]

That's an odd design. It shouldn't need a brace near the rod end like that.

My thought exactly.
Is the cylinder not attached at the end with a pin on the beam?
My cylinder is 30" stroke and no brace on the rod end. I've never had a problem.

 

[SS396driver]

Hey, I didn't think about that! By the way, I had a 66 SS396 clone from 89 till 2000. Had all the SS badges and SS hood. 402, saginaw 4 speed and 12 bolt 3.73:1 posi. Thanks for that slick idea!

I've owned this 84, real SS all matching numbers . Complete drive train is on a shelf in the garage. It's now a 496 with autogear m22 Ford 9 inch with 3.54 Yukon gears . Strange 3 1/2 chrome moly with 1350 joints