Help with Homemade cone type log splitter, please...

[avalancher]

feader72,
Thanks for the feedback. Did I mention that I cut the tip of my thumb off with a hydraulic splitter earlier this year? I an CONSIDERABLY more careful now with operating any kind of tool. LOL

Does your stickler go through knotts and other tough pieces?

Let me make sure I understand this correctly. You managed to cut your thumb off with a hydraulic splitter, now you are moving on to a more dangerous machine? I think I would rethink that idea.

Sure, log splitters injure folks. But when you look at how many hydraulic splitters are out there compared to how many folks manage to injure themselves, the numbers are very low. However, you cant say the same about screw type splitters.

 

[TFPace]

Take a look at this

The cone splitter makes a lot of since to me if you are splitting large rounds. You can break them down to manageable size and then process them with a kinetic splitter:smile2:

Demo Video - The Atom Splitter with Flare

 

[RodHinds]

All good feedback. I appreciate it very much.
I'll keep you posted on what I decide to do. Rod

 

[Streblerm]

I don't have one and have never used one. I would think that you probably wouldn't need too much engine to work one of these type splitters if you have some flywheel inertia.

When I look at videos of this type of splitter I have to think that lower RPM with some mass behind it would be the safest way to go. the one on this tractor looks like it is turning only a couple hundred RPMs max but it has the mass of the tractor drivetrain behind it. The same goes for the car rim mounted type (really scary if you ask me, way too much stuff to go wrong on one mounted to a car)

[video=youtube;A-K8JtgjtBM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=A-K8JtgjtBM[/video]

Just look at what you can do with a SuperSplit or its clones with a small engine and a big flywheel. I would guess you could get by with less than 5hp engine with some flywheel mass. Depending on where you want to use it you could even go electric.

 

[whackerk]

Splitter

I agree streblerm

To much to go wrong with a screw on a wheel, and the moving suspension on the other 3 wheels, and the jack, maybe sinking into the ground, or the car falling of it... Also, much to low for comfort, like someone already mentioned..

Also, relying on the friction between the wood being split and another piece of wood on the ground as depicted on the Atom video, is also introducing to many unknown variables...
Also, same applies with the "table model'... add a bar gentleman!

Atom should simply add a bar in the same plane, as the screw and problem solved, there's always a stop..

There's also the question of speed, and I certainly found that a Austin Mini Engine, behind one of those screws, gave the speed, and power needed, to efficiently split wood...

The Acorn Splitter my father in Law uses, on his 3pt hitch, Kubota 1550, works fine, a little slow for my liking, and also the screw is a little shorter, so it's more difficult to have more then one piece of wood on the splitter at a time...
Bought it for 75$ here locally about 8 years ago...
Just asked a elderly neighbour, and she new exactly who had one... No, doubt also the talk of the village at the time..
They probably shamed him into buying a Hydraulic Unit:hmm3grin2orange:
Turns out he had it stashed away in his barn and was glad to get rid of it..
A quick look on craigslist found these

3 point log splitter non hydraulic
Screw type log Splitter / post hole digger
3 point Bark Buster wood splitter

whacker

 

[iowa]

You guys are a bunch of opinionated Bast****!!!

Everything we do is dangerous in order to process wood. The first being, USING A CHAINSAW!! To felling a tree. Then bucking it up with a chainsaw. You do know that the saw blade is running at 12000+rpms right? In your hands none the less.

And you say a stickler is dangerous running at less than 200 rpm.. LOL....

Maybe you should use your head and think! Making work safe.

Maybe I shouldn't have drove to work today and stayed in bed? It would have been safer! :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[RodHinds]

OK, if I were to try and build one of these, just using a small engine, maybe a centrifugal clutch?, and a stickler...anyone out there that has a phot of one or a diagram they might e-mail me? I need to do this on a shoestring budget...Thanks

 

[whackerk]

My Apologies

I referred earlier to Acorn Splitter

It's actually Unicorn, close!
Heres one
Unicorn PTO drive log splitter


Lot of Peso's though....:hmm3grin2orange:

a little better price:msp_tongue:
Log Splitter For Sale

Rod Hind...
You could start with a Skidoo, and that drive train, affix it all to a 2 x 2 box tube frame, with some wheels, and go from there...
That's what we did!

Have a little closer look at the Pictures i posted, sorry, they are photos, of slides projected on a screen...:smile2:
whacker

 

[RodHinds]

Thanks Whackerk. I did look at the pictures. I will start looking for a skidoo. I had another guy suggest a rototiller?? Thought that was an interesting concept...Rod

 

[whackerk]

Ski doo Drive Train

I can remember that an adjustment provision, to keep the double row chain tight, was seen as a needed option at some point...:msp_ohmy:
Regarding the screw, we made it with a replaceable tip, so that we could get as much length as possible, with the blank of steel we had...
Also, we figured that If anything wore it would be the tip...
Later the tip was welded on, never did need the spare...
Seems to me our unit had two Mini Wheels at the rear, and the front wheel was on a swivel, with a T-Handle, so everything could be moved around....
That may have been after the Mini Engine was added..
A wheel barrow type of arrangement, may be more inline with what you see on the pictures....
LOL

whacker

 

[avalancher]

You guys are a bunch of opinionated Bast****!!!

Everything we do is dangerous in order to process wood. The first being, USING A CHAINSAW!! To felling a tree. Then bucking it up with a chainsaw. You do know that the saw blade is running at 12000+rpms right? In your hands none the less.

And you say a stickler is dangerous running at less than 200 rpm.. LOL....

Maybe you should use your head and think! Making work safe.

Maybe I shouldn't have drove to work today and stayed in bed? It would have been safer! :hmm3grin2orange:

You kidding, right? When a chainsaw is used exactly as intended, it generally is a safe machine to operate. Sure, unexpected things happen, but generally speaking a saw is safe to use when used as intended. Most accidents with saws occur when folks are careless, in a hurry, lack any education in the use of a saw, etc. Check around and read some articles, and nine times out of ten a saw accident occurs from operator error.

However, jacking up your truck and bolting on a large screw hardly falls into the category. Far to many factors involved that can lend itself to an accident. A chunk becomes jambed on the screw, and something has to give. The screw type splitters permanently mounted on a tractors 3 point hitch are safer for the simple reason that at least all four wheels are still on the ground, but come on, a truck up on a jack stand can be considered safe?

Sure, staying home is safer than driving on the streets, but in reality driving is essential and as of yet we have no way of getting around without a vehicle. But when it comes to splitting wood, we have many more safe alternatives to wood splitters using a bare spinning wheel and giant screw.

Anyone ever use a large drill and a large spade bit? hurts like the ####ens when that thing jambs in the hole. No multiply that times a hundred and you got a truck powered wood screw.

 

[iowa]

You kidding, right? When a STICKLER is used exactly as intended, it generally is a safe machine to operate. Sure, unexpected things happen, but generally speaking a STICKLER is safe to use when used as intended. Most accidents with STICKLERS occur when folks are careless, in a hurry, lack any education in the use of a STICKLER, etc. Check around and read some articles, and nine times out of ten a STICKLER accident occurs from operator error.

However, jacking up your truck and bolting on a large screw hardly falls into the category. Far to many factors involved that can lend itself to an accident. A chunk becomes jambed on the screw, and something has to give. The screw type splitters permanently mounted on a tractors 3 point hitch are safer for the simple reason that at least all four wheels are still on the ground, but come on, a truck up on a jack stand can be considered safe?

Sure, staying home is safer than driving on the streets, but in reality driving is essential and as of yet we have no way of getting around without a vehicle. But when it comes to splitting wood, we have many more safe alternatives to wood splitters using a bare spinning wheel and giant screw.

Anyone ever use a large drill and a large spade bit? hurts like the ####ens when that thing jambs in the hole. No multiply that times a hundred and you got a truck powered wood screw.

One thing about your analogy on the spade bit. Those are designed differently.. Way different...

I don't think he was looking to mount on his truck either. But on a seperate machine..

BTW I corrected the first part of your last post... Read it an respect it.. Feel free to put whatever you want in those bold letters. Whether it be a drill, saw, car, truck, splitter, or walking a dog. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[RodHinds]

Best Log Splitter Home Made Wood Malku skaldyke - YouTube

This one on you-tube is along the lines I was thinking, except they use an electric motor and I'm interested in a gas....but, this one is pretty slick!~

 

[iowa]

Gas one!
WOOD SCREW SPLITTER - GAS POWERED - YouTube

 

[avalancher]

One thing about your analogy on the spade bit. Those are designed differently.. Way different...

I don't think he was looking to mount on his truck either. But on a seperate machine..

BTW I corrected the first part of your last post... Read it an respect it.. Feel free to put whatever you want in those bold letters. Whether it be a drill, saw, car, truck, splitter, or walking a dog. :hmm3grin2orange:

If you want to make a case for the stickler, then that is fine. Everyone has their opinion and they are entitled to it. However, I resent the idea that you are making it appear as if I said that, and i would appreciate it if you would edit your post so that it doesnt appear that I said that. After all, I am entitled to my opinion just as you are.

The grin afterwards hardly justifies your actions.

 

[whackerk]

What wood

Both good ideas..
There's certainly some energy in the mass of that flywheel...
Something to think about though would be the wood your splitting...
I know in these parts we have "bush wood " compared to what some folks have to split in European Countries, where both the previous videos may have been made..

With that in mind the drive train would see more significant axial loads, If your splitting a tougher splitting wood...
Will the bearings in the electric Motor hold up to that abuse in a direct drive setup?
Personally I would look for something with 15 HP and gas or diesel powered
That motor you see there may in fact be running, on 3 Ph power at 460 Volts and be up there in the HP rating... I don't know!!

The little Gasoline motor, looks like it does a good job, however If I was splitting 10 or 15 Cords a year I'd be looking for something a little more Powerful and able to generate it's power on the lower end of the RPM Scale

Personally I would look for something with 15 HP and gas or diesel powered

Working on a budget, sometimes, ya just gotta work with what you can scrounge locally...

whacker

 

[RodHinds]

Whacker,

I'm fortunate enought to only deal in harder woods...ash, oak, maple, elm, hickory, etc are plentiful around here. In fact, I was just "given" two enormous oaks that were dropped by a utility company for a friend of a friend. Heaviest/densest stuff I have ever lifted.

Most have knotts and crotches that make splitting pretty difficult. I agree with your assessment about the flywheel inertia. I think the one on the electric motor looked like it was pretty solid, maybe filled with concrete?

The concern I would have with using a stickler on a high speed motor, like the one on the video, is how I govern it down to a more managable rpm.

 

[whackerk]

Absolutely, as the rotational mass with the stickler is even further, from the bearing on the motor because of it's length....

Work with a 4 to 1 ratio and you'll get down under 500 RPM on a stickler...with a 1750 rpm motor....
at that point you may find that you'd like more or less speed, and an easy way to control that in my view would be impt...
This is another reason why IC motor, may be preferred, would be much easier to control the speed with the required HP your looking at...

With the Skidoo motor setup you, have the clutch as well as the throttle, with electric, your looking at a fancier electronic scheme for speed control.

I'd be looking for as much flexibility as possible, considering the variable nature of the wood..

You may have to build two of them in the end, to get what your looking for:hmm3grin2orange:

whacker

 

[cantoo]

avalancher, one word answer, have you ever used one?
I have a 3 pth one and played with it a couple times, I felt safe enough. Much safer than cutting a tree down anyway. I have 4 splitters so haven't used the unicorn much. Plan is to mount it on a post hole digger and break big stuff into small enough stuff for the other splitters.

 

[woodguy105]

The cone splitter makes a lot of since to me if you are splitting large rounds. You can break them down to manageable size and then process them with a kinetic splitter:smile2:

Demo Video - The Atom Splitter with Flare

If you're making lots of split rail fencing this would come in handy. Not to mention handy cutting the long splits to firewood length.