DR Rapid Fire LogSpliiter Mods

Author: Dave
Date: 09.07.26 - 11:26am

So a friend asked me to take a look at a rapid fire log splitter he bought at auction. Its the WR2 kinetic log splitter. I do not know if all of the parts are for this version. It was missing the original spring carriage that moves the rack up off the pinion when not engaged.

My replacement right now is rough, but its a prototype where Ive had to move stuff around to test various configurations, so thats just how the sausage is made at this stage.

So the problems in the original design are this:

one screw in the spring carriage would allow roation and it has to slide between the confined clearance of the bumpers area
the bumpers are not adequate for the loads.
the bumpers do not have a proper register on the rebounding splitter block which will eat them as well.

Right now I have a rigidly coupled spring carriage to the splitter block..which means I have to allow for rack movement with bolts which are not cinched tight. I added a pin so the bolts couldnt loosen...but thats probably how the block threads stripped out when I received it.

Check out this video at the 8:25 mark.

Looks like his is the newer WR3 version. His spring carriage has a cross bolt that would allow the splitter block to rotate up. This way the rack can be bolted solid to the splitter block.

The v3 changes now address the rotation of the spring carriage, and add somewhat better bumper stops. (cough my fixes are still more robust cough)

I ordered the w2 version parts, I was not happy with them so returned them. The thin strip of steel to the spring carriage..it had no apparent flex so how was the block supposed to rotate up.

None of this is a good engineering design. I am goign to return it for trial as I have it right now..but ultimately I think I will have to cut my rigid spring carriage and add a pivot joing like the older model had.

Also..the block cant pivot to much or it will bind on the guide rail.

Comments: (1)

On 09.08.26 - 3:00pm dave wrote:
one more alignment i am going to have to trimmer or space out the rubber stops so that it gets good starting alignment with the pinion from dead rest. right now im getting some clacking but it might just be a side effect of the design

edit: just tested engagement with the block at different offsets. You are liable to get a clack at any position it just doesnt/wont engage perfectly everytime on the first tooth, its just a side effect of the design..which makes the pinions and racks consumables.

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