Wood splitter design

JoshNZ · September 18, 2021, 03:41:17 PM

My other thought was, these geroler motors are 85cc too :D.

I don't see why I couldn't drive the spline of the third motor, they're rated for the pressure, rpm, and flow that I'll be after. Anyone heard of using a gerotor/geroler type motor as a pump?

mike_belben · September 18, 2021, 05:04:09 PM

yes. interstate boom mowers will run the same unit as a pump and a motor. 1:1 flexible driveshaft is basically what it amounts to. the fluid is the driveshaft and it just runs pipes through the actual mower head housing for cooling. i think the one i have is an interstater. i couldnt get the pump with it but it had the same tag as the motor on it.

honda oil pumps are geroter and theyll spin like 11k rpm.

Hilltop366 · September 18, 2021, 05:23:24 PM

Quote from: JoshNZ on September 18, 2021, 02:53:25 PMI figure 1200rpm is heaps which is only about 300rpm on the PTO. I found a slasher gearbox pretty cheap and it's a 2.8:1 ratio so that gets me to 840 rpm. From there I've either got an 85cc pump I'm looking at which would be ~71L/min or 19gpm.

It should be plenty fast, an on line calculator says around a 5.2 cycle time but wondering if you will be low on power at that engine speed (I'm thinking you will be in the 40 hp range required). That is were a two stage pump would be nice.

There is a formula for engines part way down this page. Make sure you are not using a electric motor chart or formula.

https://www.hydraulicspneumatics.com/technologies/hydraulic-pumps-motors/article/21122383/hydraulic-power-units

JoshNZ · September 20, 2021, 05:40:24 PM

I wanted to stay away from a two stage pump. I'll go up in ram size or just run it on the big 80horse tractor when we're doing crap stuff lol.

Here we go, I'm out of the rabbit hole :D.

That's the face plate of the donor motor. A bore in the back for the cup race, and the cone race is pressed onto the shaft.
The sleeve presses into that recess and has the bore for the cup race of outboard bearing, and lip seal.

Other side with bearing and shaft in place.

This is the shaft I've made up from the splined rotor bit in the donor motor. I cut the points of the star off with a zip wheel to lessen the amount of hardened stuff the lathe had to get through

Turned again and machined to its final spec. The weld V is inside the bearing journal so supported both sides. Only torsion to worry about.

Everything was going too well so, as I was making the pass for the OD of the retaining thread I let the lathe steam right over the outboard journal... I could have cried at this point. Then decided to suck it up and restore with weld and carry on.

And that is how you waste two evenings on a marginally pointless adventure down a rabbit hole.

I'll turn some grooves for O rings between the parts and tap the bearing housing to secure the pressed sleeve. And I'll get some longer bolts to secure the output housing, they can double as studs to mount the unit.

I'll key the shaft, seat the shaft seal properly and finally I can move on. Ready to have a sprocket mounted and swung on with full roller bearing support...!

hydraulic motor finished - YouTube

I'll get stuck into the ramp next. I've settled on a frame with hardwood guides for the chains, and my stainless flat bar sections stitched together to make a slide between the chains. I'll weld rods between the chains and maybe points to each end of the rod, haven't quite figured that bit out yet. The spool I've got for it is double acting so figure I could set it to run backwards and work as an outfeed as well, if it ever wants to be used that way.

mike_belben · September 21, 2021, 07:35:45 AM

Beatiful job on your overhung load adapter there.

JoshNZ · October 02, 2021, 07:32:39 AM

Thanks Mike.. and still I don't even know if I'll use it :embarassed:...

This is where it's at now. I just put quick couplers on the ends of the hoses and plugged into remotes. Pretty awesome the retract being that quick.

splitter - YouTube

mike_belben · October 02, 2021, 09:03:36 AM

Thats a dandy josh

Crusarius · October 02, 2021, 09:43:56 PM

that's beautiful!

JoshNZ · October 03, 2021, 12:47:23 AM

What better way to test a new machine for its resilience to abuse than...

Running it :D..

First pile of wood fell victim to the machine this morning. Nothing it didn't get through, but nothing surprising about that. The wedge is sharper than any other I've used before, and still has the flared shoulders, I'm really happy with it.

I'd pretty well resigned to doing away with the chain loader but after our little session this morning, I'll be straight back into it. It's gotta happen!

I had my partner on the lever there and me loading her, I feel like I'm cluttering her any time I lift something up. A hydraulic platform would be handy but I think the loader is just gonna be the bee's knees.. qued up rings, out of the way, ready at the pull of a lever.

moodnacreek · October 03, 2021, 08:49:10 AM

Really nice work. The thing to do next is convert to foot operation with auto up.

jmur1 · October 04, 2021, 10:55:33 AM

Looks great. Nice work!

Al_Smith · October 04, 2021, 11:43:10 AM

It seems it came out good .With a beam that size I doubt you could get enough power on it to bend it especially with that
"boxed " section .

JoshNZ · October 04, 2021, 06:16:19 PM

You mean with the stiffiners added into the column? I agree anyway, I haven't done the numbers but my gut feeling is a 12ton ram can't put it anywhere close to its yeild. I doubt a 20ton ram could either.

It sure feels rigid when the big knots let go, have had pieces exploded apart and fly off both sides of the table, but still the mechanism feels very inelastic.

Al_Smith · October 04, 2021, 10:11:13 PM

You've got enough of a "knife " edge ahead of the wedge it should go through about anything even being 12 ton .

stavebuyer · October 05, 2021, 11:12:09 AM

Look at the Eastonmade Elevator. I had the 24' and it was powered by a small honda(6hp) that ran at fast idle. Small coupled pump with a hydro motor at the top that pulls the chain drive conveyor. 3 way control valve with detents for stop-fwd-rev.

You could pull the fluid from the splitter and use the valve & hydro motor to pull your chain.

JoshNZ · October 05, 2021, 05:55:36 PM

That's essentially what I had planned to do, but have two chains on the outside of flights rather than one in the centre. I think if you put something heavy on it or something got hung up somehow it would damage itself quickly like that

stavebuyer · October 05, 2021, 06:58:37 PM

The center chain design lets the flights move a long way before they bend. The hydraulic detent can kick out when relief pressure is surpassed and lastly they had a shear pin in the sprocket driving(pulling) the chain. The pulling(top mount) rather than pushing is important I think. I broke 1 shear pin in two years and had it stall or kick the detent occasionally. Generally if there was a issue it happened when something hung and went down to the lower sprocket.

JoshNZ · October 05, 2021, 10:20:53 PM

I wouldn't be so much worried about the flight bending as torquing on the chain and bending links or rollers, damaging the chain. I don't imagine it will be so easy to replace.

That is a good idea having a shear pin anyway I'll try and encorporate that.

moodnacreek · October 06, 2021, 08:49:05 AM

Quote from: JoshNZ on October 05, 2021, 10:20:53 PM
I wouldn't be so much worried about the flight bending as torquing on the chain and bending links or rollers, damaging the chain. I don't imagine it will be so easy to replace.

That is a good idea having a shear pin anyway I'll try and encorporate that.

Nothing to worry about with '78' chain, one strand down the middle. We never bothered with shear pins. Hyd. relief adjustment on hyd. conveyer and the other is belt drive that would slip in a jam. Also need flared 'side boards' so wood will spill rather jam like on boxed sides. Drive sprocket always on top pulling load. I don't do the nice work Josh does but through trial and error have figured what works.