My LOGSPLITTER Build

LD1 · Mar 17, 2014

Over the past few months I have started a few threads and asked lots of questions about building my splitter.

Well, I am underway now. Cylinder, valve, pump, filter, and suction strainer should be delivered today. I already have steel, beam, tank, motor, and an axle to use. Will get hoses made once I get things assembled and figure exactally what I need.

This will likely take me a few weeks, but will keep things updated as I go.

Here is some shots of the wedge and beam. I took shieldarc's idea for how to attach. And I left the beam long for a good secure point for attaching the table.

Here is the wedge and beam.

LD1 · Mar 17, 2014

Some root passes to close things up before I switch to spray mode on the welder.

And the beam and wedge being one. I think the lowly piece of 1" x 6" hot roll will rip in two before the welds break.

LD1 · Mar 17, 2014

I do got one off the wall question:

Will a hydraulic motor work off a 2-stage pump?

I know it is said not to, but dont really know why? Will it not work at all? Not work well? burn things up?

For what I want, it will be limited use. I am wanting to attach a low speed (like ZTR wheel motor) to the axle. I am using a ford 8.8 for the axle. And if it would work, it would be pretty easy to attach a motor to the pinion of the axle. Not for transport, but for when splitting, and the pile builds up, and you just want to pull forward a few feet and continue. It would be really nice to just hit a lever and drive forward a tad. I would be using one of them jacks with a wheel on the bottom if it will work??

J_J · Mar 17, 2014

You can probably answer your own question.

A hyd motor develops the pressure provided, and if you only provide 900 psi and 22 GPM, then the motor will run at a certain rpm and develop a certain about of torque.

Now , run that motor doing hard work at say 3000 psi, and you will develop lots of torque.

22 GPM, at 900 psi, motor of 12 cu in, rpm = 424 = torque of 1720 in lbs.

7 GPM , at 3000 psi, motor of 12 cu in, rpm = 135, torque of 5732 in lbs.

If you use the motor for multiple purposes, the motor will be shifting speeds.

You could limit the motor speed with a relief valve.

LD1 · Mar 17, 2014

I guess the "work" that needs done would depend on the motor size. For a BIG hydraulic motor, it wouldnt be much work. For a little one......

I have a buddy that has a mowing business. I might be able to source a wheel motor from a ZTR that could work. Lots of times they toss good parts. IF a motor fails, or pump fails, or whatever, they just junk the whole mower....

merlynr · Mar 17, 2014

You stated that you have a motor and was wondering if it was a gas engine for power? I wouldn't build a splitter personally without electric start engine.

LD1 · Mar 17, 2014

Yep. Its a gas powers 16hp electric start off a POS weedeater lawnmower that was given to me after only 1 season of use.

Some more specs:
22gpm 2-stage pump
4" x 24" cylinder w/ 2" rod
So it will be fast.

Oil reservoir is/will be a round transformer canister with the guts removed. Will hold ~23 gallons.

Beam is a W6x25

Axle with be the above mentioned Ford 8.8

The hydraulic cylinder, pump, valve, filter and strainer was just delivered. Nothing really high end. I ordered it from splitez.com. Was $600 delivered. Should work just fine for my light ~15-20 cord per year hobby. I just couldnt justify a prince cylinder, barnes pump, etc. That would have pushed things over $1000.

LD1 · Mar 17, 2014

some shots of working on the pusher plate.

originally I wanted to copy speeco's design with their "log cradle" to capture the pusher. But I decided to do it differently cause I am making a table to go aft the wedge. And didnt want that "cradle" being a catch point when sliding a piece around that needs split again.

Still got to drill the 1" hole for the clevis and then some weld time. I am going to make the clevis bottom actually touch the part it is attached to. This will allow it to share some of the load instead of all of it being on the pin.

LD1 · Mar 17, 2014

Got the pusher assembly complete.

Rustyiron · Mar 17, 2014

Nice build and I think your "driven" log splitter idea would be very cool even if you don't use it much. Just to show it off to your buddies would be worth it!
Oh, you're wedge will definitely not ever give you any trouble the way you did it.:thumbsup:

SPIKER · Mar 17, 2014

LD1 looks dang fine! what you going to put to hold the pusher plate down against the beam? the one homemade one I used way back when had a triangle plate (bent 90 on bottom) bolted to the pusher plate on each side. there were 6 or 8 1/2" bolts holding that to the welded up pusher plate which had 3/8" x 2" plate bars welded to the upright and the horizontal pusher.

One thing it didn't have was the driven part! What about using the 8.8 rear axle and the motor mounted to the pinion and a chain drive to the motor & old pinion yoke to drive the rear end. could use a belt and pop belt off to tow it down road.. drop in a spool into the rear end or weld up gears cheap to make it full posi...

Mark

Mark

LD1 · Mar 17, 2014

SPIKER said:
LD1 looks dang fine! what you going to put to hold the pusher plate down against the beam?

Look close at the first picture of post #8. It is a piece of 2x2x3/8 angle bolted to the side of the 1" thick base of the pusher.

SPIKER said:
One thing it didn't have was the driven part! What about using the 8.8 rear axle and the motor mounted to the pinion and a chain drive to the motor & old pinion yoke to drive the rear end. could use a belt and pop belt off to tow it down road.. drop in a spool into the rear end or weld up gears cheap to make it full posi...

Mark

Mark

I think it would take some serious gear reduction to make it go at a walking pace. But it is a thought. I do have some 60:1 gearboxes....

Just no good way to couple and uncouple. At least not like just pushing a lever and moving it a few feet.

City Farmer · Mar 17, 2014

Your off to a Great start. At the rate your going you'll be splitting in no time. Is there any reason you opted to go without a 4 way adjustable wedge? I don't split, I'm just trying to learn something as I go.

LD1 · Mar 17, 2014

A 4-way adjustable would have been more hydraulics and more money. And usually you see the 4-way with 5" or so cylinders for the power.

I am going with the smaller 4" cylinder for speed. And as fast as this thing is going to be, I dont need a 4-way.

And I dont like a fixed 4-way either. Sure, it makes things faster, but it also makes more waste. IE: if you have the "wings" of the 4-way set at 6", and split a 7" round, you are making two good pieces and two little pieces of kindling. A fixed 4-way only works well on a certain size piece of wood. On everything else, they are not worth it.

We did make a slip-on 4-way for the other splitter. And I may consider something like that.

LD1 · Mar 17, 2014

Here is a shot of the cylinder base mount.

Done up the same way as the wedge.

Hope to get alot done tomorrow. Looking to get the axle drug in and beam mounted to it. Then work on the motor, pump, and tank mounting. That is going to be about all I can get done then can get some measurments and get some fittings and hoses made.

If things go well, I may get around to making the table too. I think I have enough 11ga left over from my snow-plow re-skinning project.

LD1 · Mar 17, 2014

I didnt notice this earlier, but in the background of the last picture of post 8 and last pic of post #9 you can also see my hydraulic resivoir. Right behind the blue bucket to the right of the stove.:thumbsup:

Scooby074 · Mar 17, 2014

You may want to watch your mounting for that pump. Northern says the 22gpm Haldex like I have on mine is horizontal only. No idea if this is correct, but Im really curious because I have a nice cast iron industrial vertical shaft Briggs that id like to use for more power instead of the horizontal Subaru that is on there now.

You can run a motor off a 2 stage pump. Wallenstein does it on their processors for the winch I believe.

There was a company doing a drive around splitter. I thought it was pretty cool. It was chain drive with a motor and a seat. Interesting concept. if I find a link Ill post it.

Scooby074 · Mar 17, 2014

Found it!

LD1 · Mar 18, 2014

Thats pretty cool.

Looks to be about the speed I am going to get with the 22gpm and 4" cylinder:thumbsup:

I thought about using the tractor that the motor is coming off of, and attaching the splitter beam to the rear, mounting the oil tank up front to offset the weight, and using the electric clutch that drives the mower to turn the pump on and off. Thought it would be pretty cool to do that. But then it couldnt be towed. and the frame/axles of the little "weedeater" lawnmower are pretty pathetic. I dont think it would like the additional ~400# of steel off the back, and #300 of tank and oil off the front. Not to mention the shock loads of tossing big pieces up there.