Has anyone used a forklift mast to make a wood splitter?

[4570Man]

Have 3 forklift masts laying around. One is pretty nice so it won't be subjected to my butchering. The other 2 are pretty much junk and are good candidates. I know their cylinders are not double acting and can't be used. The plan would be to cut them up and weld them back together leaving only enough room to mount a 5" cylinder in the middle. Then mound a wedge to one part of the slider and a push plate on the other. Hopefully the end result would be nice beam on rollers. One is off a tiny forklift. I plan to use that one. If I decided it's not strong enough I have a much stronger one off a big forklift. .

 

[Renze]

Never tried, but it does make sense. A log splitter from a standard thin walled H beam will eventually twist, when a small diameter log has twisted strings in it.
But if you use it horizontally you get all the junk and bark in the rollers...

 

[4570Man]

I don't think bark getting in the rollers will be a problem although it's a valid concern. My other option for a beam is a piece of 6x6 tubing with 3/4 wall.

 

[aczlan]

Around here, a forklift mast with forks on it and brackets welded to it for a 3 point hitch is worth $350-1000. I would weld the two iffy ones up as 3 point masts and put them on Craigslist for $500-700 each, then use that money to buy a heavy H/I beam to use for your frame.

Aaron Z

 

[4570Man]

I don't have enough parts to make them either one complete.

 

[Taylortractornut]

Saw a guillotine type splitter made frome one at an old shop worked great

 

[jwmorris]

The extra mast I have is only "powered" in one direction. If yours is off a lift that rides around on the back of a semi trailer it will likely be powered in both directions.

Why is this important? At some point your going to have something stuck on the wedge, it's nice to be able to get it off by reversing the lever.

There really isn't much to a log splitter an H or I beam and a little plate steel.

 

[4570Man]

My mast isn't powered in both directions. Even if it was it wouldn't achieve anywhere close to the power I need. If I could get some heavy H beam that would be the obvious choice.

 

[jwmorris]

3/8" thick H beam is what we used with a 4" cylinder and 16 GPM pump on an 8hp engine. Spends most of its time running just above idle.

 

[4570Man]

I plan on using a 5" cylinder or duel 3.5s and a 18hp motor.