Started skid steer splitter.
- Thread starter 1grnlwn
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possumtrapper
ArboristSite Member
Nice start, really nice edge on your wedge! How'd you do that? We're making a similar shaped splitter but with 8 way run off excavator, and are currently looking at changing the carriage from under the I beam flange to around the entire beam, and boxing the whole thing in. Coz we're flexing our I beam flange. (had a 10mm flange twisting about 3mm with each split) Production wise it is great, 16 pieces split in 7 seconds, but the flexing is not acceptable obviously.
1grnlwn
ArboristSite Operative
possum, I cheated on the blade. It is a 12" blade from Northern Equipment. I beveled the bottom quite a bit and did multiple passes. Is is tilted in about 3 degrees. That is the first time I have done multiple passes for fill. It looks like a dogs butt with hemorrhoids. I am also worried about twist and am considering boxing in the ends of the beam, I would like to use 1/4" plate but I have a full sheet of 3/16' so may use that. Got any pictures?
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czar800
ArboristSite Guru
looks like you got a good start! I was out of town this past weekend so I got started on me wood splitter today ( don't think I'll bet you ) I definitely would box in the ends it will really help with twist.
jackel440
ArboristSite Member
I am at the point of building a splitter myself.I want to use it on my NH skidloader.Going to have to follow along on this one
TFPace
ArboristSite Operative
1grnlwn,
Nice progress on your build. I built one to go on my New Holland skid steer. My cylinder has 5" bore and with a 15g.p.m. flow rate I'm here to tell you it's slow.
Hopefully you have a high flow rig. I built my splitter to handle big chunks so this isn't a primary splitter, if it were I'd be looking to find a hi-flow machine.
Tom
1grnlwn
ArboristSite Operative
TFPace , Well my assumption was it could be slow but since it is also going to be used to split large rounds, so be it. Basically if we can pick it up easy we can burn it. I will be adding a secondary wedge which will hopefully require less stroke. Plus the amount of time to reposition the skid for the next split should give me time to retract.
possumtrapper
ArboristSite Member
I like the grease array on the bottom of the push plate carriage. I might borrow that idea. I see some of the heavier duty splitters have about half an inch wide run of weld accross the beam, about an inch from the knife, to tilt the wood up into the blade instead of down into the beam. Helps eliminate twist and beam bending.
That'll be one of the things I do to mine after I've finished ribbing, triple skinning and double deeping my beam! Best of luck and thanks for posting pix
.
That'll be one of the things I do to mine after I've finished ribbing, triple skinning and double deeping my beam! Best of luck and thanks for posting pix
.1grnlwn
ArboristSite Operative
possum, That is interesting, I would like to see a picture of this. I only get to see the farm store/hardware store variety splitters and the designs seem to facilitate manufacturing cost and not quality. I searched the internet trying to find "designs" of beam twist reduction and most searches dealt with lasers. LOL In the end I have looked at hundreds of picts of splitters and looked at extra metal added to beam. Since my beam is so tall and skinny I am afraid it will want to twist more. The side shown in my last pics has a "rib" down the middle which is T'ed into the two "skin" plates. That will be ribbed on both sides. What is double deeping?
On the opposite side, I was thinking the ribs should fall in-between the ribs on the side shown and the skin plated cover the same area. What do you think? All I can say is there is a lot of steel in this thing, I hope it works.
On the opposite side, I was thinking the ribs should fall in-between the ribs on the side shown and the skin plated cover the same area. What do you think? All I can say is there is a lot of steel in this thing, I hope it works.
komatsuvarna
Arboristsite MVP
I built one for an excavator and done the grease fittings like that. I dont know if I didnt cut the grooves deep enough of what, but It didnt work to good after the first time or two. It turned out to be more of a headache than it helped so I just started smearing grease down it. I may take it apart one day and see what the deal is with it.
Looking good. What machine you running it on?
Looking good. What machine you running it on?
possumtrapper
ArboristSite Member
Double deep is putting another web and flange on the beam underneath or on top in this case as it is hung from an excav like KV's (who was the inspiration for mine). On the opposite side to the ram.
Mine has around 1000LB's of steel in it now so i know the feeling. I think we're up to 30LB's of rods, but we're going to be using it at industrial scale so it needs to be armored big time. An engineer told me a ten inch beam was fine but it was flexing down as well as twisting hence the up-armor.
Re the ribbing alternating, I have seen that reccommended on AS somewhere recently by some knowledgable sounding characters so it's probably a good idea. I welded T shaped ribs every 4 inch under the splitting phase of ram travel, and every 8 inches beyond back to the rear ram mount. Then we plated over it all with half inch so there was just enough of the flange sticking out for the push plate carriage hangers to operate on. If it won't flow freely after that we'll probably put wheels on the carriage which is how I suspect some of the big splitter builders operate.
Mine has around 1000LB's of steel in it now so i know the feeling. I think we're up to 30LB's of rods, but we're going to be using it at industrial scale so it needs to be armored big time. An engineer told me a ten inch beam was fine but it was flexing down as well as twisting hence the up-armor.
Re the ribbing alternating, I have seen that reccommended on AS somewhere recently by some knowledgable sounding characters so it's probably a good idea. I welded T shaped ribs every 4 inch under the splitting phase of ram travel, and every 8 inches beyond back to the rear ram mount. Then we plated over it all with half inch so there was just enough of the flange sticking out for the push plate carriage hangers to operate on. If it won't flow freely after that we'll probably put wheels on the carriage which is how I suspect some of the big splitter builders operate.
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1grnlwn
ArboristSite Operative
I will be grinding my grease groves deeper. If it doesn't work, that is fine, it really didn't take a lot of time or material to do it. Today I will be welding on the 3 point brackets and then flip to beef up other side of beam.
1grnlwn
ArboristSite Operative
I like the grease array on the bottom of the push plate carriage. I might borrow that idea. I see some of the heavier duty splitters have about half an inch wide run of weld accross the beam, about an inch from the knife, to tilt the wood up into the blade instead of down into the beam. Helps eliminate twist and beam bending.
That'll be one of the things I do to mine after I've finished ribbing, triple skinning and double deeping my beam! Best of luck and thanks for posting pix
My best guess is that weld bead is to raise the log slightly to facilitate clearance for the horizontal splitting wedges. I could see some tightness being a problem if a log was wedged between. Are those secondary splitters allowed to float? At this point I do not plan to use a secondary wedge, but who knows?
1grnlwn
ArboristSite Operative
Well not 100% finished. but we split some dead elm rounds cause we outta dry/split wood. YouTube - skid-steer log splitter‏
possumtrapper
ArboristSite Member
Awesome job! looks like a mean machine.
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