I am going to be building a wood splitter and am wondering what size I-beam I need? I am going to be using a 5" cylinder and will be putting a log lift and log table on the end of it. I am a mechanic and pretty good welder but am not familiar with the rating of steel to order. I know I need a beam that is at least 6" wide but not sure what grade I need. Any help is appreciated.
What size I-beam?
- Thread starter sandsw
- Start date
BHD
Veteran Member
I think my I beam is a 4" x 8" some times it will twist some if it is a really trough split, but does fine, (it could be a 10")
LD1
Epic Contributor
I would go wider than a 4". It will give you a wider "ledge" to put the log on.
Most commercial splitters use a 7" beam, but usually not an I-beam. Just 1/4" plates welded to form an i-beam.
Something along the lines of an 8"x 6-1/2" or 10"x8" beam should suffice with no worries
On wideflange beams, they name them by
W...stands for wide flange
#
#...inches of depth
x
#
#...pounds per ft
So I would reccomend something along the lines of a W8 x 28 or W10x33
That is a wide-flange 8" depth and has a weight of 28lbs per foot.
I-beams are NOT sized by flange width. You can look up the specs online, but for example, there are about 6 different beams that fall into the 8x8 size. They are 31,35,40,48,58,and 67 lbs per foot.
Here is a good site for getting physical sizing, but as far as load capacity, theres a WHOLE lot of calculations involved. Steel I Beam, Wide Flange Beam, S, Jr., WF, details, sizes, dimensions, beams
There are twisting forces, as well as the shear tonnage of the ram. and it isnt a direct perpendicular load to the beam. So the calculations are hard to figure. That is why most are just made pleanty big with room for error.
Most commercial splitters use a 7" beam, but usually not an I-beam. Just 1/4" plates welded to form an i-beam.
Something along the lines of an 8"x 6-1/2" or 10"x8" beam should suffice with no worries
On wideflange beams, they name them by
W...stands for wide flange
#
#...inches of depth
x
#
#...pounds per ft
So I would reccomend something along the lines of a W8 x 28 or W10x33
That is a wide-flange 8" depth and has a weight of 28lbs per foot.
I-beams are NOT sized by flange width. You can look up the specs online, but for example, there are about 6 different beams that fall into the 8x8 size. They are 31,35,40,48,58,and 67 lbs per foot.
Here is a good site for getting physical sizing, but as far as load capacity, theres a WHOLE lot of calculations involved. Steel I Beam, Wide Flange Beam, S, Jr., WF, details, sizes, dimensions, beams
There are twisting forces, as well as the shear tonnage of the ram. and it isnt a direct perpendicular load to the beam. So the calculations are hard to figure. That is why most are just made pleanty big with room for error.
grsthegreat
Super Star Member
I was told to use an H beam for mine so that the channels were straight and not tapered like an i beam. Mine is 8" wide and 6 feet long. Im using a 24" long x 4" wide ram.
LD1
Epic Contributor
That is the same thing as W-type (wide flange) beam.
The S-type (structural) has the tapered flanges, but they are only tapered on the underside. It would really only be a problem if you used wedge guides that slide under the beam. Personally I like the speeco/huskee style. Like the "log-cradle" where the wedge is welded to a seperate peice of steel, and the angle iron (cradle) captures that plate. With that style, you could use either beam.
Rustyiron
Super Member
Get as heavy a beam as you can scroung. As other have said a "H" or "W" wide flange is better than a reg "S" structural beam but.... when I was a kid I built one (about 30 years ago) out of a "scrounged" 8x18 house beam. Not that much of a beam but I still use this splitter to this day! With a log lift and a log tray, a taller dimension beam will be more friendly for mounting these items. Seems like most commercially available splitters have at least a 5x5 beam but see if you can find a 8" tall beam with a flange width of at least 5" to counter twisting forces on your wedge.:thumbsup:
me0418840987
Silver Member
Mine is an 8x8x 3/8ths thick "H". See the garbage truck pump post in the Hydraulics forum. Haven't bent it yet...
BHD
Veteran Member
Scooby074
Super Member
Im in the process of building one myself using a 5" cylinder
For the beam im using a W6x25 beam. This beam has ~7/16 thick flanges. Im using the Timberwolf TW5 as a pattern.
For the beam im using a W6x25 beam. This beam has ~7/16 thick flanges. Im using the Timberwolf TW5 as a pattern.
mlh29
New member
I used 6 inch H beam at 30 lb a foot, and added 1/2 x 6 plate on top to giv ethe top rail almost a 1 inch thickness . I would strongly advise getting the heaviest h beam you can find ( buy once cry once, versus getting it built only to find it isnt heavy enough and binds or twists.), and box the ends and as much of the non sliding portion of the sides as possible to counter twisting. Good luck