Mom's Hydraulic Super-splitter

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HOW DOES IT DO IT?

The heart of MOTHER's splitter (in its completely self-powered form) lies in the matched combination of a four-inch-bore, two-inch-shaft, 18-inch-stroke cylinder and a five-gallon-per-minute, 2,000-PSI pump. We purchased both of these items, over the counter, from a dealer for the Amerind-MacKissic Company (Dept. TMEN, Parker Ford, Pennsylvania 19457) for $300. There's little doubt that an enterprising scrounger could mix and match new, used, or surplus parts, and get similar results for far less money ... but we felt that our splitter should be built from off-the-shelf parts, to keep cost estimates well on the "high" side.

A full roller-bearing Briggs & Stratton power-plant drives the pump through a flexible union, and the two parts are aligned by simply inserting shims under the motor. (It's easy to get within the .030-inch acceptable tolerance by using cut-to size scrap rubber as a shim . . . and the resilient material also helps to damp any vibration.)

Once the motor is started and brought up to speed, the pump draws hydraulic fluid from the reservoir (the interior of the entire wheel-supporting frame of the splitter) up through pipe fittings welded into the top of the oil tank, and then forces the liquid-by way of a hydraulic hose-to the valve mounted atop the piston-drive unit. This "cylinder control"-which we purchased from a Massey-Ferguson tractor dealer for $40-allows the operator of the wood chopper to have fingertip command of the drive-piston's action.

To help keep logs in position for splitting, the beam that supports the cylinder and cutting wedge incorporates a V-shaped wood-holding trough. By setting two five-foot lengths of 2-1/2" angle iron so that their 90° bends touch-and adjusting the attitude of the two pieces so that one of the two formed angles can be bridged by a 2-1/4"-wide, five-foot-long section of steel bar-a channel of about 125° is formed. (Not only does this groove cradle the logs . .. it also makes a cozy home for the hydraulic cylinder.)

Furthermore, the triangular enclosure formed by the two lengths of angle iron and the steel bar is the correct size to accept an approximately 14"-long section of 1" Schedule 40 pipe. Once the trailer hitch is welded to this tubing, the assembly can be slid inside the triangular beam ... where-after both items have been drilled and tapped-the towing parts can be securely bolted in place.

The cylinder itself is anchored to a web of 3/8" steel plate-on the end of the beam opposite the hitch-with a 1" hotrolled steel pin. On the "piston end" of the pusher, the shaft rides in a 3" length of pipe (located with another 1 " pin) which is welded to the 318"-thick drive plate and to a triangular runner that's shaped to slide on the beam. Thus the head of the cylinder's shaft "tracks" smoothly on the beam while it extends to slice a chunk of firewood.

In order to hold logs firmly in the jaws of the splitter, the drive plate also has pins in it. Each of the three "teeth" was formed by cutting the head from a 3/8" bolt, inserting the uncut end in an electric drill, and spinning the fastener down-to a sharp point-against an abrasive surface. Then the plate was drilled and tapped to hold the threaded teeth. Should one of the spikes break off, a replacement can be threaded into the steel plate.

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