Hydraulic Splitter Cylinder Port and Rod Size

[cabinetcap]

Long time lurker first time post. I’m Putting together a splitter with a fast cycle time. I got a Barnes 28 gpm pump, I’m looking for s 4” bore 20” stroke cylinder, all I’m finding is cylinders with small rods “1-3/4 , 2”. Also small ports , the largest SAE 10 (5/8”). The rods not a deal breaker but I was hoping for larger ports as my pump, lines and valves are 3/4”. I called around and no luck, everyone wants to sell me off the shelf cylinders.
FYI, I like the 20” stroke , all my wood is 16-18” max. A 4” bore is all I need 15-20 tons max, Not looking for huge tonnage .
My other splitter has tie rod cylinder with cast steel end caps, they have two 1/2” ports on each end cap, could I tap into both of these on the return side and tee them into a 1” or 3/4” line for less restrictive return flow?
Rugged Made has 24” cylinders with 2-1/2” rod and 3/4”npt ports, would prefer SAE 12. Rod end configuration is another story.
Sorry for the rant, just frustrating when you know what you want and can’t find it short of a one off custom cylinder costing over a grand, thank Jay.

 

[TRTermite]

Long time lurker first time post. I’m Putting together a splitter with a fast cycle time. I got a Barnes 28 gpm pump, I’m looking for s 4” bore 20” stroke cylinder, all I’m finding is cylinders with small rods “1-3/4 , 2”. Also small ports , the largest SAE 10 (5/8”). The rods not a deal breaker but I was hoping for larger ports as my pump, lines and valves are 3/4”. I called around and no luck, everyone wants to sell me off the shelf cylinders.
FYI, I like the 20” stroke , all my wood is 16-18” max. A 4” bore is all I need 15-20 tons max, Not looking for huge tonnage .
My other splitter has tie rod cylinder with cast steel end caps, they have two 1/2” ports on each end cap, could I tap into both of these on the return side and tee them into a 1” or 3/4” line for less restrictive return flow?
Rugged Made has 24” cylinders with 2-1/2” rod and 3/4”npt ports, would prefer SAE 12. Rod end configuration is another story.
Sorry for the rant, just frustrating when you know what you want and can’t find it short of a one off custom cylinder costing over a grand, thank Jay.

Put a 3/4" Male Pipe thread to 12 SAE Female adapter (Check out US Supply out of Lincoln Nebraska for good prices and internet access) and go with straight or 45 degree or 90 degree so you can route your hoses as needed. as far as 20 inch stroke VS, 24 inch you might like a bit of space to throw the chunk in if you are certain you want 20 inch long rod/ram find a Machine shop that will cut it down (Shorten) and bore a new hole to your spec or shorten it yourself and weld something on the end. (You will need to research and decide on the many options that will work for you. If you have to have the barrel shortened (don't need to as it will work fine with a shortened rod) cut the base off shorten the barrel and reweld. Unused cylinder will weld easier as you won't have the oil contaminating the weld but a good cleaning will let you weld good enough. When you cut the base off be aware they are machined (All that I have done) like a driveshaft so you get a good strong fit before the weld.

 

[TRTermite]

As far as your return side port question .. You won't need to, -- as the rod/ram displaces a lot of the volume on the retract side in proportion to the volume on the extend side so you are looking mostly at static load on retract. If you want good flow and to keep the oil circulation to avoid heat build up keep you valve as extend port as is logically possible even if it requires linkage from operator to valve handle.
Be careful of the fast cycling time and keep the fingers safe. 28 gallon pump is going to take some pony power if it is a single stage pump.

 

[rancher2]

About twenty years ago I built a splitter with a 4X24X2 cylinder on it with a 28 GPM two stage pump. Wanted a oversized rod cylinder with big ports but couldn't find one. A custom cylinder was twice the cost. Out of my budget. I bought a Prince cylinder from surplus center Lincoln Ne 9-030-24 took it home took it apart and drilled the cylinder ports out and welded one inch pipe fitting on it. Put the cylinder back together. Installed a dump valve on the return stroke and have split hundreds of cords of wood with it and no leaks. That splitter will keep three guys busy.

 

[TRTermite]

About twenty years ago I built a splitter with a 4X24X2 cylinder on it with a 28 GPM two stage pump. Wanted a oversized rod cylinder with big ports but couldn't find one. A custom cylinder was twice the cost. Out of my budget. I bought a Prince cylinder from surplus center Lincoln Ne 9-030-24 took it home took it apart and drilled the cylinder ports out and welded one inch pipe fitting on it. Put the cylinder back together. Installed a dump valve on the return stroke and have split hundreds of cords of wood with it and no leaks. That splitter will keep three guys busy.

How did you plumb the "DUMP VALVE" on the return stroke? In the extend end of the circuit?

 

[Andy607]

Long time lurker first time post. I’m Putting together a splitter with a fast cycle time. I got a Barnes 28 gpm pump, I’m looking for s 4” bore 20” stroke cylinder, all I’m finding is cylinders with small rods “1-3/4 , 2”. Also small ports , the largest SAE 10 (5/8”). The rods not a deal breaker but I was hoping for larger ports as my pump, lines and valves are 3/4”. I called around and no luck, everyone wants to sell me off the shelf cylinders.
FYI, I like the 20” stroke , all my wood is 16-18” max. A 4” bore is all I need 15-20 tons max, Not looking for huge tonnage .
My other splitter has tie rod cylinder with cast steel end caps, they have two 1/2” ports on each end cap, could I tap into both of these on the return side and tee them into a 1” or 3/4” line for less restrictive return flow?
Rugged Made has 24” cylinders with 2-1/2” rod and 3/4”npt ports, would prefer SAE 12. Rod end configuration is another story.
Sorry for the rant, just frustrating when you know what you want and can’t find it short of a one off custom cylinder costing over a grand, thank Jay.

Try Magister Hydraulics.

 

[cabinetcap]

Thanks for the replies, I’m getting inspired already, I looked at Majister web site no luck, I will call them.
I’m getting the feeling I’m going to have to make something up, usually the way it goes when I make something. I don’t have a machine shop but pretty good with the mig.
Prince has a cylinder that’s close, it has SAE 10 ports, is that equivalent to 5/8” ?, why they don’t offer larger ports is beyond me. If I was to modify a cylinder with say an SAE 12 or 16, would it only need to be done on the end cap side of the cylinder, im more concerned about moving fluid out of the cylinder, and yes I’m considering a dump valve. Maybe I’m overthinking this.
FYI, I’m making a tabletop vertical splitter, the pump is 28gpm 2 stage pump. Maybe won’t be full throttle all the time but would like to have the option to crank it up.
Thanks for the ideas , Jay from MA.

 

[nathan4104]

Any local machine shop or hydraulics shop should be able to modify a cylinder for you.
I had my off the shelf cylinder ‘upgraded’ with larger ports and a larger rod. If you’re worried about $, find a new hobby! I think the machine shop bill was about the same as the cylinder, or more. I also added a ‘dump valve’ (pilot operated check valve) The dump valve may have helped speed it up but if I were you I’d run it without it first to see if you really need it.

 

[dave_dj1]

How hard do you want to work? I have a 22 gpm pump and a 4" cyl and it's plenty fast enough for me. I could keep two busy easily with the 4 way on it.

 

[rancher2]

How did you plumb the "DUMP VALVE" on the return stroke? In the extend end of the circuit?

Its just a pilot operated dump valve in the extend end of the cylinder that dumps the oil right back in the tank instead of threw the valve and then to the tank on the return stroke. Its mounted right on the cylinder. How much it helps I don't know as I never ran the splitter with out it. Always wanted a oversized rod cylinder but was too cheap to have one built. This {FREE} firewood wood get expensive some days.

 

[cabinetcap]

Ok, still debating this hydraulic cylinder, the retract is really where I would like to speed things up and rod diameter in relation to bore plays a huge role, one nice thing about a larger rod is It does not change the speed on extend.
I will be running a Wisconsin THD with a 28 gpm pump, probably will never see 3600 rpm. I attached a picture of a chart I put together showing cylinder extend and retract speeds, with different bore and rod sizes , along with gpm and rpm based on a 28 gpm pump, keep in mind I figured these for a 20” stroke. It’s interesting to see how the 4” bore with 1-3/4” rod has the same retract speed as the 5” bore with 3-1/2” rod. I’m more focused on the retract speed here, not tonnage. In the chart you can see some sweet spots, ex. @ 3000 rpm a 4-1/2” bore with 3” rod is not overly fast on the split but quick on the return. Btw the gpm and rpm I came up with are estimates.

PS, contacted Rugged Made about there 4-1/2” bore 3” rod cylinder as it’s a good price, only to find out Its China, one review mentioned how the chrome was pitting from the rod, that’s all I needed to hear.

 

[Huskybill]

Go to the surplus center for a cylinder.

 

[cabinetcap]

Thanks , I’ve been using surplus center and northern for years , always has great service, appearently these large bore / port cylinders are like gold, I got my feelers out, including heavy equipment junk yards.

 

[Huskybill]

I had the parts to build a small splitter. My plans changed when I got a load of steel with bigger I beam. I threw together a 10” H beam and used a two stage pump with a new 8 hp b&s engine, with a 5”x 30” cylinder. Down the road I figured to upgrade the Hydraulic. My point is the bigger wood that refused to split the splitter cut through it. I say get a 5” bore cylinder.

 

[Patrick62]

Fast, powerful, price...
everything in consideration. I have been considering that 28gpm pump for years.
Cant quite justify it... yet.

Zig is still running "old blue" splitter with a 22gpm pump, and a 5" cylinder. Linkage was engineered to kick the cylinder out at 18 inch for most stuff.

Fast enough to be productive, slow enough to be (relatively) safe. And with a honest 22 tons...
it would split bowling balls.

My current splitter is running a 22gpm pump with 1/2 inch ports on the cylinder. Which I consider a bit excessive. It will do it, but there is some loss of efficiency, and the oil gets pretty warm. I'm running the engine at about 3000 on that one, it still runs hot

Is there justification for a 28gpm pump? maybe... but not around here...

There is another way to think about things... smaller cylinder, good speed. Higher pressure to get good power. In the years I have been building splitters, I think that a 4 1/2" cylinder would be the perfect compromise between speed and power.

 

[cabinetcap]

Thanks for the real world examples, I should say I love cutting, working, splitting and burning wood, it’s truly part of my life. I do own two splitters, one is an American CLS horizontal and also a vertical single stage pto splitter both with 4” bore 1-3/4” rod cylinders, I’ve never had a piece of New England wood they could not split and the reliefs are not turned up. The 5” bore cylinder is just to big for what I’m trying to achieve which is a vertical table top splitter with fast return speed similar to the Power Split or Eastonmade Axis, I realize these models are running small 3” high psi cylinders to give the speed and maintain tonnage, I’m not interested in building a high pressure system.

As for the 28 gpm pump coupled to the Wisconsin it would not have to run full out, these motors can pull a load at various rpm, The 28 gpm pump gives a “range of speed “ from 14 gpm to 28.

After searching a Prince Mfg catalog I noticed on there Magnum line they have a rod option up to 2-1/2” on there 4” cylinder, I’m going to be contacting them this week and get the facts. Hydraulic Cylinders Inc will have any cylinder you want made but the lead time starts at 30 weeks. Again thanks for the thought, I’ll touch base with the info from Prince on the large rod 4” cylinder .

Jay from MA