Latest bit of kit I decided to make

[solarman216]

New one up and running with much greater power but no pics as no one is interested, Rick

 

[Fez_uk]

Just because no one replies does not mean no one is interested

 

[panelbeater]

i have been watching with intrest,

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

Same here, watching with interest! :thumb2

 

[solarman216]

OK well here it is, this time set in an old railway sleeper that is also bolted to the concrete, had to put some cross grain timber on the bottom as with the sleeper grain running with the blade it was hard to extract it if the log was less thick than the depth of the blade, the hoist is the same but height has been increased to 3 Mtrs

 

[solarman216]

This time the top end is braced and I will probably be adding a band around the poles about 2 3rds down to stop the poles expanding in the event the blade hits a very hard bit on one side, as I now have the extra height I am experimenting, with the bit of broom handle, so that I can interrupt the rise and control the fall height at any one time, Rick

 

[panelbeater]

thats better.

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

How long does one cycle take?

It does show that it doesn’t have to be pretty to be effective. Hardly costs any money and does the same job as a £2k+ shop bought log splitter.

 

[solarman216]

Not so easy on this one as it is variable, the first one went full height on every stroke before releasing, this one can be released at any point in the lift, so I will test it tomorrow at full lift, and also average splitting height, Rick

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

Nice!

You weren't an executioner in a previous life by any chance?

:roflol:

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

I've been watching with interest Rick :thumb2
I saw this at the place I bought my new Terrano from and thought of you, is mounted on the back of an old Ford tractor.

 

[solarman216]

Looks good if you have a tractor, I do not, Rick

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

It won't be anywhere near as fast either, the speed of yours is impressive.

 

[solarman216]

Got the stop watch out today and after placing the log and going full height, after the drop, raising again to clear the log ready to place the next took just under 20 seconds, but on testing some 300 mm high straight grained oak, found I only needed to raise it 12 to 15 inches total time for that less than 10 seconds, it is all about judging the log, if it does not go straight through first time then it takes more time to raise and drop again, but of course no effort other than pressing a button, Rick

 

[solarman216]

But the most impressive part is that each lift only takes 300 watts, important when you live like me off grid, when I get it home end of this month I will compare mine with the 2200 watt hydraulic machine that I bought, Rick

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

Those are good cycle times Rick. Even at 20 seconds for full height that will be quicker then a hydraulic machine of the same dimensions.

A hydraulic machine has more control but I rather like your setup.

 

[solarman216]

Been trying to get some numbers together to ascertain the force when the blade hits the log, so need some maths boys to work it out, here are the details, max drop blade to base = 1.5Mt weight of cylinder 60Kg, now this is the bit of the calk that I cannot get my head around, penetration of blade into log? if I put in 0.001 Mt then assuming a 300mm log I get 7202Kg if the log is softer and it penetrates 0.01Mt then I get 720Kg, but should I increase the drop by 90mm to compensate? sorry can someone please explain, Rick

 

[macabethiel]

You could sell that to the Taleban!

Your log splitter could fetch a good price in Afghanistan for hand amputation on Thieves etc.

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

Rick, I am no mathematics professor so I had to resort to the internet. I get slightly different values then you get.

This is the calculation with an impact of 0.001Mt producing an impact force of 8820N. 1N (Newton) is 0.1019Kg.
8820 x 0.1019 = 898.75kg impact force.

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

Then the calculation for a penetration depth of 0.01Mt. This generates an impact force of 88200N or 8987.58Kg.

The drawing below the calculation (blue object) does explain whythere is a difference in impact force between the two calculations. It all depends on the amount of penetration. I don’t think that increasing the height by 90mm will make any difference.