Why do you think a motor has to be new? Many of my home built machines have used motors. You don't say where your from in your Profile, but I'm willing to bet there is an industrial surplus place close to you, and motors there are way, way cheaper than say Graingers or someplace like that. Or did I mention Craigslist? Believe me I'm about the most frugal person you'll ever meet, and it can be done cheaply. They just won't deliver it to your door.

And as far as having stuff fabricated, unless you have some one that can do it for free, buying it new will be way cheaper. And even a 1/64 inch off will make your life miserable. I know because I'm a retired machinist. When it comes to lining up stuff like a pump and motor, even the thickness of a sheet of paper is a problem. That is why they came up with C face motors, adapters and pumps, takes all the hard work out of the equation. But even then they use a flex coupling like a Lovejoy.

 

Why do you think a motor has to be new? Many of my home built machines have used motors. You don't say where your from in your Profile, but I'm willing to bet there is an industrial surplus place close to you, and motors there are way, way cheaper than say Graingers or someplace like that. Or did I mention Craigslist? Believe me I'm about the most frugal person you'll ever meet, and it can be done cheaply. They just won't deliver it to your door.

And as far as having stuff fabricated, unless you have some one that can do it for free, buying it new will be way cheaper. And even a 1/64 inch off will make your life miserable. I know because I'm a retired machinist. When it comes to lining up stuff like a pump and motor, even the thickness of a sheet of paper is a problem. That is why they came up with C face motors, adapters and pumps, takes all the hard work out of the equation. But even then they use a flex coupling like a Lovejoy.

But are these motors actually built for these splitters? The splitter i'm getting is built for a gas motor; but is it compatible with the same motor type?

Here's the one I'm looking at:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/22-Ton-Hal...3017398257&hash=item4406f58165:rk:1:pf:0#rwid

 

But are these motors actually built for these splitters? The splitter i'm getting is built for a gas motor;

What difference would it make? Do you think the gas engine is just made for a splitter? The gas engine is the same one they put on a lawn mower.

For the price of that Ebay splitter you could probably build a press from new parts. Do to all of the changes you will need to make to it. And since changes will be needed I'm assuming you have both a welder and a cutting torch. Let alone the other need tools to cut heavy metal accurately and drill and tap holes? The splitter it's self could probalby be bought locally cheaper too, if your here in America and near a store. Tractor supply, Family and Farm, Home Depot and others have sales.
Or for that matter if you have a Harbor Freight neat by you could get one of these and just get a new larger diameter cylinder to up the tonnage, since that in hydraulics is how it's done. https://www.harborfreight.com/5-ton-log-splitter-61373.html

 

What difference would it make? Do you think the gas engine is just made for a splitter? The gas engine is the same one they put on a lawn mower.

For the price of that Ebay splitter you could probably build a press from new parts. Do to all of the changes you will need to make to it. And since changes will be needed I'm assuming you have both a welder and a cutting torch. Let alone the other need tools to cut heavy metal accurately and drill and tap holes? The splitter it's self could probalby be bought locally cheaper too, if your here in America and near a store. Tractor supply, Family and Farm, Home Depot and others have sales.
Or for that matter if you have a Harbor Freight neat by you could get one of these and just get a new larger diameter cylinder to up the tonnage, since that in hydraulics is how it's done. https://www.harborfreight.com/5-ton-log-splitter-61373.html

Yeah that's what i was going to do initially, but when you change the cylinder you also have to change the pump.... And depending on what RPMs the pump needs to pump enough fluid into the tank for good performance, since this one is built for a 5 ton; You may need to change the motor as well to exceed the pump's standards.... Sometimes the frames on these aren't as strong enough too to handle a 16-22 ton cylinder, sometimes you get some warping and bending... Which you'd have to do some fabricating to help make it stronger. That's not including that you have to get a new cylinder, that is likely not going to fit since the 16-22 ton cylinders have about a 4" diameter bore... These cylinders are a little less, and still have a tight fit; so I don't know how well it would work, I'd have to see one in person... I'm in Arizona, so log splitters are VERY uncommon... So to find one down here, any kind, used or broken... you'll be paying retail since they're so hard to find down here... I have a tractor supply in town, but they don't carry anything like that; it's not the type area where they could make money off of one. I could have one shipped to the store though for free... So when you add up the costs to get everything rebuilt; you're gonna be pretty close to what you'd pay for a new one, which everything already on it...
And no that's not what I meant. I meant that these have mounts for gas motors to run them, where you bolt your motor + mount to the frame... Is the gas motor the same size as the electric, so you can mount it on the same area (without drilling new bolt holes)?


Thanks!

 

Yeah that's what i was going to do initially, but when you change the cylinder you also have to change the pump.

Not really, the pump doesn't know if it is moving a 2" cylinder or a $" one. and most hydraulic pumps put out the same standard pressure . Also many machines have different size cylinders on them and don't have a different pressure source for each one.

And no that's not what I meant. I meant that these have mounts for gas motors to run them, where you bolt your motor + mount to the frame... Is the gas motor the same size as the electric, so you can mount it on the same area (without drilling new bolt holes)?

No, the gas motor and an Electric motor won't mount the same, so holes are in your future. If your worried about that, how are you going to remove the splitting wedge, build up a new moveable platen(the part that does the pressing) , make a new lower platen and all of the other fabrication that will be needed? This isn't a, take the gas motor off and bolt on an electric motor job. It seems like you don't have much understanding of what is involved. Not trying to be mean, but some of the answers and questions from you are making me doubt you can do this.

 

Not really, the pump doesn't know if it is moving a 2" cylinder or a $" one. and most hydraulic pumps put out the same standard pressure . Also many machines have different size cylinders on them and don't have a different pressure source for each one.



No, the gas motor and an Electric motor won't mount the same, so holes are in your future. If your worried about that, how are you going to remove the splitting wedge, build up a new moveable platen(the part that does the pressing) , make a new lower platen and all of the other fabrication that will be needed? This isn't a, take the gas motor off and bolt on an electric motor job. It seems like you don't have much understanding of what is involved. Not trying to be mean, but some of the answers and questions from you are making me doubt you can do this.

I'm doing my best to get back to you as clear as I can, I've been very busy with a lot of school and orders lately; so I'm sorry if what I type is a little scattered. The fabricating part of it is totally easy... Can't even forge with the press without building the ram, the anvil, separate dies for different applications, etc... To remove the splitting wedge, I have to figure that out when I get it; depends on the splitter I get... Probably going to cut as much of it off as I can, grind it flat, and weld a new base to it for the anvil. I do welding, I do fabricating, my uncle does a lot of that too... The whole fabricating part itself is a whole other story... I know how to do it, what to do, and how to approach it... But that's a story for a different forum, not one for electronics... I don't need any advice on the fabricating part of it; all of that is pretty straight forward, not really easy, but easy to figure out what you need to do; so that's not a problem.
I do know that it's going to take a LOT more than just taking off the motor, switching it out, and BOOM you got yourself set... It's gonna take probably several weeks until it can be ready to use. It's just that the first step I need to do before I do anything else to the splitter; is make sure that an electric motor is mounted to it... I have absolutely little to no experience with electronics; I will admit that. I know almost nothing about electronics, wiring, motors and motor types, etc... But I know enough to understand what I need in order get the performance I need... I could just leave the gas motor on it and be cool with it, but at some point or another I'm going to have to replace it for noise, and expenses... I'm 15 yrs old, trying to get a good start at life; so I'm trying to work myself up to something that can help me produce better quality products, and help grow my business... So doing this project will be no means easy; but easy enough to understand what I need to do.

I got little to no amount of years on the guys that have been doing this their whole lives, specifically bladesmithing. But I've learned from many of them so many things, and teaching myself all the things I know; that a project like this is going to be much easier compared to most the projects I take on... I don't know everything there is to know... No one does. We're all learning new things every day, and see new goals for what's next. It's taken me 3 yrs to get to the point I'm at, I may not know everything, I may know nothing.... This project is the start of, what could be, my whole career... I take a look at the generation I grow up with today, and I see what could be described as laziness... Not in everybody though, I see hard workers, dreamers, and people who want to see their future a success... But you also see teens who don't take life as seriously, and don't want to think about their future until they're adults. I'm the guy who doesn't want that; I'm 100% for being smart now, and having it pay off in the future... So this project is basically where I start. It's what's going to help me learn, help me succeed, help me progress, help me do better!

Your guy's help, all of you, is extremely appreciated... I do my best to understand everything, and get back to you to the best of my abilities. I'm still learning new things, and trying to understand your advice the best I can. I'm used to people who try to be mean for me wanting to do projects like these, in which it seems I know nothing about, but I get it... I understand what you guys are telling me, and I can tell you're not trying to be mean. I appreciate all your help, advice, and teaching... It helps me more than you think, and I thank you guys.

 

The motor I posted has 4 threaded bolt holes on the face for mounting the pump.
It's C face I don't think the TS would want buy one the company I been working for sale There not cheap.
They move ram arms that move the brush to clean cars.

 

BurlyWoodworks, Sorry that I didn't know your age before, just thought you were older and more experienced. I do commend you for wanting to do this and starting at such a young age. My biggest worry now is the same one I started out with. That your going to spend your hard earned money on something that wont do what you think it will. I know they have one on Forged in Fire on TV. I know there are some on Youtube. But have you ever noticed that on Forged in Fire, almost no one or at least no maker that does forged knives uses that machine? At least if the hammer is open to use? They are good for smashing something to reduce the thickness before doing the final forming and shaping but little else.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a time and place where there were people doing a lot of things, building race cars, motorcycles, and one guy a couple of blocks away that forged knives. I learned a lot from him about forging and how things are made doing that. I at your age didn't learn to play sports, I was spending my time in other peoples garages and workshops because the things they were doing held way more interest to me. And my whole life I've continued on that path, took machine trades in school, became a machinist/die maker and have my own small but pretty well equipped shop at home. I'll soon be 71 years old, so yes I've done and know a lot about doing mechanical industrial things. Tried to get any of the local kids interested in doing same things like I did at their age but none are/were interested.

Here is a link that explains more about C face motors and how the other things go along with them - http://www.hydramount.com/products/electric/electric1.php

Here is a link that explains some of the difference between a gas motor and an electric motor horsepower wise. It really doesn't have to be, if you have a 5HP gas motor you need a 5HP electric motor to do the same work, it isn't a direct trade off , there may be other links this was just the one I chose - https://www.homepower.com/gasoline-vs-electric-motor-power

I'd be willing to bet you don't/won't need a 22 ton press. That is just the most common wood splitter size made. There probably some forge/press formulas out there if you look for them. But doing metal movement of something at forge heat takes way less than trying to do the same thing cold. So don't go into this thinking because some one used a 22ton splitter that is what it takes.

 

BurlyWoodworks, Sorry that I didn't know your age before, just thought you were older and more experienced. I do commend you for wanting to do this and starting at such a young age. My biggest worry now is the same one I started out with. That your going to spend your hard earned money on something that wont do what you think it will. I know they have one on Forged in Fire on TV. I know there are some on Youtube. But have you ever noticed that on Forged in Fire, almost no one or at least no maker that does forged knives uses that machine? At least if the hammer is open to use? They are good for smashing something to reduce the thickness before doing the final forming and shaping but little else.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a time and place where there were people doing a lot of things, building race cars, motorcycles, and one guy a couple of blocks away that forged knives. I learned a lot from him about forging and how things are made doing that. I at your age didn't learn to play sports, I was spending my time in other peoples garages and workshops because the things they were doing held way more interest to me. And my whole life I've continued on that path, took machine trades in school, became a machinist/die maker and have my own small but pretty well equipped shop at home. I'll soon be 71 years old, so yes I've done and know a lot about doing mechanical industrial things. Tried to get any of the local kids interested in doing same things like I did at their age but none are/were interested.

Here is a link that explains more about C face motors and how the other things go along with them - http://www.hydramount.com/products/electric/electric1.php

Here is a link that explains some of the difference between a gas motor and an electric motor horsepower wise. It really doesn't have to be, if you have a 5HP gas motor you need a 5HP electric motor to do the same work, it isn't a direct trade off , there may be other links this was just the one I chose - https://www.homepower.com/gasoline-vs-electric-motor-power

I'd be willing to bet you don't/won't need a 22 ton press. That is just the most common wood splitter size made. There probably some forge/press formulas out there if you look for them. But doing metal movement of something at forge heat takes way less than trying to do the same thing cold. So don't go into this thinking because some one used a 22ton splitter that is what it takes.

Nah it doesn't take a 22 ton press to do what I need, I understand that... Anything really that's 16 tons and up would be good, because they move material a bit faster. But I'm going for a 22 ton because the splitters are made with that tonnage, they do have the 16 tons and such but for the price the 22 ton is better... so I'm not gonna complain with that. Yeah I've done tons, and I mean tons of research on this whole topic... I've looked at all my options, and gotten tons of opinions; the forge press is going to be a lot more efficient for what I need...


I do see your point with the Forged in Fire, I watch that show quite a bit. Sometimes it frustrates me with some of the decisions the guys make on there, but it's still a fun show to watch none the less. What I think, is why they don't use the press, is because it's slow... It doesn't move material very fast, so in a time-wise competition; I wouldn't want to use it either lol. A power hammer would be AMAZING to have, it would save me tons of work, time, and probably money... Only problem is that I'm in a small house, in a huge neighborhood; that's very crowded.... So the first problem would be noise, especially for the neighbors... I could build a power hammer for probably the same price, but it won't have as much power as you'd expect; those home-built ones like the Tire Hammers are good for drawing things out for blades... But for damascus steel, if you think about it this way....
You might be aware of what damascus steel is, but it's basically taking two steels, a steel with a high amount of carbon, and a steel with a high amount of nickel... You forge them together at high temperatures of about 2500° or up, and it fuses the steel into a solid bar. So, what I'm doing is what's called Mosaic Damascus Steel.... What most people think of when they hear Damascus Steel is 'random pattern' damascus, where you stack up the layers hundreds of times to get a pattern... Mosaic damascus, is a LOT more elaborate... I'll attach a few photos of some I've done, but basically you're not stacking them into a high-layer bar for random damascus; you're menouevering the steel in a special way, depending on how you like, to get a mosaic pattern... The easiest pattern you can make is called 'Crushed W's'....

So basically, to get an idea of how it's made, is you take a stack of layers going horizontally; and you forge weld them into a solid bar... It's better to only do like 15 layers rather than a very high layer bar, because it just looks really scattered otherwise. Instead of forging it from top to bottom with the layers, you forge the steel against the layers; like this |||||| (once you have it forge welded into a solid bar, forging it like this otherwise would make it fall apart). When you forge it on the top, after rounding the corners to "exaggerate" the pattern, you get what is called C's, they look like ((((())))). You stack that up, as many times as you like (I like Ws pretty crazy looking, so probably 8 times or more), and you get what is called crushed Ws (image attached). This, actually, is what a starting billet of mosaic damascus looks like... You can twist that, you can put it on the diagnol and do a 4-way square (thus making explosion damascus); you can do ANYTHING you want to that bar, to make Mosaic damascus steel... This is a basic example of the simplest mosaic damascus, so the other patterns that can be done are much more difficult... but you get the idea.

So why do a press, rather than a hammer? Well, like I said before... hammers are loud and expensive. Hammers are also EXTREMELY heavy, and so when you buy a hammer for blacksmithing; it takes a tractor to put it where you need it, and then you need a solid foundation, and then you need it bolted to the ground... So since I'm in a neighborhood rental house, that wouldn't work out very well lol. I could also build a hammer, but here's why... Forge welding (making damascus steel) takes high precision forging to get it to a solid state, so it won't fall apart... Forge welding is an entire encyclopedia by itself, and takes years of doing it to get a solid piece of steel. It's one of the most difficult processes of blacksmithing, and any little mistake can sacrifice a whole billet of steel... It's very hard to explain how sensitive steel is to forge welding, the only way to describe it is to try it for yourself. But basically, forge welding is very difficult and sensitive to in-sufficient blows to the steel. When you do forge-welding with a hammer, you have very hard blows to the layers... These hammer blows for regular steel aren't a problem, but when you're forge-welding with a power hammer; you have hard hits smacking against that steel at such a fast rate, that your chances of a solid forge weld are pretty slim. That's why a lot of guys have to forge-weld their steel by hand, before taking it to the power hammer (like you see on forged in fire). Canister damascus is a little different, because it's in a clean area without any oxygen to create scale in the layers; canister damascus won't cause delaminations unless the steel is dirty, or the can pops open... Regular billets of steel are exposed to the oxygen, and burns the oxygen in the air, which creates scale... Scale prevents it from welding, which is why it's so hard to make damascus. So, those blows to the steel, especially if you're hammering against the layers like I do with mosaic damascus; it's just helping break those layers apart little by little because of the insufficient blows to the steel. So don't get me wrong, power hammers are great; but they aren't that great for forge welding.

So why use a press then? Presses can be used to forge-weld the steel, and draw out the steel... The press squishes the steel at a slow rate, but gives you more control of what you're doing to the steel. It helps spew out all the impurities and scale in between the layers a lot more efficiently than a power hammer, because it is squeezing it all out... Let's say you have a zip-lock bag full of yogurt. You take it to a power hammer, and it's just going to smash it and get yogurt everywhere, but still leave some in the bag because it's just smashing it... The bag may be blown open and spilled, but that yogurt can still rest in the bag because it's not being presses out. (the yogurt being scale/ impurities in between the layers of the steel) If you take it to a forge-press, it's gonna squeeze all the remaining yorgut out of the bag as much as possible, because it has nowhere else to go but spread 'out' and exit from in between the pressure; not leaving it dry, but with little enough yogurt that there's no pockets or puddles. So, if you're seeing where I'm going, the press is a lot better for what I'm using it for.... The press is portable, it's quite enough, and it's safer...

That's the thing when it comes to smiths, that the power hammer or the press is hard to tell which is better for you... It always depends on what you're using it for. A lot of guys want the hammer for making blades, I like the press for making steel; and drawing it out... Shaping the blades and such, that's why you were born with good ol' upper arm strength.

I've done my best to explain it, it's a hard topic to describe... But I hope it made sense.


Here's some links to examples from the internet:

https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...3602039/burke_2017_crushed+ws.jpg?format=750w

https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...98682/burke_2017_crushed+ws-2.jpg?format=750w

https://i.imgur.com/VNrpwvw.jpg

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I attached some images as well to a knife and the billet I used to make it, about a year ago.

 

Yeah I know what Damascus is, and have helped a guy make it. But your experience is different than ours. In ours the press wouldn't make consistent welds, no mater what was used for flux. But never had a problem with hammer welding it. He even did some that he milled part of it away and reforged it to make the patterns he wanted.

I'm more of a stock removal guy myself. Again for the same reasons you stated, living at the time with neighbors very close.

You do know that at one time they made foot powered hammers don't you? And only the very big hammers actually need a built up foundation. The smaller 15 to 35 pounders will work without it. And one of those would be more than enough for what your doing. Nice knife by the way.

 

Yeah I know what Damascus is, and have helped a guy make it. But your experience is different than ours. In ours the press wouldn't make consistent welds, no mater what was used for flux. But never had a problem with hammer welding it. He even did some that he milled part of it away and reforged it to make the patterns he wanted.

I'm more of a stock removal guy myself. Again for the same reasons you stated, living at the time with neighbors very close.

You do know that at one time they made foot powered hammers don't you? And only the very big hammers actually need a built up foundation. The smaller 15 to 35 pounders will work without it. And one of those would be more than enough for what your doing. Nice knife by the way.

Thanks! Yeah I've seen those foot powered ones... Not something I want though lol. I'd rather do regular forging by hand than do that, it's just a lot of extra effort for something that can be done a lot easier...

I'm guessing, that if it wasn't welding; it depends on a lot of different things... I'm gonna say that he may have been forging it together at a heat colder than forge-welding heat, and so when you do that; it creates a TON of scale in between the layers... And so at that point, no real amount of forging or flux afterwards isn't going to get that to weld. You could be sitting there forging it for hours on end, and not getting a sufficient weld... Otherwise, it could be dirty steel.... Other wise lol, it could be forging it against the layers before it was fully forge-welded yet; or... Could be from forging it until it was cold, then forging it again at welding heat... There's a lot of different outcomes for damascus and reasons for screw-up, that's why it's so difficult to make. When you start the initial forge weld, you wanna work with it with only forge-welding heat... Once the forge-welds are set though, THEN you can work it a little colder. (I think that may have been what had happened, but there's no way to tell for sure without seeing it)


Yeah I know which damascus you're thinking of! That's most of the time called Ladder Pattern... You grind or forge away grooves into a high-layer bar, and those layers at the bottom, once forged flush; will bring those layers to the top... Which gives you an interesting pattern. So you could drill holes, cut lines, cut random lines, cut triangles, etc... It's a pretty cool product! I like the chatoyance those blades get.

 

OK, did some Googling on the hydraulic press vs hammer thing, and it seems to be about 50/50. With most saying if they could only choose one it would be a hammer. Because it is more versatile and slightly faster. Versatile in that it works better for both welding and final shaping of a blade. Where the press is pretty much only good for making damascus stock. And the press needs many different dies for different type of work.

But that said, have you seen the press this guy is making? The price is way high but it would be an easy home fabricated DIY thing to make. Getting cylinders, valves and pump of of EBAY and getting the steel locally would make it a fairly quick, easy build at lest for me. The one thing against the splitter is the cylinder length, you don't need that long of a stroke. 5 or 6 inches would be plenty, and shorter cylinders would be much cheaper. Doing it yourself would cost 1/3 or even less if you're a good scrounger. http://www.mcnabbpresses.com/

The foot power presses I was talking about were from the early 1900's. They were kind of like a drop forge, in that they picked up the hammer using foot pedal then it dropped the weight like a drop hammer. There is a good book that I got years ago called, "Pounding Out Profits", that has almost every type and make of the old forge hammers and presses, and tells how many of them worked or didn't work.

Hope you and your family have a good Thanksgiving.

 

OK, did some Googling on the hydraulic press vs hammer thing, and it seems to be about 50/50. With most saying if they could only choose one it would be a hammer. Because it is more versatile and slightly faster. Versatile in that it works better for both welding and final shaping of a blade. Where the press is pretty much only good for making damascus stock. And the press needs many different dies for different type of work.

But that said, have you seen the press this guy is making? The price is way high but it would be an easy home fabricated DIY thing to make. Getting cylinders, valves and pump of of EBAY and getting the steel locally would make it a fairly quick, easy build at lest for me. The one thing against the splitter is the cylinder length, you don't need that long of a stroke. 5 or 6 inches would be plenty, and shorter cylinders would be much cheaper. Doing it yourself would cost 1/3 or even less if you're a good scrounger. http://www.mcnabbpresses.com/

The foot power presses I was talking about were from the early 1900's. They were kind of like a drop forge, in that they picked up the hammer using foot pedal then it dropped the weight like a drop hammer. There is a good book that I got years ago called, "Pounding Out Profits", that has almost every type and make of the old forge hammers and presses, and tells how many of them worked or didn't work.

Hope you and your family have a good Thanksgiving.

Thanks for getting back to me! Yeah I could totally build one for probably $800 getting everything new, but as far as buying stuff used to make it; I could do it a lot cheaper... My only problem is that I'm in Arizona, and a lot of people who live here would understand this; the people here sell everything for retail, whether it's new or not... And, usually, if you find a good deal on something; it's already grabbed and being re-sold for twice as much. So finding parts down here is near impossible, not to mention that I'm 20 mins from the border; so people come over and buy a lot of stuff and take it back to resell. So I would totally build one with used scraps, but it's near impossible down here lol. I've thought about buying a press used to, but it's gonna take some patience to find one I need. But, I mean, it's not too much of a big deal... A few extra dollars is all worth it in the long run, if you think about it. I just gotta be patient and wait for the right opportunity to come.

I appreciate your help, have a great thanksgiving to you as well!

 

Hi again, do you have a Harbor Freight near you? I have some ideas on doing this but if you can't get things in your area it will limit my ideas. What town in AZ? When I was around your age my family was going to move to Tuscon, if mechanical things are hard to find there I'm sure glad we didn't.

Did you notice in the press link that he is using a C face motor and pump? Bolted the motor right to the side of the press, 4 bolt holes and done.

 

Hi again, do you have a Harbor Freight near you? I have some ideas on doing this but if you can't get things in your area it will limit my ideas. What town in AZ? When I was around your age my family was going to move to Tuscon, if mechanical things are hard to find there I'm sure glad we didn't.

Did you notice in the press link that he is using a C face motor and pump? Bolted the motor right to the side of the press, 4 bolt holes and done.

I'm about 20 mins from Tombstone, and about an hour's drive from Tuscon (north). I do have a harbor freight in my town, they just put one in actually! I didn't notice he was using a C face motor, I'll check that again.

 

OK, had a few spare minutes and found this. Hope you don't think I'm being pushy by giving suggestions to you. I miss working and solving problems, my biggest reason to go on forums. If you don't want more ideas just say so, no problem with that.

 

OK, had a few spare minutes and found this. Hope you don't think I'm being pushy by giving suggestions to you. I miss working and solving problems, my biggest reason to go on forums. If you don't want more ideas just say so, no problem with that.

Yes I've taken a look at about 100 designs for that kind of press, and I really like it.... I was actually going to build that one in the first place, but I decided that it's much easier to just spend the few extra dollars for one that's pre-built. The components itself for that press only costs about $600-$700, but that doesn't include the frame, or the motor... So when i posted this forum post I was still wavering the idea of wether I should do one, or the other... But to do the press home-made, it's going to take MUCH more fabrication, aligning, and making sure I got all the right parts... So to deal with the lines, the cylinder, the pumps, the switches; on top of the motor... I just think it's gonna be a pain to do. I mean, yes it's going to save me a bit of money; but I haven't decided yet on what to do as far as make the press or do the log splitter... I'd like to do the homebuilt one, but I'm not going to make any decisions on it 'yet' until I have the money ready. So, yes I'd like to do that one (or one similar), but I'd rather give it some time, do more research on what parts work best for each other, etc.... Then I'll figure it out. But so far I'm leaning towards the log splitter, either new or used, since it's already pre-built; and (if I get the right one) all I really need to worry about 1st thing is changing the motor, and do a little fabrication.

 

This is another one that would take less to make the frame. Read the part about the difference between 16 and 25 ton models. It echos my experience running a couple of different tonnage log splitters over the years, and using regular hydraulic presses. And up until this year I was cutting and splitting around 5 cords of wood a year. Only thing stopping me was a series of heart attacks this spring. http://onemansblog.com/2016/06/09/bought-16-ton-forging-press/ Plus when you go to the sellers links you'll find that the 16 ton runs on 120V and the 25 ton takes 240V.

 

This is another one that would take less to make the frame. Read the part about the difference between 16 and 25 ton models. It echos my experience running a couple of different tonnage log splitters over the years, and using regular hydraulic presses. And up until this year I was cutting and splitting around 5 cords of wood a year. Only thing stopping me was a series of heart attacks this spring. http://onemansblog.com/2016/06/09/bought-16-ton-forging-press/ Plus when you go to the sellers links you'll find that the 16 ton runs on 120V and the 25 ton takes 240V.

I'm sorry to hear that, I hope you get well....


Yes, that's another design I was looking to do actually haha. I did read that part about the 16 ton versus the 25 ton, and I definitely see his point. Any one of the two would be perfect for me, I do plan to run it quite a bit once I build it. I have a friend that I talk to who does a ton of damascus steel, and his is only a 16 ton press.... He does billets all the time, and as far as I know pulls off like two damascus bars a day... And that's mosaic damascus (depending on the pattern), so that's pretty impressive! So a 16 ton would be perfect, but if I were to choose from the 16 ton to the 20-25 ton (for about the same price).... I'd honestly go for the 25 ton for more power. It may take a little extra maintenance and effort, but I wouldn't complain either way. The only thing I would worry about is getting the right motor to run it, and making the frame strong enough. But those shouldn't be much of a problem honestly, just a little extra effort and it would work!

I attached a link as well to one that's very similar, that I like the design of (if I plan to build one from scratch).

 

I saw that one. I can't imagine cutting heavy steel with an angle grinder like that. Just the disc cost would soon pay for one of the Harbor Freight horizontal band saw. Plus you would end up having a saw for other things. I have one and was well pleased with it, a little tune up on it and it cut straight and square. Then I got a more expensive one from another machinery company. No matter what I've done it will not cut square.

I really still think your under estimating what will be needed to convert the splitter.

The heart attack thing is pretty much what it is, and just have to limit my physical exertion. No more lifting 100 pound logs into the back of a truck, then stacking them, and then lifting again to split them. But at 71 it was getting old any way.