OH_Varmntr
Burner of stored sunlight
Started burning wood this year and got our old splitter out from the weeds. It was built by my grandpa and my dad some 24-25 years ago. It was made out of a piece of 1" I-beam, a 4" Cross cylinder and the motor was I have no idea what because it's all rusted.
Grandpa and dad said it's been sitting for the better part of 14 years. I knew it was going to take a bit of money to get it going, and I was wrong. It took a LOT of money to get it going.
First we threw a new Honda 13HP GLX motor on it. The old motor was, surprisingly, not seized. I was wanting to get an electric start but this thing starts so easily anyways so no biggie. I put an hour meter on it and it has right at 1.5hrs on it after the little workout I put it through tonight.
We changed the oil, and I went to splitting. Well first problem I noticed was the return detent was sticking badly. Well it ended up overloading the pump in reverse because the detent didn't release and I heard a loud pop. So we took the valve apart to clean everything up and the relief was rusted badly and we couldn't adjust it. It was cracking off at ~3200 psi, on a 4" Cross cylinder.
So we got a new valve and fired it up again. I was only getting 500psi so off came the pump and I found the high pressure side drive gear was blown into 3 pieces. Great, new pump time.
Got a new 16pgm pump, and the shaft is 1/2" instead of the old 7/16" shaft. Dad bored the hole out and broached a new keyway, problem solved. Pump inlet is a pressed in 1" barb fitting so I had to redo the hose from the filter to the pump.
FINALLY got it finished this evening and put a good hours time on it splitting wood. It split everything I threw at it, which included some 20" rounds of hard elm. Well atleast until the oil got hot and then it pooched up and wouldn't split the bigger stuff anymore.
I know there's some work that still needs done on it. First off, it only holds 2.5 gal of oil. The reservior is actually one side of the I-beam that has been boxed in that's only about 18-20" long. I'd like to find a 15.5gal keg as a reservior. Next thing is that it only has 1/2" lines. All the fitting holes are 3/4" but they're all reduced down for an unknown reason. So that's definately a must. I need to get all my wood split then I'll get new hoses made. I think I can find a keg pretty easily.
So between those 2 issues, it runs really well. So here's a few pics. I was losing daylight fast so the pics kinda suck. I also put a 36' chimney on my house today. Runs from my basement where my burner is, all the way to the peak. I still need to add another foot to it to conform to the 3' above the peak rule. And I had some big oaks cut down behind the house a few weeks ago that I've been slowly working on. I got married 2 weeks ago at our house and I've had no time lately for anything lol
Backside of the house, all the wood laying down the hill waiting to be split!
And all my hard work lately equates to...
Grandpa and dad said it's been sitting for the better part of 14 years. I knew it was going to take a bit of money to get it going, and I was wrong. It took a LOT of money to get it going.
First we threw a new Honda 13HP GLX motor on it. The old motor was, surprisingly, not seized. I was wanting to get an electric start but this thing starts so easily anyways so no biggie. I put an hour meter on it and it has right at 1.5hrs on it after the little workout I put it through tonight.
We changed the oil, and I went to splitting. Well first problem I noticed was the return detent was sticking badly. Well it ended up overloading the pump in reverse because the detent didn't release and I heard a loud pop. So we took the valve apart to clean everything up and the relief was rusted badly and we couldn't adjust it. It was cracking off at ~3200 psi, on a 4" Cross cylinder.
So we got a new valve and fired it up again. I was only getting 500psi so off came the pump and I found the high pressure side drive gear was blown into 3 pieces. Great, new pump time.
Got a new 16pgm pump, and the shaft is 1/2" instead of the old 7/16" shaft. Dad bored the hole out and broached a new keyway, problem solved. Pump inlet is a pressed in 1" barb fitting so I had to redo the hose from the filter to the pump.
FINALLY got it finished this evening and put a good hours time on it splitting wood. It split everything I threw at it, which included some 20" rounds of hard elm. Well atleast until the oil got hot and then it pooched up and wouldn't split the bigger stuff anymore.
I know there's some work that still needs done on it. First off, it only holds 2.5 gal of oil. The reservior is actually one side of the I-beam that has been boxed in that's only about 18-20" long. I'd like to find a 15.5gal keg as a reservior. Next thing is that it only has 1/2" lines. All the fitting holes are 3/4" but they're all reduced down for an unknown reason. So that's definately a must. I need to get all my wood split then I'll get new hoses made. I think I can find a keg pretty easily.
So between those 2 issues, it runs really well. So here's a few pics. I was losing daylight fast so the pics kinda suck. I also put a 36' chimney on my house today. Runs from my basement where my burner is, all the way to the peak. I still need to add another foot to it to conform to the 3' above the peak rule. And I had some big oaks cut down behind the house a few weeks ago that I've been slowly working on. I got married 2 weeks ago at our house and I've had no time lately for anything lol
Backside of the house, all the wood laying down the hill waiting to be split!
And all my hard work lately equates to...
Just what a newlywed couple needs. I think it's great you are resurecting that old spliiter.
