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Manual wood splitters and their designs. Types, features, recommendations for choosing a wood cleaver. Build Rules

Whatever the device is called: a wood splitter or a hydraulic wood splitter, it has the same essence. The main element that determines power and performance is the engine. In everyday life, many have enough device force equal to 3-5 tons. More powerful wood splitters are already being purchased for industrial purposes, they are able to work with longer and thicker logs.

The average stroke is limited to 52 cm.

Those cleavers that are powered by an electric motor can be connected to a network of 220 or 280V.

What is a wood splitter made of?

A do-it-yourself hydraulic wood splitter includes such parts as:

bed ;
emphasis;
cylinder;
wedge blade;
pump;
pressure distributor for supply and return of fluid;
tank for filling oil;
electric motor driving the pump.

The scheme of the hydraulic wood splitter is the same for both the vertical version and the horizontal one. Only in the vertical version, instead of the heel, a cutting device is placed. And improvements to it can be any, for which there is enough imagination.

The principle of operation of the device

Ordinary wood splitters often break, because even with a small cylinder diameter of 9-10 cm, a voltage of up to 10 tons is created in it, while the electric motor continues to work and rotate the device, even if the log does not want to split. In a hydraulic wood splitter, there is a smooth, gradual increase in force, if it is lacking, the cylinder will simply stop rotating, and even with further rotation of the oil pump, there will be no breakdown.

Hydraulic cleaver "Gorynych"

One of the most sought-after cleavers on the market is Gorynych. Speed is the main distinguishing feature of this hydrocleaver. To date, he has no competitors. The reliability shown over the previous years of operation breaks all records. Over the 9 years of the existence of the Gorynych cleaver, more than 18 thousand m3 of forest has been processed. And at the same time, not a single node fell into disrepair. And you can work with it both at +30 and at -30 - the engine, pump, distributor and hydraulic cylinder perfectly cope with any work at any time of the year. The technology is patented.

Wood splitter "Gorynych" 6T and its technical characteristics.

Main achievements:

One cycle takes 2.5 seconds.
It has unique parts and assembly that allows you to work in any temperature.
Hardened iron knife. It is extremely difficult to blunt it.
All parts are repairable.
The structure is coated with a special composition, which makes the structure resistant to external natural influences.

Video of Gorynych's work:

Indicators of such a wood splitter:

25 chocks were split in 3 minutes.
For 1 hour - 500 chocks.
If we take a workpiece with an average diameter of 20 cm and a length of 40, then we get 6.28 m3 / h

Prices

Given the many positive factors and reviews, the prices for Gorynych are not very high. Assembling a homemade wood splitter will not be much cheaper. Check out the estimate below.

The cost is an average and may vary depending on the store and region.

Prices start from 100,000 rubles. Some little-known and low-power units can be found cheaper. The maximum price is 250,000 rubles. But for domestic needs, models up to 150,000 rubles will go, these include Gorynych 6T and Gorynych 220. The last model is electric.

Making a hydraulic splitter for firewood is not difficult. The main snag is in its hydraulic part, the diagram, the connection methods and the calculation of the components, which we will consider.

We will not consider the structure of the body, desktop, wedge and the possibility of transportation and similar functions in detail, for the simple reason that they mainly depend on the imagination and needs of a particular master. They do not affect the main task of the cleaver. But a number of general recommendations are given below.

The minimum of which the simplest hydraulic wood splitter can consist of is:

hydraulic pump;
hydraulic pump drive (engine);
hydraulic distributor;
hydraulic tank;
hydraulic cylinder;
sleeves;
connecting elements.

Before you design a homemade hydraulic splitter, you need to decide on its power, namely, what kind of hydraulic cylinder force is required. An error at this stage may result in insufficient drive power. Accordingly, the engine will jam on knotty wood or large logs.

You can get acquainted with the hydraulic circuit of a simple wood splitter in the photo. It includes a minimum of components. It is worth paying attention to the presence of its own safety valve at the hydraulic distributor. Its presence will not help in any way to improve or simplify the main task of the device, but it must always be installed.

If the distributor does not have it, then an independent valve must be installed in the system.

You can also use the hydraulic system calculator: http://gik43.ru/articles/raschet_gidrotsilindra.html

It is necessary to understand well the rule of inverse relationship between the performance of the hydraulic system and the drive power required for this. With such a calculation in this scheme, it is always necessary to sacrifice the speed of the hydraulic cylinder in favor of a lower engine power. But that doesn't always work. The industry requires a combination of high hydrocrack cycle speed and low power consumption. In this case, a peculiar type of load will help: a large idle stroke of the hydraulic cylinder and a short loaded mode. Here it is necessary to divide the flows to the hydraulic cylinder by productivity, depending on the operating mode.

The diagrams below do just that. 2 pumps with different volume from one drive or a double pump with different volume of sections are taken into operation. For example, pumps NSh32 and NSh10 are presented.

To make less noise, you can put a muffler from a moped.

You can also remove the engine speed lever and install a pressure control device.

An example of a foot splitter

And now let's look at an example when you do not want to pay for electricity and for gasoline or other fuel, but you want some simple hydro-chopper. How to make everything work from human power? Really simple.

How it works in real life, you can see in the video:

Assembly materials and tools:

hydraulic jack;
profile pipe 40x50;
corners;
steel plates 6-8 mm thick;
rubber band;
a piece of metal at least 30 mm thick (to create a wedge that will split the wood);
bolts M12;
welding, grinder, measuring tool, drill and more.

Manufacturing process

Step 1. We make a frame.

The basis is a profile pipe with a diameter of 40x50 mm. But she can't do it alone and can bend. Here is option 2. Either we take a thicker pipe, or we strengthen the existing one. With the first option, everything is clear, but how to make the second one can be seen in the photo. A simple farm is being made.

We weld the guide to the platform. Watch the quality of the seams, they must be of high quality and reliable. We weld a scarf on the reverse side.

To make a slider, you need to use a corner. We cut into the required segments and weld. The main task is to make free sliding along the guide, but make sure that strong backlashes do not appear. To strengthen the place where the rod of the hydraulic jack will subsequently rest, the plate bevel is welded.

Step 2. We make the basis for the jack.

A hydraulic jack with a lifting capacity of 10 tons is required. But you can pick up less power, for example, 6 tons also copes quite well. But it is necessary to prepare a good support. To do this, we take strips of metal 6–8 mm thick and weld them under the heel of the jack.

Step 3. Pen.

As planned, the jack works from the foot, so you have to upgrade the handle. To do this, simply weld the parts to obtain the necessary bend that is comfortable for the leg. You can also weld a special pedal so that the foot does not slip off. To return the handle to its original position, you can use the spring. But the author went a more complicated way and welded a roller and tied a tourniquet to the handle.

Step 4 Knife

The cutting part is made of steel of at least 3 mm. We sharpen in the form of a wedge. For fastening to the rail we use M12 screws. Screws require periodic inspection.

Photo of a knife for chopping wood

On this foot press for chopping firewood is ready. Its main advantage is that it does not require a lot of resources, all suitable material can be found in the garage. Source http://www.sense-life.com/hands/drovokol.php

Photo of hydraulic wood splitters

How to make a hydrocutter knife

As described above, in order to make a knife for a wood splitter, metal of at least 3 mm is taken with your own hands. An I-beam is also suitable. Some craftsmen even make from metal with a thickness of 12 to 20 mm. The main thing is to sharpen well.

Video about what a splitting into 8 parts looks like.

Approximate costs for self-production

It is worth noting that all costs are individual, since everyone has different designs and the availability of initial material. Therefore, we give an approximate estimate of how much it will cost to manufacture a cleaver. All figures are presented in Russian rubles.

Engine Lifan 13 liters. With. - 14 300;
Hydraulic cylinder 100/40/61 - 10 420;
Hydrodistributor - 3 510;
NSh32 - 1 610;
Drive NSh from MAZ - 3 960;
Hubs with wheels from VAZ - 1,500;
Pulley for the engine - 1,000;
V-belts - 830;
Oil hydraulic 40 l. - 2600;
High pressure hoses + couplings - 2,500;
Flanges to NSh - 440;
Metal for knives - 1,000;
Metal for everything else - 4,000;
Bolts, nuts, washers, etc. - 640;
Engine oil - 380;
Rubber hose + clamps -300;
Paint - 630;
Electrodes f4mm - 2 kg and f3mm - 5 kg - 1,050;
Discs for grinders 230-12 pcs. 230- 1 sweep 125- 1 sweep + 3 regular - 700;
Paint brushes - 100.

Total: 51,470 rubles.

To this we must also add unforeseen expenses (a drill broke or a defective part and you have to buy a new one). Plus your time, effort, nerves.

As a result, the price is not small, so it might be worth considering and is it easier to buy a ready-made hydrochopper with a guarantee?

When assembling or designing, someone may need the data from the passport of the Logsplit 100 machine.

Wood splitter for tractor

Basically it is more suitable for business. Since the performance of such a system is much higher than domestic needs.

There are two types.

Hanging on a tractor
Stationary, connected to the hydraulic system.

For those who understand, the diagrams above helped to make such a device on their own.

It should be borne in mind that the power of the tractor is needed from 20 liters. With.

And here is how a wood splitter made on the basis of MTZ-82 works.

And here's another option: vertical hydraulic wood splitter Dragon:

Reading time ≈ 11 minutes

Many families, even in the 21st century, have to heat their homes with wood in solid fuel boilers or cooking stoves, and their preparation 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:

cone 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 a country house or cottage.

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 most likely to be found in the 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 mounted 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 dimensions of 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

A very simple option can also be called 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 shaped 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.

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

Application and working principle

Mechanical and hydraulic are used in private households, or in small woodworking workshops. In any place, the machines perform mechanical cross-cutting, as well as splitting wood of various species.

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

Wood splitters factory

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

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

Power supplies for the engine are divided into 2 categories.

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

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

Homemade wood splitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

How are they hand-picked?

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

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

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

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

A do-it-yourself hydraulic wood splitter at increased power (driven by a tractor, gasoline engine) should be equipped with a wedge-shaped knife with 4 blades, at least.

Hydraulic industrial wood splitter with log lifting - video

When you have to harvest a large amount of firewood, a do-it-yourself cleaver becomes the device that saves physical strength and a lot of time. There are many different variants of such devices that have different principles of operation, but perform one task: to facilitate the work of a person in the household. Of course, the cleavers are sold ready-made and are considered reliable installations, however, self-production will help get rid of unnecessary costs, while ensuring the achievement of the goal.

Essence of fixture

The term "cleaver" refers to a device for harvesting firewood by splitting sufficiently large elements of a tree trunk. In turn, splitting is the breaking of wood fibers with a sharp introduction of a sharp wedge in the longitudinal direction with respect to the fibers.

Thus, a cleaver, or wood splitter, is a device that allows you to chop wood manually or mechanized. Most often, a special hand ax falls under this concept. How is it different from a regular axe? For all their external similarity, they differ in the principle of action. An ordinary ax is designed to cut a tree, i.e. penetrate into the wood, cutting off its tissues. To do this, it has a fairly thin and sharp working part. However, it is very difficult to cut a large deck of firewood with it - it is constantly wedged in the thickness of the material.

The cleaver, unlike a conventional ax, has a wedge-shaped working part with a pointed edge. Such a design, with force introduced between the fibers, pushes them apart, which leads to the destruction of wood. Efficiency and splitting ability directly depend on the intensity of impact, namely on the force of impact - the physical data of a person and the mass of the working part. Splitting can be done with one blow, but more often you have to provide several swings.

Since ancient times, a manual cleaver has been used to harvest wood reserves. However, its mass for splitting large decks sometimes exceeds 5-6 kg, and the number of strokes to prepare a sufficient amount of firewood can reach 90-100. Naturally, such a procedure becomes a real physical test of a person.

The problem is solved by mechanizing the process. Using various types of drive, you can create an apparatus for chopping firewood that does not have to swing, that is, expend effort. Several variants of such systems are known: a mechanical wood splitter, a hydraulic wood splitter, an electric machine and a screw device for chopping firewood.

The working part of a manual cleaver is a metal wedge weighing about 4-6 kg. The edge does not have to be sharpened too sharply - the cutting part is designed to be inserted between the fibers, and further advancement occurs not due to the sharpness of the edge, but the mass of the force developed.

An important difference between the cleaver is the handle. If accuracy of work is important for a carpenter's ax - and therefore the ax has a short length - then a hand-held wood splitter with its own hands must develop maximum force upon impact, which requires an elongated strong handle. In the manufacture of such an ax handle, preference is given to viscous varieties of wood (for example, maple, elm). If it is impossible to use them, you can take a birch.

In a farm with a fairly large need for firewood, as a rule, there are at least 2 cleavers: a wedge-shaped ax with a short handle and a powerful cleaver with a long ax handle. The first option is used when chopping freshly cut wood and raw wood. A more powerful wood splitter is useful when working with dry material and splitting large wooden logs.

Mechanical devices

To facilitate manual labor, many designs have been developed in which a powerful blow of the wood splitter is provided by a low-intensity manual drive. Load amplification is achieved by a spring mechanism. Such a system allows you to significantly increase the mass of the cleaver, while reducing the muscle load of a person.

Do-it-yourself equipment with mechanization can be made in several ways:

The cleaver is mounted on a beam, horizontally mounted on a vertical support. Such a device for chopping firewood is assembled as follows. On a small concrete foundation, a support is mounted in the form of a pillar made of a wooden beam, a metal profile (pipe) or reinforced concrete. A beam is movably attached to the support, and one of its ends has a spring shock absorber, and on the other, a working body, a wedge-shaped ax, is fixed on a bracket. A deck is installed under the working body to fix the wooden element that needs to be split.
A cleaver working on the principle of a mechanical machine for driving piles. The task is to raise a weighted wedge-shaped working part to a certain height and ensure its free fall to a given point. To do this, guides and a rod are installed on which the cleaver is fixed. To lift the rod, a lever mechanism is mounted.
Splitting from below. A fairly effective way of splitting wood is considered to be the impact from the underside of the block of wood. Devices made on this principle have a working wedge on the lower base, and the split log rises up and falls sharply on the tip of the cleaver.

Use of hydraulics

Do-it-yourself hydraulic wood splitter is a fairly popular mechanized cleaver. Like any hydraulic tool, such a device uses the energy of a compressed fluid, i.e. principle of operation of a hydraulic press. In this embodiment, the compressed fluid enters the piston, which is attached to the working body. In turn, it penetrates the wood and pushes the fibers apart.

The simplest method combines mechanical and hydraulic principles. To implement it, a jack is used. How to make a mechanical-hydraulic type wood splitter? On a vertical rack, a car jack is fixed from above and a base for installing a wooden block from below. A cleaver wedge is welded to the jack platform. To split wood, the tip of the working body is combined with a log, after which a jack is activated, which presses the splitter into the tree, pushing its fibers apart.

The pure hydraulic cleaver is made from a hydraulic press. The supporting element of such a wood splitter is a frame assembled from a durable steel channel. A piston with a cleaver welded to it moves along the bed. It is most rational to make the working part from several cutting wedges, which ensures the splitting of a wooden block into several parts in 1 run. It is important in such a machine to ensure a clear rectilinear movement of the piston, for which appropriate guides are installed.

Electric cleavers

The most modern and practical looks electric machine for chopping firewood. The use of an electric motor during such an operation makes it possible to automate the process to a large extent. The simplest option is based on the introduction of a cone-shaped rotating element into the wood. The conical design of the organ allows you to split the log, but for this you need to choose the right taper angle in a practical way.

The electric cleaver includes the following basic elements: an electric motor and a main shaft. The shaft must have keyways for mounting the drive pulley. The torque on the working body can be transmitted through a belt drive. In the manufacture of an electric machine, it is important to ensure that the rotating cone enters the wood in a strictly vertical direction. Any lateral movement is not allowed, as can lead to breakage of the piercing part or the flight of a log from the nest, which is dangerous for the operating personnel.

A do-it-yourself rack wood splitter is considered a typical representative of electric cleavers. The following features are used in its design:

from the gear of the output shaft of the engine, the movement is transmitted to a movable rack with gearing;
on the other hand, the rail is fixedly connected to the bed, where the wooden deck is laid;
to ensure the engagement of the rack with the gear, the design provides for a control handle;
the cleaver is fixed firmly on the frame of the machine;
when the rail moves, the log is fed to a stationary cleaver and splits.

screw principle

Another version of the mechanized cleaver is based on the use of a screw (worm) gear. In such a device, there is a change in rotational motion to translational. In principle, for unfolding wood, high speeds and huge efforts are not needed - it is important to ensure the introduction of a wedge-shaped or conical cleaver into the material. That is why the screw-type tool is of interest.

The rotational movement from any source (electric or gasoline engine) is provided on a shaft located horizontally. The end of the shaft is made in the form of a screw. A kind of nut with a stem welded to it is planted on it. When the screw rotates, it acquires translational motion. If a wedge of the working body is fixed on the rod, then it is able to chop wood.

When harvesting firewood in large quantities, the splitting process requires significant labor costs. Various mechanisms help to facilitate work. You can make a mechanized cleaver with your own hands, choosing the desired design and principle of operation.

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

Of course, you can buy firewood from an ad in local newspapers. Usually there are many such ads, but manufacturers of heating material often deceive buyers by offering low-quality goods at a high price. Therefore, most fans of stove heating prefer prepare firewood yourself. In Rus', chopping wood was traditionally considered a male job. But if the cutting device is comfortable and not heavy in weight, a woman or teenager will do a great job with this job. Easiest to work using a cleaver made by hand at home.

Why it is worth making a cleaver

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

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

Ax making process

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

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

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

How to chop wood correctly

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

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

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

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

Log storage

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

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

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

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