How to make a wood splitter with your own hands - instructions and drawings on how to properly make a device for splitting firewood (155 photos). How to make a wood splitter with your own hands - accessible instructions with drawings and photos How to make a wood splitter by hand - drawings

Whatever the device is called: a wood splitter or a hydraulic wood splitter, its essence is the same. The main element that determines power and performance is the engine. In everyday life, many people have enough force of the device equal to 3–5 tons. More powerful wood splitters are already purchased for industrial purposes; they are capable of working with longer and thicker logs.

The average stroke is limited to 52 cm.

Those cleavers that are powered by an electric motor can be connected to a 220 or 280V network.

What does a wood splitter consist of?

A do-it-yourself hydraulic wood splitter includes the following parts:

• bed ;
• emphasis;
• cylinder;
• wedge blade;
• pump;
• pressure distributor for fluid supply and return;
• oil filling tank;
• an electric motor driving the pump.

The hydraulic wood splitter circuit is the same for both the vertical and horizontal versions. Only in the vertical version, instead of the heel, a cutting device is installed. And there can be any improvements to it, whatever your imagination allows.

Operating principle of the device

Conventional wood splitters often break down, because even with a small cylinder diameter of 9–10 cm, a voltage of up to 10 tons is created in it, while the electric motor continues to work and rotate the device, even if the log does not want to split. In a hydraulic log splitter, there is a smooth, gradual increase in force; if there is a lack of force, the cylinder will simply stop rotating, and even with further rotation of the oil pump, no breakdown will occur.

Hydraulic cleaver "Gorynych"

One of the most popular cleavers on the market is “Gorynych”. Speed ​​is the main feature of this hydro splitter. Today it has no competitors. The reliability shown over previous years of operation breaks all records. Over the 9 years of existence of the Gorynych cleaver, more than 18 thousand m3 of forest were processed. And at the same time, not a single unit became unusable. And you can work with it both at +30 and at -30 - the engine, pump, distributor and hydraulic cylinder do an excellent job with any job at any time of the year. The technology is patented.

Wood splitter "Gorynych" 6T and its technical characteristics.

Main achievements:

1. One cycle takes 2.5 seconds.
2. It has unique parts and assembly that allows it to work at any temperature.
3. Knife made of hardened iron. It is extremely difficult to blunt it.
4. All parts are repairable.
5. The structure is coated with a special compound, which makes the structure resistant to external natural influences.

Video of Gorynych’s work:

Indicators of such a wood splitter:

• 25 logs were split in 3 minutes.
• For 1 hour – 500 chocks.
• If we take a workpiece with an average diameter of 20 cm and a length of 40, then we get 6.28 m3/hour

Prices

Considering many positive factors and reviews, prices for Gorynych are not very high. It won’t be much cheaper to assemble a homemade wood splitter. Please review the estimate below.

The cost is average and may vary depending on the store and region.

Prices start from 100,000 rubles. Some little-known and low-power units can be found cheaper. The maximum price is 250,000 rubles. But for domestic needs, models up to 150,000 rubles will be used, these include Gorynych 6T and Gorynych 220. The latest model is electric.

Making a hydraulic splitter for firewood is not difficult. The main snag is in its hydraulic part, circuit, connection methods and calculation of components, which we will consider.

We will not consider in detail the structure of the body, work table, wedge, transportation capabilities and similar functions, for the simple reason that they mainly depend on the imagination and needs of a particular master. They do not affect the main task of the cleaver in any way. But we will still provide a number of general recommendations below.

The minimum that a simple hydraulic wood splitter can consist of is:

• hydraulic pump;
• hydraulic pump drive (engine);
• hydraulic distributor;
• hydraulic tank;
• hydraulic cylinder;
• sleeves;
• connecting elements.

Before constructing a homemade hydraulic splitter, you need to decide on its power, namely, how much hydraulic cylinder force is required. An error at this stage leads to the fact that the drive power may not be enough. Accordingly, the engine will jam on knotty wood or large logs.

You can see the hydraulic diagram of a simple wood splitter in the photo. It includes a minimum of components. It is worth paying attention to the presence of its own safety valve at the hydraulic distributor. Its presence will not help in any way to improve or simplify the main task of the device, but it always needs to be installed.

If the distributor does not have one, then an independent valve must be installed in the system.

You can also use the hydraulic system calculation calculator: http://gik43.ru/articles/raschet_gidrotsilindra.html

It is necessary to clearly understand the rule of the inverse relationship between the performance of the hydraulic system and the drive power required for this. With such a calculation in this scheme, you always have to sacrifice the speed of the hydraulic cylinder in favor of lower engine power. But this is not always suitable. The industry requires a combination of high cycle speed and low power consumption. In this case, a unique type of load will help: a large idle stroke of the hydraulic cylinder and a short loaded mode. Here you need to divide the flows to the hydraulic cylinder according to performance depending on the operating mode.

The diagrams below solve a similar problem. 2 pumps with different volumes from one drive or a double pump with different volume sections are used. For example, pumps NSh32 and NSh10 are presented.

To reduce noise, you can install a muffler from a moped.

You can also remove the engine speed lever and install a pressure control device.

Example of a foot splitter

Now let’s look at an example when you don’t want to pay for electricity and for gasoline or other fuel, but you want some simple hydraulic splitter. How to make everything work using human power? It's actually simple.

You can see how this works in life in the video:

Materials and tools for assembly:

• hydraulic jack;
• profile pipe 40x50;
• corners;
• steel plates 6-8 mm thick;
• rubber band;
• a piece of metal at least 30 mm thick (to create a wedge that will split the wood);
• M12 bolts;
• welding, grinder, measuring tool, drill, etc.

Manufacturing process

Step 1. Making the frame.

The base is a profile pipe with a diameter of 40x50 mm. But she can’t cope alone and may bend. There is option 2. Either we take a thicker pipe, or we strengthen the existing one. Everything is clear with the first option, but how to do the second can be seen in the photo. A simple farm is being made.

We weld the guide to the platform. Watch the quality of the seams, they must be of high quality and reliable. We weld a scarf onto the reverse side.

To make a slider you need to use a corner. We cut into the required lengths and weld. The main task is to make it slide freely along the guide, but make sure that there are no strong backlashes. To strengthen the place where the hydraulic jack rod will subsequently rest, the bevel of the plate is welded.

Step 2. Making the base for the jack.

A hydraulic jack with a lifting power of 10 tons is required. But you can choose a lower power, for example, 6 tons also copes quite well. But it is necessary to prepare a good support. To do this, take strips of metal 6–8 mm thick and weld them under the heel of the jack.

Step 3. Handle.

As planned, the jack is powered by the foot, so the handle has to be modernized. To do this, we simply weld the parts to obtain the necessary bend that is comfortable for the leg. You can also weld a special pedal to prevent your foot from slipping. To return the handle to its original position, you can use a spring. But the author took a more complicated route and welded the roller and tied a tourniquet to the handle.

Step 4. Knife.

The cutting part is made of steel of at least 3 mm. We sharpen it in the form of a wedge. For fastening to the guide we use M12 screws. Screws require periodic inspection.

At this point, the foot press for chopping wood is ready. Its main advantage is that it does not require many resources; all suitable material can be found in the garage. Source http://www.sense-life.com/hands/drovokol.php

Photos of hydraulic wood splitters

How to make a hydrosplitting knife

As described above, to make a knife for a wood splitter with your own hands, you need to take at least 3 mm of metal. An I-beam would also work. Some craftsmen even make it from metal with a thickness of 12 to 20 mm. The main thing is to sharpen it well.

Video about what an 8-piece splitter looks like.

Approximate costs for self-production

It is worth noting that all costs are individual, since everyone has different designs and the availability of initial material. Therefore, we provide an approximate estimate of how much it will cost to make a cleaver. All figures are presented in Russian rubles.

1. Engine Lifan 13 l. With. - 14,300;
2. Hydraulic cylinder 100/40/61 - 10 420;
3. Hydraulic distributor - 3 510;
4. NSh32 - 1,610;
5. NSh drive from MAZ - 3,960;
6. Hubs with wheels from VAZ - 1,500;
7. Pulley for engine - 1,000;
8. V-belts - 830;
9. Hydraulic oil 40l. - 2 600;
10. RVD + couplings - 2,500;
11. Flanges for NSh - 440;
12. Metal for knives - 1,000;
13. Metal for everything else - 4,000;
14. Bolts, nuts, washers, etc. - 640;
15. Engine oil - 380;
16. Rubber hose + clamps -300;
17. Paint - 630;
18. Electrodes f4mm - 2 kg and f3mm - 5 kg - 1,050;
19. Discs for grinders 230-12 pcs. 230- 1 stripper 125- 1 stripper + 3 regular - 700;
20. Paint brushes - 100.

Total: 51,470 rub.

To this we must also add unforeseen expenses (the drill is broken or the part is defective and you have to buy a new one). Plus your time, effort, nerves.

As a result, the price is not small, so maybe it’s worth thinking about and is it easier to buy a ready-made hydrosplitter with a guarantee?

When assembling or designing, someone may find the data from the Logsplit 100 machine data sheet useful.

Wood splitter for tractor

Basically it is more suitable for business. Since the productivity of such a system is significantly higher than domestic needs.

There are two types.

1. Suspended from the tractor
2. Stationary, connected to the hydraulic system.

For those who understand, the diagrams above helped to make such a device yourself.

It is worth considering that the tractor power required is from 20 hp. With.

And here’s how a wood splitter made on the basis of MTZ-82 works.

Here's another option: vertical hydraulic wood splitter Dragon:

There are several types of wood splitter designs. The differences between them are significant. They differ in the complexity of manufacturing the structure, in the degree of safety when working with them, in the convenience and speed of work. Let's take a closer look at each type of wood splitter separately.

Manual wood splitter crowbar

This wood splitter is the easiest to make. The principle of its operation is based on the energy of hitting the cleaver with a heavy object. The effect is almost the same as if you put an ax on a log and hit the ax head with a sledgehammer. But this crowbar is more convenient to use and the work speed is higher.

Its advantage is that it is safe to use, easy to manufacture, and takes up little space. Does not require delivery of each log to him. It will be convenient to move from one log to another. While working with it, your back remains straight, which is important when chopping large volumes of firewood. You don't have to bend over each log to split it.

But it requires the use of human physical strength and makes a loud metallic sound during operation. To protect against sound, you will have to wear headphones.

The crowbar consists of only two parts. The first part is directly a splitter with a guide pipe, and the second part is a shock. The impact part can be external, that is, wrap around the guide pipe, or internal - go inside the guide pipe. For this cleaver to be effective, one rule must be followed when making it. The part of the cleaver with the guide and blade should be as light as possible, and the striking part as heavy as possible, but within reasonable limits, since the striking part will have to be lifted manually. The greater the difference in mass between these two parts, the higher the efficiency of the cleaver.

When making a crowbar cleaver, the main thing is to observe the rule of a large difference in the masses of the parts of the cleaver and maintain a sufficient stroke length of the striking part to create a strong blow. This length should be approximately 50-60cm.

To make the first part of the cleaver as light as possible, you need to use a thin-walled pipe as a guide and make the blade of the cleaver narrow.

If vibration is transmitted to the hands during an impact, it can be significantly reduced by making the handles wooden. If the handles are made of metal, then they need to be welded onto the heaviest and most massive impact part, this will also help reduce vibration.

To ensure smooth movement of the striking part and reduce the sound of metal parts rubbing against each other, a polypropylene pipe should be used between these parts.

To avoid rapid riveting of the metal at the point of impact of the two parts of the crowbar, the contact patch between them should not be too small.

For ease of working with a crowbar, logs should be placed inside an old car wheel. This will prevent chipped pieces from flying away from the logs, and they will always be in the same position.

Mechanical wood splitter on a spring.

This wood splitter, like the crowbar, uses human physical strength. But little physical strength is needed, just to unbalance the balance beam with the cleaver. This wood splitter is a little more difficult to manufacture than a crowbar splitter, but more effective.

The force that needs to be applied to split logs is directed downwards, so there is practically no load on the back. Compared to a crowbar cleaver, it requires significantly less physical effort. The power of the blow depends not only on the physical strength of the person, but also on the mass of the cleaver. This wood splitter can make a fairly powerful blow that will split almost any log. Quite high performance.

But this wood splitter is large in size and weight. Dangerous, but no more than an ordinary axe. Requires each log to be delivered to him. Slightly more difficult to make than a splitting crowbar.

The operating principle of this wood splitter is based on the impact of a large-mass cleaver blade. A person’s task is to bring the wood splitter’s shoulder out of balance, that is, by moving downward, you need to move the splitting blade, and due to its large mass it will move further by inertia. The wood splitter arm returns to its original position automatically by a spring.

Wood splitter design drawings. Important points.

The drawings below show a wood splitter on a spring. During its manufacture, all pipes can be replaced with any others, the main thing is that the structure is sufficiently rigid. Instead of one thick-walled pipe with a cross-section of 40x60x6 mm, you can use two pipes welded together with a smaller wall thickness and a different cross-section.

The impact force of a given cleaver depends on the mass of its moving part. The greater the mass of the cleaver with the load, the greater the impact energy. The load can be assembled from any heavy metal parts, for example, welding two pieces of rails. The main thing is that the load is as large as possible; ideally, the cleaver with the load should weigh 50-55 kg.

The spring must be strong enough to hold the cleaver's arm in a horizontal position. That is, there must be a balance between the mass of the cleaver with the load and the compression force of the spring. If the spring force is not enough, you can add a second spring of smaller diameter by simply inserting it inside the first spring. The spring can be taken from a car, the approximate diameter of the spring is 110mm and the height is 450-500mm. In a compressed state, when the wood splitter console is horizontal, the spring will be 300 mm long.

An adjustable console will help you find a balance between the weight of the cleaver with a load and the force of the spring; the closer the cleaver is to the spring, the higher the console will rise.

Wood splitter drawing.

Wood splitter drawing.

Frame drawing.

Frame drawing.

Drawing of a cleaver.

Console drawing.

Bracket drawing.

Electric screw splitter

This wood splitter is the simplest among electric wood splitters. Because of this, it has gained popularity recently.

The principle of operation is based on splitting logs with a conical screw with a large persistent thread. This screw, when screwed into wood, splits it.

The screw log splitter has significant disadvantages. It is energy-consuming. Requires electricity. Compared to a crowbar splitter and a spring-mounted wood splitter, it is difficult to manufacture. To make it, you need a conical threaded screw, an electric motor, a gearbox, a chain with sprockets or belts with pulleys. Very traumatic. If handled carelessly, it can cause severe injury. There is a possibility of the screw jamming in the log due to lack of torque.

Select the engine and increase the torque.

This type of wood splitter can be manufactured with several design solutions. The most important thing is to achieve high torque on the screw. This can be done in several ways:

• install a powerful electric motor of 5-7 kW.

• Use a heavy flywheel. The flywheel will make it more difficult to start the engine, but with it there is less chance that the screw cone will jam in the tree. Since when the flywheel spins, it gains a lot of kinetic energy, and to stop it you need to create a lot of force. In combination with a flywheel, you can use low-power electric motors of 2-3 kW. The flywheel must be installed on the electric motor shaft, and not on the intermediate shafts of the chain or belt drive. Only on the electric motor will the speed be maximum, which means the accumulated kinetic energy of the flywheel will also be maximum.

• Use a gearbox, belt or chain drive to reduce the speed of the cone screw and increase the torque. A chain drive is preferable to a belt drive as it eliminates slipping of the chain and sprocket. In this case, you can use electric motors of low power, but with high speeds of about 3000. By reducing the speed using a gearbox or chain drive by 5 times, we thereby increase the torque on the screw cone by the same amount.

The chain or belt drive must be selected in such a way that the speed on the cone screw is approximately 500-700 rpm. At too high speeds, the log can be torn out of your hands.

The height from the tip of the cone to the table should be 7-10cm. If you make it higher or lower, the logs will be difficult to split.

It is necessary to weld a plate under the cone; it will prevent the log from turning.

Safety precautions when working with an electric screw splitter.

It is necessary to work with a screw wood splitter without gloves. You cannot work in them, as the screw can catch the glove and tighten your hand. There should be no belts or laces hanging from clothing that could get caught on the screw.

To emergency stop a screw log splitter, you need to provide an emergency stop pedal or a large emergency button. Moreover, it is not enough to turn off the power from the electric motor, since the shaft will still rotate by inertia after turning off the power. This is especially noticeable on machines with a flywheel. Therefore, for a quick emergency stop of the electric motor shaft, it is necessary to install an electromagnetic brake on the machine in a normally closed state. That is, without the supply of electricity, the brake is in a compressed state; when electricity is supplied, the brake releases the shaft. Therefore, if the power is turned off, the brake will operate and stop the motor shaft.

Logs should only be fed vertically to the cone wedge.

Electromechanical wood splitter with pusher and a gearbox.

This type of wood splitter is quite massive and energy-consuming. The cost of its production is high, since it requires the presence of a powerful gearbox, but its productivity is greater than that of a screw wood splitter.

The operating principle of the wood splitter is based on a connecting rod mechanism. The gearbox rotates the connecting rod, which slides along its guide towards the knife. The gearbox creates a fairly large force that can split almost any log.

Choice gearbox, motor and pulley diameters.

The gearbox can be used with a gear ratio of at least 1:20, but a gearbox with a ratio of 1:40 or higher is best suited. But not every gearbox with such a gear ratio is suitable. You need a gearbox that can withstand high torque and not break. Therefore, when choosing a gearbox, you should pay attention to the diameter of the output shaft. It must be at least 40mm.

The number of revolutions on the output shaft of the gearbox should be within 11-14 rpm. To achieve such speeds, you need an engine with a speed of 950 rpm and a gearbox with a gear ratio of 1:70. We get the speed of the gearbox output shaft 950\70=13.5 rpm. If the engine and gearbox have different parameters, then to reduce the speed you will have to install an additional belt drive between the engine and the gearbox.

For example, a 1500 rpm engine and a gearbox with a gear ratio of 1:30. Let's calculate the diameters of the belt drive pulleys.

We count to what speed the gearbox reduces. To do this, divide the engine speed by the gear ratio. 1500\30=50 rpm. And we need speeds in the range of 11-14 rpm. Therefore, it is necessary to additionally install a belt drive. Let's calculate what gear ratio should be on the pulleys to get 11-14 rpm. To do this, divide 50 revolutions by 14, we get 3.57. This gear ratio is a little high for a belt drive. For one belt, the gear ratio should be no more than 1:3, otherwise the belt may slip when the wood splitter encounters particularly hard and knotty logs. Therefore, you need either a slower engine or two-groove pulleys and two belts. Since this ratio is not much more than 1:3, you can leave it like that.

Let's calculate the diameters of the pulleys. Let’s take a small diameter pulley as 150mm. Then the larger diameter pulley should be larger by the gear ratio we need. That is, 150x3.57 = 535mm. Also, in order to reduce the likelihood of the belt slipping on a small pulley, its diameter should be taken as large as possible. That is, a pulley with a diameter of 100mm has a greater chance of belt slipping than a pulley with a diameter of 150mm. With larger diameters, the belts will wear out more slowly.

Let's check the calculations. Divide 1500 rpm by gear ratio 3.57 to get 420 rpm on the small pulley. Now we divide 420 rpm by the gear ratio of 30 and get 14 rpm.

It is advisable to choose an engine with a power of 3 kW or more. If the engine is weak, then you can put a flywheel on its shaft; with it, the low-power engine will stop much less from a lack of torque when splitting knotty logs.

For this type of wood splitter, the metal frame must be powerful enough, otherwise there is a possibility of the gearbox being torn off from the frame or the frame itself being deformed at the time of heavy load. The frame is best made from No. 12 channels or similar rolled metal.

It is advisable to make the knife of the wood splitter from hard, hardened steel; spring steel 65G is well suited for these purposes. Flat springs are made from this steel. So, if you have a piece of such a spring on your farm, it will be ideal as a knife.

IN Selecting crank length

The length of the crank, and therefore the stroke length of the pusher, must be selected depending on the size of the logs. For example, logs approximately 40cm long. We will choose the same pusher stroke, that is, 40 cm. Since the pusher will not reach the knife a little, about 5 cm, the maximum distance between the pusher and the knife will be 5 + 40 = 45 cm. We take the length of the crank to be 2 times less than the stroke of the pusher, that is, 20 cm. This will be the distance along the centers of the shafts. The length of the crank is very important, since the shorter the length of the crank, the greater the force on the pusher.

Safety precautions when working with a wood splitter.

This wood splitter is quite dangerous. To make it less dangerous, an emergency shutdown button should be installed. It is desirable that this button be quite large and in the shape of a mushroom. This button is always easy to press by simply hitting it with your hand. If you are right-handed, then the shutdown button should be placed under your left hand, since the right hand will be occupied by the log. Instead of an emergency button, you can install a pedal, then for the wood splitter to work, your foot must always keep the pedal pressed, and if you remove your foot, the wood splitter turns off.

When assembling a wood splitter on a connecting rod, some craftsmen make a serious mistake. They make sure that the connecting rod fits close to the knife with virtually no gap. You can't do that. It is imperative to leave a gap of at least 5cm. The log will split in any case, even if the connecting rod does not reach the knife a little, but in this case the hand will remain intact if it gets between the connecting rod and the knife.

Watch the video: electromechanical wood splitter with pusher and gearbox.

Electromechanical rack splitter.

This wood splitter can be called one of the most productive. Its movable blade is mounted on a rack, which is driven by a gear. It is quite complicated to manufacture, as it requires such parts as a rack, gear, and flywheel, but the speed of its operation covers all the disadvantages of manufacturing. I recommend watching a video about the operation of a rack-and-pinion log splitter and an overview of its design.

A hydraulic wood splitter or wood splitter is a means of automating the preparation of firewood. Most often, a hydraulic wood splitter is called a “mechanical splitting ax.” Moreover, many models have been created by the hands of home craftsmen and qualified engineers.

Application and working principle

Mechanical and hydraulic are used in private households or in small woodworking workshops. In any place, the machines perform mechanical bucking, as well as splitting wood of various species.

Hand tools for splitting and bucking very often break and require skill, effort and time. Machines and installations of other, non-hydraulic types very often break down due to uneven load.

Factory wood splitters

The construction equipment market offers several dozen models of hydraulic wood splitters in the price range from 10 to 200 thousand rubles. It is important to know that the price depends on:

• weight;
• power;
• efforts;
• engine type;
• maximum for log length;
• voltage (models with electric motor).

Power supplies for the motor are divided into 2 categories.

Electric motor. This energy converter acts on the pump. Moreover, the electric motor is used in the most primitive, household machines. It is very easy to maintain such models, and they can be used in the same garage or shed, taking into account environmental safety. Assembled with your own hands or in a workshop, models with electric motors are the easiest to prepare for work; you can even carry them by hand. The main disadvantage is that they do not function without power supply.

Gas engine. Installed on powerful models that can be transported to the place where firewood is collected. Gasoline wood splitters are usually heavier, more expensive and more powerful. But it is also more functional due to its mobility and greater power.

Homemade wood splitters

Most often they are used for domestic needs in preparation for the heating season. Moreover, the level of engineering thought of a rural worker can motivate him to create household and professional equipment.

In this case, everything is clear with a household machine, but a professional machine can work in line. Simply put, it also has the function of feeding, trimming, and unloading.

Anyone who wants to independently create similar installations to make work easier can familiarize themselves with drawings, diagrams and video instructions online. An example of a good hydraulic wood splitter, assembled with your own hands, is this video:

What is included in the design of a hydraulic wood splitter?

A self-made hydraulic wood splitter must consist of certain parts. It is better to arrange the parts according to significance, but start from:

• beds;
• cylinder stop;
• wedge-shaped blade (or blades);
• pump;
• fluid pressure distributor;
• oil tank;
• engine or motor.

How do they collect it with their own hands?

The simplest method for assembling a working wood splitter begins with welding a frame that needs to be secured to the platform. The lower part of the platform is equipped with a car jack (at a minimum).

The connector must be calculated at the top of the frame. It is needed for splitting chocks of different diameters and different lengths.

The wood splitter in the photo was made by hand, but is designed for industrial use. It has a more complex design, which necessarily consists of a hydraulic jack on a stationary (non-portable) type frame. Creating this installation requires plumbing skills and safety calculations. Although, at first glance, the unit may not be complicated, the operator’s careless work will sooner or later lead to an accident.

To save time and resources, wedge-shaped knives with 4-8 blades were created. The fact is that a standard knife divides a log into 2 parts, but this model processes any log in one go.

A do-it-yourself hydraulic wood splitter with increased power (drive from a tractor, gasoline engine) must be equipped with a wedge-shaped knife with at least 4 blades.

Hydraulic industrial wood splitter with log lifting - video

In all areas of economic activity where, for one reason or another, work such as chopping wood becomes relevant, wood splitters are used.

Modern, high-tech mechanisms not only easily cope with the functional responsibilities assigned to them, but are also distinguished by their simplicity of structural structure, so they can be made by hand if desired.

How to make a wood splitter yourself? What are its types? What technical characteristics should the mechanism have to ensure an uninterrupted and highly productive work process? We will talk about this and much more in more detail in the article.

What is a firewood cutting machine?

A wood splitter or firewood harvesting machine is a mechanized device designed to trim and split logs and wood into logs.

It is characterized by high technical and quality indicators, functionality and practicality, ease of operation and accessibility of maintenance, has a compact size and, if necessary, can be easily transported from one place to another.

An important feature of the machine is its large working life. The splitting axes are equipped with reliable and wear-resistant parts, so they can withstand any load, they can be used in any climatic conditions, ensure an uninterrupted work process for a long time, and do not require regular expensive maintenance.

There are many types of wood splitters. They can be equipped with gasoline, diesel and electric engines, differ in structural structure, and are divided into professional and household ones.

Structural structure and operating principle

The design of wood splitters, including homemade ones, is quite simple and largely depends on their type. The installations are equipped with the following main mechanisms:

• Engine. It can be gasoline or electric. The user independently determines which unit can provide the required performance under given operating conditions.
• Gearbox. Increases torque, reduces revs and provides consistent air pressure before every hit. It is characterized by reliability, endurance and wear resistance.
• The bed is the stationary part of the wood splitter, made of durable and mechanically resistant metal. A motor, a gearbox and a working cone for splitting and trimming logs are attached to it.
• Bearings. They are an indispensable part of the support; they support a movable structure - a working cone mounted on a shaft with a given rigidity.
• Working cone. It is made of durable and reliable metal, has a threaded attachment - a gimlet.

Each structural element of wood splitters can be selected individually, depending on the needs and requests of the user. In this case, the devices meet the requirements as clearly as possible and provide the necessary operating performance.

Depending on their structural structure, wood splitters differ in their operating principle. Most often in practice, a wood chopping machine is used, which is equipped with the following components:

• Bed;
• Gearbox;
• Engine;
• Working cone.

This cleaver works according to the following principle: it launches a shaft through a gearbox, on which, in turn, the gimlet is located. It rotates, screws into the block and splits it into several parts.

A cylinder is adopted in the hydraulic log splitter; it receives the necessary charge of energy from the motor and facilitates its transmission to the hydraulic rod, which drives the stop.

The smooth operation of the mechanism ensures that the blade enters the block without impact, as a result of which it splits into pieces without being compressed.

If the power of the wood splitter is not enough to crush the logs, the cylinder stops working and the pump operates in idle mode, which prevents the device from breakdowns.

Distribution by classification criteria

Wood splitters can be divided into several types; below we will look at the principle of the division.

By scope:

• Household. The devices have low power and performance and are characterized by average technical indicators. Their advantages are mobility, versatility, compact size and the ability to fully operate in any climatic conditions, availability of repair and maintenance, and low cost.
• Industrial. Machines with high technical parameters, characterized by a long working life, excellent productivity and the possibility of long-term operation without interruptions.

According to the method of laying the log:

• Horizontal. The logs are placed in a special horizontal trench. Their advantages: versatility, practicality, functionality.
• Vertical. The log in the devices is installed vertically. Their advantages: compactness, functionality, reliability. Disadvantages: the need to strictly adhere to safety regulations.
• Mixed. This class of wood splitters includes industrial units used in the continuous production of firewood.

According to the motor power source:

• Electrical. They are equipped with electric motors, are environmentally friendly, easy to repair and easy to operate, have compact dimensions and can be easily transported from one place to another.
• With a gasoline engine. Unlike electrical analogues, they can be used at sites remote from the centralized network. They require minimal maintenance and repair costs, are functional and highly productive.
• With tractor traction. Their main advantage is a large working resource.
• With combined motor. They can be equipped with a tractor drive and an electric or gasoline engine and are used exclusively in the industrial sector.

According to the operating principle:

• Hydraulic. They have excellent technical and operational characteristics, ensuring a safe and smooth workflow.
• With a cone. Wood splitters of this type are classified as screw mechanisms, which have great reliability and power. Their features are a simple structural structure, reasonable cost and excellent quality indicators.

By mode of transportation

• Stationary. They are solid machines or massive industrial models that are difficult to transport.
• Mobile. Equipped with wheels that facilitate the movement of devices.

Before choosing a specific version of the wood splitter, you need to decide with what intensity it will be used; its technical characteristics largely depend on this. Main technical characteristics of the machines:

Requirements that mechanisms must meet

• Height from floor to cone is about 80 cm.
• Minimum engine power from 2 kW.
• The fit on the gearbox or motor shaft is tight.
• The material for making the cone is hard steel.
• Equipped with an oil cooling radiator and a rigid frame structure.
• Availability of oil heating function in the hydraulic system.

Step-by-step plan for manufacturing a screw machine

A homemade screw-type wood splitter is very easy to make. The component parts will require a threaded cone nozzle, a frame made of durable and mechanically resistant steel, an engine of a certain performance, a reduction gearbox and a shaft.

The motor and gearbox are attached to the frame. The working cone is mounted on the shaft and driven through a reduction gearbox using a motor. Important things to consider:

• It is prohibited to connect the attachment directly to the motor; this is contrary to safety regulations.
• Belt and chain drives must be placed in a special protective casing.
• The electrical part of the log splitter must be performed by a qualified technician.
• The permissible rotation speed of the nozzle is at least 250 - 300 rpm. If it is less, the cleaver will provide minimal productivity.

Hydraulic cleaver production technology

Making a homemade hydraulic wood splitter is much more difficult than a cone splitter. The most complex component of the device that needs to be produced is the hydraulic part, consisting of a hydraulic cylinder with a pusher, a hydraulic fluid flow control unit and a pump, an oil tank and a motor driving the pump.

All these mechanisms can be purchased in specialized stores at an affordable price.

The basis of a homemade wood splitter is the frame. It is recommended to make it from a particularly durable material that is wear-resistant to mechanical stress.

When designing a frame for a homemade wood chopping machine, it is necessary to provide for its installation on wheels or a finished chassis. In the future, this will make it possible to easily and quickly move the device to the work site.

There is no clear diagram of how to make a cleaver with your own hands, since many nuances are permissible in its design, it all depends on the selected initial mechanisms.

Before making a homemade device, it is advisable to evaluate its economic benefits. If you need a little firewood, then it is better to buy it than to spend money on making a splitting ax.

It’s not difficult to make a machine for chopping wood yourself; the main thing is to stock up on the necessary components in advance. A homemade hydraulic cleaver works more efficiently than a cleaver with a cone, but its structural structure is an order of magnitude more complex than its design.

The process of collecting firewood has always been a labor-intensive task. For large volumes of work, using a traditional cleaver is irrational - manual labor has always been ineffective. The first attempts to mechanize this process were made in the mid-19th century in the USA. The development of railway communications and a large number of steam locomotives required huge reserves of ready-made firewood. Steam models of wood splitters replaced the labor of hundreds of workers. The performance of modern wood splitters depends on the type of design and operating principle.

How to choose a wood splitter

Sooner or later, every owner of a wood-burning stove or fireplace is faced with the question of whether to make a hydraulic wood splitter with their own hands or purchase a factory model. The latter are distinguished by high performance and reliability. However, the high cost becomes a significant obstacle to making a purchase. Therefore, in some cases they prefer to make a homemade household wood splitter.

At the first stage, it is necessary to consider the basic parameters of the device. Productivity and performance depend on them.

• Location

In horizontal models, the logs are placed on a special bed. There are two types of such machines. One of them is with a moving knife and a block of wood. According to another scheme, the log is directed to the cutting tool using a feeding mechanism.

Vertical types are made with a fixed position of the workpiece. The knife acts on the surface of the log from above. Despite the high productivity, during work you often have to hold the workpiece with your hands. This is especially true for homemade models.

• type of drive

Selected depending on operating conditions. For fully autonomous models, it is recommended to use gasoline or diesel power units. Electric motors are used for stationary types. For small volumes of workpieces, a mechanical wood splitter is used. Household models of such devices are characterized by reliability and simplicity of design.

If tractor equipment is available, wood splitters driven by a power take-off shaft are used. Thanks to this, you can split firewood with a large diameter - up to 100cm.

• Cleaver shape

You can use a traditional cone or a modified cross. The latter splits the log into 4 parts in one operation, which is very convenient. However, this requires a lot of effort. These types of splitting axes are used for hydraulic and mechanical types of wood splitters.

When using an electric drive or internal combustion engine, it is optimal to use a screw or conical cleaver. In addition to pressure, deformation of the barrel along the longitudinal axis occurs due to the rotational movement of the tip.

How to make a wood splitter so that the price is reasonable and the performance is optimal? To do this, it is necessary to consider various types of equipment and evaluate the possibility of self-production.

Conical

This is one of the simplest types of equipment. In order to make a screw wood splitter, you need to buy: a threaded cone, the main part, a screw wood splitter. You can order production for your shaft and purchase a threaded cone splitter for a screw wood splitter: >>> >>>on the ODROVA.RU website with delivery throughout Russia, click to order<<<

1. Bed. The table is made of sheet iron with a thickness of 2 mm. It is best to use a steel profile as support legs. At the rear of the structure there is a mounting area for mounting the gearbox.
2. Power unit. It can be an internal combustion engine or an electric motor. Its power should be from 1.5 kW, rated voltage - 380 V. For normal operation, the number of revolutions varies from 400 to 600 rpm. It is located under the frame, providing additional stability to the structure.
3. Gearbox with pin for installing the working cone. Necessary for regulating the speed of the power unit. To improve performance, a screw wood splitter is most often used, the design of which differs only in the design of the cone nozzle. There is a spiral-shaped notch on its surface, which greatly simplifies the destruction of the wood core.

The advantage of such a machine is the affordable cost of individual components. Well suited for a private home or small wood-burning boiler room. However, it has disadvantages - low productivity and manual supply of logs. Therefore, for large volumes of processing, a different design is used.

Hydraulic

To process large volumes of wood, it is recommended to use hydraulic models of wood splitters. In these devices, the main power element is a cylinder, the rod of which extends under the influence of fluid pressure inside. For this purpose, a pump and motor are provided. There are two ways to position the cleaver - on the rod or in the stop structure. During manufacturing, it is rational to use a drawing with the second diagram, since the hydraulic cleaver remains static, which increases the reliability of the entire device.

When choosing a specific model, you should pay attention to such parameters.

• Cleaving force. Depends on engine power and cylinder size. Varies from 4 to 11 tone.
• The maximum workpiece size is from 50 to 200 cm.
• Engine power. Depends on its type: for electric it can be 1.2-2 kW.
• The location of the log is horizontal or vertical.

This type of wood splitter has high productivity, so it can be used for both commercial and domestic purposes. It is important to consider the processing speed of workpieces and their maximum diameter.

Rack and pinion

These models use a gear train to drive the cutting rack. A cleaver is attached to it, which splits the log. A standard rack and pinion splitter consists of a motor, a belt reducer, a gear drive and a splitter located on the cutting rack.

The log is located between the protective stop on the gearbox housing and the cleaver. When the handle is pressed, the gears engage, causing the rack to move toward the casing, splitting the block. After removing the logs, by moving the handle back, the cleaver returns to its original position.

This is one of the most effective devices for home use. To reduce the cost of a homemade design, you can purchase a factory-made gear drive. Its cost is about 8.5 thousand rubles, then it is enough to make a table, install a gearbox with a gear on it, connecting it to an electric motor.

If you need to choose a factory model of a rack-and-pinion log splitter, you need to analyze its technical parameters:

1. Cleaving force.
2. Maximum workpiece length. In most cases it is 60 cm.
3. Cleaver shape. Some models have the ability to split a block of wood into 6 pieces in one pass of the rack.

Currently, there are many rack-and-pinion wood splitters on the market, differing in parameters, power of the power unit and dimensions of the processed logs. In addition, they have different prices, which can significantly affect the choice.

Prices

The cost of wood splitters depends on the type of design, power and performance. Using the data from the summary table, you can form an objective opinion about the price category of a particular model.

Cone and screw splitters are not manufactured assembled. Most often, cones made of hardened steel grade ST45 are purchased at a price of 1,800 rubles. The remaining components are selected from scrap materials.

How advisable is it to make a wood splitter yourself? If you have the necessary components (electric motor, table, gearbox) and minimal metal processing skills, then it’s worth making a structure for private use with your own hands. For constant loads, it is recommended to purchase factory-made models, as they have greater productivity and differ from home-made ones in reliability and durability.