hydraulic circuit

[bobodu]

I bought a combination pump and valve from a company called Groban Supply on ebay for $118 USD.Works very well for me.

 

[beenthere]

Not sure what is available to you in Ireland, but for an idea of cost, the same Surplus Center site has a good section on hydraulics, pumps, and the like.

What is this splitter blade going to look like? You have an interesting project there. And the length of the material to split? and the species of wood?

 

[Rgillard]

The pieces of timber are approx 1ft long. Half the reason of doing this project is to try and get a hydraulic circuit built as I learn so much more doing than reading. The blade I am thinking of will be just 4 sharp edges approx 1" or 1 1/2" apart. Its kinda based on a potato chipper I have at home but Im sure it wont work as easily as the chipper does.. Im a bit worried that the timber will jam in the blades when pushed through

 

[beenthere]

Your concerns are well founded. Any blade more than a cross (+) shape will mean that the wood has to be compressed between two blades. If the blades are held parallel to each other and can float, possibly they would work okay.
For sure, the wood won't compress (like the potato will) and something will have to give. A friend built a multiple blade firewood splitter, and while it was a good adventure, it didn't work. He had a huge hyd. cylinder from a garbage truck and a 6cyl power plant, with a huge pump, but couldn't build the splitter blades strong enough to compress wood. If light-weight wood was split (like aspen or cottonwood), it would come out 'smushed' and extruded-like. For oak or elm, the wood became stuck in the blades.

The forces to compress wood are high, and the splitter would have to be super thin blades and super tough.

In short, I doubt it will work for wood, like it will work for potato's.

 

[MicroPilot]

What if you arranged your blades (v) like this:

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>\/ \/
.
\/ </pre><hr />

 

[beenthere]

Possibly might work. Getting the leading blade strong enough without taking much space would be a factor, as well as the 'two' pieces being passed on to the second set of blades would have to be 'pushed' somehow. But, your arrangement would allow room for the wood to go through, IMO.

 

[SPIKER]

Here are a few links, the surplus stuff is best bet for cheap stuff and then ebay.

now as for the multi splitting, problem is that wood does not split EVEN down the lenght it may split wider to narrower and if this happens it is OK but if it splits narrow to wide then it SMASHES the wood between the multi blades. only way to split wood in several parts is by using a POINT like a dart that has 2 ~3 or 4 WINGS like feathers on a arrow, and as tha feathers push through they split the round log into multi parts... for the flat chunks only way is with vertical blades set appart to size you want and then you will get the problem of them smashing the wood between blades on 50% of splits... WON'T work. sorry, AIR NOPE as you will build PREESURE and then as the wood STARTS to split massive sair presure will SMASH the air cylinder to it's full travel and possable cause you some major physical damage.!!! stay away from using AIR PRESSURE to do any work that requires massive initial starting pressure and then as the friction of the move starts it will SLAM the rest of the way and be very very VERY dangerous! just DON'T do it.... below are links to look at in no particular order .

http://www.baileynet.com/

http://www.surpluscenter.com/

http://www.northerntractor.com/

http://www.fluidequipment.com/

http://www.surpluscenter.com/

http://www.mytscstore.com/default.asp

http://www.grainger.com
http://www.hydrauliccylinders.net/
http://www.hydraulicsupermarket.com/


not much for hydraulic stuff but lots of other goodies and general good links


http://www.scroungecentral.com/

http://www.industrialquicksearch.com/


Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Rgillard]

I wonder whether having the blades sping loaded and as the timber is pushed through the blades move back and slighty spread out also. If they were mounted on slots that made the left two of the four go to the left and the two right ones move right..The timber isnt too difficult to split knots would prob cause the biggest problems. would this prevent the wood getting stuck???

 

[bobodu]

I really think it would be a better idea to gang up some saw blades.Looks a lot cheaper any way. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Rgillard]

you reckon just run 4 wood blades and push the timber through it???Would one motor run all four.???