How to make a cleaver by your own hands? Types of firewood splitting devices: drawings, instructions

For the owner of a country or private house, the cleaver is an indispensable device. It can be mechanical or manual. You can buy a similar device in the store, but mechanical devices are expensive, so not everyone can afford, although they can significantly facilitate the process of harvesting firewood.

Before making such an expensive purchase, you need to think about the fact that such designs do not differ in complexity, so you can make them yourself. But to begin with, determine whether the cleaver is mechanical, or it is better to supplement it with the engine. In the latter case, you will have to look for parts somewhere, and also use the services of a turner. Well, if you have such skills yourself.

Types of devices for chopping firewood: an ax with a displaced center

On sale today you can find an ax-cleaver with a shifted center. For model Vipukirves Leveraxe it is necessary to pay 16000 rubles. With the help of the tool in a short time it will be possible to chop a large quantity of firewood. This is possible thanks to the curved foot located at the top of the blade. It clings to the remaining elements of the log and forms a lever. As a result, the tool does not slip after the impact, and the legs remain safe. The design assumes a free grip of the ax.

The top is made of Finnish birch, which is capable of absorbing a shock impulse. In winter, the handle does not freeze, it will not slide in the hands, even in rainy weather. Due to the fact that the design of this ax is unique, the blade does not get stuck in the wood, because the displaced center of gravity instantly leads the ax on its side, therefore, with a single impact, the section of the log is broken off. The thickness of the blade is 8 cm, and the weight is 3 kg. Steel is used as the material, and in the folded form the dimensions of the tool are 91 x 23 x 9 cm.

What to consider before manufacturing

Before the execution of the cleaver it is important to think that they will have to swing a few times, but many times. Hence, the conclusion is that the weight of the instrument should be the corresponding physical form of the person. For example, on sale it is possible to find koluny, weight of which varies from 2 to 5 kg. However, using a light tool, it will be possible to split only small logs, so you need to consider the size of the firewood.

The handle of the instrument, which is called the ax handle, should be made of wood species such as elm or maple, in the extreme case it can be birch. After all, inaccurate and strong blows will cause the tool to become unusable. It is important to consider also the length of the ax handle - it should not be too short. If you decide to perform the cleaver with your own hands, it will be more convenient to have two instruments. One of them should be a powerful ax with a long handle, while the other is a wedge-shaped classic cleaver. The latter is suitable for fresh chopped wood, which has a high humidity, while the other will cope with dry logs. Different types of wood will behave differently. And if you have two cleavers on hand, you can find an approach to them.

Tips for making a cleaver

Before you make a cleaver with your own hands, you should choose a suitable design. Homemade tools are hydraulic or screw, the latter are also called cone ones. The most common are self-made screw or factory variants. The main part is a cone with a large thread, which is driven by an electric motor. The master will only need to move the deck to the cone, as the latter begins to screw into it.

The cone splitter has an appropriate shape, from which the wood splits into 2 parts. If we are talking about hydraulic cleavers, then they will differ in higher productivity in comparison with the above, but it is more difficult to make them. The principle of operation will remain the same as that of the hydraulic press. Wood will be pressed through a special shape, which splits the element into logs of the right size. Machine mechanisms are a hydraulic drive that operates from a gasoline or electric engine. A cone splitter will be more convenient when harvesting firewood as compared to a conventional ax. It's easy to make such tools, but on the market you can find ready-made kits for assembling such devices.

Manufacture of a screw cleaver

If you are thinking about how to make a cleaver screw, then for the beginning should prepare the following materials and details:

• The electric motor;
• Pulleys;
• Drive belt;
• sheet metal:
• A plate for fastening the engine;
• Shaft with bearings;
• Working cone;
• Profile pipes;
• Metal corners.

When choosing an electric motor, you need to pay attention to the one that has a power of 2 kW. The sheet metal should have a thickness of 3 mm.

Advice of a specialist

A homemade cleaver for wood can be made much easier if you can find a low-speed, powerful electric motor that will be able to produce 500 rpm. In this belt drive is not required, and the cone can be put on its shaft.

The engine speed can in principle be anything, but the pulley pulleys must be calculated in such a way that the speed is 500 rpm. In the market you can buy a ready-made shaft with bearings for an electric cleaver, but pulleys and a threaded cone can be made by contacting the turner.

Methods of work

If you decide to make a cleaver with your own hands, then carbon steel will act as a material for the cone, it is better to use the St45 brand. When preparing the thread, it must be taken into account that it must consist of two approaches. The pitch is 7 mm, while the height of the turns is 2 mm.

From ordinary steel grade St3 it will be possible to turn out the pulleys, and the dimensions of the grooves will depend on the selected belt. Experts instead of a belt drive use chain. It is more reliable, but more difficult in the manufacturing process. It is important to choose asterisks in size, which is not very convenient. In order to collect the cleaver with your own hands, it is necessary to weld the frame by installing a plate for fixing the motor under the table top. It must have a shaft with bearings. The pulley and cone are fixed to it. Next, the master will wear and pull the belt. The motor is connected to the network in the next stage, then you can proceed to the tests.

Manufacture of hydraulic splitters

Hydraulic splitters have a design that differs from the previous one. As a feature acts as a drive and working part, which is used for splitting the material. The stand has a different shape, although it is welded from corners, pipes and sheet metal. Pressing the cleaver works due to the hydraulic cylinder, the pressure in it is provided by the oil pump. To install this element is necessary on one shaft with an electric motor, while the unit can be located separately from the bed, but it must be connected to the cylinder using hoses.

Nuances of works

If you decide to make a hydraulic cleaver, you should first find all the details and take care of making the mold. It is made of metal, and the cross-shaped form will act as the basis. Its dimensions can be selected individually, because there are no clear limits. The main condition here is that the cylinder's power is sufficient to split the firewood when their dimensions are too large.

The mold must be fixed on the frame, its lateral axis must coincide with the shaft of the hydraulic cylinder. It is installed along the frame and connected to the pump, with the use of nozzles. Such a mechanical cleaver can be mobile, for this, the wheels should be fixed to the frame.