Hit-And-Miss Log Splitter Rides On Combine Frame
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Herb Higginbottom didn’t like splitting wood with an axe, so he built a wood splitter. He used a hit-and-miss engine he found in the weeds about 50 years ago. Initially, he planned to hook it up to a pump. Instead, he used it to power the splitter he made with an old railroad jack. Then he mounted it all on a stripped-down Massey-Harris No. 17 combine.
“The engine is a 1 1/2-hp. Fuller and Johnson from the 1920s,” says Higginbottom. “It was seized when I found it, but I got it unstuck with some diesel fuel, transmission oil and a little heat. I got the rings loose without breaking them, so it still has the original rings. All it needed was two spark plugs.”
The splitter uses a piece of 2-in. thick steel tapered and stepped down from 8 in. to 6 in. to 4 in. in length. A cloth belt runs from the engine pulley to an IH tractor clutch pulley.
“A cam on the pulley oscillates back and forth to ratchet the railway jack,” explains Higginbottom. “It ratchets two teeth at a time, pushing the wood into the stepped wedge.”
The entire affair rides on the combine, which retains its engine, operator station and axles. Higginbottom notes that Massey-Harris No. 17 combines with their 4-cyl. engines were made from 1939 to 1942 and still had magnetos. He found one at a scrap yard, and at $50, the price was right.
“The engine was seized, but all I wanted were the drive wheels,” says Higginbottom. “However, the scrap dealer wanted the same price for the entire combine as for the wheels.”
Higginbottom stuck a bar in the engine and broke it loose. Realizing he could mount the splitter to it, he stripped the combine of everything and brought home what he needed.
“I put diesel fuel in the engine and cranked it over until rust quit coming out of it. I plugged it up, and it has started on the first crank ever since,” says Higginbottom. “When it won’t start, my wife whispers that it’s out of gas. I fill it up, and it starts.”
Higginbottom put the mobile wood splitter together many years ago when he heated with wood. He also drove it in local parades.
“It was beautiful to drive in parades,” recalls Higginbottom. “I would take it to our fall fair and split wood for the steam engine demonstrations.”
While he no longer burns wood nor brings it to parades, he still pulls it out to demonstrate at Deep Creek Tool Museum.
“People can’t believe the splitter,” he says. “They look at the hit and miss and can’t believe it can run or how the railway jack works to split the wood.”
The museum houses his collection of more than 3,000 old tools, engines, household items and equipment, which dates back to the early 1900s and includes a giant 4,000-lb. push lawnmower (Vol. 46, No. 6), which he built as a roadside attraction.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Herbert Higginbottom, 91 Deep Creek Rd., Enderby, B.C., Canada V0E 1V3 (ph 250-832-2506; deepcrk@telus.net).
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Hit-And-Miss Log Splitter Rides On Combine Frame COMBINES Conversions Herb Higginbottom didn’t like splitting wood with an axe so he built a wood splitter He used a hit-and-miss engine he found in the weeds about 50 years ago Initially he planned to hook it up to a pump Instead he used it to power the splitter he made with an old railroad jack Then he mounted it all on a stripped-down Massey-Harris No 17 combine “The engine is a 1 1/2-hp Fuller and Johnson from the 1920s ” says Higginbottom “It was seized when I found it but I got it unstuck with some diesel fuel transmission oil and a little heat I got the rings loose without breaking them so it still has the original rings All it needed was two spark plugs ” The splitter uses a piece of 2-in thick steel tapered and stepped down from 8 in to 6 in to 4 in in length A cloth belt runs from the engine pulley to an IH tractor clutch pulley “A cam on the pulley oscillates back and forth to ratchet the railway jack ” explains Higginbottom “It ratchets two teeth at a time pushing the wood into the stepped wedge ” The entire affair rides on the combine which retains its engine operator station and axles Higginbottom notes that Massey-Harris No 17 combines with their 4-cyl engines were made from 1939 to 1942 and still had magnetos He found one at a scrap yard and at $50 the price was right “The engine was seized but all I wanted were the drive wheels ” says Higginbottom “However the scrap dealer wanted the same price for the entire combine as for the wheels ” Higginbottom stuck a bar in the engine and broke it loose Realizing he could mount the splitter to it he stripped the combine of everything and brought home what he needed “I put diesel fuel in the engine and cranked it over until rust quit coming out of it I plugged it up and it has started on the first crank ever since ” says Higginbottom “When it won’t start my wife whispers that it’s out of gas I fill it up and it starts ” Higginbottom put the mobile wood splitter together many years ago when he heated with wood He also drove it in local parades “It was beautiful to drive in parades ” recalls Higginbottom “I would take it to our fall fair and split wood for the steam engine demonstrations ” While he no longer burns wood nor brings it to parades he still pulls it out to demonstrate at Deep Creek Tool Museum “People can’t believe the splitter ” he says “They look at the hit and miss and can’t believe it can run or how the railway jack works to split the wood ” The museum houses his collection of more than 3 000 old tools engines household items and equipment which dates back to the early 1900s and includes a giant 4 000-lb push lawnmower Vol 46 No 6 which he built as a roadside attraction Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Herbert Higginbottom 91 Deep Creek Rd Enderby B C Canada V0E 1V3 ph 250-832-2506; deepcrk@telus net
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