Welding wings on splitting wedge?

[liberty]

I have a 34 ton Swisher log splitter with a 5" cylinder,12.5 hp, 16 gpm haldex pump. I want to weld wings on the wedge to make a four way splitter. The wedge is on the piston. Any ideas about length and thickness of steel and what type of edge to put on the wing(dble or single bevel) Are there any negatives to doing this?

 

[gtstang462002]

3/4 to 1" thick seems to be ideal for wedges. You want a single bevel like a lawnmower blade with the bevel tapering up so as to push the split wood up. You don't want to push the wood down into the beam.

 

[Mike Van]

Just my 2 cents - I split some really snotty stuff, sometimes it's all the splitter can do to shear through a hard maple crotch with a single wedge, a 4 way would be impossibe. If you split all fairly straight clean wood, you'd be o.k., but what do you do with the rest? Just leave it? My choice would be a 4 way that slips on or bolts on, once you weld it you're kinda stuck with it.

 

[046]

got a 35 ton huskee with almost identical spec's.

plenty of power for a four way... but after doing the research. came to conclusion, better off without a four way for the type of wood I'm splitting. which is lots of larger rounds, 3ft+.

also negative feedback from folks using northern tool's four way wedges on their 37ton in vertical position. operator is directly in front of log when splitting vertical. with a four way, sometimes top pieces of wood go flying into operator.

before I go four way, blade needs some type of adjustments. up or down. Timberwolf TW5 is the ticket someday. with log lift of course.

my main complaint is slow cycle times. 5in cylinder mated to 16gpm = slow. next up is upgrading to 22 gpm pump. my 12.5hp ohv briggs should pull it no problems. cycle times should go down to 10 seconds or same as TW5.

I have a 34 ton Swisher log splitter with a 5" cylinder,12.5 hp, 16 gpm haldex pump. I want to weld wings on the wedge to make a four way splitter. The wedge is on the piston. Any ideas about length and thickness of steel and what type of edge to put on the wing(dble or single bevel) Are there any negatives to doing this?

 

[turnkey4099]

The problem with a fixed 4-way is that you are stuck with it. Every chunk you run through is going to get 4 splits and that will result in some _very_ small pieces. An adjustable one does away with that problem though.

Harry K

 

[046]

looks like this American Splitter with adjustable four way is equal to TW5's adjustable four way.

 

[woodchop]

How does that style 4-way work with tough stringy wood? Second wedge is 6 or 8 inches behind the first wedge and I can picture doing a lot of manual labor.

 

[cmetalbend]

Just my 2 cents - I split some really snotty stuff, sometimes it's all the splitter can do to shear through a hard maple crotch with a single wedge, a 4 way would be impossibe. If you split all fairly straight clean wood, you'd be o.k., but what do you do with the rest? Just leave it? My choice would be a 4 way that slips on or bolts on, once you weld it you're kinda stuck with it.

I've made on that slips on. I can move it about, but don't recommend one on any splitter where the wegde is on the cylinder. Takes an extreme amount of pressure, and very hard on the pump,motor, and beam itself. On the other hand if a person want's to buy one. The wings are avaliable through Northern Tool Co. They use an interesting cut method kind of a claw hook bite'ish look to them. I can tell ya for sure, if you split dry wood now with any difficulty you WON"T split green stuff with a four way. Threre is another thread active right now covering this very same subject.

 

[046]

a good gauge if your splitter is powerful enough for a four way is to look at mfg's spec's that do offer four way wedges.

basically if your running a 22ton range machine w/5.5 hp. it may not be up to pushing a four way.

basic formula is 2 gpm for every HP.

 

[treemandan]

alittle off topic... Is it better to have the wedge on the piston or the back plate?

 

[Mike Van]

I like it on the plate, but only because thats all I've ever used & am too stubborn to change

 

[VernonFirewood]

4-way wedge on on piston is a bad idea.

The top two pieces are fine but the bottom two pieces will push down on the I-beam causing upward pressure on the piston. the piston is not built to with stand pressure from that direction. It is bad for your piston that is why i chose not to mount a bolt on wedge 4-way on my splitter. read that forum search "northstar four way wedge".

 

[turnkey4099]

alittle off topic... Is it better to have the wedge on the piston or the back plate?

As far as the wood splitting it makes no difference. Mine is on the back plate and that is the only place I want one. I have had chunks fly 6 ft and more when they suddenly split. I want them going away from me, not at me as they would be with the wedge on piston.

Harry K