Huge Homemade Wood Splitter with Auto-Cycle Valve and Dump Valve

I made this splitter in my spare time in my shop at home. It took about 6 months on Saturdays and late nights to finally get it all welded up. The 8“ x 8“ I-beam, 6“ cylinder, hydraulic reservoir, axle and wheels came from junkyards for only pennies on the dollar. The dump valve allows the fluid to by-pass the auto cycle valve to the reservoir, therefore keeping the temperature lower and the cycle time faster. Patterns cut from cardboard were used as templates to make a lot of the pieces. Inspiration fr