Firewood Processor

[f350ca]

Looking back on this thread I realized I had;t given an update on how that chain cleaned up. The molasses did its job, after about 2 months of soaking the chain looked like new, spotless but the pins were still frozen in the links. With enough force the pins would twist off before they'd turn so it got scrapped.
Actually Phil that had the bore centred to be cut, the boring bar is off to the side. Here's a video of boring it.

I've seen videos of those inertia wood splitters Bob, don't think I have the nerve or reflexes to use one though.
Greg

 

[mattthemuppet2]

crumbs Dangermouse, you don't aim small do you?! Loved the CNC plasma cutting, that must really open up the possibilities of what you can make.

Did you finish up the Mule? I must have missed the end of that project..

 

[Reeltor]

Getting back to the flywheel log splitters, DR is making them (search drlogsplitter on Google). I'm wondering if a homemade one can be fabricated up. There are a number of YouTube videos for both the flywheel type splitters and homemade firewood processors for ideas.

 

[f350ca]

The 14 tooth #80 sprockets I ordered came in, need weld in hubs that will centre the sprocket between two side rails, so the off the shelf ones wouldn't work.
The shaper doesn't get used often but its nice to have for things like this.


The sprocket pressed on its new hub, one more to go.



The cabinets I've been working on are done so hopefully will get some more time to work on this now.

Greg

 

[uncle harry]

I rebuilt this old Wisconsin a year or so back with plans of running the processor with it.

View attachment 83293

View attachment 83294

It produces 16 god fearing horse power at 26
00 rpm with a 100% duty cycle.
It had seen a hard life on a NewHolland bailer. There was about 20 thou taper in the cylinders, decided to try boring it out on the lathe.
View attachment 83295
Worked like a charm, couldn't detect any taper or out of round with my dial bore gauge, a final honing brought it into spec for a 30 thou over set of pistons and rings.
The crank runs on tapered roller bearings, the end play on them was still in spec as were the babbit rod bearings. Yes rabbit rod bearings as in Model T Ford, this engine has been around a while.
It needed valve guides which are still available from Wisconsin. The valves and seats were ground and lapped in. The throttle shaft in the carb was badly worn as was the body, it was reamed out oversized and a new throttle plate shaft fabricated.
Runs like new now, waiting for a load.
Interesting point with these engines, both pistons go up and down at the same time to give a power stroke every turn, to do this they have massive counterweights on the crank, and a flywheel that must weigh 30 or 40 pounds. As a result, when you rev it up the twist in the plane of the flywheel is incredible. I had it bolted down to two 4x4s on the shop floor, with the bucket of the tractor holding them down. It would sit there and idle no problem, till you changed the speed, as it revved up it would twist the timbers from under the bucket, then sit there at the new speed. Had to put a rubber mat under the wood to give some friction on the concrete.

Greg

- - - Updated - - -

Built a CNC plasma table last winter and haven't had much chance to play with it. Today decided to learn how to nest parts, while making a sprocket for what I think is called Link Belt Chain. I have the chain from an old sawmill but no mating sprockets.

View attachment 83298

Parts for a sprocket in kit form.

View attachment 83300

This will probably be for the conveyor to move the split wood to the trailer.

View attachment 83301

Greg

Super restoration on the Wisconsin. Yes the earlier models were good vibrators. The design was revised in later models to be alternate firing with a balanced crank. The revised design, when used on large cement haulers for unloading had to have a counterweight added to the system to restore the vibration. The original design helped vibrate the cement for unloading.

 

[f350ca]

Welded up the sprockets for the drag chain. Cheated a bit, used a motorized chuck I rigged up, has a DC gear head motor and a variable power supply, dial in your speed and let it weld.



Had to cut these out holding the plasma torch by hand, how archaic.



My friend has been storing this mag based drill here for years. I don't use it often but it sure is handy when the parts are too big to go on the mill.



Greg

 

[hermetic]

Hi all, nice looking project, and you did a real good job on the engine rebuild!
Can I ask about the shaper job cutting the keyway, did you cut on the forward stroke as normal, or did you lock the clapper box off and cut on the back stroke? I ask because I have always cut keyways in the lathe with a boring bar in the toolpost, using the traverse as a mandraulic shaper. Then I bought an old book on sharpening shaper tools, which told me that when cutting keyways, it was best to lock the clapper box and cut on the backstroke, but annoyingly, didn't say WHY this was best. Anyone have any ideas?
Phil
UK

 

[hermetic]

Meant to add the fact that I now have an Alba 1A shaper!

 

[f350ca]

Hi Phil, I cut them on the forward stroke. Read the same somewhere, don't recall a reason either. On my little Logan there is no easy way to lock the clapper. When i grind the cutter I don't give it a lot of rake or bottom clearance, seams to reduce chatter, but as a result I need to keep an allen wrench in that set screw on the end of the bar to add down force by hand or it will try and ride up during the cut. Cause and effect I guess.

Greg

 

[hermetic]

Yes! Agreed, when I read this I wracked my brain and could not come up with a reason why back stroke cutting would be better. Using the lathe was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be, I used a sturdy boring bar about 3/4" diameter, and ground the cutting tool virtually as you describe, it took longer to set it all up than it actually did to cut the key. I was building a winch to lift the front end of cars for suspended towing, I used a selection of gears from an Ariel Arrow motorcycle gearbox, and it worked very well! Incidentally, there is no way to lock the clapper on most shapers afaIk, the book I read suggested drilling and tapping the edges of the clapper box and bolting a strap across the clapper. I can understand why you would do it for an undercut like an dovetail for a topslide/crosslide etc, as in that case the tool would drag on the backstroke, but cutting a key that way made no sense, unless anyone else can come up with a reason.
Phil