Log splitter wedge

[Mac B.]

How tall should the wedge be compared to the pusher? I have built a log splitter and it does not split as big of logs as I would want to. The wedge is about twice as tall as my pusher. My pump is a 11 gpm 2 stage with a 5" cylinder. Also what tonage should this be and what should it split? Sorry for all the questions but this is my first splitter.

Thanks Mac

 

[mga]

should split just about anything.

what size engine you running?

 

[Mac B.]

I forgot that it is a 6 hp Briggs. Ihave been told that my wedge is to tall.

 

[fourfivefour]

My pusher is 8x8 and the wedge is 12".
If you have really big rounds, you may have to start at the edges and break the log down from the outside in. Irregular wood and really large rounds will stop my splitter occasionally, it goes up on the pressure relief, won't stall the engine, just won't push it.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Hmmm....

I have a Sears 20 ton splitter with a (replaced) Honda 5 hp engine on it. I have split 40" elm, noodled once, with no problem (nice dry, straight wood).

My wedge is maybe 8" high.

 

[SWI Don]

I have a 5" cylinder 10" tall pusher 12" tall wedge with compound that makes it about 5" wide at the back and the bypass pressure is set at 3000 psi. I have split green elm rounds 4' across (log lift required) and white oak up to 30" in diameter. I have also stopped it on some 18" walnut crotch wood that I was trying to split the hard way.

First thing is to be smart on how you split your wood. The more tonnage the more leeway you get. Guys splitting by hand learn to read the wood real well as a matter of survival. Guys with splitters get various amounts of leeway depending on the ratio of tonnage to max wedge width.

If I had a straight 1" wide wedge with 30 ton, I should be able to shear wood cross ways if desired, but with the compound that is not the case always. The compound does allow me to short stroke the splitter as it will pop the wood on species that are not as stringy to speed up production.

On the 30" oak I still had some rounds that I had to flip after running them through once because they did not split cleanly.

With a 5" cylinder you should have plenty of power to split most anything. As far as height I would have them fairly closely matched. I like to stack two 6 inch pieces to speed production on the smaller wood that only needs split once. If I had a 6" tall pusher I couldn't do that. The taller your pusher and wedge the more stress you put on your beam since the log has more leverage.

Don

 

[John D]

Height of the wedge should be limited by the size of the I beam.A 1 foot tall wedge can exert double the twisting/bending force on the i beam as a 6" high one.If you have a 6" tall I beam,i'd stay under 8" with a 5 " cylinder.I have a 8" tall beam,and use a 1ft tall wedge w 5" cylinder.Not much stops a 5" cyl with 3400psi behind it.

 

[mga]

I forgot that it is a 6 hp Briggs. Ihave been told that my wedge is to tall.

i don't see how the height of the wedge should have any bearing on how it splits.

i'd be more inclined to blame the small engine trying to supply the power. with an 11gpm two stage pump, you should be using at least at or near 10 hp.

here's a link you can use.......

http://www.baumhydraulics.com/calculators/cyl_calc.htm

 

[Mac B.]

Thanks for the replies. I just thought the splitter should split more than it does. I was trying to split 30" oak and that is what was giving me the problem. It also had a wierd grain to it. How do you figure out the tonage of a home built splitter?


Thanks Mac

 

[boostnut]

i'd be more inclined to blame the small engine trying to supply the power. with an 11gpm two stage pump, you should be using at least at or near 10 hp.

Whaaaaaaa? 10 hp to run an 11 gpm pump? You'd be pi$$ing money down the drain in fuel consumption to run this combination. The typical rule of thumb is 2 to 1. 2 gpm per hp. A 6hp motor is perfect to run an 11 gpm pump (my honda 5hp even runs my 11 gpm pump just fine).

Now, back to the OP's question. Your pusher and wedge height should really be based on your beams strength. What beam are you using? Also, a splitter with a 5" cylinder should be able to plow through most anything. Do you have a pressure gauge plumbed into your hydraulic system? What pressures are you running?

 

[John D]

your setup should split just about anything,a little slow though,as a 5" cylinder and an 11 GPM pump are not a match for speed,but it still should split anything,just slowly.You need a pressure guage on the cylinder feed line,to see where the pressure is set too.It may be set too low,which would explain your problem.Personally ,id set it around the max psi of your weakest component,which is probably around 3000PSI.

 

[JONSEREDFAN6069]

thanks for the replies. I just thought the splitter should split more than it does. I was trying to split 30" oak and that is what was giving me the problem. It also had a wierd grain to it. How do you figure out the tonage of a home built splitter?


Thanks mac

i'm wondering if he has burl oak. Sorry i think thats what the name of that oak is. Isn't it like a p.i.t.a to split. Heard it was like trying to split i peice of iron. It's a ****** to split dry cant imagine wet.

 

[ray benson]

I forgot that it is a 6 hp Briggs. Ihave been told that my wedge is to tall.

An 11 gpm 2 stage pump recommends at least a 5 hp motor.
A 16 gpm 2 stage pump recommends at least an 8 hp motor.

My pusher is 8"x8" and the wedge is 10" tall. It works just fine even with rounds that take 2 men to lift.

 

[Mac B.]

My beam is a 8" I beam and I don't have a pressure gauge. When I get a gauge is there an adjustment on the pump for pressure?


Thanks Mac

 

[ray benson]

Relief pressure is set on the control valve that use the Barnes/Haldex 2 stage pumps.

 

[husky455rancher]

i got a 5hp honda and a 11gpm pump. if i had to guess the wedge is 6-8" tall. i think your problem is the size of the wedge. it takes alot more force to cram 12" of steel through a piece of wood than it does 6" or 8".

 

[John D]

i got a 5hp honda and a 11gpm pump. if i had to guess the wedge is 6-8" tall. i think your problem is the size of the wedge. it takes alot more force to cram 12" of steel through a piece of wood than it does 6" or 8".

A 12" wedge should be easy with a 5" cylinder,and 3000psi. Mine blows thru wood like its not even there 5" cyl,and 12" wedge will split anything Ive thrown at it without slowing down.Should be able to put a 4 way over it and still not have any issues.

 

[SWI Don]

There seems to be a common misconception that engine horsepower has something to do with how much force / how big of log I can split. When matched to a properly sized pump the original poster's 5hp engine will split anything my 18 hp splitter will split given similar wedge designs. Force (tonnage) is strictly a product of cylinder size and relief pressure. Engine size / pump size have nothing to do with it.

What bigger engines and pumps give you is more speed. The 28 gpm pump that my splitter has will allow it to run circles around the 11 gpm equipped machine of the op. But, speed costs $$$, pump costs 4x, hoses cost 2x, have to buy the big valves 1.5x, bigger tank $$, bigger engine, etc. If he is fine with the speed, great. Not everyone has to go 100mph. High speed is more dangerous. Autocycle is more dangerous.

If your engine is being drug clear down by your splitter you either have a worn out engine, an over-sized pump, a over restricted system, or a non functioning relief valve. I do believe that the 11 gpm two stage pump does work a 5 hp engine more than the 28 gpm pump does my 18 hp. The low speed stage on the 28 gpm is the same size as the 22 gpm and you can run one of those with an 11-13 hp engine.
I remember participating in a contest at the local farm store to bring in a log their splitter wouldn't split. I brought in a 24" long walnut crotch that killed the 5hp engine on the splitter because he didn't have it at full throttle when it hit the bypass pressure. I got a $75 gift card out of the deal.

Now back to the original topic. How wide is your wedge? Is is a 1" knife wedge or does it spread the wood wider?

Don

 

[Mac B.]

My wedge is 1" x 12" tall and is cut on an angle so that the top of wedge hits before the bottom. In other words the top is wider than the bottom.

Thanks Mac

 

[SWI Don]

1" x 12" should cut through just about anything even sideways with a 5" cylinder. Looks like you are not building enough pressure in the cylinder. If your cylinder is in good shape then you need to adjust the bypass pressure in the control valve. You should have a gage to check so you don't over do it and create a hazard.

At 3000 psi you would have ~29 tons of force with a 5" cylinder. at 2000 psi it would be ~18 tons.

With your 1" wide wedge it may not split a big round through as it is not spreading it very wide but it should have no problems pushing the wedge through the rounds.

Don