Logsplitter 2.0

rswyan · Mar 28, 2015

After the wedge was all welded in place, I welded on the pieces of H-Beam flange which serve as the attachment points and supports for the fold-up table grate, and which box in the area around the 1" x 3" x 8" bar that goes thru the H-Beam:

rswyan · Mar 28, 2015

Then I took a section of flange from the H-Beam and cut it length-wise to use to widen the back-end of the wedge, making it taper out further.

These pieces were warped pretty good from having cut the flange off the web of the H-Beam ... so I heated them, in a line, on the convex side with the O/A torch to a dull orange to straighten them and pull the warp out and then, after they cooled, welded them onto to the wedge/H-Beam:

In the process of doing that I managed to find a fairly good write-up from the Federal Highway Administration on using heat to straighten steel:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/02.cfm

Depmandog · Mar 28, 2015

You know, I have really enjoyed this thread. I appreciate your detail and candor when discussing the progress of the build.

I think you and I could be friends as long as we kept politics and religion off limits!!

rswyan · Mar 28, 2015

Depmandog said:
You know, I have really enjoyed this thread.

Glad to hear it ... :thumbsup:

Depmandog said:
I appreciate your detail and candor when discussing the progress of the build.

Thanks - I try to write enough detail in, keeping in mind the viewpoint of someone who has a general idea of what they want to do, but is unsure of the details (materials to use, how to go about it) ... and is looking for examples that will provide some guidance (right or wrong as the case may be

)

Depmandog said:
I think you and I could be friends as long as we kept politics and religion off limits!!

I don't doubt it at all.

A friend of mine has it as a general rule that there are three things to avoid and steer clear of: politics, religion and a third one which I don't recall offhand.

Probably a far wiser man than I

... at least in that respect ...

Glad you've enjoyed the thread.

rswyan · Mar 28, 2015

Took some 1/4" x 3/4" flat stock and welded it in towards the rear to provide a little support. I'll probably cap/close off the rear by welding in some 1/4" x 1" flat stock:

rswyan · Mar 28, 2015

After that I took a piece of the H-Beam web, cut it to fit the top, and welded it on to cap the wedge:

rswyan · Mar 28, 2015

Have more to report ... but first I need to go take some pics ...

LD1 · Mar 28, 2015

Looking good. At this rate, you will be ready to split for next winter:laughing:

rswyan · Mar 29, 2015

LD1 said:
Looking good.

Thanks LD ...

LD1 said:
At this rate, you will be ready to split for next winter:laughing:

LOL ...

Yeah, yeah ... Mr. "Speedy Gonzales" ...

Actually, that might be true ... if the warm weather holds up ... and our luck holds up the way it has been.

Last Sunday I told the wife I'd probably have to start the harvesting and gathering process again that day because we were running low on firewood.

Within the hour my young helper called and asked "Are you interested in a dump truck load of firewood ... for free ? It's seasoned and has been split once ... probably needs split again ..."

I told him "Heck yeah" ...

He showed up with a guy who he's worked for in the past, who was driving GMC cab forward dump with a 10' or 12' bed piled to the brim with wood. Guy was looking to get rid of this wood because it was so well seasoned that he wasn't getting long enough burn times out of it - he's away from the house 10 to 12 hours at a time - it was all hickory and oak ... that he'd actually bought and paid real money for ...

Turns out the guy was roofer and had four rust holes in the bed of dump truck that he wanted patched so he wasn't dropping nails ... so I welded that up for him the middle of this past week.

Actually though, the "to do" for the splitter is getting pretty short at this point. Here's what's left:

1. Finish grinding around the pipe flange for the suction strainer.

2. Weld one of the end caps for the hydraulic reservoir tube where a pin hole leak developed along the seam.

3. Cut and weld on two panels of 10 gauge sheet onto the log lift.

4. Flush the crud out of the reservoir.

5. Paint the bracket for the pump.

6. Install all components onto the splitter and fill it with hydraulic oil.

I do still have to cut the old four-way wedge apart and redo it ... since it was designed to fit on the wedge on the old splitter ... but that won't necessarily keep me from using the new one.

I finished welding up the table grate the other day ... so it's all ready to go ... just stick it on there and run the two bolts in that hold it on.

I'd guess I've got maybe a days worth of work or so ... putting the components on really won't take very long.