Logsplitter 2.0

[TomSeller]

This is a very good way of removing rust. This link is of removing rust from an old tool, but the same thing can be done with larger items using non metallic cattle watering tank or kids plastic swimming pool. I would fasten the rebar on the perimeter without drilling holes if you want to use the tank later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54ADeB6V1rQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Cleaning Up After Rust Removal Using Electrolysis - Robot Room

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKZv14-K71g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Remove as much loose rust as you can with a wire brush beforehand. And don't do this inside an enclosed area.

 

[rswyan]

Nice I too have been thinking about building a three point hook up splitter with its own engine, looking forward to seeing how you build yours keep us updated!

motoman,

In the frenzy that was yesterday, I missed your comment.

Logsplitter 1.0 was going to be a 3PH mount with gas engine ... Logsplitter 2.0 is not - it's going to have wheels and a ball hitch.

Major selling point in favor of the current plan is that it frees up the tractor (which I only have one of)

 

[rswyan]

arrow,

Rsy i have a 17 yr. old Northern product 16 ton splitter. It also uses its axle mounts as a hydraulic tank. (seems a bit larger in volume than yours).

Yeah ... 8 gallons is a little less than ideal (11 gpm pump)

It has a 6' long I-beam but I wish it were a bit longer. Not to split longer wood, but to man handle the thing a bit easier.

Yeah ... I really like the handles that LD put on his. I've got some 3/4 round stock that I can use to do similar.

Trimming the beam to final length will probably be toward the end of the project ... for a variety of reasons - balance being one of them. I want to keep the tongue/wedge end light enough that I can manhandle it if I have to.

I like to split my wood and stack it at the same time. This constitutes moving the splitter further down the line of course. I pick up one end and drag it up the line. If I had a bit more leverage with more weight hanging off the axle end, this would be a bit easier.

I'll have the engine hanging off the back if I can manage it ... as well as some of the cylinder. Current thinking is to have the pusher block just about over the axle when the cylinder is retracted.

Also I'm planning on making the height of the axle/hydraulic reservoir a comfortable sitting height ... so that the operator can sit and run the controls if a helper is available to work the log lift and table for re-splits. The height it's at in the picture is just about perfect for me.

Would also give a bit more leeway for a hitch ball on the axle end to be able to attach the splitter to the tractor at either end.

Good idea - maybe weld a 2" receiver on both ends and then just swap the coupler to the end one wants to use.

Just some fft incase you didn't want to cut your beam as short as you originally figured.

Good stuff ... keep 'em comin' ... :thumbsup:

If this will end up as a 3 pt, everything I just said becomes moot.

Nope - 3 pt is out of the picture at this point. I want it to be towable.

I also made a log table for mine whose base is made of wood. I slip it between the I-beam sections so it pulls on and off quite easily. It has a sheet metal top as well. The reason being was that sheet metal was easier to attach to the wooden base as it gave infinite screw in points to align itself to the wooden base. Have had it now for 25 cords w/o a break down.

Kewl ... :thumbsup:

 

[oldpilgrim]

I've had splitters with the wedge on the end of the beam and the wedge on the end of the ram. I much prefer the wedge on the ram as I don't like chasing the wood of the end of the splitter. Having a table on the end is just one more thing to have to stow and transport.

The bet of all worlds is a vertical splitter where you can sit down and split stuff. This requires the wedge on the ram, of course.

You are doing a very nice job. I'm envious of your skills. I can weld ok, but I won't win any awards for neatness.

 

[arrow]

I've had splitters with the wedge on the end of the beam and the wedge on the end of the ram. I much prefer the wedge on the ram as I don't like chasing the wood of the end of the splitter. Having a table on the end is just one more thing to have to stow and transport.

The bet of all worlds is a vertical splitter where you can sit down and split stuff. This requires the wedge on the ram, of course.

Isn't it funny how someone's preferences are justified by how they use their stuff. For instance: not in a million years would I have thought of "sitting down" to split wood. Of course I wouldn't because i chase the rounds gathered by the tractor all around the splitter and rarely have a helper. 2. Because i "split n stack" at the same time, I appreciate all the wood ending up at the same place at the end of the splitter so a orizontal spitter with it's wedge at the end fits me to a peg. 3. I have devised numerous ways to get that 200 -300 lb round up to the splitter as one eats an elephant one bite at a time. It was mostly at those times where I wish I had a vertical splitter. after that...not so much. Now that I have a lame left arm, maybe I need to rig up a 3 pt vertical myself using quik disconnects on my horizontal splitter as an attachment point to run the thing as i have no remotes on my present machine.

 

[LD1]

Any particular reason you went with solid sheet metal on your table ... rather than just doing a table grate like Timberwolf does ?

Just the material I alreadt had on hand. I didnt have a bunch of lengths of pipe. But had that 11ga sheet left over from skinning my plow and building the wings and didnt see any other use for it.

arrow,


Yeah ... I really like the handles that LD put on his. I've got some 3/4 round stock that I can use to do similar.

Trimming the beam to final length will probably be toward the end of the project ... for a variety of reasons - balance being one of them. I want to keep the tongue/wedge end light enough that I can manhandle it if I have to.


I'll have the engine hanging off the back if I can manage it ... as well as some of the cylinder. Current thinking is to have the pusher block just about over the axle when the cylinder is retracted.

The very last thing I did before painting was locating the beam to the axle. I see far too many homemade builds that have the axle in a position that just looks unbalnced as heck and tons of tongue weight. But also dont want too little tongue weight as to flip the splitter when a large round is placed on it. I placed 200# where a large piece of firewood would go, then set it to balance perfectly. That makes the splitter stable with large pieces of wood while splitting, but not too much tongue weight when moving my hand.

Also consider which end you will be towing from. Let your splitting style dictate that. Since I split and let wood drop into a pile, I tow from the "dummy end" of the splitter. If you frequently split then load directly onto a truck, I would tow from the business end. That way you can split and the pieces can go directly onto the truck.

I've had splitters with the wedge on the end of the beam and the wedge on the end of the ram. I much prefer the wedge on the ram as I don't like chasing the wood of the end of the splitter. Having a table on the end is just one more thing to have to stow and transport.

The bet of all worlds is a vertical splitter where you can sit down and split stuff. This requires the wedge on the ram, of course.

You are doing a very nice job. I'm envious of your skills. I can weld ok, but I won't win any awards for neatness.

Our other splitter is a horizontal/vertical huskee from TSC. Vertical is nice for big stuff. But not ideal for smaller stuff. Sitting down isnt as convenient as it sounds. Cause in just a few minutes, you run out of wood that is withing arms length, so are constantly getting up and down. So for the average size wood, say 8" up to 18" (or whatever you can handle comfortably), it is better to split horizontal IMO.

 

[oldpilgrim]

Isn't it funny how someone's preferences are justified by how they use their stuff. For instance: not in a million years would I have thought of "sitting down" to split wood. Of course I wouldn't because i chase the rounds gathered by the tractor all around the splitter and rarely have a helper. 2. Because i "split n stack" at the same time, I appreciate all the wood ending up at the same place at the end of the splitter so a horizontal splitter with it's wedge at the end fits me to a peg. 3. I have devised numerous ways to get that 200 -300 lb round up to the splitter as one eats an elephant one bite at a time. It was mostly at those times where I wish I had a vertical splitter. after that...not so much. Now that I have a lame left arm, maybe I need to rig up a 3 pt vertical myself using quik disconnects on my horizontal splitter as an attachment point to run the thing as i have no remotes on my present machine.

I cut my wood and place the rounds (push with the tractor bucket) next to where I want to stack the wood. I place the splitter in between the rounds and the pallets I stack on. I sit on the 5 gal bucket seat and take the rounds (roll them) from their pile to the splitter. I take the split pieces and fling them on the pallets. When the pile on the pallet gets big enough, I stack it right there.

I have very little moving off of the seat. If the supply of rounds get out of reach, I take the tractor and push the pile closer so I can reach them. I lift nothing.

If I have a 200-300 lb round, I just roll it to the splitter, turn it on it's butt and split it, without lifting it.

I would never want a 3pt splitter as I want the tractor available for use.

When you're nearing 70 years old, you want to bend and lift as little as possible.

 

[aczlan]

Our other splitter is a horizontal/vertical huskee from TSC. Vertical is nice for big stuff. But not ideal for smaller stuff. Sitting down isnt as convenient as it sounds. Cause in just a few minutes, you run out of wood that is withing arms length, so are constantly getting up and down. So for the average size wood, say 8" up to 18" (or whatever you can handle comfortably), it is better to split horizontal IMO.

I agree.
Growing up, we had large splitter with a fixed wedge and a log lift. We now have a vertical/horizontal one and (IMO) it is not as good.
Its easier to roll the rounds on their sides to the lift and then lift them than it is to try to work them under the splitter in the flat side and its easier to have a pile collect at the end of the splitter than have to catch and pile each piece as it comes off.

Aaron Z

 

[oldpilgrim]

I agree.
Growing up, we had large splitter with a fixed wedge and a log lift. We now have a vertical/horizontal one and (IMO) it is not as good.
Its easier to roll the rounds on their sides to the lift and then lift them than it is to try to work them under the splitter in the flat side and its easier to have a pile collect at the end of the splitter than have to catch and pile each piece as it comes off.

Aaron Z

I have a rack that bolts to the side of the splitter to catch the wood for multiple passes, if/when I use it horizontally. Its a Huskee splitter and the rack is an accessory.

 

[rswyan]

I've had splitters with the wedge on the end of the beam and the wedge on the end of the ram. I much prefer the wedge on the ram as I don't like chasing the wood of the end of the splitter. Having a table on the end is just one more thing to have to stow and transport.

I might see if I can concoct something where the table flips up for transport. Either that or make the hitch extend out far enough where it isn't in the way.

The bet of all worlds is a vertical splitter where you can sit down and split stuff. This requires the wedge on the ram, of course.

I've used both ... vertical and horizontal ... personally prefer horizontal myself ... although vertical can be very handy for big rounds.

What I'd really prefer is something that requires no bending over, crouching, etc. (ideally be able to split standing up) ... but we're talking about splitting wood and I know some of that is just unavoidable

You are doing a very nice job.

Thank you very much.

I'm envious of your skills. I can weld ok, but I won't win any awards for neatness.

LOL ... you and me both brother ...