Santa Came Early!

[EatenByLimestone]

Don't tempt him!

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Gordon was recently spotted at in a fit of high energy!

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[Caw]

That's one of my favorite all time videos. Seen it many times lol. Mastiffs are smart and capable they just do things at their own speed.

 

[Caw]

Got some good work done today. I love splitting red oak it just pops. I like to do a variety of sizes and shapes. Some big some small. Lots of rectangles from the bigger pieces. The variety helps with stove tetris down the road.

Anyone who burns a lot of red oak knows exactly what this pile smells like. 2 parts cat piss, 1 part vinegar:

 

[bigealta]

Got some good work done today. I love splitting red oak it just pops. I like to do a variety of sizes and shapes. Some big some small. Lots of rectangles from the bigger pieces. The variety helps with stove tetris down the road.

Anyone who burns a lot of red oak knows exactly what this pile smells like. 2 parts cat piss, 1 part vinegar:

View attachment 321238
View attachment 321239View attachment 321240

Yup smells like 80F+ inside.

 

[Caw]

Made more progress today. Split 5 or 6 big rounds and moved half the pile out back to its permanent home. Time to rest the back and get dinner started.

 

[Caw]

Kindling was running low so I hired a professional. All he requires is food and shelter.

 

[Caw]

Three year old cherry, ash, and maple with brand new red oak behind it? 🥹

 

[Caw]

@Ashful @brenndatomu I'm rejihacking my own thread. Went out and got the splitter today! I d going to buy it up in NH with my dad to save on sales tax but they had a 15% off Xmas eve sale at home that I couldn't pass up. Ended up being $1,399 after tax. I'm going to pick it up Thursday fully assembled, oil included.



PS - Check out the advertised cycle time on the 40 ton. . Crazy $ though and way more power than I need.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

How are you going to keep that kid busy now?

 

[Caw]

How are you going to keep that kid busy now?

Still need plenty of kindling! He will help me operate the splitter and probably do some by hand for fun. I'll save him some small rounds.

 

[peakbagger]

While you are at tractor supply, buy a swivel wheel and figure out how to mount it on the bottom edge of the the beam at the end of the rear end of the cylinder. All the weight is mostly on the tongue and it makes that model a bear to move around without a ATV. If you keep it latched in horizontal mode and lift up on the tongue. the center of mass will move over the axle and actually slightly towards the back end of the cylinder. If you have a swivel wheel there when it touches the pavement its balanced pretty well over the axle and a lot easier to move. I havent rigged up the wheel, so I just let it hover over the pavement when I move it so its a bit less convenient. It is designed to be tipped up to vertical so there are no issues with tipping it part way. A word of caution is it may be bit too well balanced so you shouldn't leave it in that position as when it starts swinging back down to land on the front leg.

 

[Caw]

While you are at tractor supply, buy a swivel wheel and figure out how to mount it on the bottom edge of the the beam at the end of the rear end of the cylinder. All the weight is mostly on the tongue and it makes that model a bear to move around without a ATV. If you keep it latched in horizontal mode and lift up on the tongue. the center of mass will move over the axle and actually slightly towards the back end of the cylinder. If you have a swivel wheel there when it touches the pavement its balanced pretty well over the axle and a lot easier to move. I havent rigged up the wheel, so I just let it hover over the pavement when I move it so its a bit less convenient. It is designed to be tipped up to vertical so there are no issues with tipping it part way. A word of caution is it may be bit too well balanced so you shouldn't leave it in that position as when it starts swinging back down to land on the front leg.

Thanks for the advice! I plan to get a ball for my lawn tractor and move it that way since my shed is a good 120 ft from where I process. I'm not going to bother trying to move it by hand except for a couple feet here. I will be using it in vertical mode 100% of the time.

 

[brenndatomu]

PS - Check out the advertised cycle time on the 40 ton. . Crazy $ though and way more power than I need.

Congrats on the Christmas gift! 👍
If a guy found a good price on a used one, and popped a 4" cylinder on it, BAM, 5.7 (theoretical) second cycle time!

 

[ScottLewis]

Beautiful. What a pile of oak.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

So, I have to ask, why not go to a 3” cylinder? It seems like you could swap the 5” to a 3” for the same price as an 4” and not have to touch the engine or pump.

I know nothing about hydraulics, but I assume the added speed has to do with the smaller hydraulic cylinder filling faster. You can increase fill speed with a larger pump (which may need a larger engine to turn) , or smaller cylinder.

Volume of a cylinder x” in diameter x 20” long

5” is 392.7cu in
4” is 251.33
3” is 141.37


Are the strengths of the pistons in a 3” cylinder so much weaker than a 4” cylinder that you’d destroy it with a knotty piece of elm? Knowing what a little 5 ton electric splitter will do, it seems unlikely, but again, I know nothing about hydraulics.

Where is my thinking wrong?

 

[brenndatomu]

So, I have to ask, why not go to a 3” cylinder? It seems like you could swap the 5” to a 3” for the same price as an 4” and not have to touch the engine or pump.

I know nothing about hydraulics, but I assume the added speed has to do with the smaller hydraulic cylinder filling faster. You can increase fill speed with a larger pump (which may need a larger engine to turn) , or smaller cylinder.

Volume of a cylinder x” in diameter x 20” long

5” is 392.7cu in
4” is 251.33
3” is 141.37


Are the strengths of the pistons in a 3” cylinder so much weaker than a 4” cylinder that you’d destroy it with a knotty piece of elm? Knowing what a little 5 ton electric splitter will do, it seems unlikely, but again, I know nothing about hydraulics.

Where is my thinking wrong?

You could, but going from a 5" down to a 3" is a huge drop in power (29 ton, down to 10.5) would still work most of the time, but someone that bought a "30-40 ton" machine in the first place, probably wouldn't be happy with it.
You'd also have to get the cylinder custom made, as a properly built splitter with a 5"cylinder would (should) have 3/4" lines, I've never seen a 3" with 3/4" ports. To me, going from a 5 to a 4" (on a machine with a big enough engine/pump to make it walk n talk) is the happy spot. A 4" with an oversized ram (faster return speed) like RuggedMade has is IMO, what you'd want if doing this mod...

 

[brenndatomu]

Volume of a cylinder x” in diameter x 20” long

5” is 392.7cu in
4” is 251.33
3” is 141.37

5" x 24" w/ a 2" ram and a 16GPM pump is 14.2 second round trip (full stroke) (58,905 lbs push, @3000 PSI)
4" x 24" and 1.75" ram is 8.8 seconds, same pump. (37,699 lbs push @3000) (RuggedMade 4"x24" w/ 2.25" ram is 8.2 seconds)
3" x 24" and 1.5" ram is 4.9 seconds, same pump. (21, 206 lbs push @3000)
(these are theoretical times, based on 100% pump efficiency and zero line losses, but it still shows the basic speed and force differences)

 

[EatenByLimestone]

That’s interesting that there is so much less push! Is that due to the difference in piston diameter and bending? I assumed that the seals between cylinder sizes would be roughly the same since they are running the same PSI.

 

[brenndatomu]

That’s interesting that there is so much less push! Is that due to the difference in piston diameter and bending? I assumed that the seals between cylinder sizes would be roughly the same since they are running the same PSI.

Its strictly surface area x pressure...if there is any bending, something was engineered or fabricated poorly.

 

[Garbanzo62]

Got this from My kids for Xmas. Caw that round with the tire on it looks like you could turn it into a coffee table.

 

[brenndatomu]

Got this from My kids for Xmas. Caw that round with the tire on it looks like you could turn it into a coffee table.

View attachment 321402

3.5" cyl with a 14 GPM pump...supposed 8.5 second cycle time, nice!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Nice!


Do you have a formula/calculator link for those push figures? I’d love to play with the variables!

 

[MRD1985]

Yeah I'd like to upgrade to a bigger saw. A 20" 545 mark 2, a 455 ranger, or really anything 50+ cc with a 20" bar but I have other things I'd rather spend $500 on. My 18" husky 440 works fine no need to replace it. The big logs take a little longer but it gets done.

Spring for an MS261 Stihl with a 20” bar. That’s my main saw. Thing is a beast.

 

[brenndatomu]

Nice!


Do you have a formula/calculator link for those push figures? I’d love to play with the variables!

[https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...oQFnoECB4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw3Fu4tpakxVmW1g10Nx7U0_

 

[Caw]

Splitter acquired. Now if only the weather would cooperate.....