Screw Log Splitter

This week’s structure is a useful machine for every house that has fireplaces or wooden heaters as it is used for slitting the wood. For instance, when we cut the pieces of wood using a chainsaw, we get too big pieces of wood that they cannot fit in our fireplaces and wooden heaters so we divide these large pieces into smaller ones. Despite the fact, that there are many tools and machines for this purpose, we chose to make a ‘screw log splitter’ for the particular video. The way it works is generally simple and it is not too demanding making it besides some parts that were essential for its good performance as well as making it safe to be used.

In the beginning, we made the frame of our structure using square tubes of 60mm x 60mm x 2mm. Regarding the frame’s dimensions are 80cm width, 106cm length and 62cm height. Then, we put wheels under the frame in order to manage to move our machine easily and save it in a good place. The wheels are 18cm height so the final height of our machine is 80cm, tall enough to keep the user to the most ergonomic position as much as possible. This is the suitable height to keep the user relaxed and high enough to keep him safe from any injury during its use.

Afterwards, we placed the electric motor of the machine that is equally powerful as 3hp power and it is the strongest single-phased motor that rotates in 3000rpm speed. Using pulleys, we decreased the spins of our last axis that rotates with 300rpm speed. The reason of doing that was to increase the torque of this axis in order to be powerful enough to split the pieces of wood that we need. We used 4 pulleys in total, one in the motor, two in an axis in the middle which is for the motion transmission and one at the last axis.

Furthermore, we made some systems at the motor and at the axis in the middle which is used for the motion transmission, to displace them in order to be able to reach their ideal spot and achieve the best possible stretching of the belts of the pulleys as a result to have their best possible function. At the last axis, we put a screw in a conical shape that while screwing the wood, it separates it in two pieces. It should be mentioned that we bought this screw as we have not been capable of making our own, yet. It is 8mm at its thinnest part and 80mm thick at its thickest part. Therefore, while the screw is screwing the wood the particular piece of wood is being pulled towards the thickest part of the screw and the wood is divided into two pieces. Also, we put a piece of iron plate of 6mm thick under the screw and the wood has been placed on the iron plate and directed towards the screw.

Apart of the basis where the wood is placed, the particular piece of iron plate obstructs the rotation of the wood. Additionally, the wood’s rotation is also obstructed by a vertical bar that is located under the screw and it is in the shape of an ax. Thus, the rotation of the wood has to be decreased when the machine works as there is a risk to hurt your hands. The frontal part of the screw is 10cm away from the iron plate and this distance between them encourages splitting the wood more easily.

To sum up, after a lot of spinning and welding, we can see that our machine works great. The particular machine could be also worked using a machine of internal combustion, which would make it moveable and much more powerful. However, our form of machine makes it more useable and better for domestic use as the motor used is less noisy and it does not need any fuels from a gas station. Finally, the motor gets activated by pressing a button and there is an overload system in case the motor gets overloaded. Even if we haven’t placed any security button, yet; it is essential to place one somewhere on the machine in case of an emergency, so that the machine will be immediately, deactivated when there is a danger.

Another project of the make it extreme team has been finally completed and undoubtedly it will make our life easier!