How to make a cleaver with your own hands? Types of devices for chopping firewood: drawings, instructions. Wood splitters - types, how to make a homemade wood splitter? How to assemble a wood splitter on your own

Many owners of private houses heated by stoves and solid fuel boilers use wood splitters 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 are removed from the working area by a 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. They produce screw devices in 3 versions, with a difference in the methods 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 a concrete base by inserting a rack 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 frame. 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 fixed 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 a profile pipe and a 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.

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 option - 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. A more affordable option is to weld it to a pipe (round or square) and fill 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 bed, 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 is 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 the 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 invent a clip to install 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 DIY option. 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, or better, a pin, is fixed on a massive platform. The height is 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 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 you have a lathe and work experience, you can try to do it yourself. 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). Another important point is 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 rpm and below, it punctures very slowly, and if the rpm is 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 the screw - to keep the workspace away from the 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. Making such a wood splitter with your own hands will 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

A do-it-yourself wood splitter is a mechanism designed to facilitate the process of splitting large logs for a stove or fireplace. The attractiveness of the tool is expressed in the fact that anyone can make their own from inexpensive materials.

Device classifications

The design has many classifying factors. Wood splitters are distinguished by:

• the field of operation (private use, large enterprises);
• tree laying method (vertical, horizontal, mixed);
• type of engine (electric, gasoline, tractor-drawn, combined);
• method of transportation (mobile and stationary);
• principle of operation (hydraulic and screw (conical)).

Homemade wood splitters are most often equipped with an electric or gasoline engine. The remaining parameters are individual and are selected for personal needs. For everyone who puzzles with the question: “How to make a wood splitter with your own hands?” we will provide instructions for assembling the hydraulic and screw unit.

DIY hydraulic wood splitter

Most often, the hydraulic system for the operation of the device is borrowed from the tractor. An electric motor driven by a tractor or gasoline can also be used. The hydraulic wood splitter includes the following components:

• bed;
• pump;
• oil container;
• motor;
• hydraulic cylinder with stop;
• blade;
• distributor.

Making a do-it-yourself wood splitter with drawings, photos and instructions will not be difficult for people who are at least a little versed in the mechanics of a hydraulic installation.

For convenience, we will show a drawing of the mechanism and make a brief assembly guide.

Hydraulic wood splitter assembly instructions:

1. We fix the hydraulic jack on the frame.
2. A wedge-shaped blade is mounted on the other end, which will allow you to work with logs of different volume and length.
3. In the middle of the structure we have a platform for stacking logs. When interacting with the handle of the jack, the stop will push the wood towards the wedge knife, which will successfully split it.
4. After splitting, the springs will return the stop to the starting position.

Such a device is not distinguished by its high speed of work, however, whatever one may say, it is much easier than chopping firewood with an ax.

DIY screw (conical) wood splitter

The principle of operation of this type of wood splitter lies in the property of a rotating metal cone to split logs due to the existing thread on the surface.

Do not try to make a cone yourself. This is a very laborious and painstaking task. It will be more profitable to buy a ready-made version, properly made and suitable for your future design.

To make a screw copy, you should use this article and watch a video about homemade wood splitters.

It is one of the most common wood splitting tools. It is easy not only to use, but also to assemble with your own hands.

Instructions for assembling a screw wood splitter with a cone-shaped splitter:

1. Decide on the power source of our unit. The drawing example shows an electric motor.
2. It is necessary to choose the right cone. Depending on the size of the device and the split logs.
3. Make a plan for the location of all elements of the device on the desktop.
4. Make bases for the entire structure. The working platform looks like a steel table with a fixed cleaver shaft.
5. Weld a kind of keel to the table to prevent log particles from getting under the rotating device.
6. Attach power supports for installation and place the splitter in its working position.
7. Connect the engine. The device is ready to go!

The engine is preferably mounted under the table. It will be protected from accidental damage and wood chips.

The principle of operation of the cone splitter

The power unit (in our case: an electric motor) imparts a rotational movement to the cone. You should carefully bring the log and gently push towards the cleaver. The cone smoothly cuts into the structure of the tree and splits it in half.

A screw wood splitter with a washing machine engine is the most convenient and functional option for home use.

In addition, it is possible to avoid the cost of purchasing a new engine. It can be used by removing it from an old washing machine.

A wood splitter is an indispensable device in a private house or country house. A large amount of information on the Internet allows you to make a wood splitter with your own hands using video or text instructions. The flexibility of the design scheme allows the use of a wide variety of components. There is always the opportunity to choose and build a unit for your individual conditions and needs.

The device and operation of a homemade wood splitter - video

Updated:

Do-it-yourself wood splitter is used, as a rule, by residents of villages and towns who heat their homes with wood blanks. Buying a professional installation is very expensive and beyond the reach of an ordinary villager. In addition, such machines are mainly used in large enterprises. However, if you want to build a wood splitter with your own hands, it is not difficult, its mechanism is simple and extremely useful in a country economy.

A device for chopping firewood is divided into mechanical and hydraulic modifications. Depending on the supply of logs to the plant, the orientation classification is horizontal, vertical or mixed.

Homemade wood splitter is also classified by power source. These can be models with electric or gasoline engines, as well as single-shaft tractor-drawn ones. All these devices for chopping firewood differ from each other in the specifics of the installation and individuality in terms of the principle of operation.

However, all wood splitters have common positive qualities:

1. Minimize forces when chopping wood.
2. Speed ​​and efficiency in work.
3. Optimization of physical effort: a person does not need to constantly bend down during the splitting process.
4. Instantly ready to use: you only need to connect the device.
5. Endurance during the operation of the unit: it has the ability to continuously chop wood for a long period.
6. Versatility: even a person without any special advantages in physical strength can chop wood with a wood splitter.

Of the minuses, one can name an inflated price when buying a ready-made wood splitter, as well as the complexity of the mechanism, if you make a hydraulic wood splitter with your own hands.

A simple do-it-yourself wood splitter

The easiest system for self-manufacturing devices for chopping firewood are cone wood splitters. They are based on a threaded steel cone, which is driven in rotation by an electric motor. The difficulty in creating such a wood splitter can only be created by a cone, since it will need to be machined on a turning unit.

Before you make a wood splitter with your own hands, you need to purchase the following tools and materials:

• power unit - electric motor or gasoline engine;
• reducer;
• bearings;
• frame (preferably metal);
• working cone - gimlet.

All these tools and materials for the wood splitter are selected individually, there is no specific scheme. In this case, the device for chopping firewood will meet all conditions with the utmost precision and provide the required working performance.

A home-made wood splitter, based on a threaded cone, is machined on a lathe, then with the help of a grinder, a spiral thread is made on it. Next, the cone is mounted on a shaft with bearings, where it is fixed with a pin for further removal from the shaft and replacement of the gimlet.

During chopping firewood, the cone can jam in the log, so the ability to remove it from the shaft is necessary.

Next, a gearbox or spacer made of pipes and nuts is mounted between the motor and the shaft. The gearbox is necessary in order to increase torque, reduce speed, and also ensure stable air pressure before each blow. The spacer of pipes and nuts is designed to tension the chain.

Homemade wood splitter is ready, you just need to turn on the mechanism and set the cone in motion. When it starts to rotate, a log is aimed at it with the help of a stop. Thus, the working cone, screwing into the wood, will split it in half.

DIY hydraulic wood splitter

To process a large number of logs for firewood, it is recommended to make or buy a hydraulic model of a wood splitter. In such a device, the main power component is a cylinder, the rod of which extends under the action of fluid pressure inside. For this purpose, a pump and an electric motor are provided in the design.

To make a wood splitter with your own hands, it would be logically correct to use drawings with diagrams. The hydraulic cleaver can be made on a stem or in a stop design. This device is static, which increases the strength of the entire structure.

The lightest model is assembled as follows: a car jack is mounted on the platform at the bottom of the vertical frame. Then, instead of the cutting element, the knife, a conical wedge is installed. The upper part of the frame is detachable, for easy adjustment to the size and length of the split log. The wedge is brought to the wood with the help of a central screw, then the jack enters the splitting process. However, a do-it-yourself hydraulic wood splitter, mounted on a fixed frame, requires some knowledge and skill, so it is not recommended to make such an apparatus without experience.

Orienting when choosing a specific modification, you need to take into account the following characteristics of the wood splitter:

1. Splitting force, depending on the dimensions of the cylinder and the power of the electric motor. It ranges from 4-10 tons.
2. The maximum size of the workpiece is 0.5-2.0 m.
3. The location of the wood is vertical or recumbent.
4. Motor power depending on the type of engine - from 1.2-2 kW.

The hydraulic wood splitter has a large capacity, in this regard, it is often used for commercial purposes. However, it can also be installed at home, such a device contributes to a convenient and high-quality splitting of firewood for heating a house, a bathhouse and other subsidiary farms. Having built it with your own hands, you can save a considerable amount, but it is important to take into account the maximum diameter of the workpiece and the speed of its processing.

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. Fasten a metal knife at 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 (an old door will do) 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 instructions 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

Movement with an ax is one of the most balanced loads for the 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 install a log in a 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.

Use of old tires

Video: Wood splitter with a washing machine engine

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!