Log splitter press

[McAhron]

Heres my splitter/press.I reinforced the ram,beam,and wedge.The die holders are 1/2 steel.The moving die holder is attatched useing three 1/2 grade 8 bolts,the other die holder is welded to the I-beam and the I-beam is held on by 4, 1/2' grade 8 bolts and rest squarley against the splitters 'foot'.The flattening die is 3/4 thick by 3x1.5 and the drawing dies are rounded 3/4".You can see the first billet on top of the beam in the pics.She squishes the steel like clay with no flex in the beam.I actualey mucked up part of the billet because the steel moved so easily.I needed a log-splitter because of a bad back and the fact I use 8-10 cords of wood a year.I can turn it back to a splitter in 5 min or vice versa.I had a lot of fun doing this.The only downside is the noise of the engine.The engines 8 horespower,11gpm haldex pump,4 gallon tank,prince valve.

 

pic2

 

pic3

 

pic 4

[dan pfanenstiel]

Nice, man. Good thinkin' making it convertable. I've wondered if I could make my H frame split logs too, though don't know why I'd need to. Something about all that power.

 

Dan

[McAhron]

I think your press could squish the wood So hows the hamon hunt going.

[dan pfanenstiel]

Oh, I'm sure it'll be good, soon as I finish my honey do's around the house. Gotta get those done before the rains (Roofing and sodding, oh my!)

 

Did you figure out your electrical problems there, McAhron?

 

Dan

[McAhron]

Someone was stealing a large amount of power off the line for a "medical" marijuana grow operation.I here ya about house maintence.Got to finish the roof,dig a drainage ditch,and split another 4 cords of wood plus tons of smaller things.

[Andy Davis]

I like the design, could you give me a little bit more info on wht type of log splitter you used? I'm thinking to myself that building two dies is alot easier than building a whole press... But how well does it work compared to a press? would it do everything a regular press would do? what tonnage would you use? i've seen 30 ton log splitters, but they're $3000 i've also seen 20 ton splitters for around $1200 so it might even be cheaper than building my own. what does everyone think? i've never even seen a log splitter in action, so i'm all ears on suggestions.

[Andy Davis]

just searched around,

 

30 ton 11 gpm 9hp log splitter for $1200 on ebay (harbor freight model)

32 ton, 9.5 hp, 16 gpm on Northern industrial's website for $1500

and a 20 ton 16 gpm 6.5 hp, North Star for $999

 

whadaya think?

any of them worth looking into?

most of them have shipping around $100 in US

[Robert Mayo]

Great idea being a wood burner myself i have been thinking about buying a splitter i have rented one for a day for the last ten years. Thanks for showing us yours.

 

Bob

[guarnera]

just searched around,

 

30 ton 11 gpm 9hp log splitter for $1200 on ebay (harbor freight model)

32 ton, 9.5 hp, 16 gpm on Northern industrial's website for $1500

and a 20 ton 16 gpm 6.5 hp, North Star for $999

 

whadaya think?

any of them worth looking into?

most of them have shipping around $100 in US

 

 

Well Andy, I think you could get by with a log splitter. Maybe very well. I'd go with the one from Northern. But just think about this for a minute, The whole press thing started with a converted log splitter, and has evolved from there. So why did it evolve, and not just stay with everyone using log splitters?

[McAhron]

Well back to life this post is.Andy I sent a PM to you.Its no Ron Claiborne press( would buy if I could have afforded it) but I can make any kind of damascus I want very quickly and it splits wood too.The press now has shielding and larger grade 8 bolts for safety purposes.Peace everyone

Ps.buy the biggest you can get,although the four way wege on the Northern might take some finagling to get around.

Edited November 28, 2007 by McAhron

[matt venier]

Hello McAhron

your log splitter looks pretty stout is it a 30ton? I've been thinking about this for a while and now I have a chunk of land that I can get firewood from so I REALLY need a log splitter for that(and Oh look! I can mash steel with it! who would have guessed?)

 

Matt

[McAhron]

Its a 24ton.I say the bigger the better.

[David D.]

That is such a cool idea!!!!!.....

 

 

Thank you soo much for sharing this with us!!!

 

I think you just saved Andy and I loads of money and tons of headaches!

 

 

We are for sure going with this method!

 

pure simple genius.

[Andy Davis]

Alright, we are buying a Swisher (made in America ) log splitter on Sunday.

22 ton, 11gpm, 7.5HP motor, with electric start.

 

i've heard that if you put transmition fluid (instead of hydraulic fluid) in the tank that it'll run faster/smoother because it is less dense. is this true? or should i just buy the hydraulic fluid and stay with what the directions say?

 

M

Andy

D

[matt venier]

Definitely tell us how you make your dies and how it works/pictures

Good Luck!!!

 

Matt

Edited November 29, 2007 by matt venier

[McAhron]

I dont know anything about using tranny oil.Peace

[Andy Davis]

picked up the splitter. i'll start modifying it soon, i'll try to document the whole process for you guys. lets hope it turns out well!

 

M

Andy

D

[Andy Davis]

update.

i baught a few chunks of 1/2 inch plate steel, and have cut them to the specifications needed (whichs sounds good, but it's to the closest 1/2inch...)

so after i had finished that i took it to one of my dads friends shop to be welded togeather, he welded it up with a stick welder and 6011 rods. everything seemed to go fine, he said "it'll do" so i took his word for it.

i took it home, everything fits like a glove!

so right now i have everything i need to finish it except some 6" by 9" 1/2 inch plates to weld the dies to, but i'll be visitting the junkyard sometime soon and getting those last few pieces.

so far i've had the full preasure of the splitter applied to the welds and they dont budge, so hopefully everything is strong enough to take a constant beating.

i'll send pictures as soon as i finish the dies.

 

i also have AutoCAD drawings if anyone is interested.....

 

Thank God for Bladesmiths Forum!

 

M

Andy

D

[Sam Salvati]

update.

i baught a few chunks of 1/2 inch plate steel, and have cut them to the specifications needed (whichs sounds good, but it's to the closest 1/2inch...)

so after i had finished that i took it to one of my dads friends shop to be welded togeather, he welded it up with a stick welder and 6011 rods. everything seemed to go fine, he said "it'll do" so i took his word for it.

i took it home, everything fits like a glove!

so right now i have everything i need to finish it except some 6" by 9" 1/2 inch plates to weld the dies to, but i'll be visitting the junkyard sometime soon and getting those last few pieces.

so far i've had the full preasure of the splitter applied to the welds and they dont budge, so hopefully everything is strong enough to take a constant beating.

i'll send pictures as soon as i finish the dies.

 

i also have AutoCAD drawings if anyone is interested.....

 

Thank God for Bladesmiths Forum!

 

M

Andy

D

 

 

The best thing about presses, that aside from the hoses getting a split and injecting 3000PSI hydraulic fluid firectly into your body THROUGH your skin(so in other words PROTECT THE HOSES WITHA GUARD) they tend not to explode, with the pressure being applied like they do they peel apart rather than burst.

[dragoncutlery]

i think you want to use trany fliud if your going to be working cold but ether one will work just dont mix them i guess i was and or am going to use trany for cost no other reason but you can always talk to your local hydro suppler for advice

[Ed H]

"The best thing about presses, that aside from the hoses getting a split and injecting 3000PSI hydraulic fluid firectly into your body THROUGH your skin(so in other words PROTECT THE HOSES WITHA GUARD) they tend not to explode, with the pressure being applied like they do they peel apart rather than burst."

 

Not to say it can't happen because it does, but in the 15 years I have worked maintenance in a Plastic Molding machine shop and the 30 years the guy on first shift worked there we have never experienced an oil leak in our shop that would be classified as a pin-hole leak where it would inject itself under your skin. We never insert our fingers to probe the location of an oil leak, just use a piece of paper stuck around where we think it might be coming from just in case it's a pin-hole leak. I wouldn't worry much about this since the Mold machines who some sport 100 horse motors and 60 gallon a minute pumps are not guarded around the hydraluics just around the moving parts. Newer one's sure but more for noise than anything. Worry more about spaying oil on red hot metal....great blow torch.