And yet another log splitter build

Rustyiron · Jan 23, 2022

Ya did good

I built my splitter close to 40 years ago and there's a ton of things that I would have done differently also. I'm waiting for it to have a catastrophic failure to build a new one as I like to think that I'm a better fabricator with much better tools now than when I was barely 20 with a buddy's buzz box and a o/a torch.
I'm still waiting and I suspect you'll eventually be in the same position.

ovrszd · Jan 23, 2022

Rustyiron said:
Ya did good
I built my splitter close to 40 years ago and there's a ton of things that I would have done differently also. I'm waiting for it to have a catastrophic failure to build a new one as I like to think that I'm a better fabricator with much better tools now than when I was barely 20 with a buddy's buzz box and a o/a torch.
I'm still waiting and I suspect you'll eventually be in the same position.

Other than catastrophic structural failure there's not much reason to have to build another one Eric. I'm guessing after 40 years of use you've worked thru those chances.

Rustyiron · Jan 23, 2022

Richard it's beam is a light weight 8"-18# house beam that I scrounged off a house development. She flexes pretty good.

bob is your uncle · Jan 23, 2022

Rustyiron said:
Ya did good
I built my splitter close to 40 years ago and there's a ton of things that I would have done differently also. I'm waiting for it to have a catastrophic failure to build a new one as I like to think that I'm a better fabricator with much better tools now than when I was barely 20 with a buddy's buzz box and a o/a torch.
I'm still waiting and I suspect you'll eventually be in the same position.

when this thing self disassembles i have many ideas to do it better. hopefully that day aint soon though.

Ruud3a · Feb 14, 2022

bob is your uncle said:
Well, decided to build a splitter as i couldn't find any of the lower priced ones liked. the main beam is a W14X61 the oil tank is double 6X6HSS holding about 80 liters of oil, the motor is a old 19hp briggs opposed twin with a 22GPM two stage pump, the cylinder is approximately 5" bore off of some sort of cat NOS from the scrapper. if i did it again I'd definitely do it different its very tongue heavy but it does allow you to pull it from the pile of splits rather than burying your own hitch. Still need to find a way to slow the log lift down. (sorry don't know how to resize these)
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Very good job. What's the painting setup you have used there? Painting job is spot on too, all project is nicely done. Well done.

bob is your uncle · Feb 14, 2022

just a cheap canadiantire mastercraft paint gun with rust oleum and hardener, not much experience with the hvlp painting setup most of my painting experience has been with industrial airless setup. it turned out decent.

Rustyiron · Feb 14, 2022

bob is your uncle said:
when this thing self disassembles i have many ideas to do it better. hopefully that day aint soon though.

That's how we learn.

Your first try was a lot better than mine and you'll have many many years and cords of firewood ahead of you !

franklin2 · Feb 14, 2022

Rustyiron said:
Richard it's beam is a light weight 8"-18# house beam that I scrounged off a house development. She flexes pretty good.

When I built my splitter I also made it out of a beam that was undersized. When I got the splitter completed it would split fine, except if it had a piece that was a little tough to split, when it made it through both halves of the wood would end up about 8 ft on either side of the splitter.

Took me awhile to figure out what was going on. It was a little scary to split wood with it. I finally figured out the splitter beam was flexing, you could not even see it. But it was just enough that it stored enough energy that when the anvil made it through the wood, it had enough velocity for a very short period to fling the wood to either side of the splitter.

A truss welded to the beam to stiffen it fixed it right up. If you look at the splitters you can buy at the store, most of their main beams are fabricated and stitched together from flat stock, even though from a distance they look like I beams. Don't be afraid to add some metal to a main beam to make it stronger.

Aussiebushman · Feb 28, 2022

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Aussiebushman · Feb 28, 2022

Re image sizes - get a free download of PIXRESIZER I have used this excellent program for years. It reduces an image of say 3-4 Mb ex camere to a few hundred Kb with no loss of definition: