Fabbing my own Autocycle. Tell me what you think.

[Whitespider]

Do you fully retract the clyinder when it's not in use to keep the rod in oil and to keep it from being exposed?

Yes... if the splitter will be sitting unused for more than a day or so.

 

[aadoublea]

Yes... if the splitter will be sitting unused for more than a day or so.

Are you sure? That ram is lookin' a tad rusty.

 

[Whitespider]

Yeah, I'm sure. That ain't rust you're seeing... it's dust and sweat drippings from the days work.
That cylinder rod is still as bright and shiny as the day it was new.

 

[ric5141]

I've got my splitter running on auto return now. It took a few hours this afternoon to 'rig it'. This splitter has had a two way detent valve for the past 20 years. The fiberglass tent poles act as a spring and I can adjust tension to determine auto return point by sliding the pulley up or down the rod. Of course it's set to auto return when the slide block hits the ram and the detent kicks back to neutral. I've got about an hour splitting with it and it works pretty good. All parts were stuff I had laying around. The cord hooks to the bottom of the sliding block and there is a small piece of chain on the cord so it hands down at that point so the slack cord doesn't end up tangled up in the engine or other parts of the splitter. I used 1/4 plastic tubing tie straped to the splitter as a channel for the cord at a couple of points to keep the cord out of the way when slack. I've never taken videos with my digital camera and I'll give it a try tomorrow and see how it goes.

:waaaht::crazy1:

 

[Whitespider]

I've got my splitter running on auto return now.

Don't take it wrong 'cause I ain't puttin' it down in any way... but that there is some classic Redneck engineering!!

 

[Iska3]

Years ago we had a garbage truck at work and the packer ran on the same concept as Spiders splitter. If a person could find an old garbage truck and get that valve, it would make a fantastic splitter with auto-return. I think the valve ran on pressure because we could adjust it for the return. Must be a lot of garbage trucks being scrapped out...

 

[Whitespider]

Years ago we had a garbage truck at work and the packer ran on the same concept as Spiders splitter. ... I think the valve ran on pressure because we could adjust it for the return.

That might work, but it ain't the same concept. The auto-return is on my splitter is non-adjustable has nothing to do with pressure (at least not like you're thinking)... the lever just flops into the retract position at the far end of the extend stroke. If it was "pressure" activated, there ain't any way it would stall the engine on a really nasty elm crotch like it will... it just keeps building pressure until the engine can no longer run against it and stalls (there ain't any by-pass). If it was "pressure" activated, the lever would flop into the retract position before the engine stalled. Logboss Manufacturing states that the model 515 (5 HP engine) uses 8000 PSI hydraulic pressure to split wood, mine is the more powerful model 715 (7 HP engine)... I'm assuming it can achieve even greater pressures.

 

[aadoublea]

I've got my splitter running on auto return now. It took a few hours this afternoon to 'rig it'. This splitter has had a two way detent valve for the past 20 years.

HOLY BA-JEEZUS! And I thought mine was a cobbled together mess! HAHA WOWSERS!

As long as it works I guess.......

See you had it easy though, yours is double detent.

Have a good one and uh....nice job,
AA

 

[aadoublea]

Did some more modifying to the splitter today. I took WhiteSpiders idea of having the return stroke adjustable. Now there is no wasted time. Ram only goes back just far enough now and its adjustable. I love it. I reworked the "V" shaped piece that holds the handle down, and beefed up a few other spots. Alright I might have had a few welds break because I only had them tacked. Whoops, I forgot to go back and finish welding them.

I also got rid of the trailer tongue on the front and replaced it with a hand crank lift jack thing. I robbed it off an old trailer I had. So now I don't have to use a block of wood to level the splitter.

I don't trailer this thing down the road so I had no use for the tongue. I just throw it in my 6 by 10 trailer if I need to take it to a job site.

The last thing I did is put a handle on the front of the splitter so I can drag it around. I will say adding all this stuff to the splitter has made it heavier.

I have a couple more things planned for this little splitter as well. Now I want a taller wedge and bigger tires so I don't have to bend over so far. I've already got the stuff laying around for both so shouldn't be to hard to do. Also I'd like to put some time of grip on the face of the push plate. I'm thinking diamond plate.

Tomorrow I'll post up some pictures.

AA

 

[Iska3]

Sounds like you are going in the right direction. That Spider has one handy little splitter. If I ever find one like that round here, it will be in my pole barn for sure.

 

[motoman3b]

Thanks for the inspiration for five bucks I fabbed up auto return on my splitter

Still have some finishing touchs but it works great!