Log Splitter Construction 

 

There are some excellent sites out there showing some unique and innovative log splitter designs by some very creative inventors.  So, I decided to try my hand at one.  Of course all log splitters (even all machines) share some basic fundamental principals that have all been used before.  It's the differences that make things interesting. 

"Everything has been thought of before, the difficulty is only to try to think of them again."   Goethe

I used an eight inch "I" Beam for this logsplitter.  Notice the large and small holes predrilled for possible wires and hoses.  It's far easier to drill the holes on a drill press than later on with a hand held drill, especially when using a hole saw.

The tank axle is also pre-drilled with bi- metal hole saws.  The secret to using a hole saw is to clamp the work well, use the slowest possible speed with properly mixed cutting fluid.  (i.e. oil to water ratio)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bigger the hole, the slower the speed should be.  My rule of thumb is that any hole over one inch should use the slowest speed and even that will be too fast for the larger hole saws with most hobby shop drill presses.  The little ones (good for pilot holes etc. or for wood) usually only go down to 600 rpm and the bigger floor models, with three top pulleys still only get down to about 200 rpm.

Here I'm using my largest drill press at 210 rpm but if I need a really slow speed (using a large hole saw or fly cutter) then I used my milling machine with a drill chuck.  It can turn at 120 rpm.

Here is the "cup holder" plate cut out of 1/8" steel.

The tank axle completed and ready to have the "I" beam welded on.  Notice the "pipe thread" flanges are welded on.  The verticle hydraulic oil fill tube is 1.5" black pipe.  I machined it out at the top to take a 1.5" stainless pipe that was pressed in.  That lets the breather filter fit better, and looks good too.

"You just can't get enough stainless into your creations."

 

 

"I" Beam welded to the tank axle.  Since the motor takes up the most room the "I" Beam is offset but welded on an angle so that the splitter will track centered behind the tow vehicle.

The adjustable height tow bar is in the vertical position and now functions as a leg.

The umbrella mount is noticable as is the 5" "C" channel which holds an engine mount, the opposite one is more visible.

The far end is the receiver for interchangable blades.  This splitter will be able to split logs in two, in four or in six pieces, depending on the blade installed.  - more on that later.

The 1170cc, late 1970's Honda Civic motor that I acquired had some broken bolts and stripped threads including a spark plug hole which had to be re-tapped. The plug was jammed in part way on a different angle to the others. The top timing pulley was on backwards without the bolt and loose. The keyway had to be re-ground and a larger Woodruff key installed.

Here I'm milling out a broken pressure plate bolt from the flywheel, then to be re-tapped.

 

The engine and flywheel are mounted.

After blocking all holes, I sandblasted the engine and gave it a quick coat of some left over "silver grey" car paint.

Notice the driveshaft coming out of the center of the clutch assembly.  That was the mainshaft that went into the gearbox or transmission.  I cut it in half, mounted it on the lathe, ground off the two remaining gears then machined it to a 3/4" shaft.  The keyway was then cut out on the milling machine.  It's at the bottom in this photo, so it doesn't show.

 

 

The 3/8" hydraulic pump mounting plate was drilled out and is now having its corners trimmed, takes up less room, less weight and looks better.

I often use an "F" clamp when holding odd shaped material on my band saw which is only designed to "cut off" lengths of steel. 

A plate must be put on the bottom to hold the clamp properly.

 

Part of the bell housing was "cut out" on the bandsaw to allow room for the pump.

The mounting plate is installed with the starter motor and sprockets.  This method is more versatile than the more common direct shaft mount.  I can adjust the relative  motor and pump speeds by changing the sprocket sizes.  The motor is 50 hp and the pump only requires 20 hp so I have a 28 tooth sprocket on the motor and a 24 tooth one on the pump so that the motor speed will be slower than the pump speed, running quieter with better fuel economy.

 

 

Now the problem is how to mount the radiator.  I took off the mounting plate, milled out an elongated hole so that the pump is now moveable for the chain tension adjustment.

The bottom plate will accept the radiator.

 

 

 

 

 

- more to come when available...

 

 

"...Inactive minds confuse familiarity with knowledge and believe themselves well informed on the whole nature of things because they recognize their form..."  Samuel Johnson 1758