Misc Frankenstein log splitter

[RememberGoliad]

I came into possession of a homemade log splitter that was...WAS... mounted on the frame of a riding lawn mower. Yeah, 1/2" thick 8x8 I beam six feet long, it bent that lawn tractor frame probably the first time it hit a bump being towed. At any rate, it's mine now and I've already cut the dead and mangled tractor off of it.

Debating whether to make it a stationary unit or put an axle under it. I do have forks, so I can move it as needed, probably rarely once I figure out where I want it. I don't anticipate lending it out or hiring myself out to split wood on location.

Looking for pros and cons of wheeled .vs. tripod under it.

 

[FMJ]

Oh, oh. More pics, please.

 

[RememberGoliad]

Oh, oh. More pics, please.

I'll have more tomorrow. Did pick up this trailer, neighbor had bought it to turn it into a yard wagon for his wife to tote her shovels etc. around the yard to do her stuff, then decided to go a different route and I wound up buying the sailboat trailer from him....so Frankie is going to be on a sailboat trailer. Ought to have time to piddle around with it some tomorrow. I'll get pics.

Was thinking about mounting it transverse on there, but with that inverted leaf, probably would be too ...bouncy? ...unstable? Might wind up taking that completely out, or at least disabling it with some blocks. IDK yet.

 

[RememberGoliad]

Haven't forgotten about posting, just been chasing different squirrels and rabbits and cats....

Remembered when I went to wire in my welder into new shop building, all I have running to it from 100ft away is #10 and 30A double breaker. Think that's enough to run one of those Lincoln tombstones at 40-60 secondary amps? I have run it on a 5000w old Coleman-style flathead Briggs generator, but no idea how much one of those can handle. With the welder, I almost NEVER go above about 90A on the secondaries. I'm resisting the HELL out of going and buying $400 worth of wire to do this.

I'm probably gonna give it a shot, but it'd be reassuring if someone else has insight into it.

 

[buttie]

That sucker is a beast. The welds don't look to pretty I hope they're strong. I have wheels on my splitter and move it around a lot just to not carry/roll wood any farther than necessary. Some sort of a stand on the front is nice too. It allows dropping the tongue to roll the big logs on.

 

[hiwall]

Think that's enough to run one of those Lincoln tombstones at 40-60 secondary amps?

I think so.

 

[RememberGoliad]

That sucker is a beast. The welds don't look to pretty I hope they're strong. I have wheels on my splitter and move it around a lot just to not carry/roll wood any farther than necessary. Some sort of a stand on the front is nice too. It allows dropping the tongue to roll the big logs on.

Oh, be assured I've already looked at the niggardliness of the builder with respect to 'squandering' welding rods. It's gonna get a few burned into it before I mount it on the trailer. Good eye, though!

I think so.

I was thinking that too. Figuring a welder advertised at 250A being run at 90A max should work okay on a 30A breaker when it calls for a 50. Less than half the secondary rated amps protected by a little more than half the specified protection. Sounds good to me

 

[buttie]

Can you transport the project to your shop? I'm thinking you're going to want at least 120-140 amps to weld that heavy I beam and get good penetration.

 

[Millwright]

Haven't forgotten about posting, just been chasing different squirrels and rabbits and cats....

Remembered when I went to wire in my welder into new shop building, all I have running to it from 100ft away is #10 and 30A double breaker. Think that's enough to run one of those Lincoln tombstones at 40-60 secondary amps? I have run it on a 5000w old Coleman-style flathead Briggs generator, but no idea how much one of those can handle. With the welder, I almost NEVER go above about 90A on the secondaries. I'm resisting the HELL out of going and buying $400 worth of wire to do this.

I'm probably gonna give it a shot, but it'd be reassuring if someone else has insight into it.

Yeah

Keep a camera on that wire & breaker when you start running the welder.

WAG, that welder should have a 50a breaker and the appropriate wire. (check the data plate, maybe?)

A 5kw genset will give you about 30a.

Can you get by with less than rated, maybe...for awhile...or not.

 

[RememberGoliad]

Can you transport the project to your shop? I'm thinking you're going to want at least 120-140 amps to weld that heavy I beam and get good penetration.

My 'new' shop (80% built from reclaimed materials) is about 100ft from the meter, and practically butted up to a 30A RV service point that's got 10AWG running to it in 1" conduit underground. The eventual goal is to use one of those 10's to pull two 6's to the shop but I'm not in a position to go buy a 250' roll of that stretched palladium right about now. (250' is the smallest roll above 200', and I can use the other 10 for the neutral since there won't be any 110 loads on it bigger than a drill press or circular saw.

As far as welding on that huge I beam, I'm going to see what it looks like and if needed, I can take the welder and a pigtail out to the breaker box under the light meter. The feeling I'm getting is that I can do this before running that 6 though. I do have some really small 6011's, like 3/32, so I can fudge as far as making it think higher amps.

WAG, that welder should have a 50a breaker and the appropriate wire.

I agree with your assessment. I have used it successfully on 1/2'' wall drillstem, building fences--that is where I used it on that old flathead Coleman genny. Fence is still standing, 30 years later. And generator is still generating too

Dad ran his for years (since 1967 when we got electricity on the place) on #8 romex and a 40 amp breaker on the meter pole. He'd occasionally bump it up to the 110 or 125 amp notch, but most of his welding was done at 75A setting. Of course, he was about 30 feet from the breaker. Not sure if that's enough longer of a run to make any material difference.

 

[Marie]

We've had both stationary and mobile and prefer the mobile. Just for convenience of moving it around the place as needed. It saves on the back. We started obtaining those 300 gallon totes and splitting and stacking in them. Then moving them with the bobcat under cover or near the porch when we are ready for the next one. We cut out the bladder saw it in half for a cover.

 

[RememberGoliad]

We've had both stationary and mobile and prefer the mobile. Just for convenience of moving it around the place as needed. It saves on the back. We started obtaining those 300 gallon totes and splitting and stacking in them. Then moving them with the bobcat under cover or near the porch when we are ready for the next one. We cut out the bladder saw it in half for a cover.

Good idea! I came across a couple that are cracked from UV exposure (really REALLY old ones!) and the cages are still good, as are the bottoms. Could probably cut the bottoms out and make top covers for 'em. I think that's exactly what I'm going to do with 'em.

....I just KNEW there was a use for split, beat-up totes!

 

[Millwright]

I've got a 10hp Honda sitting around, it's future is to be a hydraulic power source.

Now I just need a big chunk of I-beam....and everything else.

 

[RememberGoliad]

Around here, is the time to pick up a non-working splitter. Similar to spring being the time to pick up an easily-fixed lawnmower right after a pissed off homeowner gets tired of trying to pull start one full of last fall's gasoline, now is when people get so ticked off at their log splitter they go buy one and are so mad at the old one they'll let it go for a song.