# ~1980: Wind-powered wood splitter!



## Jerry in MN (Dec 2, 2007)

Back in about 1980 my next-older brother and I went to look at a wood splitter that was powered by the wind. It looked like something straight out of an old Farm Show magazine. As I recall the windmill part had four simple, wooden blades and a diameter about 12 feet. The wood splitter part was made from an old stationary engine, the kind with open flywheels. And Iâm pretty sure that power from the windmill was transferred to the splitter by a flat canvas belt, and that the belt went around one of the big flywheels, and on the other flywheel was a wedge that stuck out past the diameter of the wheel. Seems the wedge was a sharpened plow share that was probably bolted to one of the spokes. And there was a U-shaped platform that the wedge would pass through. The log would be set on the platform, and then the operator wouldâ¦stand back!

Obviously the splitter would have been very dangerous to operate, so that was a major drawback. But I did like the way they were using one form of renewable energy to help them use another. Iâve tried to contact a couple of people who might have a photo of the contraption, but no luck yet.

Has anybody here ever seen a windmill that used mechanical power with or without hydraulics to power a wood splitter?


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

No but you're right it is interesting to use one form of renewable energy to assist another. Seems to me I remember a water powered cordwood saw from somewhere!


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

we have two old cross cut cord wood saws that are belt driven from a PTO on a tractor. they could easily be driven from a water wheel.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

No, but did see a wind powered washing machine once. The up and down motion turned a flywheel that turned a pto shaft off an old water pumping windmill.


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