tinker toy log splitter

[A.K. Boomer]

Got this for free the other day as it was going to go for scrap - it's a shame because its a good concept and has a quick stage piston and a high pressure one,,, and it really does work good --- just takes way to long and kind makes u feel like an idiot using it lol

so the idea is to of course attach it all to bike cranks and was thinking of using a Subie power steering pump because I would have a typical bicycle gearing system so could speed it up and slow it down when needed, would also throw in a massive flywheel of somekind

and know it still would not be the fastest but way better then jerking handles back and forth and would think it would increase the speed quite a bit


anyways - im certain some possible machining and welding content coming up soon, winters a coming so good timing as i have some big pieces out in the yard that the maul won't touch...


https://www.use.com/NZMNh

[softtail]

Forget the bike. Nordic Track all the way.

[A.K. Boomer]

lol softail don't think I did not think about that !!! it's just the motion your going through with those handles lol until you have to pour the coals to it then you just get to use the right side so would be kinda awkward.

[Black Forest]

I can just see it ! A.K. says, "hey darling you coming over this evening. It is starting to get cold and I have just the thing to warm you up!"

[Jon Heron]

get an axe and quit wasting time!

Cheers,
Jon

[Mcgyver]

Forget the bike. Nordic Track all the way.

couple of heavy die springs for the return, turn in 90 and its a stairmaster. You could make that thing the Shopsmith of the exercise equipment world.

[A.K. Boomer]

get an axe and quit wasting time!

Cheers,
Jon

I have a maul and it works great and worked for most stuff this year but some of the wood is not totally dry and the bigger pieces it just won't touch - need to spit it soon so it can dry out easier and maybe be used at the end of the burning season,
U-pull and pay has Subie PS pumps for just $22.50 a pop, I have gearing out the wazoo and can do whatever I want that way so should be able to come up with something handy...

[MattiJ]

Power steering pumps might be too low pressure. Hydraulic bottle jacks use pretty high pressure to reach the rated tonnage.

[Willy]

I don't know AK, sounds like a long work around to get this to function using bicycle gearing, a subie pump, in conjunction with a large flywheel. Right now you've got a two stage hydraulic jack with a low pressure/high volume side and high pressure/low volume side, why not use it as is and start with a clean sheet rather than throwing out all of the benefits of that setup. Maybe even re-purpose it to take advantage of the features it does have now.

Lots of work to not only getting the subie pump connected to all of the gear sets and flywheel but you'll also have to control the hydraulics.

Going through all of the Rube Goldberg shenanigans in order to make it split wood just because it's possible seems like a long and lonely road.

[Willy]

Power steering pumps might be too low pressure. Hydraulic bottle jacks use pretty high pressure to reach the rated tonnage.

Good point also, minimum of 3-4 in diameter cylinder would be my guess as to an effective diameter required. I've built a few wood splitters using power steering pumps and 3.5 is a good starting point. Pressures are typically in the 900-1200 lbs./sq. in. range for cars and upwards of 1,500 for HD pickup trucks. Bottle jacks are much higher.

[MattiJ]

Bottle jacks are much higher.

AFAIK around 10k PSI typically. So with power steering pump pressures you would need 100T bottle jack to reach 10T.

[A.K. Boomer]

thanks guys that's what im after is pressure info before I commit, already basically have the gearing set-up with my bike dyno that has an empty mount on one side (opposite of the generator) so that part would be cake to just mount a pump - but if it does not have enough balls then what's the use,,,

originally thought of just coming up and using rotary motion and convert it to reciprocating and use the jack as is like Willy stated but that would actually take way more funky apparatus type stuff not to mention a "shifter" that disengages the low side to the high side - I do have some spline shaft and coupling and could make use of that but wow getting kinda involved rather than to just bolt a pump onto my trainer PTO...

[john hobdeclipe]

Just ride your bike down to the store and buy a bundle of firewood and be done with it.

[bborr01]

get an axe and quit wasting time!

Cheers,
Jon

You don't split wood with an axe. You use a splitting maul.

Brian

[Jon Heron]

You don't split wood with an axe. You use a splitting maul.

Or a splitting axe.
I have a maul but I only use it to split wood the splitting axe wont touch. If the maul doesn't work then I hook up my hydraulic splitter to the tractor and get it done.
Cheers,
Jon