Wood Splitter

Farmwelding · Fri Mar 18, 2016 10:37 pm

I made this wood splitter with 1 inch round stock and 1.5" pipe like a fence post driver. It's nice for light cracked firewood.

Coldman · Sun Mar 20, 2016 7:12 pm

In this forum there's not much tolerance for bagging. It truly is not my intention to bag, but you made this post looking for comment and I am going to do so.

To me a tool is something that achieves its goal with reduced force by safe mechanical advantage ie "let the tool do the work".
This implement requires force to achieve its goal (aided slightly by the weight of the pipe) which therefore reduces safety by design. This force can not be accurately applied by nature of its design and would be in the general direction of your feet.

The handle is too thin to get a firm grip in my view which increases risk of sliding and bruising.

The wedge looks like it could be tool steel which is hardenable by welding and therefore risk of breaking is increased.

Fabrication. There is nothing straight or square here which means it is almost impossible to deliver a true axial blow with it, another reduction in safety.

You say it works good on small cracked wood. There is another tool available for this job, been tested and refined for thousands of years. Its called a hatchet. Even one from your cheapo store would work better and safer.

The only way your splitter could work safely is if there was a crack in the wood large enough to insert the wedge tight enough to get a grip then lift the two together and drop. If you have to spear it to get a tight enough grip it becomes unsafe straight away. Whereas a hatchet works every time, crack or no crack.

Diesel · Tue Mar 22, 2016 1:05 am

So you have to pile drive it straight down? Never seen one like that before... Wouldn't an axe be more efficient and less force? Or the wedge you used just be hit by a sledge?

Poland308 · Tue Mar 22, 2016 7:08 am

I think most wood splitting wedges are soft mild steel so they will deform when hit with a sledge. Is the driver pipe with the handles weighted to give you an advantage? I could see this being a good option for someone who has lost motion in there shoulder keeping them from swinging over head.

Farmwelding · Wed Mar 23, 2016 7:38 am

The pipe peice has a weight at he top made of a peice of 1" round stock sandwiched between two prices of 1/4" plate. I built it mostly because it was cheap (only had to buy the pipe in my case) and I've seen similar products. It wasn't exactly what I wanted with squareness and overall quality which would make it a better tool, but it has worked so far and has split fairly decent on. Even a 18" locust log.

noddybrian · Wed Mar 23, 2016 4:59 pm

As a project if your fairly new to welding it's just fine - yes quality / attention to detail could be better but if it works for you then great & it achieved a useful end as opposed to just padding beads ( which does have it's own merit when starting out )- I've seen this style splitter on sale though never saw a need for one & if your physically fit I think an axe is quicker - if you have limitations on swinging I guess it enables you to get the job done - not sure why one response was quite so negative - somewhat out of character I thought - keep welding & show us the improved model if you make another - possibly using a heavier weight on the top for more impact force.

Coldman · Thu Mar 24, 2016 12:23 am

I dunno. Maybe I came across negative, I did say it was not my intention to bag. Just said what I saw, I stand by what I said which was about the piece not the person (who I encourage to keep at it, particularly as he will be going to welding school).

Sometimes blending two things can have a good result, for example, if you cross a sheep with a kangaroo what do you end up with? A woolly jumper! That's good ain't it?

What do you get it if you blend a star picket dolly with a pinch bar? A wood splitter? or sore feet? I dunno, it just looks wrong to me. But that's just me. If it works for him that's fine.

Maybe in 10 years the OP will remember me as an arrogant rude SOB, but maybe when he posts his next project it will be straight and square. Should we not aspire to craftmanship? There will be no pandering from me! He won't get it from his teacher or employer either.

Happy Easter everybody!!!

Thu Mar 24, 2016 3:53 pm

One of the things that makes this forum great is it's honesty. The "negative" post was not, to my mind, disparaging in any way. Just an honest opinion rendered politely.

We will not always get roses and butterflies when we post our work, nor should we, if we seek to improve our skills. As long as we're not throwing poop like chimpanzees (or facebook), we'll be fine.

I'm not a fan of the "everyone gets a trophy" model so popular today, anyway.

Steve S

exnailpounder · Thu Mar 24, 2016 5:11 pm

Otto Nobedder wrote:One of the things that makes this forum great is it's honesty. The "negative" post was not, to my mind, disparaging in any way. Just an honest opinion rendered politely.

We will not always get roses and butterflies when we post our work, nor should we, if we seek to improve our skills. As long as we're not throwing poop like chimpanzees (or facebook), we'll be fine.

I'm not a fan of the "everyone gets a trophy" model so popular today, anyway.

Steve S

I have done repairs on equipment that the welds are so bad that I have to wonder if they actually do have chimpanzees doing the welding. Check out EZGO golf carts if you want to see Fido's butt.