My splitter build

[ericjeeper]

Ian

The thing is basically a winch using pulleys to lift the platform.. I would stay with fluid power myself.. You are going to have an abundance of that.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

This would be easy... just need to take the handle off and mount a hydraulic motor on the shaft and put a pair of skidding tongs on the end of the webbing ...

 

[ericjeeper]

Or you can use teenage boys for the grunt work

My son and his buddy Josh like to see who can pick up the biggest piece..
Of course Josh can.. Jake weighs 135. Josh weighs 200 and can bench like 350
Honestly to me a loglift us just something else to have to walk/work around.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I'd just as soon split it with a coal chisel and a 3lb ball peen hammer as deal with kids....

Ian

 

[Steve NW WI]

This would be easy... just need to take the handle off and mount a hydraulic motor on the shaft and put a pair of skidding tongs on the end of the webbing ...

Heck yeah, let's see it! I have thought of a boom on my splitter, with a hyd extendable boom, manual turntable, and hyd lift (no winch, just up/down via a cylinder like a cherry picker.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

The bottleneck is going to be the valve I'm sure.

Then again, maybe it'll be the front port on the cylinder. That'll have to pass fluid whether I'm extending or retracting. The shape of the hole looks like the tip of a drill, makes me wonder if I could take that end cap off and open it up with a 1/2" drill bit.

The hoses are going to be 3/4 all around

No use spending money on 3/4" hoses with ports like that. For frame of reference, that is a 1/2" NPT port.

Ian

 

[ericjeeper]

Like I have said before

There is a fire hose that is 3 inch hose but it is coupled 2 1/2. It will flow considerably more water than a 2 1/2 inch hose.

 

[husky362]

drill it out some

been watching this because ive wanted to build a stout fast splitter ive noticed if you look at the end of the hose its still only around 3/8 opening that is what i consider the bottleneck of some of the 1/2" hose that ive seen with a 28 gpm pump,, i was wandering about 3/4" ports on 5" tierod cyl im thinking a wielded cyl would have bigger port's that dump strait into the cyl but with added cost jumps, after i seen your pic, i do beleve you could bevel into the meat side of the flange to gain flow but the hose may still be a bottleneck,,, your setup will still be stout & fast and built at a very good cost compared to new

 

[triptester]

It may not be worth the trouble trying to open up those ports because most of the fittings don't have opennings that are any bigger.

I think that some equipment may end up with more high fluid temperature problems when a lot of restrictions are combined in a single setup.

http://

The end shown is 1/2" NPT. The fitting on the left is 1/2" NPT x1/2" swivel. The fitting on the right is 1/2" NPT X 1/2" JIC.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

There is a fire hose that is 3 inch hose but it is coupled 2 1/2. It will flow considerably more water than a 2 1/2 inch hose.

The way it's ported, it'll be a 1/2" hose feeding a 1/4 or 3/8 port at the cylinder. I can't see upping the hose to 2 or 3 times that restriction being worth while. That hose is going to be about 18" long, so it's a short run. Putting a 3/4" hose on that fitting would be the equivalent of your 3 inch hose coupled down to 1" or 1.5". The rear port is twice that size entering the cylinder. It's a full width slot at the bottom of the port and maybe 1/4 or 3/8 tall. It'll be a 3' run too so I may still use 3/4 there.

I'm going out to see if I can take that cap off and maybe open up that port.

It's the beginning of the end gentlemen... I'm gonna nitpick this thing to death before I ever get it running. It's my specialty... LOL

Ian

 

[Haywire Haywood]

LOL... I woods ported my cylinder. When I got the end cap off and got a good look at it, it wasn't as bad as I thought... it was actually 7/16". I opened it up to 1/2 and took it almost all the way across the bottom of the port. I flushed it good with WD-40 before I reassembled it to get all the shavings out. Should flow a little better now, at least in my mind. I'm going to have to just stay out of the barn till I'm ready to put an engine on. Me tinkering out there will only come to no good and I'll end up replacing something I tinkered too hard on. --Ian

 

[ericjeeper]

Now Ian since you have it apart

Can you re index the flange on the end of the cylinder? And now mount your valve right to the flange using a 3/4 inch nipple'? That will eliminate one hose entirely. You will need to add a support bracket to one of the tie rod bolts to help support the valve while you are fabbing.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I already have it back together now.. I had to take it off again and remount it because I had the flange facing the wrong direction the first time...

Ian

 

[BackYardBuilt]

LOL... I woods ported my cylinder. When I got the end cap off and got a good look at it, it wasn't as bad as I thought... it was actually 7/16". I opened it up to 1/2 and took it almost all the way across the bottom of the port. I flushed it good with WD-40 before I reassembled it to get all the shavings out. Should flow a little better now, at least in my mind. I'm going to have to just stay out of the barn till I'm ready to put an engine on. Me tinkering out there will only come to no good and I'll end up replacing something I tinkered too hard on. --Ian

Ian I am wondering if I should do this with my cylinder. I was taking a gander at my ports and they seem to do the same thing. It is almost like the drill press stopped too short of going all the way though.

Anybody know why they would build a cylinder like this?

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I really don't think taking them that far will make a difference, as long as you have full diameter coming in the side. Going that deep was just me going overboard as usual. Now opening up that port couldn't hurt, if I could have gotten it off the ram fairly easily, I would have done that on my drill press and used the 5/8 bit I have. (again, the overboard thing).

If I ever replace the cylinder, I will take it to a hydraulic shop and have them drill and tap it for 3/4" fittings from the get go unless I can buy one like that. Thus far, I have only seen 1/2" on an over the counter 4-5" cylinder.


Still no engine for my splitter.... got a few people looking.

Ian

 

[BackYardBuilt]

Ian, I am an overboard guy myself. Personally, it is an easy thing to do and if it will reduce heat and increase flow, I would also consider drilling the hole and tapping it to a 3/4 NPT. Only thing is how strong would the surrounding structure around the pressure port be? Would drilling it to 3/4" make it so weak that it would crack or busrt? Ya know what I be talking bout Willis?

Now that I try to gauge it in my head I think maybe 3/4 would be too big and would remove too much metal from mine and ruin it.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Yep, that might be an issue depending on the cylinder...

Ian

 

[mrowens33]

Should I buy this?

I am toying with buying a splitter that was being worked on by a guy that seems to have run out of ambition. Is this a good deal? Sorry if this is off topic for this thread. My mechanical ability is ok but my father in law is a machinist and the ultimate jack of all trades.

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/grd/1242191179.html
hello !!! got a log splitter for sale has everthing but hoses, hydraulic fluid and trailer lights.just put it together 5horse briggs you can trailer down the freeway 75 mph not just around the block like the expensive new ones.and just dont have the time to finish want it gone.jay 414-708-1156


Location: oconomowoc
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

 

[triptester]

What is painted looks O.K. but can't see much in the pics. Anything can be towed on the interstate but doing it safely is another story.

The valve is for hydraulics but might not be designed for a splitter. The pump is a single stage pump which the 5 HP. engine may not be handle.

Because this is an incomplete project there are many unknowns. Weld quality,compatibility of engine, pump, and valve ,condition of cylinder seals, these are all things that you will have to consider.

If everything works I would estimate $100+ to complete. If parts need to be replaced cost to complete could run up to $600.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Find out specifically what pump and valve it is, and what size cylinder he's got mounted. That 5hp engine won't drive a single stage pump well, but if you find out what pump it is, you can calculate how much engine you'll need to run it up to a decent amount of pressure and how many GPM the result will be.

Ian