Sitting near the fireplace, where burning wood crackles, is a pleasure. After warming up in a wood-heated bathhouse, you get no less pleasure. The only unpleasant moment in these events is chopping firewood manually. Sometimes it takes a long time to swing the ax, especially when the conversation turns to lighting the bathhouse. To reduce the labor intensity of this process, engineers long ago invented a special machine called a wood splitter. True, it is not as cheap as we would like. Therefore, it is worth considering a completely unique design of a wood splitter made from a washing machine.
It should be noted that you can chop wood in different ways, using different tools. Therefore, wood splitters have different designs.
- In which the drive mechanism is based on hydraulic technology.
- Which are based on a rack and pinion mechanism.
- And the so-called step-screw wood splitter.
The third option for a wood splitter is just right for making it yourself, using some parts and components of a regular washing machine.
Parts from a washing machine for a wood splitter
So, for a wood splitter you will need an electric motor with a pulley, a pulley that is installed on the impeller that rotates the water inside the tank, and a belt connecting the two pulleys. By the way, the washing machine only has two pulleys, so you will need both of them.
To turn all this into a wood splitter, you need a base on which the assembly parts will be installed and fastened. It can be made from metal profiles (even used) in the form of a frame. It is important that there is alignment between the pulleys used from the washing machine. It should look approximately as shown in the figure below.
In addition to spare parts for the washing machine, you will need a few more parts. This is a shaft on which a large pulley will be mounted and a cone on the other side. This cone is the main working tool of the wood splitter, with the help of which the wooden block will be cut. In order for the shaft to be in a horizontal plane in one place and also to rotate, two bearings are needed, which are installed at a short distance from each other and also secured to the frame.
The biggest problem of all the above products is the cone for the log splitter. Firstly, it can only be made on a lathe because it is just a cone. Secondly, it needs to be threaded with a small pitch. Again, you can’t do without a machine. Therefore, you will have to look for a turner to make this part exactly to the required dimensions. Thirdly, it will have to be hardened, because this part must be very durable. Here again you will need a specialist.
There is another simpler option. This is to buy a ready-made cone in an online store, fortunately such an opportunity is available today. The main thing is to choose the right size. By the way, today you can buy a whole kit for a homemade wood splitter. All that remains is to assemble the frame for it. True, all this costs money, so it would be cheaper to disassemble an old washing machine and make a wood splitter out of it. And one more thing - you will also need to order the shaft from a turner, and provide him with bearings so that he can make the part exactly for them.
Manufacturing options for other models
Let's look at a few examples.
Cone splitter
The simplest design with a cone. It consists of a jacking part, a cone and a frame in the shape of the letter “P”. The log is placed between the cone and the rod, and the splitting is carried out due to the translational movement.
The equipment is mounted on a shaft or gearbox that rotates slowly. The wood is screwed onto the cone and falls apart. Unfortunately, with such equipment it is impossible to split oak or birch, samples with high fiber content. There is another drawback - conical equipment is difficult to implement.
Hydraulic device
Consists of a hydraulic cylinder with a pusher, a pump and control elements. The frame is made of steel angle, profile pipes, channel. When designing, it is possible to provide for installation of the frame on the wheelbase. An electric motor from a washing machine is not used; all splitting work is done with a hydraulic jack. The cutting element is represented by a steel strip three centimeters thick, which is sharpened with a wedge. The cutting part along the guides is secured with three bolts.
Mechanical device for chopping wood
It is called a spring cleaver. It is simple to make and convenient to use. Installation is carried out using the following technology:
- the vertical stand is concreted;
- a beam is hung horizontally with a hinge element on top and a shock absorber device on the bottom;
- a small stand with equipment is fixed in a free area;
- the working block is installed.
The main advantage is that there is no need to use a motor from an old washing machine, but at the same time, the mechanical device has low productivity, and considerable physical strength is required from the worker.
Assembling a wood splitter
First of all, bearings and a shaft are installed on the frame. It is very important to match the protrusion of the shaft to the frame so that its length matches the length of the protruding part of the electric motor shaft. The thing is that pulleys will be installed at both ends of the two shafts. And they should be located in the same plane.
The bearings will have to be secured using special housings, which in their design have tabs with through holes. This is clearly visible in the photo below. Although there are many mounting options, you can choose simpler ones.
Next, the electric motor is mounted. It is installed on the lower platform of the frame.
Attention! To obtain precise alignment of the two pulleys, it is necessary to make not holes, but grooves (oblong through grooves) for the electric motor fasteners, with the help of which you can move the engine together with the fasteners.
Now a belt is put on the pulleys, after which the electric motor moves in the direction so that both elements are in the same plane. The belt should be vertical. After that, the power wire from the motor must be plugged into the outlet. If everything works as it should, then after disconnecting, the working tool itself - the cone - is attached.
In order for the wooden chocks to separate well, you need to install a metal wedge under the threaded cone. You can make it yourself from a metal strip 3-4 mm thick, sharpening one of the ends. The wedge is electric welded to the frame directly below the cone. By the way, this will be clearly visible in the video, and it will be clear how it works.
Purpose and principle of operation of the device
Wood splitters are used not only in domestic conditions, but also at the industrial level. They are represented by hydraulic presses, cone or screw devices. The working principle of each type of equipment depends on the type of knife and its mode of action.
Hydraulic
This type of design is characterized by ease of use and significant performance characteristics. The main advantage of the unit is considered to be smooth operation, combined with a decent level of efficiency and minimal risks of possible failures. Structurally, the device consists of a base, a working cylindrical part, a thrust mechanism, a knife, an oil tank, a pump, a pressure distributor, a gasoline or electric motor from washing equipment.
In this type of equipment, energy is transmitted through a hydraulic cylinder to the rod, actuating the stop. With a smooth movement, the knife blade enters the wood and splits the block into pieces. If the power is not enough, the cylinder stops, the pump begins to perform idle rotations, preventing failure of all equipment.
Cone or screw device
The assembly is carried out using bolts and nuts, the installation is reliable and has a good power rating. A characteristic feature is the fastening of a sliding thrust element to a frame located horizontally. The movement is carried out by means of a hinge pin with an electric motor. The splitting is done with a cone rather than a knife blade.
The advantages include the simplicity of the device, ease of maintenance, and long service life. But the engine must have sufficient power.
Depending on the type of drive, such cleavers can be electric or gasoline, and can be used in everyday life and in the industrial sector.
Wood cutting technology
The homemade wood splitter is ready for use; you can test cut wood. A block is taken and installed “on the butt,” that is, on the end. Then it is fed to the cone with your hands sideways. Since the cone has a thread, it will instantly begin to cut into the wood, pulling it towards itself. In principle, the machine will operate in almost semi-automatic mode.
In this case, the dry wood will begin to crack, and the wedge will cut into the body of the block, dividing it in half. By the way, you cannot bring the log end-to-end to the wood splitter. Because the wooden block will be very long and can get between the cone and the shaft. Why does the machine just jam? It is good if the electric motor does not burn out, but it may break the bearings or their mounting device.
How to make split carrots (video)
When making a wood splitter yourself, you need to use only well-drawn drawings and diagrams
Particular attention must be paid to the selection of high-quality and durable consumables
Equally important is the stability of the structure, which will make the work process not only comfortable, but also as safe as possible. It should be noted that homemade models of wood splitters are much cheaper than factory designs, so they are perfect for home use
However, if you need to chop wood in large volumes and quite often, then it is best to purchase a factory-made wood splitter
It should be noted that homemade models of wood splitters are much cheaper than factory designs, so they are perfect for home use. However, if you need to chop wood in large volumes and quite often, then it is best to purchase a factory-made wood splitter.
Manual splitting of wooden blocks, especially knotty ones, is quite difficult and quite slow. Today, this physically difficult work can be accelerated by transferring it to the shoulders of a factory-made mechanical wood splitter. There’s just one problem: such a “woodcutter” with a “carrot” costs from 20 thousand rubles. But the experience of folk craftsmen shows that, even without knowledge of turning, it is possible to make a mechanical cleaver from scrap materials, adapting it to the place, amount of work and anthropometric data.
Making your own screw cleaver
The main problem in creating a homemade product such as a screw wood splitter is finding a working cone, which can be purchased in specialized stores or made with your own hands using a metal blank.
Taper turning:
- place a metal blank on the electric motor pulley;
- during free rotation, remove excess metal from the blank;
- cut a left-hand thrust thread on the surface of the blank.
The final assembly consists of inserting a screw onto a pre-prepared shaft and fixing it with a pin, after which a flange equipped with a motorcycle sprocket is put on the other side of the shaft.
