Log splitters

[Briggs]

I was doing my log splitting by hand, but as much as love the exercise, it's not time-efficient when doing large rounds so I'm in the process of making a mechanised log splitter. I'm off-grid so anything 240v electric will require running a generator so that option is out. I'm planning on using my diesel compact motor and I'm undecided on whether to go for the screw type spinning splitter or to err on the side of safety and assemble a hydraulic press.

Here's a vid of a screw type - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV6Pd1d9Tm4

Here's the hydraulic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWOyK8wTdgo

I was thinking of using my heavy wooden workbench as a sturdy base to mount the hydraulics or the screw. I am 75% leaning towards the screw but it's the nagging thought I may literally lean too close to the screw and I'll end up screwing myself, so to speak. (I'm planning on fitting a pulley tensioner with emergency release for just such an event).

I've worked out the correct pulley sizes to get maximum torque at the right revs using the screw method. I figure this to be 700 to 800rpm screw speed, similar to a tractor PTO speed.

Any comments and/or advice from people that have used both systems would be most welcome.

Briggs

[northern bloke]

I've never used a screw splitter myself, Im an ex tree surgeon so I've seen a few hydraulic ones homemade and factory built like the one in the link on my travels,one homemade one I liked which was different was comprised of a flatbed horizontal v shaped steel trough that the rounds would lay in on their sides, the ram had a flat head and pushed the log to the blade at the other end of the trough as apposed to the other way round the blade fixed to the ram and shoved into the log, the blade on this machine was a cross shape to split the round in four that was thin about 1 cm not wedged, the blade could be adjusted up and down the mechanism to adjust the blade was built from parts scavenged from a jockey wheel and the logs fell off the trough straight into a barrow,bag or trailer I thought it was great as it had about a 4 foot ram reach so you could stick about 4 rounds in as long as they were all straight cut and it kept the hands away from the blade and no need to hold the log because they were laid on there side in the trough, the axe was still needed to get the odd knotty log off the blade, just my thoughts.

A tip for anyone manual splitting: get an old car tyre from a wide wheel and screw it to your splitting log then place your log to be split inside the tyre to split it, just walk around it hacking away at it and will save you keep bending over to pick up half round logs to split again as they wont bounce off and save your back a bit.

[redskies]

Just had to spend ten minutes scrolling down my FB to find this

Came from a guy in one of the prepper groups on there, and looks to be very efficient.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=111_1363524786

[Briggs]

Just had to spend ten minutes scrolling down my FB to find this

Came from a guy in one of the prepper groups on there, and looks to be very efficient.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=111_1363524786

Thanks for the link. That is a brilliant simple design and I will definitely think about making something very similar in the future. I'm not so sure it will work on the 500mm thick x 500mm tall rounds that I cut my tree trunks into but it would be ideal for the smaller rounds and logs.

[Yorkshire Andy]

bet you only put you hand in the way once

[ForgeCorvus]

Briggs. What you need 20 inch stove lengths for ?

Does anyone know what am 'Oliver' is?..... Sometimes called a treadle hammer?



OK, replace the anvil with a block and the sledge with a maul.
Place your rounds and stamp on the footbar

[Briggs]

500mm long split logs go into my boiler lengthways so I don't cut them any shorter.

I like the idea of the log splitter but as you suggest, it needs a stop so hands can't be caught under the maul blade.

[Markwoody]

I used to have a screw type log splitter on the back of my fordson major , it would split ok but the logs made were not pretty ,you had to load the round onto the table and jam it onto the screw , if it got jammed it was a pain to unwind the round off the big screw . after a couple of months of using we decided it was more hassle than it was worth . with a proper splitting maul (roughneck was my favourite) i could split ten ton of logs by hand in a day
ok , not if it was knotty oak ! , that was ash ,sycamore ,elm ,birch etc . we used to sell in fire place and wood burner size .
the only time we used a hydraulic splitter was on softwood, we had it on demonstration ,it was part of a bigger machine that you loaded with wood in lengths it cut it into rounds ,split it and loaded the split logs into your pickup ! it was a great tool with only one big drawback ... no bugger would buy softwood logs ! we had to damn near give them away !
all this was over twenty years ago .

[ForgeCorvus]

500mm long split logs go into my boiler lengthways so I don't cut them any shorter.

I like the idea of the log splitter but as you suggest, it needs a stop so hands can't be caught under the maul blade.

I'd just stick them in my pockets..... But I'm a lazy bugger

The Oliver was used in chainshops, you can hold the working link in your tongs with one hand while welding it and still work the bellows with the other.

[Briggs]

As I started this thread I thought I should add an update on what I chose. I'm glad I went for the screw type, it really does get through wood like, erm, a big screw. The end result is not a pretty display-quality log, but we don't need those for the log burner, we just need wood split quickly and ready to burn.

I had wanted to use a Lister engine but I couldn't find one at a decent price on eBay. This motor puts out 4hp at tickover of 1500revs and 6hp at medium 2500revs, and it's diesel so there's bags of torque. The pulley ratio is 4:1 which gives 400 to 500 revs of the screw, just over tickover. The main thing is, I split about a tonne of timber in 30mins. Really pleased with this and would recommend this set up to anyone.

I'm thinking of adding an alternator pulley to charge up 12v batteries.

Briggs