Building a wood splitter, I need some opinions please

[loadthestove]

One more question.
What are your opinions about how close the pusher needs to come to the wedge when the cylinder reaches full stroke?
Nearly touching? Or will an inch or two or three suffice?

I left one inch on mine.This way i cant mess up and jam my wedge into my push plate.

 

[Jakers]

Im really a big fan of the 5" cyl myself. im running a 5x36 rite now. the only reason for the 36" length was my dad built the splitter to use a 6x48" cyl so without relocating the tank and having alot of wasted beam i went for the 36. im also running it off of a pto pump putting out 21gpm so cycle times are ok and power is excellent. never stalled it yet. altho my 21gpm pump turned my log lift into a log tosser now :bang: oh well. just gotta feather the valve a bit more. ill put a flow control on it someday. As for the wedge, im running a 1"x18" tall fixed wedge. the extra height comes in really handy for them big stringy pieces. they just cut instead of popping up over the cutting edge. if you do put something on the pusher plate to make it like the picture shown earlier, DO NOT use angle iron in a verticle way... it makes a pinch point with the cutter at the end of the stroke. then ya toss a buddy on the controls and somebody gets a near miss when the wood lets go and flies 50ft. take a guess how i learned that one

 

[dlb1999]

I'd go with a 4" prince cylinder and definately wouldn't be swapping cylinders, that would get old fast. I'd put the money into a good sized W-beam first. my pusher comes 1/4" from the wedge on the one I built. The engine has little to do with the power as long as it can spin the pump. Its all the bore of the cylinder and the operating pressure. There are several of us that have built splitters here so ask away. P.S. I ordered most of my hydraulic stuff from Surplus Center - Hydraulics, Engines, Electrical and More

Thanks, boogieman. I'm still have time and room to play with ideas.
Like I said, I got the 3 1/2" cylinder for the right price (free) so I'm going to use that one at least for a while until I get a bigger one.
I ordered my pump mount foot from surplus center. I just got their printed catalog yesterday and my mouth is still watering.....

 

[Farm Boy]

Should anyone need it...the following formula can be used to determine how much HP is being used to run your splitter.

HP = (PSI x Flow in gpm) / 1500

since no pump is 100% volumetric efficient, 1500 is used

Regarding hose: 3000 psi hose is very common today in industrial plants. Ask for a hose supplier for SAE 100R17 hose, it is rated at 3000 psi in all sizes up to 1 inch id, and has twice the bend radius (more flexible) as the two wire (100R2) hose found in ag supply stores.

 

[mga]

Here's how mine is built, the plates on the sides go past the end of the ram just a 1/2" or so. It helps a lot when splitting really stringy stuff. Also, the gap between the two side plates is a good place to put those pieces that invariably get cut at an angle so they don't slide off.

damn.....the most obvious are often over looked as the best ideas!

excellent...thanks for sharing!

 

[Steve NW WI]

Regarding hose: 3000 psi hose is very common today in industrial plants. Ask for a hose supplier for SAE 100R17 hose, it is rated at 3000 psi in all sizes up to 1 inch id, and has twice the bend radius (more flexible) as the two wire (100R2) hose found in ag supply stores.

Picked up a hose for the loader tractor at Mills Fleet Farm yesterday, 1/2" x 84" 4000PSI, made in USA, was around $20. I haven't seen 2000-2500 PSI rated hoses in a long time, but I get all my hydraulic stuff at FF.

 

[firewood guy]

You are on the right track designing the splitter w/ a push-block assy on the ram and the wedge at the end of the beam. If it's a towable unit, put the wedge on the opposite end of the truck so you don't have a pile by the tailgate. It's amazing to me how many com'l units have this detail backwards. I'm gathering parts for the next project which will be an animal..8" bore by 27" stroke cyl, 8-way wedge (adjustable ht) 8x12 H-beam w/ 2" x12" mill plate on top for a wear plate. Looking at a 60 gpm pump behind a 45 horse Kubota dsl. Hard to find valves that will flow that high though. Just remember that a small cyl will cycle faster and you are really going to strain that 8 horse even w/ a 16 gpm pump. Assuming you will crank the opp press to safe maximum (3000 psi), and calculating the 2nd stage gpm of a 16 gpm Haldex pump, use the following math..4 gpm x 3000 psi /1714 x .85 ( avg pump effiency) = 5.95 hp. thats 75 % of the rated max HP of that engine, and that is usually rated @ 3600 rpm. If you want something better than the avg log splitter out there, use a 14 hp eng w/ a 22 gpm pump, 3/4 " working ports and hoses, and a 5"-6" cyl. However, the beam you have will probably not take the forces unless you weld a BIG wear plate on top. Also, using either a push-block or sliding wedge design, make the "footprint" of the part that slides up & down the beam about 2x as long as the commercial (lol) units out there. This will tansfer the loads that cause beam problems over a larger area while dissipating said loads due to leverage advantages. Also remember that the advertised tonnage of log splitters on the market is total BS and the cycle times are for an unloaded pump both extend and retract. Hope this helps.

 

[Steve NW WI]

If it's a towable unit, put the wedge on the opposite end of the truck so you don't have a pile by the tailgate. It's amazing to me how many com'l units have this detail backwards.

Amen brother! If you wanna fill a truck off the splitter, back the truck up to it. I can't find a cheap splitter with wedge on beam at the back of the machine. Have to build it myself I guess. I already have the big dog splitter, I need a small fast one. If I build it, it's gonna be 4" cylinder with 3/4" ports and valve, 22gpm on a 12 hp motor.

 

[firewood guy]

Amen brother! If you wanna fill a truck off the splitter, back the truck up to it. I can't find a cheap splitter with wedge on beam at the back of the machine. Have to build it myself I guess. I already have the big dog splitter, I need a small fast one. If I build it, it's gonna be 4" cylinder with 3/4" ports and valve, 22gpm on a 12 hp motor.

That'll be a two-man splitter! One to load the logs on the rail and the other just pushing the lever! Didn't do the math, but it will blaze espec. if you have a big ram diameter to increase the retract time. Have fun!

 

[Boogieman142]

Amen brother! If you wanna fill a truck off the splitter, back the truck up to it. I can't find a cheap splitter with wedge on beam at the back of the machine. Have to build it myself I guess. I already have the big dog splitter, I need a small fast one. If I build it, it's gonna be 4" cylinder with 3/4" ports and valve, 22gpm on a 12 hp motor.

Thata exactly how I built mine, with the wedge in the back so i can back up to a pile and the truck won't be in my way to work and neither will the hitch.

 

[ezs]

Thanks, everybody for your advice.
I did not mention that I already have a 3 1/2" bore cylinder that was given to me for free.
I was not going to use it because I thought that it was too small although it will probably work fine for most of wood I'll be splitting.
But I came up with another idea today. I'm going to go ahead and use the 3 1/2" cylinder I have but I'm going to use
quick couplers for the hydraulic connections and I'll have quick-release keepers on the pins. I'm going to buy a 4 1/2" or 5" cylinder
that I can quickly swap with the 3 1/2" one.
All split all of my 'easy' wood with the 3 1/2" and then save my big knotty chunks for last and switch
to the bigger cylinder. This way, I can take advantage of a fast cycle time when splitting smaller logs.

I hope it works out.

I have a 3 1/2 X 24 6.5 hp and my machine splits anything.

 

[radroy92]

A Good Start

Hi, I think you have a good start. I recently finished a splitter with a 8 hp engine 16 gpm pump combo and 4" cyl. and I'm very happy with the power and speed. Switching cylinders back and forth doesn't sound very efficient. Also speed is nice but you have to consider safety too. You really don't want a super fast cycle time if you like your fingers. I saw the idea for the plate with spacers on it forming a gap so the wedge can extend beyond the working surface of the plate. Good idea but one thing I would like to mention is the how rapidly the wedge widens. Wedge designs that have long sections of thin plate before the spreaders waste time. A wedge like this splits the wood open only a small amount for several inches of travel. The idea is to split the wood open so a short initial length of thin wedge is good to open the grain but then it should widen rapidly to open the crack. Also a wedge should not have a razor sharp edge. Getting a good cut on your hand is one good reason not to have an edge like this but the primary reason is you want to split the wood not cut it. A sharp knife-like edge will also more likely become stuck in a tough log. A more blunt multi-angle edge will not only be a more efficient design as well as be less likely to get stuck in a tough grain section. And since the edge is less fine it will not chip easily and need less re-grinding to maintain it's shape. Lastly don't mount the plate so the wedge comes very close to it. Have the wedge stop 1.5" from the plate. This is another finger saver. And if you have a correctly designed wedge the log will be in two pieces before the wedge gets this close to the plate.

See my splitter build here http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/158031.htm

Happy building!!

Roy

 

[G6YPK]

Home brew spliiter too small?

View attachment 224589View attachment 224590View attachment 224589View attachment 224590

The rams are 2.5 inch X 24 inch stroke. Cannot recall the pump single or two stage, but engine is a 5.5 HP Honda and runs well without laboring in any way when pushing a big log. However, I feel the ram is not powerful enough, and feel I could use perhaps a 3, 4 or five inch ram to give an extra push. Existing ram is 3000lb Prince 3000psi and the hoses are 4000psi with 4000psi showing on the gauge when trying to push a hard, knotty log.
Any advice would be most welcome.

Name is tony and the email address is [email protected]

 

[triptester]

Attached is a calculator for finding hydraulic tonnage.

Hydraulic Cylinder Calculator

 

[VW Splitter]

My splitter has 1" between the push plate and the wedge. Works great. The log will split by the time you that close.

 

[dlb1999]

still making progress

I'd like to thank everyone again for posting their comments.
I'm still working on it every day. The engine and pump mount is done. The tank and valve is mounted and everything is plumbed.
I'm working on the main beam and log lift right now and I hope to have it all done in a few weeks. I'll post some pics soon if I get time but I'll definitely get
some pics posted when it is completed.

 

[dlb1999]

View attachment 224589View attachment 224590View attachment 224589View attachment 224590

The rams are 2.5 inch X 24 inch stroke. Cannot recall the pump single or two stage, but engine is a 5.5 HP Honda and runs well without laboring in any way when pushing a big log. However, I feel the ram is not powerful enough, and feel I could use perhaps a 3, 4 or five inch ram to give an extra push. Existing ram is 3000lb Prince 3000psi and the hoses are 4000psi with 4000psi showing on the gauge when trying to push a hard, knotty log.
Any advice would be most welcome.

Name is tony and the email address is [email protected]

Your pump looks like a two stage but it is difficult to tell in your pics. I have a 3 1/2" ram which came off of another log splitter.
I've been told both on this forum and from friends that a 3 1/2" or 4" is all you need and anything bigger is overkill for most splitting.
If you have a good wedge and pusher design, this will make up for a smaller cylinder. 4000 psi is more than most splitters are set up for
so it sounds like you have plenty of pressure. If your cylinder cycle times are acceptable now, I'm sure you know that they will decrease a bit
when you go to a bigger cylinder. That could mean a pump upgrade but you only have a 5.5 hp so that might limit you a bit.
Page 33 in the surplus center catalog has some pump specs/hp guidelines.

https://www.surpluscenter.com/\CAT284\Catalog284.pdf

 

[G6YPK]

Pump size and picture

Your pump looks like a two stage but it is difficult to tell in your pics. I have a 3 1/2" ram which came off of another log splitter.
I've been told both on this forum and from friends that a 3 1/2" or 4" is all you need and anything bigger is overkill for most splitting.
If you have a good wedge and pusher design, this will make up for a smaller cylinder. 4000 psi is more than most splitters are set up for
so it sounds like you have plenty of pressure. If your cylinder cycle times are acceptable now, I'm sure you know that they will decrease a bit
when you go to a bigger cylinder. That could mean a pump upgrade but you only have a 5.5 hp so that might limit you a bit.
Page 33 in the surplus center catalog has some pump specs/hp guidelines.

https://www.surpluscenter.com/\CAT284\Catalog284.pdf

Thank you for the reply to my question. I have taken some more pictures just a few minutes ago and will upload them here. I made a gross error in the engine size. The engine is a Honda 4 HP. Not the 5.5 HP as originally stated. I am planning to replace this engine with a Tecumseh 9 HP which came off of a large tiller. As you can see, I have added some more pictures and you can judge from these what I have to play with. I am not sure if the coupler will
fit the Tecumseh engine, but if I don't try I will never know, eh.
Your thoughts would be very welcome.
Tony

 

[dlb1999]

Thank you for the reply to my question. I have taken some more pictures just a few minutes ago and will upload them here. I made a gross error in the engine size. The engine is a Honda 4 HP. Not the 5.5 HP as originally stated. I am planning to replace this engine with a Tecumseh 9 HP which came off of a large tiller. As you can see, I have added some more pictures and you can judge from these what I have to play with. I am not sure if the coupler will
fit the Tecumseh engine, but if I don't try I will never know, eh.
Your thoughts would be very welcome.
Tony

It sure looks like a two stage pump to me. Wow, are those plain sch. 40 black pipe fittings on your pressure side?
Normally, those are only used on the suction side because of their limited pressure handling capability. You could have a safety issue there.
I must confess, I've used them before but I normally try to find the high-pressure steel fittings when possible. They cost quite a bit more, but they give
you piece of mind that nothing will blow out.

Upgrading to to the 9hp engine sounds like a great idea. Like you said, it could require some modification based on the mounting base to center of shaft height and shaft size. Good luck.

BTW, I've been using Surplus Center for most of my parts/hydraulic fittings. Their high pressure steel fittings are half the price of Parker or local stores.

 

[G6YPK]

Splitter this and that

It sure looks like a two stage pump to me. Wow, are those plain sch. 40 black pipe fittings on your pressure side?
Normally, those are only used on the suction side because of their limited pressure handling capability. You could have a safety issue there.
I must confess, I've used them before but I normally try to find the high-pressure steel fittings when possible. They cost quite a bit more, but they give
you piece of mind that nothing will blow out.

Upgrading to to the 9hp engine sounds like a great idea. Like you said, it could require some modification based on the mounting base to center of shaft height and shaft size. Good luck.

BTW, I've been using Surplus Center for most of my parts/hydraulic fittings. Their high pressure steel fittings are half the price of Parker or local stores.

I am so happy you caught the coupler safety issue. I had no idea this could happen. My brother in-law put the thing together and delivered it ready to as a birthday present (I am his favorite Arkansas Englishman) :msp_rolleyes: I measured the engine mountings and they are the same, but the shaft height is about 5/8 inch higher, but that is not a problem as I can raise the height of the pump to accommodate the difference.
I hope the shaft size is the same - gulp. I never thought to measure this aspect of the coupling. No matter, I'm sure if there is a problem I can surmount it. Would I be correct in thinking the height pressure pump fittings are all the same size and thread (metric or imperial..HELP!) I have not a clue. Brother-in-law used the parts from his late fathers stock (father in-law was a real mechanical engineer working on the Mississippi tug boats). It was to be a secret present to me, but he died before finishing it, so the finishing was left to brother-in-law, hence the coupling situation you pointed out. Unfortunately, I see no number on the pump, (unless it is below) and would not see any number until the engine was removed. I would appreciate your telling me the difference between the two types of pump (advantages or disadvantages of each type etc). I appreciate your input.
King regards Antony.. [email protected]