HF Shop press as log splitter

[Brad_Blazer]

Maybe one of these would work okay for small scale indoor splitting. It would be hard to adapt a press for splitting for less money.
Brave Manual Log Splitting Driver, Model# D-1 | Log Splitters | Northern Tool + Equipment
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200338643_200338643

 

[forgeblast]

What about the air powed shop presses, northern tool has a buch of high powered ones.

 

[turnkey4099]

bcarwell
Interesting that you ask, as I was at HF yesterday looking at their shop presses with that exact purpose in mind. I want something quiet, simple, and on my bench in the garage to re-split larger firewood pieces into smaller (for starting fires). Don't care if it is slow, and don't need much force. But glad you brought it up. Good comments, some I hadn't thought about. I don't like using the splitting maul on the garage floor, or have the pieces flying around between the cars and toys.

In a pinch, with just a few logs, a chainsaw can be used to both buck the logs to firewood lengths, and to do the chore of "splitting" for further breakdown. I often do this with knarly grain pieces that do or that I think will hang up on the splitting wedge.

Glad you brought this up. Didn't realize that the HF frame might twist up splitting a log, but there are a lot of forces in play.

I like the idea of adapting the splitter to some "press" capability. Have to salt that idea away.

Any _non_ motor driven splitting tool (other than a good maul) is going to be slow. I have seen the ones using a jack demonstrated and it would have been far quicker to pick up a maul.

You might consider one of those electric screw driven splitters - small, cheap, easy to move around (or even pick up). Two of my friends have them and both like them. One uses it to split Black Locust chunks so big we had to halve and some times quarter them to be able to load in pu for hauling.

My 27 ton Troybilt was 'shedded' back in November but I carefully held back a batch of rounds so I could be out there using a maul/sledge/wedge on them on nice days. Gonna be at that in about an hour.

Harry K

 

[EarlG]

Hi folks, I was wondering with a little adapting if a cheapo HF shop press might do double duty as an "in a pinch" log splitter. I have never seen the specs on the movement rates of the cylinders and suspect that is the real issue, but maybe if you are doing more than 5 -10 logs for a weekend. And I suppose there is a safety issue with there being no lateral support for the log (although I suppose you could put the log horizontally). Obviously due to the "shop" location of the press, not an ideal place to be splitting wood. But I hate to invest in a dedicated log splitter when, here in Central Texas although we have Blazing Saddles we generally don't have much need for blazing fires other than for cosmetic purposes. So I go through enough wood to make it a hassle to do manually but not enough to justify a wood splitter other than my son. My shop press would be in my outside shop so messing up an already messy shop is not an issue.

Anyway, just a thought. The HF 6 to 20 ton splitters are very, very cheap relative to conventional log splitters...

Bob

I have a HF H frame press along with a 20Ton air assisted (speeds up splitting) hyd jack. Works great for what I need which is splitting about 1/2 cord per yr as I live in TX and don't burn much.

 

[Chainsaw.]

Are you splitting live oak? Your chainsaw will cut through the rounds waaaay quicker than jigging up some contraption.