Homemade log splitter

[SCOTTS_4X]

Just finished it up at work yesterday and towed it home last night. Got about 15-20 minutes run time on it in the dark under headlights of the truck with my 4yo son.

Specs are:

W8x24 wide flange beam, set up to do vertical and horizontal work with a work table for horizontal. 1.25" plate foot.

6x6x.125 axle/hydraulic reservoir comes out to about 7.5 gallons of fluid. 4.80x12 wheel/tire

Hand built wedge with 1/2" base plate and flare plates, 3/4" main wedge

3x3 .125 tongue with 2"ball coupler. 2000lb bulldog top wind pivoting jack


4x24 cylinder mated to a 13gpm 2 stage pump. Math calculates 18.855 true tons at 3000psi not some made up number like the ones they sell at lowes or tsc. 1" supply line, 3/4" pressure line from pump to valve and 1/2" work ports and hoses/lines. Should come out to a true unloaded cycle time of about 11.2 seconds 24" out and back.

Predator 212cc engine

All parts drawn/programmed/cut/fabricated/welded by me

-scott

 

[Jakers]

Looks dang fine. After all is said and done would you do it again or did you find it would be about the same amount of money to just go buy one on a super sale?

P.S. Nice looking welds

 

[cre73]

Very nice fabricating. If you don't mind me asking, what do you have invested in it?

 

[SCOTTS_4X]

I've got right at $750 in it. I got the cylinder 2nd hand from my dad (turns out after running it over the weekend that it needs seals) and I have awesome employers that allowed me to use any material that had been paid for as part of normal projects so I had pretty much zero material cost. I am a welder/fabricator and I also design/program/operate the CNC plasma table so I set stuff aside a lot that looks to be useful.

Upon looking back I think I WOULD do it again. The factors for me are:

1. It was not that much work. I have been at this for 20 years so this is a rather simple project, fabrication wise

2. I gained a lot of knowledge in the process about hydraulics and splitters in general that I think will be useful in the care and operation of the machine.

3. This splitter is basically what you'd get, power wise, if you go out and buy a 22 ton unit. The difference is this one is built a lot more stout than those machines. Bigger heavier beam and related bracketry, and way better welding quality.

4. It was a fun, busy project for me. I get great satisfaction from building things for myself that work as intended and come out with a professional quality/appearance. If I had to buy all the material and the cylinder.

If I had to buy the material and the cylinder I'd probably be in it for another 4-5 hundred bucks, so I definately could have bought for much less.

-scott

 

[Stlshrk]

Good looking work! I hope you and your helper enjoy it for many years to come.

 

[Cody]

How you mounted the engine/pump and the suction line is pretty damn awesome IMO. If it were me I'd be worried about losing a split/round over top of that area, guarantee I'd make that mistake the first day but I'm not exactly what you call a cautious/careful person at times. You could easily expand that table you have on that side though. Awesome job for sure.

 

[rancher2]

Nice looking splitter. I would fab up a quick motor protector. I know with the help I have that motor would get a round dropped on it.

 

[SCOTTS_4X]

The work table is 28" tall set up from the foot about 2-3" so it goes past the wedge fully retracted about 3-5". I've been warned about the motor both on forums and by my boss but I've got a few hours on it and not even come close. If I do end up needing it I know a guy lol. Thanks for the compliments guys.

-scott

 

[rancher2]

If you run it yourself you probably won't have a issue with no motor guard. I have two guys that help me process wood so there are times I am in the skid loader and they are splitting rounds they would have a round hitting that motor in the first hour. Enjoy the fruits of your labor.

 

[lindnova]

Nice. That is some nice fabricating and welding there. I see you added a plate to keep pieces from falling on the engine after the first pictures.

 

[SCOTTS_4X]

The work table was there all along. Just kinda hard to see in some of the pics. It was one of the first parts of my plan knowing how much it sucks split a round in half and have to drop half on the ground and then pick it back up once the first half is split up. I've got a couple hours splitting with it at this point and can say it was a good plan. The table helps my back and splitting speed tremendously. Thanks for the compliments.

-Scott

 

[Cody]

The work table was there all along. Just kinda hard to see in some of the pics. It was one of the first parts of my plan knowing how much it sucks split a round in half and have to drop half on the ground and then pick it back up once the first half is split up. I've got a couple hours splitting with it at this point and can say it was a good plan. The table helps my back and splitting speed tremendously. Thanks for the compliments.

-Scott

It looks small in one of the pictures but I can see after going back that it does extend farther back than appeared otherwise. Having the right sized table makes all the difference, like you said you don't have to bend back over for re-splits. With having just a basic splitter, no log lift or anything, I just noodle splits down to a size I can handle. We used to have two guys lift a large round (30"+ diameter) and you still wound up with two pretty heavy, awkward splits, and that's if it split it in two clean pieces. I'm not afraid of hard work, but there's a border between hard/stupid. Tell your boy he's wearing a pretty cool hat!

 

[SCOTTS_4X]

1. Well I have been splitting on this guy for a bit now, working all the bugs out. Got some hose routing and leaking problems figured and sorted out. Took it out a couple weeks ago (has not left my house since built) to help a buddy who is dangerously low on wood. Ran flawlessly all day (besides being flooded from me towing it with the gas on) but when it ran out of gas late in the afternoon we called it quits as it was raining. As we were cleaning up I happened to glance up at the foot plate and holy crap it was bent! Didn't figure with the specs I built it with that I'd ever have a problem with the inch and a quarter thick foot plate. Put a piece of 5/8" plate on the bottom of the foot (total thickness is now an inch and seven eighths) , and also put some texture on the top to keep logs from popping out. I had previously left them off purposely because I had seen people suggesting it hampers log repositioning. Turns out keeping the log in place during splitting is WAY more important to me after a few spit out on me. Here's some pics
2. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   -Scott

 

[cantoo]

I would assume that the foot bent due to crooked cut rounds. If the end of the round was hitting the top part of the foot first it would put that 18 tons of pressure 10" or so above the weld. If you always got lucky and had positioned the round so the long side is down it might have lasted forever. Looks good.

 

[SCOTTS_4X]

I would assume that the foot bent due to crooked cut rounds. If the end of the round was hitting the top part of the foot first it would put that 18 tons of pressure 10" or so above the weld. If you always got lucky and had positioned the round so the long side is down it might have lasted forever. Looks good.

This is my guess as I was splitting with a couple guys that cut crooked rounds and it was all pretty twisted white oak and almost stalled a handful of times. Regardless, it's back and better than ever.

-scott

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

P.S. Nice looking welds

Not really.... well... depending.

If those are stick welds, not bad.

If that is MIG... meh.

I weld like that and I'm just a guy with a weldor. I showed some of my work to an actual weldor and he said "....welll... I suppose it'll probably hold together, I guess that's good enough right?"

 

[SCOTTS_4X]

Well let's see the pics of those garage welds.

-scott

 

[SCOTTS_4X]

I guess I should have done a little research on user names. I guess it's no surprise there's no reply and or that there will be some strong hyjinx with what follows.

-scott