Pendulum wood cleaver drawings and diagrams. Wood splitter with their own hands. Mechanical assistants for splitting firewood

With stove heating, the need to swing an ax daily quickly turns into a routine and takes a lot of time. Here the question arises of mechanizing the process - you need to make a wood splitter with your own hands! There are many options for making homemade automated cleavers - from the simplest to semi-professional. Use step-by-step instructions and helpful tips from those who have already forgotten when they held a regular ax in their hands to assemble your tool.

Simple mechanisms for chopping firewood from improvised materials

Types of wood splitters:

• mechanical (as a rule, it consists of a knife, a frame and a spring);
• screw (splits firewood, screwing inward);
• hydraulic (has chisel knives that allow you to chop a log).

Wood splitter for home

Manual mechanical wood splitter easy assembly

A mechanical (or manual) unit for chopping firewood does not involve connecting a motor. It only allows you to apply less effort when splitting logs.

Here is the safest way to make a wood splitter with your own hands:

1. Weld a round frame slightly larger than the diameter of the logs (optimally 23 cm).
2. To do this, as a basis, it is necessary to take a circle of thick metal and weld two pipes to it, 35 cm high.
3. Weld a ring on top of the structure to make a cylinder.
4. Attach a metal knife to the bottom with the tip up.
5. Drill holes in the base for mounting.

A log in such a wood splitter must be installed on top of the knife. By hitting it with a sledgehammer, you make your work safer. After all, there is no possibility of getting hurt with an ax!

Attention! Such a mechanism is only suitable for soft woods that are easily split. The resulting firewood is suitable for kindling a fireplace. For oak or elm, this device will be useless.

Safety wood splitter manual type

Scheme for the manufacture of a spring cleaver

The next idea on how to make a wood splitter at home is to make a spring mechanism. Components:

• channel section;
• metal corners;
• spring (from the car);
• plate-knife (possible from an old cleaver);
• a piece of pipe, slightly smaller than a spring in diameter;
• joint assembly
• weighting agent (rail).

Tool base

Manufacturing process:

First of all, it is necessary to make a wood splitter support by welding.

Prepare a platform for the spring.

Cutting a hole

Weld a platform, spacers, pipe to the support.

Welding parts

Make a cutout for attaching the beam to the support.

The beam is welded into the hole

Hang a beam with a hinged joint on the support.

Support must be hinged

Weld the beam, while maintaining its mobility.

Hinges provide mobility

Attach the beam and cleaver horizontally.

Cleaver position

Weld the handle and weight to the tool.

The weighting agent is the rail

The resulting mechanism is best painted to prevent rust.

With force, falling onto a log, the cleaver splits it into two parts. And immediately returns to its original position. This saves a lot of human energy.

Wood splitter-carrot in step-by-step instructions

The affectionate name "carrot" such a mechanism was due to the conical shape of the knife. Screwing into a log according to the principle of a self-tapping screw, it splits the wood from the inside. The wood splitter is powered by an electric motor.

The process of making a screw wood splitter

Make a screw wood splitter with your own hands using drawings and step-by-step instructions:

1. Make a 45 steel cone 13 cm long and 5.5 cm in diameter (thick part) at an angle of 30°.
2. On a lathe, cut a persistent left-hand thread 2 mm deep in increments of 6–7 mm. The nose of the cone must be very sharp.
3. Install the shaft in bearings and weld the flange (sprocket) on the back side.
4. Put the cone tightly on the shaft and fix it with a pin (an M8 bolt will do).
5. Weld the bearings of the automobile cardan to the bearings (the mechanism will be attached to the table on them).
6. Make a spacer between the shaft and the engine, with which the chain will be tensioned. To do this, fit the pipe and nuts.
7. Make a table from thick boards (suitable old door) with iron legs 40 cm high.
8. Fix the cardan bearings and the electric motor with a power of 2 kW. Pull the chain.

Cone knife drawing

Attention! The direction of the thread is not critical. But when cutting right-handed threads, there is a high probability of spoiling the tool or cone.

Shaft and cone support drawing

Important tips for work:

1. When making a cone wood splitter with your own hands, it is worth remembering that the distance from the cone to the table should be minimal. Then the log will not be pulled out of your hands.
2. The splitting log can only be installed vertically. Otherwise, the wood may get stuck between the cone and the table and bend the shaft.
3. The chain and the motor must be protected by a casing. This will reduce the risk of injury during operation.
4. Logs should not be longer than 0.5 m and wider than 0.6 m in diameter.
5. The rotation speed can be from 150 to 800 rpm (optimally 400-500). To do this, use a gearbox (for example, from an old motorcycle).

How to make a hydraulic wood splitter - aerobatics

If a lot of firewood has accumulated and you need to chop it constantly, you should build a hydraulic wood splitter with your own hands.

Video: do-it-yourself hydraulic wood splitter

Constituent elements - budget calculation

The principle of operation of the hydraulic mechanism is as follows. A log on a sliding platform is fed to the knives. Under the pressure of the cylinder, the log splits into 2, 4, 6 or 8 pieces, depending on the design of the knife.

For the hydraulic mechanism you will need:

• gasoline engine (from 6 hp);
• hydraulic cylinder;
• gear pump;
• hydraulic distributor;
• pump bracket;
• metal for knives (MAZ spring is suitable);
• channel 80 mm;
• profile 60x60 and 30x30 mm;
• pipe 50 mm;
• I-beam (for the support beam);
• metal plates;
• wheels (automobile);
• pulley;
• belts;
• oil tank;
• fittings, adapters, couplings, bolts, screws, nuts, etc.

Wood splitter drawing

The budget that will have to be allocated for the purchase of components is approximately 60,000 rubles. The purchase of suitable scrap metal can reduce the cost of the finished product.

The basis of the wood splitter - how to assemble the frame

The first step is to assemble the front and rear axles to which the wheels will be attached. Since all the emphasis falls on the rear axle, car tires should be here.

Front and rear axles

Step-by-step instruction for assembling a hydraulic wood splitter with your own hands with drawings and photos:

1. Weld hubs from a 30x30 mm profile to a 50 mm pipe so that two triangles are obtained. Weld the base of the future frame to the hubs.
2. Weld spacers from a 30x30 mm profile to the front axle from a 60x60 profile. Attach small wheels to the axle.
3. Weld the engine mounting base to the rear axle.

The turn of the frame has come:

1. From two channels, weld a frame for a movable structure.
2. Assemble the movable platform from the 80 mm channel onto the cylinder rod.
3. Weld a triangular platform from the same channel. She will push the log to the knives.
4. Install supports on the sides of the platform to prevent the logs from falling.

Advice! Instead of a sliding platform, it is better to use a wheeled trolley. To do this, inside the channels from which the platform is made, you need to install bearings. In this embodiment, the wood splitter will last longer, as the friction force will be reduced.

Base for motor and pump installation

Wood splitter heart - how to make a splitting knife

For a knife, trimming an I-beam or a spring from MAZ is suitable. Operating procedure:

• cut a piece of wood with an angle of 60 °;
• sharpen metal like a chisel;
• fold the hex knife with the workpiece (setting it between the segments);
• weld the knife to the bed.

hex knife

The central (vertical knife) should enter the log first, then the upper side ones, and only then the lower ones. Otherwise, the load distribution will be incorrect. As a result, the wood splitter will not be able to cope with viscous wood species.

Oil tank assembly

Driving Force - Motor and Oil Tank Assembly

An empty propane tank will fit under the oil tank. Operating procedure:

1. Fill the bottle with water.
2. Cut off the valve with a grinder without draining the liquid.
3. Make a sump: separate ¼ of the cylinder with a steel partition 10 cm high, cut into the inside.
4. At a height of 5 cm from the bottom, install a filter mesh with a magnet. It will catch metal chips, which will extend the life of the motor.
5. Weld a pipe through which the pump will suck in oil. The pipe must be deepened so that the fence does not occur from the very bottom. After all, all the garbage that got into the tank settles on it.
6. Install the tank above the pump in level.

Insert pipe

When all the elements are ready, it's time to assemble the structure. A do-it-yourself wood splitter should be painted.

Life hack from a Finnish farmer - how to split a log with a minimum of effort

Ax movements are one of the most balanced loads for human body, so chopping firewood by hand is undoubtedly useful. But this work can be improved! How? Reduce the number of unnecessary movements.

What makes chopping wood uncomfortable? Constantly scattered chips and a cleaver stuck in the ground. Solving this problem is very easy.

It is enough just to set the log in car tire! Pick up a rubber wheel with a diameter slightly larger than the log. Or take a large tire and install some logs into it. And there will be less housework immediately!

Advice! You can increase the diameter of the tire by cutting off the side parts so that only the tread ring remains.

Application old tire

Video: Wood splitter with engine from washing machine

Assembling a wood splitter is a troublesome and costly business. But, if you have the skills to work with metal, this is a justified way to save money and your own strength. It will take you half a day to make the simplest mechanism. Whereas a complex unit will take 1-2 months. However, you can always turn to professionals! This is a sure way to save time. What is more expensive - it's up to you!

In our age modern technologies, electricity and other power sources, mechanization manual labor happens everywhere. Even this pure men's work, like chopping firewood, improved, which means they made it easier.

The traditional ax was replaced by wood splitters. This market segment is represented by a fairly large range of mechanical splitters.

What do you need to know about them in order to right choice and buy exactly what you need?

All wood splitting mechanisms are divided into:

• Household wood splitters. As a rule, they only perform wood splitting.
• Professional wood splitters. These are not only wood splitters, but also wood splitters that feed logs, trim them to a given length, then split and remove finished logs. Naturally, they are an order of magnitude more expensive, since their power, performance, size and functionality are incomparable with household mechanisms.

Types of wood splitters

According to the working direction (the location of the split log), they are made:

• horizontal type . The log (sawn off part of the log) is placed on a horizontal chute. The splitting scheme is as follows: either the log moves (is advanced by the pusher towards the knife of the mechanism), and the knife is fixed in place, or vice versa - the block of wood lies in place, and the knife moves towards it.
• Vertical type. Part of the log is placed vertically, and the knife moves and presses on it from above. Such mechanisms are more productive, but sometimes it is necessary to support the split log with your hands, which requires careful observance of safety precautions. But they more require less operational space. As a rule, this type of working direction is performed by professional wood splitters.
• mixed type . It combines the capabilities of both horizontal and vertical automated processes. Used in the professional field.

Depending on the motor power supply:

1. Models with electric motors which drives the hydraulic pump. These are the most simple mechanisms for chopping wood. They are easy to use, environmentally friendly - you can even use them indoors. They do not need specialized maintenance, they are simply and quickly prepared for work. These models are used for household needs. They have only one drawback - they do not always have access to the power supply network.

2. Models with petrol (diesel) engines. They can be more powerful than motorized machines. Such machines are used not only by professional lumberjacks, but also by craftsmen in summer cottages.

3. Tractor-drawn wood splitters. It is connected to the tractor's hydraulic system, or to its power take-off shaft. These mechanisms are powerful and durable. Their use is forestry, farms, commercial enterprises.

4. With combined motors. The following combinations of wood splitter drive sources are produced:

• Tractor drive and electric motor
• Tractor drive and gasoline engine

Depending on the principle of operation, cleavers are divided into:

• . With the help of a hydraulic pump, the knife presses on the log with great force, and splits it. The price of such a wood splitter, household mechanism, depending on the country of manufacture, ranges from 9500 rubles. up to 32,000 rubles, depending on the engine power and the working direction device.
• . Instead of a knife, a threaded cone is used, which, rotating, is screwed into the log and splits it. Based on this principle of operation of the wood splitter, it is easiest to make a homemade wood splitter. There is practically nothing to break. The thread of the cone is enough to split 2000 m3 of birch firewood, which is impressive. The only negative is that the screw wood splitter requires more powerful electric motor than hydraulic. The price of such a mechanism, depending on the type of engine, ranges from 17,500 rubles. up to 38000 rub.

Depending on the possibility of movement, wood splitters are divided into:

• stationary mechanisms. As a rule, heavy wood splitters are used in this design.
• Mobile mechanisms. The presence of special transport wheels makes it possible to move the machine to the required place without any difficulty.

Technical characteristics of wood splitters

1. Splitting power- this is an indicator of the effort with which the prepared logs will be split. In household wood cutters, the splitting power varies from 3 to 7 tons. In screw splitters, attention is paid to the speed of rotation of the nozzle. Her optimal value- 400 - 600 rpm.

2. Working length (distance between wedge and piston). It determines the length of logs that this woodcutter can work with. Usually, in household mechanisms, the length of the chocks is 50 cm. In professional - 50/60/90/100cm, depending on the model.

With a screw wood cutter, the length of the log is determined by how easy or hard it will be to hold it in your hands while chopping. But who will make logs longer than the oven itself?

3. Diameter of the chock to be split in household mechanisms it is equal to from 30 cm. A conical wood splitter will split a log stump of any diameter.

4. Stroke is the distance traveled by the piston in one operation. At the moment, household wood splitters began to be equipped with a piston stroke length limiter, which is very convenient when splitting short logs. This gives an almost double increase in productivity, and good energy savings.

5. Piston speed in household wood splitters:

• Forward speed - up to 4 cm / sec.
• Reverse speed - up to 7.5 cm / sec.

The time of sawing the chocks into logs depends on it.

6. Motor power in household woodcutters varies from 1500W to 2300W. It is clear that both the productivity of the machine and the power consumption depend on this characteristic. A screw cleaver for firewood requires a three-phase motor, with a power of 3000 - 4000 watts.

7. The dimensions of household wood splitters are small. They vary depending on the model and manufacturer, but are not fundamentally different.

8. Additional features:

• At the moment, they began to produce household hydraulic mechanisms on which you can install a nozzle of 4 cutters, which also allows you to increase productivity - the block is pricked into four parts at once.
• For convenience of work there is a possibility of a complete set with a special table that allows to increase working height of a woodcutter to the level of a belt.

How to make a wood splitter?

Wood splitters for a summer residence, a private house are an absolutely necessary thing. But not many people can, and even want to pay tens of thousands of rubles for this assistant. There are absolutely inexpensive alternative factory-made wood splitter.

You can simply buy a threaded cone-nozzle or ready-made units, and assemble a wood splitter with your own hands. It can be seen from the diagram that the wood splitter-screw consists of a frame on which the engine is fixed. Further, the working cone sits on a shaft, which is driven by the engine through a reduction gear.

We must remember that:

• The nozzle must not be connected directly to the engine. This is dangerous, because the engine speed reaches 3000 rpm.
• The nozzle rotation speed should not be less than 250-300 rpm. At a lower speed, a very low productivity of the cleaver is obtained.
• A chain or belt drive (it transmits rotation from the motor gearbox to the working cone) must be in a protective casing.
• The electrical part of the wood splitter should be handled by a specialist.

The price of the bearing assembly (the upper part for a home-made wood splitter mechanism) as an assembly ranges from 4200 rubles. up to 5600 rubles, depending on the diameter of the working cone.

For the owner of a country or private house, an indispensable tool is a cleaver. It can be mechanical or manual. You can buy a similar device in a store, but mechanical devices are expensive, so not everyone can afford it, although they can greatly facilitate the process of harvesting firewood.

Before making such an expensive purchase, you need to think that such designs are not difficult, so you can make them yourself. But first, decide whether the cleaver will be mechanical, or it is better to supplement it with an engine. In the latter case, you will have to look for spare parts somewhere, as well as use the services of a turner. Well, if you have such skills yourself.

Varieties of devices for chopping wood: an ax with a displaced center

On sale today you can find an ax-cleaver with a displaced center. For the Vipukirves Leveraxe model, you will have to pay 16,000 rubles. With the help of the tool in a short time it will be possible to chop a large amount of firewood. This is possible thanks to the curved foot located at the top of the blade. It clings to the remaining elements of the log and forms a lever. As a result, the tool does not slip after impact, and the legs remain safe. The design at the same time assumes a free grip of the ax.

The hatchet is made of Finnish birch, which is able to absorb shock. In winter, the handle will not freeze, it will not slip in your hands even in rainy weather. Due to the fact that the design of such an ax is unique, the blade does not get stuck in the wood, because the displaced center of gravity instantly takes the ax to one side, so a section of the log breaks off with one blow. Blade thickness is 8 cm and weight is 3 kg. The material used is steel, and when folded, the dimensions of the tool are 91 x 23 x 9 cm.

Things to Consider Before Manufacturing

Before performing a cleaver, it is important to think about the fact that they will have to swing not a few, but a lot of times. It follows from this that the weight of the instrument must be appropriate to the physical form of the person. For example, on sale you can find cleavers, the weight of which varies from 2 to 5 kg. However, using a light tool, it will be possible to split only small logs, so the size of the firewood must also be taken into account.

The handle of the tool, which is called an ax handle, should be made of wood like elm or maple, in extreme cases it can be birch. After all, inaccurate and strong blows will render the tool unusable. It is also important to consider the length of the ax - it should not be too short. If you decide to make a cleaver with your own hands, then it will be more convenient to have two tools. One of them should be a powerful ax with a long handle, while the other is a wedge-shaped classic cleaver. The latter is suitable for fresh chopped wood with high moisture, while the other will cope with dry logs. Different types of wood will behave differently. And if you have two cleavers on hand, you can find an approach to them.

Before you make a cleaver with your own hands, you should choose a suitable design. Homemade tools are hydraulic or screw, the latter are also called conical. The most common are homemade screw or factory options. The main part is a cone with a large thread, which is driven by an electric motor. The master will only need to move the deck to the cone, as the latter will begin to screw into it.

The conical wood splitter has a corresponding shape, from which the wood splits into 2 parts. If we are talking about hydraulic cleavers, then they will have a higher performance compared to the above, but it is more difficult to make them. The principle of operation will remain the same as that of Wood will be pressed through a special form that splits the element into logs of the desired size. The mechanisms of the machine are a hydraulic drive that operates from a gasoline or electric engine. A cone wood splitter will be more convenient when compared to with an ordinary ax. Making such tools is simple, but on sale you can find ready-made kits for assembling such devices.

Making a screw cleaver

If you are thinking about how to do it, then first you need to prepare the following materials and details:

• electric motor;
• pulleys;
• drive belt;
• sheet metal:
• engine mounting plate;
• shaft with bearings;
• working cone;
• profile pipes;
• metal corners.

When choosing an electric motor, you need to pay attention to the one that has a power of 2 kW. The sheet metal must be 3 mm thick.

Homemade can be made much easier if you can find a low-speed powerful electric motor that will be capable of delivering 500 revolutions per minute. In this case, it is not required, and the cone can be put on its shaft.

The number of engine revolutions, in principle, can be any, but it is necessary to calculate the belt drive pulleys in such a way that the speed is 500 revolutions per minute. On the market, you can buy a ready-made shaft with bearings for an electric cleaver, but pulleys and a threaded cone can be made by contacting a turner.

Work methodology

If you decide to make a cleaver with your own hands, then carbon steel will act as the material for the cone, it is better to use the St45 brand. When preparing a thread, it must be borne in mind that it must consist of two runs. The pitch is 7 mm, while the height of the turns is 2 mm.

Pulleys can be machined from ordinary St3 grade steel, and the dimensions of the grooves will depend on the selected belt. Specialists use a chain instead of a belt drive. This is more reliable, but more difficult in the manufacturing process. It is important to choose the stars in size, which is not very convenient. In order to assemble the cleaver with your own hands, you need to weld the bed by installing a plate for mounting the motor under the tabletop. A shaft with bearings should be located on it. A pulley and a cone are fixed on it. Next, the master has to put on and pull the belt. Connecting the motor to the network is carried out in the next step, then you can proceed to the tests.

Making a hydraulic splitter

The hydraulic cleaver has a design that differs from the previous one. The drive and the working part, which is used to split the material, act as a feature. The bed has a different shape, although it is welded from corners, pipes and sheet metal. The press cleaver works due to the pressure in it provided by the oil pump. It is necessary to install this element on the same shaft with an electric motor, while the assembly can be located separately from the bed, but it must be connected to the cylinder using hoses.

The nuances of the work

If you decide to make a hydraulic splitter, then first you need to find all the details and take care of making the mold. It is made of metal, and the base will be a cruciform shape. Its dimensions can be chosen individually, because there are no clear restrictions. The main condition in this case is that the power of the cylinder is sufficient to split firewood when their dimensions are too large.

The form must be fixed on the frame, its transverse axis must coincide with the shaft of the hydraulic cylinder. It is installed along the frame and connected to the pump, while the nozzles should be used. Such a mechanical cleaver can be mobile; for this, the wheels should be strengthened to the frame.

Harvesting firewood requires considerable effort: they need to be sawn, chopped, folded in to dry. Most of the energy goes into chopping wood. A wood splitter can facilitate and speed up the process. They are presented in sufficient quantities, but they cost solid money. At the same time, you can make the simplest wood splitter with your own hands from scrap metal - pipes, corners, etc. Everything will require literally several thousand - if there is no metal, it will have to be bought.

Mechanical wood splitters

If the volumes of firewood harvesting are small, a mechanical wood splitter can easily handle them. They are distinguished by their simplicity of design, the minimum number of complex nodes, and the fact that the costs are minimal, even if there are no suitable pieces of iron on the farm.

Do-it-yourself simple wood splitter: mechanics

The simplest mechanical wood splitter resembles a well crane. The design is one to one, only instead of a bucket a cutter and handles are fixed. The connection of the rack (racks) and the crossbar can be made the simplest - articulated. All you need is a good lubricant.

The principle of operation, probably everyone understands. The block of wood is placed on a stand, the lever is sharply pulled down, due to the force of inertia, the cutter gains significant strength and splits the block of wood. The process is repeated until logs of the required thickness are obtained.

It is easy to assemble such a mechanical wood splitter with your own hands, and, literally, from what is - pipes, a corner of any size, even an ax can be used as a cutter. In addition, such a design can be made collapsible - so that it can be carried.

There are many cons. Chopping firewood requires a lot of effort. Moreover, more effort is applied to stop the course of the cleaver after the log has fallen apart. The second minus is that such a wood splitter occupies a solid area, because the longer the lever, the less effort must be applied. However, even such a primitive mechanical device greatly reduces the complexity of the process.

One of the options - the cleaver is welded to a square pipe filled with concrete

In this design, the cleaver must be heavy. Therefore, the blade itself is welded to an all-metal blank. More affordable option- weld to a pipe (round or square) and pour it with concrete. Agree, to make such a wood splitter with your own hands is within the power of anyone who knows how to handle

Spring splitter

There is a modified design of a manual mechanical wood splitter, which, with smaller sizes, splits firewood better, requires less effort. In this model, the main working unit is a spring, which is fixed on the frame, and its upper part rests against the stationary crossbar, on which the cleaver is fixed.

In this design, the main force - to hold the cleaver after the log has split - is assumed by the spring. Accordingly, the main thing is to choose a spring and an emphasis so that minimal efforts are applied, but they are sufficient to split even complex, knotty logs. The stop under the spring can be made movable. Then you can adjust the parameters for specific conditions. In reality, "reconfiguration" is required for a specific person. If one person will work with the tool, then you can do everything stationary, choosing the height empirically.

It is equally important to make a movable articulation of the frame and the lever on which the cleaver is fixed. The best option- bearings. They must be of high quality, preferably self-levelling.

The minimum height of a homemade wood splitter is about 800 mm. But then you either have to work bending over, or install the machine on a table / bed. A more comfortable option that requires minimal effort - made to fit your height. Determine at what height it is convenient for you to stand a log, add the height of the log itself to this figure, you get the height of the bed. In this case, you will also have to bend over, but only when you install the chock on the stand, and not every time the cleaver is lowered.

You can work with one hand or come up with a clamp for installing logs (more safe)

To add mobility designs, a frame is welded, on one side of which wheels are fixed, and stops are welded on the second. Making such a wood splitter with your own hands is somewhat more difficult, but if there is a spring and bearings, this is such a difficult task.

Wood splitter inertial vertical

Another easy option for self-manufacturing. To make such a wood splitter with your own hands, you need two pipes of a larger and smaller diameter. You will also need a heavy plate - the base, and, in fact, the piercing part - the cutter / splitter.

The design is one of the simplest, little effort is required. A thick-walled pipe is fixed on a massive platform, or better, a pin. Height - about a meter. This is the lead pipe. A cleaver moves freely along it, which is welded to the rings of a pipe of a slightly larger diameter than the leading pipe. He splits firewood as follows: lift up the cleaver and release it. You can give a little acceleration down. Due to the force of gravity, the log splits.

A heavy cleaver is the key to success in this model

But this mechanical wood splitter does not immediately split all logs. To increase its effectiveness, a weighting agent can be made on the cleaver. It can be "added" as needed. The second option is to hit the column with a hammer a couple of times. This method is good if the cutter is stuck in the wood. An alternative is to lift the block together up and down sharply. But it's easier to swing a hammer.

Wood splitters with electric drive

A manual wood splitter, of course, facilitates the preparation of firewood, but it still requires solid physical effort. Not as much as they are spent waving an ordinary cleaver, but still ... An electric motor helps to make efforts even smaller. Based on it, wood splitters of various designs are made. But making such a wood splitter with your own hands is more difficult. Here the device is more complex, and at least minimal knowledge of electricians is required, preferably.

Screw (conical)

One of the most common models is a cone or screw wood splitter. The difference between them is only in the absence / presence of a thread on the piercing element, which in this model is made in the form of a cone.

Blocks of wood split due to the fact that the cone rotated by the motor crashes into the wood, gradually tearing it apart. In large logs, the edges are first chipped off, then the middle is torn.

Cone and Thread Options

First, the cutting part was turned into a smooth cone. If you use a smooth cone, when working, you have to lean quite heavily on the block of wood so that the cylinder "bites" into the wood. The process is much easier if a thread is cut on its surface. In this case, the log is, as it were, screwed onto the screw, and then splits.

The main thing is to correctly make a cone with a thread. If there lathe and work experience you can try to do on your own. If not, you will have to order. The thread is made different, but the following parameters are recognized as optimal: pitch 7 mm, depth 3 mm (minimum - 2 mm). More important point- the depth of the seat on the motor gearbox - at least 70 mm.

If there is a cone with threaded threads, making this wood splitter with your own hands will not be difficult.

Electric motor and gearbox

We need an electric motor powerful enough (2 kW and above or 5-9 l / s), but with a low speed: 250-600 rpm. At 250 revolutions and below, it punctures very slowly, and if the revolutions are more than 500, it is dangerous to work, as it can tear the log out of your hands.

If you managed to find an engine with such parameters, you can put the spike (screw) made directly on the crankshaft (pictured above). If there are more revolutions, it is necessary to install a reduction gear or make a chain or belt drive to reduce the speed.

The ratio is calculated depending on the engine speed. For example, there is a 900 rpm engine. Having made a 1:2 gearbox, we get 450 rpm. Just the best option.

Gears can be belt or chain. Chains work many times louder, require constant strokes, and it usually costs more to grind sprockets with the required parameters. The belt drive is desirable double (as in the photo above). In this case, there will be less slippage.

Chain drive is noisier but more reliable "Extension" for propeller - to keep workspace away from motor or belts/chains

Where to place the motor

If the design provides for a gear, it is better to put the motor at the bottom, and fix the screw itself on the work surface. Choose the height of the work surface according to your height so that you do not have to work on an incline.

More secure model. To make such a wood splitter with your own hands is to make your life much easier

There is also such a parameter as the height of the screw above the work surface. The gap from the table to the cylinder should be in the region of 8-20 cm. You should not place it higher - it can turn blocks of small diameter. The optimal distance is 8-12 cm. Even small logs do not turn.

Hydraulic wood splitter

The hydraulic wood splitter is the most powerful, but also the most complex and expensive to manufacture. In addition to the bed, motor and cutting blades, you need a hydraulic cylinder with sufficient power. They are not cheap. In addition, an oil tank and a pump are also needed.

The hydraulic splitter for firewood develops solid efforts, therefore, in its manufacture, metal of considerable thickness is used - 6-10 mm, depending on the drive power. The developed effort is quite enough to break up the chock into 6-8 logs at a time. Because knives are made in the form of an "asterisk".

In the manufacture of knives, they are separated from each other by several centimeters. So that there is only one in operation. For example, first - horizontal, then - vertical, then - right and at the end - left. At the same time, reinforce each of the knives by welding reinforcing plates on the back. Steel is desirable to use hard, after sharpening it according to the same principle as on cleavers.

Related videos

In the old days, people used firewood, which they chopped by hand, to heat their homes. The main tool for this was a special ax - a cleaver. To date, a large number of mechanical, electrical and hydraulic human assistants have appeared, with the help of which you can effortlessly cope with the preparation of firewood for the winter. Devices have different kind, but the principle of their work is the same - they immediately split the log into several parts. But not every owner of a private house can afford to buy such a device. However, for home use, the simplest models of cleavers can be made by hand.

All wood splitters can be divided into two types:

In turn, wood splitters for home use differ in the principle of operation and in the type of their power source.

Hand tool - cleaver

The woodcutter's tool is designed for chopping wood. In order for the cleaver to serve for a long time, it must be forged and well-hardened.

The best and comfortable handle tools - wooden. A cleaver equipped with a metal and plastic handle work harder. With an incorrectly directed blow, such a handle may even burst.

Cleaver weight and handle length must be selected individually. Since the device will have to be waved so many times, it must be chosen so that it can be held confidently.

As "workplace”, where firewood will be chopped with a cleaver, it is recommended to choose the widest and largest deck. It must be placed on a flat place, around which there should not be anything that could be hurt during the swing of the wood splitter. And, of course, when chopping firewood, it is imperative to observe safety precautions.

Such devices are similar to machines on which a block of wood is fixed.

A sufficiently large mass of cleavers is driven by levers, which greatly facilitates the process of chopping logs. The load on the woodcutter is reduced by a spring mechanism that facilitates control and compensates for the severity of the blow.

With the help of such devices, it is most often possible splitting logs of various lengths. To do this, you need to adjust the position of the spring by changing the distance from it to the working body.

Having fixed the block, with one hand you need to lift the wood splitter up and lower it onto the log. The cleaver will cut the prepared workpiece, and the spring will return the mechanism to its original position. Efforts during such work are applied very little, therefore, productivity increases.

Devices can have a different type and principle of operation. Some divide the log at first only into two parts, and some at once into several. In households, you can find factory-made mechanical cleavers and their do-it-yourself counterparts.

Cleaver hydraulic

Such a device for chopping firewood is arranged according to the principle of the previous one, however, the force in it creates hydraulic jack. The principle of its operation is in the pressure injected through the liquid, which is transmitted to the working piston that exerts pressure on the log. More clearly, the mechanism of operation of such a device can be seen in the video clip.

The design of the hydraulic splitter:

The bed in this design should be made of a sufficiently thick steel channel.

Hydraulic wood splitters can be of different configurations and different power. Their selection in stores is quite large.

Do-it-yourself electric wood splitter. Video

From the video clip you can see how you can easily chop wood without an ax. This is done with the help of a cone, which is screwed into the log and splits it. most simple model such an electric splitter is quite simple to make with your own hands.

It is more difficult to make a cone in such a device. It, according to the drawing, which can be found on the Internet, must be machined on a lathe. In addition, a left-hand thrust thread must be cut on the cone.

In the absence of a lathe, use a metal grinder by putting it on the pulley of the electric motor. After the grinder begins to rotate freely, metal should be removed equally from all sides.

In addition to the cone, for the design you will also need:

• drive shaft block;
• Electrical engine;
• metal sheets and corners.

Having made a cone with your own hands, you can start assembling the structure:

The cone splitter is ready. During its manufacture, consider some recommendations:

• chain or belt drive must be equipped with a protective cover;
• for greater design performance, the nozzle must rotate at a speed of 250 rpm;
• it is impossible to connect the nozzle to the engine directly, as it is dangerous due to the large number of revolutions;
• It is better to entrust all work related to electricity to a specialist.

In addition, do not forget that when working with an electric wood splitter, safety precautions should be observed. Injury can be guaranteed even with one wrong move.

With mechanical, hydraulic or electric cleaver You don't have to worry about storing firewood for the winter. With his help, this will be done quite easily. And if you also construct a device for chopping firewood with your own hands, then you can save a lot of money in the family budget.

For some, chopping wood is an old Russian pastime. And in many regions of vast Russia, this is a way to survive and not freeze in winter. Yes, and in more civilized regions, in the country there are stoves and fireplaces. Buying ready-made firewood saves time, but not money.

To facilitate this troublesome task, the Russian "left-handers" began to make a wood splitter with their own hands. Such devices are also sold in stores, but 90% of people living in rural areas with furnace heating use homemade tools.

Types of devices for splitting logs

The principle of operation - the pusher, driven by a hydraulic drive, delivers a log to the wedge system. It needs a compressor to work. It can be electric or assembled for internal combustion. The design is efficient and quite reliable, since there are few mechanical parts. Only the hydraulics themselves need maintenance.

It is quite problematic to make it yourself, unless you can get a hydraulic drive from decommissioned agricultural machinery.

In the video, an example of the work of a homemade wood splitter. As you can see from the video, there is nothing super complicated in its design. The main hydraulic cylinder from the auger of the combine harvester has a stroke of 50 cm.

The pusher is driven by a gear-rack pair, the mechanism is clear from the illustration. The drive can be electric or petrol. The torque from the motor shaft with the help of a gearbox is multiplied many times.

With the help of a lever, the gear rack is pressed against the rotating traction gear, feeding the pusher onto the log. Then the spring returns the mechanism to its original position. Such a wood splitter is not as powerful as a hydraulic one.

However, it is quite suitable for home use. The cost of the device is quite affordable. The disadvantage is that the working gear wears out quickly and the pair needs to be replaced.
Such a device can be made by hand.

This video clip shows a homemade rack-and-pinion wood splitter with a belt drive. Nothing fancy, simple and efficient design, performance, which is higher than that of a hydraulic wood splitter.

Screw (conical) wood splitter

The most popular design of this device. Available for sale in different sizes and price categories. The principle of action is simple - the log is fed to a rotating cone, made in the form of an Archimedean gimlet.

The cone is screwed into the workpiece, and, thanks to the wedge-shaped shape, splits it. The simplicity of the design allows you to make such devices yourself.

IMPORTANT! The speed of rotation of the shaft with a gimlet should not exceed 500 rpm. Otherwise, the device becomes dangerous.

Many do-it-yourselfers neglect the gearbox, and put the cone directly on the motor shaft. In this design, you have to add a device to hold the log, or put it vertically.

It is better to make the gearbox geared, since the force on the axis is large, and the pulley can slip. Therefore, in the belt drive, double amplification is made.

How to make a wood splitter with your own hands, and which design is more practical

It has simple design, therefore, we simply give the drawings, and consider the structural elements:

• The engine must be firmly fixed, since the force on the shaft is serious, especially when wedging the cone;
• The gearbox is made at the rate of 200-300 rpm;
• The cone gimlet shaft is mounted on powerful bearings;
• It is desirable to install an additional wedge under the gimlet. He will help in splitting, and fix the log from turning.

Making a rack wood splitter with your own hands is much more difficult. However, this design allows you to work with more complex and large wooden blanks. In addition, the quality of cutting logs is higher.

The bed is welded from a channel with a thickness of at least 4 mm. Particular attention to the fastening of the splitting wedge. The main force is applied to it, so it makes sense to weld it permanently. To sharpen the cutting plane, you can use the "grinder" with an emery wheel.

The knife itself is made from the remains of agricultural machinery using the same angle grinder.

A pair of rack and pinion used from a broken steering gear of some decommissioned truck. Several teeth are worn off, so with a lot of effort, the rack sometimes slips. The eccentric lever mechanism is welded from 3 mm steel sheet.

Electric motor from a Soviet-made ventilation system, 2 kW. A set of pulleys, together with a belt, was taken from a rusting harvester from the time of raising virgin soil.

The pusher simply slides along the channel. No lubricant is used as it will immediately become clogged with sawdust.

Return springs can be taken from anything, for example, those that were previously used as door closers.

The cost of such a design tends to zero, especially if you use components from old trash or decommissioned equipment.

Video how to make a screw wood splitter with your own hands

Part one

The process of making the working part of a screw wood splitter with your own hands from scrap metal.
From this video you will learn all the dimensions of the shaft taken from the hydraulic cylinder. Dimensions of auxiliary bushings and flanges, as well as how to save on the manufacture of keyed connections. How to make a pulley, a bearing housing and the main working part - a “carrot” yourself.

Part two

From the second part of this video, you will understand how to make a frame for a wood splitter with your own hands, how to fix the working part on the frame. You will learn the manufacturing features and dimensions of the base for the wood splitter, as well as the engine power and the method of transmitting torque.

Winter is coming, which means that you need to start thinking about firewood now. Let's leave the option of manual labor in the last century and turn our eyes towards the hydraulic (and not only!) Wood splitter. This device will be a great help if you need to chop a dozen cubes of firewood. Also consider 4 circuit diagrams homemade wood splitters.

Briefly about the device of the wood splitter and the principle of its operation

The main elements of a standard hydraulic wood splitter are a frame with a knife fixed to it, a hydraulic piston and a drive. The knife plays the role of the tip of the very cleaver, which has to be brandished in the absence of the equipment considered here. The necessary force is created by the operation of the engine in conjunction with the hydraulic piston, which pushes the workpiece onto the knife. Everything is quite prosaic and looks something like the video below.

It works according to this principle absolute majority factory products. When studying the information, you may surely catch the eye of the so-called screw (cone, carrot, etc. names) cleavers. They have become very popular thanks to simple device and DIY opportunities. We will talk in detail about the design features of such wood splitters in the last part of the article.

How to choose a hydraulic wood splitter

The main characteristics of modern wood splitters and their description are presented in a small table below.

Selection criterion	Varieties and capabilities of devices
Construction type	The most popular devices are hydraulic wood splitters, the force in which is created by a motor and a hydraulic piston, due to which the workpiece is pressed against the knife. A screw splitter (carrot wood splitter) is another common solution due to the fact that it can be done by hand. The axis of the drive rotates the screw cone, which, when the workpiece is fed, is literally screwed into it and breaks the layers of wood. The rack splitter is simple to use, but quite dangerous to use. In such a cleaver, the workpiece is pushed due to the force transmitted to the rack from a rotating gear. If all of the above options are equipped with a drive, then an inertial or spring wood splitter already requires some use of manual force. With a large shoulder and spring, it modernizes the approach to traditional tuning.
Drive unit	Devices based on electric motors (220 V / 380 V) and gasoline engines are used. The choice is determined solely by the convenience and working conditions.
Maximum splitting force	Determines the magnitude of the force of the piston pressure on the workpiece - typical for hydraulic and rack wood splitters. In private, it is enough to use models with a force of 4 to 6 tons. More powerful models are suitable for working with long logs and on an industrial scale.
Working position	Determines the position of the axis of the workpiece when working. There are cleavers with a horizontal, vertical and combined position. The first option is the most common when used privately and is used in most hydraulic and rack structures due to convenience and safety.
Log sizes	The length of logs when using hydraulic wood splitters is limited by the piston stroke and the maximum splitting force. Usually this value is limited to 0.52 m. The thickness of the blanks can vary from 0.25 to 0.5 m, depending on the model of the cleaver. In slatted solutions, the length of the log is determined by the dimensions of the slat and, again, by the force generated. The use of screw wood splitters allows the use of chocks of a larger diameter - up to 0.7 m, but this increases the complexity of the work.
Options	Height adjustment. This option has a positive effect on the convenience of work, but at the same time increases the cost of the product, its absence can be compensated homemade stand. Availability of wheels, preferably large. Provides ease of transport. Safety system, usually a double-lever type, in which the operator must simultaneously use two hands on the console - is an integral part of all modern factory products.

Of course, the speed of his work can also be considered as a parameter when choosing an assistant in the wood splitting business, but it is believed that even the minimum values ​​\u200b\u200bare more than enough.

TOP 10 Home Solutions

General recommendations for choosing a household cleaver include the following requirements: electric hydraulic device with horizontal position of the workpiece and a maximum force of 5 tons. Pay attention to the safety of the machine, it is desirable that the model is equipped with a two-lever locking system. However, discrepancies with the generally accepted approach are possible, as evidenced by our selection of the best wood splitters.

1. Champion LSH5000 - from 17500 rubles.

A strong steel frame covered with a special anti-corrosion coating, high engine power and the presence of wheels make the Champion LSH5000 electric wood splitter a strong, durable and mobile solution for seasonal firewood. This device is designed for horizontal loading of logs and is one of the most popular for private use. The Champion brand itself is good China, the trademark belongs to the St. Petersburg company "Wald".

You can evaluate the operation of this compact device in the following video. Among similar solutions, one can also name such models as RedVerg RD-LS 25-37E, PATRIOT CE 5322, etc.

2. AL-KO KHS 5204 - from 19,000 rubles.

AL-KO KHS 5204 is another representative of electric wood splitters, in fact with the same characteristics as the previously considered product, but made in a slightly different version. The frame is located higher (adjustable in height), which, on the one hand, makes working with the device more convenient, on the other hand, when using large logs, it can affect the balance of the cleaver. This model is produced by a famous German company, so you don't have to worry about its reliability and durability.

We invite you to look at this hydraulic cleaver in action on the example of a similar model with an index of 5200.

3. Texas 520 H - from 20,000 rubles.

Another relatively inexpensive, but durable and powerful device for its modest size is the Texas 520 H cleaver from a Danish manufacturer. This is an option for those who are not in a hurry and, above all, appreciate the safety of work. With a low power of the electric motor, the device produces a force of up to 5 tons, splitting chocks up to half a meter long. According to the reviews of the owners, the model has been serving for more than 3 years, it is easily modified (installed on a stand), the protective cover can be dismantled.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the capabilities of this unit in the following video.

4. Raptor t700 - from 25,000 rubles.

A conical screw 250x80 made of steel 45, an AIR 80B2 electric motor, a control unit, a flywheel and a stand - in front of you is a model of a Raptor t700 screw cleaver of small-scale production. Compared to hydraulic devices, this is a more productive solution, the effectiveness of which is largely determined by the quickness of the worker. The absence of hydraulics makes the unit simpler and more durable. At the same time, the safety of work and the quality of splitting are somewhat affected. Chocks are fed perpendicular to their axis.

How the work with the Raptor t700 screw splitter looks like can be seen in the video below.

5. AL-KO KHS 3704 - from 19,000 rubles.

Powerful compact solution adapted for chopping firewood for fireplaces. Those. with all mobility and small sizes electric log splitter AL-KO KHS 3704 there are some restrictions on the raw materials used - chocks up to 0.37 m long. The design is characterized by a high degree of stability due to the low landing.

To a large extent, the KHS 3704 is intended for seasonal use and for splitting small quantities of raw materials. If firewood is the main type of fuel for year-round living, then you should look towards other units.

6. PROFI PLS 700E - from 19500 rubles.

The Russian electric cleaver PROFI PLS 700E of Chinese origin is made in a classic compact design: the design is notable for its low height, with a horizontal working position and a pair of wheels for transportation. It is completed with a special nozzle, thanks to which it becomes possible to split into four parts. According to reviews, it is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and considerable effort, due to which even strong wood species split.

What is this electric cleaver in work - judge for yourself by watching the video below.

7. Texas 600VG - from 55,000 rubles.

The Texas 600VG model differs from all of the above, first of all, in that it is a stand-alone solution that requires only high-quality gasoline, logs and straight arms. This is a powerful installation with a vertical working position from a well-known Danish manufacturer (and, like many other equipment, it is produced in China). If the worker is alone, then the vertical design is much more convenient than the horizontal installation. However, it takes up more space and is heavier.

How is work carried out with the Texas 600VG gasoline firewood splitter? You can find out by watching the short video below.

8. CHAMPION LSV6000 - from 38,000 rubles.

Another model with vertical chock feeding is CHAMPION LSV6000, but with 220 V power supply. The device is reliable and safe, provides high speed and does not require special skills. Just move the unit to comfortable spot And within an hour you will be able to admire the impressive result!

9. Gorynych 6T - from 120,000 rubles.

The youngest model in the range of hydraulic cleavers Gorynych of domestic production is a unit with an index of 6T. A feature of this installation is the fast piston stroke, which achieves high productivity. This can be useful on the scale of harvesting firewood for sale - overpaying for speed in normal conditions impractical. And in general, the design is designed for almost continuous operation, which makes it indispensable for large volumes. The knife position is adjustable so that the operator can quickly choose between cutting two or four logs in one pass.

The Gorynych lineup is represented by three more quite popular models. All of them are designed for a maximum force of 9 tons, differ only in the mass of the units, the length of the split logs, the power and type of engine (gasoline, 380 or 220 V), respectively, and the price. What is the Gorynych wood splitter in action can be found in the following video.

10. MTD LS 550 - from 220,000 rubles.

For those who are thinking about purchasing a serious autonomous unit for themselves or harvesting firewood in industrial volumes, the MTD LS 550 wood splitter model is suitable. As you might have guessed from the preamble, this is a rather large unit with a gasoline engine. Moreover, it is also the most powerful in our review - it is capable of developing a force of up to 25 tons. Among design features it is necessary to say about two possible working positions: vertical and horizontal. This is actually a convenient solution that allows you to vary the operation of the unit depending on the conditions. The frame is mounted on an axle with two large wheels, the wood splitter is adapted for transport by car.

You can learn about the features of the MTD LS 550 from a short English-language video.

Editor's Choice

All the presented units are good, but the editors chose two models: and. The first wood splitter is good for its compact size, the ability to adjust the position of the working plane, and sufficient power, which is enough for annual fuel harvesting. The second model is more universal, it will allow you to chop firewood not only for yourself, but also for your neighbors - it opens up opportunities for earning money. Plus, do not forget about renting the device. Thus, in one season, you can beat off the cost of equipment.

About homemade

When getting acquainted with factory products, some might have a completely logical thought: “Why not save money and do something similar on your own?”. In the presence of right hands and a bright head everything is possible. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most interesting schemes of wood splitters that you can really do with your own hands.

It is an evolutionary step in the development of classic cleavers. The use of a spring wood splitter requires the use of muscular strength, but to a lesser extent due to the spring mechanism, large arm and additional weight. On the diagram, it looks like this.

The design of such a homemade product includes metal pipe or profile (this will be our shoulder, increasing the gain in strength, with a blade at the end), a metal support and a swivel between them. Spring type return mechanism, you can use an old shock absorber. In the video below, an example of working with such a mechanism.

"Carrot"

A mechanism with such a simple name also does not require the use of high-tech parts. To make it, you need a drive, a simple gearbox with a belt drive, a pair of bearings, a shaft, a threaded cone and a frame table. A drive with a power of more than 2 kW, at least from an old washing machine, is not a problem to find. Paradoxically, the most complex part of the system is the cone. It must either be bought ready-made, or ordered by an experienced familiar milling machine. The scheme of the screw cleaver is shown in the figure below.

The splitting of the chocks is carried out by screwing in the cone, due to which the wood fibers are literally torn. The main thing is not to earn money by feeding logs - this is a rather unsafe design, and a carrot can just as well screw up the sleeve of your clothes. How it works is in the next video.

Rack construction

For all its effectiveness, the rack splitter is a controversial decision. And first of all it concerns safety. It is necessary to carefully calculate the speed of rotation of the gear, the force from which is transmitted to the rack. As a rule, splitting with such a wood splitter is carried out very quickly. By pressing the rack against the gear by pressing the handle, the operator sets it in motion. Releasing the handle, contact with the gear is reduced due to the spring, the return mechanism is activated and the rack returns to its original position. The rail must be placed on the carriage, which will move along the frame. Actually, it is necessary to fix the pusher plate on it. Schematically, it looks like this.

It turns out that maximum attention should be paid to the frame, i. its stability, as well as the quality of the rail - it will not work to carve one without special skills. Otherwise, at least some experience in welding and the use of electric drives will help. The end result may look like this craftsman from the video.

Hydraulic splitter

In our opinion, this is the most technically difficult solution, but it is also the safest. Armed with Pascal's law, a hydraulic cylinder, a drive, a pump and an oil tank, with the help of an experienced hydraulics, you can create a system that develops a force of 5 tons and more. Schematically, the device of such a product is as follows.

The person from the video did it, can you do it too?

Instead of a conclusion

If you don't have necessary materials and parts for the construction of a wood splitter, then think several times whether it is worth acquiring them and spending your precious time on "reinventing the wheel". Indeed, for a fairly adequate amount, you can immediately purchase a finished factory product, safe and with a guarantee!

Reading time ≈ 11 minutes

Many families, even in the 21st century, have to heat their homes with wood in solid fuel boilers or hobs, and their harvesting is a rather time-consuming process. But to make your life easier, you can buy or make a homemade mechanical wood splitter with your own hands. Given the fact that the first option will require considerable financial costs, we will focus on the second and consider several options.

Working with a mechanical wood splitter

What kind of wood splitter can you make yourself

Mechanical wood splitter

All wood splitters can be divided into at least two main types, but they still have subspecies. All this classification of mechanisms is associated with the type of drive.

The wood splitter can be mechanical, divided into:

• a device with simple mechanics;
• with spring drive;
• inertial vertical mechanism.

To facilitate labor, an electric drive can be installed on it and at the same time it will be:

• conical or screw wood splitter;
• with one electric motor or complete with a gearbox;
• there are also hydraulic wood splitters, and although they are the most complex in design, they still take place when harvesting firewood.

Mechanical devices

The easiest way is to make a home-made mechanical wood splitter with your own hands, since the device of all its subspecies is as simple as possible and does not require large expenses, even if there are no suitable parts on the farm. But such a device has the highest efficiency only with small needs for firewood, for example, for heating. country house or cottages.

A device with simple mechanics

The simplest mechanical device

Such a simple mechanism, as in the photo above, is the easiest to assemble, and all the constituent materials are likely to be found in household. It can be a round or shaped pipe, a metal corner, besides, if there is a shortage of length, different profiles can be welded into one. An ax or a cleaver is perfect as a cutter - they will always be found in any house with stove heating. The device can be collapsible, and it will be easy to carry from place to place.

The assembly method here is extremely simple: the rod with the cutter is installed on a vertical rail with a sole in the form of a frame from any metal profile but in such a way that it moves freely. To do this, even bearings are not necessary - the movable assembly can consist of two welded ears (with holes) on the stand and a metal pin, which will simultaneously serve as a shaft for rotating the shoulder with a cleaver and fastening.

The problem here is that such a wood splitter has a lot of negative qualities. Firstly, the handle on which the cutter (cleaver or ax) is fixed should be as long as possible in order to spend less effort when chopping firewood, therefore, the device will require a lot of space. Secondly, even with a long handle, you will have to make considerable efforts. But be that as it may, even such primitive mechanics will significantly reduce the laboriousness of the procurement process.

Note. To make the handle shorter, you can weld the cutter to a thick round or shaped pipe, and then pour it with concrete. But the problem is that such a design will be heavy (the handle itself) and this will not make your work much easier.

Mechanical spring device

Spring splitter

With a slight refinement of the mechanics, a spring wood splitter can be made, which will require much less human muscle load. In fact, the assembly principle will not change here and the mechanics will remain the same, except that you have to weld a shelf on the rack to support the spring. The spring must be made of tool steel so that it does not deform when compressed.

Considering that the shoulder becomes heavy, it is not difficult to strike a block of wood - much more effort has to be applied after the deck is split, since there will be a return from the spring. Therefore, the choice of spring here must be given special attention - to make it easier to lower the lever down and easier to hold when recoiling. In addition, you need to take into account the physical strength of the person who will chop wood, as well as the length and knotty of the deck.

Note. To articulate the lever with the rack, it is best to use bearings - this will greatly facilitate the work.

Schematic diagram of the spring device

In the diagram above, you see the principle of operation of a spring mechanical wood splitter. Now let's talk about the most optimal sizes such a device. The minimum height of such a device should be at least 80 cm, but if the person who will use it is tall, then 80 cm will not be enough. The distance from the rack to the cleaver should be about 100-150 cm, and this is not counting the width of the cutter itself and the handle, that is, this is the length of the shoulder. To facilitate work on the cleaver, a metal blank or a pipe with concrete poured into it is welded, so that the result is 10-20 kg. An addition to the mass of the blank can become a cleaver if you make it yourself from a large sledgehammer.

Advice. To make it easier to move the spring wood splitter from place to place, an axle with wheels can be welded on one side of the support frame, and stands on the other to stop and level the frame.

Video: using a spring wood splitter

Inertial vertical mechanism

Inertial vertical wood splitter

Very simple option you can also call an inertial vertical wood splitter, which is quite easy to make with your own hands. To make such a device, you will need two pipes, where the outer diameter of one is about a millimeter less than the inner diameter (DN, DN) of the other. As a basis, you can use a thick sheet of steel (10-12 mm) or weld a frame from a metal profile (it can be tubular). And the most basic element, of course, is a cutter made from an ax, a cleaver or machined from tool steel.

Simplified sketch of an inertial cleaver

Now let's figure out how to make such a device and how it works. First of all, a rack guide is welded to the frame or frame in a vertical position about a meter high. To do this, you can use a round or profile pipe, the main thing is to fix it well from below and for this it is best to use stiffeners on four sides. Then the cleaver is welded to a slightly larger tubular profile so that the cutter can be freely put on the riser, as shown in the drawing.

To split the deck, the cutter is simply lifted on the riser, and by the force of its gravity it falls on the block of wood. But the log does not always split the first time - it depends on the density of the wood, the length of the log block, knotty, and so on. In such cases, the butt of the cleaver is beaten with a log or even a small sledgehammer. You can, of course, raise the piece of wood along with the cutter and lower it again, but the first option is physically easier.

Motorized devices

The installation of an electric drive on a wood splitter will further facilitate the work of harvesting firewood. But in this case, the manufacture of the tool will turn out to be more complicated and school knowledge about electricity will not be enough. The fact is that for such devices, it is best to connect the engine through a starter, and also provide a control panel so that it can be turned off at any time - this is consistent with the safety instructions and common sense in particular.

Cone or screw splitter

Homemade cone splitter

Of course, making a homemade mechanical wood splitter with your own hands is much easier, but if you add an electric drive to it ... but do not rush to conclusions. Such devices are an electric motor with a smooth or helical cone on the edge of the shaft - this is their only difference. Here the deck breaks not due to impact, but due to the fact that a cone rotated by the engine sticks into it. You can start splitting along the edges (for large logs) or from the center.

Cone and Thread

Drawing of a screw cone with dimensions in mm

As you probably already guessed, it is much easier to work with a screw cone, as in the drawing and below, than with a smooth one, since in the latter case much more effort is spent on clamping. If there is a thread on the cone, then the wood is wound on it and it is pricked, even when there is a lot of knots, and you have to make almost no effort. But, nevertheless, the principles of operation of any type of cone wood splitter are exactly the same.

Screw cone nozzles of different diameters

To make a good machine, it is very important to properly machine the cone and cut the thread on it. If you have a lathe at home along with experience working on it, then you can make this part yourself, but in the absence of this, you will have to order it from a turner. The thread can be different, especially if the person cutting it does not have experience in working with such wood splitters. But there are those who have this experience and they say:

• the minimum landing depth on the gearbox is 70 mm;
• step - 7 mm;
• thread depth - 2-3 mm.

Electric motor and gearbox

The engine with a reducer fasten to a desktop

There are special requirements for the electric motor here: it is necessary that its power be at least 2 kW, but the speed should be low, from 250 to 500 rpm. The thing is that at lower speeds the workflow will be very slow, and at higher speeds it will be dangerous. So if you find a motor with such parameters, then you can fit the screw directly onto its shaft.

Sometimes you have to use a reducer

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to find an electric motor with the required parameters, in any case, with the required number of revolutions. In such situations, you will have to purchase a reduction gear if the revolutions are above the norm or an increase gear if there are few of them. But it is most convenient in such situations to use a pulley and a belt drive instead of a step-up or step-down gearbox. The larger the diameter of the pulley on the gearbox, the lower the speed and vice versa.

To correctly calculate the number of revolutions of the gearbox, you can resort to simple arithmetic. For example, you purchased an electric motor with a speed of 900 rpm and here you can resort to the 1/2 system. That is, you install a pulley on the gearbox shaft, which is twice the diameter of the pulley on the motor shaft, and as a result you get a speed of 450 rpm. But the transmission can be not only belt, but chain - in the second situation, gears are installed instead of pulleys.

Perhaps someone will have a question where the electric motor should be located. In this case, the table must be made with an additional lower tabletop or at least a shelf. The height of the top tabletop is determined by the height of the one who will work there, but not less than 80 cm. The cone above the work surface should be at a distance of 8-12 cm, although 20 cm is allowed as an exception, but not a centimeter more - this will not allow chopping short logs .

Video: working with a smooth cone

Hydraulic wood splitter

Hydraulic driven device

The hydraulic wood splitter can be called the most powerful among all existing analogues. To assemble such a unit you will need:

• electric motor;
• bed;
• cutting knife;
• powerful hydraulic cylinder:
• oil tank;
• pump.

Note. All these components are very expensive and such an assembly makes sense only if you are engaged in the preparation of firewood at a professional level.

Diagram of the hydraulic mechanism

Such a wood splitter works on the principle of a press and develops very high power. In this regard, the knife must be made of tool steel with a thickness of 6-10 mm (this parameter depends on the power of the drive mechanism). Often a knife is made like an asterisk, which allows you to split a block of wood in one go into 4 or even 8 parts. You can watch one of the ways to make a hydraulic wood splitter at home in the video clip below.

Video: the knife is designed for splitting into 8 parts

Conclusion

Whether you will assemble a home-made mechanical wood splitter with your own hands or supply it with an electric drive depends primarily on the amount of firewood being harvested. But be that as it may, any of these mechanisms will make your life easier.

Waving an ax over a huge pile of firewood, you involuntarily think about how to ease this hard labor.

A chainsaw is not an assistant here, since it is designed for cross-cutting wood. Only in a hopeless situation with its help you can dissolve a board or beam. A thick wedge and a heavy hammer will help to split a particularly hard and thick log, but this work cannot be called productive.

To combine the high speed of chopping firewood with minimal physical effort, a screw wood splitter will help - a simple and reliable device. Its principle of operation is based on the ingeniously simple combination of a screw and a wedge.

An ordinary screw is easily screwed into wood, but at the same time it can only slightly push its fibers apart. But when a two-start thrust thread is applied to the steel cone, the desired result is achieved.

Expert advice! It is important to pay attention to the type of thread: it is precisely the persistent two-thread that is needed, if you use a single-thread, you will have to force the block of wood onto the carrot cone. Ask your dealer for a two-start thrust thread. Otherwise, when using a single-start thread, you will have to push the logs onto the screw cone with great effort!

Only a two-way cone is easily screwed into a log, due to its wedge-shaped shape and persistent thread, it splits it into two parts.

There are two main design schemes for cone wood splitters. In the first, the screw cone is installed directly on the shaft of a low-speed electric motor with a power of 3-5 kW (the number of revolutions is not more than 500).

Another option is realized through the use of two-strand pulleys of different diameters and flexible drive belts. A small pulley is placed on the motor shaft, and a large pulley is placed on the shaft of the wood splitter screw.

The ratio of their diameters is selected so as to reduce the rotational speed of the screw compared to the engine speed by 2.5 - 4 times to 300-400 rpm.

It is possible to reduce the speed of rotation of the conical screw using a gear motor - a single unit in which the electric motor is structurally connected to the reduction gear. However, such models are not widely used in the market of screw splitters.

Those who want to make such a machine with their own hands should remember that the high speed of rotation of the screw cone (more than 500 rpm) increases the risk of injury, since in this case the log is difficult to hold in hands.

In order to reduce the risk of injury to the machine, a fixed steel wedge is placed under the screw cone, which prevents the log from jumping off.

The main types of screw wood splitters

Household cone wood splitter manufacturers produce both stationary and mobile versions. In the latter case, the frame is equipped with an axle with two wheels, thanks to which the machine can be freely moved to the place of chopping firewood.

According to the type of drive, screw cleavers are divided into electric and gasoline. In addition, industrial-type models are produced, driven by a tractor power take-off shaft (PTO).

Electric wood splitters can work both from a single-phase network, and from a three-phase one. However, bringing three phases to your site is a rather expensive undertaking, so the owners country houses choose less powerful, but more practical single-phase models.

When choosing a wood splitter screw, pay attention to the type of cone thread. The metric thread is erased faster and when working with such a cone, there is a high probability of the log jumping off. The best option is a persistent thread, which fits better into the chock and lasts longer.

Estimated prices for wood splitters of screw type range from 16,000 to 38,000 rubles. The type of engine (220 V, 380 V, gasoline) has a significant impact on the price. A fully autonomous machine equipped with an internal combustion engine costs an average of 10-15% more than an electric one.

We make a wood splitter-screw on our own

The simplicity of design and impressive performance are strong arguments in order to make such a machine with your own hands.

The most important part - the screw cone for the wood splitter can be purchased at a specialized tool store or ordered from a turning shop. The cost of screws depends on the diameter (80-100 mm) and ranges from 1500 to 5000 rubles.

If you don’t want to search for pulleys and make the shaft yourself, then buy a ready-made wood splitter unit. It consists of a screw cone (carrot), a shaft with bearings and a two-strand pulley with a diameter of 200 mm. The estimated price of such a kit is from 3200 to 5600 rubles.

This solution will make it much easier and faster to make a screw wood splitter with your own hands. You will only have to draw a drawing of the machine, indicate the dimensions of the desktop, the design of the frame, the attachment points for the engine and the wood splitter.

From exotic options for homemade wood splitters should be called the installation of a small screw cone with a diameter of 30 mm on the shaft of a puncher or a powerful low-speed drill (1.5 kW, at 500-600 rpm).

However, this simple homemade wood splitter cannot be called universal and very effective in work. The maximum thickness of the split log at the perforator-wood splitter does not exceed 10-12 cm.

When the screw is deepened into the chock, it has a powerful torque, so it is quite difficult to keep it from turning with your hands. This problem can be eliminated by permanently fixing the hammer drill on a workbench.

Considering the possibility of self-manufacturing a screw screw for a wood splitter, it should be said that only experienced turners can do this work. There are stories on the net that it is powerful to carve a cone with the help of a grinder, but they cannot be classified as serious advice.

The accuracy of the manufacture of the thrust thread must be high, so not a single grinder can replace a good lathe and a high-quality cutter.

When ordering a conical screw for a wood splitter, leave to the turner not only a detailed sketch, but also the parameters verified by the craftsmen in practice: taper 1: 2, two-start thread, pitch 5-6mm. The profile of the thread tooth should be the same as that of a wood screw.

Craftsmen who worked on home-made screw wood splitters write in their reviews that this process requires great care. Firewood only needs to be served with bare hands. The glove can easily be screwed onto the screw, which can seriously injure your fingers.

When splitting logs with large knots and chocks from the butt of the log, you need to be especially careful, since the screw often gets stuck in them and is difficult to remove if the engine does not have a reverse.

Useful video