Do-it-yourself wood splitter, self-made mechanical hydraulic. How to make a wood splitter. What is needed for manufacturing

In our time, stove heating is gradually becoming a thing of the past. In most private houses, as well as in apartments, there are batteries; in addition, electric convectors are used to heat the room. However, many summer residents and villagers are in no hurry to part with Russian stoves. Well-made stoves have many advantages: they give a lot of heat, you can cook in the oven delicious food and make homemade bread. And if there is a stove in the house, then you need to prepare firewood for future use.

Of course, you can buy firewood from an ad in local newspapers. Usually there are many such ads, but manufacturers of heating materials often deceive buyers by offering low-quality goods at a high price. Therefore, most amateurs stove heating prefer prepare firewood yourself. In Russia, chopping wood was traditionally considered male work... But if the felling attachment is comfortable and not heavy in weight, a woman or a teenager will perfectly cope with this work. The easiest way to workusing a cleaver made with your own hands at home.

Why is it worth making a cleaver

The cleaver is the simplest device for splitting firewood. Of course, you can purchase such an ax in a specialized store or order it on a thematic Internet site. However, the cost of such devices of industrial production sometimes reaches twenty thousand rubles. It makes sense to buy such things only if a lot of firewood is used to heat the room. If we are talking about small house, where a family of three or four people lives, buying such a "gadget" is unprofitable. It is much easier to make a cleaver with your own hands, and here's why:

The simplest hand-made cleaver looks about the same as an ordinary ax, but with a small peculiarity.

Ax making process

The little "secret" of a hand-made cleaver is that its center of gravity is shifted. A cleaver with a "secret" is an ax with a curved wooden stick neatly built into its blade. During felling, this stick acts as a lever and helps to split logs without much effort. Thanks to the shifted center of gravity, the force that the lumberjack puts into the blow increases several times. In order to make a device for chopping wood with your own hands, you will need:

First on lathe the handle is machined, the length of the master can be adjusted "for himself." It is not recommended to make the handle too short, as it will be inconvenient to work. If the handle is too long, this will reduce the force put into the blow. Perfect option - measure the length of the handle on a standard ax industrial production and adhere to this length (with minor errors in one direction or another, given the physical constitution of the one who will chop the wood). If the woodcutter has long arms, the handle may be slightly shorter than normal. Conversely, for a person with short limbs, it is better to lengthen it a little.

The second stage of work is manufacturing, sharpening and the most reliable fastening of the blade to the handle. Further, the center of gravity shifts at the cleaver; for this, a long curved stick is neatly built into the blade. After that, the homemade cleaver is ready to use.

How to chop wood correctly

Many summer residents chop wood by putting a log on the ground, but experienced woodcutters categorically do not recommend doing this, and here's why:

1. This is dangerous because you can hit the leg with an ax and get seriously injured.
2. This is inconvenient because the lumberjack has to bend low. It is especially difficult to bend over obese people.
3. This has a bad effect on the quality of firewood, as a log lying on the ground instantly damp.

It is best to use a special for splitting metal structure, resembling a machine tool in shape. In the middle of the machine there is a chute into which the log is placed: here it is securely fixed and does not jump out. When the log, or "block", lies exactly in its place, the woodcutter takes the cleaver and lifts it up to strike and with a sharp movement lowers it onto the log. If hit correctly, the block splits into pieces. The main thing is to correctly calculate the force of the blow, then these parts will turn out to be even and neat, but this comes with experience.

You should never raise the cleaver too high, because the force of the blow will not increase from this, but, on the contrary, will weaken. Also, do not swing an ax before making a blow: the lumberjack does not need to spend extra strength.

Log storage

When all the wood is chopped, it should be put in a woodpile. Typical mistake many summer residents and villagers is that they dump ready-made firewood in a heap. This cannot be done, because a wobbly structure can quickly fall apart if at least one log is unsuccessful. But the most important thing is that the firewood piled in a pile does not dry well, which means that it can become infected with fungus and mold.

You need to fold firewood carefully, in much the same way as children, while playing, add blocks of the constructor. Logs, beautifully arranged in a woodpile, look impressive and make a pleasant impression on the neighbors in the country. It is also convenient to get them when it becomes necessary to bring a few pieces of wood home. You need to store firewood only under a special canopy so that rain does not fall on them. If they are in the open air, cover the wood from the rain with tarps or plastic wrap.

People who buy firewood from an ad, often complain about the dampness of the brought wood. In this case, the logs must be dried immediately and only then put in a neat pile.

Chopping firewood with a homemade cleaver is not as difficult as it seems. The main thing is that the ax is comfortable and sharp enough. ... There is a common misconception thatthat a sharp ax can easily injure oneself. In fact, lumberjacks most often get injured precisely because the cleaver is not sharpened well enough. Having made an ax with their own hands and adapting it "for themselves", a summer resident or a villager will be able to significantly facilitate the annual work of preparing fuel for the Russian stove. It is much easier and cheaper than buying expensive equipment or purchasing someone's firewood of dubious quality.

A hydraulic wood splitter or wood splitter is a means of automating the preparation of firewood. Most often, a hydraulic log splitter is called a "mechanical splitter". Moreover, many models have been created by the hands of home craftsmen and qualified engineers.

Application and working principle

Mechanical and hydraulic are used in private households or in small production workshops for wood processing. In any place the machines perform mechanical crosscutting, as well as splitting of various wood species.

Hand tools for splitting and crosscutting very often break down and require skill, effort and time. Machines and installations of a different, non-hydraulic type very often break down due to uneven loading.

Factory wood splitters

The construction equipment market offers several dozen models of hydraulic woodcutters in the price range from 10 to 200 thousand rubles. It is important to know that the price depends on:

• weight;
• power;
• efforts;
• engine type;
• maximum for log length;
• voltage (models with an electric motor).

Motor power supplies fall into 2 categories.

Electric motor.This energy converter acts on the pump. Moreover, the electric motor is used in the most primitive household machines. It is very simple to maintain such models, and you can use them in the same garage or shed, taking into account environmental safety. Assembled by hand or in the workshop, models with electric motors are easiest to prepare for work, it is even allowed to be carried manually. The main disadvantage is that they do not function without power supply.

Gas engine. Installed on powerful models that can be transported to the place of harvesting firewood. The gasoline log splitter is generally heavier, more expensive and more powerful. But it is also more functional due to its mobility and more power.

Homemade wood splitters

Most often used for household needs in preparation for the heating season. Moreover, the level of engineering thought of a rural worker can stimulate the creation of household and professional equipment.

In this case, everything is clear with the household one, but a professional machine can work in line. Simply put, it still has the function of feeding, trimming, unloading.

Anyone wishing to independently create similar installations to facilitate work can familiarize themselves with drawings, diagrams and video instructions online. An example of a good do-it-yourself hydraulic wood splitter is this video:

What is included in the construction of a hydraulic wood splitter?

A do-it-yourself hydraulic log splitter should consist of certain parts. It is better to make up the parts by importance, and start from:

• bed;
• cylinder stop;
• wedge-shaped blades (or blades);
• pump;
• fluid pressure distributor;
• oil tank;
• engine or motor.

How do you collect it yourself?

The simplest way to assemble a working wood splitter starts with welding the frame to be secured to the platform. The lower part of the platform is equipped with a car jack (at least).

At the top of the frame, the connector must be calculated. It is needed for splitting chocks of different diameters and different lengths.

The wood splitter in the photo was created by hand, but it is already designed for an industrial volume. It has a more complex structure, which necessarily consists of hydraulic jack on a stationary (non-portable) bed. The creation of this installation requires locksmith skill, safety calculation. Even if, at first glance, the unit is not complicated, the work of the operator with a negligent attitude will sooner or later lead to an accident.

To save time and resources, wedge-shaped knives with 4-8 blades were created. The fact is that a standard knife divides the chock into 2 parts, and this model processes any log in one go.

DIY hydraulic log splitter on increased capacities (tractor driven, petrol engine) must be equipped with at least 4 blades wedge blade.

Hydraulic industrial log splitter with log lifting - video

Many owners of private houses heated by stoves and solid fuel boilers, to prepare firewood for the winter use wood splitters. Not everyone can purchase industrial units due to their high cost. To make a wood splitter with your own hands, it is enough to have its diagram on hand and follow the sequence of the work performed.

What it is

Equipment designed to split a piece of wood into logs is called a wood splitter.

For professional harvesting in industrial volumes, wood splitting machines are produced. These complexes are capable of trimming a log into pieces of the required length and chopping them into logs. Finished products from working area removed by the conveyor.

Wood splitting machines are used in sawmills to split logs into logs of the required size

A household wood splitter is intended only for splitting chocks into logs, but the log must first be cut into pieces. The performance and runtime of this equipment are limited. With the help of household firewood cutters in the private sector, they prepare firewood for a bath, fireplace and for the winter.

Split logs can be used as fuel for a boiler, fireplace or stove

Kinds

The devices are produced with vertical and horizontal workpiece arrangements. In the first version, the workpiece is placed on the bed and the cleaver is lowered from above. The advantage of vertical wood splitters is that you can put curved chocks on the bed, but you have to hold them with your hands, strictly observing safety precautions. In the second type of wood splitter, the workpiece is placed in a horizontal chute and moves to the knife. These devices are more practical and safer than vertical ones, but they take up more space.

By the type of energy used, cleavers are divided into:

• Kinetic (manual);
• Mechanical.

The first type of cleavers works by using human strength and does not require additional technical means. These products are the most economical and most popular due to their low cost and ease of manufacture.

Crowbar cleaver

It is a long metal rod with a pointed cone on one side and a handle on the other. The cleaver is raised by hands and forcefully lowered by a cone onto a log. Productivity is low and the work is physically demanding.

The splitter log splitter is excellent for heavy and thick softwood logs

Cylindrical manual

Compact and easy to carry. Used for preparing a small amount of firewood (for a fireplace or a bath). A frame with an upward blade is fixed on the stand. The workpiece, placed inside the frame, is hit with a sledgehammer. The blade splits the chock into logs.

For a private house, one of the simplest and safest options is a cylindrical manual log splitter

Spring loaded

The most common and efficient among kinetic devices. The workpiece is split by the working part, which is fixed to the beam and is damped by a spring. Requires little effort.

Mechanical wood splitters are distinguished according to the type of work:

• Hydraulic;
• Conical (screw);
• Rack and pinion.

In a spring wood splitter, the main force is taken by the spring

Hydraulic

The advantages are smooth running and high load on the workpiece.

Despite the creation of a large working force, the hydraulic wood splitter does not have a high working speed

Energy from an electric or gasoline engine is transmitted to a hydraulic cylinder. The working fluid enters the rod, which moves the stop with the workpiece to the stationary fixed knife. The force generated by the hydraulic cylinder can be up to 10 tons. The stroke and direction of movement are controlled by a valve. It also protects the mechanism from breakage if its power is not enough to split the chocks.

Screw

The principle of operation is based on screwing a cone-shaped working element into the workpiece and splitting it into 2 or more parts. Release screw devices in 3 versions, with a difference in the ways of transferring energy from the motor to the working cone. The cone is fixed directly or through a flywheel on the shaft of a low-speed electric motor (up to 5 kW, 400-500 rpm).

The cone-shaped cleaver is most commonly used in gasoline and electric models.

From the engine, the torque is transmitted to the cone using a belt or chain drive. Pulleys are selected so that the cone speed does not exceed 300-400 rpm. Sometimes the motor transfers energy to the cone through a geared motor. This design is relatively complex and is used mainly in industrial wood splitting machines or by folk craftsmen.

For productive work, the drive power must be at least 1.5 kW

Rack

The operation of the device is based on the method of operation of a rack and pinion gear. The movable gear rack is operated by a gear attached to the lower belt pulley connected to the engine. The pinion and rack contact provides the control stick. The toothed rack moves along the guides installed on a reinforced frame, and on the other end of which there is a cleaver. The reverse travel of the rack is carried out by a return spring. Rack wood splitters are reliable, economical and excellent in performance.

The cleaver in the structure of the rack and pinion splitter is attached to the rack, which moves due to the gear transmission

By the type of traction, wood splitters can be divided into:

1. Electrical. Power is supplied by an electric motor. These devices are low maintenance and easy to operate. Indoor installation possible. The downside is low mobility due to attachment to the source of electricity
2. Gasoline powered wood splitters are more powerful and more productive. They are used both in everyday life and in industrial blanks.
3. Tractor-driven wood splitters. The working cylinder of the device is connected to the transport hydraulic system, which significantly increases the speed and working life of the wood splitter. These models are used when it is necessary to procure a large amount of firewood in forestry or on a farm.
4. Combined traction. It is used on industrial wood splitting machines and is of two types: tractor hydraulic drive and electric motor, tractor hydraulic drive and gasoline engine.

To solve everyday problems, manual and electric wood splitters are most often used, less often gasoline ones.

Factory models are much more efficient and presentable.

Before buying or manufacturing any wood splitter, you must pay attention to the following technical characteristics:

1. The splitting power of the hydraulic device should be between 3-7 tons.
2. The acceptable rotation speed of the working cone of the screw wood splitter is 400-600 rpm.
3. Working length (distance between piston and knife) shows the maximum longitudinal dimension of the workpiece to be split. In household wood splitters it is 0.5-0.6 m, in industrial - 0.5-1 m.
4. The piston travel stop increases productivity and saves resources when machining short workpieces.
5. The optimal speed of the piston when moving forward (working) is 4 cm / sec, backward - 7.5 cm / sec.
6. Engine power in hydraulic wood splitters is 1500-2300 W, in screw - 3000-4000 W.
7. Dimensions and mobility of the device.

Making a wood splitter with your own hands

The purchase of a factory wood splitter is not always economically justified, especially since some types of this mechanism can be assembled with your own hands from simple materials.

Spring loaded

To create it, you will need the following material:

• Channel;
• I-beam;
• Tubes or corner for frame and stiffeners;
• Metal corner;
• Square tube;
• Automotive spring;
• The pipe section is slightly smaller in diameter than that of the spring;
• Hinge knot;
• Cleaver;
• Weighting agent (a piece of rail or channel with a thick shelf).

For a stationary wood splitter, you can fill concrete baseby inserting a rack into it. In this case, you do not need to make a frame. All parts of the wood splitter, except for the hinge, are connected using electric welding. Cut off pieces of the channel for the bed and the I-beam for the base. Support length - 0.6-1 m. Base height is selected individually. The support is connected to the bed, strictly maintaining an angle of 90 °. For the stability of the structure, pipes are horizontally welded to the ends of the bed. The connection between the bed and the base is reinforced with spacers.

To increase the stability of the structure, it is necessary to install spacers

A piece of channel 40-50 cm long serves as a platform for the spring. On one side of it, a hole is cut with a grinder to connect to the base. A spring guide is welded to the other edge. To determine the place of attachment of the platform, it is necessary to subtract the length of the spring from the height of the support. The platform must also be reinforced with spacers from the corner.

In order to determine the place of attachment of the platform, it is necessary to subtract the length of the spring from the height of the support

In the upper part of the base, a seat with a depth of 8-10 cm is cut out for the outer element of the hinge assembly. Then a channel for the cleaver is prepared. To do this, on one side of the channel with a length of 0.5-0.7 m, at a distance of 10-15 cm from the edge, cut a rectangular hole of such length that the base beam does not interfere with the course of the channel that is put on it. In the center of the hole, the inner rod of the hinge assembly is welded. On the second edge of the channel, a spring seat is attached.

The beam will move with hinges

The distance from the base to the lower and upper spring cups must be the same.

A cleaver is welded to one side of the metal square from below at an angle of 90 °, and a weighting agent is welded on top. The second side is connected to the channel for the cleaver so that the total length of the resulting arm is 1-1.5 m. The assembled structure is put on the base so that the outer hinge elements fall into the seat on the beam, fixing them by welding. A spring is put on the landing cups. For ease of use, a handle is attached near the cleaver.

A rail welded above the cleaver will act as a weighting agent

To make the device mobile, 2 wheels are attached to the frame from the base side.

Video: how to make a spring log splitter

Conical or screw

The main active part of this wood splitter is a threaded cone, which splits the tree by screwing into its structure like a self-tapping screw ("carrot").

The splitter of a wood splitter is a cone-shaped element, also known as a "carrot"

In order to make this mechanism it is necessary:

1. Make a cone according to the drawing from a ST-45 cylinder with a diameter of 55 mm and a length of 14.5 cm at an angle of 30 °.
2. On a turning machine, apply a stop thread to the cylinder with a pitch of 6-7 mm and a depth of 2 mm.
3. The finished cone is put on the shaft and secured with a pin.
4. On the opposite side of the shaft, fit 1 or 2 bearings and weld the flange (an asterisk for a chain or a pulley for a belt).
5. Supports are welded to the bearings to fix the mechanism to the table.
6. A spacer is placed between the shaft and the motor to tension the belt or chain.
7. The conical structure with an electric motor using the legs is fixed on a table of solid solid wood with metal legs.
8. The cone is fixed at a height of 10-15 cm from the table surface.
9. The motor, belt or chain is covered with a metal cover for safety reasons.

During operation, the cone slowly cuts into the log and breaks it into several pieces

If it is problematic to make a cone yourself, then you should purchase it in a specialized store.

The direction of the thread does not matter, but when cutting a right-hand thread, it is possible to ruin the taper

Video: how to make a "carrot" in the garage

Rack

First you need to decide on the drawing according to which the unit is manufactured. Consideration must be given to the desired performance, wood type and installation location. Based on these data, the engine power and the parameters of the rack and pinion mechanism are calculated.

The basis of the rack and pinion wood splitter is a strong steel frame, to which the drive and frame are attached

1. The mobile frame is made of shaped pipe and a corner. For a stationary wood splitter, the frame can be made of heavier channel and I-beams.
2. When welding the frame, vertical and horizontal lines must be strictly observed, which will further affect performance and safety.
3. The structure must be stable, the wheels on the frame must be securely fixed and fixed for the duration of the work.
4. The length of the staff should be 1.5 times the distance to the cleaver.
5. Log feed speed is selected individually and regulated by the selection of a reducing number of pulleys.

The horizontal trough-shaped stacking mechanism ensures optimal movement of the workpiece to the cleaver.

Video: homemade rack and pinion inertial wood splitter

Hydraulic wood splitter from jack

The simplest hydraulic wood splitter is made according to the following scheme:

1. A vertical frame with a base for a car jack is welded from the channel. The height of the frame depends on the length of the pieces to be split.
2. In the center of the upper frame bar, a tapered wedge is installed on a screw drive. For this, the necessary thread is cut in the hole on the frame.
3. The workpiece installed on the jack rod is first fixed from above with a wedge using a screw. Then, using a jack, the chock is strung on a wedge and split into logs.

A car jack is suitable for making a hydraulic wood splitter

There is no universal technology for creating a hydraulic wood splitter. It all depends on the available hydraulic system, which consists of:

• Hydraulic cylinder with pusher;
• Hydraulic pump;
• Working fluid flow distributor;
• Oil tank;
• Electric or gasoline engine.

The frame is constructed from a metal channel, an I-beam, an angle and a profile pipe. For mobility, it is recommended to place it on a finished chassis or wheelset.

An example for the creation of this unit with your own hand can be factory models or piece copies of craftsmen, photos and videos of which are published on the Internet.

An example of a horizontal design of a hydraulic wood splitter with an oil tank

Video: a hydraulic device from available tools

Safety engineering

For safe work with a home-made device, the following rules must be observed:

1. The process of harvesting wood must be carried out in closed clothing, gloves and goggles, so as not to be injured by chips flying off the workpiece.
2. The workpiece must be firmly located in the chute and not displaced when moving.
3. When the piston moves, it is forbidden to reach out to the knives and correct the shifted workpiece.
4. Any manipulations with the workpiece are performed after turning off the unit and completely stopping all of its components.
5. Work on the repair or replacement of the wood splitter units is carried out by disconnecting the electric motor from the mains supply.

Wood splitters make it much easier to harvest large amounts of firewood, saving time and effort. However, there is no need to purchase complex expensive equipment to provide a fireplace or a bath with wood. It is much more pleasant and healthier to use a regular ax.

A homemade screw splitter will help you chop a large amount of firewood without spending a lot of effort on it. This device uses the principle of splitting wood by screwing in a massive screw, which is a symbiosis of a screw and a conventional wedge. The manufactured cone, thanks to the cut threads, easily breaks the wood along the grains due to the large screw diameter.

By the design of the drive, several types of homemade wood splitters can be made. Some craftsmen put a screw on the working shaft of the electric motor. In this case, very strict requirements are put forward for the electric motor. He must only be low-speed and quite powerful.

The most common are other types of screw splitting axes, in which any electric motors can be used. The reduction in speed in them is achieved due to the use of various gearboxes or belt drives. An asterisk of a small diameter is placed on the working shaft of the electric motor, and a large pulley is installed on the cone of the wood splitter. Their dimensions must be chosen in such a way as to reduce the engine speed to 500 rpm. It happens that when using high-speed electric motors, it is difficult to achieve the required speed values. In this case, it is worthwhile to put an intermediate shaft and a special step transmission.

All units of the device must be securely fastened to a solid base. For more comfortable work, it can be equipped with a small folding table.

Advantages and disadvantages of cone log splitters

The main advantages of the cone log splitter are:

• simplicity of design;
• the ability to assemble with your own hands;
• good performance of the apparatus;
• low installation cost;
• any person is capable of working on such a device.

At the same time, very simple and reliable design homemade wood splitter has several disadvantages.

• One of them can be considered the fact that wood with strongly intertwined fibers is a big problem for his screw. That is why tree roots and knotted logs are worth pricking by hand.
• The next drawback is the poor separation of large chocks into parts.
• It is also worth noting that it is almost impossible to make a cone on your own without the help of a qualified turner.

At the moment, on the network you can find high-quality drawings of a screw wood splitter for making your own hands or offers to sell a finished product.

The main requirements for an electric crescent

A self-made electric tower must be very reliable, safe in operation and have high performance. That is why when choosing the type of device and assembling it, it is necessary to follow the rules for meeting the requirements for devices of this type.

The basic requirements for wood splitting machines are as follows:

Materials and tools for assembly

Do-it-yourself assembly of the machine does not require the use of expensive parts. Many blanks can be taken from the old washing machine or a faulty walk-behind tractor, and a drawing of a cone for a wood splitter should be asked from an experienced turner.

For the manufacture of homemade device you will need such materials:

Many knots will fit from the old washing machine or car. Don't make your own screw. There are a lot of materials on the network in which craftsmen advise to cut this part using a regular grinder. Experts say that this venture will simply turn out to be a carrot, and not a cone screw.

The following tools will be needed to assemble the electric arm:

• welding machine;
• drill and drill;
• electric grinder;
• small hammer;
• spanners;
• pencil and tape measure.

Any kind of enamel can be used to protect the surface of the machine from corrosion. However, it is worthwhile to properly prepare the metal for painting. This can be done with a special brush and chemical rust converters.

DIY cone wood splitter

On initial stage for assembling an electric cleaver, it is worth making a good sketch, which will indicate the location of the parts and mechanisms of the device, as well as its dimensions. A diagram will be needed electrical wiringthat any electrician can compose. These actions will help to assemble the machine with high quality and prevent many mistakes. And also it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the manufacture of a special wedge, since it is the most vulnerable part of the mechanism.

Most suitable material for a wedge, tool steel is considered expensive, but it is very difficult to machine even an experienced turner. Most often, ordinary steel is used for this, which is then hardened by carburizing or quenching. Long and high-quality operation of the screw cone will be ensured only when it good production... Simple metric threads are not suitable for these purposes, as they wear out rather quickly and do not fit well into the wood. Experts advise making a two-start thread with a pitch of 5 mm.

The dimensions of the bed are directly dependent from the complexion of a person, but most often they are:

• height - about 90 cm;
• the width of the surface should be no more than 70 cm;
• the length should be made about 1 m.

Most often, the electric motor is located at the bottom of the bed, which helps to protect it from various chips or small chips. When a motor from a walk-behind tractor is used, then it should be placed on the same level with a screw wedge. This arrangement is very convenient during the operation of the machine, if you need to adjust the speed or add fuel.

When designing an electric arm, it is necessary to determine the method of tensioning the belt drive. To do this, you need to install additional rollers or sprockets. It is worth fixing a special protective casing on the belt drive, which can be made from a piece of sheet metal and attached to the working surface with fastening materials.

Assembling the screw cleaver

After the drawing of the machine is made and all materials and parts are prepared, you need to start making a screw cleaver. Experts advise using high-quality instructions and assembling in accordance with the drawn up work plan.

To make a homemade electric wood splitter, you will need a little skills in handling tools. A little time spent on assembly can save a lot of effort in the future. The main thing is to follow all safety rules when working with the device.

Cleavers are qualitatively different from an ax, a traditional wood-chopping device. The ax is considered a more versatile tool, and the cleaver is able to perform only one task - to chop wooden blanks into small pieces. Also, axes are actively used in jewelry work.

Types of cleavers

Screw electromechanical wood splitter cleaver

Modern technologies of wood processing have gone far in development, as a result of this, different "helpers" for woodcutters have appeared:

• The mechanical splitter is used for industrial purposes where a high speed of wood processing is required. The mechanism is driven by a special machine and additional weighting (from 100 kg to 1 ton, depending on the model). Often mechanical apparatus found in household... And some of them are made by local craftsmen with their own hands. The mechanism is powered by a spring that is attached to the operating handle. After the final movement, the spring creates resistance, due to which the counterweight returns to its original position. The wood splitter is driven by mechanical hand force.
• Mechanical splitter with a drive. In the common people, this type of cleaver is better known as electric. The principle of action is no different from the above. The only thing that indicates a difference is the electric motor that powers all the equipment. Mechanical fixtures for splitting firewood is often done by hand in countryside or at the dachas.
• Hydraulic wood splitter. This kind of mechanism uses the energy of a compressed fluid. The mechanism is based on the principle of a hydraulic press. Most models are equipped with additional blades, due to which the workpiece is split into several parts at once.
• Wood splitter with screw drive. This type of device operates on a screw drive, that is, its work is based on converting the rotational movement of the splitter with an external screw into the translational movement of the nut. Such a firewood cleaver does its job well. This model is distinguished by high performance and precision. It is almost impossible and even dangerous to make such equipment with your own hands.

Self-production

Not everyone has the opportunity to purchase an expensive model, so most summer residents and rural residents prefer a homemade firewood splitter. Practice has shown that you can do a lot of things with your own hands. So let's get started.

For manufacturing, you will need: drawings of the fixture, a thick sheet of steel (about 10 mm), welding, a hammer and pliers. Thick steel plate is sharpened on both sides at an acute angle to sharpening machine... At the end, you should have a double-edged blade. It is worth noting that it takes too long to work with a sharpening machine, so you can use a grinder to speed up work - cut off unnecessary pieces of steel at an angle. The cuttings are ground on a sharpening machine to the required parameters.

It is necessary to weld two metal pipes on both sides of a small diameter onto a homemade cleaver (30 mm is quite enough). This is done so that the hand-made device does not get stuck in the chocks. Remember, the more securely the workpieces are fixed, the easier it is to remove the wood splitter from the bars.

The side plates, which are also welded onto the steel plate, are made of 5 mm thick stainless steel sheet. Both edges are sharpened at a 45 degree angle. This is done so that at the moment of impact there is no strong resistance from the side homemade device... To weld metal plates, you will need an assistant who will hold the workpiece with your own hands while you are welding.

Homemade wood cleaver

To give additional rigidity to the structure, the plates can be fixed with an M8 stud. Self-made plates are applied to the canvas at an angle of 45 degrees, this is the main requirement. It is necessary to put on a stiff spring on the inserted hairpin, which will act as a shock absorber upon impact. The spring is secured with nuts the same size as the stud.

Wood cleaver

The firewood cleaver is almost ready, it remains to weld the eyelet into which the hatchet will be inserted. As a blank for the eyelet, you can use a water pipe with a diameter of 40 mm and a length of 80-100 mm. To cut such a thick pipe, you will need the help of a partner - he holds the pipe with his own hands while you are cutting.

The round pipe must be flattened with a hammer. Beat on metal pipe it is necessary until it begins to take on an oval shape. Having suffered a little and having received a hole for an oval-shaped hatchet, we weld it to the workpiece.

As for the handle, you can also do it yourself. There are no special requirements for the handle of the ax handle, the main thing is that it is convenient for you to work with it. A long handle reduces accuracy but increases impact power.

The principle of operation of such a cleaver is quite simple: when the end part strikes wooden canvas sharpening sticks inward. As soon as the blade goes deeper than 20 mm, sharpened side plates additionally dig into the wood. The deeper the cleaver goes into the wood, the more the side plates will move apart, tearing the wood into two pieces. This model is good in that it does not require a long adaptation from its owner to the adaptation. After just a few blows, you will learn how to cut a log in one stroke.

Thus, the manufacture of a cleaver does not differ in the complexity of processes and does not require a person to have special knowledge or skills in using tools. All that is needed is to adhere strictly to the drawing and carefully re-read the instructions before doing anything.

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