need help on splitter components

[goatchin]

I'm lookin to build a splitter finnally so i can split the narly/knotty pieces of wood-right now im only using a maul.

I can buy a 12hp B+S off a friend for cheap $. i have access to all the welding and some cuttin tools-can weld and cut myself-, and can get most metal pieces cheap or free.

Im lookin in the Northern catalog at the the Barnes 2 stage pump@16 or 22 gpm...which one would best fit my 12hp motor? Im at total loss for knowin which cylinder to buy-i want to have at least a 24" stroke. One other thing i want is the the ram to return by itself-me not havin to hold the lever back (would that be a Detent valve??)

Would a 8 gallon hydraulic tank work??-not sure on that too.

I've looked through the past threads and what not-got lots of ideas on designs and features but just need some help on sizin up the components.

Sorry for all the questions, any help and direction pointin is greatly appreciated.

 

[mga]

i'm currently using a 12.5hp on my 22gpm pump. i started off with a 12hp, then went to an 18hp, had to replace that, so went with a 12.5.

i also have an 18 gallon tank, but i think that's over kill for a splitter. i think a 10 to 12 gallon would have worked just as good.

my cyliner is a 6 x 24 with a 2 inch ram.

my cycle time was about....12 to 14 seconds...depending how i counted them. lol

 

[Blazin]

I'd go with the 22gpm for that 12hp motor. As far as the ram, I have a 30" on mine and it's nice to have that extra length so you don't have to fight the bigger wood in it. The detent valve is what you want for the automatic return, Most sites have them labeled as "woodsplitter detent valve". The common rule for tank size usually is GPM = tank capacity(ie..22gpm pump uses a 22gal hydraulic tank) But I think you'd be safe with somewhere around 15gal resevoir.

Here's a link for a place that I've used, and they have been great to deal with!

http://surpluscenter.com/hydraulic.asp?UID=2007011306061147&catname=hydraulic

Hope this helps!

 

[goatchin]

thanks for the info guys-thats what i was lookin for.

for the oil resevoir, i've read that for the oil return line, you should have it stop bout 2 inches off the bottom so it doesnt airate the oil, and the outlet line is bout an inch from the bottom so it doesnt pull in crud...am i correct w/ these placements? on the outlet line do you guys use a in-tank filter or just the inline filter?

also on the oil resvoir- please explain how the baffle system should be designed fabricated.

thanks for all the help

 

[michigander]

Tank Tips

Goatchin, You have the inlet and outlet placement right. A lot of splitters are built with a screen by the outlet port of your tank to keep anything big from getting into the pump. Then usually they put a return line filter in, before it dumps back into the tank. They way i built my tank was to use a good size H-Beam. I boxed in about 30 inches of the beam. The center of the beam was my baffle. I dumped the oil into the one side of the tank thru a pipe that went almost to the bottom, to keep from getting air in the oil. The oil then traveled along the long side of the tank to a cutout in the bottom, the oil flowed around the end of the tank, thru that cutout. Then back down the other long side to the outlet. This way the oil is traveling a long ways to get from inlet of tank to outlet, to get it to cool down. Hope this helps. Its just the way I did it. If you build your own tank, you might have to make some small changes.

 

[mga]

thanks for the info guys-thats what i was lookin for.

for the oil resevoir, i've read that for the oil return line, you should have it stop bout 2 inches off the bottom so it doesnt airate the oil, and the outlet line is bout an inch from the bottom so it doesnt pull in crud...am i correct w/ these placements? on the outlet line do you guys use a in-tank filter or just the inline filter?

also on the oil resvoir- please explain how the baffle system should be designed fabricated.

thanks for all the help

i made mine to stop at 1" off the bottom. it depends on your tank design, but 1" is about right.

we have a thread here about hydraulic tanks just recently.

as for filters, they always go on the RETURN line just before the tank. i opted not to use a strainer because in order to change it, i would have to drain the tank and remove all that plumbing...something i didn't want to get into. the filter alone should be sufice.

some times suction strainers can be more of a problem than be of help.

my opinion, of course.

most common control valve is the Prince LS3000..available for about $75 at northern tool...or other places..maybe cheaper on line if you searched.

 

[triptester]

On the reservoir the common idea is that you need twice the pump capacity. This theory comes from industrial applications where the fluid is constantly being worked. The best place to get an idea of how big of reservoir is needed is to look to the splitter manufacturers. On average splitters from MDT to Timberwolf use reservoirs only half the capacity of their 11 to 16 gpm pumps. The 22 and 28 gpm pumps will have reservoirs equal to 3/4 the capacity of their pumps plus these machines often have other uses for the hydraulics.

The long skinny tanks that double as an axle are the most efficient. The square or cubical ones are the least efficient and most in need of a baffle. The baffle is used to keep the turbulence of the incoming fluid from effecting the flow to the outlet. The baffle only needs to extend about 2/3 the height of the fluid in the tank and the corners of the baffle should be cut at the bottom corners to leave about a 1" opening to allow for tank draining and to guaranty flow if fluid level runs low.

 

[goatchin]

umm...I'm sorta in a hole now. today i just went and looked at the motor-runs real good but leaks a little bit of oil, im able to fix that. then it dawned on me...most wood splitter motors are horizontal shafts right? well this ones a verticle shaft. will it be okay for the hydro. pump to run in this postion?

I'm plannin on using the hind end off a old hay wagon running gear (up until the point where the middle bar starts to go forward) this way i would be able to fashion a set of motor mounts that would allow the pump to sit the open space in the running gear. this would allow the hoses to come back up the the cyliner and tank w/ out being in any sharp bends or angles.

just curious to see if the verticle shaft would work for my application or not.
thanks

 

[triptester]

Vertical shaft motors will work for a log splitter. The only difficulty is adapting the motor to the pump, you will have to fabricate your own adaptor, they don't make adaptors for them.

The one thing nice about vertical shaft motors is they usually cost less than horizontal shaft motors.

 

[goatchin]

ok thanks...guess i'll be using alot more hillbilly ingenuity than originally planned for LOL...i myself will am kinda curious how this is gonna look/work once im all done w/ it.

thanks for the help

 

[Nofeargoneold]

ok thanks...guess i'll be using alot more hillbilly ingenuity than originally planned for LOL...i myself will am kinda curious how this is gonna look/work once im all done w/ it.

thanks for the help

I built mine 3 years ago to work of the hydraulics on skid steer. I do have a 18hp b&s virtical mounted on it but haven't the coin to buy pump/tank. The biggest thing you need to remember....looks aren't that important, how it works is the most important. I seen one splitter that a mechanic for an equipment company built and he used hunk of Skytrak (telescopic forklift) boom for his tongue/hydro tank/fuel tank. Honestly looked heavy and bulky, but hey its yours who cares, it works. Two more things, definatly go with a 28" or longer stroke. Made me happy to have the extra 4" many of times. Also, don't be shy on your wedge. The farthur it sticks out of your beam and the wider it is the better. manufactured splitters I've seen and used have way to small of wedges. I made mine 12" deep and 8" wide and 10" tall. Start with couple inches fine point tip to get into wood and start split, then change to a more blunt angle to rip the wood apart. You want to split, not cut like the manufactured wedges.

 

[SWI Don]

Mine has a vertical shaft - 18hp. I used a piece of plate steel to mount the motor to and mounted an adapter for Kohler horizontal shaft engine to the bottom of the plate. I made studs for the adapter out of flat head cap screws (7/16" from Fastenal or other) that I tacked into place. I drilled the hole patterns on a mill at work which is real nice if you have access to one to get everything lined up.

If you run a 22 gpm pump you will want to use 3/4" hoses which can be tough to find at 3000 psi rating. I got mine from Surplus Center but a lot of places only carry 2250 or 2500 psi rated hose that size.

Don

 

[goatchin]

thanks for all the replys guys. yea building this splitter is gonna take a couple years b/c i'll be needing the green backs comin in first LOL.

I've got quite a few connections w/ people and local metal workin shops for any mounts that i'll need made to tight specs that i cant do myself. being that i live on a dairy farm and a few pieces of our equipment takes the high pressure hoses, i'll be able to order it from the equipment shop or another connection..."I got friends in high places"


if i was to run a 16-18 gpm pump still using the 12 hp motor would i still be able to get optimum performance being that the engine will run a bigger pump? i see in the Northern catalog that their 37 ton splitter has a 16 gpm pump w/ a 9 horse motor and 5x24 cylinder, im assumin i would be well over 37 ton if i was to use a that same size cylinder w/ a 22 gpm pump??

 

[triptester]

The maximum tonnage is a combination of cylinder size and maximum pressure. Most componants have a max. rating of 3000 psi..

5" BORE, 4 GPM PUMP AT 3000 PSI, 8 HP. ENGINE =30 TONS

5" BORE ,40 GPM PUMP AT 3000 PSI, 100 HP. ENGINE = 30 TONS

The larger pump and engine will have faster cycle times but no increase in tonnage.

The only way to increase tonnage is to use a larger bore size or higher psi.

 

[goatchin]

ah ok. thanks for clearing that up-much appreciated