Thinking of building wood splitter questions

old

Well-known Member
So if you where going to build a splitter which do you do. Wedge pushed by the cylinder or is the wedge on the I-Beam and the wood is pushed into the wedge or does it matter?? If I build one thinking about using my monster maul for the wedge so it can be removed easily so as to do double duty. I have all the cylinders I would need and hyd pumps and control valves just need to put all the piece together to do it
 
I've never built one, but I figure if the wedge were on the cylinder, it would be more apt to twist and turn the rod as it goes trough ugly wood. The trade off with the wedge on the end is, that your wood gets pushed away from you.
 
Old When I built mine I put the wedge on cylinder because I also made it to atand up to split big stuff . I used a 10 horse brigs and i think 11 gal min pump. I also made hyd tip up and lay down. I took the tank off a old sprayer and used the frame to mount the splitter on. Dave
 
Both. I made mine so it splits going both ways. I split the big blocks in half on the lower splitter which uses the extend (stronger stroke)and then use the top splitter for small chunks.( bottom has a fixed wedge, and top has a much shorter moving wedge for the return stroke) It really saves on your back as well not having to bend over so much, plus utilizes both movements of the cylinder.
 
Have a very powerful set up, 7 inch cylinder + chevete power. Put the wedge on the push end. if the wedge is on the dead end the split peaces tend to go flying . Dented the bumper on my truck.
 
Rich, when i built my splitter, i put the wedge on the beam. Works good, no problems. Sometimes it will shoot an oak log out the back, but no problems. I have a pto pump on my farmall b to drive the splitter.
 
When I built mine, I welded the wedge onto the H beam. With a smooth butt plate, it allows the block to move around instead of trying to twist it. For a wedge, I bought 12 inches of heavy bucket replacement cutting edge. Cut it in half and welded them together. It works great until you get into a Y.
 
I have never used a splitter with the wedge on the stationary end so I can't comment on them. The wedge on the cylinder provides you with control over the block as it is split with your hands and your thigh. I would think as stated below you wouldn't have much control of the knarly stuff if it splits suddenly under pressure with the wedge on the I-beam. The biggest thing I don't like about my splitter is that the I-beam is just about knee high. I am bending over just enough while operating the thing that it does get to your back after a while, and I'm not that tall. I'm 5'6". If I were building one, I would make the I-beam about mid thigh height. I would also put a vertical lift cylinder on it to lift the heavy blocks up unto the I-beam. I have used my splitter in the vertical position several times and it's still a PITA to manhandle the big stuff. A neighbor used an old truck wheel and bearing mounted to the splitter so it swiveled 360'. See Adirondack Case Guys pics of his setup also.
 
Old,
If you are building a vertical splitter to handle big heavy blocks, and have to roll them to the splitter, you will want the wedge on the cylinder. Personally, I prefer a horizontal spliter where I can stand up straight to operate.On these you will want the wedge on the end of the frame, not on the cylinder That allows the split wood to fall off the end, and not where you are trying to work. It also allows you to build an adjustible horizontal wedge that just slips over your welded in wedge, that will split a block into 4 peices rather than 2. You will also need to fab up side trays so the chuncks that you need to split a second or third time, won't fall on the ground where you have to bend over and lift them up again.
The pic is of the one that I have modified over the past 40 years. It is now 3pt mtd., and I operate it with the hitch up. the wheels are for moveing it when not on the 3pt. It has a hitch to tow it with a 4 wheeler, or can be rolled around to store it. I built the gin pole fore it a couple years back and it works great to snatch logs out to the woods road and out of piles at small landings, plus I have a block grapple to lift heavy blocks up onto the bed. Most of the time I take the splitter to the logs, rather than draging a lot of logs to a common site. The gin pole drags them to the road, split them and move to next. Come back down the road with trailer and pick the split wood up. Works for me.
Google in (homemade wood spliters) or (homemade wood processors) Tons of videos and ideas. Watch them work and make your own decision.
Loren, the Acg.
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Mine has the wedge on the beam. It is 2 splitting wedges welded together with a wider wedge behind it.
Works great and splits 99.9% of what goes on it.
A tall wedge has to cut knarly wood and takes too much power. The lower wedge will split anything.
Never had a piece of wood come flying off as the others say. The platform that moves with the cylinder catches wood as it is split and you don't have to pick it up off the ground.
Richard in NW SC
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Rich, both ways work OK. I've used both and my personal preference is a splitter with a moving wedge pushing the log against a backstop. The log stays put and just splits apart in front of you. When the log is pushed into the wedge the log is always on the move forward as it splits. I don't know which one is best if the wedge sticks in the log.
 
I have built 6 splitters and still am unsettled on a singular best way to build them. I think it depends on how easy you wish the chore to be vs $ spent. It also somewhat depends on individual preferences and how much you build into it power wise. A mistake made by most on the first go round is underestimating the stresses involved when conditions are not ideal, lots of home built units are rebuilt and patched. Build heavy once is the cheapest route by far.
I am not a big fan of tilting beam splitters due to working bent over but if built that way it has to have the wedge on the cylinder. A horizontal only beam can be built either way and which works best depends on how much umph you build into the splitter. A splitter with a single wedge is best with the wedge on the cylinder. That way you dont have to keep scooting the block back as you resplit, it makes a huge difference with heavy chunks and difficult splitting. If the splitter is heavy enough to run a multi wedge you place the wedge on the beam and the splitter will then shove the finished pieces off the end into a pile or elevator without much additional work from the operator. It somewhat depends on if you plan on a log lift or not. My suggestion is to spend a rainy cold day on Youtube. There are thousands of videos on there that range from slick to ???? laughers.
 
Another thing old. A monster maul shaped like ^ is harder to get the wood started splitting. That is why I put wood wedges in front of the wider wedge. They start splitting the wood easy and the wider wedge spreads it apart. I practiced with several designs before finding this the best. Just went out and took these photos. You see how the platform gives a place to lay wood that needs to be split again.
Richard in NW SC
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Having used both, considering double duty, (press I assume Rich?) and with the kind of wood I get, I'd opt for the wedge on the hydraulic cylinder. I think both are fine, and the wedge on the beam with some catch pans beyond the wedge, is nice for straighter grain wood and higher production, and you see that configuration often in those higher production machines and or processors.

I like having the wedge on the cylinder ram because I can line it up any which way to a log, especially American Elm. It usually works better on that type of wood as I can rotate the log and align with any checks or cracks, making it split easier, and sure you could do it with the wedge on the beam, but if it gets stuck, I can retract the cylinder rod and there are gussets welded to the top of the beam that will catch and unstuck the gnarly piece. Crotch and real gnarly wood if you deal with much of it, I think its better to have the wedge on the cylinder rod. Obviously for larger blocks that you can't lift, if you build one that does go vertical, then you'll want the same configuration. For me, and what I am doing I find it more useful to have it on the cylinder rod, sometimes I can shear wood or even with a tough piece I'll block up the opposite side, and if I need to, I can take the wedge off and replace with a flat plate or anything I like as well as the drop on 4 way wedge, but those work on both regardless. I don't get a lot of heavy blocks but when I do the vertical position is nice, though I mainly use it horizontally. You could easily build what you need for a log lift anyway, I'm still considering one for mine, though I'm strong enough to lift most, with the log gripper too and or the loader bucket, its a nice feature if you are going to where the logs are, I typically tow them in near the house and work there.

I use an old didier, model at a friends farm, wedge on beam and given both work just fine I like mine better, especially on elm and difficult wood, which I get a fair amount of. It may be harder to deal with, but its dense and burns awhile longer, so I'll usually toss those in the stove at the end of the evening before its time to turn in.
 
Simple wedge made from a 12 inch long piece of 8 inch H piling. Nearly 40 years of use behind it.
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I suggest a wedge on cylinder and making a vertical splitter. You will need one inch minimum plate thicker is better. The thicker you go the longe the base plate can be. With a vertical splitter you roll the big ones over.

If you want horizontal I would put wedge on the I beam and make a hoist like ACG.
 
Hello old,

Here is another suggestion, wings optional.
The wedge is on the cylinder because it can be stood up to split wood. I prefer the wedge on the end on the beam,

Guido.
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Rich, I had one that I did NOT make. Wedge was on the beam. Cylinder was from an old crawler blade. Be sure to support the cylinder. I bent the ram on mine and ended up scrapping the whole thing. Not well made and I had not the where-with-all to fix it back in those days.
 
A vertical splitter is nice, but I can't even sit on a stool and bend over to roll the wood on. I can stoop and pick up short blocks of wood for my splitter using my legs to lift instead of my back.
Getting old ain't ain't no fun. Sorry old. No pun intended.
Richard in NW SC
 
There's enough play and wear in a lot sliders that the cylinder can still move around a bit. And side thrust from a knot going in the wedge will transfer into the slider torqueing it even more sideways. Just my opinion
 
I like the one on Youtube that goes on the skid steer. He just sets it over the block and splits it no lifting or nonsense. Could even split into a wagon or trailer.
 
The big blocks will tend to ride up on that one. Also will push hard in the tough stuff. Those wings should taper up to the edge.
 
My splitter can work either vertical or horizontal, but I almost never use it vertical.

The reason is because I don't want to handle the wood any more times than necessary. I cut it into sections in the woods and load it onto a wagon. Then pull the wagon up to the splitter and roll sections off, split them, and toss the pieces onto a trailer that's parked next to the wagon. In vertical mode you have to drop the sections to the ground, then pick up the split pieces - way too much bending and lifting for me.

Either way it would be nice to have a table that the split pieces stay on so you don't have to catch them before they drop to the ground.
 
Hello teddy52food,

No on both counts. That is a factory made unit, and it works just fine. Sliding plate is tapered and works fine. It is a 8 H.P. with a 2 stage pump, not too many pieces give it a challenge,

Guido.
 
Here is a thought that nobody has yet mentioned in this thread....
How about making BOTH the cylinder AND the backstop so that the wedge can be mounted on EITHER ONE. Make a plate and a wedge to mount on either the ram or the backstop. Then, depending on the wood you are splitting, you can configure it to the way that it works the best. That way, you can determine which works best for you, and have the ability to reconfigure it for different wood splitting tasks.
 
I like the wedge on the cylinder for the same reasons others have stated...the wood stays in front of you and it's easier to re-split pieces without chasing them off the end of the splitter.
 

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