How to weld log splitter?

[krag]

I posted on this log splitter with the sagging engine that became critical. I trussed it up so I can drive this to a welder. I bought a bunch of welding angle iron and plates. For the welders out there how would you do this one?


I picked up:

8x24 inch 16 gauge weldable sheet;
3/16 x1 1/4 flat sheet;
1/2 inch rod
angle iron: 1/8 x 3/4 x 3 ft
1/8 x 1 inch x 3 ft
flat 1/8 x 1 1/4 x 3 ft flat

 

[pgk1]

I would just take the two parts off, clean them and tig weld, grind the back side smooth so it doesn't hit and re-install.

 

[cuttin]

The brackets on each side of the tongue to hydraulic oil tank are definitely inadequate. First, if there's any space between the top of tongue and the reservoir then it should have a steel pad (shown in picture) tacked in so the bottom of tongue is tight to the reservoir. Besides prepping and welding up the broken area, I'd also add a piece of plate (shown in picture) to extend the existing so that you can place an additional bolt through the tongue. The motor weight is a big lever so adding more surface area will help. Make sure to properly chamfer and prep material and weld it up. Do both sides and you should have a splitter that will give you many more years of split wood.

 

[krag]

My local guy wants $450 for the job. We agreed replacing the tank may be the way to go instead of welding it.

 

[cuttin]

My local guy wants $450 for the job. We agreed replacing the tank may be the way to go instead of welding it.

If the existing tank isn't compromised, you can just weld whatever fix necessary to it. You could cut the brackets off completely and weld on new and improved ones.
If you do end up buying a new tank, I'd still add a gusset where needed because the new one will have the same weak area as the old one.

 

[dangerousatom]

If thats like all the other splitter Ive seen your other problem is the tank is built out of like 12-14g steel sheet and its not strong enough to be a real support for the motor. Particularly when driving, the bouncing is putting all the stress on the tank wall. You need to weld on that plae you got to add extra support and make a brakcet system to support the motor.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

I posted on this log splitter with the sagging engine that became critical. I trussed it up so I can drive this to a welder. I bought a bunch of welding angle iron and plates. For the welders out there how would you do this one?
View attachment 487387View attachment 487391View attachment 487393

I picked up:

Hard to tell from the pics how, exactly, the motor is mounted and to what. If just the tank, wow…really bad design. That much weight needs to be immobilized. A kind of triangular base, welded or bolted to both the tank assembly and the main beam is needed. Pretty hard to say without seeing it. I added a fair amount of steel to my old splitter to beef it up.

 

[cuttin]

I think the OP is showing the tongue to tank brackets are the issue, not the motor brackets. Of course the motor brackets probably need attention as well.

 

[krag]

Champion has tanks for $200 and change plus shipping, I'm assuming that the parts are modular and can be removed and replaced.