# home made log splitter



## akhilljack (Sep 9, 2008)

basicly log splitters are expensive. i cant see spending that much money on one if i could just make one. i know you can make one my girlfreinds dad did. i was wondering how many others have and exactly what they used to make it.  he has a b&s;6.5 or so motor, and says an older gm power stearing pump puts out a lot of pressure. i know they do but what other kind of stuff would you use if you could. i will be building mine from the junk yard. all i need is a welder which i have.  just looking for suggestions, like: a pump from a 73-87 chevy/gmc, ram from an old john deere front end loader, etc.


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## kevin j (Sep 9, 2008)

way cheaper to buy a used one than build from scratch, unless you have access to most of it free.
Like saying 'I can build a car cheaper than buying one'. Not.
But think of it as a street rod , or harley chopper, or any artistic challenge.
build one for learning, for creativity, for something unique no one else makes to meet your needs.

You will learn a lot and get some confidence.
learn basic hydraulics. basic structural, welding, etc etc.

Anyway, a power steering pump won't do it. usually 1000-1500 psi max, and 1-2 gpm max. Also, they usually have a flow priority valve in them to have constant output regardless of rpm. (think, if the steering was 4x faster at higher engine rpm on the freeway than in parking maneuvers at idle. not so good)   so increasing the engine speed doesn't give more flow, just more heat.


kcj


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## akhilljack (Sep 9, 2008)

the question is not can it be done but what every one else used. no offense i know what you are trying to say, but there has to be ways around all that. i grew up where my dad made everything we need and all his stuff is still around 25-30 years later. i also have one to look at here so i know it can be done i have visual proof. if people can make a truck run off a wood gas boiler in the bed than surely they can make a wood splitter with a go cart engine and a hydro pump or what ever. i dont believe in giving all my money away for no reason. i have the resorces and the time to make one just looking for what every one else uses and what they have tryed that didnt work.

as far as used ones go i live in fairbanks alaska.  there isnt realy a buch of nice used stuff out here to buy. most people are hermits and they hord things like that for years until they die. i have a better chance on building one for a thousand bucks than try and buy one for 1500 plus 1500 shipping and all that.  plus its easier to fix it if it ever does brake if i built it from scratch because i would know every single part on it and i could get everything from a junk yard saving me time and money shipping things here even from CA it takes a lot of money and time.  not becasue it really costs that much or takes that long but people alow it to happen and no one challenges it.


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## SWI Don (Sep 9, 2008)

Since you have a junk yard to dig from, I am going to assume you can get most of the stuff free.

Things you should buy: 
11 gpm two stage pump Barnes/Haldex or other, since you are running a used 6.5 hp motor that is what you can run.  Most of the equipment you can rob stuff off of will have single stage pumps which would have to be very low gpm (read slow) in order for it to work with your 6.5 hp engine.  If you decide to use an engine with 40-50 hp, then we can start looking for pumps off of farm / construction equipment as you have enough hp to run a single stage pump up to 2000-2500 psi.  The two stage will have a faster cycle time and maximize the amount of splitting you can get done with your engine.

Hoses: basically a safety issue here.  Old hoses off of ?? are rated for ?? and are ?? old?

Pump mount: if you have a vertical engine, then you can either make an adapter plate to use a commercial pump mount or build your own.  The two stage pumps are generally not made to be driven with a chain / pulley.  I have seen it done and Swisher splitters use a belt drive but they may have spec'ed better bearings in the head end of the pump and a larger shaft.

Decide what type of splitter you want to build.  Figure out what cylinder you have to use. Figure out how much pressure you are going to feed it and then the force developed.  The easiest is to scour the web and find a like sized splitter and see what they use for a beam.  Several manufacturers will list the size of beam W6x15 is a 6" wide flange beam that weighs 15# per foot.  It is basically a 6" x 6" beam and about as light as I would use for a 4" cylinder splitter.  When I built mine I did my calculations to determine the Section modulus and went to the local scrap yard with a tape measure and a couple of pages out of the ASIC steel construction manual.  I believe all of the equations are in the machinery's handbook also.  If you don't understand section modulus I would just see what someone else has come up with and borrow their engineering.  I used an W8x48 beam  (8x8  x .7" flange) for my 30 ton splitter (5" cylinder 3000 psi) and there is negligible deflection. Be careful of going with a tall skinny beam as they can want to twist.  I have used a home built that used a tall skinny 12" beam and it would twist when it was loaded.

This will get you a start to get you creative juices flowing.  I built mine to be the equivalent of a Timberwolf TW-6 + higher GPM for about half the cost.  When building a basic splitter with new hydraulics you can not come out ahead IE new cyl, valves, pump, engine, tank, hoses, etc.  

Don


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## akhilljack (Sep 9, 2008)

thanks good info.


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## woodconvert (Sep 9, 2008)

akhilljack said:
			
		

> basicly log splitters are expensive. i cant see spending that much money on one if i could just make one. i know you can make one my girlfreinds dad did. i was wondering how many others have and exactly what they used to make it.  he has a b&s;6.5 or so motor, and says an older gm power stearing pump puts out a lot of pressure. i know they do but what other kind of stuff would you use if you could. i will be building mine from the junk yard. all i need is a welder which i have.  just looking for suggestions, like: a pump from a 73-87 chevy/gmc, ram from an old john deere front end loader, etc.



Aint no doubt about it that it can be done. The better you are with your hands and the better the scrounger you are the cheaper you can do it. I will say, however, that having done one using a power steering pump...I wouldn't go that route. The one I did had a two belt schive on it and in humid or raining conditions the belts always slipped. If possible, get a direct drive type pump with a coupler on it. Also, you will find that the relief valve in the power steering unit will hit bypass easier than you will probably like...which means it'll still be a functional unit but between the belt(s) and the bypass in the pump there will limits reached and not due to a lack of power.


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## kevin j (Sep 9, 2008)

he question is not can it be done but what every one else used. 



that's basically what I was trying to say. Not do it for reasons of economy, but for other reasons, like you listed. Has to be out of necessity, or creativity, or for fun, to make worthwhile.

The one thing IMO non-negotiable is the two stage pump. Ship it in from ebay, surpluscenter, or northern, but you will not be happy with the slow speed of a single stage pump. Cheap alternate: design suction, line sizes, and filter and tank for later two stage, etc, and use the free pumps until then.

anyway, PM me a private email address that will take attachments and I will send many files that are the begiinnings of a website.  I don't think I can send attachments from this board.

k


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## polaris (Sep 9, 2008)

You can do it and do it on the cheap. If..... , and this is the big one, you have access to a junk tractor with decent hydraulics. You will then have your pump, lines and ram from the tractor. If the tractor has an FEL that's even better. Use the FEL ram and controls. You will still need an engine,(large enough to power the pump) a reservoir and an I beam or something like it to support the whole thing. Building your own stuff is cool . The more self sufficient you are the better. I say go for it. If you have to buy the cylinder and pump new then forget it but if you look hard enough I bet you'll find what you need.
Good luck
joe


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## akhilljack (Sep 10, 2008)

thanks. thats pretty much it i find satisfaction from making it myself and coming up with ways to make things work that might not have occured to people, if it costs less thats just a bonus. i was thinking old tractor parts too. there are some junk yards around here that i might get stuff from. the other cool thing is there is a lot of old army stuff around here from when they were here in the 40's and there might be some cool stuff to get off them.


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## Corey (Sep 10, 2008)

My advice last time this came up 



> You’re definitely on the right track.  I would only say - plan ‘everything’ out before you buy ‘anything’.  This may be a somewhat hard, but if you get one piece of the splitter for ‘free’ but it locks you into buying a bunch of other parts that are more expensive - you haven’t saved much.  Likewise, if you get a 5” cylinder and a 5hp motor for free, they really aren’t going to work too well together, so you always have to plan ahead.  It can easily nickel-and-dime you to death when you start looking at wheels, bearings, fittings, hose, power couplers, filters, valves, etc.  You may be surprised at the build cost versus and ‘end of season deal’
> 
> One thing you can do to improve cycle time slightly is get a cylinder with the biggest possible shaft diameter.  This displaces some fluid and will speed the return time



https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/16135/


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## polaris (Sep 10, 2008)

akhilljack said:
			
		

> thanks. thats pretty much it i find satisfaction from making it myself and coming up with ways to make things work that might not have occured to people, if it costs less thats just a bonus. i was thinking old tractor parts too. there are some junk yards around here that i might get stuff from. the other cool thing is there is a lot of old army stuff around here from when they were here in the 40's and there might be some cool stuff to get off them.


  The old military stuff might hold some potential. A whole bunch of military trucks and jeeps had PTO's on them. Have you thought about a PTO driven spilitter? Depending on what stuff you have to work with that might be another option for your project. I hope you do it and post the results.
    Good luck
    joe


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## Dune (Sep 12, 2008)

The "one" part I would definitly buy new, is a log splitter valve. This is a unique valve, that you are not going to find on other equipment, and is needed both for safety and convience. Power steering pumps put out 900 psi max, and don't like doing it. A two stage pump is ideal, speed and power, also unlikely (but possible) to find in a junk yard. If you must use a salvaged pump, it will be nesasary to exactly match the pump to the engine h.p. and rpm. This will require knowing the gallons per minute and pressure output of the pump. The general rule of hydraulic engineering is: One h.p. will produce one gallon of flow at 1500 psi. Hence a 6 h.p. motor cand run a 6 gal./min. pump, at 1500 psi, IF the pumps output is 6 gal/min at 3600 rpm.  However, if one were to use a pump with an output of 6 gpm at 1200 rpm, and couple it to a 3600 rpm motor, the output would be 18 gals, and the motor would stall. However, if one were to gear the drive speed down to 1200 rpm,(3-1 ratio, belt not chain, chain drives have very short lifespan at that speed) then the system would work. Clear as mud? Also, I am very uncomfortable about reusing old hoses, unless they are in mint condition. Please be aware that a pin hole leak in a hydraulic system will cut through flesh like a lazer beam, infecting the body with poison, can kill, blind, maim or cripple you. NEVER CHECK FOR LEAKS WITH YOUR HAND. If you have any questions post them here and I will be glad to help you.


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## dolmen (Sep 13, 2008)

Dunebilly said:
			
		

> The "one" part I would definitly buy new, is a log splitter valve. This is a unique valve, that you are not going to find on other equipment, and is needed both for safety and convience. Power steering pumps put out 900 psi max, and don't like doing it. A two stage pump is ideal, speed and power, also unlikely (but possible) to find in a junk yard. If you must use a salvaged pump, it will be nesasary to exactly match the pump to the engine h.p. and rpm. This will require knowing the gallons per minute and pressure output of the pump. The general rule of hydraulic engineering is: One h.p. will produce one gallon of flow at 1500 psi. Hence a 6 h.p. motor cand run a 6 gal./min. pump, at 1500 psi, IF the pumps output is 6 gal/min at 3600 rpm.  However, if one were to use a pump with an output of 6 gpm at 1200 rpm, and couple it to a 3600 rpm motor, the output would be 18 gals, and the motor would stall. However, if one were to gear the drive speed down to 1200 rpm,(3-1 ratio, belt not chain, chain drives have very short lifespan at that speed) then the system would work. Clear as mud? Also, I am very uncomfortable about reusing old hoses, unless they are in mint condition. Please be aware that a pin hole leak in a hydraulic system will cut through flesh like a lazer beam, infecting the body with poison, can kill, blind, maim or cripple you. NEVER CHECK FOR LEAKS WITH YOUR HAND. If you have any questions post them here and I will be glad to help you.



Dunebilly's warning is so very true....  I had a farmer neighbour who had a hose split, the fluid cut his arm giving him a bad cut and blood poisioning. At one point he was so ill they thought he wasn't going to make it.  So don't skimp on a new hose or two!

Cheers

;-)


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