kinitic log splitter

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reubenT
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Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 11:04 pm
Location: Spencer TN USA

kinitic log splitter

Post by reubenT »

Need to process firewood for biochar in quantity for agriculture development, (divert some for foundry fuel on occasion) I reworked my hydraulic splitter last spring, took it from horizontal to tilt up vertical and added a lift cylinder. But with due consideration I find a better option, the kinetic style. Way more efficient on fuel and several times faster acting. Decided to build one, considering they are pretty expensive to buy. So went hunting for the few parts needed that I don't have or can't make easily. Came across a 3 pitch rack gear discounted from nearly $1000 down to $160, so ordered it, long enough for two splitters. The pinion gear to match is about $250. No discounts found on it. Other than a couple #60 roller chain sprockets and some odds and ends, that's all I need. A project for the next few weeks or months. If I use a gas engine on it I'll use one of my spare baler flywheels, Otherwise I can mount it on the side of my steam truck and run right off the engine flywheel. Since the rack is long enough to make 2, I might make 2 and have one for each application.
Bentworker
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Re: kinitic log splitter

Post by Bentworker »

That should be a cool build.

IMHO it is hard to beat a hydraulic splitter with a regeneration valve so you have two extend speeds.
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John Hasler
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Re: kinitic log splitter

Post by John Hasler »

With just a bit more work you can make it convertible to a drop hammer
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SteveHGraham
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Re: kinitic log splitter

Post by SteveHGraham »

I want to build a conical screw splitter. Small, very fast, and very cheap.
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DianneB
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Re: kinitic log splitter

Post by DianneB »

The fastest and most efficient splitter I have ever seen was on one of the farms where I grew up (1950s). It consisted of about a 5 foot diameter flywheel, probably from a scrapped Hart-Parr tractor, that must have weighed over 500 pounds! There was a steel wedge bolted to the outside of the rim and the wheel was driven about 1 revolution per second by a flat belt from the farm tractor. On the frame that mounted the flywheel was attached a VERY heavy steel table, only about 1 foot square, with a notch in it to match the wedge on the flywheel. The end of the log was set on the table and the top was dropped into the path of the wedge at the appropriate moment and the pieces fell to each side of the table. Similar arrangements were fairly common at the time and they were (for obvious reasons) sometimes called "the widow maker". I still see similar rigs at antique tractor shows and threshing bees.

With that rig, 3 or 4 kids could split and store 5 or 6 cords of stove wood in a weekend. We would fill a 12x18 foot wood shed 8 feet deep in no time.

If you could find a BIG flywheel off an early gas tractor .......
Ironman1
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Re: kinitic log splitter

Post by Ironman1 »

I had a setup almost exactly as you describe it, with a 3 ft cast iron flywheel and double row ball bearing on the 3" shaft, and as I process scrap it was given to me by the owner who had had the splitter knife come off and hit his chest when he was splitting. My dad had used these and told me of them.
I took a hard look at it and grabbed the cutting torch.
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spro
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Re: kinitic log splitter

Post by spro »

That is a different design than OP described, for his uses a flywheel and rack to propel the ram splitter. Back when Steve G was talking conical screw splitters, I watched a few videos about them. In some cases there was a disdain for the hydraulic wedge type used over here. That's fine but there still needs to be pressure feed and that could be played like a fiddle.
OTOH, a combination of the three could result in better than either. Consider instead of a wedge, the screw is spinning due to the geared rack.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: kinitic log splitter

Post by warmstrong1955 »

I still like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdXzaGFkWfU

http://www.hahnmachinery.com/firewood-p ... machinery/

No reason a guy couldn't do a bit of reverse engineering, and build a stationary clone....minus the chainsaw attachment of course.
(Which per the news, are made for AR15's)

;)
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spro
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Re: kinitic log splitter

Post by spro »

I still like that one too. I thought the conical screw wedge design was neat also. A recent craigslist ing has one for sale. Turns out to be a design as old as before with some more modern twists to it. Around the time the 3-point and rear PTO happened, they had these spiral splitters. Depending on how they were arranged, the 3-point could drive the powered spiral down. It was followed by splitting blades at the housing under pressure at the same stroke.
What is old is new again.
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