# Log Splitter Wedge Angles



## Wood Doctor (Oct 21, 2009)

Let's design a powered log splitter wedge. There must be an ideal pair of angles for a log splitter wedge that would minimize the force required to split the average log. Below is a schematic diagram showing the top and side views of the wedge:






For the illustration only, the I-Beam is running vertically and to the right of the side view. This beam could be oriented either horizontally of vertically. What do you think that angle A, the wedge angle, and angle B, the slant angle of the sharp edge, should be?

I imagine the tendancy for the wedge to stick in tough logs should also be considered when setting these angles, in addition to the splitting force. WDYT?


----------



## Curlycherry1 (Oct 21, 2009)

I ran thousands of cords through a wedge that was about 2" to nothing taper on a 1" thick hunk of steel. So 2" back from the tip the steel was full thickness. A previous box wedge 3" wide at the widest point tore off the I-beam twice before we went with the flat steel. I tore the flat steel in half once, but the weld held.

The front of the wedge needs to be 90 degrees to the beam. If it tapers down in forces the wood into the beam and leads to undue pressure for the ram to compensate for, and if tapered at an obtuse angle the wood will ride up off the wedge. These are observations I saw with the splitter I lived on for over a decade.


----------



## LarryTheCableGuy (Oct 21, 2009)

Curlycherry1 said:


> The front of the wedge needs to be 90 degrees to the beam. If it tapers down in forces the wood into the beam and leads to undue pressure for the ram to compensate for, and if tapered at an obtuse angle the wood will ride up off the wedge. These are observations I saw with the splitter I lived on for over a decade.



Sloped away from the beam (as indicated in the diagram above) allows the wedge to begin to split gradually, instead of all at once. It is a proven design that works very well.


.


----------



## Curlycherry1 (Oct 21, 2009)

LarryTheCableGuy said:


> Sloped away from the beam (as indicated in the diagram above) allows the wedge to begin to split gradually, instead of all at once. It is a proven design that works very well.
> .



We tried it for a while and with some really knarly wood it would tend to ride up. I did not like that and so we went with a perfectly vertical wedge face.

I had a theory that with the tapered edge wedge we got more slivers and trash from splitting. My theory was that as the wood went into the wedge the block would start to split with the wedge and then split along its natural cracks, but then soon the wedge would force a straight split top to bottom through the log. Some of those crooked first splits of the wood would fall off and lead to more small tiny pieces, thus splitter trash. When we went back to the perpendicular wedge a lot of the trash went away. Unfortunately there was no way to back and do a controlled experiment. I mentioned the lack of trash with the vertical face wedge to my dad and he said he noticed it too.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Oct 21, 2009)

Good discuussion, men. We've got the ball rolling. My own experience with three splitters is that
(1) the splitter with a wedge angle that is too small (say 25 degrees) caused lots of stuck logs that are a mess to remove.

(2) the splitters with 90-degree slants (no angle at all) required the most thrust from the hydraulics. A 75-to 80-degree slant angle seems to reduce the force required to get the split started.


----------



## Junkfxr (Oct 21, 2009)

I have tried all sorts of wedges over the years and still haven't found the "perfect" one yet. The best one so far has been with a face angle of about 15 degrees (or 75 degrees depending on which way you measure it) so that it starts splitting the wood from the outside edge with scollops in the side to keep the wood from riding up off of the wedge like the ones on the left.
<a href="http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/junkfxr/?action=view&current=P1010014.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/junkfxr/P1010014.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


----------



## turnkey4099 (Oct 21, 2009)

Curlycherry1 said:


> We tried it for a while and with some really knarly wood it would tend to ride up. I did not like that and so we went with a perfectly vertical wedge face.
> 
> I had a theory that with the tapered edge wedge we got more slivers and trash from splitting. My theory was that as the wood went into the wedge the block would start to split with the wedge and then split along its natural cracks, but then soon the wedge would force a straight split top to bottom through the log. Some of those crooked first splits of the wood would fall off and lead to more small tiny pieces, thus splitter trash. When we went back to the perpendicular wedge a lot of the trash went away. Unfortunately there was no way to back and do a controlled experiment. I mentioned the lack of trash with the vertical face wedge to my dad and he said he noticed it too.



I, too, see no advantage to a sloped wedge. If you watch wood split, the only time the knife edge contacts wood is at the start of the split (or when shearing aknot/crotch). the split runs well ahead of the knife. Once started any force causing the wood to ride up (or down) disappears. The point about teh slope causing splinters, etc. sounds right to me but what do I know.

There is also the unfortunate fact that very few chunks run through have an exact 90 degree cut

Harry K


----------



## Wood Doctor (Oct 21, 2009)

*What About Contact Area?*

Ever notice that when you split wood that has not been cut at 90 degrees, you tend to put the long end toward the base of the wedge or at the top rather than sideways?

Indirectly, you are setting up a sloped (slanted) angle with the wedge. Thus if the wedge is already at a small angle, when a 90-degree log is placed on the splitter, you reap the harvest that LarryTheCableGuy was talking about in Post #3.

Then there is another point. Many logs will stall a splitter out if the entire wedge width hits the log at once. If, on the other hand, only half the wedge hits the log on contact, the splitter will handle it because it can exert more pressure on the smaller contact area (psi.). Seems to me that the sloped wedge angle would automatically reduce the initial contact area. Hmmmm...


----------



## Curlycherry1 (Oct 21, 2009)

Wood Doctor said:


> Then there is another point. Many logs will stall a splitter out if the entire wedge width hits the log at once.



Sorry but I can't relate. Every splitter I ever used was home-made and built like a tank and every one of them could cut a 12" log off sideways. It was the way we tested them. That old splitter I showed a photo of a while back stopped about maybe 3 times in its entire life. That was one mean son of a gun splitter.


----------



## 371groundie (Oct 21, 2009)

i have an old model 52 John Deere splitter. 5 horse B+S and its hard to stop. the wedge is mabey 1.5 inches thick at 4inches deep. and the TOP of the wedge is tilted mabey 5 degrees TOWARDS the ram. the wood doesnt ride up and you still get the gradual start spoken about above. 

i prefer a narrow wedge that slices rather than prys the wood apart. and i dont have to worry about it getting stuck on the wedge because it gets pushed through by the next peice. knots, crotches, doesnt matter at all. even that little 5 horse motor can push it through. i think the slicing action results in less splintery peices. which is handy since i hardly ever wear gloves.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Oct 21, 2009)

Curlycherry1 said:


> Sorry but I can't relate. Every splitter I ever used was home-made and built like a tank and every one of them could cut a 12" log off sideways. It was the way we tested them. That old splitter I showed a photo of a while back stopped about maybe 3 times in its entire life. That was one mean son of a gun splitter.


I respect your opinion and I am sure that monster is a powerful splitter. However, what we are looking for is efficiency. Several engineers have told me that proper log splitter wedge design can save lots of horsepower, pump capacity, and cylinder size. I firmly believe that this is true.

If our forum can address and advise on the wedge angle (nobody thus far has) and the optimal slant (slope) angle, I think that many here could design and build their own splitters that would work much better without using massive engines, pumps, and cylinders. That's the objective of my post.


----------



## angelo c (Oct 21, 2009)

Dr.

what about a wedge designed similar to the fiskars splitting axe, with a delayed secondary perpendicular "wedge" or wings. Seems to work well with the maul design...

I like the real narrow "blade" design of the Super Split(slices) as opposed to the Massive Maul 4" wedge of the TW-6( just scares the wood into shattering)

I also like the wedge on the rail as opposed to the wedge on the ram
A


----------



## Junkfxr (Oct 21, 2009)

I have been a card carrying machinist and welder for topside of 20 years and most of my working career has been in manufacturing plants. I have had to deal with mechanical engineers on an almost daily basis. My opinion is that if an engineer hasn't spent at least 10 years in the field or on the shop floor working on or at least with the product that he is specializing in at the time, they really don't have a clue. Most of what they come up with is theory, and reality and theory are usually two seperate entities. My experience has been that there is no ideal wedge design. It all depends on the kind of wood being split. Nice straight grained stuff like red oak pops apart really easy and a wide tapered wedge will work good and really speed up the process but twisted grain and stringy stuff like white oak, gum, elm, etc. needs a thinner wedge with a sharper angle on it to more slice through it. Yes, it takes longer for having to push the wood all of the way across the wedge but that wood doesn't bust apart as easy as straight grained wood does. My thoughts on building a spliiter is to use the biggest cylinder, pump and engine combination that you can afford and use a thin wedge. that way you have the speed of the high flow rate to speed through easy stuff and the power of the large diameter cylinder to slice through the really tough stuff. Now with that said, I have backed up against the wall so let the beatings begin.


----------



## Steve NW WI (Oct 21, 2009)

Mine uses a fairly narrow angle, about 45° measured by the original drawing, and the push plate comes nearly flush to it at full extension, with blocks welded to the sides that actually extend past the cutting edge to cure any sticking problems. I couldn't find any pics right now, so I drew up a quick chickenscratch to show what I mean:






I'm sure that an angle on the vertical would lower tonnage, but I'm on the fence on the riding up/binding part. I'd probably have to see it to beleive one way or the other. I plan on angling the wing wedges for easier splitting if I ever make a 4way.


----------



## wkpoor (Oct 21, 2009)

> I also like the wedge on the rail as opposed to the wedge on the ram


Boy, now there is another can of worms to open. Move the wood or move the wedge?????


----------



## SWI Don (Oct 21, 2009)

My wedge is a 12" tall Northern Tool wedge with some angles attached to pop wood apart that will do that. 

The Northern wedge is approx 30° included angle and the compound is at 76° included.

I am pretty happy with the performance but I have dented the 1/4" thick angles that make the compound splitting very tough wood at 30 tons of force. Is it optimum? I don't know that I would claim that, but it works. 

The other debate is knife wedge vs. compound wedge vs. straight taper wedge (as per Wooddoc's illustrations). 

Don


----------



## trialanderror (Oct 22, 2009)

wkpoor said:


> Boy, now there is another can of worms to open. Move the wood or move the wedge?????




i've done it one way and the other.


But here's some food for thought....my splitter is setup so i can drop in a 2nd wedge and split from both sides at once. And holy does it make a HUGE difference of what a splitter capable of...gnarly knotty oak, 42" rounds...think again.... 

for a while i was keeping progress by welding a sliver of pipe to my ram, which would hold a splitting wedge, so i could split from both sides, worked fantastic, just a little wild, sometimes it'd go sideways. So i did some fabbing and now i can drop in a 2nd wedge, throw in some pins, and wha-bam, double end splitter....pull pins, drop in something else, wha-bam, 80ton press....endless possibilities now.


----------



## Curlycherry1 (Oct 22, 2009)

wkpoor said:


> Boy, now there is another can of worms to open. Move the wood or move the wedge?????



Firewood processors (Timberwolf, Multitec, CordKing) always move the wood through a fixed wedge. They are designed for production. There, it is settled, done!


----------



## Wood Doctor (Oct 22, 2009)

Curlycherry1 said:


> Firewood processors (Timberwolf, Multitec, CordKing) always move the wood through a fixed wedge. They are designed for production. There, it is settled, done!


Curly, we ain't driving a short bus on this here thread. So far, I have angle A running at 42 degrees or so and angle B (the slant) running at 75 to 115 degees, 90 being no slant at all. 

Here's something interesting, planer irons are sharpened at at 42 degrees. Maybe we can borrow some technology from the woodworkers. 

We also know that well over half the splitters being sold today are made with the wedge moving and the toe plate stationary. That design allows for the easiest swing up from horizontol to vertical in order to accommodate the monster rounds. One has to wonder if that design also changes the optimal wedge angle requirements.

Forum, any thoughts on this? *Remember, the ideal wedge design will help prevent a 2-stage pump from dropping into the second stage, speed the splitting process, save fuel, and reduce equipment wear and tear.* That's why were kickin' this thing around. Our own experience may be worth a dozen theories.


----------



## Curlycherry1 (Oct 22, 2009)

Wood Doctor said:


> Here's something interesting, wood chisels (angle A) are sharpened at 42 degrees and plane irons a little less. Maybe we can borrow some technology from the woodworkers.



That is an interesting theory and using a quickie CAD program I drew up what my old splitter had for a wedge angle (from my memory) and it came out to 38 degrees. Knowing the welder that made my splitter and the fact that he was a machinist for over 50 years by the time he built my splitter, I bet he was shooting for that angle of 42 degrees. I am willing to bet that is what the angle was and my CAD skills are not good enough to get the angle right.

That same welder/machinist proposed to us that we make a wedge that was curved on the front much like an axe, but he said it was too much of a PITA for him to make, and as he pointed out we had never stalled our's only about 3 times, so why screw with it.

Homeowner woodsplitters with the wedge on the ram have the advangtage of being able to be tipped down, but commercial splitters made to handle big wood have a lift. Two different categories of splitters homeowner's vs commercial, apples to oranges. Commercial operators want the split wood to be gone from the splitting area so they pass it through a wedge and it drops off onto a conveyor and is taken away. A commercial splitter with a wedge on the ram would require an operator to handle every piece of wood to get it onto a conveyor. That is wasted energy.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Oct 22, 2009)

Curlycherry1 said:


> That is an interesting theory and using a quickie CAD program I drew up what my old splitter had for a wedge angle (from my memory) and it came out to 38 degrees. Knowing the welder that made my splitter and the fact that he was a machinist for over 50 years by the time he built my splitter, I bet he was shooting for that angle of 42 degrees. I am willing to bet that is what the angle was and my CAD skills are not good enough to get the angle right.
> 
> That same welder/machinist proposed to us that we make a wedge that was curved on the front much like an axe, but he said it was too much of a PITA for him to make, and as he pointed out we had never stalled our's only about 3 times, so why screw with it.
> 
> Homeowner woodsplitters with the wedge on the ram have the advangtage of being able to be tipped down, but commercial splitters made to handle big wood have a lift. Two different categories of splitters homeowner's vs commercial, apples to oranges. Commercial operators want the split wood to be gone from the splitting area so they pass it through a wedge and it drops off onto a conveyor and is taken away. A commercial splitter with a wedge on the ram would require an operator to handle every piece of wood to get it onto a conveyor. That is wasted energy.


I had to correct that. The common chisel angle is 25 degrees and planer angles are usually 42 degrees. :blush:

I also note that splitters using a fixed position wedge and running horizontally tend to have a slant angle (B) that exceeds 90 degrees. But if the wedge moves, they go the other way--between 75 and 80 degrees, similar to my OP diagram. Maybe the idea is that if less than 90, less force is required and the lift up you describe might be appreciated for big logs? Just a thought.

Anyway, the splitter I am now operating has a 42-degree wedge angle and an 80-degree slant angle. This little dream operates on a 6 hp engine, 2-stage, 16 gpm pump, and a miniscule 3" cylinder. It will outsplit a bigger one running on a single-stage, 16 gpm pump, 4" cylinder, and an 8 hp engine. That one has a 35-degree wedge with no slant. I'm starting to think that the better wedge design has a lot to do with it.


----------



## eric_271 (Oct 22, 2009)

This is the only one of 5 different splitters that I have run that has never been stopped or had a piece of wood stuck on it.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Oct 22, 2009)

*Looks Good, Eric*



eric_271 said:


> This is the only one of 5 different splitters that I have run that has never been stopped or had a piece of wood stuck on it.


Excellent, Eric! A 2-stage wedge? It looks like the front snout has about the same angle on it as the back of the wedge. It starts the splitting action and then the back of the wedge eventually takes over when the log starts to give.

I like this idea. Looks like the wedge angle on both the front and the back is between 45 and 55 degrees, but it's a bit hard to tell. Can you get a ballpark measurement on it?

This has got to be superior to anything being sold at the supply shops (like Northern Tool). Note also the taper of the bottom plate that prevents a jam up against the outer edge of the log.


----------



## Curlycherry1 (Oct 22, 2009)

eric_271 said:


> This is the only one of 5 different splitters that I have run that has never been stopped or had a piece of wood stuck on it.



I used a splitter with a wedge like that and from what I found, the stringy wood had would cause the ram to have to exert more force all the way through the split. For knarly wood it the pump would kick into second stage and stay there through the whole log. With the straight hunk of steel with just a taper on the front, the pump would drop back to first stage and stay there.

I also tore three of those off my beam in the space of about 2 years and ~1500 face cords of wood. After the 3rd time we decided to got with the flat steel and never had a problem other than the steel tearing once.


----------



## triptester (Oct 22, 2009)

I think the search for the perfect splitter wedge may be impossible to find due to many variables such as , fixed wedge ,moving wedge, cylinder size ,and mainly type of wood. Wood that splits easily will often work quicker with a wide or winged wedge especially when mounted on a ram. With stringy wood a narrow fixed wedge often works better where the following block finishes pushing the first.


----------



## eric_271 (Oct 22, 2009)

Wood Doctor said:


> Excellent, Eric! A 2-stage wedge? It looks like the front snout has about the same angle on it as the back of the wedge. It starts the splitting action and then the back of the wedge eventually takes over when the log starts to give..



The thin knife makes it easier starting the split and yes the wide back end spreads the wood much faster. Normally I don't have to run the wedge much past half way out which shortens cycle time.


----------



## eric_271 (Oct 22, 2009)

Curlycherry1 said:


> I also tore three of those off my beam in the space of about 2 years and ~1500 face cords of wood.



The differance between this one and yours is that this one can not be torn or broken off. If I had built yours you would not have had that problem either.


----------



## eric_271 (Oct 22, 2009)

Wood Doctor said:


> I like this idea. Looks like the wedge angle on both the front and the back is between 45 and 55 degrees, but it's a bit hard to tell. Can you get a ballpark measurement on it?



I will get you the measurements Doc.


----------



## Curlycherry1 (Oct 22, 2009)

eric_271 said:


> The differance between this one and yours is that this one can not be torn or broken off. If I had built yours you would not have had that problem either.



Baah! I can break anything! When I tore the ones off my splitter the welder was impressed. When he said he would fix me for good and changed to the flat steel he said he was 100% sure I would not be back with that problem again. A year later I had torn the steel wedge, just like a piece of paper about 1.5" above the beam. Split the steel right in half. It was all sparkly and pretty, kind of like diamonds.


----------



## eric_271 (Oct 22, 2009)

*Wood Doc*

Let me know if this does not tell you what you want to know.


----------



## eric_271 (Oct 22, 2009)

Curlycherry1 said:


> Baah! I can break anything! When I tore the ones off my splitter the welder was impressed. When he said he would fix me for good and changed to the flat steel he said he was 100% sure I would not be back with that problem again. A year later I had torn the steel wedge, just like a piece of paper about 1.5" above the beam. Split the steel right in half. It was all sparkly and pretty, kind of like diamonds.



Yeah and all welders are created equal right?


----------



## eric_271 (Oct 22, 2009)

The back plate on the wedge is 1'' 1/2 thick and the sides are 1/2 thick. The knife is 1'' thick 4'' front to back and 9'' tall 4130 that I heat treated. Its all welded inside then capped and welded on the out side.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Oct 22, 2009)

*Here are the wedge angles*



eric_271 said:


> Let me know if this does not tell you what you want to know.


That's all I needed to calculate the angles to within a degree or so. I get 42 degrees on the front nose and 48 degrees on the back wedge.

A few may disagree a hair. I used MS publisher to draw a trapezoid for the back wedge and then added a triangle on the nose of the trapezoid. That's a bit crude but effective.

If it doen't pop, the log will start to contact the back wedge exactly half way up its sides and the back wedge will then start prying it apart as the "second stage" of the wedge kicks in. Note also that you are reducing sliding friction because almost half the wedge doesn't contact the log during the split. 

Frankly, Eric, I think this is rather ingenious design.


----------



## Steve NW WI (Oct 22, 2009)

Got to thinking a bit while reading some of the failure posts above. On my splitter, my tall narrow wedge is 16" tall. (It is also close to 20" front to back, so a lot of welded area.) Angling the top of the wedge inward (toward the ram) would give a lot more leverage toward tearing / breaking it out, and the opposite with one leaned back. If I were to make another, probably a 10° lean to the back might be a good addition, but I would lose the split through ability I talked about earlier, unless I put a similar angle on the ram.

Just some more fuel for the fire. This is kinda fun. I'm no engineer, but I'm working on a PhD in Applied Hillbilly Injuneering!


----------



## eric_271 (Oct 22, 2009)

Wood Doctor said:


> That's all I needed to calculate the angles to within a degree or so. I get 42 degrees on the front nose and 48 degrees on the back wedge.
> 
> A few may disagree a hair. I used MS publisher to draw a trapezoid for the back wedge and then added a triangle on the nose of the trapezoid. That's a bit crude but effective.
> 
> ...



Lol thanks but the wedge was invented before I came along. This is just my version


----------



## eric_271 (Oct 22, 2009)

Steve NW WI said:


> I'm no engineer, but I'm working on a PhD in Applied Hillbilly Injuneering!



Lol yeah me to.


----------



## huskys rule (Nov 8, 2009)

I have always built my own and use a piece of 1" with a double bevel about 1.75" back then weld an x-tra kicker of bucket edge on for a double angle and to kick the log wide open.


----------



## gink595 (Nov 8, 2009)

I've played around with a couple different methods, I was using a single 1" wedge with a kickout at the bottom to "crack" the bottom.







I didn't really care for how it worked with the 4-way, the little bump out seemed to work, but If I did it again I would put it in the middle of the wedge and see how that works. The problem I had with the bump out wedge at the bottom is that sometimes a piece would want to rid up on it, and then ride the wedge up.

I have since revamped my wedge system, I haven't completed it but have tried out the songle portion of it ans it seemed to cut easier.


----------



## huskys rule (Nov 8, 2009)

nice i had thought about doing that adjustable 4-way but never did. good job


----------



## archertwo (Nov 8, 2009)

My front splitting wedge is as straight as I could weld it to being 90 degrees to the beam. It's made out of a 12" x 6" X 1" piece of 400 hard steel with wedges cut out of 5" channel iron to form the wedge portion on the back.
If I had it do do over again I'd eliminate the channel iron wedge portion. I think now that it's overkill.
The 4-way wedge is angled so the block coming from the first wedge hits it as square as possible. It seem to be working out pretty well. I've only split 5 cords with the 4-way attached. Time will tell.


----------



## super3 (Nov 8, 2009)

eric_271 said:


> Yeah and all welders are created equal right?




There ya go.


----------



## Junkfxr (Nov 9, 2009)

I don't think that there is such a thing as an ideal all round wedge design. I believe that it all depends on the wood. I had a really interesting experince with that this weekend. I live in central VA and most of our firewood comes off of the easten side of the Appalachians. The only really easy splitting hardwoods we have are red oak but the predominant hardwood for firewood here is white oak. That stuff is just nasty and stringy. I have broken and torn several wedges off of the splitter and spent hours beating stuck blocks off of the wedge (fixed wedge). When I was a kid growing up in the mountains of SW VA, all we had to split with was an ax and I hated to split white oak, always ended up with the wedges. I visited a friend in western MI this weekend and while I was there we cut and split a couple white oaks on his place. I couldn't believe how easy that stuff split, it just popped apart with the maul, kind of like red oak around here does. At first, I thought that it wasn't white oak but that's what it was. So what's the difference in where it grows? Wind? Minerals? Climate? Growth ring size from rain? I have always thought that the wedge design depended on the wood but after seeing the difference in the same species grown in two different areas, you'll not convence me otherwise.


----------



## SAWFISH (Nov 9, 2009)

Here is a pic of one that I had made, I was worried about it going through the stringy stuff but so far no problem. I was sick of the wimpy one that came on the Huskee splitter.


----------



## flxblx (Nov 18, 2009)

My 2 cents on wedge design. Local weld shop made this in the late 70's.

First time I have tried to attach a picture.

The wedge has worked well for us for many years.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Nov 18, 2009)

Looks like the back angle of the wedge that FlxBlx posted is about the same as the entire wedge angle that SawFish posted. Both appear to be just under 50 degrees. The 2-stage approach the FlxBlx shows still seems to have a lot to offer. Both of these wedges look to be an improvement over store-bought offerings.


----------



## kgreer (Nov 18, 2009)

Wood Doctor said:


> Excellent, Eric! A 2-stage wedge? It looks like the front snout has about the same angle on it as the back of the wedge. It starts the splitting action and then the back of the wedge eventually takes over when the log starts to give.
> 
> I like this idea. Looks like the wedge angle on both the front and the back is between 45 and 55 degrees, but it's a bit hard to tell. Can you get a ballpark measurement on it?
> 
> This has got to be superior to anything being sold at the supply shops (like Northern Tool). Note also the taper of the bottom plate that prevents a jam up against the outer edge of the log.



Yes, I agree. Alot of splitters out there have a wedge like this. The first part of the blade that does the initial split could be made a bit longer so that it cuts deeper before the spreader part bites in and pops the piece. That way if your cutting really stringy stuff it gets the piece a little deeper before the pop.


----------



## BlueRidgeMark (Nov 18, 2009)

Curlycherry1 said:


> Firewood processors (Timberwolf, Multitec, CordKing) always move the wood through a fixed wedge. They are designed for production. There, it is settled, done!




Yep. And maximum production means you obtain logs that are easy to move around. You do NOT want monster rounds.

Which is why....




Wood Doctor said:


> We also know that well over half the splitters being sold today are made with the wedge moving and the toe plate stationary. That design allows for the easiest swing up from horizontol to vertical in order to accommodate the monster rounds.





Which is why those of us who take what wood we can get free, and most of that IS monster rounds, prefer the wedge on the ram.


There is no such thing as "one size fits all". Different conditions call for different tools.

Ever notice how many types of hammers there are? Screwdrivers? Wrenches? Trucks? Etc., etc. etc.

There's good reason for that.


----------



## kgreer (Nov 18, 2009)

triptester said:


> I think the search for the perfect splitter wedge may be impossible to find due to many variables such as , fixed wedge ,moving wedge, cylinder size ,and mainly type of wood. Wood that splits easily will often work quicker with a wide or winged wedge especially when mounted on a ram. With stringy wood a narrow fixed wedge often works better where the following block finishes pushing the first.



What about designing a wedge with a slip over spreader part. The main wedge would be flat for the stringy wood and then a slip over block that adds the steep angle to get the wood to pop apart quicker.
The best of both worlds!


----------



## BlueRidgeMark (Nov 18, 2009)

I don't remember where, but I saw a wedge that looked liked this:









The idea was to start the split wit the small part. 


kgreer, I think you have the answer. Different wood, different tool.


----------



## flxblx (Nov 18, 2009)

Wood Doctor said:


> Looks like the back angle of the wedge that FlxBlx posted is about the same as the entire wedge angle that SawFish posted. Both appear to be just under 50 degrees. The 2-stage approach the FlxBlx shows still seems to have a lot to offer. Both of these wedges look to be an improvement over store-bought offerings.



Even in Elm and Hackberry (elm family) 2nd stage of the pump RARELY kicks in. This was originally used with a single stage pump. This wedge makes a very good combination with the 2 stage pump.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Nov 18, 2009)

*2-stage wedge + 2-stage pump = Ideal Splitter*



flxblx said:


> Even in Elm and Hackberry (elm family) 2nd stage of the pump RARELY kicks in. This was originally used with a single stage pump. This wedge makes a very good combination with the 2 stage pump.


Mark, et al., I think we have something here. Perhaps the wedge should be designed somewhat in conjunction with the pump. When the quick first stage of the pump cannot get the job done, the second stage comes in and finishes it off (most of the time). The wedge should match that performance. The wider portion of the wedge may really only be needed with the tough stuff, but without it, you are a cooked goose.

Around here, at least half the logs that I split need that second stage, not only for crotch but also embedded branches that appear from nowhere.


----------



## triptester (Nov 18, 2009)

Blue RidgeMark,

The wedge you shown in your post is I believe the wedge used on the small Timberwolf TW P1 splitter. It is designed that way so their 4-way can slip on with reducing the openning between wedge and push plate.


----------



## gink595 (Nov 18, 2009)

triptester said:


> Blue RidgeMark,
> 
> The wedge you shown in your post is I believe the wedge used on the small Timberwolf TW P1 splitter. It is designed that way so their 4-way can slip on with reducing the openning between wedge and push plate.



I made that set up when I made my first wedge, it did work but if I were to do it again I would make that bump out in the middle of the wedge instead, I think your right though TW uses it for there 4-way. But I had seen some manufaturer put them in the middle.


----------



## milkie62 (Nov 22, 2009)

I have a slip on wedge very similar to a Timberwolf TW-P1. I have a 4x24 cylinder and my pump pegs a 2350 psi.Mine setup will only split straight grain wood with the 4 way.It rarely goes over 1500 psi in 2 way mode. I am not a welder so I more or less have to leave what I have alone.I did build my splitter from scratch and had a super professional welder do it up for me.It has worked well for me for the 20 yrs I have used it.Only issue was a dry-rotted tire which was dry rotted when it was aquired.I do want to build a new one which will be taller (I am 6'2") ,have a 5x30 cylinder,22gal pump,Hydraulic 4 way ,log lift, and any other goody I can think of.Also will have cylinder stops so max length can be established for customer specific length


----------



## Kong (Nov 22, 2009)

I've read these 4 pages of replys with interest and I notice one thing that I expected to be discussed early that has been overlooked entirely. Are you talking about cutting wood or splitting it? I think a dull wedge is far superior in most woods to a sharp blade. Once the wedge starts to cut rather than split your efficiency drops like a stone. Idealy a dull blade separates the fibers of the wood and the split (as noted in an early reply) preceeds the blade as the wood separates more or less effortlessly. However once the blade cuts across the grain as it will in any twisted grain wood then the only thing that keeps the separation going is the raw power of the splitter. Once again, I suspect the sharpness or dullness of the blade has more to do with this than its angle.

Who knows? I could be right, I could be wrong, 50-50 chance.


----------



## Wood Doctor (Nov 22, 2009)

Kong said:


> I've read these 4 pages of replys with interest and I notice one thing that I expected to be discussed early that has been overlooked entirely. Are you talking about cutting wood or splitting it? I think a dull wedge is far superior in most woods to a sharp blade. Once the wedge starts to cut rather than split your efficiency drops like a stone. Idealy a dull blade separates the fibers of the wood and the split (as noted in an early reply) preceeds the blade as the wood separates more or less effortlessly. However once the blade cuts across the grain as it will in any twisted grain wood then the only thing that keeps the separation going is the raw power of the splitter. Once again, I suspect the sharpness or dullness of the blade has more to do with this than its angle.
> 
> Who knows? I could be right, I could be wrong, 50-50 chance.


Good advice, Kong. I have been told by (and agree with) many experienced wood splitters that a super sharp wedge is to be avoided. Splitting twisted grain wood proves the point. The sharp wedge cuts reather than splits twisted grain. Working with multi-crotch wood demonstates that again and again.

About the only advantage a sharp wedge has is its ability to cleave off burl knots or sucker branch stubs that the sawyer forgot to remove.


----------



## arro222 (Dec 20, 2009)

TreeCo said:


> My splitter has a one inch thick rather dull fronted wedge. I use a slip on 4 way that Northern tool sells.....it's almost twenty years old....The wedge is also the one sold by Northern Tool twenty years ago. The wedge is rather dull like I was saying, maybe a half inch wide and rounded on it's front from years of use of the slip on 4 way.
> 
> Every few years I get the top part of the wedge built up a bit because the 4 way wants to slide up on some pieces and it's rather irritating. I'm ready to get it built up again and this time I think I'm going to have the welder build up the inside of the 4 way a bit and see if that works better.



I just started using a powered splitter 11 years ago. It took me 25 years of hand splitting to finally cross over. I tossed around the idea of getting a 4 way for years as I did not know if it would be worth it. I got one just 2 days ago. Here is what I experienced. First it definitely speeds up things, 2. It has destroyed my beam wedge as I guess it was built for a 1" thick splitter wedge. ( mine is 5/8") 3. It will not stay put and rides up as well.
I've put 6 rounds of wood through it and I'm ready to toss it. The wedge came from Ramsplitter and the proprietor was nice enough to place the cross wedge further down the center wedge. This allows me to split more rounds in the middle by just turning the wedge upside down, that is if I can get it to work correctly


----------



## milkie62 (Dec 20, 2009)

*Exploding wood*

Does anybody experience their wood blasting off the 4 way at times ? On some even straight grain pine mine will grenade off the end---not all pieces just some.It is just the horizontal wedge that does this.It is 3/4" thick.


----------



## arro222 (Dec 22, 2009)

milkie62 said:


> Does anybody experience their wood blasting off the 4 way at times ? On some even straight grain pine mine will grenade off the end---not all pieces just some.It is just the horizontal wedge that does this.It is 3/4" thick.



It may have to do with how sharp or dull the leading edge is. On the few pieces I did with mine it was the opposite. The leading edge was dull but the wings were sharp. I'd get a pop with the vertical edge annd a slice with the horizontal.


----------



## Split this! (Dec 22, 2009)

I built my own splitter, I could not figure out how to attach the wedge to the ram and beam without an engineers degree, so I welded the 2" wedge directly to the beam and built a flat plate on the front of the ram. It was easier to come up with an attachment to the beam with the large flat push plate. Sometimes with angle cuts the wood tries to push up away from the wedge as it's passing threw, so I let it push all the way, then flip the wood over and send it threw from the other side. When I'm cutting my own wood, I make all cuts square, but a lot of times, and more often then not, someone in the neighborhood is having a tree taken down and they offer me the wood already on the ground, cut into lengths, can't beat that! I've never had a problem with the weld breaking, I guess I need to keep my fingers crossed.


----------

