UK hydraulic log splitter build

   / UK hydraulic log splitter build
  • Thread Starter
#31  
Looks good Mick, the wedge slide should hold up well. A few bits to consider, on your base to keep log on the foot a piece of pipe 3 or 4" dia. about 1/2" tall split into two halves welded on with a short gap between them, so it is oblong rather than round. Then at the web part of the foot weld a plate from the beam to the foot, should keep you from having any problems in the future. If possible running your hydraulic lines to a valve close to the cylinder, for safety, a lot of wood may need to be held in place until the wedge has it and it will be hard to do from your tractor.
Nice job, I like the access to all the machining equipment.

Randy

Hi Randy, I had plans for some kind of gripping feature on the foot, just hadn't figured out what yet. Your pipe idea sounds great, especially as I have some 4" pipe.

Once the onboard valve is fitted the pipes will all be tucked up out of harm's way. I was a little undecided on valve position, as I didn't know what orientation I wanted to use it in.
 
   / UK hydraulic log splitter build #32  
You want the valve so it is an easy reach between the hand steadying a block on the beam and the hand running the valve. Usually right beside and a bit above the wedge in it's closed position with the handle in neutral straight up. Any thought to a wood striping device near the head of the cylinder that will pop off a stuck block on the return stroke without you twisting or cutting them off?
 
   / UK hydraulic log splitter build
  • Thread Starter
#33  
You want the valve so it is an easy reach between the hand steadying a block on the beam and the hand running the valve. Usually right beside and a bit above the wedge in it's closed position with the handle in neutral straight up. Any thought to a wood striping device near the head of the cylinder that will pop off a stuck block on the return stroke without you twisting or cutting them off?

Yes, agreed on the valve position.

The stripping device is something I remember seeing on some designs, it seems to have unintentionally fallen off my mental design pad. I may wait and see whether I actually need such a feature. I guess tendancy to stick/ease of splitting varies with types of wood.
 
   / UK hydraulic log splitter build #34  
....and what about a notch or spike on the anvil plate, preventing that a twisted log will jump away sideways and hit you in the nuts ?? It didnt take us much concideration before adding that feature to our logsplitter, after it happened the first time ;)
 
   / UK hydraulic log splitter build
  • Thread Starter
#35  
.... It didnt take us much concideration before adding that feature to our logsplitter, after it happened the first time ;)

:laughing:
 
   / UK hydraulic log splitter build #36  
Yes, agreed on the valve position.

The stripping device is something I remember seeing on some designs, it seems to have unintentionally fallen off my mental design pad. I may wait and see whether I actually need such a feature. I guess tendancy to stick/ease of splitting varies with types of wood.
Yes indeed and the same species will vary with where the tree grew. A yellow birch that grew on an edge of a field will have solid knots in every block and the outside grain will look like it was braided by a demented demon. Unless your wedge is the full width of the block it will pass all the way to the foot without a crack coming through to the top of the block and then the block wrapped around your wedge just wags back and forth like a rooster on a hen. The same species growing just a hundred yards inside the tree line will have a nice straight and clear grain that will slab off easily with a four pound axe. :rolleyes:
 
   / UK hydraulic log splitter build
  • Thread Starter
#37  
Been a while since I updated here. I haven't got much more done, but I have welded a 10mm length of large diameter pipe onto the foot to prevent log slip. It's halved so it clears the splitting point.

FootGripper.jpg

I've been undecided whether to mount this splitter on the tractor's 3PH, or as a trailed machine. Having wheels would certainly make it more mobile when not being used. It would also make it easier to use with my Landrover when I get its hydraulic system fitted.

A chance discussion on Facebook ended with me being given an old axle from a scrapped box trailer. It's a lightweight beam with torsion suspension units and tiny 10" wheels n tyres. I even got the ball hitch. Unfortunately I haven't taken a photo of it, but I'm sure you can picture a trailer axle, ;).

So more parts gathered means some more sketching to do in the evenings :) I can't wait for more progress.
 
   / UK hydraulic log splitter build #38  
Mick that's the right height I just hope it is not to big of diameter to hold your logs, most are about half that size. The trailer set up sounds good that way you can move it to where you want it!
 
   / UK hydraulic log splitter build
  • Thread Starter
#39  
Hi All,
We've been enjoying some summer weather here in the UK, so fires and related matters have fallen from the top of the jobs list. My splitter has been sitting on my garage floor getting covered in all the dirt, muck and swarf that weld/fab/machining generates.

Anyway, this week I've been having a few thoughts how to progress this project, specifically to fit some 'wings' to stop the split logs landing straight on the floor.

I had some 40x40x3 box section laying around, so I cut four short lengths, plus a couple of lengths of 25x25x3 box to go between them.
LogCatcherConstr1.jpg
These half circles are some offcuts from another project, but looked about right for this job.
LogCatcherConstr2.jpg
And propped in place where they will end up.
LogCatchers.jpg

I dug out my axle today and had a think about how I'm going to mount the splitter beam. The top of the axle is 12" off the ground. I reckon I want the splitter beam about 26" high, (I'm 5'10" tall). So the decision is whether to mount the beam directly to the axle and fit jacks to set the operating height, or space it up from the axle in a fixed position, therefore negating the need for jacks. I know I'll still need stabliser legs, but they're a lot simpler to knock up.
 
   / UK hydraulic log splitter build
  • Thread Starter
#40  
Well as I mentioned before, I acquired an axle to mount the splitter on. The top of the axle is 11.5" off the ground, so even taking the 4" deep beam into account the working height would be too low if I sat it straight on the axle. It's also not a great plan to dump a heavy splitter on the middle of a flimsy axle beam. I decided I wanted the top of the beam to be at least 2' high, so I scratched my head, consulted the metal pile and came up with a plan.

The axle beam is 3' wide, with torsion suspension units at each end. I wanted to space the splitter beam up by 8.5", and make sure the weight of the splitter is supported directly above the suspension units.
I dug out a few short lengths of thick wall tube about 1.75" dia, and some more 1/4" plate. My plan was to cut 4 lengths, and attach 2 pieces of pipe each side of the axle, one facing forward and one facing back, a bit like the image below. The tubes will be welded to flat plates that will in turn mount to the axle and splitter beam.

AxleToBeamRendering.JPG AxleToBeamDrg.JPG


As you can see I had some help from CAD software to figure out the lengths and angles. I had to cut a 65 degree angle on each end of all four pieces of tube. I wasn't going to be able to achieve this angle on the power hacksaw, so I decided to cut the angle freehand with my 4.5 grinder and a slitting wheel.
While searching for tube mitring templates I came across this method, HOW TO-Pipe Template .

There are lots of calculators on the net for tube coping (where you want one tube to join another), but this was the only one I found that dealt with joining to a flat surface.
I drew myself a template on CAD and printed out full size onto paper, wrapped it around the tube to be cut and drew around it with marker pen. I held the tube in the vice and freehand cut to the line. Since I needed the same angle on both ends of the tube some careful measurement and alignment was necessary to match both ends.

First my template construction geometry, and the cutout template.
MitreTemplateConstr.JPG MitreTemplate.JPG
The tube with the template, then wrapped around, and marked with a Sharpie.
Template&Tube.JPG Wrap1.JPG Wrap2.JPG

And the end result. Obviously this would have been a whole lot easier if I could have done it in the saw!
TUBE CUT.JPG



The next challenge was to figure out how to stick all these pieces together in the correct position. I ended up creating a wooden jig using some old 3 fence posts.
I screwed the flat plates to the jigs, held the tubes in their required positions and tacked each piece in position.

jig1.jpg jig2.jpg jig3.jpg

Having got these tacked in position, I was impatient to try my new frame under the splitter for a trial fit. I'm pretty pleased with how this has worked out so far.


1stFit2.jpg 1stFitUnderBeam.jpg

Next job is to fully weld the tubes to the flat plate. I think I'll clamp the plates to their respective components while welding to minimise heat distortion.


Along with the axle I also acquired a ball hitch. It's old and a little worn, but being of cast construction I'm sure it will far outlast any modern pressed steel type. Here it is, bolted to a length of 2 box section that will be welded the underside of the splitter beam. I've added crush tubes inside the box to prevent the bolts coming loose. Hitch height will end up around 20-21" to top of the ball, a little higher than the average ball hitch over here, but better suited to being dragged over rough ground.

Hitch1.jpg Hitch2.jpg

More to follow...
 
 
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