Improving wear of wood splitter slides

[KiwiBro]

"Change, to a research engineer, is improvement. People, though don't seem to think of it in that manner. When a change is suggested they hold back and say, "What we have is all right—it does the work." Doing the work is important but doing it better is more important. The human family in industry is always looking for a park bench where it can sit down and rest. But the only park benches I know of are right in front of an undertaker's establishment."
Charles Kettering, 1929

Good product but they don't seem to be keeping up with the market.

That's a great quote, thanks. The irony is that way back when these kinetics were first patented, they may have been the very embodiment of 'change'.

Fast forward to nowadays and it's pretty easy to understand why many of us might object to change because we've had at least a generation of marketeer run campaigns touting change and differentiation for next to no product advancement at all, rather clambering for position and attention in a crowded, saturated market. Or perhaps that's just me getting older and more sceptical.

Without going into specifics, I've had a very recent example of extreme change-resistance from a manufacturer with a product I bought but designed multiple changes for it in my own time and at my own cost. You'd think they would be delighted for the free R&D, but they pretty much threw it back in my face. Crazy stuff.

Regarding the SS, on balance, I still feel it's the best kinetic splitter out there. But it sure does need some changing. Highway towable, able to be towed around site from both ends, the slippery table, Adjustable height legs, and a lower center of gravity would all be on my list of changes if I were trying to sell these splitters. Next on the list would be a log lift.

I can't recall who it was (logrite?) who tried to do this to the SS, but their pricing was somewhat prohibitive I felt at the time. I don't know if they are still doing it or not.

Making it towable from both ends was the first of a few modifications when I got it home. There's actually quite a few more I need to do, some obvious, some very subtle only an experienced user would appreciate.

 

[Garandman]

Without going into specifics, I've had a very recent example of extreme change-resistance from a manufacturer with a product I bought but designed multiple changes for it in my own time and at my own cost. You'd think they would be delighted for the free R&D, but they pretty much threw it back in my face. Crazy stuff.

Oh, that phenomena we call "NIH" for "Not Invented Here."

 

[MossRoad]

The "good enough" principle....

Something like 95% of a product is "good enough" to make it work well, but making it 100% perfect will double the cost of the product, if not triple it. That's why places like Walmart, Harbor Freight, etc... thrive. You can actually buy products that will do the job, maybe not perfectly, but good enough and well within your budget. That's why homeowners with old style logsplitters that may have $500 dollars invested will balk at the thought of spending $2000+ for a logsplitter to save them $600 on heat for the winter. It will take 3.5 years just to pay off the logsplitter in heat savings. And they can't tow it to their relative's places. And they have to lift the logs up onto it. It may save them some time, but if they're already used to spending a few weekends a year splitting wood, they don't see saving 2-3 days a year as a reason to spend $2000+. I'm not saying the technology isn't great. I'm saying I cannot justify spending that kind of money at this point in my life to replace something I already have that works good enough.

 

[bcp]

Shakespeare decided to not rebuild his woodsplitter, too.

"striving to better, oft we mar what's well"


Bruce

 

[xring100]

So I have been watching several threads of wood splitter and processors. Some day I hope to build my own but in the mean time I have been wondering why I haven't seen an application of using ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, between the beam and the slider. I have seen it on boat trailers and on the bottom of airboats. It is more slippery than carbon steel....Just wondering. Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It works great in my spliter comes from the factory that way. I have rolls of black and translucent uhmw tape to solve squeaks or wear issues. Most recently i used it on my fiber glass extension ladder to prevent wear

I'm pretty sure Split Fire uses some sort of poly to reduce wear and friction on their splitters. Seems like it would work well to me

Yes split-fire does in fact use uhmw its readily available from most plastic suppliers and fairly cost effective

 

[KiwiBro]

I'm saying I cannot justify spending that kind of money at this point in my life to replace something I already have that works good enough.

Couldn't agree more. Crazy how much of our society is conditioned to expecting new or better just for the sake of it, never making do, never living within our means, trading $ for what used to be common sense or inventiveness.

Occasionally, not often, I pull out an axe and remind myself how old I'm getting too.

And while I'm on my soap box, think about your street. Just your street. How many machines are in it that could be put to communal use, shopped around the neighbourhood or the neighbours come together to use the machinery a few times a year for the common good. 10 neighbours, all with a $1000 splitter. Imagine 8 sold theirs off, everyone pooled some $ and bought a darn good one, and every year they got two weeks with it to split up their wood or the neighbourhood got together to get' er done a few weekends in one month of the year, every year.

*edit* Just editing to add that I don't assume better design has to be more expensive. In fact, I take great pleasure in and can spend an inordinate amount of my own time (call it a hobby), making things simpler, more effective, cheaper.

 

[MossRoad]

Couldn't agree more. Crazy how much of our society is conditioned to expecting new or better just for the sake of it, never making do, never living within our means, trading $ for what used to be common sense or inventiveness.

Occasionally, not often, I pull out an axe and remind myself how old I'm getting too.

And while I'm on my soap box, think about your street. Just your street. How many machines are in it that could be put to communal use, shopped around the neighbourhood or the neighbours come together to use the machinery a few times a year for the common good. 10 neighbours, all with a $1000 splitter. Imagine 8 sold theirs off, everyone pooled some $ and bought a darn good one, and every year they got two weeks with it to split up their wood or the neighbourhood got together to get' er done a few weekends in one month of the year, every year.

*edit* Just editing to add that I don't assume better design has to be more expensive. In fact, I take great pleasure in and can spend an inordinate amount of my own time (call it a hobby), making things simpler, more effective, cheaper.

What you're describing is communism.... :laughing:

 

[KiwiBro]

What you're describing is communism.... :laughing:

Don't tell them it's healthy and they'll eat it by the boxful.

 

[muddstopper]

I aint exactly worried about wearing out my slide. I do try to improve things for my own convenience. I have built several splitters over the years, Use them a season or two and then sale or trade them off for something else. Each splitter build, I learn from the last splitter. Unlike when I was younger, I no longer consider myself 10ft tall and bullet proof. The older I get, the more I realize my limitations. With that in mind, I try to built my splitters to where the work is easier and more productive than the ones from previous designs. My first splitter had a short wedge, and would split anything I throwed at it. My next splitter had a taller fixed 4 way wedge. My next splitter had a even taller adjustable 4 way wedge. My current splitter had a 24in tall adjustable 6way wedge. Older splitters required manhandleing the large rounds to load on the splitter. Current splitter has a boom and winch for lifting the heavy rounds. With all these splitter designs, one fault with all of them is I still have to block the round with a chainsaw. Future splitter plans call for a 12way adjustable wedge, small knuckle boom for loading the logs, and a hydraulic chainsaw for cutting the rounds. And I dont sell firewood so why would I need such a expensive machine? Answer is easy, I wish to continue to burn wood way up into old age. I know the older I get, the harder it is going to be to process firewood. With the proper splitter design, my wife should be able to process firewood if I aint able to. My splitter processor has been on the drawing board for a few years now as I have gathered parts to make it work. It might take me another year or two to actually get it built. When built, it should make splitting my wood much faster and easier on these old bones. It doesnt have to cost $thousands to built convenience unless your in a hurry to get it done. Right now, I have the saw, and spent about $150 for the bar and chain, made the rest for just my time and welding rods. I have the cylinders, traded them up, basicly for free. Got the conveyors for $200. Robbed valves and hoses off of scrap equipment for free but a little time. There are a few expensive items I will have to purchase, but I will still probably be into a full processor cheaper than I can buy a timberwolf or similar high dollar wood splitter. Of course I aint putting a dollar value on my time, but figure i will make up the time spent building this thing with time normally spent sawing and splitting my wood each year.

 

[445A]

Wow! I agree with all of you, but muddstopper, You have the BOMB! Evolution from a splitter to a full on processor. Please send pictures, please please. As for change, new car manufactures come to mind. Do you REALLY need to know what fuel mileage you are getting at this exact moment, because in another minute it will be different. I use that device they have had around for years, before I started to drive, I think they STILL call it a "fuel gauge." I built my splitter and used a black material, I believe called Delrin. No catching or binding anymore. 445A