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Improving splitter efficiency

Started by mike_belben, September 12, 2018, 09:59:57 AM

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mike_belben

I have a hodgepodge splitter that im trying to improve.  It was a 34 ton huskee vert/horizontal with a 9hp that now has a 13hp honda GX390 and 2 stage haldex pump.  All that is great, im not changing any of the components.  its very versatile and there is nothing it wont do, except spit wood out fast.  

I dont want faster cycle time, i want more pieces of clean, freely separated firewood per stroke, so ive been gluing various stuff on and off my 2 way oem wedge.  I did succeed in making the blocks spread faster so that instead of running the ram to full stroke, 1/2 or 2/3 is enough to pull a few pieces out.  I dont think i want a 4 way, in big, big stuff i picture it getting stuck.  

Im trying to create an effective 3 way right now i guess.  Think of the letter "T" and thats what i have in mind.  Most of the wood i split would be ideal in thirds.  Little too small in quarters and little too big in halfs.  


What have you guys done that youre happy with?   My camera is down or id post pics.  Made a rebar table on one side to protect a filter from dropped wood, and really like that for stacking up a few pieces at a time.  Feels like i get to do more stand around and less running around.

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Hilltop366

I've been thinking of a T shape wedge or a low V on top of the vertical wedge for my slower than slow 3 point hitch splitter, My thoughts are it will reduce my splitting time by not having to re-split as much as I often will split a third off the block and then split the rest in half.

My idea was to have a large enough top to the T to hold pieces that will need to be re-split.

The issue I see is the blocks that are in-between the half split and the third split will produce small pieces but I figure I can use those for kindling.

I got my idea from a firewood processor.

Japa® 435 -polttopuukone - YouTube

mike_belben

The dragback tomato slicer style in that vid is an elegant solution that cheaply eliminates the need for a variable wedge grid.   

I do like the idea of a flat top for the drag back of remaining chunks.  Im glad you mentioned that before i welded something on today.  Time to go stare at it a while longer.   
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Hilltop366

Ah yes the moulin... It slices, it dices, it juliennes.....but wait theres more!!!

Two way street here, I'm very interested to see what you come up with and your experience / results.

Another 

Eastonmade 5-11 With Optional Box Wedge Attachment - YouTube

Downstream

Hilltop nailed the biggest issue with any box/shelf wedge design to date.  Since log diameter and remaining to be split chunks are variable in size you will generate a significant amount of kindling much quicker than you think.  Problem is magnified as your volume increases.  
EZ Boardwalk Jr,  Split Second Kinetic logsplitter, Granberg Alaskan Chainsaw Mill, Stihl 660 and 211, Logrite 60" cant hook, Dixie 32 Tongs

mike_belben

Yesterday i guess i turned it into a 5 way or so.  Ran it for about an hour and believe that wood output compared to the single knife about doubled per unit of time and probably per gallon.  Two of the cutters i welded on will probably end up twisting apart and getting replaced, i just didnt have thick enough material on hand but needed to know now if it was good design.

Kindling and shards did increase as a consequence of wood busting where it doesnt want to but i dont mind, i give it to customers who always seem pleased.  also the 5 way gave me another important result... Size variety.  The new wedge will turn a bucket sized round into a perfect camp mix.  Pieces from wrist to thigh thickness.  Uniform wood is always too small for one customer and too big for the other.  Now its all in there and they can all shut up.


My splitter pushes the wedge against a stationary foot plate, and thats real challenging to make crazy wedges for.  On a flat face pusher you just keep feeding more wood to eject it through the grid.  On a pushed wedge, if the wood doesnt break apart, the wedge is now buried in it.  You can retract to the extractor feet, but they limit how crazy your wedge can be and still clear them, thus how good it can be at blowing blocks apart rather than jamming inside a bloomin oak onion .  Vertical/horizontal splitters are constrained by this compromise.  If i ever did another, it would be a flat faced pusher. but at that point why not just build a processor?  I have the support equipment and material to feed one.




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