Hey all,
I've new to the forum but have been lurking in the shadows since I started my project. I started the process over the long Thanksgiving weekend. I use the shop at work so I can only do things on the weekends it's empty. But I will show the pictures as to where I'm at. I'm looking for help on hydraulics and the set ups that have worked for others. My powerplant is a 140 hp 3.0 gm. It's a Mercruiser motor that I had. works good because it comes with a splined rubber bushing that bolts to the flywheel and a u jointed shaft to the pumps. at 3000rpm about 100 hp. Just a fyi about available power. Now on to the pictures
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/54754/20181121_184140~2.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1552700647)
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I'm going to be running mostly pine and fir through it. I'm building it to take a 28 inch butt. Was thinking a 5x30 inch main ram. It will have a 3leg chain live deck and infeed conveyor. Out feed belt conveyor will rotate 90 degrees hydraulically and come to rest at the end of the splitter beam behind the boom for a side discharge. I was wondering if anyone can help me with conveyor speeds in fps? For all 3 what have you found to be fast but not so fast its jerky and unsafe with extra wear and tear. Gpm to the motors and what cubic inch motors? Also hydraulic chain saw. I read on this forum that chain speed needs to be up around a mile a minute. But heard contradictory statements on that 30 or 32 bar.
I got the I beam for the splitter boxed. And figured my math for placement and conveyor hooked in today
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/54754/20190316_195021.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1552796142)
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Wow! Nice looking build, you're not messing around!👍
popcorn_smiley
Go big or get the heck out of the way. I already see something I would change. I would build a 26 foot deck. instead of a 20. Because of how much room the boom takes and the swing on the conveyor. I'm down to about a 11 foot live deck. But hind sight my friends. Should still be able to get 15 foot sticks on
I'm a watching too. ;D
I worked on it from noon to 8 today. Doesn't seem like I got much done but lots of grinding. Did get a 5/8x 5 flat bar welded to the beam. The beam is a 5 and 3/4 flange so a 5 worked beautifully for my weld spacing. And got the pusher and main splitter welded. Forgot to get a pic of the splitter. Will come later. Oh and figured I will place a heavy 8 channel along both sides of the beam, only weld it in to the half inch end boxes. That way if the beam twists under load it will only go so far
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Conveyor pulleys are done at the lathe shop. I will pick them up and take them to the elastomer shop tomorrow. While in town I will get all the bearings for the build. I contacted my third hydraulic shop to see if I can get some one to actually move forward. It sounds promising. Think this guy will actually put a plan together. Problem only that this shop is 200 miles away.... gotta love Montucky, long way sometimes. I got all my remaining steel ordered and it showed up today. So its moving along. Hunny says I have to take a day off this weekend though. But I should be able to get 1 in. Carrying on. Hope all is well for the rest of you
That's a lot of work. I would say 25 gpm or more for splitter. The splitter ram is too big for the kind of logs you have . A 4" with as large a rod as could be had would work nice. [ours is a 4 1/2 x 3 but we have ugly hardwood. The 5" is very powerful and very slow, too slow. Our chainsaw is 404, big sthil mount running off a smaller pump, I for get the sizes but it is rather slow and weak. I would watch for an old l&m cut off saw at sawmill auctions. Ours is built on a trailer and that was a mistake because we never move it and the machine is too compact.
Thanks for the feedback moodnacreek. I will think about the 4 inch. I do lots of wood in the 26 inch long range for the big stoves in shops. So I need the length. And running through a 6 way splitter. I've seen big fir butts stop a 3.5 cylinder on a single wedge. I'm thinking 35 gpm on the 5 inch. Math comes out to cycle time of 7.1with a 3 inch rod, acceptable? What do you all think?
Got a day in finished boxing the I beam on the gooseneck. Got the live deck posts in and the infeed set
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I don't know how to do the math, but because of the pie factor, 4" to 5" is a big difference. 25 gpm. is good for a 4" [fast] and ok for 4 1/2" but 35 for 5" you would have to do the math. Any how the splitter design means a lot and 6 wedge is a lot even though you are doing softwood. Having a k boom right there is an idea I always had. Did you know that this is common on stone crushers in case they get jammed?
DT, very nice. Looks heck for stout. If you can drive and afford the bigger pump, that is great. I can help with the math if needed but do not want to be a nuisance if not needed. The key is to keep your units in mind. The force does go up by the radius squared, i.e. pounds per square inch. But if you have the flow, should be ok. You may wish to incorporate some variable speed stuff to fine tune movement on conveyors ect.
The bigger the rod, the more strength in the rod, and faster retraction speed.
Thanks Doc. I appreciate the input and offer. I'm working with Spencer hydraulics out of billings MT. Good guys beats the first two shops I contacted. We are putting a plan together. Looks like I'm going piston pump. Don't know all the details but I will keep you all informed as to what we come up with
I didn't know that was common on crushers. Makes sense though. I plan on traveling with this set up a couple hundred miles back to dad's to do his wood and needed a way to handle the wood without extra trips to haul machinery so that's why I went that route.