Log splitter failure.. who'd a thunk it?

[swyman]

Thought I built this thing to be indestructable and yet another failure. First I bent the beam flange from the cam followers which I fixed, then the cam followers themselves have not held up and now after adding my 4 way this happened? The steel I used is 3/4" thick and sticks out from the main wedge 9" and is 8" deep. Well atleast my welds held! Am going to burn this one off and weld another one on. Any suggestions to ammend this failure besides quit splitting 36" logs with knots?

 

[toyfarm]

Maybe take some length off... down to around 6" range?

 

[mga]

use 1" thick steel for the 4 way wings.

but, it seems like the beam would twist under load....is that right?

 

[cuznguido]

IMO 3/4 inch is not thick enough, and 1-inch is probably borderline, and the way it looks in the picture there might have been a bit of mis-alignment. Those wings need to be absolutely stright with the beam/direction of force.

 

[leon]

wood splitter

Thought I built this thing to be indestructable and yet another failure. First I bent the beam flange from the cam followers which I fixed, then the cam followers themselves have not held up and now after adding my 4 way this happened? The steel I used is 3/4" thick and sticks out from the main wedge 9" and is 8" deep. Well atleast my welds held! Am going to burn this one off and weld another one on. Any suggestions to ammend this failure besides quit splitting 36" logs with knots?

You do need thicker steel preferably machining the edge, also you need thicker steel on the wings and you need to add a small tapered piece of steel to add addditional (small in height)splitting edges on all eight of the splitting edges.

leon

opcorn:

 

[Drago 100]

If I understand it, they fold their wings, so as I have already recommended to others, we would need more iron 'often do not know what it's called you here in Italy called HEA or HEB, HEM, or depending thickness.
I put a picture of my log splitter, bought a few months ago:
http://www.xtremeshack.com/scheda/40904_dscf0838.jpg.html

 

[Metals406]

Thought I built this thing to be indestructable and yet another failure. First I bent the beam flange from the cam followers which I fixed, then the cam followers themselves have not held up and now after adding my 4 way this happened? The steel I used is 3/4" thick and sticks out from the main wedge 9" and is 8" deep. Well atleast my welds held! Am going to burn this one off and weld another one on. Any suggestions to ammend this failure besides quit splitting 36" logs with knots?

Here's what I would do:

Replace those knives with 3/4" AR400F treated plate. Buy some 9018 rod, or 7018 in a pinch. Preheat parts before welding to around 150 F. . . Keep weld temps @ or below 350 F. Post heat after welding to allow a slow cool down of the parts. . . Fast cooling is no good.

Box in the ends of that I beam. . . The slide doesn't go all the way to the end anyway. Use 3/8"-1/2" X 6" flat bar for the box-in. Full weld isn't necessary, 3" welds @ 3" centers will work, stay 3/8" away from the end of the plate with your welds -- a little give in the welds is good. . . Make sure the craters get filled.

If you're worried about stuff getting jammed in between the beam and new plat, close it of with a piece of FB, again, no need to fully weld it in.

 

[Metals406]

Here's the pictures, so you don't have to click the links. . .

Drago 100's splitter. . . Which looks cool BTW.

 

[mga]

yea, i gotta agree...drago's splitter looks like it can do some real damage to wood.

nice!!

 

[HARRY BARKER]

Thought I built this thing to be indestructable and yet another failure. First I bent the beam flange from the cam followers which I fixed, then the cam followers themselves have not held up and now after adding my 4 way this happened? The steel I used is 3/4" thick and sticks out from the main wedge 9" and is 8" deep. Well atleast my welds held! Am going to burn this one off and weld another one on. Any suggestions to ammend this failure besides quit splitting 36" logs with knots?

you may be able to split really knotty wood with the 4 way if you re-engineer it,but i think your still gonna bend the flange..i have a bobcat excavator with splitter attachment w/wedge on the ram and bent my flanges with the 4 way on in real knotty maple....now one of my other spltters has a slip on 4 way which lets it ride up and down in the knotty stuff with no problem....my solution was to not run the 4 way in the real nasty stuff....only takes a minute to take it off.like i said,you may work the kinks outta your 4 way but being fixed i fear your gonna keep bending the flanges.

 

[Metals406]

you may be able to split really knotty wood with the 4 way if you re-engineer it,but i think your still gonna bend the flange..i have a bobcat excavator with splitter attachment w/wedge on the ram and bent my flanges with the 4 way on in real knotty maple....now one of my other spltters has a slip on 4 way which lets it ride up and down in the knotty stuff with no problem....my solution was to not run the 4 way in the real nasty stuff....only takes a minute to take it off.like i said,you may work the kinks outta your 4 way but being fixed i fear your gonna keep bending the flanges.

I think you're right about the flange. . . In his pictures it looks wavy already.

Plating the bottom of the beam with AR plate would all but eliminate that problem as well. . . It has far better mechanical properties to A36. He would just have to adjust the slide to accommodate the extra thickness.

Good post Harry.

 

[matt9923]

In your case I'm not sure, on my splinter i'm making a 4 way that just slips on and if there is knotty wood it can slide up if it has to instead of breaking, will see if it works.

 

[toyfarm]

In your case I'm not sure, on my splinter i'm making a 4 way that just slips on and if there is knotty wood it can slide up if it has to instead of breaking, will see if it works.

If your splinter is that big, you better go to the hospital to have it removed! I doubt the average home owner will have tweezers big enough to get that one out?

My $.02

 

[WidowMaker]

It's hard to tell from the picture, but your wings should have a single bevel like this /, as oppossed to > . It will help to get the wedge from trying to rise as it encounters knots and such...jmho...

 

[Metals406]

If your splinter is that big, you better go to the hospital to have it removed! I doubt the average home owner will have tweezers big enough to get that one out?

My $.02

:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[matt9923]

If your splinter is that big, you better go to the hospital to have it removed! I doubt the average home owner will have tweezers big enough to get that one out?

My $.02

Spell check fixes my mistakes, but its only as good as the user who picks the wrong word.

:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

Ya ya

 

[Metals406]

Spell check fixes my mistakes, but its only as good as the user who picks the wrong word.




Ya ya

Splellling is a beech huh? LOL

All in good fun Matt.

 

[toyfarm]

Sorry Matt, just couldn't stop myself!

 

[matt9923]

Splellling is a beech huh? LOL

All in good fun Matt.

Sorry Matt, just couldn't stop myself!

I'm fine with it... I have done worse.

 

[Mike Van]

Some splitters have a wedge that is wider where it welds to the flange, then steps down some. Would that help on the wings? It sort of starts the split down near the beam, where it's taking the least bending, then the taller part comes into the wood.