johnsopi said:
I have been spilting with a maul and a shedgehammer. I don't see spending a bunch of cash for a spilter. I was thinking about getting a few cords togather cut and ready to go then rent a gas spilter. I have a lot big knotty logs, the next tree to join the woodpile is a big dead standing oak.
Dad and I used to do all the splitting by hand and use a chainsaw to help on the knots and crotches and just let the elm rot in the woods.
One day Dads at an auction and there sits this homemade splitter with no engine. It is fairly well built and he gets it for $75 and since the auction is closer to my place then his he drops it off in my yard. I have an old worn out 5HP engine on an even more worn out snow blower so I make a few spacer blocks (the original builder had the splitter set up for a snowmobile engine) and get the engine mounted up. It has been sitting for years since it was last used so I take an angle grinder and remove the rust from the slide and put on some grease. Top up the oil tank and start it up, the pusher is rusted in place and will not move, also the engine is a bit small for the size of the pump and the engine stalls before the relief pops but it starts easy, I give the pusher a few love taps with the 8lb. maul and it moves. Grind off the rust that was under the pusher and put on more grease.
Now it seems to be working, kinda, not real smooth must be some air in the system, so dry stroke it for a few minutes and it looks better, still a little low on power. Start tweaking the governor on the engine and get it up around 4500 to 5000 RPM, if she blows I didn't pay anything for the engine. Cycles much faster now, that thing must have really moved with the snowmobile engine on it.
I split a few small blocks and it looks good but I don't have anything to give it a good test so load it on the trailer and Saturday make a run to Dads place.
Now Dad had a pile of red oak blocks and some other stuff mostly knots and stuff that would not split easy, so we start in on that.
Engine dies a few times on the tougher blocks but I soon develop the reflexes to pull back before the engine stalls and let it build some rev's so I can bounce it off the flywheel a few times and get her to go thru.
About 2 hours later we had finished up what would have taken at least 2 days with the saws and mauls, and we look at each other and at the same time say.
"Why did we not do this 15 years ago".
$75.00 one junk engine and about 3 hours to get it working, I should maybe change the oil in it some time.
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Andre' B.