Creative Uses For Wood Splitter. (?)

[Denwa]

Gentlemen,
Witness that wood splitters are basically a hydraulic press, but different, it would be interesting to see what creative and alternative uses folks have put them to. A wood splitter was the first hydraulic thing I had purchased, kicking myself for not having done so 20 years sooner. It revolutionized my wood gathering, and now that I have a tractor as well, furthering the revolution, I have discovered at least one good use my wood splitter.

A week or so ago I was asking the TBNers for ideas on how to straighten the upwardly bent lower lip on my FEL. I was contemplating a Rube Goldberg combination of hydraulic *puller*, a couple of jack stands and a strongback of some sort. Someone who had a better appreciation of his tool inventory said that a wood splitter had done the job nicely for him. Barnyard genius!

Another lister chimed in with the experience of using a wood splitter as a bead breaker, another insightful use for the several tons of force available.

So gents, any ladies(?), manufacturer's cautions aside, what have you found, or can you envision as good alternative uses for a wood splitter?

Regards,
Dennis (WA)

 

[beenthere]

What, no pics of the success on the bucket lip? We like pics, not just talk Please.

 

[1m21]

Trash compactor?

 

[some zilch]

mine will "punch" a rim out of tire; making the rim scrap, and leaving the tire for disposal.......

 

[johnk]

Walnut cracker?

 

[o2batsea]

I use it to push bushings out of the trailing arms on the Range Rover.
Random straightening or bending of steel parts.

 

[Deadman]

I use mine to Split Oak firewood. :ashamed:

 

[Dutch445]

Apple here, narly, twisty apple

I use mine to Split Oak firewood. :ashamed:

 

[JohninCT]

Flip it upside down. Attach to FEL quick attach plate. Make it moving wedge and stationary anvil.

It's a stump splitter!

 

[N8ghz]

My home-made splitter has the wedge on the cylinders. I used two 3.25" that I had laying around. shortly after building it, I made a flat adapter for the wedge. It is about 8x10". I use it alot for straightening things or pushing out pins,etc. I mainly built the flat adapter to further mash beer cans that come out of my home-made can crusher, which is air operated. The can crusher flattens cans to a degree that about 160 cans fit in a 30 pack box. I then mash those 6 at a time in the log-splitter....resulting in 30 cans that'll fit in your back pocket !!. thus taking up less room until I cash them in.

 

[LD1]

About the onlythign other than wood that we have used ours for is just bending steel. Making guards or brackets and what not.

As for the wood, american elm is one of the toughest that we split. Extremely stringy when green.

 

[lhfarm]

About the onlythign other than wood that we have used ours for is just bending steel. Making guards or brackets and what not.

As for the wood, american elm is one of the toughest that we split. Extremely stringy when green.

I have a badly bent leg on my splitter - the result of a bonehead move on my part. I've been trying to figure out how to straighten it without having access to a press or torch. The answer appears to be right in front of me -literally.

How do you protect the edge of the wedge? Any pictures of flat adaptor mentioned above?

Thanks,

 

[Denwa]

What, no pics of the success on the bucket lip? We like pics, not just talk Please.

Patience, patience.... I haven't done any straightening yet, but I know it will work. I'll will document the event and post some photos. Between the rain and having to attend wedding receptions, my weekend time has been to fragmented
lately.

Dennis

 

[Denwa]

Trash compactor?

well, yes actually. Another use I have seen is at a local used tire/battery seller/recycler, they use a wood splitter to scrunch up the rims a bit. I imagine it's more about making them unserviceable for some reason than smaller.

But, if one had a section of large bore pipe and a top and bottom plates of adequate strength , one could fill the pipe with aluminum or steel cans and make bricks or slugs. Just make sure you keep the pipe short enough that
you would have room to press out the slug.

One should likely check with your local aluminum can recycler prior to doing this with a bunch of cans. Make sure they will still acceptt them at can rate this way. I somehow doubt itt, as they could not verify what would be in the center of the slug.

Dennis

 

[Denwa]

Walnut cracker?

;' > YEAH. And you could even use one to trim your toenails if'n you were really "pressed" for a trimmer. Oh yeah... could also be very useful for extracting confessions. But, that might be unlawful or something...

Dennis

 

[Denwa]

My home-made splitter has the wedge on the cylinders. I used two 3.25" that I had laying around. shortly after building it, I made a flat adapter for the wedge. It is about 8x10". I use it alot for straightening things or pushing out pins,etc. I mainly built the flat adapter to further mash beer cans that come out of my home-made can crusher, which is air operated. The can crusher flattens cans to a degree that about 160 cans fit in a 30 pack box. I then mash those 6 at a time in the log-splitter....resulting in 30 cans that'll fit in your back pocket !!. thus taking up less room until I cash them in.

73's there. Boy, you REALLY make them flat ; '> Have you ever talked to
the recycler about doing cans in brick form? This would really make bulk cans easier to deal with. I've got a bunch to recycle now.

Dennis
NX7D

 

[tommu56]

I have to do ball joints on my truck I'll have to see if I can get it in there:laughing:

and believe me Ill consider it.

tom

 

[jimmyj]

Jokes aside this post is very enlightening. I won't ever look at the splitter the same way again. My wedge is removable so I could make other attachments to do stuff, brilliant...!

 

[Don87]

73's there. Boy, you REALLY make them flat ; '> Have you ever talked to
the recycler about doing cans in brick form? This would really make bulk cans easier to deal with. I've got a bunch to recycle now.

Dennis
NX7D

The recycler I take my cans to doesn't want them completely flattened.
He makes bales out of them, and when the cans are flattened completely, the bales won't hold together for shipping.

 

[DennisH]

Crushing beer cans.