Converted Log Splitter

I'm converting a 28ton Swisher with a 10.5hp Briggs over to a verticle splitter with a work table. The attached doc. file is a print of it off of Auto Cad. I've been drawing it up for the last few days and started building the slide and wedge today at work. I hope everything works out ok. I will use the tank, wheels, pump, engine, and tongue. The I beam and wedge will not be used. I plan on using a 1/2" thick steel plate by 2'x4' for the table. And a 4x6 steel tube for the upright. The cylinder is 4.5" x 24" stroke. It has plenty of power. I will have a lift table on the left side actuated by a cable and pulley system.

The slide is made of 3/4"x3" CRS. I will bolt them together with 3/8-16 bolts and I machined a grease groove on the inside. I'll have grease zerts on the outside of the slides for easy lubrication.

I hope to make it work like these splitters: http://www.superaxe.com.au/whitlands-ws-150.html However, theirs only has an 18" stroke and the cylinder is mounted differently.
pic

Here's a pic of the slide for the column. I'm not done with it. Still need to drill and tap for grease zerks. And will round the inside edges a bit with a radius cutter. The long piece is a piece of O1 tool steel. After it is machined to a sharp edge I will heat treat it and then weld it to a piece of CRS to beef it up. The tool steal is 3/4"x1 1/2". I'll have a 60deg angle on it.

converted splitter

I like your idea. I have my splitter in my shop right know putting a crane off a old tire service truck on it to lift the big pieces up to the splitter and I have been thinking of putting a upright like your building on the back of my splitter with a 3.5 cylinder to do smaller pieces and it would be fast with my 28 gpm pump. Would you be interested in building two of the slide pieces I don't have equipment to make pieces like that.

rancher2 said:

I like your idea. I have my splitter in my shop right know putting a crane off a old tire service truck on it to lift the big pieces up to the splitter and I have been thinking of putting a upright like your building on the back of my splitter with a 3.5 cylinder to do smaller pieces and it would be fast with my 28 gpm pump. Would you be interested in building two of the slide pieces I don't have equipment to make pieces like that.

Click to expand...

Maybe. Let me do testing with this first and make sure things work out ok.

A different idea, but I don't see any advantage over a horizonal with a lift... To each his own I guess...Good luck with you build...

I like it, the one in the video makes for a very compact splitter length wise and all the work is right in front of you. I don't like their overdone safety system where it takes both hands to work the hydraulics. We have 10 digits, so if we lose one or two, so be it.

Ian

WidowMaker said:

A different idea, but I don't see any advantage over a horizonal with a lift... To each his own I guess...Good luck with you build...

Click to expand...

With a horizontal I am still bending over the machine. Even if there are log racks on both sides of the splitter. You still have to pick up the other half of the log, which stains the back. I am 6'5" also. So most splitters are too short in the horizontal position. And in the vertical position you sit on a bucket or log and still bending over.

I just like this design. It's simple and all the work stays on the table.

I envy your access to the machines that allow you to do such nice work.

When I tried a similar collar around the column system I had trouble with binding. To solve the problem I had to double the length of the slide. With the WS 150 design the slide may have an even greater tendency to bind because the cylinder will be pushing down on one end while the wedge is resisting in the opposite direction. I was also wandering about the shear strength of the 4 bolts holding the wedge.

I,m looking forward to see the progress on your build because that is the next design I want to try.

Jerry

triptester said:

I envy your access to the machines that allow you to do such nice work.

When I tried a similar collar around the column system I had trouble with binding. To solve the problem I had to double the length of the slide. With the WS 150 design the slide may have an even greater tendency to bind because the cylinder will be pushing down on one end while the wedge is resisting in the opposite direction. I was also wandering about the shear strength of the 4 bolts holding the wedge.

I,m looking forward to see the progress on your build because that is the next design I want to try.

Jerry

Click to expand...

How tall was your slide? Mine is 3" tall. I hope that's enough. I only put the bolt holes on there to aid in keeping the slide square. I will weld all 4 corners. I'll be doing the welding at home and don't have access to clamps etc. So a lot of my stuff will be bolted but only to keep it square while welding.

I have access to a mill, lathe, drill press, surface grinder, band saws, and lots of tools. I am a tool and die maker. Whenever we aren't busy in the shop I'll be working on this project. My new boss is pretty cool and doesn't bother us. I'll keep posting pictures as I make more forward progress.

Same idea

I currently have a brave 22 ton h/v splitter and have often thought about what you are doing. I first got the idea when I saw the splitters made by Powersplit. http://www.powersplit.com/index.html

My idea was a little different, I though I might be able to use everything pretty much as it was sitting on my splitter, and just change the pivot point and permanently fix the splitter in the vertical position and build a work table around the existing foot.

I am looking forward to reading the updates on your project because you have the same height problem I do (6'4")

gruff4531 said:

I currently have a brave 22 ton h/v splitter and have often thought about what you are doing. I first got the idea when I saw the splitters made by Powersplit. http://www.powersplit.com/index.html

My idea was a little different, I though I might be able to use everything pretty much as it was sitting on my splitter, and just change the pivot point and permanently fix the splitter in the vertical position and build a work table around the existing foot.

I am looking forward to reading the updates on your project because you have the same height problem I do (6'4")

Click to expand...

A co-worker and I have been doing a lot of discussing on this matter also. And that is the idea he told me. Just put a pivot point on the corner of the I beam on the bottom and swivel it up so the foot is flush with a table. It's on bad. However my I beam is like 76" long. Add 36" for my table height! That's 9'4" tall when assembled and working. That's tall!!! And a lot of top weight. So that's the reason for doing it this way.

My slide was 4" tall x 6" deep. I changed it to 8" tall and it solved the problem.
An exaggerated example would be to stand a 2 foot rod on end then drop a washer over it ,the washer will fall but flutter on the way down. If you take the same rod and slip a short piece of tube over it the tube will slide smoothly to the bottom.

triptester said:

My slide was 4" tall x 6" deep. I changed it to 8" tall and it solved the problem.
An exaggerated example would be to stand a 2 foot rod on end then drop a washer over it ,the washer will fall but flutter on the way down. If you take the same rod and slip a short piece of tube over it the tube will slide smoothly to the bottom.

Click to expand...

Yeah. I understand the concept. I'm hoping my cylinder mount up top will be rigid enough and if I keep everything square I won't have a binding issue. We shall see. If you look at powersplits design they don't have any more than a 3" tall slide. It might be 4". Dunno. Hard to tell from this pic.
http://www.powersplit.com/images/pictures/08.gif

gruff4531 said:

I currently have a brave 22 ton h/v splitter and have often thought about what you are doing. I first got the idea when I saw the splitters made by Powersplit. http://www.powersplit.com/index.html

My idea was a little different, I though I might be able to use everything pretty much as it was sitting on my splitter, and just change the pivot point and permanently fix the splitter in the vertical position and build a work table around the existing foot.

I am looking forward to reading the updates on your project because you have the same height problem I do (6'4")

Click to expand...

The table design works great but a great deal of care must be taken to handle the change in center of gravity. When in the down position the splitter will be very tongue heavy but in the upright position the splitter can become dangerously top heavy. I have built four with the Powersplit design and balance is critical. Just being out of level can cause problems.

With the Powersplit design the wedge is attached rigid to the wedge this helps to keep the guide from binding. With the cylinder and equipment I had to work with my attachment point had play in it.
I also thought you were going to go with the WS150 style which applies forces in different directions.

Jerry

triptester said:

With the Powersplit design the wedge is attached rigid to the wedge this helps to keep the guide from binding. With the cylinder and equipment I had to work with my attachment point had play in it.
I also thought you were going to go with the WS150 style which applies forces in different directions.

Jerry

Click to expand...

No. Not doing the WS150 style. The cylinder is on backwards. Look at my doc. file in the first post.

I will be welding 1"x6" CRS to my cylinder outside walls and will machine slots into the upper plates to keep everything rigid. I will pin and bolt that assembly to the column.

WidowMaker said:

A different idea, but I don't see any advantage over a horizonal with a lift... To each his own I guess...Good luck with you build...

Click to expand...

WidowMaker
My interest in adding another splitter is to get some speed for smaller wood.We run a 6 inch diam cylinder from a cat which will split any thing but is a little slow even with a 28 GPM pump. We hope adding the lift will be a plus too. In the past we used the tractor and loader to lift the big rounds of wood. Our splitter is on a truck axle so the height is nice for tall people and adding weight to the back for a table and upright splitter is no problem.

Real curious to see how it works out. If I were to build a second addtional splitter it would be a table style. For smaller wood a table style should be much quicker and more ergonomic.

Don.

Watch this video and then you will know why I want to make one like his. It's no non-sense and makes splitting wood easy. No back breaking lifting. After a log is split the other half doesn't roll over and off the splitter or on a table that you have to reach over the I beam and retrieve. It just sets there upright until you pivot it into place.

I can't believe any major manufacturers haven't started mass producing them like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYrMBRFa-wc

That is the most impressive splitter I've seen yet. I agree haywire I think the valve would be better suited right under the table top.