Drawings and instructions for making a mechanical wood splitter with your own hands. Homemade wood splitters and their designs View do-it-yourself wood splitter

The wood splitter is a modern machine designed for preparing firewood in both small and large volumes. In addition to its main function, wood splitting machines perform the function of trimming. Splitting firewood occurs quite quickly, conveniently and safely. In just 3-4 hours you can make a week's supply of natural material.

A homemade wood splitter is actively used in a summer cottage or suburban area, and more complex designs can be found in industrial enterprises.

1 Types of wood splitters

All wood splitters are divided into:

1. Household. This can be either a homemade wood splitter or a purchased unit that has low productivity. You can make a rack or hydraulic type yourself.
2. Professional. These include wood splitters and machines that have a large number of functions and high performance.

Depending on the position of the logs, they can be divided into:

1. Horizontal type. The log is placed on a horizontal trough. During operation of the machine, the log itself may move towards the knife, or vice versa.
2. Vertical type. The log is installed vertically, and a screw knife presses on it from above, dividing it into logs. Typically, this method of splitting is inherent in professional machines.
3. Mixed type. It combines two ways of arranging logs. Typically, such a mechanism is contained in wood splitting machines.

Based on the type of power supply, they are divided into models:

1. With electric motor. Their work is based on the action of a hydraulic pump. These are the easiest to use rack structures that can be installed even indoors. You can also make them yourself. The only peculiarity is the need for network access.
2. With a gasoline engine. These are more powerful and serious models that are used both in the industrial sector and for private use.
3. Tractor-mounted structures. They are used in farms, logging and other enterprises.
4. With combined engines.

Based on the principle, the work can be divided:

1. Hydraulic type, which you can do yourself. It is powered by a special hydraulic pump that puts pressure on the knife. He, in turn, exerts enormous force on the block of wood, splitting it into pieces.
2. Cone type. Firewood is cut using a threaded cone, which, as it rotates, cuts into the log, dividing it into parts. Just like a rack-and-pinion wood splitter, it is quite easy to make yourself. The only caveat is the need for a more powerful engine.

If possible, move everything designs are divided into stationary machines, which are entire wood splitting and sawing lines of industrial importance and mobile devices with wheels (hydraulic, screw, cone and rack type).

1.1 Making a wood splitter with your own hands

A homemade hydraulic wood splitter is an opportunity to independently make a unit capable of processing large volumes of wood. The power element in it is the cylinder. Its rod extends as a result of the pressure of the internal fluid. The motor and pump play an important role here.

The most difficult stage is the creation of the hydraulic part. It includes the following elements:

• cylinder with pusher;
• pump;
• unit that controls hydraulic fluid;
• oil tank;
• motor that drives the pump.

All these parts can be purchased independently or removed from tractor equipment that has failed. The frame for the wood splitter must be made of metal. For this purpose, angles, profile pipes or channels can be used. A homemade hydraulic wood splitter can be of a mobile type, if you attach wheels or chassis to the frame.

There are no specific schemes for how to make a screw, rack or hydraulic type. This is due to a large number of nuances that must be taken into account during the production process. In addition, each master has different possibilities in terms of the availability of components for handicraft production. To simplify the process, you can rely on the approximate designs of finished units.

1.2 Homemade wood splitter (video)

1.3 Step-by-step instructions

With minimal knowledge of drawings and metal processing technology, you can make a wood splitter in 1-2 days. To do this you will need to go through several steps:

1. The simple design includes a vertical metal frame that sits on a platform and jack.
2. The upper part of the frame is used to hold firewood, so it must be detachable. This means that the diameter and length values ​​​​will differ.
3. A simple design (screw or rack type) involves the use of a car jack. However, a more complex wood splitter will require the use of a hydraulic jack. As a rule, it is installed on a mobile or stationary type frame.
4. A wedge-shaped knife is mounted to another part of the frame, which will chop firewood. They can be of different sizes, since the knife is fixed in several positions.
5. In the middle of the wood splitter there is a bed designed for stacking firewood. As the jack handle rotates, the thrust part of the rod will put pressure on the wood, and the knife will split it.
6. The oil pressure in the cylinder will be released through the handle. The rod itself, with the help of springs, will take its original position.

2 Rules for using a wood splitter

Screw, rack and pinion and other types of household machines that are used for personal purposes are quite simple to use. To obtain split logs just place the firewood in the chute, which will squeeze them and push them towards the knife. The split product is collected in a special tray, which is replaced during the filling process.

A rack wood splitter, like any other equipment, requires compliance with safety measures during its use. They include the following recommendations:

• exclude loose-fitting clothing that can get caught between the parts. It should be quite tight-fitting;
• All protective equipment (goggles, gloves, etc.) should be used. Their use will protect the process itself;
• You cannot start operating the unit while intoxicated;
• the process of splitting firewood can begin after all wires and connections are carefully insulated;
• The unit is not used in the rain or in rooms with high humidity. Moisture can cause an irreversible process in engine operation.

• The wood splitter is installed on a flat surface;
• the workplace must be sufficiently free, without foreign objects;
• All types of wood splitters have recommended temperature ranges for operation. You can find them out by studying the instructions;
• the device is used only for its intended purpose;
• Broken or worn parts should be replaced in a timely manner. They can be identified by regularly checking the general condition;
• If an unexpected situation occurs, the device has an emergency shutdown button that can pause operation.

In general, wood splitters are indispensable assistants, both in the countryside and in industrial production. For your own use, you can make them yourself, following all the stages of manufacturing. The result is an economical and extremely useful unit.

Preparing firewood for the winter is a labor-intensive and troublesome task. In addition to sawing, the firewood must be split and stored in a dryer or shed. The most difficult part of the work is the splitting. To make your life easier and save time, it makes sense to automate the process as much as possible.

How to make a wood splitter with your own hands, with photos and examples, their various varieties - mechanical, including spring and inertial, as well as conical electric - is the topic of this article.

Mechanical wood splitters

In cases where firewood procurement is not massive and regular, the task is quite feasible with the help of mechanical wood splitters. They are distinguished by their simplicity and low cost of construction; they are made, in fact, from scrap metal.

The simplest mechanical wood splitter

The unit is very similar, both in appearance and in principle of operation, to a well crane. The difference is that instead of a bucket there is a cleaver with handles attached. The racks and crossbar are connected using hinges, the disadvantage is that the connection will have to be lubricated often.

The principle of operation of the wood splitter is simple - the log is placed on a stand, the lever is jerked down, the splitter, under the influence of force and gravity, picks up speed and splits the log. The process is repeated, obtaining ever thinner logs.

The device is assembled from scrap materials - pipes and angles, and an old ax without an ax will serve as a cleaver. It is better to provide for the possibility of disassembling the wood splitter to make it more convenient to transport it from place to place.

The design has some disadvantages. Firstly, to stop the cleaver after it has split the log, you have to make an effort. Secondly, the device is quite bulky - a long lever is required to reduce the applied force.

Despite its shortcomings, such a device greatly simplifies the process of chopping wood. In order for it to work as it should, you need to weigh down the stake with a blank welded to it, or a pipe filled with concrete.

Spring log splitter

If you modify the mechanical wood splitter described above, you can make a smaller device that requires less physical effort when working with it. For this purpose, a spring is attached to the frame, one of which rests against the crossbar, which also serves as a fastening for the cleaver.

The principle of operation is similar to the previous device, except that the load is absorbed by a spring after the log is split. The main task is to select the stop and spring so that the greatest result is obtained with the least effort. For ease of force adjustment, the emphasis is made movable.

But if it is envisaged that the same person will work as a wood splitter all the time, a stationary stop is made, its height, as well as the stiffness of the spring, is selected experimentally. The connection between the frame and the lever is made movable, on good quality bearings.

The height of such a wood splitter should be at least 80 cm. However, at this height it must be installed on a platform or operated in a bent position.

It is more reasonable to calculate the height of the wood splitter according to your build; to do this, calculate the height of the bed as follows - a convenient height for the location of the log plus the highest possible height of the logs being split. In this case, bending over will only be necessary to install the logs on the stand.

Inertia wood splitter

To make it, in addition to the cleaver, you will need a meter-long round pin, a piece of pipe of a slightly larger diameter, and a massive platform to which the lower part of the pin is welded. The cleaver is welded to a piece of pipe and placed on a pin.

The principle of operation is to manually lift the cleaver, place a log on the platform, then forcefully lower the cleaver. If the log is very strong, the cleaver is hit from above with a hammer.

Electric cone splitter

The principle of operation of the mechanism is that a steel cone with a thread of 3 depth and a pitch of 7 mm (most likely, you will have to order from a turner) is placed on the electric motor gearbox. Rotating, the cone works like a drill and tears apart the logs. Thicker logs begin to be torn at the edges, and then torn in the middle.

An electric motor is needed with a speed of 250-600 rpm and a power of at least 2 kW. At low speeds, less than 200, the performance will be too low, and above 500 it becomes dangerous to work.

If an engine with the required parameters is found, the cone is placed on it without a gearbox. If not, they calculate how much the speed needs to be reduced and apply a cone attachment through the gearbox.

The main problem when assembling the structure is to find a suitable cone; with an electric motor and gearbox the situation is somewhat simpler. It makes sense to make such a device when it is necessary to prepare large volumes of firewood.

Photos of do-it-yourself wood splitters

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 is it

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 the bathhouse, fireplace and for the winter.

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

Species

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 a 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 breakdown 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. Screw devices are produced in 3 versions, with differences in the methods of transferring 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 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:

1. 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
2. Gasoline-powered wood splitters have more power and productivity. They are used both in everyday life and in industrial preparations.
3. Wood splitters with tractor traction. The working cylinder of the device is connected to the hydraulic system of the 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.
4. 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 Most often, manual and electric wood splitters are 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:

1. The splitting power of the hydraulic device should be in the range of 3-7 tons.
2. The acceptable rotation speed of the working cone of a screw wood splitter is 400-600 rpm.
3. 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.
4. The presence of a piston stroke limiter increases productivity and saves resources when processing short workpieces.
5. The optimal speed of piston movement when moving forward (working) is 4 cm/sec, backward - 7.5 cm/sec.
6. The engine power in hydraulic wood splitters is 1500-2300 W, in screw splitters - 3000-4000 W.
7. 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 pour a concrete base by 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°. 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 placed 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:

1. 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.
2. On a turning machine, apply a thrust thread to the cylinder with a pitch of 6-7 mm and a depth of 2 mm.
3. The finished cone is placed on the shaft and secured with a pin.
4. WITH opposite side 1 or 2 bearings are mounted on the shaft and a flange is welded (a sprocket for a chain or a pulley for a belt).
5. Supports are welded to the bearings to fix the mechanism to the table.
6. A spacer is placed between the shaft and the engine to tension the belt or chain.
7. The conical structure with an electric motor using supports is fixed on a table made of dense, strong wood with metal legs.
8. The cone is attached at a height of 10-15 cm from the table surface.
9. 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

1. The mobile frame is made of profile pipe and a corner. For a stationary wood splitter, the frame can be made from heavier channel bars and I-beams.
2. When welding the frame, you need to strictly observe verticals and horizontals, which will subsequently affect productivity and safety.
3. The structure must be stable, the wheels on the frame must be securely fastened and secured during the work.
4. The length of the slats should be 1.5 times the distance to the cleaver.
5. 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:

1. A vertical frame is welded from a channel to a base for a car jack. The height of the frame depends on the length of the workpieces being split.
2. 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.
3. 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.

A car jack is suitable for making a hydraulic wood splitter.

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

To work safely with a homemade device, you must follow the following rules:

1. The wood harvesting process should be carried out in closed clothing, gloves and safety glasses, so as not to be injured by chips flying away from the workpiece.
2. The workpiece must be firmly positioned in the chute and not move during movement.
3. When the piston moves, it is forbidden to reach out to the knives and adjust the shifted workpiece.
4. Any manipulations with the workpiece are performed after turning off the unit and completely stopping all its components.
5. 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.

A self-made wood splitter is a mechanism designed to facilitate the process of splitting large logs for heating a stove or fireplace. The attractiveness of the tool is expressed in the fact that anyone can make it themselves from inexpensive materials.

Device classifications

The design has many classifying factors. Wood splitters are distinguished by:

• field of operation (private use, large enterprises);
• tree laying method (vertical, horizontal, mixed);
• engine type (electric, gasoline, tractor traction, combined);
• method of transportation (mobile and stationary);
• principle of operation (hydraulic and screw (cone)).

Homemade wood splitters Most often equipped with an electric or gasoline engine. The remaining parameters are individual and selected for personal needs. For everyone who is scratching their heads with the question: “How to make a wood splitter with your own hands?” We will provide assembly instructions for the hydraulic and screw unit.

DIY hydraulic wood splitter

Most often, the hydraulic system for operating the device is borrowed from the tractor. An electric motor driven by a tractor or a gasoline one can also be used. The hydraulic wood splitter includes the following components:

• bed;
• pump;
• oil container;
• motor;
• hydraulic cylinder with stop;
• blade;
• distributor.

Making a wood splitter with your own hands with drawings, photos and instructions will not be difficult for people who have at least a little understanding of the mechanics of a hydraulic installation.

For convenience, we will show a drawing of the mechanism and compile a short assembly guide.

Instructions for assembling a hydraulic log splitter:

1. We fix the hydraulic jack on the frame.
2. A wedge-shaped blade is mounted on the other end, which will allow you to work with logs of different volumes and lengths.
3. In the middle of the structure we place a platform for laying logs. When interacting with the jack handle, the stop will press the wood towards the wedge knife, which will successfully split it.
4. After splitting, the springs will return the stop to the starting position.

Such a device is not distinguished by its high speed of operation, however, whatever one may say, it is much easier than chopping wood with an ax.

DIY screw (cone) wood splitter

The operating principle of this type of wood splitter lies in the ability of a rotating metal cone to split logs due to the existing threads on the surface.

Don't try to make a cone yourself. This is a very labor-intensive and painstaking task. It will be more profitable to buy a ready-made version, correctly made and suitable for your future design.

To make a screw type, you should use this article and watch a video about homemade wood splitters.

This is one of the most common tools for splitting wood. It is easy not only to use, but also to assemble with your own hands.

Instructions for assembling a screw log splitter with a cone-shaped splitter:

1. Decide on the power source for our unit. The example drawing shows an electric motor.
2. It is necessary to select the correct cone. Depending on the size of the device and the logs being split.
3. Make a plan for the location of all elements of the device on the desktop.
4. Make bases for the entire structure. The working platform looks like a steel table with a fixed splitting shaft.
5. Weld a kind of keel to the table to prevent log particles from getting under the rotating device.
6. Attach the power supports for installation and place the splitter in its working position.
7. Connect the motor. The device is ready to use!

It is preferable to mount the engine under the table. It will be protected from accidental damage and wood shavings.

Operating principle of a cone log splitter

The power unit (in our case: electric motor) imparts rotational motion to the cone. You should carefully bring the log and gently press towards the cleaver. The cone smoothly cuts into the structure of the tree and splits it in half.

Screw wood splitter with engine from washing machine is the most convenient and functional option for home use.

In addition, it is possible to avoid the cost of purchasing a new engine. It can be used by removing it from an old washing machine.

A wood splitter is an indispensable device in a private home or country house. A large amount of information on the Internet allows you to make a wood splitter with your own hands using video or text instructions. The flexibility of the design allows the use of a wide variety of components. There is always the opportunity to select and build a unit to suit your individual conditions and needs.

Design and operation of a homemade wood splitter - video

Updated:

2016-09-10

Do-it-yourself wood splitters are used, as a rule, by residents of villages and towns who heat their homes using firewood. Purchasing a professional installation is very expensive and beyond the means of an ordinary villager. In addition, such machines are mainly used in large enterprises. However, if you wish, it is not difficult to build a wood splitter with your own hands; its mechanism is simple and extremely useful in country farming.

The device for splitting firewood is divided into mechanical and hydraulic modification. Depending on the supply of logs to the installation, classification by orientation can be horizontal, vertical or mixed.

A homemade wood splitter is also classified by its power source. These can be models with either electric or gasoline engines, or single-shaft ones with tractor traction. All these devices for splitting firewood differ from each other in the specific installation and individuality in terms of the operating principle.

However, all wood splitters have common positive qualities:

1. Minimizing forces when chopping wood.
2. Speed ​​and efficiency in work.
3. Optimization of physical effort: a person does not need to constantly bend over during the chopping process.
4. Instantly ready for use: you just need to connect the device.
5. Endurance during operation of the unit: it has the ability to continuously chop wood for a long period.
6. Versatility: even a person without any special advantages in physical strength can chop wood with a log splitter.

The disadvantages include the inflated price when buying a ready-made wood splitter, as well as the complexity of the mechanism if you make a hydraulic wood splitter with your own hands.

Simple DIY wood splitter

The lightest system self-made Devices for splitting firewood are cone splitters. They are based on a steel cone with a thread, which is driven into rotation using an electric motor. The difficulty in creating such a wood splitter can only be created by the cone, since it will need to be turned on a lathe.

Before you make a wood splitter with your own hands, you need to purchase the following tools and materials:

• power unit - electric motor or gasoline engine;
• gearbox;
• bearings;
• bed (preferably metal);
• working cone - gimlet.

All these tools and materials for the wood splitter are selected individually; there is no specific scheme. In this case, the device for splitting firewood will most accurately meet all conditions and provide the required working performance.

A homemade wood splitter, which is based on a threaded cone, is turned on a lathe, then a spiral thread is made on it using a grinder. Next, the cone is placed on a shaft with bearings, where it is fixed with a pin for further removal from the shaft and replacement of the gimlet.

When chopping wood, the cone can get stuck in the log, so the ability to remove it from the shaft is necessary.

Next, a gearbox or spacer made of pipes and nuts is mounted between the engine and the shaft. The gearbox is necessary in order to increase torque, reduce speed, and also provide stable air pressure before each blow. The spacer made of pipes and nuts is designed to tension the chain.

The homemade wood splitter is ready, you just need to turn on the mechanism and set the cone in motion. When it starts to rotate, a log is aimed at it using a stop. Thus, the working cone, screwing into the wood, will split it in half.

DIY hydraulic wood splitter

To process a large number of logs for firewood, it is recommended to make or buy a hydraulic model of a wood splitter. In such a device, the main power component is a cylinder, the rod of which extends under the influence of fluid pressure inside. For this purpose, the design includes a pump and an electric motor.

To make a wood splitter with your own hands, it would be logically correct to use drawings with diagrams. The hydraulic splitter can be made on a rod or in a stop structure. This device is static, which increases the strength of the entire structure.

The lightest model is assembled as follows: a car jack is mounted at the bottom of the vertical frame on the platform. Then, instead of the cutting element, the knife, a conical wedge is installed. The upper part of the frame is detachable for easy adjustment to the size and length of the log being split. The wedge is brought to the firewood using a central screw, then the jack enters the splitting process. However, a do-it-yourself hydraulic wood splitter, mounted on a fixed frame, requires some knowledge and skill, so it is not recommended to make such a device without experience.

When choosing a specific modification, you need to take into account the following characteristics of the wood splitter:

1. The splitting force depends on the dimensions of the cylinder and the power of the electric motor. It ranges from 4-10 tons.
2. The maximum workpiece size is 0.5-2.0 m.
3. The location of the wood is vertical or lying.
4. Motor power, depending on the type of engine, ranges from 1.2-2 kW.

A hydraulic wood splitter has a large throughput, which is why it is often used for commercial purposes. However, it can also be installed at home; such a device facilitates convenient and high-quality splitting of firewood for heating a house, bathhouse and other household items. By building it yourself, you can save a considerable amount, but it is important to take into account the maximum diameter of the workpiece and the speed of its processing.