Another splitter build

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Decided to put together a splitter. I'm sick of repairing that Oregon (Speeco) splitter. I designed it so I can use it as the splitter for my processor when I get to that point but for now it'll be a stand alone splitter.

Beam assembly: 6" angle 3/8" thick spaced an inch apart. End caps are 6" angle as well and there are 3 1/2" thick straps spaced evenly below that were cut from an old snow plow cutting edge to form a box.

 

Carriage assembly. 1" thick. This bolts to the push plate assembly with 5 1/2" grade 8 bolts. It rides below the surface of the angles on 4 Ford Escape rear wheel bearings.


 

Push plate assembly. This is made out of 11/16" thick steel that my BIL had kicking around his machine shop. It was used as a set-up jig for a job he hasn't done in years. His comment as we were cutting it up was "I bet I get an order for these parts this fixture was for next week..."


 
Cylinder mounted using a bought cylinder mount. I drilled those holes with a Harbor Freight step drill till I just got into the 1/2" diameter and then I cleaned it up with a regular 1/2" bit. I love those step drills!


 
Another shot. I left 26" between the push plate and the wedge.


 


Side view. Cylinder is a 5" with a 24" stroke. I wanted to put the push plate gussets inboard more but that bracket on the cylinder was in the way. I am thinking of adding a 3" wide plate to the top of the angles kind of where the hammer is laying but under the cylinder to close up the gap in the angles and just strengthen the whole beam that much more.



 

That's it for now; more to come!

[thecfarm]

Pretty cleaver guy you are.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Apparently you're the only one who thinks so!  :-\

[Hilltop366]

I think adding a piece behind the push plate is a good idea.

Kind of wondering if the beam is going to resist the forces applied to the centre of it from each end, adding the tie across the top will certainly help.

Not sure where your cylinder came from or the rod size but speaking from experience of having bent a cylinder rod or two on a wood splitter equipped with a non-wood splitter cylinder (not a large enough rod) the forces applied to the cylinder when almost fully extended and hitting a extra hard knot can be great enough to bend the rod as the now almost 3½ foot span of the cylinder and rod will want to bend sideways or up or both! The cheap cure (after replacing the rod) was to decrease the span of the cylinder and rod by encasing the gland end of the cylinder with a piece of steel that goes around the cylinder and fastens to the beam with bolts so it can removed to service the cylinder in the future.

Not trying to discourage you just relaying my personal experiences.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

It's a new replacement cylinder for a splitter. It has a 1.5" diameter rod. It's bigger than the one on my current splitter.

As for the beam....? We'll see I guess... It seems pretty stout

[Bruno of NH]

Looks good .

[DeerMeadowFarm]

I tried the splitter out this weekend. Worked fine but was really S....L.....O....W. I bought a hydraulic unit off of CL that came from a car carrier. Apparently it was used to power the ramps. I wasn't able to get the numbers off of the pump initially because it was tucked in so nice, but it isn't going to work for me in it's current configuration so I pulled the engine, pump assembly out. The pump is a Roquet gear pump that puts out 6 cubic CM at 1500 RPM.

I have found some 2 stage pumps that will bolt right up to the adapter currently on the engine (SAE A 2-Bolt). The 22 GPM says it requires 12 HP. What are the thoughts of using it with my 11 HP?

Thanks!

[Gearbox]

That 11 will handle a 16 and on a 4 in cyl. I can't grab another piece befor it is backand waiting . spend the money on a detent return valve .

[DeerMeadowFarm]

I have a 5" cylinder and I'm looking at the 22 GPM. One catalog shows the pump requiring 12 HP minimum and another shows 10 HP minimum for the same pump...?

[Jemclimber]

Nice build.

You should get by with the 11.  It won't be able to generate the full psi the pump is rated for,(it will stall the engine) but with a 5" cylinder there is a lot of splitting force before it reaches maximum pump pressure. Another work around is to lower the bypass pressure in your valve so it never stalls your engine.  With a 5" cylinder I think you will very seldom see your pump go into the lower pressure stage before the wood splits. Unless you are splitting very large ornery wood.  That lower pressure will generally extent cylinder life too.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Haven't updated this in forever, but I'm in the painting stage now. Here's a little recap of where it's gone from last time.
Salvaged half of an old horse-drawn hay ride wagon my FIL made years ago:


 

Got the power unit mounted. I have since replaced the 7 gallon tank with a much larger one.


 

Beam mounted and test fitting for hoist locations:


 

Out-feed table and you can see the framework for the side work table as well:


 

Valve mount for the hoist. (I replaced the bottle jack with a small cylinder):


 

[Gearbox]

Did you end up with the 22 gal. pump ? What is the cycle time ?

[DeerMeadowFarm]

I did get it and it's....faster. I honestly can't remember what it turned out to be! I don't think I ever actually timed it. All I have left to paint is the chassis which I hope to get to this coming weekend and then I can begin re-assembly. Once it's all back together I'll time it.

[Ox]

A fantastic home built machine!  You should be proud.  If you're not, seek medical attention.  :D

[bedway]

Very impressive iron work. Makes me itching to build something.

[WmFritz]

Very nice project.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

I have more updates. I've got everything painted and have begun reassembly:

[Ox]

There now!  You have something you can look at and be proud of for years to come.  Nice job.

[thecfarm]

That does look good!!!!

[Magicman]

That is a very nice splitter build.  I would want something such as this welded to that flat pusher. 


 
A round with a knot or uneven end for whatever reason may need some grip to prevent it from slipping and being spit out under pressure.   

I was splitting kindling today and found myself regularly fitting the small ends inside that ring to prevent them from slipping out.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Another update: Finished all the plumbing Friday night. Saturday, after hunting I put 15 gallons of hydraulic fluid in before thinking "Gee, maybe I should run this to make sure it's not leaking anywhere..." Then, the old faithful Honda wouldn't start. Had good spark so fuel was suspect. Decided to quit for the night.

Sunday morning, I walk into the barn and I'm greeted by an overwhelming smell of hydraulic fluid. The lower drain plug on the tank wasn't tightened and I dumped about a quart +/- of fluid all over the floor. Arrrrgh! Fixed that and began working on the fuel situation. I drained the tanks and cleaned the carb. Put new gas in and viola, started second pull!

While it was running I decided to cycle the valves. Splitter cylinder worked great (my phone was dead so I couldn't check the cycle time with my stopwatch). When I tried the hoist however, it shot up WAY too fast! If I had a round hooked up it would have flung it like a Trebuchet! I definitely need to put some flow control on it. I was able to feather the valve and have it operate sanely, but to be safe I'll look into reducing the flow to the hoist cylinder.

As I mentioned, the phone was dead so no new pics, but I'm working on it!

[Gearbox]

That cylinder is so small you are going to have trouble slowing down without shifting the pump into and out of low flow . I would just set your jib and use your winch to lift the rounds . I have one on mine and the speed is about right . A black smith friend made log tongs for me out of 3/4 . Nice and light still strong enough to lift a 24 in round .

[DeerMeadowFarm]

That is a very nice splitter build.  I would want something such as this welded to that flat pusher. 


 
A round with a knot or uneven end for whatever reason may need some grip to prevent it from slipping and being spit out under pressure.   

MM is correct; I need something added to the pusher plate. So, how about it guys, can you post up some pics of what's on your push plates? I need some ideas!

[thecfarm]

Magicman all ready did.
That is how mine looks.

[barbender]

That is sharp! I'm kind of outgrowing my splitter, and I'm considering building one because I haven't seen exactly what I want produced commercially. I may have to copy some of your design ;)

[Peter Drouin]

 

[Czech_Made]

Very nice 

[DeerMeadowFarm]

More updates and my first failure!  :'(
First, the update: Added a fire extinguisher I had from a vehicle I sold:


 

Added teeth to the push plate as suggested:


 

Now for the failure. I was splitting wood yesterday and I had completed over 1/2 cord. I picked up a large knotty chunk, but nothing worse than I had split previously (?) and I heard a loud "bang". I stopped everything, looked everything over as best as I could and finding nothing amiss proceeded to finish splitting the chunk and the remainder of the pile with no real issue. When I got back to the barn, I noticed a missing bolt on the rear cylinder mount. Upon closer inspection, I found the beam had also bent! I went to remove the remaining bolts and found that 5 of the six had sheared off; all of them were  1/2" grade 8. I took the mount of and used a sledge hammer to beat the beam back in shape. I am going to get some plate to widen the foot print of the base and another plate to mount underneath to sandwich the top of the beam. I think spreading the load out will be the fix (hopefully!) Damage below:



 


 


 

[Ox]

Crazy, sometimes, ain't it?  The power hydraulics have...

Spreading the load should make it all better.

This reminds me of a story told by an old timer.  He rebuilt a loader for a small tractor, including all new bolts for mounting the loader on the machine.  Used grade 8.  They kept breaking.  Had to go to grade 5 for the flexibility and no more broken bolts.  Grade 5 will move slightly where grade 8 won't.  Kinda like comparing cast iron skillet to an aluminum one.  One will shatter, the other won't.  Might be something to think about...

[Ljohnsaw]

Another thing to consider.  IF all 6 holes are not precisely placed, one or two bolts will be taking the load (shear).  Once they start, then the others have to bear the forces.  Kind of like a 6-way wedge, you have one blade hitting the wood at a time.

Methinks you just need to weld the block on to the beam with some serious rod (7018 or 9018) and serious penetration.  Weld up a gusset on the bottom side as well for as far as you can to stiffen the beam up, too.  Also, any chance of mounting the pivot for that end of the ram lower to the beam?  Lessen the leverage on the setup.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

I can't really lower the mounting point any. The cylinder is a 5" and there's not a lot of clearance to begin with; especially once you get to the push-plate end:


 

I see what you're saying about the hole alignment as well, but a 1/2" grade 8 bolt is "supposed" to have a shear strength of 17,670 pounds so in theory they shouldn't break period!

[Ljohnsaw]

Maybe its the camera angle but on the fixed end, it looks like there is 1 to 1.5" of clearance under the ram.  You really should be down to 1/4" or less to minimize the force on the bolts.  You are not only getting shear but the lead bolts (closest to the ram) are also in tremendous tension as the plate tries to rotate up.  The other end of the ram doesn't need to be at the same level as the fixed end.  How many hash marks are on the head of your bolts  Can't see any in the pictures.

Your ram is 5" outside, the piston is 4.5"?  So your ram is exerting (at 1,000 psi) about 16,000lb to 24,000lb (at 1,500 psi).  Or are you running at some higher pressure?  With the leverage arm from where the pin is attached, the beam bending around the second bolt, you might see a doubling of the force on the lead bolt.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

I believe it's a 5" piston which puts the OD at around 5.5". There is an 1-1/4" between the OD of the cylinder and the top of the beam. The push plate extends under the cylinder and is 11/16" thick so that left me with very little clearance; in fact I had to use button heads instead of hex heads to attach the push plate to the carriage assembly underneath. The rear cylinder mount was the only weldment that I bought instead of making. The centerline is 3 7/8" off the top of the beam.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say that both ends of the ram doesn't have to be at the same level; if they're not then I'd certainly be adding extra force/leverage. The straight line is the best path as far as I can tell?

I'm running a 22GMP pump off of an 11HP Honda; it bogs the Honda momentarily when the pump hits the second stage. I don't have a gage in the system but I guess it couldn't produce more than 2500 PSI?
Here are the pump specs:
22 GPM 2 STAGE HYD PUMP
Brand new, DYNAMIC two stage HI/LO pressure hydraulic gear pump. Ideal for applications such as log splitters, presses and other equipment where rapid movement of the cylinder at low pressure is required prior to automatically switching to the high pressure mode to meet load requirements. The change from LO to HI pressure is automatic with the LO stage pressure preset from 400-900 PSI. Minimum of 12 HP required for gas engine use.

SPECIFICATIONS •Displacement:
  0.465 cu. in. / rev. HI press. stage
  1.395 cu. in. / rev. LO press. stage
•Pump Type  Gear
•Rotation  CW
•Pressure: 3000 PSI max.
•Speed:  3600 RPM max.
•Flow:
  7 GPM HI press. stage
  22 GPM LO press. stage
•Unloading Pressure 400-900 PSI
•Mount 2 bolt SAE A
•Shaft 5/8" dia. x 1-1/2" long keyed
•Rqd. Filtration  25 micron
•Inlet Port 1" NPT
•Outlet Port 3/4" NPT
•Size 6-9/16" x 6-1/4" x 4-11/16"
•Shpg. 22 lbs.


I will say that the bolts were TSC grade 8 bolts if that means anything, but I've never had any issues before with using them.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Actually, I just checked the valve I ordered and the max setting is 2000 PSI:

PRINCE MONOBLOCK VALVE
Brand new PRINCE. For control of cylinders, motors, etc. Open center, built-in relief valve. Pressure-release detent adjustable from 1,000 to 2,000 Psi.

SPECIFICATIONS•25 GPM
•Adj relief valve
•Pressure operated detent on return stroke, spring center on extend
•IN/OUT 3/4" NPT
•Work ports 1/2" NPT
•Size 9-1/4" x 5" x 3"
•Shpg. 11 lb.

[Hilltop366]

The bend in the flat top tells all, the shape of the fastening point on the beam (flat) along with the relative softness of average angle iron makes it too easy to bend.

Think of the force being applied to the angle iron beam, its the oppsite of the of the cylinder pushing on the ends and is trying to make the beam into a frown shape, the beam (vertical portion of the angle iron) is too far from the load.

The angle iron might do better at keeping the beam from bending if the horizontal sections were in the centre of the beam to resist the pushing force kind of like a floor joist in the normal upright position verses on its flat.

[dean herring]

Looks to me you need weld  a plate across the end where your failure happened.Then move your bolt holes wider apart so they would be closer to the right angle part of the iron.Your bolts did not fail did they?

[Ljohnsaw]

I believe it's a 5" piston which puts the OD at around 5.5". There is an 1-1/4" between the OD of the cylinder and the top of the beam. The push plate extends under the cylinder and is 11/16" thick so that left me with very little clearance; in fact I had to use button heads instead of hex heads to attach the push plate to the carriage assembly underneath. The rear cylinder mount was the only weldment that I bought instead of making. The centerline is 3 7/8" off the top of the beam.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say that both ends of the ram doesn't have to be at the same level; if they're not then I'd certainly be adding extra force/leverage. The straight line is the best path as far as I can tell?

OK, at a 5" bore and 2,000 psi, the ram is exerting 39,270 lbs.  With your measurements above, the cylinder at the fixed end is 1.13" above the "beam".  If you drop that down 1", that slight angle is not going to have much impact on the push block end.  It will, however, help on the fixed end, reducing the moment arm (fancy Statics talk...) and reduce the tension force on the bolts.  You want that lever arm as short as possible.  No real change to the shear forces. 

But as noted by Hilltop366, you are deforming the beam because there is a lack of strength there due to your design and materials.  The angle iron is just soft and weak in that direction.  If you could take the mount off and then weld in some stock in the vertical plane from the butt end all the way up to where your slider retracts to, that would help a LOT.  Make it like a C channel with the open end down.  That will stiffen it up to prevent the deformation.

Once that was done, I would still consider welding your fixed attachment in place to spread the load/forces.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

If you drop that down 1", that slight angle is not going to have much impact on the push block end.  It will, however, help on the fixed end, reducing the moment arm (fancy Statics talk...) and reduce the tension force on the bolts.  You want that lever arm as short as possible.  No real change to the shear forces. 

Here is a picture of the carriage:


 

Here is how it would lay out with the rear mount dropped .13". The effect is only 0°13'4" which I don't think will have a great affect on the bolts, but the affect that I would worry about it the .098" dimension. That represents the distance the carriage would try to rise at the end of the stroke. To me, that introduces more potential problems than it solves!


 

But as noted by Hilltop366, you are deforming the beam because there is a lack of strength there due to your design and materials.  The angle iron is just soft and weak in that direction. 

This is the issue IMHO. If I weld 4" wide by ½" thick plate to my existing mount...


 

And run those strips forward, say 10" long with additional bolts...


 

And underneath the top leg of the angle I have a mating plate that is 12" x 10" bolted together in effect "sandwiching" the top of both angles, I think my problem will go away.

[Ox]

I'd bet a dollar your problem would go away doing what you just said.  Get after it!  ;)

Nothing like a bit of over engineering to make your coffee taste a little better in the morning.  The peace of mind can't be beat.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Yup, running to the steel yard at lunch and over to my BIL's shop after work. I'd rather drill those ½" holes on one of his Bridgeports vs. my drill press!

[Ox]

Now is a good time to tell your wife you need a .50 cal BMG rifle to "drill" your holes in the steel.  At least the rounds don't cost $5 a shot anymore.  More like $3 a round...  ;D

[thecfarm]

Good luck to ya!!!

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Now is a good time to tell your wife you need a .50 cal BMG rifle to "drill" your holes in the steel.  At least the rounds don't cost $5 a shot anymore.  More like $3 a round...  ;D

My buddy just built one of these. I shot it. Once. That's all I cared to....

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Good luck to ya!!!

Thanks Ray!

[Ljohnsaw]

Here is a picture of the carriage:


 

Here is how it would lay out with the rear mount dropped .13". The effect is only 0°13'4" which I don't think will have a great affect on the bolts, but the affect that I would worry about it the .098" dimension. That represents the distance the carriage would try to rise at the end of the stroke. To me, that introduces more potential problems than it solves!

And underneath the top leg of the angle I have a mating plate that is 12" x 10" bolted together in effect "sandwiching" the top of both angles, I think my problem will go away.

I was suggesting that you drop the fixed end a full 1.0" down toward the beam but I see the cap screws at the working end are in the way.

If at all possible, add to the 12 x 10 plate.  Put a "keel" as deep as you can (6" - the size of the angle iron?) welded to this plate and going forward to the carriage retracted position.  Weld another plate (12" wide) to the top of the keel (under the angle iron) to make it even with the other end and bolt it up (or weld).  This will give you a good "backbone", spreading the forces along the made-up box beam.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

I went to the metal yard at lunch yesterday and bought some drops. I got two 8"x8"x½" plates and two 12" long x ½" thick strips; one is 3½" wide and the other was 3" wide.

I made the additions to the cylinder mount. I ground 45° chamfers 1/8" deep on both sides where the welds would be. I think I got some real good penetration that way:


 

I welded both sides of the joint carefully to minimize warpage. I stitched the top, then flipped it over, stitched the bottom, flipped again, etc. until it was fully welded:


 

Then I ground everything smooth. This is the finished mount (minus paint):


 

I took the 8" square drops and cut sections, beveled and welded like above to end up with a plate that is 10½" wide x 11¾" long (front to back) to use as my plate under the beam. I didn't take any pictures of it yet. I still need to drill the last holes in it. I may run a "keel" as ljohnsaw mentioned but only for the length of the backer plate. I haven't done the calculations, but spreading the load like this I think is sufficient with or without the keel.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

I have another question, this one on hydraulics. The valve on my splitter that controls the cylinder is an open center, detent retract valve. This one in particular:
https://www.surpluscenter.com/Hydraulics/Hydraulic-Valves/Directional-Control-Valves/1-SPOOL-PRINCE-HCSVG0002-LS3000-LOG-SPLITTER-VALVE-9-1262.axd

The valve I used for my hoist was brand new and given to me. The guy bought it for his splitter but it didn't have the detent return so he bought a different one. I only looked up the specs today (I know, poor engineering) and it says it's a 10 GPM rated valve (I'm running a 22GPM pump) and it's listed as a "closed center". This is the valve:
https://www.shopcross.com/product/energy-20038-directional-control-valve-12-nptf-2500-psig
My plumbing starts at the pump, goes to the hoist valve, then to the cylinder valve, and then back to the tank. I'm thinking the hoist valve may be limiting my flow to the cylinder valve and therefore the cylinder itself. Can someone smarter than me confirm/deny this?

[Ox]

I would say it is.  The GPM rating confirms it.  It would be pretty easy to get a coupler to join the two hose ends after you take them off the closed center valve to bypass it for a quick test to see if the flow improves to the splitter cylinder.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Things are looking better. My nephew has a valve rated for 25GPM he is dropping off in my truck as I type. My additions to the cylinder mount and my backing plate are complete and primered. He is bringing over his gages tomorrow evening so we can check/set all the pressure relief valves correctly and I should be good to go. Sunday splitting (weather permitting) will be the test I guess.

[Ox]

Awesome!  It sounds like you've got all your bases covered.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Hopefully! I'm thinking I'm going to pick up cycle time with that other valve being replaced as well.

[Ox]

I'm betting a dollar you're right.  Flow is everything when speed is concerned.  Just try not to bottleneck hoses and fitting when putting it together.  You know, like taking a 1" hose and putting a 1/2" adapter on the end of it type of thing.  Every little bit helps when it comes to flow.  It sounds like you're OK with that type of stuff...

[DeerMeadowFarm]

OK, the reinforced cylinder mount and backing plate are installed:


 



 

I replaced the hoist valve with the one from my nephew. We set the pressure relief valves on the control valves to 2080; this was the most I could get before stalling the engine. I need to tach the engine because we both feel that it doesn't "sound" like it's running as fast as it should. Even at 2080, I am getting a true 20+ tons out of it.

What I found when working on the valve however was that one of my tie plates broke:


 

It's kind of hard to see but the weld did not fail, the plate broke. I used an old plow blade cutting edge and it must have been hardened to some degree? In retrospect, I think the "bang" I heard was that plate breaking. I bought some mild steel plate today that I hope to replace it with.