Bottom side view of the blade holder

Top side view of blade holder plate.

The edge holes are counterbored, and the

Splitter blade mounts through the four close spaced holes.

Splitter blade (upside down) with mounting bolts. It bolts

onto the slider plate (first two pictures). This is the blade before the expander "wings" are welded onto it. The hydraulic ram attaches to the clevis pin.

Head-on view of bare splitter blade.

First asssembly for checking parts fit.

Splitter blade with expander "wings"

The bolts are 1/2"-13 (grade 8).

Top side view of the "wings". They are made from 3" x 3" angle iron.

My ever present shop "helper" and observer.

The "helper" lurking about.

Paint shop time outside the shop. The I-beam is 6 feet long.

Partial assembly sitting on blocks.

The end-stop (1-1/2" thick) steel plate with an antiskid ring welded into place. The end-stop is both welded and bolted onto the end of 8"x8" I-beam (1/2" web). The anti-skid ring keeps logs from slipping off while under pressure.

Splitter attached to the 4" diameter hydraulic ram. The "wings" protect the ram clevis.

Complete assembly with 2.5 gallon oil resovoir and control valve. Note end brace on end of ram (left end). The original splitter (first attempt) broke the ram support off under load. This is over-kill (cheap insurance) precaution.

Detail of slider plate captivation of I-beam. There is a 0.030" thick brass shim immediately under the top plate to act as a bearing surface to contact the I-beam.

Control tower straddling ram cylinder. Oil filter (10 um) mounts directly between resovoir and oil return line.

Mounted on the trailer. Hydraulic pump (2 stage) mounts onto the end of the 200A dc welder armature. 20 hp Onan engine (2 cylinder) provides the power.

Mounted on the trailer.

Control valve with pressure gauge to monitor ram oil pressure. This pressure multiplied by 12.56 is the pressure applied to the splitter blade (minus fictional losses).

End plate is welded (around edges) and bolted onto the end of the I-beam. Note two 3" x 4" x 1/2" blocks welded to each side of the I-beam center web. The bolts (grade 8) are threaded into these blocks.

(after thought)

Stabilizer foot (up position) added to the end-stop. The foot folds under the I-beam for travel.

Stabazizer foot (down position) added to prevent the splitter from a "teeter-totter" motion with heavy log addition.