Building a splitter advice please!

[Robert_S]

cool, ive not got a scooby about the hydraulic side sorry mate, im sure someone will be along shortly with a list of numbers and flow rates that are pure gobblygook

[Big J]

cool, ive not got a scooby about the hydraulic side sorry mate, im sure someone will be along shortly with a list of numbers and flow rates that are pure gobblygook

 

Hehe! The geek in me loves the numbers side of things. It's sad, but I enjoy working out the extraction rates on my kiln based on the relative humidities. I'll get my coat....

[treequip]

You can only guess at the pump size until you have the ram. Generally speaking any pump will run any ram but you need to have them pretty much matched or you will be disappointed with the performance.

[chaffey]

It's handy sometimes isn't it? I traded firewood to buy carpets for my living room and i also paid for my puppy with firewood!! Cheap for me!!

[dylan]

going by your hp and rpm at 100% efficency you could use 12cc pump,as hydraulics aren't 100% efficient i'd use a 10cc pump which would give you a flow rate of 24.25 liters/minute(i've used 220bar pressure as the working pressure in the calculations)

you can use any size ram but be aware that the cycle time is dependent of how much oil flow you have

a big ram with a low flow rate pump at 220bar will be very slow but very powerful

a useful chap to talk to is john at system h engineering 01484 846642 hydradrive.co.uk - UK web site

the other thing to remember is to build it strong enough,most of the commercial splitters are built on a comprimise of cost against strength

[Mark James]

Thanks for the replies folks!

 

It's primarily going to be used to splitting up sawmilling off cuts (typically Elm and typically knotty as hell) and splitting 1 meter lengths of cordwood. I reckon I'll be processing about 30 tonnes a year for myself and my neighbour, and would perhaps hire myself out on a day rate basis for firewood production.

 

I found out a bit of info on the motor - it's 15.2 hp @ 2425rpm and seems to be manufactured by Thermo King themselves. Getting it out shouldn't be an issue, and I like the idea that it could be quite efficient as well as very quiet.

 

If I weren't to use the engine for a splitter, what should I use it for?!

 

Thermo king never made an engine ever, there are two different engine's that are branded TK, some are isuzu and some are yanmar, the latter are a little on the soft side but the isuzu as always is a great engine.

[Big J]

Thanks again for the continuing help.

 

Got up ontop of the box today to have another look at the engine and it's a Yanmar. I think that it's around 8 years old (came off a 52 plate truck) so it should be pretty much as new. It was last serviced about 12 months before I got the box too.

 

I spoke to the estate mechanic as well, and he knows a fair bit about hydraulics, so should be sorted there too. My friend who's the engineer is quite keen on the project, so it looks like it's going ahead (with cash funding the parts, and firewood funding the labour!).

 

I'll keep you posted.

 

Jonathan

[Tom at Heartwood]

How did last year's log splitter building project go? It would be good to see some pictures!

 

Cheers, Tom.

Welcome to Heartwood Enterprises

[fifer2000]

Big J.

 

I've been splitting logs for 30 years and I like to think I've used them all.

 

I now keep 2 splitters.One hulking great brute of a thing, 20 ton ram, road towable. Horizontal or vertical. I use this one for breaking down big rings at ground level. I also split 1m billets for crosscutting.

 

Splitter 2 is a 240v/7.5 ton machine with the table at waist height made by Thor. I cannot tell you how much I rate this machine. If you can lift it on, it will deal with it. A bit on the slow side, but knots twisted grain, it will do them all.

 

I'm local to you so if you want to see/try/blether call me.

 

david 0780 808 9354

[DN22 Gardening]

hi,

 

our road towable splitter is powered by a porta pack off ebay £250 (including the gun)

 

its mounted on a Peugeot rear sub frame from the local scrappers (£50) including a couple of usable tyres.

 

the spool valve and ram we ended up buying new from a local Hydro engineers.

 

just about copes with dried euch...just