YouTube DIY wood splitter. Wood splitter: selection and production of a homemade one, based on the need for firewood and operating mode. How to make a spring log splitter step by step

A wood splitter helps in the household when preparing firewood. A sufficient amount of time is lost on chopping wood and setting it up for drying. There are several types of mechanical wood splitters that allow you to not have to exert much physical effort when working.

Mechanical wood splitters

A small amount of work can be done using a simple device. The wood splitter has a simple design and can be made from any available material. The performance of this device is low, but it makes it possible to safely prepare firewood with your own hands. There are few advanced devices for chopping wood that can be made at home.

The easiest and simplest option for assembling a wood splitter with your own hands is similar in design to a well crane. The racks are connected in a hinged manner; instead of a container, handles with a cutter are installed. This mechanism works due to physical force. Assembly can be done from any available means; you will need corners and several pipes; you can use a broken ax as a cutter.

A self-made mechanical cleaver has a number of disadvantages. For a more simplified process, an extended lever should be used, which affects the dimensions of the mechanism. The most common option is to install a lever system with a heavier cleaver. Due to the increased mass, the structure is easiest to pour concrete into the ground. This device is more compact and more efficient than its competitor.

Classification of wood splitters

Procuring firewood on a farm is a frequent task and requires a lot of effort. Before making a homemade device for chopping wood with your own hands, you need to decide on the volume and purpose of the device. The proposed equipment is divided into main categories:

• Mechanical device - the presence of an engine as a drive for a screw or hydraulics, electric and spring energy-dependent wood splitters.
• Design features - rack, vertical, conical, horizontal, and so on; there are a lot of designs for splitting firewood.
• The operating principles can be hydraulic or pneumatic, in the form of a screw.

The cheapest option in terms of design is a mechanical splitting splitter, consisting of a stand and a support table. For more complex designs, such as a cone log splitter, you will need equipment for connecting the engine and the rotating element itself. This machine will significantly increase productivity compared to a mechanical device.

Using the appropriate drawings, it is possible to make a more complex rack structure with your own hands. The principle of operation is based on the conversion of rotational energy into translational movements, based on this, additional materials will be needed for manufacturing.

Vertical inertial wood splitter

A manual vertical wood splitter, the mechanism of which consists of a metal pipe connected by a hinge to a support, helps to quickly split firewood. A cutting element for splitting is installed at the end of the pipe, increasing the force of the load.

This type of homemade wood splitter works by sharply lowering the pipe down, which, under the influence of the load, splits the wood. The advantage of the machine is the availability of composite materials that can be found in your own or a neighboring garage.

The disadvantage is the increased weight of the cutting device; a person will not be able to work for a long time due to fatigue.

Electric wood splitters

Hand tools and mechanical aids help you cope with everyday tasks. However, if mass production of firewood is required, it will not be easy to make a large quantity with a mechanical wood splitter due to human physical fatigue. For an easier and faster process, it is possible to use electric motors on wood splitter structures. It is more difficult to make an electric wood splitter with your own hands, but if you correctly fit the parts according to the drawings, it is possible to achieve a design that is no different from those sold on the market.

Screw cone

The easiest to manufacture and most reliable design is a self-made screw wood splitter. Two varieties are used; they differ only in the presence of threads on the rotating element. The breaking of a pig occurs due to cutting into its middle; for larger ones, the edges break off first, then the middle.

Before assembling the structure, it is necessary to catch the component parts. The splitting part must be machined according to the drawing of the cone splitter. If you use a tool without threads, you will have to apply sufficient force when splitting wood. The threaded tip bites into the wood, thereby making the process easier. The tip is manufactured on a lathe with certain parameters. Usually such work is ordered in a turning shop, but if you have experience and equipment, it is possible to make a device for a cone log splitter with your own hands.

The electric motor for operation must be selected according to power parameters and number of revolutions. Direct connection is possible if the motor parameters are as follows:

• The shaft rotation speed is 300-500 revolutions per minute, a lower number will be too low for work and will delay the process, and a higher number of revolutions is dangerous, as it can tear the workpiece out of your hands.
• Engine power of at least 2 kW, for uninterrupted operation of the engine with hard wood.

There are times when it is impossible to find an engine with identical parameters. Then it is necessary to install a gearbox or belt drive. Installing additional equipment allows you to use the engine with the required parameters. The transmission is also of the chain type, it is more reliable, but produces increased noise during operation.

Hydraulic wood splitter

Hydraulic type models are heavier to manufacture. For manufacturing, you will need a diagram of a hydraulic wood splitter; during assembly, you need to take into account many parameters:

• The location of the pigs can be horizontal or vertical, depending on the type of material.
• The dimensions of the unit are selected to match the average size of the workpieces being processed.
• The size of the hydraulic cylinder and the drive power depend on the splitting force of the log.

Making a hydraulic wood splitter with your own hands is somewhat more difficult than others. Distinctive features are uniform output parts and splitting speed. The tool can be used both for domestic purposes and for small-scale production of firewood for sale on the market. The force applied during the process is large, so the material when making a hydraulic wood splitter with your own hands must be of sufficient thickness. Cutting knives are installed in the shape of a square or star to cut pigs into several parts in one process.

Mechanical spring cleaver

A modified version of the hand cleaver is a mechanical spring device. The wood splitter operates on the principle of centrifugal force, the main purpose of the design is to hold the splitter with an impressive mass at the end of the cycle. The spring must be made movable to adjust the force applied to stop the cleaver. A device made by yourself must have a height corresponding to a person’s height for the least load.

Making a log clamp is for safety reasons. The frame mechanism experiences constant loads, so it is necessary to make it from double material. For possible mobility, it is possible to install wheels on one of the sides for movement.

Simple DIY wood splitter mechanic

A common type of wood splitter is the rack and pinion mechanism. The principle of operation consists of starting the cycle, after which all elements are coupled, the pusher rests on the workpiece and the cutting process occurs by connecting to the knife. To make a homemade wood splitter, you will need the following elements:

• Drive, usually an electric motor. In places where there is no electricity, it is possible to use an engine powered by flammable mixtures.
• The transmission pulley is on the shaft, the transmission is connected by a belt.
• The gear is toothed, located at the end of the secondary shaft.
• Deck frame, cutting knife, control lever.

The engine must be selected with a large power reserve. A DIY rack-type wood splitter can be used with all types of wood. Control of safety and engine load is achieved through improved transmission and smoothness of force.

Also, a mechanical wood splitter has a simple design with a screw design. The least amount of manufacturing costs makes it indispensable in the household. It is possible to make a tool with your own hands; I have an old electric motor, a prepared conical screw, and basic knowledge in electrics for connecting the motor to the starting device.

How to make a wood splitter mobile

A mobile wood splitter is necessary in situations where the device needs to be moved over a long distance. The attached wheels make it possible to make the wood splitter mobile.

The weight of the manufactured structure should be taken into account and the axle load should be calculated.

For safe operation, it is necessary to lock the wheels or use footrests when using the tool.

How to choose a wood splitter product features

The choice of device model depends on the intended use. A self-made tool will be a budget option, while one purchased on the market will save time and has a guarantee. The price of powerful models of wood splitters in stores can be up to 100 thousand rubles.

A tool you make yourself can be used for its intended purpose. The ability to add or remove features can save significant production budget. The only major difference will be the appearance, since a self-made device is not so neat and harmonious.

For industrial or commercial use, the best option would be to purchase a ready-made unit. There are models on the market with different types of engines and options for cutting ingots.

Advantages and disadvantages of using a wood splitter

Before making any unit with your own hands, you should ask yourself whether it is necessary on the farm. Buying or making a device yourself will require a lot of financial costs and effort; you need to weigh all the advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of the device include:

1. Physical activity on a person. The machine operator only loads and controls the process; the main physical work is performed by the wood splitter mechanism.
2. A device that includes an electric drive will cope with the tasks faster than doing the work manually.
3. Convenient use preserves health and physical strength.
Application of a wood splitter

There are noticeably fewer disadvantages during operation, but they are still present, as with every device.

1. Complex design of some models. For a more uniform log, the final result is a hydraulic splitter. Making such a mechanism at home with your own hands is expensive and will take a lot of time.
2. High cost of finished structures. Buying a ready-made wood splitter will save time on manufacturing, but the cost of some models is so high that it does not justify itself during use.

It is necessary to understand that for a small area purchasing equipment is not advisable. Having a clear purpose and constant sale of firewood, you should think about buying or making your own wood splitter.

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 are 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 chips.

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.

A screw wood splitter with a washing machine engine 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

Before the start of the heating season, owners of wood-burning stoves and solid fuel boilers stock up on firewood. Buying or preparing logs in the forest and then bringing them to your own yard is not a 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 of different diameters, fasteners and ready-made kits that all you have to do is attach them to the walk-behind tractor or engine.

Screw cleaver - what is it?

The simple design of the cone log 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 a wooden strip or plank, 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.

You can simplify the design of a mechanical cleaver as much as possible while maintaining high performance 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, the simple and reliable design of screw cleavers is not without its 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 a 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 on a solid base in order 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 angles for the frame;
• 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 out 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 external 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. The diagrams and drawings of finished structures presented to your attention will help you correctly configure the wood splitter 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 threads will not work due to rapid wear. In addition, the standard screw thread fits into the wood much worse.

The size of the screw wedge and the value of its taper are directly related to the maximum size of the logs to be split, therefore, 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.

The cone installed on the frame of the 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. A protective casing mounted on a chain or belt drive would also be useful. 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.

1. Using an angle grinder, metal corners and profile pipes are cut into the sections necessary for the manufacture of the frame.
2. A rectangular table cover and bottom shelf are cut out of a metal sheet 4–5 mm thick.

   Bed assembly

3. Using a welding machine, the parts of the upper and lower frame are connected, after which the legs are welded to them.
4. In the mobile version, axles are welded to the frame, on which the wheels are mounted.

   Wheel mounting

5. Install the tabletop and shelf.
6. Assemble the electric motor support frame and attach it to the frame.
7. Mount the electric motor and install the drive pulley on its shaft.
8. 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

9. 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

10. 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 it is problematic to organize reverse in this design, you will have to turn the wedge using a gas wrench. You can avoid its slipping by making flats on the protruding part of the shaft.
11. 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.

Procuring fuel for heating a house in winter is an important and responsible undertaking. It takes a lot of effort to manually chop wood. To speed up and facilitate the process, owners often mechanize operations as much as possible. In particular, you can make a wood splitter for home use with your own hands. Purchasing such a device will require significant financial costs, but a homemade wood splitter will cost less and will be optimized for specific conditions of use.

High-quality combustion of logs in a solid fuel stove depends not only on the type of wood, but also on the physical parameters of the logs, which include:

• workpiece length;
• log diameter;
• form.

Excessively thick pieces will take a long time to burn and may not even burn out completely. Firewood that is too small and thin will quickly burn out without giving off enough heat to the room. In such a situation, a self-assembled wood splitter, drawings, photos, instructions for which are prepared in advance, will help out.

Equipment classification

Before you make a hydraulic wood splitter with your own hands or assemble a mechanical wood splitter with your own hands in a garage, you should decide on the type of final device. Each design has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, such a device for splitting firewood will be more financially profitable than one purchased at a hardware store.

Based on the type of workpiece installation, the equipment is divided into two groups:

• Horizontal type. The log is laid horizontally on the frame and moves along its axis towards the working tool. A ready-made homemade device can be designed with a reverse action, when the cutting part itself is inserted into a stationary, fixed log.
• Vertical type. The cutting part enters the workpiece vertically. This positioning requires fixation of the log. In some cases, this is done by hand or with special devices.

• Combined type. It is quite rare in homemade circuits. In demand in industrial conditions at woodworking enterprises.
• When choosing a way to make a wood splitter with your own hands, you need to select the type of drive for the equipment:
• Due to the operation of gasoline or diesel vehicles. Such options are the most common of all autonomous homemade products. They are highly efficient and, thanks to their mobility, can be used as close as possible to the source of raw materials.
• A mechanical wood splitter is a fairly reliable piece of equipment and is used when performing a relatively small amount of work. A homemade mechanical unit requires a small amount of materials, which is its advantage over other types of structures.

• A manual do-it-yourself electric wood splitter is stationary. However, with such a design, the user will receive a less productive device.

The key element in the design of any unit, including a self-made hydraulic wood splitter, is the shape of the splitting ax - the working part of the machine. The cleaver comes in the following forms:

• Wedge shape. The wedge cuts at high speed between the wood fibers and splits the workpiece into two parts.

• Cross shape. The machine requires a lot of force to enter between the fibers and divide the workpiece into four or more parts.
• Screw (cone) shape. The working part with a cut screw profile on a cone is screwed between the fibers and thus splits the workpiece.

Types of devices

Before you get started, it is advisable to decide on the type of equipment, which is classified according to several criteria:

• the presence of an engine - these can be spring cleavers independent of electricity, hydraulics, a gasoline or electric unit;
• the design itself - vertical, horizontal, mixed type, rack or conical;
• method of splitting firewood - using a screw pair, according to the principle of a screw, using pneumatics or hydraulics.

The simplest wood splitter consists of a stationary table, console and stand.

To operate the cone unit, you will need an engine with the appropriate equipment, a drive shaft and a working element connected to the mechanism by a chain or transmission belt.

For normal operation of a rack and pinion log splitter, you need an engine, a drive shaft, a chain or belt drive, a gear and racks. In terms of self-assembly, this is a complex structure, the operating principle of which boils down to converting a rotating shaft into sequential movement of the working part.

If we are talking about a small volume of wood fuel, then a simple design - a mechanical or hydraulic wood splitter - can handle it. In addition to the fact that the assembly itself does not require exceptional knowledge, they are easily disassembled and work without an engine or complex equipment. This volume is enough for a fireplace, a bathhouse that is used occasionally, and friendly gatherings around the fire. If it is tedious to prepare firewood for heating a house in winter or for the normal operation of a greenhouse using stove heating, mechanics will not be enough. For these purposes, as a rule, gasoline or electric wood splitters are purchased.

Mechanical spring device

The least expensive to manufacture is the mechanical circuit. The force in it is generated by a spring. The frame made of metal square profiles is based at this time on a horizontal plane. The end of the workpiece rests on the cleaver located below.

The device consists of several elements:

• console;
• support table;
• rack.

VIDEO: A very simple but effective mechanical cleaver

Screw splitters

Recently, units with a conical screw working part have become very popular. This is due to the relative simplicity of their manufacture and convenient maintenance. Such a design requires the preliminary drawing up of a detailed diagram, drawing or measured sketch.

The components of a manual wood splitter of this type are:

• frame welded from construction metal profile and sheet iron;
• power plant in the form of an electric or liquid fuel motor;
• chain drive with sprockets and chain or belt drive with pulleys and belt;
• a shaft with a screw cone mounted in rolling bearings;
• workpiece stop.

The cone is made of steel grades St45 or 40X. It is advisable to harden the finished product to give it the necessary hardness.

During the manufacturing and assembly process, you must follow some safety rules:

• According to safety rules, it is strictly forbidden to use the nozzle directly with a motor without a reduction gear, which is usually a chain drive or an installed gearbox with gears;
• installation of the electrical unit must be carried out in accordance with basic safety standards;
• a belt or chain drive requires a protective cover to prevent the drive from catching sleeve cuffs, etc.;
• the optimal rotation speed of the working part is about 250 rpm;
• It is preferable to secure the shaft supports not by welding, but by screws.

To increase the mobility of the invention, it is worth installing the entire structure on wheels. In this case, it is necessary to take care of the presence of the braking system. It is worth considering that with a significant decrease in rotation speed, equipment performance decreases, and an increase affects safety.

How to make a hydraulic wood splitter

Inside a hydraulic cylinder, working fluids are capable of creating significantly greater forces than is possible for screw pairs. In this regard, this equipment is often used as a pusher of the workpiece to the cleaver.

To make a homemade hydraulic wood splitter at home at minimal cost, you can use a hydraulic jack for these purposes.

The operating principle of such a device is to slide a wooden piece onto a permanently installed blade. To do this, the hydraulic pusher moves along the guides from the channels to the knife.

The advantage of this design over the electrical circuit is that in the second case, the electric drive will push the stump even with high resistance, which can lead to combustion of the motor. The hydraulics build up force gradually and, when significant resistance is reached, can remain in place without breaking the structure or causing other damage to the machine.

Most hydraulic devices operate horizontally, however, the concept of both types is the same. The force developed is about 3-5 tons and depends on the cylinder used. For domestic conditions this power is quite enough. This type is considered to be more efficient than the screw design.

VIDEO: How to make a cleaver with your own hands

For a physically developed person, chopping wood is more pleasant than a burden. And, of course, it is useful: this activity harmoniously loads all muscle groups. But what is too much is not healthy. If chopping wood is exhausting and/or leaves no energy for other household chores, then a wood splitter is, of course, needed on the farm. However, in this case it is hardly advisable to select a prototype based on the technical features of well-known industrial products, if only because there are dozens of varieties of their designs and the use of each requires safety measures that are not always feasible at home. Therefore, in order to make a wood splitter with your own hands, you must first determine for what purpose it is needed:

1. For regular preparation of large quantities of firewood for heating a large house in a harsh climate;
2. The same, but the house is small and/or located in a place with mild winters, i.e. little firewood is required;
3. For irregular preparation of firewood as additional fuel (for example, to coal) or for heating utility rooms;
4. For occasional preparation of firewood for decorative heating devices (eg fireplace) or for heating a winter weekend cottage.

Hit or push?

Splitting wood chips is considered a dangerous production process: a blank that turns out of the machine can flatten a person, and flying wood chips can pierce him through. It is impossible to completely exclude emergency situations when chopping wild wood - in this regard, it is far from a completely predictable material. As a result, some types of technical classification of devices for splitting raw wood must be kept in mind in order to make a wood splitter that is safe enough for everyday use. Namely, whether it is a shock action or a pressure action:

• Mechanized impact splitters with intermediate energy storage are highly efficient, economical, and almost completely relieve the operator of muscular effort, but they are structurally complex and the most dangerous in operation. They cope with any kind of fools, incl. with butt ridges of elm and larch.
• The same, manual ones without a mechanical energy accumulator - non-volatile, cheap, and structurally simple. They can be used in pressure mode and thus split twisted and knotted wood up to 25-30 cm in length. They require less muscular effort, and work safety is higher than when manually chopping with a cleaver on a block. Low productivity; suitable for irregular and occasional preparation of firewood.
• Push splitters driven by an internal combustion engine or an electric motor are quite expensive (see below). Also, the muscular efforts of the operator are almost completely eliminated. The productivity is sufficient to regularly supply firewood to a house of up to 200-300 sq. m in winter with frosts down to –40 and below. The highest possible security is achievable for this class of devices. Disadvantages are the complexity of the design and fairly high energy consumption in the form of electricity or liquid fuel.

Note: churak (forestry term) – unprocessed timber without butt and crown or part of it. The use of colloquial synonyms churbak, churban and churka is certainly legitimate if there are no discrepancies in the context.

Why - don't hit

In mechanical impact wood splitters, a relatively weak engine spins the flywheel through a fluid coupling. Thus, the engine operates almost all the time at optimal speed and consumes a minimum of fuel/electricity. Then a crank with a pusher is engaged with the flywheel (hydraulic or frictional), feeding the block to the splitting knife. The impact force is colossal: more energy can be “pumped” into a flywheel with a diameter of 60-80 cm than in a 100 kg aerial bomb. Churak actually does not prick, but is cut with a knife, despite any defects in the wood.

Abroad, where energy resources and high-quality straight-layer wood are expensive, household mechanical impact wood splitters are produced and are in demand, see photo at the beginning. There are no imports of such devices into the Russian Federation, and industrial ones are finalizing their resource and analogues to replace them are not being developed. The reason is that they are extremely dangerous. Modern composite superflywheels do not burst, but it is impossible to stop the push from the flywheel and thereby prevent the development of an emergency situation into a threatening and dangerous one. Therefore, further in the article mechanical impact wood splitters with energy storage are not considered.

It couldn't be simpler

The simplest non-volatile manual wood splitter is nothing more than a splitting axe. If you use it little by little, but regularly, so that you develop skill and eye, then it is even safer than mechanical and mechanized ones and more productive than the former. Provided that the configuration of the cleaver and the ax is optimal and consistent.

The splitting ax has undergone a long evolution and continues to improve. On the right in Fig. a drawing of the Strela cleaver, adapted for manual splitting of knotty and twisted ridges, is given; on the left is an ax for it (the cleaver is attached to it with a wedge). With the ax handle as you wish, whether you like to swing the ax or not, but the cleaver itself will still be very useful to us, see below.

But what not to do

For several years now, a Finnish farmer’s discovery has been circulating on the Internet: chopping logs for firewood in a tire, see fig. on right. It is not clear why it is good that the split lump will not fall apart, but will remain sticking out in the shell. But something else is clear. If, when chopping wood normally, you smear a cleaver instead of a block on the block, the ax handle will hurt in your hands. You might not even be able to stand on your feet and hurt yourself. But if you miss the rubber with the same cleaver, you can get hit on the forehead with the butt. So don't. The wood splitter tire is a curiosity, but not at all useful.

When you need a lot of wood

For mass preparation of firewood, push-type wood splitters with a hydraulic or mechanical rack pusher and a stationary working body - a splitter - are used. The pusher pushes the block onto the cleaver, which splits it into 2, 4 or 8 segments suitable for loading into the furnace firebox. In both cases, the speed of feeding the block onto the cleaver is determined most of all by the properties of the wood and is 4-5 cm/s. So that during the reverse stroke of the pusher the engine does not “lose speed” and does not consume too much fuel/electricity, the reverse stroke speed is set to 7-7.5 cm/s. In this case, you can prepare up to half a ton or more of firewood in the morning.

Note: Do not prick raw, freshly chopped churaki into segments. For a year they should dry from the ends in a separate section of the woodpile or woodshed. If you chop logs that are still oozing juice onto firewood, the wood will lose up to 15-20% of its calorific value during further drying. And you, respectively. money for fuel.

More about safety

A homemade wood splitter can be made similarly to factory ones with horizontal or vertical supply of wood, see figure:

Vertical type wood splitters are more compact and allow the use of a more durable U-shaped frame. However, the probability of ejection of cross-layered, knotty, twisted, crooked and/or non-parallel cuts or its fragments from a vertical wood splitter is much greater than from a horizontal one; side paws are here, as they say, for peace of mind. In addition, the operator of a horizontal wood splitter is normally located outside the area of ​​scattering of parts of the log in an emergency situation; he can only be hit by a ricochet. In a vertical wood splitter, the debris scattering zone is almost circular and people around it are directly affected by them with full force. Therefore, it is better to make a horizontal wood splitter with your own hands from random materials at hand, and a vertical one only when there is very little suitable space. A typical case is a stationary wood splitter with an electric drive. It cannot be left outdoors due to safety requirements, but a vertical one can be placed in a woodshed.

Hydraulic

The hydraulic wood splitter in this segment is the most economical and productive. This is determined by the external characteristics of the hydraulic drive, see below, and by the fact that the hydraulic pump drive motor operates in a stable mode. The device diagram, appearance and diagram of a hydraulic drive with one pump are shown in the figure: the drive motor rotates the hydraulic pump, which pumps oil from the tank into the system, and the distributor supplies it to the cavities of the forward and reverse hydraulic cylinder.

A significant drawback is that the owner-operator must be skilled in operating and maintaining hydraulic systems. Less significant is the need to periodically change the oil, which costs money. Another drawback (in this case a small one) is that the motor power is taken away both in forward and reverse, so if the components are available (see below), craftsmen sometimes make hydraulic systems with 2 pumps for forward and, low-power, for reverse, see . video clip:

Video: homemade hydraulic wood splitter

Note: It is quite possible to make a vertical hydraulic wood splitter with your own hands, see the video below:

Video: vertical hydraulic wood splitter

The safety of the hydraulic splitter is average: there is no return spring, and the switching time to reverse is quite long - about 0.5 s for the best branded designs. During this period, the “harmful” block may have time to burst and fly apart, even if the operator is experienced and his reaction is instantaneous.

Make or buy?

The first thing you need to decide if you already like a hydraulic splitter is whether it’s better to buy a ready-made one with a guarantee? A good diesel fuel unit for double splitting straight-layered blocks up to 20 cm in diameter can be found for up to 20 thousand rubles. A device for splitting logs up to 30 cm with individual knots and strands into 4 segments (which is optimal for a stove) with adjustable splitter height and log dump (see figure on the right) will cost up to 25-27 thousand rubles. For a high-performance wood splitter for splitting into 8 segments of knotted and twisted ridges up to 60 cm in diameter, you will have to pay more than 100-120 thousand rubles.

At the same time, a set of scattered units for a homemade hydraulic splitter will cost at least 60 thousand rubles. Even if you have parts of an old hydraulic system lying around in your shed, this is not an option. Firstly, worn-out hydraulic system components are difficult to repair. Secondly, the hydraulic cylinders of special equipment are designed for a higher feed speed than is optimal for chopping wood. Accordingly, the pump will have to be over-efficient, and the motor to drive it is obviously more powerful. As a result, either fuel consumption will be significantly higher, or the thrust will be weaker than that of the factory prototype.

If you do anyway

Let's say you have hydraulic system components from a mini-excavator or other mini-special equipment in your trash or you can buy them cheaply (these will do just fine). In this case, the hydraulic cylinder is selected (or the performance of the wood splitter is determined) based on the splitting force:

• Churak 20 cm in half - 2 tf straight layer; 2.7 tf is a bit knotty/wilted.
• Churak 25 cm – 2.3/2.7 tf, respectively.
• The same, for 4 segments - 3/4 tf.
• Churak 30 cm into 4 segments – 3.5/4.5 tf.
• The same for 8 segments - 4/5.5 tf.
• Churak 40 cm into 8 segments – 5.5 tf / 7 tf.

Next, based on the feed speed of 4 cm/s and the volume of the hydraulic cylinder, the performance of the hydraulic pump is determined and, according to the specification for the hydraulic cylinder, the appropriate pressure is selected. After this, a distributor is selected. Then the efficiency of the hydraulic system is set to 75% and the drive motor is selected for the required power with a margin of 5-10%. Additionally, based on the external characteristics of the drive motor, they look at its most economical speed and check whether they correspond to those of the pump. Hoses, valves and other fittings are selected according to operating pressure with a margin (for amateur design) of at least 50%.

Cleaver

The most important part of a homemade wood splitter is its cleaver. Hobbyists make it from old truck springs. In terms of the quality of the material, it cannot be better, but the spring leaves are slightly curved, which reduces performance and increases the risk of injury to the product. The best option is the top 1.5-2.5 cm of the heads of old rails. Convicts also really value railroad wheel tires and car buffers for their knives (they also went through a long cold hardening process), but they are less suitable for the configuration of a wood splitter.

The relative position of the cleaver knives is also very important. A horizontal knife protruding forward (on the left in the figure) immediately makes the wood splitter dangerous and, most likely, a thin straight-layered pine block will get stuck in it. The chock should be met with a vertical knife sharpened to a straight (symmetrical) wedge, pos. 1 in the center. The horizontal knife is positioned 15-20 mm posteriorly and is sharpened on the upper oblique wedge, pos. 2. It is very useful to equip the vertical knife with a piercing pin at the bottom (item 3 on the left) with a height of approx. 30 mm protruding approx. 20 mm forward. Such a cleaver will be better able to split clumsy blocks if they are placed on the support with the flattest side down. The sharpening angles are:

• Vertical knife for soft and/or straight-grained wood (except birch) – 18 degrees (3 knife thicknesses).
• The same for hard fine-grained wood and birch - 15 degrees (3.7 knife thickness).
• Horizontal knives – 15 degrees.
• The needle is 22-25 degrees (2.5-2.7 knife thickness).

Rack and pinion

A rack-and-pinion wood splitter is cheaper than a hydraulic one: a branded one can be bought for 8-17 thousand rubles. Its device is shown in Fig. – the pusher on the rack is fed by a small gear-tribe (or tribe). The gear ratio from the motor to the tribe shaft is calculated using a feed speed of 4 cm/s.

Making a wood splitter with a rack drive with your own hands is also easier - the parts of a rack jack (you can use old ones) are quite suitable for the base. A rack-and-pinion wood splitter is also simpler to operate: maintenance of the hydraulic system is completely eliminated. Its safety is greatest: it is enough to release the lever of the pressure roller (or throw it reflexively out of fear), and the return spring will lift the rack above the bushing and throw it back.

The main disadvantage of the rack-and-pinion splitter is the poor external characteristics in this case (pos. P in the figure below): as the feed speed approaches zero, the stop increases sharply, and then also sharply drops to zero. That is, if there is a defect in the block in which the cleaver gets stuck, the drive will jerk strongly (which can cause its breakdown), and then the force of the tribe will be spent on pushing the rack away from itself, and not pushing it forward. It looks like this: the feed lever (if not released) beats painfully in the hand, the mechanism cracks, trembles, and may break. The initial section of the external characteristic of the hydraulic drive is soft: the greatest emphasis is created at zero feed speed. If a hydraulic splitter comes across a very stubborn chump, he will just as stubbornly push and shove him onto the splitting ax; maybe it will split.

The first consequence of the rigidity of the initial branch of the external characteristics of the rack-and-pinion splitter is that more motor power is needed. Shift the splitting force values ​​for the hydraulic drive in the list above by one position, and throw out the 40 cm block and 2/2.7 tf for the 20 cm one - get the initial data for calculating the rack drive; however, its efficiency can be taken as 0.85. Secondly, the internal defect of the block, which can slow down the cleaver, may also be the bark that has fallen into the split. As a result, the rack and pinion drive is more suitable for low-performance manual mechanical wood splitters (see below) with the adaptive external characteristic of the “motor” - our muscles.

Note: the poor external characteristics of the rack and pinion drive can be improved to some extent by a chain drive from the motor to the drive shaft, see below.

When you need less wood

For splitting logs into firewood in milder climates or for heating a small building, a screw splitter is most suitable. Its productivity is low; using it requires a certain skill and fairly strong hands. But, contrary to popular belief, a screw wood splitter is not very sensitive to block defects, because its working body splits the tree, screwing into it and sawing. As a result, a screw wood splitter is also economical: with a 2.5-3 kW motor it can chop logs up to 40 cm in diameter and 60 cm in height; with a motor from a washing machine - more or less straight-layered with a diameter of up to 20-25 cm.

Note: Many people make screw wood splitters with motors from washing machines, especially since the rotation speed is suitable, see below. But in this case there is no need to place the cleaver directly on the motor shaft - from lateral forces the motor housing, which is not designed for them, will soon move or, if it is silumin, it will crack. The cleaver must be placed on the drive shaft in supports, and it must be connected to the engine shaft with a damping transmission or coupling, for example. from a piece of durite hose.

The device of a screw wood splitter is shown on the left in Fig. The working body is a conical screw with a shaped persistent left-hand thread; rotation speed 150-1500 rpm (optimally 250-400). Why is the thread left-handed? Mainly because most people are right-handed and their right hand is stronger; If you are left-handed, then it will be much more convenient and safer for you to work with a right-handed screw cleaver.

The churak is fed vertically onto the screw cleaver, otherwise the situation shown below on the right in Fig. Churak must be held with his hands (above right), so a screw-type wood splitter is a potentially dangerous device. The right hand, which is stronger and more dexterous (for left-handed people, the left hand) keeps the rest of the block from being pulled under by the cleaver (the wedge stop is also important in this regard, see below), which inevitably causes irreparable damage to the mechanism and almost always injury to the operator. Therefore, you need to chop off the logs from the part of the log that is under your left hand (right for left-handed people), and make sure that there is not too little left under your right (left). If a cleaver encounters a viscous place in the mass of wood (knot, twist), it can, as it were, wrap a block around itself from above and bend downwards; a wedge stop under the cleaver prevents this situation.

Design Features

Safety, productivity and ease of use of a screw wood splitter with the same motor strongly depend on the rational design and its correct execution of such structural components as the wedge stop, the drive mechanism, the drive shaft and its support. The efficiency of a screw log splitter is more influenced by the configuration of the splitter.

Emphasis

The wedge stop is a critical element of the entire structure. Its absence or incorrect implementation not only makes the wood splitter dangerous, but also reduces its performance, reliability and capabilities: a wood splitter with an incorrect stop takes smaller ones, slower, and itself wears out faster and breaks down more often.

Leaving the cleaver hanging high without a lower stop, and even with the drive shaft supported only by bearings (on the left in the figure) is a gross mistake. There are more than enough opportunities to pull a piece of wood under yourself and tear yourself out of the weak supports along with the bent shaft here, but it is difficult to split a block of wood by gnawing into it high above the lower cut. But a simple steel plate instead of a stop (in the center) is no better: with the lateral forces that arise when chopping, it doesn’t matter whether it’s 4 mm steel or cardboard.

The correct wedge stop for a screw wood splitter is a massive all-metal one, securely attached to a strong frame, on the right. The length of the stop is such that the nose of the cleaver is free by 1/3-1/2 of the length of the threaded part. The width of the stop along its entire length is equal to the diameter of the splitting ax in this section minus 3-4 thread heights, see below. The gap between the stop and the shank of the cleaver is no more than 1.2-2 mm; It’s better if you can make a gap of 0.5-0.7 mm; Let the cleaver rub a little against the stop while working, no big deal, but it will last a long time and reliably. Stop height approx. 2/3 of the diameter of the cleaver shank; for 75 mm within 50-60 mm.

The essence of the action of such a stop is that the grabbing and pulling of the block at the beginning of the working stroke is easily countered with your hands. When the cleaver is sufficiently screwed into the tree, you can no longer hold the grabbed block with your hand. But in this case, the bottom of the pulled-up part will hit the side of the stop; Perhaps it will break off and fly off. Grabbing the part of the block under the right hand will weaken and will not turn the cleaver upward, and grabbing the left part will press it against the stop. If the drive and drive shaft race are made correctly, the mechanism will stop and the situation will not develop into a threatening situation.

Drive unit

The external characteristics of a screw-type log splitter have an unpleasant feature, similar to that of a rack-and-pinion splitter - zero thread travel with zero rotation. Only here it is not the lath that is pushed away by the tribe, but the cleaver that pulls the block under itself. At the same time, if a cleaver encounters a sticky obstacle in a tree, in most cases it is enough for him to break through first, then he will go to saw a branch or strand, although more slowly. In this case, the inertia of the drive can help: for a moment, the wood splitter turns into a mechanical impact one.

Inertia for rotation is provided by a belt drive with a fairly massive driven pulley, on the left in the figure, but without additional safety elements (see below), this solution is questionable: if the “plug” is not torn off, and the flywheel pulley is heavy, then the entire mechanism may break and a dangerous situation will arise. Much better in this regard is the chain drive, on the right in Fig. The chain itself is heavy, and because of the play in the joints of its links, one strong, fairly long jerk is broken into a series of sharp, frequent ones, and the cleaver overcomes the “plug” more easily. Compare: what is the best way to drive a nail into a wall without bending it - hit it once with a backhand or with frequent small blows?

Drive shaft support

The inertia of the chain is still low, and if you have to chop clumsy logs, it is still advisable to equip the wood splitter with a mechanical energy storage device in the form of a massive driven belt pulley. The safety of the device is then ensured by introducing a known weak link into the supporting structure of the shaft.

An example of such a solution is given in Fig. on right. The weak link here is the pair of cotter pins - cotter pins and nuts (items 1 and 2). Additionally - friction clutch of pulley 5 through a thick washer 3. The drive shaft 10 is of a simple configuration, and ordinary ball bearings 4 (preferably self-aligning) are fixed with spacer cups 6 and 8 between the bearing journals and the rear journal and pulley. The covers 7 are pressed into the body 8, and the entire support assembly is attached to the frame in any convenient way.

The cotter pin nut is not completely pinned; 1-2 cotter pins are enough (selected by experience). The nut is normal right. If the jerk of the flywheel does not help the cleaver to overcome the blockage, the cotter pin is cut off, the nut is unscrewed and the cleaver stops. The operator expresses himself as best he can, but nothing terrible happened, and the breakdown is easily repairable.

Carrot screw

This is the name given to the working body of a screw wood splitter due to its external resemblance to a root crop. A carrot wood splitter also cuts wood at work, so chopping wood with a screw produces quite a lot of sawdust, see figure. If the barn or poultry house is heated with a sawdust stove (bubafoney, etc.), this may come in handy. But in general, let per season, up to 10-12% of the fuel goes to waste is undesirable. Changing the thread profile of the screw splitting ax can help in this case.

Drawings of 2 variants of a carrot splitter for a screw wood splitter are given on the following. rice; the landing dimensions are the same, for the drive shaft shank in the drawing above.

On the left is a conventional design with a sawtooth profile thread: it produces quite a lot of sawdust and small chips, it does not overcome wood defects very well, and it often gets stuck in dense, fine-grained wood. On the right is a screw cleaver with a specially profiled thread, which cuts little wood, but overcomes its defects well. In addition, special thread profiling made it possible to increase the angle at the apex of the cone from 19.85 to 26 degrees. The working body has become shorter; therefore, the same block of wood will split faster. In addition, the special thread clings to the wood more weakly and it is safer to work with such a cleaver. To cut special threads, you will need a shaped cutter, but both screw cleavers can be turned with your own hands on a desktop lathe, see video:

Video: making a “carrot” for a wood splitter in the garage

When you need a little wood

In southern regions and/or for heating utility rooms, little firewood is required. A normal guy could pin them by hand effortlessly, and then let the missus just try not to serve the stopar for dinner. But there is a problem: the correct swing. Without it, swinging a cleaver is exhausting and dangerous, and developing a swing for chopping wood is no easier than skills in using edged weapons; see, for example, how a fighter chops firewood in Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai.”

A manual mechanical wood splitter, again contrary to popular belief, saves little or no muscle effort when chopping wood, but allows you to do it quite safely without having to master the woodcutter's swing. Its additional advantage is that it can work both in gravitational-inertial and pressure modes. The latter allows you to little by little, but manage the most stubborn chumps of almost any diameter. The main thing is that their cuts are parallel and approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the log, otherwise the work will be much more dangerous.

The structure of a manual mechanical wood splitter is shown in Fig. The lever arm is taken from 1.5 m; the bigger, the better. Load - depending on its strength, 10-50 kg. If the splitter is fixed motionless, this wood splitter works only as an inertial one: the lever is lifted by the handle and forcefully lowered onto the block. If the splitter can be moved along the lever, then the wood splitter can also be push-type; The lever arm is extended by a pipe placed on the handle.

There are a number of significant nuances in the design of a lever manual wood splitter (shown by arrows on the right in the figure). The first is the cleaver. A simple wedge made from a piece of rail is ineffective and gets stuck in the wood. Such a wood splitter works much better with the Strela cleaver (see above), especially since it can be inexpensively purchased ready-made. The second is the spring; it is the most traumatic element in this design. The spring force is needed such that the free lever with the cleaver in the farthest position is held approximately horizontally. The spring must be secured to the heels so that it does not come off them with the full swing of the lever; It’s better to pass a swinging guide into the spring.

And lastly, if the lever wood splitter is not rigidly attached to the supporting area, then its front legs must be made no less than the maximum length of the lever arm + double the diameter of the largest block. How to make your own lever wood splitter with improved kinematics, see next. video:

Video: firewood cleaver on a spring

Note: You should not make a mechanical wood splitter with a cleaver sliding along a support, see fig. higher right. You have to hit the butt of the cleaver with a sledgehammer, but it still jams every now and then.

When firewood comes in handy

The butt parts of forests and, especially, stumps from uprooting are known to produce a lot of heat when burned. You can buy them for firewood inexpensively, and in some places in Russia you can simply buy them for pick-up: they are of little use for cellulose, fiber for MDF and industrial wood chips for OSB, chipboard and fiberboard. But it’s not so easy to split such a clumsy block of wood, inside and out, into firewood. However, for the preparation at home of a small amount of additional wood fuel to the main one, this problem, which woodworking specialists are still struggling with, is completely solvable.

How? It is necessary to make a cone splitter: it does not split the block by force, but forces it to crack as it is more convenient for him. If the workpiece is no more than 60 cm in diameter, then the resulting logs will fit in the furnace firebox. Their transverse dimensions are not optimal for the most economical combustion, but the fuel is also waste.

The structure of a cone log splitter is shown in Fig. on right. The diameter of the base of the cone is 80-150 mm, depending on the largest size of available blocks. The apex angle is 15 degrees for thin-grained wood and 18 degrees for straight-grained wood. Note at 1/3 of the height of the cone from the base it is replaced by an opening angle of 22 and 25-30 degrees, respectively. It is better to use a rack jack. The fact is that a car jack is an emergency device, not designed for frequent regular use. The rack and pinion jack cannot be simplified any further, but the hydraulic jack in the wood splitter will start leaking pretty soon. For comparison: a hydraulic stamping press that develops the same force is a solid structure weighing more than a ton.

One more nuance: it is better to make the adjusting rod of the conical cleaver also working. To do this, it is made from a rod of steel St45 or stronger with a diameter of 24 mm. The thread is cut trapezoidal (you can use parts from an unusable main gas or water valve). The steering wheel is replaced with a lever gate. Then, together with an assistant, it will be possible to split the thickest, most vile of vile blocks. Frame – channels from 150 mm and pipes from 60x4.

When firewood is sometimes needed

That is, for heating a decorative fireplace or temporary heating with improvised waste fuel; eg in the country. Abroad, logs of low-value soft wood are sold specifically for fuel for fireplaces: poplar, aspen, willow, etc. And they are accompanied by wood splitters like the one in pos. 1 pic. below. The core of marketing promotion is that the ridges on the knife immediately provide a kindling light. But in general the idea is strange: a block of wood that can be split with a light blow of an ax is placed in a clip and hit hard several times with a sledgehammer. True, chopping wood, on the contrary, is safer. Maybe this is relevant there. There is a saying in America (translated into Russian): “If the average American, rushing to get to work, doesn’t slip and break his neck in the shower, he will cut his own throat while shaving.”

A reciprocating wood splitter (item 2) is much more convenient and not at all more dangerous. He acts according to a well-known saying: a lazy man was asked why he chops wood while sitting? “I tried lying down - it’s uncomfortable.” The reciprocating wood splitter can be attached to both the wall and the floor. Cutting lever arm from 0.8 m for soft straight-grained wood; for birch and pine from 1.2 m.

Split oak, etc. with a reciprocating wood splitter. or wood from fruit trees is already difficult and does not always work out. Therefore, at a dacha visited in the cold season, a foot-operated lever wood splitter (item 3) will not hurt: it copes with the wood of any tree with a diameter of up to 25-30 cm; however, productivity is low. In this log splitter, a sliding stop pulls the shackle (shown by the arrow) when you press the pedal. The swinging cradle is raised until the block fits in it, then released and pressed on the pedal until the wood splits.