short-stroking a splitter

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Ashful

Ashful

Minister of Fire
Mar 7, 2012
20,075
Philadelphia
In my never-ending quest to have a faster hydraulic splitter, I'm debating placing a clamp on the cylinder rod that will prevent full retraction. I know others have done this by rigging a stop on the wedge itself, and experienced rod-end failures, due to the tensile strength of the rod being inadequate. The safest way to trip the retraction detent on a splitter valve is to have the piston bottom out in the bore.

But, what about placing a large clamp on the rod itself, rather than on the wedge, which will safely hit the cylinder head or barrel? Will the hardware that fixes the piston to the rod take it? I'm imagining a few here must have tried this.
 
I've looked into it but haven't jumped. These clamps are commercially made-I think even places like Tractor Supply sells them. Made of aluminum so it doesn't scratch.

When I had an electric splitter, which was extremely slow, I put a nice square piece of maple on the foot as a spacer.

That splitter was horizontal, however. If vertical, you'd have to lift the round onto the 'platform'. Perhaps a more complicated 'platform', with ramps? Maybe a replaceable insert of hard wood if it's consumable?

You do need a certain amount of clearance, though, when wrestling the big ones on.
 
velvetfoot said:
I've looked into it but haven't jumped. These clamps are commercially made-I think even places like Tractor Supply sells them. Made of aluminum so it doesn't scratch.
Click to expand...
Got any links to those commercially-made clamps? In a quick search, I wasn't able turn up any. I was just going to make my own, but buying is always easier.

edit: I just found these. I don't like the design, as I've heard of wedge bolt failures from this type of limiter... but they are made by Speeco, the manufacturer of my log splitter, so maybe the stories of failed rods and wedge bolts are un-founded?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UVQTI6/?tag=hearthamazon-20

edit pt.2: I spoke with Speeco tech support. Those are not recommended for use on their log splitters, and they say using them WILL cause a rod failure.
 
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I would not put anything on the rod.
There is a very high probability of damaging something,something expensive.
There will be thousands of pounds pressure being put on a clamp on the rod.That can damage the rod because the clamp could slip.An aluminum clamp would not hold the pressure the ram can exert,plus the clamp on the rod could force debris into the seal at the end of the ram.
Look at a way to extend the block that pushes the wood,or a wedge extension that slips over your existing wedge.Then you can pull it off if you need to split longer wood.
Myself i just stop the ram before it is full retracted.
 
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I guess the best option would be a 18" stroke cylinder, with an appropriate rod length to make up the difference to the OEM cylinder. I never see any need to split anything longer than that which will fit in my stove.
 
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Ashful said:
Got any links to those commercially-made clamps? In a quick search, I wasn't able turn up any. I was just going to make my own, but buying is always easier.

edit: I just found these. I don't like the design, as I've heard of wedge bolt failures from this type of limiter... but they are made by Speeco, the manufacturer of my log splitter, so maybe the stories of failed rods and wedge bolts are un-founded?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UVQTI6/?tag=hearthamazon-20

edit pt.2: I spoke with Speeco tech support. Those are not recommended for use on their log splitters, and they say using them WILL cause a rod failure.
Click to expand...
That's good to know.

There was another thread where someone rigged something up that tripped the lever.
 
Looks Champion might have this built into their splitters:
(broken link removed to http://www.woodsplitterdirect.com/p/champion-22-ton-92221-hv-wood-splitter/)
 
Google turned up a thread with a trip, but it wasn't on this forum. Very cool idea. I saw one other (besides Champion) manufacturer with a similar rig. Seems like a good way to go, if you don't mind the extra hardware around your valve. You'd also want to be sure it's arranged so yo can't pinch a finger in the moving parts.
 
Ashful said:
Google turned up a thread with a trip, but it wasn't on this forum. Very cool idea. I saw one other (besides Champion) manufacturer with a similar rig. Seems like a good way to go, if you don't mind the extra hardware around your valve. You'd also want to be sure it's arranged so yo can't pinch a finger in the moving parts.
Click to expand...

Maybe this is what you are speaking about. I got this image from the web and use it here for comments/discussion purposes and/or equal use. If there is no objection I am posting this full size for detail purposes (mods, feel free to downsize to thumbnail, if necessary). This design does not appear to have many pinch points that would involve the operators hand. I think it is a neat design and worthy of consideration and/or tweaking
[Hearth.com] short-stroking a splitter .
 
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My DHT has an adjustability on the detent valve. I haven't played around with it, i just don't bring it back all the way if I'm running short pieces.
 
Cylnder spacers are real common. We use them on farm equipment to set depth on diggers and such. And the forces on those big cylinders are way more than a splitter in retract. Clamp on aluminum or pot metal is your best bet
 
I think they may hit the packing ring on the return stroke, in a splitter. That could be the weak point in this plan.
 
Lloyd the redneck said:
Here's what we use. Just robbed some pics of Google View attachment 199286 View attachment 199287
Click to expand...

Looks like those rely on whatever is bolted to the end of the cylinder to apply the stopping pressure - in this case the bolt holding the wedge would be the weak point. I think.

IMO there are two initial approaches - use the early part of the stroke, or the later. These stops use the latter - and also IMO, the cylinder is at its most vulnerable when it is fully extended. So, if I was going to jimmy up myself a way to shorten the stroke, I think I would instead make the cylinder start working earlier - add length to the foot. Shouldn't take much to come up with a block you could drop over the foot when wanted, of the material of your choice.

My second choice would be to go with a lever trigger thingie.
 
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This guy says do not use the spacers. This occurred on a TimberWolf, but ultimately rely on how and what the rod is fastened to. Starts about 5:15

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maple1 said:
Shouldn't take much to come up with a block you could drop over the foot when wanted, of the material of your choice.
Click to expand...
Well and good unless you are trying to wrestle a 24" onto the foot when in vertical configuration.
 
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velvetfoot said:
Well and unless unless you are trying to wrestle a 24" onto the foot when in vertical configuration.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I split mostly big stuff, which is why I hate waiting for unnecessary wedge travel, maybe more than the average Joe. Nothing like trying to hold a 1000 lb round on the foot plate, while waiting painful extra seconds for the wedge to contact the wood. Even worse would be holding it up on a foot plate elevated an extra 6 inches! [emoji12]
 
I don't have any problems getting wood on my wedge when vertical and quite sure I wouldn't if it was another 6" high - I would just arrange the surroundings to fit. I usually situate the splitter so the foot is sitting in a low spot anyway and it's not necessary to hold the round in place, it just rolls up against the beam & stays there - so I'd just find a lower spot. :)

But even if I didn't want to do that - if I have a lot of big stuff to do, I usually just halve or quarter a bunch of it, then go back horizontal to finish. And not a big deal to hit the lever on the return stroke earlier to stop it sooner when doing the halving or quartering - or even if I want to do it all vertical. I find when I'm vertical I am right there anyway with the lever very close, setting myself up to rotate the round or whatever as soon as the wedge is clear of it. And, if I am doing the big stuff vertically and am between rounds - the extra few seconds a full retraction adds is either not noticed or welcomed because that's when I'm usually catching my breath. ;)
 
maple1 said:
I don't have any problems getting wood on my wedge when vertical and quite sure I wouldn't if it was another 6" high - I would just arrange the surroundings to fit.
Click to expand...

I've also taken to noodling anything over 40" into slabs. I'm just getting too worn out to move 1000+ rounds onto a splitter, anymore. But even the stuff that's only in the 30+ inch range, which may not be worth taking the time to noodle or quarter, can be tough to get onto the splitter for the first few splits. Yes, I could stop the splitter, grab a saw, and quarter it. But I'd rather just have a faster and easier splitter, so I don't need to break my stride at the beginning of each new round.

BTW, I'm splitting almost exclusively oak, and I see you're in Nova Scotia. My 40" rounds, at 18" length will weigh roughly 825 lb., which is 2x - 3x heaiver than the most popular twenty tree species in Nova Scotia. I've split single rounds weighing over 1500 lb., on a few occasions.
 
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Ashful said:
I've also taken to noodling anything over 40" into slabs. I'm just getting too worn out to move 1000+ rounds onto a splitter, anymore. But even the stuff that's only in the 30+ inch range, which may not be worth taking the time to noodle or quarter, can be tough to get onto the splitter for the first few splits. Yes, I could stop the splitter, grab a saw, and quarter it. But I'd rather just have a faster and easier splitter, so I don't need to break my stride at the beginning of each new round.

BTW, I'm splitting almost exclusively oak, and I see you're in Nova Scotia. My 40" rounds, at 18" length will weigh roughly 825 lb., which is 2x - 3x heaiver than the most popular twenty tree species in Nova Scotia. I've split single rounds weighing over 1500 lb., on a few occasions.
Click to expand...

Yes, not much oak here. Or at least where I'm at - think there is some around in spots. I do mostly hard/sugar maple windfalls, which I don't think is that far off oak for density. But I'm still not working with anything that is much more than 30" diameter. I can usually roll it to in front of the splitter, then flop it over onto the splitter foot. With splitter situated slightly downhill from the wood if at all possible - and properly applied grunts. I also have an aversion to noodling - right up to the point when the slitter wedge sticks solid. Which then makes for all kinds of fun....
 
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VirginiaIron said:
Maybe this is what you are speaking about. I got this image from the web and use it here for comments/discussion purposes and/or equal use. If there is no objection I am posting this full size for detail purposes (mods, feel free to downsize to thumbnail, if necessary). This design does not appear to have many pinch points that would involve the operators hand. I think it is a neat design and worthy of consideration and/or tweaking
View attachment 199217 .
Click to expand...
Here is the video of this mechanism in action

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This looks like an easy 1960's auto-return solution via a lever.

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1950's? spring assist return.

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Heres a sytem that can be used as a atroke limiter. Watch the mechanism under the skid auto cycle the valve and turn it off when complete.

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