Wood Splitter Build (Need tips)

[michigander]

I've been around this site for a while, but just started to post. I bought 20 acres about 3 years ago and have been managing it mostly for deer hunting. I had some timber taken out last year and have a lot of leftover tops to cut up and split. I have been buying some parts over the last year and finally getting around to put it together. I inherited a I beam from my father, it is a little big. I decided to box part of the beam in to use it as a reservoir. I wanted to make the splitter so I could lift it with loader and put in back of full size Ford pickup, but I think I have to scrap that idea. When I started laying it out, I had to off set beam on frame to get 9 HP Robin and 16gpm pump to fit. I still am welding things up. Like someone else on this site I want to be able to leave it attached to pickup hitch , put tailgate down and split and throw wood into back of truck. I encased the rear of my 8 x 10 beam, so it should hold about 12-14 gallons. Here are a few pics. Any ideas or tips you can pass along will be appreciated. Thanks! I love this site!

 

[mga]

what!!!???? no electric start????

just breakin' them, man. looks damn good!! nice and clean.

later, think about putting some leaf springs on it. you'll be glad you did and your log splitter will appreciate it when being towed.

are you using a filter?

keep the oil level level with the pump, and the tank well vented.

is the suction line big enough? hard to tell from the pics.

it does look good tho. good luck with it.

 

[Mike Van]

A "woodcatcher" on the front - One of the easiest, most useful things I added to mine. Saves about at least a hundred bend-overs a day.

 

[blackdoggy]

That looks fantastic The one thing you might want to do is weld on angle reenforcement plates to each side of your push plate to avoid bending it. Did you perforate your I beam so its one big tank on the rear? Oh and post more pictures for us.

 

[cmetalbend]

I almost would have mounted your valve down on you primary op side, due to the fact your splitter set's up high enough to clear your tailgate and your axel mounting is set up so you have to reach over it . Could just be angle of the pic, too. Looks good, nice and heavy. Might weld some tangs on the push block, to prevent peices poping up off. I weld beads on them.

 

[michigander]

MGA, Its hard to tell from the pic, but the axle is a torsion flex. The inlet is 1", haven't hooked it up yet. I put a brass gate valve inline in case I have to unhook motor and not lose all the fluid. Any idea's where to buy a vented cap that will fit a 3/4 pipe thread fitting. Or any cap that I can retrofit. Thanks!

Mike Van, The wood catcher is in the plans. I don't know how I'm going to build it yet. I usually just go for it. I will put up more pic's as I get it done.

Blackdoggy, The push plate is 1". Do you think I still need to reinforce it? I still have some steel left over. The oil is returned into the right side of splitter, runs to the rear and around the back thru a cutout and then flows forward to the inlet of the pump. It should cool the fluid down well.

Cmetalbend, I have some angle iron and was going to cut 1/4 '' pieces and weld onto push plate. And maybe put some wings onto wedge to split the wood quicker.

Treeco, Thanks for fixing my post. Don't know how it got wide. What did you do? The Robin motor is quiet. I did turn the deflector to point toward the rear, away from where I will be standing.

 

[milkie62]

I built my own splitter about 17 years ago and it has not failed me yet.Some thoughts if i would do it over:

1-I would use a 30" cylinder only because I have an outdoor furnace.But for a wood stove I would have have an aluminum collar made for the rod so that only the max size wood that I was using would fit.

2-Either a horizontal/vertical or log lift for the heavy ones.I split up to 36" in my
splitter and I need my son to help by lifting the pieces with the loader.

3- Good working height so you do not have to stoop.Once I put my splitter up on blocks I was able to work longer without getting kinks in my back.

4-Definitely a 4 way wedge---would cut my time in half

5-I have a reciever on the so I can either put a ball hitch on or a clevis hitch.Also it keeps it from being stolen.

6-Honda engine only way to go for quiet running.

7--I would copy the timber wolf grates

 

[Mike Van]

The woodcatcher I made - It sits on the drawbar, held on with one pin, comes right off if need be. 1" round steel, some 1" square tube. Only used it one season, about 15 cord. It is a work & timesaver.

 

[kevin j]

Q I would have have an aluminum collar made for the rod so that only the max size wood that I was using would fit. Q


There are split 3 piece collars t do just that. Used for adjusting stroke on agric cylinders. Typically made in 1 inch increments, so you might have to stack up a few. Two semicircles of metal go around the rod, then a spring steel C shape goes around to hold in place. The slide up against the clevis and stay put, the rod does not move inside them. On retract, they hit the body just like you envison. Might have to machine out some to clear the rod seal, dependong on your cylinder design. And of course depends on the clevis end connection.

check out Mills Fleet Farm, Tractor Supply, etc. I don't know where online.

k

 

[michigander]

Mike Van, Thanks for the idea about the wood catcher. I have seen some pic's on different splitters online, but never a close up how it is mounted. I like the quick attach feature.

Everybody else, Thanks for all the tips! Much appreciated!

 

[cabinman]

Wood grate

The woodcatcher I made - It sits on the drawbar, held on with one pin, comes right off if need be. 1" round steel, some 1" square tube. Only used it one season, about 15 cord. It is a work & timesaver.

Ive built the wood grates, that utilize the hitch socket for attach/detach, My splitter tounge un plugs like the reese hitch on your truck, so I unplug the tounge and plug in the wood grate, Another thing nice about the hitch socket is, IF there aint no hitch on the splitter, Its harder to steel it,..T,.C, E,J,

 

[cmetalbend]

Q I would have have an aluminum collar made for the rod so that only the max size wood that I was using would fit. Q


There are split 3 piece collars t do just that. Used for adjusting stroke on agric cylinders. Typically made in 1 inch increments, so you might have to stack up a few. Two semicircles of metal go around the rod, then a spring steel C shape goes around to hold in place. The slide up against the clevis and stay put, the rod does not move inside them. On retract, they hit the body just like you envison. Might have to machine out some to clear the rod seal, dependong on your cylinder design. And of course depends on the clevis end connection.

check out Mills Fleet Farm, Tractor Supply, etc. I don't know where online.

k

Those alumniun collars are nice but not cheap. Last one's I priced were near $40-100 for enough to make a foot of difference. baileynet.com should have them. You'll need your shaft size, I'm sure you already knew that.

 

[Blazin]

Looks great! Put a log lift and table on that beauty....You won't regret it!

 

[oneoldbanjo]

In addition to the others suggestions - maybe you should weld some "traction aids" on the flat plate that will be pushing on the log. Sometimes when you get a round that is not cut square they want to slide off the plate when the load is applied. I have seen short teeth welded on - or even some rough pointy welds will do the trick (Not too rough - as everything else looks so nice it would be a shame to mess up the nice look with some bad looking welding!).

 

[michigander]

Almost done!

I have been working on the splitter a lot lately. A lot of welding! I did start it up today and operated cylinder for first time. I had to fix a couple small goof ups. I am working on the "woodcatcher table" and hitch tomorrow. I want to put log lift onto it, but more than likely will be a next winter project. Soon, I will be going back to work full time and not much time for projects like this. I will post more pics soon!