The homemade splitter

merlynr · Nov 3, 2014

Got the splitter out over the weekend and put fresh gas in and fired right up and then died after about 20 seconds. Yes, the gas is on. Wouldn't hit a lick. pulled the plug and it jumped an arc. Dropped the float bowl of carb and clean as a whistle. After a few minutes of...what now we pulled the plug again and after careful inspection of watching it spark we noticed it was jumping from the center electrode and bypassing the tip. It would not arc correctly. This is one of those e-plugs and only been in a couple of years. Went to town and bought a normal plug and it fired right up. That eplug has a double tip and the counter guy sez they don't last very long. Last one I'll ever buy and they cost more!

RESLLS · Nov 3, 2014

Looks a lot like mine. Wedge is on the ram though. Glad you got it to run. New technology isn't always better.

Dick L · Nov 3, 2014

Bout like a coupla years back and I was trying to get a chain saw to rum. Dixie came out to call me to eat, watched me a minute or so and said, Its the spark plug come in and eat. Dixie wouldn't know a spark plug from a carburetor if they were both laying on the kitchen table but I had to run into town and I picked up a new spark plug. I put it in and it started right up. I ask her what made her think it was the spark plug. She said it has always been the spark plug.

Goose · Nov 3, 2014

Reminds me of the time some years ago when I was in the boat and outboard motor repair business.

Once when I was away from the shop, a fellow brought a boat in, explained how it wasn't running right, and offered several complicated theories about what the problem was.

My wife told him his spark plugs were bad. He looked at her like she was nuts, then told her to have me check it out and call him.

He had bad spark plugs.

What always amused me was when an outboard wasn't running right, about 80% of the boat owners insisted it sounded like the timing was off, regardless of what the problem actually was. Even when the timing was built in with no adjustment, they still insisted it was the timing.

Texasmark1 · Nov 4, 2014

Nice Job. What I particularly like is your wedge which is just like
the one I built as I was learning what you need when you have a
short stroke small diameter cylinder.

Unlike the store bought ones via trial and error, I as apparently
you, found that you have to get some steel into the wood before
you start to push it open. The straight piece of sharpened steel
gets in there but could do better in getting it to split open before
you run out of ram...course if you can afford a 5" x 2 1/2' or so
ram and have time to wait for it to run it's course you don't need
the flare.

The flare alone has a problem getting started. Add the two
together and you have the poor man's wedge.

Mark

merlynr · Nov 4, 2014

That wedge is the only one I have ever built and it works nicely. Got about 40 welding rods in it as it's hollow with webbing on the inside and the top is just 1/4" for show. It looks like a solid piece. It'll split all but the gnarliest oak crotches. Old 11hp B&S with electric start,16gpm 2 stage pump and 4" ram which goes all the way to the wedge. The log lift was added a couple of years ago and it sure saves the old back.

Texasmark1 · Nov 4, 2014

I have a 10# sledge for the ornery critters. When the system bogs
down, I give the driving plate a smack or two and she succombs.

Other thing I learned form an old timer, split as she grows. She
grows from the ground up so if you can tell the difference, put the
splitter on the lower end. Have had wood I couldn't split, turned it
around and walked right thru it.

Mark

The homemade splitter

merlynr

Member

RESLLS

Well-known Member

Dick L

Well-known Member

Goose

Well-known Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

merlynr

Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

Similar threads