log lifter added to the wood splitter

[Den1952]

another thing, if you look real close at the beginning, you will see where i welded in a heavywall 2x2 underneath the upper table and extended that out just past the wheel. with a leg to the ground from there. i found that with 400 pounds on the lower part of the lift, if it didnt nestle up tight to the ramp, it wanted to overbalance the splitter, as the hinge points to the upper table are just inside the wheel. with the stabilizing leg cantilevered outside the wheel there is no problem with any weight we can manage to roll onto it.
ironically this splitter is capable of flipping into a vertical splitter. but we find that with such heavy blocks it is much easier wrestling with those at waist height. and easy enough to roll them onto the lift to begin with.
it isnt the easiest working with that heavy a block , on the ground to get it positioned repeatedly to the vertical splitter, we like the hydraulic lift ramp much better. several of our blocks of wood are 40 inch diameter.

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

another thing, if you look real close at the beginning, you will see where i welded in a heavywall 2x2 underneath the upper table and extended that out just past the wheel. with a leg to the ground from there. i found that with 400 pounds on the lower part of the lift, if it didnt nestle up tight to the ramp, it wanted to overbalance the splitter, as the hinge points to the upper table are just inside the wheel. with the stabilizing leg cantilevered outside the wheel there is no problem with any weight we can manage to roll onto it.

I wondered what keeps the lower frame/tongue from racking when lifting a heavy round. I usually split those big rounds on the ground, vertical. A few pictures of the cradle side, showing attaching points and outrigger would be mucho appreciado! I need to fab up something that will still allow it to be towed in the woods without a leg sticking out the side of it. Good project.

 

[Den1952]

I wondered what keeps the lower frame/tongue from racking when lifting a heavy round. I usually split those big rounds on the ground, vertical. A few pictures of the cradle side, showing attaching points and outrigger would be mucho appreciado! I need to fab up something that will still allow it to be towed in the woods without a leg sticking out the side of it. Good project.

sure, next post will have a few more photos for you, not the best , it snowed out last night, but still should be alright to see how it looks.

 

[Den1952]

3 more photos. the cradle bolted to the web of the ibeam is smallish on purpose. this splitter can go vertical and I wanted to have the cradle so it would tuck in alongside the wheel when flipped up to vertical. and that is why the table lines up inside the wheel, where it pins the ramp. the outrigginng leg solved the tippy problem.
I dont intend to use the splitter vertically anymore, our blocks are just too heavy to wrestle them to the wedge. but ya never know if someone else might be using this without the lifter, and might need to go vertical. that is why the cradle stays on the beam even if the ramp is removed.
as for transporting through the woods etc, i think that where the ramp pins to the cradle can be stepped off, above the cradle and below the ramp. then the ramp could (unpin from the cylinder) and flip over onto the beam, for some traveling with it.

 

[Den1952]

otherwise, the ramp, and cylinder, and outrigger, unpin so quickly and easily, it is less than a minute to have the whole thing trail-ready.

 

[Den1952]

next i am going to measure and make a steel plate that lays over the cradle and is also supported on the other end, to cover the motor while splitting.
seems like a good insurance policy. a little something to keep the crap out of the recoil fins area and to protect the plastic oil and gas caps. it will be simple and removeable. just in case anyone at all loses control of the block and it falls onto the engine area.

 

[plumbstraight]

this is in here somewhere, but this works very well. Have split blocks over 5ft in dia.

 

[Den1952]

now that looks like industrial strength stuff goin' on there !