Splitter Design

[iowa]

Looks good. I used a piece of 1/4" thick angle iron on each side of the wedge to help break the wood faster. Cut one leg shorter than the other and welded caps on the end to keep it from getting junk in it, water, dirt, etc.

Why so many bolts? WOW. I have three 1/2" bolts per side. It's not like they have that much pressure on them.

I like the idea of the flat heads though!!!

 

[jthornton]

Looks good. I used a piece of 1/4" thick angle iron on each side of the wedge to help break the wood faster. Cut one leg shorter than the other and welded caps on the end to keep it from getting junk in it, water, dirt, etc.

Thanks, I'm slowly getting there.

Why so many bolts? WOW. I have three 1/2" bolts per side. It's not like they have that much pressure on them.

I like the idea of the flat heads though!!!

I didn't think of using angle and I have some 1/4" thick material on hand...

Why so many? Because I can do it with a push of the button and it looks good so it must be good! I used 3/8" flat head socket screws so the head diameter would be smaller and easier to make the counter sink.

John

 

[iowa]

I didn't think of using angle and I have some 1/4" thick material on hand...

Why so many? Because I can do it with a push of the button and it looks good so it must be good! I used 3/8" flat head socket screws so the head diameter would be smaller and easier to make the counter sink.

John

Ahh.. Gotcha. I'm all manual here. So the less holes the better!!!

 

[iowa]

Here's a pic of my wedge design. :msp_biggrin:

 

[jthornton]

I like it!

I made some progress on my wedge today... just gotta finish gluing that bad boy up and on to the next part.

View attachment 279384View attachment 279385View attachment 279386

John

 

[dave_dj1]

John, you do amazing fab work. I don't have the equipment or the patience...lol I do the best I can.

Keep up the good work and the pics.

 

[jthornton]

John, you do amazing fab work. I don't have the equipment or the patience...lol I do the best I can.

Keep up the good work and the pics.

Dave, thanks I've been working at it for a long time. I started out with the top shelf in a 3'x3' closet as my man cave...

Thanks
John

 

[wndwlkr]

Your doing awesome work jthornton, really enjoying this thread !

 

[jthornton]

Thanks

John

 

[jthornton]

Didn't get to do much yesterday but finished up the wedge today. It was somewhat of a challenge to straighten out the bottom plate after welding on the 1" wedge part. I had to straighten up one side which made the other side too far, weld the wing on the straight side then straiten up the other side...

View attachment 279705

Onward with the other end of the cylinder mount...

John

 

[jthornton]

Managed to get started on the clevis mount for the other end...

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John

 

[dave_dj1]

Lookin' good!

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

if you weren't planning to, I'd highly suggest welding some fishplates on the center of the beam where you joined it. I'd also put on a flat strap on the top of the beam under your cylinder.

 

[jthornton]

if you weren't planning to, I'd highly suggest welding some fishplates on the center of the beam where you joined it. I'd also put on a flat strap on the top of the beam under your cylinder.

I had planned on the fishplates but not a flat strap on top but rather smaller doublers under the top on each side. I'm still considering a few options to strengthen up the beam and the joint.

Just thinking out loud the top of the beam will be under tension and the bottom under compression during the split. So the bottom will be subject to twisting forces as it gets compressed... I'm still not sure if I want to put plates perpendicular to the web of the beam or a long plate parallel to the web and at an angle to make a triangle shape out of the web and the top. I had kinda thought that I might put the small stiffeners perpendicular to the web and box in the smaller beam... maybe do that all the way that would be stiff as all get out.

John

 

[jthornton]

This is where I'm at today, welding in some stiffeners on the dead end of the beam.

View attachment 279960

John

 

[jthornton]

How much clearance do you guys have between the wedge and the backer plate when fully extended? Right now I have 1"...

John

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

How much clearance do you guys have between the wedge and the backer plate when fully extended? Right now I have 1"...

John

I got about 1/32" Not OSHA approved but I split everything including the stringy stuff. Easier to get away with a gap when the pusher is on the cylinder as you can push the next one though to complete the job. Just like with ANY piece of equipment, You can find many ways to get hurt if you start daydreaming.

 

[jthornton]

Thanks Kevin, my wedge is on the cylinder rod so I think I whack a bit off the end of the beam.

John

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

Thanks Kevin, my wedge is on the cylinder rod so I think I whack a bit off the end of the beam.

John

As the piece splits open on the style you and I have you do get a "end break" if you will. The outer edges of the split on the backstop move inward towards the wedge because it's opening up. It reaches a point when it's almost done where the 2 pieces try to go back parallel, this helps split the very end too but from experience, I still like it tight enough to sheer. Personal preference as always.

 

[jthornton]

Thanks Kevin, this is what I ended up with. About 1/4" on the slide plate and 1/2" at the wedge. I did screw up and cut the 1" plate 1/2" short ( I forgot about the slide plate adding to the height of the wedge).

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John