Resipricating mechanism

[Adam Marshall]

I have finished most of my projects now and was thinking of making a stick chopping machine basically a table with a resipricating sharp chisel splitting the wood that is in a channel on the table. What components would I need to make the mechanism motor, bearings but what else. It will be pallet wood i split but I'm sure it will need some force to split it or surely it will bend the axle in the bearings. Any input would be great thank you

 

[Maker]

Are you wanting to cut across the grain?

 

[Gareth J]

Start with an old, heavy duty reciprocating machine? Like an engine or a big compressor.

Or this last one (I'm pretty sure) uses the crank, gearbox and flywheel from a small square baler

Tbh, they all look sketchy, run rather too fast for comfort and note how poorly the ancient one handles a slightly knotty log. They can all chip through straight grain easy splitting timber easily but if you are hoping to build anything that will handle anything other than that, it will need to be darn heavy duty.

 

[Adam Marshall]

No with the grain

 

[Rig Pig]

There are some horrible scary log splitters on YouTube with stationary engines driving large flywheels with a blade on them but if you are attached to your hands i wouldn't recommend them! If you look at the tapered screw machines they seem a bit less vicious.

 

[Adam Marshall]

Rig pig I know what you mean they do look dangerous. I just want to make something mechanical that will chop sticks

 

[Adam Marshall]

Something like this

 

[phm87]

That will be fine right up to the time when he gets distracted then what!!! one finger/two fingers oh! were are the rest? and a thumb.

 

[Bladevane]

A can of Red Bull and a sharp axe.

 

[WorkshopChris]

Something like this

I always remember an old college lecturer telling us on the first day in the workshop. Never put your fingers where you would not put your ****.
Something i have always applied. With a few simple mods that machine may be quite effective, but as i would not get close to it.

 

[sparkysy]

Totallyfftopic: but
@WorkshopChris
That is the same thing an old lecturer said to me on my first day as an apprentice in the shop! Just like you its always stuck with me too. And yes I did listen and still have all me digits!! I know a few people who either weren't told that or didn't listen though!

 

[Adam Marshall]

Are the screw type log splitters any good? Anyone used one

 

[Gareth J]

Aaaaaaah! I couldn't run that machine, the adrenaline required to operate it would be exhausting.

I always thought that a hydraulic log splitter Would be too slow to be sensibly useful until I got a small electric one. You can set it up to only just fit your sized log in between the jaws and there is no need to punch right through if the log splits easy. Chipping up old electric poles for kindling is quick as you can chop the whole log as a bundle and do multiple chops at once. Not as quickly as those above but impossible to loose any digits.

Perhaps the channel above could be boxed in? I bet it would jam up easy though

 

[Rig Pig]

Rig pig I know what you mean they do look dangerous. I just want to make something mechanical that will chop sticks

There are some rack and pinion splitters that are a bit safer looking, there's a nice homemade one driven by a Lister D on YouTube .

 

[8ob]

If you already have a hydraulic splitter why not make/adapt a waffle board and stuff softwood through that?

Bob

 

[Scruffywelder]

I saw a kindling chopper made out of an old Rapidor mechanical hacksaw a wee while back at the farm machinery auction at Carlisle.

I think I took some photos of it. I'll see if I can find them (they're on my laptop somewhere).

 

[anto44]

I always remember an old college lecturer telling us on the first day in the workshop. Never put your fingers where you would not put your ****.
Something i have always applied. With a few simple mods that machine may be quite effective, but as i would not get close to it.

I was told the same thing ha ha

 

[Chillitt]

There are some rack and pinion splitters that are a bit safer looking, there's a nice homemade one driven by a Lister D on YouTube .

I saw a chap running old splitter off a D at a show last year, he had a party trick of chatting to the punters while splitting wood then stopping for a rest and putting his arm under the cutter so he could have a lean.. Clearly it was safe enough, and clearly everyone he pulled the trick on nearly turned inside out, me included..

 

[captain-destructo]

i like the idea of the powered wheel on this one it might keep your fingers intact

i have seen better versions on youtube but cant find them at the min

 

[RonA]

Something like this

Finger licking, splitting good
RonA