A self-made cone splitter will help greatly facilitate the preparation of material. For example, often there are problems with splitting wood at the time of screwing a screw or a screw. This problem can be addressed by pre-drilling the screw in place of mechanical stress. The principle considered above is just characteristic for helical conical wood splitters. For greater efficiency, the cone was made with an increased diameter, while reducing the ratio of the depth of the thread and the diameter of the tool. In fact, the unit under consideration is a set of wedge and screw self-tapping screw. The device easily enters the wood, breaking it through the fibers due to a significant increase in the working part introduced into the tree. Consider the features and characteristics of this device.
Varieties
Do-it- yourself cone splitter can be made in several versions. In the first model, the design provides for a screw that fits directly onto the shaft of an electric motor. In this case, rather strict requirements are imposed on the unit: the engine must have a low speed (not higher than 500 rotations per minute), and also have a power of at least 3 kW.
In other configurations, the use of electric motors of various types is provided. The reduction in speed is achieved with the help of mechanical gearboxes, belt and chain type gears. A pulley with an asterisk of small diameter is mounted on the working shaft, and a larger diameter star is mounted on the analog of the splitting shaft. An approximate ratio is carried out in such a way that the design allows to reduce the frequency to 300-500 rpm. Sometimes efficiency is achieved without a significant increase in the size of the pulley, by mounting an intermediate element and a step transmission.
Benefits
The do-it-yourself cone splitter is mounted on a sturdy bed equipped with a folding table for easy operation.
The main advantages of this tool:
- Simplicity of design.
- The ability to make a tool at home from improvised materials.
- High performance equipment.
- Low cost of installation fixtures.
- For the operation of the unit does not require additional training and special skills.
For the sake of justice, it is worth noting that a do-it-yourself cone splitter has a number of drawbacks. Firstly, such a tool does not cope with interwoven fibers, as a result of which knots and some log blocks have to be processed in a different way. Secondly, the mechanism cannot be manufactured correctly without using a lathe. With all this, the advantages of the tool more than cover the existing shortcomings, and therefore the tool is very popular.
Requirements
A do-it-yourself cone splitter (photo, manufacturing instructions are given below) should ensure operational safety and high performance. To ensure the implementation of these parameters, it is necessary to adhere to the basic requirements and recommendations for manufacturing. Among them:
- The power indicator of the electric motor should be in the range of 2-4 kW.
- You can reduce engine revolutions using a gearbox or flexible transmission.
- Compliance with the maximum speed of the conical shaft is not higher than 500 rpm.
- The tool must be equipped with a push-button type switch, a magnetic starter and a protective (emergency) trip device.
- The conical shaft is mounted on bearings of the bearing type.
- The cone must be equipped with a persistent thread.
- If a belt drive is used, a pair of V-belts and pulleys with two streams are used.
- During operation, the supply of blanks is carried out with their vertical orientation, which prevents warping, jamming of log blocks and deformation of the installation.
How to make a cone splitter do it yourself?
The simplest design of the device, which some craftsmen offer, consists of a powerful punch, with a conical shaft clamped in a cartridge. Such a solution is very dangerous and has low efficiency. The fact is that it will not be easy to keep it with the resistance of wood fibers. If you decide to use this design, take care of the device securely mounted on a solid base, which will allow you to use it in a traditional way.
The following materials will be required for the manufacture of a 220-volt cone splitter with your own hands:
- Factory cone or its equivalent, machined on a lathe.
- Worker shaft (in its quality you can use the hub from agricultural machinery).
- Pulleys and sprockets.
- Drive chain or belt from automobile or motorcycle.
- Bearings with housings, for example variations from automobile driveshafts.
- Steel profile pipes (corners).
- A metal sheet for a workbench (thickness - at least 4 millimeters).
- Electrical engine.
- Wiring.
- Magnetic starter with switch.
- RCD
- Bolts and nuts for fastening.
Features
A do-it-yourself cone splitter (photo, drawings are given below) can be made from parts of used agricultural or automotive equipment. The most difficult element to create is the cone screw. With the help of a grinder, this assembly is not even worth trying to build. Spent time and effort are not comparable with the final result, which will be a miserable likeness of a real screw. An analogue made in this way will not even closely correlate in characteristics with the turning model.
Training
In the case of operation of the tool in a mobile form, you should first acquire metal wheels. A do-it-yourself cone splitter with a gasoline engine or diesel equivalent is the most optimal version of the mobile version.
Tools required for work:
- Welding machine.
- Drill with a set of drills.
- Saw Bulgarian.
- Hammer.
- Spanners.
- Marker.
- Roulette.
To protect the product from corrosion, use any suitable enamel for outdoor use. First you need to carefully prepare the metal surface for painting by treating the area with a metal brush or a special emery tip on the “grinder”.
DIY cone splitter: drawings, photos, instructions
Before undertaking the manufacture of the structure, it is necessary to draw up an elementary diagram, which will outline the main dimensions of the machine and related elements. You will also need a sketch of the electrical wiring and connection. The schematic image below shows the basic principle of the machine.
Since the wedge is the most important part in the design, we should dwell on its manufacture in more detail. Best of all, the part is made of tool steel. To process this material, you need a real professional, since steel has increased strength characteristics, it is difficult to process. Most often, the screw is made from the St-45 brand. This requires strengthening the threaded compartment by quenching, nitriding, or carburizing.
Dimensions
A do-it-yourself cone splitter (drawings, photos are given above) will work efficiently and for a long time only if the cone is made correctly. The order must indicate that turning of the workpiece is required in ½ parameters with a persistent pair thread of 5-6 mm. The standard metric thread in this case is not suitable, it cuts into the wood much worse. The dimensions of the screw wedge and the size of the taper are directly related to the limit size of the split.
The approximate dimensions of the bed are given below:
- Length - about 850 mm.
- Width - 600 or 1000 mm (with folding table).
- Height - up to 800 mm.
Finally
Usually, a circuit with a lower placement of an electric motor is used. This solution makes it possible to protect the working parts of the engine from chips and debris. If an ICE is used as a motor, it is mounted on the same level as the wedge. This configuration is more convenient during the start-up of the unit, and also allows you to adjust the speed and refueling during operation.
When working with a screw cleaver, special care should be taken. The process is dangerous because the momentum is gaining a high moment at the edge of the element. In this regard, you need to plant logs with your bare hands to avoid winding fabrics from mittens or long sleeves. The machine should also be protected from excessive moisture and temperature extremes.