show your homemade splitter pics here

[escavader]

Thought it would be nice to group our pics togeather here,to give others ideas.Ienjoy looking at the different designs.
HERES MINE;
This old girl has been a work in progress for 15 years.Im always changing somethingguess i like to fabricate.Most recent was the direct mounting of the pump to the old BRIGGS.WASNT EAST BECAUSE THIS MOTOR HAD NO HOLES to mount the NORTHERN adapter to.Ihad to make a faceplate and it had to be perfect so the halves aligned properly.Im experimenting with a homemade crane for the large rounds,although im still waiting for a set of lifting tongs to arrive.WILLpost more on that when it arrives
This splitter is towed through the woods with an ATV.The wood falls off the back.Ibuilt a taller pusher than i had when you last saw it so i can split certain sized ones in half,slide it backon and split it again [as in pic 1]
Ihave a northern 2 stage pump,northern tank,northern filter,Automatic return dent valve.Its a very old 5 horse briggs [think it even has points]but it always runs good.Wheels are from an old boat trailer.
Who knows if i see something i like for designs in this thread i got plenty of gas in my cuttin torches
alan

 

[Diamondpilot]

Here is mine. I built it 5 years ago after not being able to find what I wanted. I spent a weekend with paper, camera, and a tape measure taking notes off of splitters sold at 4 or 5 different stores around me. I ordered the wedge off Northern Tool and got all the hydro stuff from my local Rural King. I built it so 2 guys can work around it coming off the tractor long ways. I made it so it can be used horizontal or vertical although I have probably used it 99% of the time horizontal. I did all the fab work and tacked it all up. I had a local welding shop do the final welds on anything that the hydraulic cylinder touched. I did the rest of the welding with my Hobart 187.

As you can see I made it so you can remove the wedge and put in the shop press adapter and killed 2 birds with one stone now having a shop press. I also did not take the time making a 3 point attachment for it since I had already made a 3 point trailer hitch I had taken off a Ford Explorer/Ranger. All together I have about $450 in it including the welding but have seen items have really gone up. The cylinder I got on sale for $89 and the valve was $59. They now are over $175 for the cylinder and about $100 for the valve plus we all know what has happened to steel.

It has split about 5 ricks per year for the last 5 years.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

More pics.

Chris

 

[Raw Dodge]

Here is the link to mine.....http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/157400-homemade-skid-steer-log-splitter.html

 

[Gizmo2]

Link to mine http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/147460-home-made-wood-splitter-2.html#post1724454

 

[Aussiebushman]

Mine was designed around the "available bits" notion and required a few modifications between the first version and the current one, mainly to reinforce the vertical arm carrying the wedge. Initially, the forces were enough to break the weld and bend the steel section. The shape and mounting of the wedge also was modified to stop rubbish from accumulating.

The engine is an old 5.5 Hp Briggs & Stratton, The ram was second hand from a contractor at the airport - no idea of its original purpose. The pump, control valves and lines are new.

Performance is adequate for splitting my own firewood and was never intended for high volume. The logs in the trailer (see picture) are typically 15" diameter Eucalyptus and are really hard after drying for a year of more. The 5.5 Hp engine really needs to be replaced by something bigger but the manual control lever allows me to ease off the pressure until the engine recovers the revs, then a second burst usually finished the job.

 

[Leejohn]

This is how I get set up when I split wood with 2 people. If I do it by myself, I well cut for awhile then split for awhile. I hual the logs in from the woods and do everything here. Not much bending over. I made the splitter in 1980 or 81.

 

[NH-Rob]

This is how I get set up when I split wood with 2 people. If I do it by myself, I well cut for awhile then split for awhile. I hual the logs in from the woods and do everything here. Not much bending over. I made the splitter in 1980 or 81.

I like your pto set up. how fast do you need to run the engine? are you using a single or dual stage pump?
Rob

 

[Leejohn]

I run around 1200 rpm and if I feel like working a little faster I go up to 1500 rpm. Its a single stage pump and I think without looking it up, it is pumping something around 18 gpm. I do know it well out split one with a 6 or 8 Hp motor and 2 stage pump.

 

[ovrszd]

Here's my link http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/93245-homebuilt-power-take-off-3pt.html

I lost this splitter in a shop fire last winter.

 

[Oasis]

My DIY 3PH splitter. It's working just fine. Pretty fast and compact too.

Link to post: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/156483-another-3-point-hitch-splitter.html

 

[Diamondpilot]

Nice job. Just 1 question, is the push arm removable? Just wondering about maintenance.

Chris

 

[smfcpacfp]

Built this 30 years ago:

 

[GuglioLS]

Here's one I put together with scrap metal.
Two mobile home tongue I beams 3" wide x 12" tall x 3/16" thick welded together side by side to make a 6" x 12" "super" I beam.

4-1/2" x 30" stroke hydraulic cylinder from e-bay. It has a 1-1/2" push rod and ~ 25 tons of force. Prince auto return detent valve from Northern Tool along with all the hoses and fittings.
Here is the result:




Put the whole thing on wheels to tow it around. I use the tractor hydraulics to power it from either my Jinma tractor, 1953 Ford TLB, or Komatsu Bull Dozer depending on which needs the workout.



All the push ram parts are 1" thick x 6" wide The valve is mounted to the cylinder with a piece of angle iron this located the valve in a very handy spot.





Close up of push ram construction:




Wedge cut out of 1"x6" cold rolled.
The two 45* wedge angels cut on bandsaw:




Action Video:



Here is a REAL good example of how not to split a log (one for the safety police)





And of course running it off the dozer hydraulics at idle:



Larry

 

[radioman]

GuglioLS you need to run a half moon or almost full circle bead of weld on the pushing block face. This will help to prevent slipping of logs when splitting. It shouldnt be a very pretty weld- a rough weld is best due to the unevenness of the beads acting like teeth to hold the wood in place.

 

[Gizmo2]

GuglioLS you need to run a half moon or almost full circle bead of weld on the pushing block face. This will help to prevent slipping of logs when splitting. It shouldnt be a very pretty weld- a rough weld is best due to the unevenness of the beads acting like teeth to hold the wood in place.

I would add, A higher cutting wedge also prevents most of this.

 

[GuglioLS]

GuglioLS you need to run a half moon or almost full circle bead of weld on the pushing block face. This will help to prevent slipping of logs when splitting. It shouldnt be a very pretty weld- a rough weld is best due to the unevenness of the beads acting like teeth to hold the wood in place.

So I take it you liked the flying log vid?

"It shouldnt be a very pretty weld" - Well that should be easy LOL

Great advise, instead of a crappy weld how about a 6"X6" square chunk of expanded metal welded to the pusher face ?


Larry

 

[GuglioLS]

I would add, A higher cutting wedge also prevents most of this.

Since taking those videos several years ago, I've done exactly that. Attached is a pic of the second story cutting wedge I added. Total height is now 12". Oh and I added some "wings" to catch the logs so they don't fall off. It still needs a few improvements here and there but I'm getting close to a "safer" more efficient log splitter.

Larry

 

[Zork]

This is an early circa 80's model made from the old Northern Hydraulics catalog....what a beast!

 

[Gizmo2]

Since taking those videos several years ago, I've done exactly that. Attached is a pic of the second story cutting wedge I added. Total height is now 12". Oh and I added some "wings" to catch the logs so they don't fall off. It still needs a few improvements here and there but I'm getting close to a "safer" more efficient log splitter.

Larry

I like it, nice addition. I started out with a 12" wedge then added two pieces of heavy angle iron. I always wanted to add wings to the one I built but never got around to it, it's a good idea.
Notice the axe mark on the wedge? This happened just before I added the angle iron to the wedge. I had a block of wood stuck on the wedge and tried to remove it with my axe, live and learn.