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1
Equipment / Has anyone tried one of the spiral cone wood splitters,..??
« on: January 01, 2017, 06:23:50 PM »
I have,....
I watched hours, 'n hours of you-tube videos 'bout 'em, from manufactured units to home made splitters from all over the world,....
I have access to a New Holland skid-steer, 'n auger drive unit,....
The Stickler splitter is quite popular, but I don't want it wheel mounted, so I'd have to build a mount for it somehow,...
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Stickler+wood+splitter
$339.00....
Another much more interestin' one is the Atom Splitter,....
It comes in the right size for the auger drive I can borrow,....
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=atom+wood+splitter
$580.00....
Lastly is the 1 I bought, the Titan Auger wood splitter,...
It appears to be a knock-off of the Atom splitter, 'n considerably cheaper at $269.00, 'n I bought at a Christmas Special for $238.00.....
Now, the draw-backs,...
It don't come with a 2, 9/16" hole, but in 2", so an adapter was needed, at just under a hundred bucks,....
Still cheaper,....
I finally got the pieces, went over to the warehouse, loaded up the skid-steer, 'n auger drive, drug it to the wood yard, 'n go to Splittin' all those massive chunks of wood,.....
Not,....
Try as I might, no way, no how is this thing screwin' into the blocks,.....
Lottsa down pressure, 'n I can get just the replaceable tip buried into a block,... 'bout 3", maybe 4" deep,...
After 'bout a 1/2 hour of putzin' 'round, tryin' to split blocks that already had cracks, 'n what-not, I headed it for my garage, 'n unscrewed the replaceable tip part of the cone,...
Figured I'd start "Bondoizin'" the cheaper replaceable part, insteada ownin' the whole thing, figurin' that grindin' on it will void the warranty,...
Lookin' it over, it's a double flute screw, like a twist drill,....
The "Threads" are very squarish in profile, without a back-cut on the trailin' edge,....
Sorta like Acme threads on a lead screw,....
Anyways,.... I found that by puttin' my angle grinder in the vise, I turned the cone screw with my hands, 'n ground a relief along the trailin' edge of the threads, more like a wood screw,...
Next day, I go put it back together, fire up the skid-steer, 'n head out back,....
1st piece of hard maple, a 2, 1/2' round, rotten in the center, I hit it on it's side, 'n Pow, split it right apart,....
Cool,...
I moved up along the pile, It digs in real good, til it hits the cone, then alota down-pressure helps,....
Seems my grindin' worked, but it's stallin' out where I quit grindin',....
After a few more blocks, mostly split from the end-grain, I tried a big ole red oak, from it's side,....
I start it in, push down, it's in to the cone piece, I push harder, 'n Harder,.... Nothin',.....
I pick up the drive, 'n the replaceable cone on the end, that I sharpened, is GONE,....
I bail outa the loader, 'n look things over, the tip literally screwed itself off, broke the 7/8" threaded portion, in tension, right off,....
The threads in the cone piece are deeper than the threaded tail of the tip piece,...
The tip was diggin' so hard into the oak, it stopped, 'n the cone kept turnin', til the 7/8" threads parted under tension,....
Unf*#kin' unbelievable,.... Donno the tensile strength of a 7/8" bolt, but it's damn High,....
Back on Tuesday, or maybe Wednesday, I finally got through to customer service on their 800 number, talked to a 'ell of a nice guy, Scott,....
Seems I ain't the only one havin' problems with this thing,....
He wanted to credit my card, give me All my money back, 'n I could send him the pieces I had left,...
I convinced 'im, That I think the thing will work Perfectly, with abit of Tunin',.....
We talked 'bout how to grind, 'n where quite abit,... He told me they were recomendin' cutin' the threads Deeper,...
I disagree, 'n think just abit of back-cut on the threads, allows the wood fibers to spring back, 'n grab the next thread goin' by,....
Scott is sendin' me 2 new $50.00 tips, 'n credited my card for $50.00 for my hassle,...
I hope to see the tips in tomorrow's mail, 'n will try splittin' more blocks, hopefully by tomorrow afternoon,...
So far, I can't say enough Good things 'bout this American company sellin' their made in America tools,...
Home base is down Memphis way,....
I'm gonna do what I can do to help 'em fix the bugs in their new product,.....
I watched hours, 'n hours of you-tube videos 'bout 'em, from manufactured units to home made splitters from all over the world,....
I have access to a New Holland skid-steer, 'n auger drive unit,....
The Stickler splitter is quite popular, but I don't want it wheel mounted, so I'd have to build a mount for it somehow,...
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Stickler+wood+splitter
$339.00....
Another much more interestin' one is the Atom Splitter,....
It comes in the right size for the auger drive I can borrow,....
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=atom+wood+splitter
$580.00....
Lastly is the 1 I bought, the Titan Auger wood splitter,...
It appears to be a knock-off of the Atom splitter, 'n considerably cheaper at $269.00, 'n I bought at a Christmas Special for $238.00.....
Now, the draw-backs,...
It don't come with a 2, 9/16" hole, but in 2", so an adapter was needed, at just under a hundred bucks,....
Still cheaper,....
I finally got the pieces, went over to the warehouse, loaded up the skid-steer, 'n auger drive, drug it to the wood yard, 'n go to Splittin' all those massive chunks of wood,.....
Not,....
Try as I might, no way, no how is this thing screwin' into the blocks,.....
Lottsa down pressure, 'n I can get just the replaceable tip buried into a block,... 'bout 3", maybe 4" deep,...
After 'bout a 1/2 hour of putzin' 'round, tryin' to split blocks that already had cracks, 'n what-not, I headed it for my garage, 'n unscrewed the replaceable tip part of the cone,...
Figured I'd start "Bondoizin'" the cheaper replaceable part, insteada ownin' the whole thing, figurin' that grindin' on it will void the warranty,...
Lookin' it over, it's a double flute screw, like a twist drill,....
The "Threads" are very squarish in profile, without a back-cut on the trailin' edge,....
Sorta like Acme threads on a lead screw,....
Anyways,.... I found that by puttin' my angle grinder in the vise, I turned the cone screw with my hands, 'n ground a relief along the trailin' edge of the threads, more like a wood screw,...
Next day, I go put it back together, fire up the skid-steer, 'n head out back,....
1st piece of hard maple, a 2, 1/2' round, rotten in the center, I hit it on it's side, 'n Pow, split it right apart,....
Cool,...
I moved up along the pile, It digs in real good, til it hits the cone, then alota down-pressure helps,....
Seems my grindin' worked, but it's stallin' out where I quit grindin',....
After a few more blocks, mostly split from the end-grain, I tried a big ole red oak, from it's side,....
I start it in, push down, it's in to the cone piece, I push harder, 'n Harder,.... Nothin',.....
I pick up the drive, 'n the replaceable cone on the end, that I sharpened, is GONE,....
I bail outa the loader, 'n look things over, the tip literally screwed itself off, broke the 7/8" threaded portion, in tension, right off,....
The threads in the cone piece are deeper than the threaded tail of the tip piece,...
The tip was diggin' so hard into the oak, it stopped, 'n the cone kept turnin', til the 7/8" threads parted under tension,....
Unf*#kin' unbelievable,.... Donno the tensile strength of a 7/8" bolt, but it's damn High,....
Back on Tuesday, or maybe Wednesday, I finally got through to customer service on their 800 number, talked to a 'ell of a nice guy, Scott,....
Seems I ain't the only one havin' problems with this thing,....
He wanted to credit my card, give me All my money back, 'n I could send him the pieces I had left,...
I convinced 'im, That I think the thing will work Perfectly, with abit of Tunin',.....
We talked 'bout how to grind, 'n where quite abit,... He told me they were recomendin' cutin' the threads Deeper,...
I disagree, 'n think just abit of back-cut on the threads, allows the wood fibers to spring back, 'n grab the next thread goin' by,....
Scott is sendin' me 2 new $50.00 tips, 'n credited my card for $50.00 for my hassle,...
I hope to see the tips in tomorrow's mail, 'n will try splittin' more blocks, hopefully by tomorrow afternoon,...
So far, I can't say enough Good things 'bout this American company sellin' their made in America tools,...
Home base is down Memphis way,....
I'm gonna do what I can do to help 'em fix the bugs in their new product,.....
2
Equipment / Ayuh,... I started the build,....
« on: January 29, 2016, 07:02:42 AM »
After findin' this on the interweb last winter, I fell in love with the design,....
I'd been lookin' at various hoe-mounted splitters, 'n was dreadin' the hassle of runnin' Aux. hyd.s to a hoe mounted splitter,....
Then I saw this,....
I called the guy, 'n the price tag of 2 Grand is beyond my means right now,....
So, bein' poor, cheap, but Handy,....
I'm buildin' my own vision of this here splitter,....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0UDKmlWng8
I'd been lookin' at various hoe-mounted splitters, 'n was dreadin' the hassle of runnin' Aux. hyd.s to a hoe mounted splitter,....
Then I saw this,....
I called the guy, 'n the price tag of 2 Grand is beyond my means right now,....
So, bein' poor, cheap, but Handy,....
I'm buildin' my own vision of this here splitter,....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0UDKmlWng8
3
Equipment / Anybody else in Love with their Pickeroon,..??
« on: March 17, 2015, 06:06:46 PM »
Ayuh,.... My wood pile lives outdoors, 24/ 7/ 365,....
Once it comes into the backlot from my local tree guy, I saw it into rounds, 'n push it into piles after the chainsaw work is done,....
towards Fall, I go to splittin' the rounds over 'bout 10" or so,....
Any rounds under that, get tossed right into the bucket, 'n brought forward to the near the boiler woodlot,...
Most of the rounds run a foot, to 5 or 6 foot,....
Anyways,....
In my near woodlot, All winter long, I find my Dad's ole pickeroon to be a tool I just can Not live without,.....
It's alittle rough, 'n in need of alittle more love this summer,...
Greatest tool in the world for pullin' stove chunks outa the pile, 'n onto the wheelbarrow,...
A few years ago, I attempted to sculpture a pickeroon of my own, 'n bein' a Metals kinda guy, I went that way,....
While the result is very functional, but it's got that sorta metal Ring to it when ya send it home,....
'n the fence tubin' handle bells out on the beer keg float, so the ready-rod spine has to be tightened when I use it,...
Once it comes into the backlot from my local tree guy, I saw it into rounds, 'n push it into piles after the chainsaw work is done,....
towards Fall, I go to splittin' the rounds over 'bout 10" or so,....
Any rounds under that, get tossed right into the bucket, 'n brought forward to the near the boiler woodlot,...
Most of the rounds run a foot, to 5 or 6 foot,....
Anyways,....
In my near woodlot, All winter long, I find my Dad's ole pickeroon to be a tool I just can Not live without,.....
It's alittle rough, 'n in need of alittle more love this summer,...
Greatest tool in the world for pullin' stove chunks outa the pile, 'n onto the wheelbarrow,...
A few years ago, I attempted to sculpture a pickeroon of my own, 'n bein' a Metals kinda guy, I went that way,....
While the result is very functional, but it's got that sorta metal Ring to it when ya send it home,....
'n the fence tubin' handle bells out on the beer keg float, so the ready-rod spine has to be tightened when I use it,...
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