Do-it-yourself wood splitter homemade mechanical hydraulic. How to make a wood splitter. What you need to make

Nowadays, 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 rural residents are in no hurry to part with Russian stoves. Well-made ovens have many advantages: they give a lot of heat, you can cook in the oven delicious dishes and make homemade bread. And if the house has a stove, 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 material often deceive buyers by offering low-quality goods at a high price. Therefore, most fans furnace heating prefer prepare firewood yourself. In Rus', chopping firewood was traditionally considered male work. But if the cutting device is comfortable and not heavy in weight, a woman or teenager will do a great job with this job. Easiest to work using a cleaver made by hand at home.

Why it is worth making a cleaver

The cleaver is the simplest device for chopping firewood. Of course, you can buy such an ax in a specialized store or order it on a thematic website. 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 it's about small house, in which a family of three or four lives, it is unprofitable to buy such a “gadget”. It is much easier to make a cleaver with your own hands, and here's why:

The simplest do-it-yourself cleaver looks about the same as an ordinary ax, but with a small feature.

Ax making process

The little "secret" of a do-it-yourself cleaver is that it has a shifted center of gravity. The “secret” cleaver is an ax with a curved wooden stick neatly embedded in the blade. During cutting, this stick acts as a lever and helps to split the logs without much effort. Due to the shifted center of gravity, the force that the woodcutter puts into the blow increases several times. In order to make a device for chopping firewood with your own hands, you will need:

First on lathe the handle is machined, the master can adjust the length “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 invested in 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, taking into account 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. And, conversely, for a person with short limbs, it is better to lengthen it a little.

The second stage of work is the manufacture, 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 for use.

How to chop wood correctly

Many summer residents chop wood, 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 down low. It is especially difficult to bend over obese people.
3. This has a bad effect on the quality of firewood, since a log lying on the ground instantly becomes damp.

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

Never raise the cleaver too high, because the impact force from this will not increase, but, on the contrary, will weaken. Also, do not swing the ax before making a blow: the woodcutter does not need to waste extra strength.

Log storage

When all the firewood is split, they need to be put in a woodpile. Common Mistake many summer residents and rural residents is that they dump ready-made firewood in a pile. This cannot be done, because a shaky structure can quickly fall apart if at least one log lies unsuccessfully. But the most important thing is that firewood piled up does not dry well, which means that they can become infected with fungus and mold.

You need to stack firewood carefully, in much the same way as children, when playing, stack the designer's cubes. Chumps, beautifully stacked in a woodpile, look spectacular and make a good impression on the neighbors in the country. It is also convenient to get them when it becomes necessary to bring a few poles home. It is necessary to store firewood only under a special canopy so that rain does not fall on it. If they are in the open air, you should cover the wood from the rain with a tarpaulin or plastic wrap.

People who buy firewood through an ad, often complain about the dampness of the imported wood. In this case, the logs must be dried immediately and only then folded into a neat stack.

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 about that with a sharp ax you can easily injure yourself. In fact, lumberjacks most often get injured precisely because the cleaver is not sharp enough. Having made an ax with your own hands and adapting it “for yourself”, a summer resident or a villager will be able to significantly facilitate the annual work of procuring fuel for a Russian stove. It is much easier and cheaper than buying expensive equipment or buying someone else's firewood of dubious quality.

Wood splitter hydraulic or wood splitter - a means of automating the preparation of firewood. Most often, a hydraulic splitter is called a "mechanical splitter". Moreover, many models were 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 shops for wood processing. In any place, the machines perform mechanical cross-cutting, as well as splitting wood of various species.

A hand tool for splitting and bucking breaks very often, and it requires skill, effort and time. Machines and installations of a different, non-hydraulic type very often break down due to uneven loading.

Wood splitters factory

The construction equipment market offers several dozen models of hydraulic wood splitters 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 electric motor).

Power supplies for the engine are divided 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 easy to maintain such models, and you can use them in the same garage or shed, given environmental safety. Assembled by hand or in the workshop, models with electric motors are the easiest to prepare for work, it is even allowed to be carried by hand. The main disadvantage is that they do not function without power supply.

Gas engine. It is installed on powerful models that can be transported to the place of firewood harvesting. A gasoline fired wood splitter is usually heavier, more expensive and more powerful. But it is also more functional due to mobility and greater 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 inspire the creation of household and professional equipment.

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

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

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

A do-it-yourself hydraulic wood splitter must consist of certain parts. It is better to make parts according to their importance, and start from:

• beds;
• cylinder stop;
• wedge-shaped blade (or blades);
• pump;
• liquid pressure distributor;
• oil tank;
• engine or motor.

How are they hand-picked?

The easiest way to assemble a working log splitter starts with welding a frame that needs to be fixed to the platform. The lower part of the platform is equipped with a car jack (at least).

At the top of the frame, a 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 the bed of a stationary (non-portable) type. The creation of this installation requires a locksmith skill, safety calculation. Let, at first glance, the unit is not complicated, but the work of the operator with a negligent attitude will sooner or later lead to an accident.

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

Do-it-yourself hydraulic wood splitter increased power(tractor driven, gasoline engine) must be equipped with a wedge knife with at least 4 blades.

Hydraulic industrial wood splitter with log lifting - video

Many owners of private houses heated by stoves and solid fuel boilers, wood splitters are used to harvest firewood for the winter. Not everyone can purchase industrial units because of their high cost. To make a wood splitter with your own hands, it is enough to have its scheme on hand and follow the sequence of 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 splitters are produced. These complexes are capable of trimming a log into blanks of the required length and chopping them into logs. Finished products from working area removed by the conveyor.

Wood splitters are used at 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 sawn into blanks. The performance and operating time of this equipment is limited. With the help of household wood splitters in the private sector, firewood is harvested for a bathhouse, a fireplace and for the winter.

Logs after splitting can be used as fuel for a boiler, fireplace or stove

Kinds

Devices are produced with vertical and horizontal arrangements of the workpiece. In the first version, the workpiece is placed on the frame and the cleaver is lowered from above. The advantage of vertical wood splitters is that curved chocks can be placed on the bed, but they will have to be held by hand, strictly observing safety precautions. In the second type of wood splitters, 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.

According to the type of energy used, cleavers are divided into:

• Kinetic (manual);
• Mechanical.

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

Scrap Cleaver

It is a long metal rod with a pointed cone on one side and a handle on the other. The cleaver is lifted with hands and with force lowered with a cone onto a log. Productivity is low, and work requires a lot of physical effort.

The wood splitter is excellent for cutting heavy and thick softwood logs.

Cylindrical manual

Compact and easy to carry. It is used for preparation of a small amount of firewood (for a fireplace or a bath). A frame with a blade directed upwards is fixed on the stand. The blank placed inside the frame is struck with a sledgehammer. The blade divides the chock into logs.

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

spring

The most common and productive among kinetic devices. The workpiece is split by the working part, fixed on the beam and shock-absorbing spring. Requires little effort.

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

• hydraulic;
• Cone (screw);
• Rack.

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

Hydraulic

The advantages are smooth running and creating a large load on the workpiece.

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

Energy from an electric or gasoline engine is transferred to a hydraulic cylinder. The working fluid enters the rod, which moves the stop with the workpiece to a permanently fixed knife. The force generated by the hydraulic cylinder can reach 10 tons. The stroke of the rod and the direction of movement are regulated by the distributor. It also protects the mechanism from breakage if its power is not enough to split the chock.

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 engine 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 often used in gasoline and electric models.

From the engine, the torque is transmitted to the cone using a belt or chain drive. The pulleys are selected so that the speed of the cone 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 mainly used in industrial wood splitters or 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 the rack and pinion. The movable transmission rack is operated by a gear mounted on a reduction belt pulley connected to the engine. Pinion and rack contact provides the control handle. The toothed rack moves along guides mounted on a reinforced frame, and on the other side of which there is a cleaver. The reverse stroke of the rail is made due to the return spring. Rack wood splitters are distinguished by reliability, economy and excellent performance.

The cleaver in the design of the rack wood splitter is attached to the rail, which moves due to the gear

According to 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 use. Installation indoors is possible. The downside is low mobility due to attachment to a source of electricity
2. Wood splitters with a gasoline engine have more power and productivity. They are used both in everyday life and in industrial preparations.
3. Tractor-drawn wood splitters. The working cylinder of the device is connected to the hydraulic system of the transport, which significantly increases the speed and working life of the wood splitter. These models are used when it is necessary to prepare a large amount of firewood in forestry or on a farm.
4. Combined traction. It is used on industrial wood splitters and can be 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.

Factory models are much more efficient and have a presentable appearance.

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

1. The splitting power of the hydraulic device should be within 3-7 tons.
2. The acceptable speed of rotation of the working cone of the screw wood splitter is 400-600 rpm.
3. The working length (distance between the piston and the knife) indicates 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 presence of a piston stroke limiter increases productivity and saves resources when processing short workpieces.
5. The optimal piston speed when moving forward (working) is 4 cm / s, backward - 7.5 cm / s.
6. The engine power in hydraulic wood splitters is 1500-2300 W, in screw - 3000-4000 W.
7. Dimensions and portability 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

To create it, you will need the following material:

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

For a stationary wood splitter, you can pour concrete base by inserting a stand into it. In this embodiment, it is not necessary to make a frame. All parts of the wood splitter, except for the hinge, are connected by electric welding. Cut off pieces of the channel for the bed and the I-beam for the base. The length of the support is 0.6-1 m. The height of the base is selected individually. The support is connected to the frame, strictly maintaining an angle of 90 o. For structural stability, pipes are welded horizontally to the ends of the bed. The connection of 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 a channel 40-50 cm long serves as a platform for the spring. On one side of it, a hole is cut out with a grinder for connection 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 also needs to 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 8-10 cm deep is cut out for the outer element of the hinge assembly. Then prepare the channel for the cleaver. To do this, on one side of the channel 0.5-0.7 m long, at a distance of 10-15 cm from the edge, a rectangular hole is cut out of such a length that the base beam does not interfere with the channel put on it. In the center of the hole, the inner rod of the hinge assembly is welded. A spring seat is attached to the second edge of the channel.

The beam will move with the help of hinges

The distance from the base to the lower and upper cups for the spring should 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 on top. The second side is connected to the channel for the splitter so that the total length of the resulting arm is 1-1.5 m. The resulting assembly is put on the base so that the outer elements of the hinge 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.

The rail welded over the cleaver will act as a weight

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

Video: how to make a spring wood splitter

Tapered or screw

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

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

In order to make this mechanism, you must:

1. According to the drawing, make a cone from a ST-45 cylinder with a diameter of 55 mm and a length of 14.5 cm at an angle of 30 o.
2. On a lathe, apply a thrust 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, 1 or 2 bearings are mounted and a flange is welded (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 engine to tension the belt or chain.
7. The conical design with an electric motor using supports is fixed on a table made of dense, strong wood with metal legs.
8. The cone is attached at a height of 10-15 cm from the table surface.
9. The engine, belt or chain is covered with a metal casing 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 on your own, then it should be purchased at a specialized store.

The direction of the thread does not matter, but when cutting a right-hand thread, there is a possibility of spoiling the cone

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. It is necessary to take into account the desired performance, the type of wood and the place of installation. Based on these data, the engine power and the parameters of the rack and pinion mechanism are calculated.

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

1. The mobile frame is made of profile pipe and corner. For a stationary wood splitter, the frame can be made from a heavier channel and I-beam.
2. When welding the frame, verticals and horizontals must be strictly observed, which will further affect performance and safety.
3. The design must be stable, the wheels on the frame must be securely fixed and have a fixation for the duration of the work.
4. The length of the rail should be 1.5 times the distance to the cleaver.
5. The log feed speed is selected individually and is regulated by the selection of the reducing number of pulleys.

The horizontal stacking mechanism in the form of a trough ensures optimal movement of the workpiece towards the splitter.

Video: homemade rack inertial wood splitter

Hydraulic wood splitter from a jack

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

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

A car jack is suitable for the manufacture of a hydraulic wood splitter

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

• Hydraulic cylinder with pusher;
• hydraulic pump;
• Distributor of working fluid flows;
• oil tank;
• Electric or gasoline engine.

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

An example for the hand-made creation of this unit can be factory models or piece copies of craftsmen, whose photos and videos are published on the Internet.

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

Video: improvised hydraulic device

Safety

To work safely with a homemade device, the following rules must be observed:

1. The process of harvesting wood should be carried out in closed clothing, gloves and goggles, so as not to be injured by a chip flying off the workpiece.
2. The workpiece must be firmly seated in the chute and not move during movement.
3. When the piston moves, it is forbidden to stretch your hands to the knives and correct the shifted workpiece.
4. Any manipulations with the workpiece are performed after the unit is turned off and all its components are completely stopped.
5. Work on repairing or replacing the units of the wood splitter is carried out by disconnecting the electric motor from the mains supply.

Wood splitters greatly facilitate the preparation of a large amount of firewood, saving time and effort. However, to provide firewood for a fireplace or bath, there is no need to purchase complex expensive equipment. It is much more pleasant and healthier to use an ordinary ax.

To chop a large amount of firewood without spending a lot of effort on it, a home-made screw cleaver will help. This device uses the principle of splitting a tree while screwing in a massive screw, which is a symbiosis of a screw and a conventional wedge. The made cone, thanks to the threaded thread, easily breaks the wood along the fibers due to the large diameter of the screw.

According to the design of the drive, several types of home-made wood splitters can be made. Some craftsmen put the screw on the working shaft of the electric motor. In this case, very stringent requirements are put forward for the electric motor. It should only be low speed. and quite powerful.

The most common are screw splitters of another type, 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 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 selected 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 worth putting an intermediate shaft and a special speed gear.

All components of the device must be securely fixed on a solid frame. It can be equipped with a small folding table for more comfortable work.

Advantages and disadvantages of cone wood splitters

The main advantages of cone wood splitters are:

• simplicity of design;
• the possibility of assembling with your own hands;
• good device performance;
• low installation cost;
• anyone can work on such a device.

At the same time very simple and reliable design homemade wood splitters has a number of disadvantages.

• One of them can be considered that a tree with highly intertwined fibers is a big problem for its propeller. That is why the roots of a tree and a log with knots should be chopped by hand.
• The next drawback is the poor division 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.

Currently on the web you can find quality drawings a screw wood splitter for making your own hands or an offer to sell a finished product.

The main requirements for an electric splitter

A homemade electric splitter must be very reliable, safe to use and have high performance. That is why, when choosing the type of device and assembling it, it is necessary to follow the rules for compliance with the requirements for devices of this type.

The main requirements for wood splitters are as follows:

Assembly materials and tools

Do-it-yourself machine assembly 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 you should ask an experienced turner for a drawing of a cone for a wood splitter.

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

Many nodes will fit from the old washing machine or car. Do not make your own screws. There are a lot of materials on the network in which craftsmen advise cutting this detail using an ordinary grinder. Experts say that this idea will turn out just a carrot, not a conical screw.

To assemble the electric splitter, you will need the following tools:

• apparatus for welding;
• drill and drills;
• electric grinder;
• small hammer;
• spanners;
• pencil and tape measure.

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

Do-it-yourself cone wood splitter

On initial stage 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. Schematic will be needed electrical wiring that any electrician can compile. These actions will help to assemble the machine with high quality and prevent many mistakes. And it is also necessary to responsibly approach the manufacture of a special wedge, since it is the most vulnerable part of the mechanism.

Most suitable material for a wedge, expensive tool steel is considered, but it is very difficult to process it even for an experienced turner. Most often, ordinary steel is used for this, which is then hardened by carburizing or hardening. Long and high-quality operation of the screw cone will be ensured only when it is good production. A simple metric thread is not suitable for this purpose, as it wears out rather quickly and does not fit well into the tree. Experts advise to make a two-start thread with a pitch of 5 mm.

The dimensions of the frame directly depend from the build of a person, but most often they are:

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

Most often, the electric motor is located at the bottom of the frame, which helps protect it from various chips or small chips. When using a motor from a walk-behind tractor, 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 splitter, it is necessary to determine the method of tensioning the belt drive. To do this, you need to install additional rollers or stars. It is worth fixing a special protective cover on the belt drive, which can be made from a piece of tin and attached to the working surface with fasteners.

Assembling a screw cleaver

After the drawing of the machine has been made and all materials and parts have been prepared, it is necessary to start manufacturing 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 skill in handling tools. A little time spent on assembly will 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 device for chopping firewood. 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. Axes are also actively used in jewelry work.

Types of cleavers

Screw electromechanical wood splitter

Modern woodworking technologies have gone far in development, as a result of which various “helpers” for lumberjacks have appeared:

• The mechanical cleaver is used for industrial purposes where a high speed of wood processing is required. The mechanism is driven by a special machine and additional weight (from 100 kg to 1 ton, depending on the model). Often mechanical apparatus also found in household. And some of them are made by local craftsmen with their own hands. The mechanism is driven by a spring, which 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 device for chopping firewood is driven by the mechanical effort of the hand.
• Mechanical cleaver with a drive. In the common people, this type of cleaver is better known as electric. According to the principle of action is no different from the above. The only thing that indicates their difference is the electric motor that drives all the equipment. Mechanical fixtures for splitting firewood is often done with their own hands in countryside or at cottages.
• Hydraulic wood splitter. This type 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 on screw gear. This type of device works on a screw drive, that is, its operation is based on converting the rotational movement of a cleaver with an external screw into the translational movement of a nut. Such a wood splitter does its job well. This model is characterized by high performance and precision. It is almost impossible and even dangerous to make such equipment with your own hands.

Self-manufacturing

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

On a homemade cleaver, it is necessary to weld two metal pipes on both sides of a small diameter (30 mm is enough). This is done so that the do-it-yourself 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 stainless steel sheet, 5 mm thick. Both edges are sharpened at an angle of 45 degrees. 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 his own hands while you work with welding.

Homemade wood splitter

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

Wood splitter

The firewood cleaver is almost ready, it remains to weld the eye into which the ax will be inserted. As a blank for the eye, 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 - the way he holds the pipe with his own hands while you cut.

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

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

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

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

Video: Mechanical ax - a cleaver on a spring