Coldfront
Addicted to ArboristSite
I found a ram off a cat back hoe a 5" with about a 36" stroke and also have a power steering pump off a mack truck I need a control valve and a motor to run the p/s pump any suggestions?
advise building a splitter
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mga
wandering
we must have a hundred threads here about building a log splitter.
try the "search" feature and when you get bored reading the many many suggestions, feel free to ask away.
i'm not sure if that pump is going to work........(?)
try the "search" feature and when you get bored reading the many many suggestions, feel free to ask away.
i'm not sure if that pump is going to work........(?)
If you contact these guys, they will probably have everything you need to make the rest of that splitter and they usually have reasonable prices:
http://www.surpluscenter.com/
The long stroke on that Cat cylinder can be a pain it can slow things done and adds extra material to the splitter frame. The longer the beam the more flex you will get. I have 4 of those Cat cylinders , I have used one for a splitter but I first shortened it to a 24" stroke.
The power steering pump may end up being slow.
The power steering pump may end up being slow.
nosoot
ArboristSite Member
Look at some of the vids on You Tube. Some good machines and some really wasted looking ones!!
I like this DIY model, maybe a little slow? what do others think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfTIH-u6IiU
Cheers
mga
wandering
I like this DIY model, maybe a little slow? what do others think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfTIH-u6IiU
Cheers
nice home made machine!
here's another that was interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sS6RkmWdZU&feature=related
I don't think you'll be happy with the power steering pump - Not enough gpm, and most are only around 1000 psi.
Farmall Guy
ArboristSite Operative
I think you'll want a bigger pum also but you could try it with the power steering pump for a while and see, it might do what you're looking for and it you already have it.
Several years ago I built the spliter we use now, has a 5" cyl with a 48" stroke. The cyl came off a 100' bucket truck from the power company that dad worked for. We use it alot now that we put in the OWB, origanally I was going to use a 4 cyl wisconsin engine to power a pump and have a self contained unit. That idea got scraped when we bought a 100 horse farm tractor to plow the drive way with, now we just plumb the spliter into the remots of the tractor and let her run a little above an idle.
fuel efficent it aint but it sure sounds good and it works geat to boot.
The long stroke hasnt seemed to give a problem but I used 6" I beam thats 1/2" thick so its pretty stout. With the tractor running it I worry more about the slim chance of blowing the wedge off the end of the splitter.
Several years ago I built the spliter we use now, has a 5" cyl with a 48" stroke. The cyl came off a 100' bucket truck from the power company that dad worked for. We use it alot now that we put in the OWB, origanally I was going to use a 4 cyl wisconsin engine to power a pump and have a self contained unit. That idea got scraped when we bought a 100 horse farm tractor to plow the drive way with, now we just plumb the spliter into the remots of the tractor and let her run a little above an idle.
fuel efficent it aint but it sure sounds good and it works geat to boot.The long stroke hasnt seemed to give a problem but I used 6" I beam thats 1/2" thick so its pretty stout. With the tractor running it I worry more about the slim chance of blowing the wedge off the end of the splitter.
i like the first one except for the speed of it. i also thought how it kept going forward on its own was pretty cool. i do see a potectial safety issue there but still it'd be nice to jest let if fly hands free if you wanted to.
Coldfront
Addicted to ArboristSite
I had some other rams laying around with shorter strokes but I thought longer would be better. I don't think it is possible to shorten the stroke without major cutting welding and machining to the cylinder. I have a inside wood furnace and I can only use 19" length logs max to fit in the fire box. But I thought if I ever upgrade to a outside boiler I might want longer length logs. I was looking at some 2 stage pumps because I also don't know what that Mack truck P/S pump will do. I guess the main thing I need to learn is what pump size is best along with what HP. size gas engine I will need then what size pullys to match the rpm of the engine to the hyd. pump. I have plenty of steel at work and I beams and a good wire feed welder, I also dug out an old portable cement mixer with a nice frame, wheels, and axle for towing that I can mount the I beam on. It might be a big project but I have been called a cheap bastard before, specially by my wife.
CharlieG
Addicted to ArboristSite
Buy the Iron and Oak to get the wood in, then experiment with the build up of your own splitter.:notrolls2:
With 2-stage pumps normally 1/2hp. per gallon is recommended to develop 3000 psi. Single stage pumps often require 2 or more horsepower per gallon to develop 3000 psi. On 2-stage pumps the gallons are figured at 3600 rpms, at 1800 rpms output will be half.
Wirenut2266
ArboristSite Guru
I like this DIY model, maybe a little slow? what do others think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfTIH-u6IiU
Cheers
I dunno: The machine itself is nice and simple but......I don't like the detent in both directions. No safety's at all ???? For me, detent in reverse, period. There's a reason "almost" all factory machines don't detent in high pressure stroke.:deadhorse:
Farmall Guy
ArboristSite Operative
Last I knew it was illegal to build and sell a spliter with a detent in both positions. As far as I'm concerned I dont want the ram to move unless I have my hand on the valve, just in case.
The other nice thing about a long cyl is you can mount the valve close to the back so you cant get your fingers where they dont belong and still reach the valve very easy. Makes the process a little slower but at the end of the day I think its a little safer to be back away from the buisness end.
BlueRidgeMark
Addicted to ArboristSite
I like this DIY model, maybe a little slow? what do others think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfTIH-u6IiU
Cheers
Yeah, RIGHT! Nothing you can lift onto it, I'm sure!
Nice splitter, though. Clean workmanship.
But where's he getting 40 tons out of a 5 inch cylinder? That would require 4,074.37 PSI, if my calcs are correct. 5 inch diameter = 19.63495408 square inches. 40 tons = 80,000 pounds. 80,000 pounds / 19.63495408 is 4,074.37 PSI. Did I get that right?
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SWI Don
ArboristSite Guru
With a 5" cylinder I would get at least a 22 gpm pump (I used a 28 gpm) to try to keep the cycle times down. You can use stroke limiters to shorten the stroke of your long cylinder to 19" so you can speed up the cycle time that way also along with gaging your wood.
The "40 ton" splitter in the movie looks to be nicely built but suffers from inadequate pump to get the speed up. I believe he states he has a 16 gpm pump so he is in line with nearly all of the store bought ones. He wasn't running full bore so he wasn't running to potential either.
There are only a hand full that put 22gpm + pumps on their splitters and they are typically 6K plus dollars instead of $800-2500 farm store bought ones. There is nothing wrong with a commercially built log splitter bought at a farm store or other source. Unless you have all of the parts laying around, especially the hydraulic parts, you have to build up market to be able to justify on price.
There is another route and that is to build one of the unique ones that has the table with a vertical splitter on it. I built a horizontal wedge on beam splitter but if I build another one someday that may be in the running. It would have a log lift of course but the ones I have seen look pretty slick.
Don
The "40 ton" splitter in the movie looks to be nicely built but suffers from inadequate pump to get the speed up. I believe he states he has a 16 gpm pump so he is in line with nearly all of the store bought ones. He wasn't running full bore so he wasn't running to potential either.
There are only a hand full that put 22gpm + pumps on their splitters and they are typically 6K plus dollars instead of $800-2500 farm store bought ones. There is nothing wrong with a commercially built log splitter bought at a farm store or other source. Unless you have all of the parts laying around, especially the hydraulic parts, you have to build up market to be able to justify on price.
There is another route and that is to build one of the unique ones that has the table with a vertical splitter on it. I built a horizontal wedge on beam splitter but if I build another one someday that may be in the running. It would have a log lift of course but the ones I have seen look pretty slick.
Don
I agree even though I have detent in both directions. I recognized the danger of it when I replaced the valve with the 'detent-both ways) valve. I won't let anyone else run it because of that. Haven't had an accident yet but I never run it without that thought entering my feeble brain.
Did come close to catching a finger the other day. Almost trapped it between the chunk and the in-feed table.
Harry K
SWI Don
ArboristSite Guru
The splitters with autocycle valves detent in both directions. So are they are commercially available that way. Check out the videos on Timberwolf's website. TW-5 -TW-7 . Maybe they have to be intended for professional use only.
Don
Coldfront
Addicted to ArboristSite
I guess I need to brush up on my hydroulic principles , I figured a 5" piston would take less psi to achieve a suitable pressure for splitting, but I also realize it will take a lot more gpm. Maybe I should dig around the yard for a little bit smaller ram. I was looking at a 2 stage 16 gpm log splitter pump designed to run with up to 3800 rpm motor, from Dalton for $162
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