DIY cone splitter. Simple design to facilitate manual labor

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Installation

Anyone can create a wood splitter with their own hands, the drawings, photos and instructions for which were developed by experienced craftsmen. To do this, you can use a large number of available tools, which will not in any way impair the effectiveness of the created equipment. It will make it much easier to manage household and automates the difficult process of collecting firewood.

Classification of wood splitters and their features

A homemade wood splitter is an excellent solution compared to expensive equipment of this type. He usually works according to to the following principle: a motor moves the wood onto special knives that split it into several pieces. When choosing the design of a homemade device, you should pay attention to the following features:

log laying method– vertical or horizontal. The first option is more powerful, the second helps to cut curved logs;
performance. Such devices can be for household or industrial purposes;
drive power. At home, it is best to make a unit with a power of up to 2.5 kW.

Equipment classification

Wood splitters, taking into account the type of drive, are divided into the following types:

on petrol or diesel, which provides high degree efficiency and autonomy;
mechanical type. Such units will be useful when working with small volumes of materials;
on an electric drive. Such models are usually stationary, but are characterized by high productivity.

Types of wood splitters

When making a wood splitter with your own hands, you should understand that it can have a different design. This affects the appearance of the following types of equipment.

Rack and pinion (electric) type

This type of equipment is quite easy to make. It is distinguished by the presence of a special pusher, which feeds the logs to the cutting mechanism. To make such a unit on your own, you can use parts from a rack jack. Difficulties rarely arise during the operation of this equipment (due to the absence of complex mechanisms).

Hydraulic type

This device operates on the principle of a hydraulic press. IN in this case a hydraulic cylinder moves the log onto a sharp wedge, which splits it into several parts. The functioning of such wood splitters is possible due to the presence of an oil pump in their design. It is usually powered by a diesel or gasoline engine.

The main disadvantage of such equipment is its high cost. But it is compensated by high performance and ease of operation.

Manual type

The manual wood splitter has a simple design. It consists of a metal pipe, which is connected to the base using a hinge. On a kind of “crane” there is a working blade and several reinforcing elements. To make the process of lifting the pipe easier, sometimes additional counterweights are installed on it.

To split wood, the “crane” is sharply lowered down. Under the influence of inertial force, the tree breaks into several parts.

The advantage of such a wood splitter is its simplicity of design and low cost. To manufacture the unit, it is enough to buy several pipes. The main disadvantage is the need to use physical force.

How to make a wood splitter yourself?

To make a wood splitter yourself, you need to prepare all the materials and find the drawings. After this, you can proceed to the manufacture of the main structural parts and assembly of the unit.

Materials and tools

To make a functioning wood splitter, you need to prepare the following materials:

Elements that make up a wood splitter

cone. If you have the appropriate skills, you can make it yourself or purchase a finished part;
pulleys;
stars;
drive belt. You can use a chain from a car or motorcycle;
bearings equipped with housings;
metal corner or pipes;
steel sheet 4 mm thick to form the working surface;
metal scraps;
Electrical engine;
wiring;
bolts and nuts;
magnetic switch.

Assembly rules

After preparing everyone necessary materials and tools, you can proceed to assembling the wood splitter with your own hands:

Using a grinder, angles and pipes are cut into pieces of the required length to make the frame.
A table cover and a shelf are cut out of a metal sheet.
Using a welding machine, the elements of the wood splitter frame are connected.
To make the unit mobile, it is recommended to attach wheels to it.
A tabletop and shelf are installed on the finished frame.
Install the electric motor support frame and the power unit itself.
The cone shaft is assembled: the bearings are mounted in housings, the shaft and pulleys are installed.
After assembling the unit, it is secured to the frame using bolts and nuts. It should rotate freely.
Install the belts. To make the equipment work efficiently, be sure to check the straightness of their movement.
The screw cone is installed on the shaft using a key connection.
Mount the divider.
Install an RCD, a magnetic starter, and electrical wiring.
If you managed to do everything correctly, the wood splitter will start working.

How to make a hydraulic wood splitter?

If you need to make a hydraulic wood splitter with your own hands, you must, in addition to the main list of materials, prepare an oil tank and pump, metal beams, high-pressure hoses, and a hydraulic cylinder. The manufacturing technology of the unit is as follows:

A frame is formed from rolled materials.
A hydraulic cylinder is installed above the beam at a height of 5 cm.
A pusher made of sheet material is mounted at the end of the rod.
It is necessary to make a housing for the knife to ensure its movement along the bed.
Several holes are made in the body and the knife is secured using bolts and nuts.
All elements of the hydraulic system are connected into one circuit - pump, tank, hydraulic cylinder, control unit.

Basic safety regulations when operating a wood splitter

Safety precautions when working with a wood splitter

If you managed to make a wood splitter with your own hands, you need to take an equally responsible approach to its operation. Due to the high torque on the cone shaft, this device may be unsafe. It is recommended to plant the chocks with bare hands. This is the main danger. The worker uses gloves, so there is a possibility that they will get caught by the screw. This can cause serious injury to the upper extremities.

Particular care should be taken when splitting logs with a large number of knots, chocks from the butt part of the round timber. Even if you do everything correctly, there is a possibility that emergency situations. The shaft may jam, splinters may be thrown in different directions, or the log may spin.

The increased speed of rotation of the cone also poses a potential danger. In this case, it is very difficult to control the workflow. Therefore, it is recommended to ensure that the shaft rotation speed is within acceptable limits.

Video: How to make a wood splitter with your own hands

Many owners of private houses heated by stoves and solid fuel boilers, to prepare firewood for the winter, they use wood splitters. Not everyone can purchase industrial units because of their high cost. To make a wood splitter with your own hands, it is enough to have its diagram at hand and follow the sequence of work performed.

What it is

Equipment designed to split wood into logs is called a wood splitter.

For professional harvesting, wood splitting machines are produced in industrial quantities. These complexes are capable of trimming logs into pieces of the required length and splitting them into logs. Finished products from working area removed by conveyor.

Log splitters are used in sawmills to split logs into logs of the required size.

A household wood splitter is intended only for splitting logs into logs, but the log must first be sawed into blanks. The performance and operating time of this equipment is limited. With the help of household wood splitters in the private sector, firewood is prepared for bathhouses, fireplaces and winter period.

Logs after splitting can be used as fuel for a boiler, fireplace or stove

Kinds

The devices are available with vertical and horizontal workpiece arrangements. In the first version, the workpiece is placed on the bed and the cleaver is lowered from above. The advantage of vertical wood splitters is that curved logs can be placed on the frame, but you will have to hold them with your hands, strictly observing safety precautions. In the second type of wood splitter, the workpiece is placed in a horizontal chute and moved to the knife. These devices are more practical and safer than vertical ones, but take up more space.

According to the type of energy used, axes are divided into:

Kinetic (manual);
Mechanical.

The first type of cleavers works by using human power and does not require additional technical means. These products are the most economical and most popular due to their low cost and ease of manufacture.

Crowbar cleaver

It is a long metal rod with a pointed cone on one side and a handle on the other. The cleaver is lifted by hand and forcefully lowered into the cone onto the log. Productivity is low and work is physically demanding.

The crowbar wood splitter copes well with heavy and thick logs made of soft wood.

Cylindrical manual

Compact and easy to carry. Not used for harvesting large quantity firewood (for a fireplace or sauna). A frame with an upward-pointing blade is fixed to the stand. The workpiece placed inside the frame is struck with a sledgehammer. The blade separates the log into logs.

For a private home, one of the simplest and safest options is a cylindrical manual wood splitter

Spring

The most common and productive among kinetic devices. The workpiece is split by a working part mounted on a beam and damped by a spring. Requires little effort.

Mechanical wood splitters are divided into:

Hydraulic;
Conical (screw);
Rack and pinion.

IN spring log splitter The main force is taken by the spring

Hydraulic

The advantages are smooth running and the creation of a large load on the workpiece.

Despite the creation of a large working force, the hydraulic wood splitter does not have a high operating speed

The energy from the electric or gasoline engine is transferred to the hydraulic cylinder. The working fluid enters the rod, which moves the stop with the workpiece to the permanently fixed knife. The force created by the hydraulic cylinder can reach 10 tons. The stroke of the rod and the direction of movement are regulated by the distributor. It also protects the mechanism from damage if its power is not enough to split the lump.

Screw

The operating principle is based on screwing a cone-shaped working element into a workpiece and splitting it into 2 or more parts. Release screw devices in 3 versions, with differences in the methods of transmitting energy from the engine to the working cone. The cone is fixed directly or through a flywheel on the shaft of a low-speed electric motor (up to 5 kW, 400-500 rpm).

A cone-shaped cleaver is most often used in gasoline and electric models

From the engine, torque is transmitted to the cone using a belt or chain drive. The pulleys are selected so that the cone speed does not exceed 300-400 rpm. Sometimes the engine transfers energy to the cone through a gear motor. This design is relatively complex and is used mainly in industrial wood splitting machines or by folk craftsmen.

For productive operation, the drive power must be at least 1.5 kW

Rack and pinion

The operation of the device is based on the rack and pinion method of operation. The movable transmission rack operates due to a gear mounted on a reduction pulley of the belt drive connected to the engine. The contact between the gear and rack is provided by the control handle. The toothed rack moves along guides mounted on a reinforced frame, and on the other edge of which there is a cleaver. The reverse motion of the rack is carried out by a return spring. Rack splitters are reliable, economical and have excellent performance.

The splitting ax in the design of a rack-and-pinion splitter is attached to a rack that moves due to a gear drive

According to the type of traction, wood splitters can be divided into:

Electrical. Power is supplied by an electric motor. These devices do not require maintenance and are easy to operate. Indoor installation possible. The downside is low mobility due to attachment to a source of electricity
Gasoline-powered wood splitters have more power and productivity. They are used both in everyday life and in industrial preparations.
Wood splitters with tractor traction. The working cylinder of the device is connected to hydraulic system transport, which significantly increases the speed and working life of the wood splitter. These models are used when it is necessary to prepare a large volume of firewood in forestry or on a farm.
Combined traction. It is used on industrial wood splitting machines and comes in two types: tractor hydraulic drive and electric motor, tractor hydraulic drive and gasoline engine.

To solve everyday problems, manual and electric wood splitters are most often used, less often - gasoline ones.

Factory models are much more efficient and presentable

Before purchasing or manufacturing any wood splitter, you must pay attention to the following technical characteristics:

The splitting power of the hydraulic device should be in the range of 3-7 tons.
Acceptable speed of rotation of the working cone screw log splitter- 400-600 rpm.
The working length (the distance between the piston and the knife) shows the maximum longitudinal size of the workpiece being split. In household wood splitters it is 0.5-0.6 m, in industrial ones - 0.5-1 m.
The presence of a piston stroke limiter increases productivity and saves resources when processing short workpieces.
The optimal speed of piston movement when moving forward (working) is 4 cm/sec, backward - 7.5 cm/sec.
The engine power in hydraulic wood splitters is 1500-2300 W, in screw splitters - 3000-4000 W.
Dimensions and mobility of the device.

Making a wood splitter with your own hands

Purchasing a factory-made wood splitter is not always economically justified, especially since some types of this mechanism can be assembled with your own hands from simple materials.

Spring

To create it you will need the following material:

Channel;
I-beam;
Pipes or angle for the frame and stiffeners;
Metal corner;
Square pipe;
Automotive spring;
A piece of pipe with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the spring;
Hinge joint;
Cleaver;
Weighting material (a piece of rail or channel with a thick flange).

For a stationary wood splitter you can fill concrete base, inserting a stand into it. In this embodiment, there is no need to make a frame. All parts of the wood splitter, except the hinge, are connected using electric welding. Cut off pieces of the channel for the frame and the I-beam for the base. The length of the support is 0.6-1 m. The height of the base is selected individually. The support is connected to the frame, strictly maintaining an angle of 90 degrees. To ensure stability of the structure, pipes are welded horizontally to the ends of the frame. The connection between the frame and the base is reinforced with spacers.

To increase the stability of the structure, it is necessary to install spacers

The platform for the spring is a piece of channel 40-50 cm long. On one side of it, a hole is cut out with a grinder to connect to the base. A guide for the spring is welded to the other edge. To determine the mounting location of the platform, you need to subtract the length of the spring from the height of the support. The platform also needs to be reinforced with spacers from the corner.

In order to determine the place of attachment of the platform, it is necessary to subtract the length of the spring from the height of the support

Cut out at the top of the base seat 8-10 cm deep for the outer element of the hinge unit. Then the channel for the cleaver is prepared. To do this, on one side of a channel 0.5-0.7 m long, at a distance of 10-15 cm from the edge, a rectangular hole is cut out of such a length that the base beam does not interfere with the movement of the channel placed on it. The inner rod of the hinge assembly is welded in the center of the hole. A seat for the spring is attached to the second edge of the channel.

The beam will move using hinges

The distance from the base to the lower and upper spring cups should be the same.

A cleaver is welded to one side of the metal square from below at an angle of 90°, and a weighting agent is welded on top. The second side is connected to the channel for the splitting joint so that the total length of the resulting arm is 1-1.5 m. The resulting assembled structure is put on the base so that the outer elements of the hinge fit into the seat on the beam, fixing them by welding. A spring is put on the landing cups. For ease of use, a handle is attached near the cleaver.

The rail welded above the cleaver will act as a weighting agent

To make the device mobile, 2 wheels are attached to the frame from the base side.

Video: how to make a spring log splitter

Cone or screw

The main operating part of this wood splitter is a threaded cone, which splits the wood by screwing into its structure like a self-tapping screw (“carrot”).

The splitter of a screw splitter is a cone-shaped element, also known as a “carrot”

In order to make this mechanism you need:

According to the drawing, make a cone from an ST-45 cylinder with a diameter of 55 mm and a length of 14.5 cm at an angle of 30 degrees.
On a turning machine, apply a thrust thread to the cylinder with a pitch of 6-7 mm and a depth of 2 mm.
The finished cone is placed on the shaft and secured with a pin.
On the opposite side of the shaft, 1 or 2 bearings are mounted and a flange is welded (a sprocket for a chain or a pulley for a belt).
Supports are welded to the bearings to fix the mechanism to the table.
A spacer is placed between the shaft and the engine to tension the belt or chain.
The conical structure with an electric motor using supports is fixed on a table made of dense, strong wood with metal legs.
The cone is attached at a height of 10-15 cm from the table surface.
The engine, belt or chain is covered with a metal casing for safety reasons.

During operation, the cone slowly cuts into the log and breaks it into several parts

If making a cone yourself is problematic, then it should be purchased at a specialized store.

The direction of the thread does not matter, but when cutting a right-hand thread, there is a possibility of ruining the cone

Video: how to make a “carrot” in the garage

Rack and pinion

First you need to decide on the drawing according to which the unit is manufactured. The desired performance, type of wood and installation location must be taken into account. Using these data, the engine power and the parameters of the rack and pinion mechanism are calculated.

The basis of the rack and pinion log splitter is a powerful steel frame to which the drive and frame are attached

The mobile frame is made of a profile pipe and angle. For a stationary wood splitter, the frame can be made from heavier channel bars and I-beams.
When welding the frame, you need to strictly observe verticals and horizontals, which will subsequently affect productivity and safety.
The structure must be stable, the wheels on the frame must be securely fastened and secured during work.
The length of the slats should be 1.5 times the distance to the cleaver.
The log feeding speed is selected individually and is regulated by selecting a decreasing number of pulleys.

The horizontal stacking mechanism in the form of a trench ensures optimal movement of the workpiece to the cleaver.

Video: homemade rack and pinion wood splitter

Hydraulic wood splitter from a jack

The simplest hydraulic wood splitter is made according to the following scheme:

A vertical frame with a base for car jack. The height of the frame depends on the length of the workpieces being split.
In the center of the upper frame bar, a conical wedge is installed on a screw drive. To do this, the necessary thread is cut into the hole on the frame.
The workpiece installed on the jack rod is first fixed from above with a wedge using a screw. Next, using a jack, the log is strung onto a wedge and split into logs.

For the manufacture of hydraulic wood splitter Suitable for car jack

There is no universal technology for creating a hydraulic wood splitter. It all depends on the hydraulic system available, which consists of:

Hydraulic cylinder with pusher;
Hydraulic pump;
Distributor of working fluid flows;
Oil tank;
Electric or gasoline engine.

The frame is constructed from a metal channel, an I-beam, an angle and a profile pipe. For mobility, it is recommended to place it on a ready-made chassis or wheelset.

An example for creating this unit with your own hands can be factory models or one-piece copies of craftsmen, photos and videos of which are published on the Internet.

An example of a horizontal design of a hydraulic log splitter with an oil tank

Video: hydraulic device made from improvised means

Safety precautions

For safe work With homemade device The following rules must be observed:

The process of harvesting wood should be carried out in closed clothing, gloves and safety glasses, so as not to be injured by chips flying away from the workpiece.
The workpiece must be firmly positioned in the chute and not move during movement.
When the piston moves, it is forbidden to reach out to the knives and adjust the shifted workpiece.
Any manipulations with the workpiece are performed after turning off the unit and completely stopping all its components.
Work on repairing or replacing the components of the wood splitter is carried out by disconnecting the electric motor from the mains power.

Wood splitters greatly facilitate the preparation of large volumes of firewood, saving effort and time. However, to provide firewood for a fireplace or bathhouse, there is no need to purchase complex, expensive equipment. It is much more pleasant and healthier to use an ordinary ax.

In any household where wood-burning boilers are used for heating residential premises, preparing the required reserves of such fuel and preparing it for use traditionally takes a lot of time and physical effort. Therefore, some prudent owners are trying to somehow facilitate and speed up this process by mechanizing it. AND great solution becomes a wood splitter, which can be purchased ready-made or made independently.

Expert advice! It is important to pay attention to the type of thread: a persistent two-start thread is required; if you use a single-start thread, you will have to forcefully push the block onto the carrot cone. Ask your sellers for a two-start thrust thread. Otherwise, when using a single-start thread, you will have to force the logs onto the threaded cone with great effort!

Making a wood splitter with your own hands is not an easy task, but for a good, skilled owner it is completely solvable. This can be a purely mechanical option, or an installation equipped with a hydraulic drive, electric or liquid fuel motor. Many different models of homemade wood splitting machines have been developed, with significant differences in the principle of operation, dimensions, design complexity, designed to transmit horizontal and vertical force, etc. To decide which cleaver will be most suitable for both self-production and further use, it makes sense to consider several options available for assembly in a home workshop.

Existing types of wood splitter designs

Chopping large quantities of firewood by hand may have health benefits, but it is by no means a very enjoyable activity. In addition, this process takes a lot of time. Therefore, a wood splitter will never be superfluous on the farm.

When choosing the design of this device for self-production, you should not rely entirely on the varieties offered for purchase in specialized stores. There are quite a lot of them, and each of the wood splitters requires compliance certain rules safety measures that are not always feasible at home. In this regard, the first thing that needs to be done when planning to manufacture such a device yourself is to decide on how much firewood to harvest and in what quantities. climatic conditions it is necessary. Various options are possible:

For regular procurement of large volumes of wood fuel necessary for heating a large house located in a region with a harsh climate.
For preparing small amounts of firewood for homes in regions with mild winter climates.
For periodic splitting of firewood, which is used in addition to the main fuel - coal, briquettes, etc., or for heating commercial non-residential premises.
For preparing a small amount of fuel for the fireplace or heating the cottage in winter when visiting it on weekends.

* * * * * * *

To make your own installation for splitting firewood, subject to an already developed scheme, availability of material and necessary tools, it will probably take two to three days. But in the future, much more time and effort will be saved when preparing fuel reserves for the winter.

In conclusion - a video that shows a very small wood splitter screw type, its considerable capabilities have been demonstrated. By the way, the argument that the logs are fed for splitting exclusively vertically will be clearly visible there.

Video: Small homemade screw wood splitter in action

Before the beginning heating season owners wood stoves and solid fuel boilers are stocked with firewood. Buying or preparing logs in the forest and then bringing them to your own yard is not big problem. And cutting round timber into logs using a chainsaw or a circular saw will not be difficult. Many hours of exhausting labor creeps up in the form of a heavy cleaver, wedges and a hammer, with which the logs are split into logs.

Such an unproductive and labor-intensive method simply could not be ignored by home craftsmen trying to mechanize this work. One of the devices that can easily and quickly chop firewood is a cone splitter. Considering its simple design and the ability to use improvised materials in the work, we suggest making a mechanical screw cleaver with your own hands. In addition, everything that is required for this can be purchased in the online store of accessories for screw wood splitters at manufacturer’s prices. The catalog contains cones different diameters, fastenings and ready-made kits, which can only be attached to the walk-behind tractor or engine.

Screw cleaver - what is it?

Simple design cone splitter is very effective if you need to chop several cubic meters of firewood

You can split wood without much effort using a screw splitting splitter. To understand how this device works, it is enough to remember how, in the process of unsuccessfully screwing a screw into wooden slats or a bar, these objects split at the point of physical impact. It’s easy to combat this phenomenon - just pre-drill a hole for the self-tapping screw, and it will go like clockwork. The principle of splitting wood when screwing in a screw was used by home craftsmen in the design in question. But a simple screw does not move the fibers apart enough, so it was modified by greatly increasing the taper and reducing the ratio of thread depth to tool diameter. The result is a screw, which is a symbiosis of a wedge and a self-tapping screw. The device is easily screwed into wood thanks to the threaded part and breaks it along the fibers due to the multiple increase in the diameter of the tool.

Screw log splitter diagram

Depending on the design of the drive, there are several types of screw splitters. In some, the screw is mounted directly on the shaft of the electric motor. In this case, the requirements for the power unit are quite stringent - the electric motor must be low-speed (no more than 500 rpm) and sufficiently powerful (at least 3 kW).

The scheme in which the cone is installed directly on the electric motor shaft is suitable only for low-speed power plants

In other screw splitting schemes, electric motors of any type are used, and a reduction in rotation speed is achieved through the use of mechanical gearboxes, belt and chain drives. In this case, a pulley (sprocket) of small diameter is installed on the shaft of the power unit, and a large one is installed on the shaft of the wood splitter cone. The ratios of their sizes are selected so as to reduce the rotation speed of the electric motor to an acceptable 300 - 500 rpm. Sometimes, when using high-speed motors, it is impossible to achieve this without significantly increasing the diameter of the driven sprocket (pulley). In this case, an intermediate shaft and a double (stepped) transmission are installed.

Simplify the design as much as possible mechanical cleaver while maintaining high performance, it is possible by installing an electric motor with a gearbox

All structural parts are mounted on a durable frame, which is equipped with a folding table for ease of work.

The advantages of cone splitters include:

simplicity of design;
the possibility of manufacturing at home (almost all components, except for the cone, can be found in your own backyard);
high equipment performance;
low installation cost;
operation of the unit does not require operator qualifications.

Unfortunately, simple and reliable design screw cleavers are not without their drawbacks. A huge disadvantage of a cone log splitter is that wood with intertwined fibers is an insurmountable obstacle for its gimlet, so root and particularly knotty logs will have to be cut in a different way. The second drawback is the incomplete separation of the logs into logs. Often you have to finish cutting a large log into two separate parts by hand, and not everyone can do this. I would also like to note that it is impossible to make a log splitter cone without using lathe. Of course, this can only be partially listed as a disadvantage, since there are many offers on the Internet for both the manufacture and sale of screws of any size.

Requirements for a cone splitter

The design of the screw splitter should ensure not only high reliability and performance, but also safety during operation. Therefore, when choosing the design of the unit and its manufacture, it is important to adhere to the requirements for equipment of this type and the recommendations of the craftsmen who have tested the machine in action.

Flexible transmission is a simple and affordable way to change the speed of rotation of the propeller when using high-speed electric motors

the electric motor power should be in the range from 2 to 4 kW;
to reduce the number of revolutions, it is recommended to use a gearbox or flexible transmission;
rotation speed of the cone screw - no more than 500 rpm;
the machine must be equipped with an on/off button (magnetic starter) and a residual current device (RCD);
the cone shaft is mounted on bearing supports;
the cone must have a persistent thread;
when driving with a belt, it is better to use double-ribbed pulleys and a pair of V-belts;
During operation, the supply of logs must be carried out with their vertical orientation, otherwise the screw may jam and damage the installation.

You should not follow the lead of the “craftsmen” who offer the simplest design of a wood splitter, in which a shaft with a wedge-shaped screw is clamped into the chuck of a powerful electric drill or hammer drill. Such a device not only has low efficiency, but is also very dangerous, since it will not be easy to hold it in your hands with the increased resistance of the wood. If you still decide to use this scheme, then try to secure the tool to solid foundation to use it in the traditional way.

To obtain a mobile design, an internal combustion engine is used to drive the machine

What is needed for making

Making an “iron lumberjack” does not require the use of scarce parts, so most components and blanks can be found at home or in the garages of friends and acquaintances. Here's what you'll need during the process:

cone (you can grind the screw yourself or purchase it on the construction market);
shaft (if you make your own threaded wedge, you can use a suitable hub from agricultural machinery);
pulleys or sprockets;
drive belt or chain from automobile or motorcycle equipment;
bearings with housings (supports for car driveshafts are an excellent option);
steel profile pipes or corners for the bed;
metal sheet with a thickness of at least 4 mm for the desktop;
electric motor;
wiring;
switch or magnetic starter;
bolts and nuts M8 or M10.

Most parts can be used from old automobile or agricultural equipment. The only thing that may be difficult is making a conical screw. However, you should not even try to cut this part using a grinder, as some “authoritative” sources advise. The time spent is not worth the resulting misunderstanding, which can only indirectly be called a screw. Moreover, in operation this “carrot” will not even come one iota close to the efficiency that a cone made by turning will give.

Main components of a cone log splitter

If you plan to use the wood splitter as a mobile unit, then you should take care of durable metal wheels in advance. A truly mobile design is achieved using a gasoline or diesel engine as a power plant.

When making a machine, you will need tools that any “handy” owner will have:

welding machine;
electric drill with a set of drills;
Bulgarian;
hammer;
set of wrenches;
tape measure, marker.

Any enamel for exterior use is suitable for protection against corrosion. It is only important to thoroughly prepare the metal surface for painting, so if necessary, prepare a metal brush (manual, or in the form of an attachment for a drill or grinder), a primer and a rust converter.

Preparatory work: approximate dimensions and drawings

Before taking up the tool, it is important to draw up at least a simple sketch diagram with the location of the main components and parts of the machine and indicating its main dimensions. In addition, you will need an electrical connection diagram, which you can involve a familiar electrician in working on. Presented to your attention are diagrams and drawings ready-made structures will help you configure the wood splitter correctly and avoid mistakes in its manufacture.

Layout of a log splitting machine

The most important step in the process of creating a mechanical cleaver is making a wedge, so let’s look at this in more detail.

The best material for a cone is tool steel, but not every turner will undertake to make a part from it - the metal has increased hardness and requires special handling. Most likely, the screw will be made of the most popular grade of structural steel - St 45. In this case, it is better to strengthen its threaded part by any available method - hardening, nitriding or carburization.

Long-term and efficient operation of the cone is ensured only if it is manufactured correctly. When placing an order with a turner, be sure to specify that you need a screw with a 1:2 taper and a persistent double-start thread with a pitch of 5 - 6 mm. Regular metric thread not suitable due to rapid wear. In addition, the standard screw thread fits into the wood much worse.

The size of the screw wedge and the amount of its taper are directly related to maximum size splitting logs, so when determining the parameters of the drill, you can use the table.

Table for calculating cone sizes

The approximate dimensions of the bed depend on the operator’s build and can be:

height - up to 80 cm;
width - up to 60 cm (with folding table 100 cm);
length - up to 85 cm.

The most commonly used scheme is with a bottom-mounted electric motor. This will protect its rotating parts from chips and chips. If an internal combustion engine is used as the power unit, then it is installed at the same level as the wedge. This arrangement is more convenient both during startup and during operation, when it is necessary to adjust the rotation speed of the wedge, fill the tank with fuel, etc.

Cone mounted on the frame circular saw, eliminates the need to make another metal work table, makes the design universal and allows you to save space when storing equipment under a shed or in a shed.

In the process of designing a cone log splitter, they must provide a method for tensioning the chain or belt - using an additional sprocket or roller, slide, etc. It would also be useful protective cover mounted on a chain or belt drive. It can be bent from sheet metal and secured to the frame with screws.

Pay attention to how well the flexible transmission protection is arranged.

Step-by-step assembly instructions

After drawing up a drawing of the future design and preparing the necessary components and materials, you can begin assembling the mechanical cleaver. It is best to use ready-made instructions and carry out the work in strict accordance with the plan.

Using an angle grinder, metal corners and profile pipes are cut into the sections necessary for the manufacture of the frame.
A rectangular table cover and bottom shelf are cut out of a metal sheet 4–5 mm thick.
Bed assembly
Using a welding machine, the parts of the upper and lower frame are connected, after which the legs are welded to them.
In the mobile version, axles are welded to the frame, on which the wheels are mounted.
Wheel mounting
Install the table top and shelf.
Assemble the electric motor support frame and attach it to the frame.
Mount the electric motor and install the drive pulley on its shaft.
The cone working shaft assembly is assembled, for which the bearings are pressed into the housings. After this, the shaft is mounted and the pulleys are installed. The assembled unit is secured to the frame with bolts and nuts, having previously drilled holes in the tabletop. Once assembled, the main shaft should rotate easily. The pulleys can be installed on a keyed connection or secured with side screws, having previously made recesses on the shaft.
Installation of the main shaft and electric motor
Install the belts and check the straightness of their trajectory. If necessary, the shaft with supports is shifted by drilling a couple of additional holes. When rotating, there should be no radial and axial runout, otherwise the belts will constantly fly off and quickly wear out.
Cone installation
Using a keyed connection, a screw cone is installed on the drive shaft, after which it is secured with screws. During operation, the cone may get stuck in the wood so that it can only be removed by reverse rotation. Since reverse in this design is problematic to organize, you will have to turn the wedge using gas key. You can avoid its slipping by making flats on the protruding part of the shaft.
Install the divider.
The logs should be placed on the wedge in a vertical position. Otherwise, the screw may jam or break.
You should be careful when splitting logs with large knots, as well as logs from the butt part of the round timber. The process in this case can go unpredictably - with jamming of the shaft, sharp rotation of the log, throwing large chips to the side, etc. An increased speed of rotation of the cone is also fraught with danger - too high speeds will not make it possible to control the work, so it is better if the number driven shaft revolutions will be within the recommended limits.
To make a cone log splitter with your own hands, you will need minimal skills in working with plumbing tools. One day spent on its manufacture will pay off in the future by saving time and effort. It is only important to follow safety rules when chopping wood, and then this simple activity will not bring surprises.

Many country buildings operate on wood. In the 19th century, cutting firewood was done by hand, but with the creation of mechanical wood splitters, human labor became noticeably easier. The very first devices were steam-powered and could not be built at home. Nowadays, you can assemble a wood splitter with your own hands. Drawings, photos, instructions will help you do this without any problems.

This device allows you to cope even with large logs and logs.

Read in the article

How to choose a wood splitter: product features

If your farm needs a wood splitter, then it is important to decide whether to buy ready product or assemble it yourself. When implementing the latter option, certain skills will be required. For example, you can study the catalog of components for screw and cone wood splitters from any manufacturer and assemble a reliable and productive unit yourself.

Other equipment options work on the same principle: a motor moves special knives onto the log, and when pressure is applied to them, the log splits. To create quality product It’s worth studying information on how to make a wood splitter with your own hands and what type of device is best to choose.

Installations operating on this principle there are a lot of them and they differ from each other according to certain characteristics:

according to the method of laying logs. There are vertical and horizontal mechanisms. Vertical type devices are considered more powerful and can work with thick logs, but for a crooked log you should choose a horizontal device;
the maximum possible values of stacked firewood. Depending on this factor, equipment is divided into industrial and household;
drive types. For domestic use, it is enough to use an electric unit with a power of about 2.5 kW.

In addition, the mass of household tools matters. You can design such a product yourself.

Classification of wood splitters

To understand the drawings, photos and instructions of something you created yourself, you should know what types of these devices there are.

Classification of wood splitters is made taking into account the type of drive:

simple option on petrol or diesel fuel, which is characterized by autonomy and high efficiency;
for small volumes, mechanical type devices are recommended;
stationary options include models that operate on electricity.

By design features and the splitting principle, the wood splitter comes in the following types:

electric wood splitter with a vertical log arrangement;

rack type device;

screw has great power;

hydraulic.

For everyday use, you should choose hydraulic and screw versions of the wood splitter with your own hands. The video demonstrates how to make such products yourself.

Characteristics of models with a cone-shaped cleaver

In electric and diesel devices, a cone-shaped cleaver is used, which splits the trunk using mechanical pressure and due to the movement of the tip of the cleaver. This requires little effort and minimal fuel consumption.

The device consists of the following parts:

a motor with a power of 1.5 kW, a number of revolutions of about 400 and a voltage of no more than 380;
the frame is a tabletop surface where firewood is stored;
The gearbox is used to control speed.

If you decide to make such a wood splitter with your own hands, then drawings, photos, instructions for it will be easy to find on the interior pages, and all components can be found at affordable price. Similar devices are used for small, and.

Features of a hydraulic log splitter

Using a hydraulic model, you can process a significant volume of raw materials in as soon as possible. The operation of the device is carried out by a motor and hydraulic equipment.

When assembling such a model, it is worth considering some features:

arrangement of logs vertically or horizontally;
permissible dimensions;
cylinder dimensions and motor features, which affect the power of splitting raw materials;
motor power.

It is more difficult to build such a unit than a screw product. This device has higher performance; it can be used not only for domestic purposes, but also for commercial ones.

Nuances of the rack and pinion option

In a rack-and-pinion device, the cleaver is fixed to a rack, which moves using a gear drive. The log is installed between the thrust device and the cleaver. The log is split by pressing on a special handle of the equipment. After this, the gears mesh tightly, and the rack with the cleaver moves forward to the log.

The reverse movement moves the cleaver to its original position, and the split log is removed. Such a device operates from an electric motor and does not require complex maintenance.

For a rack and pinion unit, the following parameters are considered important:

possible length of the canvas;
a type of cleaver;
force that is applied to the workpiece.

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Tool selection specialist at VseInstruments.ru

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“A rack-and-pinion wood splitter can be purchased as a factory-installed unit. Cone or screw models are not offered assembled. You can separately find a steel cone, and assemble the remaining parts from improvised means.

Step-by-step instructions: assembly features

At home, you can assemble any wood splitter with your own hands: drawings, photos, instructions will help you do it correctly. Each model requires a separate approach.

How to assemble a rack wood splitter with your own hands: visual drawings, instructions and photos

From the description it is clear that rack and pinion design you can install it yourself. To do this, you should adhere to certain recommendations and sequence of work:

Image	Stages of work
	Selecting a drawing.
	Preparation of necessary materials.
	Assembly of the frame. An important element is a supporting frame, it is made of a channel, I-beam or profile pipe.
	Installation of structural parts. The pusher mechanism is being installed. You can install additional parts:, protective coupling.
	A four-cut cleaver should be chosen.

It is better to equip the rack unit with a horizontal laying device, which is made in the form of a gutter.

Features of installing a hydraulic log splitter with your own hands: simple instructions, drawings and photos

Assembly of the hydraulic model is difficult due to the mechanism. You will need to find an oil tank, a special cylinder, a fluid flow control unit, etc.

First of all, the frame is made. It is better to mount it on wheels or a chassis to move the device to the desired location. The main hydraulic part is attached to the frame. Instead of a knife, a conical wedge is fitted, which is moved towards the log using a central screw.

Cleavers with motors are characterized by greater productivity. Their installation requires a hydraulic cylinder, an oil tank, a control unit and an electric motor. Such a device works faster than a mechanism with a jack. This requires less effort.

Using the control button, a command is transmitted switchgear to supply fluid into the cylinder cavity. As a result of this, the persistent heel moves in the desired direction.

This design does not have a high speed of operation, but is distinguished by a certain convenience.

Helpful information! Most often, the hydraulic installation is taken from the tractor. A gasoline-powered engine is also used.

How to build a model of a screw wood splitter with your own hands: drawings

The easiest way is to assemble the screw unit yourself. To do this, you need to buy a screw cone for a wood splitter. You will also need a powerful, strong frame, a reduction gearbox and a shaft.

First of all, the motor and gearbox are mounted to the frame. A cone is attached to the shaft, and the mechanism itself is connected to the reduction gearbox using a motor. Important points to consider during assembly:

the nozzle cannot be directly mounted to the motor;
if you don't have electrician skills, then electrical mechanisms must be done by a highly qualified specialist;
Belt and chain drives are protected by a special casing;
The minimum rotation speed of the cleaver is 250-300 rpm.

This type of wood splitter works using a rotating metal cone that splits logs using a special thread. When assembling a screw model with a cone-shaped splitter, it is necessary to select the correct cone depending on the logs used. The base for the device has the form of a working platform with a fixed splitting shaft. A keel is welded to the table to prevent particles from falling under the rotating mechanism. The power supports are mounted, and the cleaver is installed in the working position. Then the motor is connected.

A popular model of a wood splitter with an engine from. Three types of motors can be used: asynchronous, commutator or electronically controlled. The most common option is asynchronous motors. Older models have a separate winding for starting.

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