Wearing myself out. (Newbie collecting wood)

[Machria]

Jags,
I dig that splitter with lift. That is what I want, but with an electric 16 ton motor like the Ram splitter. Somebody buy me one and drop ship it please!

 

[Jags]

They are made 4 blocks from where I am sitting as I type this.

 

[TimJ]

I had to deal with some big ones this past weekend. I simply used a wedge and either halfed them or quartered them to a weight that I could lift them comfortably.

 

[Machria]

They are made 4 blocks from where I am sitting as I type this.

What is, the Rams ?

 

[Jags]

What is, the Rams ?

Ramsplitter

 

[Machria]

Ramsplitter

They don't sell a lift for the electric splitter, do they? Get me a KILLER deal on one man! Hook a dude up!

 

[Jags]

They do appear to have a log lift option for $745, but I would never pay that considering there are much cheaper options.

 

[fabsroman]

OH FER CRIPES SAKE....

View attachment 91402
View attachment 91403

Dealing with the big ones don't get any easier.

Edit to add:
It doesn't matter if you split vertical or horizontal. Its a comfort thing. There is no way that I could sit on a crate and work the splitter vertically. It would kill my lower back in short order. Just as Dennis states that there is no reason to stand and split...it is simply preference. Dennis is my senior by a few, has had health issues and deals with stuff I don't. I am 6' tall and weigh about 240 and have the upper body strength of a gorilla. Different situations require different approaches.

I still do not see an easy or efficient way to take a round like the one in my pic and drop it on its cut face and slip it onto the pad of a vertical splitter. Split then move...repeat. But if it works...Split on.
(I would guess the one in my pic to be around 400 pounds and I have split bigger/heavier)

Jags,

On page two of this thread I posted pics of 2 home made splitters like that and a link to the TimberWolf equivalent. That is the premise of what I want to build. Planning on going with a 22 gallon pump, Honda engine, 30 ton ram with somewhere around an 8 second cycle time, an adjustable 4 way and 6 way wedge, a large work table, and a log lift. If I had the upper body strength of a gorilla, I could probably deal with the vertical splitter and all the lifting required to put the big wood on the splitter plate. After the last day of splitting, wherein my 6' 2" brother in-law built like an ox had a much easier time getting the logs on the splitter and my legs were sore for a couple of days, I just have to give a log lift a shot to see if it makes life easier. If that doesn't work, then I am going to sell the splitter and try something else.

I also liked the idea of rolling the logs right off the truck and onto a horizontal splitter, until I thought about having to get the logs into the truck in the first place. The entire premise behind splitting the logs on the first touch is to reduce their weight and make them easier to move around. I can deal with 10 pounds all day long. It is the 500 pound stuff that kills me quick.

 

[fabsroman]

And you might read, in the very part you quoted, where I said "so either you need a place to put the bigger chunks while you split them down that's the same height".

I'm not trying to argue, you asked what we did, and I answered. It's all personal preference, on how to split. By hand, with an electric spliter, with a gas splitter, dynamite...

I want to know how people are getting 500lb rounds home to even split them. We've been considering a trailer with something yet to be decided on to skid them onto it for the bigger pieces, to save on lifting. I like heating with wood, I certainly like the savings of it, but I'm not wanting to do extra damage to ourselves to do it!! I'd still save money buying wood if I had to, over propane, but I'd rather not beat myself up to that point!

Yeah, I don't want to argue either. I am all ears and eyes for easier ways to process wood. I think the horizontal splitter with a log lift and work table will work for me because the vertical one is killing me on the large stuff.

About the only way I know of to get the 500 pound rounds home is to roll them into a trailer. Personally, if I cannot split the big stuff where it is, I am not going to deal with it. I have no desire to put those large rounds on their side more than once and roll them more than once. They need to turn into firewood size quickly. Firewood size is a lot easier to move around. I'll post pics of tomorrow's rounds because I think they are some of the largest ones I have ever dealt with. Tomorrow is going to result in a lot of firewood.

 

[Jags]

You do realize that my splitter has a log lifter??

Oh - 22 gallon pump will not run a 5" ram (assuming 24 inch stroke) at 8 seconds.

 

[fabsroman]

You do realize that my splitter has a log lifter??

Oh - 22 gallon pump will not run a 5" ram (assuming 24 inch stroke) at 8 seconds.

Yeah, I am well aware of the fact that your splitter has a log lift, as do all 3 examples that I gave on page 2 of this thread. Hence, the reference to the splitters on page 2 being like yours.

The TimberWolf TW-6 has a 28 ton ram and 8 second cycle time with a Honda GX630 and 22 gallon pump.

http://www.timberwolfcorp.com/pdf/TWSplitMultiFold_022012.pdf

Is it possible to get 28 tons of force from a 4 inch ram? I'll have to look into this and try to understand the physics behind it. Lots more learning to do to design this splitter and then even more to weld it all together. Probably going to take me 14 months to accomplish, just like the furnace install.

 

[Jags]

Is it possible to get 28 tons of force from a 4 inch ram?

Not unless you had special components. Most splitter parts are rated for a max 3000 psi (and some not that high). A 4" ram at 3000 psi will produce 48,000 PSI or 24 tons max.

The TW6 uses a 5 inch ram (and so do I).

For quality entertainment, go here and play around:
http://www.baumhydraulics.com/calculators/cyl_speed.htm

 

[fabsroman]

Not unless you had special components. Most splitter parts are rated for a max 3000 psi (and some not that high). A 4" ram at 3000 psi will produce 48,000 PSI or 24 tons max.

Thanks for the info.

Alright, looks like this will eventually require a spreadsheet to figure out what I am going to need cylinder, pump, and engine wise. Not dead set on an 8 second cycle time, but would like around 30 tons with a cycle time of 12 seconds or less. This will be a good challenge and good for stimulating the brain.

 

[Jags]

See the addition to my last post. I posted a link to a calc that will do the work for you.

 

[fabsroman]

See the addition to my last post. I posted a link to a calc that will do the work for you.

Thanks, I completely overlooked the link and the fact that your splitter and the TW-6 both use a 5 inch ram.

 

[Jags]

Thanks, I completely overlooked the link and the fact that your splitter and the TW-6 both use a 5 inch ram.

Naaa...you didn't miss anything. I was adding it as you posted.
Fun calculator, eh?

 

[maple1]

Like most stuff in life, things come down to preferences & individual situations.

Somewhere along the processing line, you will need to lift the wood up. Whether that is with a lift before you split (then slide from an elevated table to a pile), or after you split my lifting a lighter load that was split on the ground, no one is right & the other wrong. They're both good solutions.

BTW, why would it be necessary to get a huge round upright on its end before splitting vertically? Why not just roll the round under the wedge & split through the bark for the first go? It's all about reducing the grunt effort and there are countless ways to do that in countless situations.

 

[fabsroman]

Naaa...you didn't miss anything. I was adding it as you posted.
Fun calculator, eh?

lol - already looked at the calculator. With a 5" cylinder and 2" rod with a 22 gallon pump, I can get a 10.3 second cycle time on a 24" stroke. That is plenty fast for me.

 

[Jags]

Why not just roll the round under the wedge & split through the bark for the first go?

How would you do this on a large round (say 48")?

 

[fabsroman]

Like most stuff in life, things come down to preferences & individual situations.

Somewhere along the processing line, you will need to lift the wood up. Whether that is with a lift before you split (then slide from an elevated table to a pile), or after you split my lifting a lighter load that was split on the ground, no one is right & the other wrong. They're both good solutions.

BTW, why would it be necessary to get a huge round upright on its end before splitting vertically? Why not just roll the round under the wedge & split through the bark for the first go? It's all about reducing the grunt effort and there are countless ways to do that in countless situations.

If the round is not sitting on the splitter plate, the splitter ends up lifting itself off the ground a lot of the time. Depends on the type of wood too. Might be able to get away without having the round on the splitter plate when it comes to straight red oak, but as soon as a piece gets knarly like a lot of the white oak I split at the end of December, the wood needs to be on the splitter plate or the ram will just drive the entire splitter upward without splitting the wood.

So, either you roll the rounds to the splitter and try to drop them on the splitter plate for that first split, or you try to shove the splitter underneath the round as you lift it up. Moving the I-beam isn't always easy either, but I think I am going to try that method tomorrow.

When it comes to lifting anything, I can lift light loads and carry them all day long. It is the really heavy stuff that kills me. I am more of an endurance athlete than a power lifter.

 

[legrandice]

I use scraps of granite counter top next to the foot on my vertical splitter. It's almost the same height. The wood really spins and moves easily on the polished side. They do tend to break when I pound a huge round down...but I have plenty.

 

[fabsroman]

I use scraps of granite counter top next to the foot on my vertical splitter. It's almost the same height. The wood really spins and moves easily on the polished side. They do tend to break when I pound a huge round down...but I have plenty.

Good idea. Maybe a 2x3 or 2x4 by the splitter plate will work. I have a couple pieces of granite lying around, but I am not in the business of fabricating granite counter tops and my two clients that did that went out of business several years ago with the down turn. So, no easy granite scraps for me to obtain. Really might do the 2x4's though. Going to give that a shot tomorrow.

 

[MasterMech]

The problem with the REALLY big rounds (36"+) is controlling them. If one were to split completely the halves can weigh 150 lbs+ each. They are going to do damage on the way down. So I wouldn't retire the sledge/wedge just yet. Also wouldn't hesitate to noodle any rounds I couldn't move comfortably via cant hook or hand truck.

Fabs, be careful with that big pump and a log lift. You're gonna want a FCV or at the very least an orifice to slow that small cylinder down. Otherwise it might become useful for loading the truck! (Albeit a bit hard on the bed.... ) Also watch your fluid velocity/line size for reasons of heat and component life. Gonna need big, expensive, hoses/fittings/ports to run 22 GPM efficiently. Valve block will have to be rated for that kind of flow as well. Going big is great in theary but if you're buying components to put it all together it adds up fast.

You could run a 16 GPM pump on a 5" cylinder and still be sub-15 seconds with the cycle. Running a 4/6 way wedge will more than make up for the lost cycle time and you don't sacrifice power. There are other ways to manipulate the cycle time as well. Rod size will be a good one, bigger the rod, the faster the cylinder will retract, without sacrificing power on the push stroke. 16 GPM, 5" cyl, 24" stroke with a 3" rod will yield a 12.6 second cycle (in theory). Be prepared to pay for the larger rod sizes tho. Backhoe or loader salvage may be the best source. 16 GPM based machine could run a smaller engine/less fuel too, although I fantasize about a splitter powered by a Yanmar 3 cyl gas engine robbed from a Deere front-mount or 322 garden tractor. (Oh baby..... )

 

[Jags]

For some of the very reasons that MasterMech stated, I stuck with a 16 GPM pump. I will say this though...If that 16 gpm pump ever croaks...I am going to 28 GPM and bigger engine.

 

[legrandice]

Good idea. Maybe a 2x3 or 2x4 by the splitter plate will work. I have a couple pieces of granite lying around, but I am not in the business of fabricating granite counter tops and my two clients that did that went out of business several years ago with the down turn. So, no easy granite scraps for me to obtain. Really might do the 2x4's though. Going to give that a shot tomorrow.

I got my scraps for a project that never happened. They came from a local granite company. They had a huge pile of pieces out back and I was able to take as many as I want.