Crazy idea? Bark Buster/ capstan winch combo

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BrianK

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Hi folks,
I know, I know, the unicorn splitters are the most dangerous device conceived by mankind since the Chevy Monza.

On the other hand, if you put a table under them and raise them to a reasonable height, like in the following photo, it might improve the safety considerably:
PICT0018.JPG


They are even selling similar devices in the UK currently, http://www.hycrack.co.uk/

The UK being the quintessential "nanny state," how dangerous could it be in this permutation if they permit its sale?

Now here's my crazy idea.

There is a Bark Buster available locally supposedly in VGC with a 5hp Briggs motor.

I'd like to mount it, raised up a bit, on a trailer hitch cargo carrier with a table under the screw as in the photo above, and use it as a splitter.

But I'd also pick up the optional larger capstan drum from http://www.portablewinch.com/en/05.asp
acc_02.jpg

and have a mount machined to fit it on the Bark Buster. Then the Bark Buster could serve a dual purpose as both a log splitter and a capstan rope winch.

I suspect a 5hp Briggs would be more than adequate for the job, but the belt drive might not handle to demands of the capstan rope winch application.

Also, does anyone know the relative RPM of either the Bark Buster or the Portable Winch capstan?

(Someone talk me out of this before I hurt myself or explain why it wouldn't work, please. !! )

Brian
 
The only small engine driven version of these things that I have ever seen (and used) would have had (as a guess) somewhere around 40-50 rpms (major swag here). I am not sure that the intense sideways pressure of a capstan is gonna do the bearing much good. I realize that some side pressure is created while splitting wood, but I would guess it to be a fraction of the pressure that the capstan is going to produce. YMMV.
 
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Jags said:
I am not sure that the intense sideways pressure of a capstan is gonna do the bearing much good. I realize that some side pressure is created while splitting wood, but I would guess it to be a fraction of the pressure that the capstan is going to produce. YMMV.
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Good point, I hadn't thought of that. Back to the drawing board...
 
Jags said:
I am not sure that the intense sideways pressure of a capstan is gonna do the bearing much good. I realize that some side pressure is created while splitting wood, but I would guess it to be a fraction of the pressure that the capstan is going to produce. YMMV.
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I wonder if the shaft coming off the Bark Buster could be run through a pillow block with bearing attached to the table & frame under the screw drive, to which the capstan could be attached to provide lateral support?
 
Sure - you could do something like that

If you notice in the pic above, it appears that the main shaft doesn't even run bearings. Looks like maybe bushings from here.
 
Check out my sig link. I run a barkbuster style splitter with a 30 HP tractor so I can provide RPM info. The tractor has a 540 rpm PTO output shaft that direct drives the unicorn horn. 540 rpm only occurs when the engine is at 2500 rpm. That's way too fast. I run the tractor at about 1800 RPM for normal fast splitting.

So the engine is at 72% speed. 72% of 540 is 388.

The Screw needs to turn at 388 RPM. It's spinning pretty fast, fast enough to rip your arm off and that table won't prevent that. Might even be gorier since your body would be extrruded through the small space.
 
Highbeam said:
The Screw needs to turn at 388 RPM.
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I believe the small engine driven units spin at a slower rate. I have no way to prove it, but the ONE that I used years ago was definitely not spinning at anywhere near 400 rpms.
 
388 RPM seems fast to me too, is my math correct? That's like 60 times a second.

A regular dewalt cordless drill spins at 0-500 rpm in the low speed setting and I just finished driving over a thousand screws with the drill into my pole barn using full throttle all the time. Point is that a screw being driven at 500 rpm is not fast.

If the splitter screw was turning 10 times slower than mine, it would suck and be way too slow at splitting wood.
 
If you look at the picture...the splitter is up high on a tabletop. Imagine having to raise large heavy green oak rounds up that high to get onto the tabletop for splitting. That setup looks lame. It would be easier to swing a splitting wedge- than to lift logs to that height. It might be safer, but very inefficient. Keep the heavy logs as close to the ground as possible.
 
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Highbeam said:
388 RPM seems fast to me too, is my math correct? That's like 60 times a second.
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388 would be 6 times per second, but even that sound too fast to me. Dunno. Put a mark on yours and count the rotations for 5 or 10 seconds. That math will prove it out.
 
Those things are dangerous. There's too high a chance you get your glove or sleeve caught in that damn thing, and once that happens.......you get the picture. I think they are a pissy idea right from the get-go, save up a couple hundred extra bucks and get a vertical/horizontal splitter. You'll thank me when you do....
 
Those things are dangerous. There's too high a chance you get your glove or sleeve caught in that damn thing, and once that happens.....+1
 
Scotty Overkill said:
Those things are dangerous. There's too high a chance you get your glove or sleeve caught in that damn thing, and once that happens.......you get the picture. I think they are a pissy idea right from the get-go, save up a couple hundred extra bucks and get a vertical/horizontal splitter. You'll thank me when you do....
Click to expand...

The only reason I was considering one was to have the possibility of dual use. But in the long run, if I need a capstan winch to harvest a log, I think I'll probably pass on that log and take the easier stuff.

I'm now looking at the Dual Split type Log Splitters like this 20 ton model from Northern Tool
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200394095_200394095?cm_sp=Upsells-_-Top Sellers-_-Product Page

Anyone have any opinion on the splitters that split in both directions? This one got very good reviews on Northern's site.
 
The problem I see with that table setup the way it is being used in that pic, the space between the table and cone diminishes so the split will wedge in there and lift up the cone/press down on the table. The table versions are meant to see the end grain of the wood, not the side.
 
BrianK said:
The only reason I was considering one was to have the possibility of dual use. But in the long run, if I need a capstan winch to harvest a log, I think I'll probably pass on that log and take the easier stuff.

I'm now looking at the Dual Split type Log Splitters like this 20 ton model from Northern Tool
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200394095_200394095?cm_sp=Upsells-_-Top Sellers-_-Product Page

Anyone have any opinion on the splitters that split in both directions? This one got very good reviews on Northern's site.
Click to expand...
I like the theory behind the dual splitter, but for some of the stuff I split it's just not practical. There's no way you could do a 25 or 30" round on that splitter with any amount of ease unless you split it smaller on the ground or build a log lifter for the splitter. I'll stick with my vertical/horizontal. Here's the only dual action that I would consider, but its a tad bit out of my price range......

 
Scotty Overkill said:
...unless you split it smaller on the ground or build a log lifter for the splitter.
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Umm... the Tempest has a log lifter... the guy is standing on it. You can see it about 1:20 mark.

I'd hate to pull the wrong lever while standing on the lifter and get dumped face first onto the machine.
 
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If you actually start to lift yourself with the wrong lever and don't correct it in time to keep from dumping yourself on the face, you have bigger issues to deal with.......lol...you got to admit that Tempest is a nice machine and ultra efficient as far as time is concerned. At least for the big rounds....
 
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I want to see it take on some nasty gnarly knotty stuff. Box wedges need insane amounts of force in less than perfect wood.

On the dual action splitters, the time savings is not as significant as you'd think. You still have to reposition the log after each stroke. I imagine you'd lose tonnage (force) in one direction as well since the cylinder rod takes away piston area. Same reason that the return stroke on a conventional splitter takes less time than the splitting stroke.
 
a dual action SOUNDS good at first but in use the timed saved isn't much . The reason is in most splitting you only have to move the wedge 6in or so before the round splits. Then by the time you move the wood for the next split it's ready to go again. With a dual action you have to move the wedge all the way to use the return action. In good cutting it will actually be alot slower. Also if you have big rounds you will like the vertical splitting.
leaddog
 
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