Wood splitter wedge, Moveable or stationary ?

[machinistbcb]

O.k.... I am in the design mode of my splitter and trying to decide if the wedge should go on the piston and be moveable or be welded to the beam and be stationary ? I am looking for any advice.. pluses, minuses ??? help please!!!!!

Thanks,

Brian

 

[slinger]

Upright or horizontal operation?

Upright - usually have wedge on ram (moveable)
Stationary the opposite.

 

[Butch(OH)]

If it is going to tiltable to vertical then the wedge has to be on the ram. Horizontal only is less certain, kinda depends on what you think you will be splitting and the power of the unit. Wedge on ram is handy for multiple pass splitting as you don't have to keep moving the re-splits back into position. Wedge on the beam is handy if you have lots of power and can split more than two ways as you can shove the splits off the end and onto a table or grate and even onto a conveyor with no further attention by you. I have had them all three ways. Currently I have lots of excess power, a four way wedge and a conveyor so I shove the splits of the end with a cylinder mounted push block and beam mounted wedge.

 

[Steve NW WI]

As already said, if vertical splitting, wedge on the ram is your only option. Horizontal, I'd go with a fixed wedge, and log tables

Like already said, with that setup, you can use the stroke to push splits off into a pile or onto a conveyor, and with tables, your resplits are still there. I have a horizontal with fixed wedge, and tables are my next project.

More tonnage is always better, don't be afraid to sacrifice a second or two of cycle time for more power, you will always spend more time feeding the beast than actually splitting.

Steve