Dave, I've split wood with an axe, maul, and hydraulic log splitter -- which I use a lot now. Mine is has a straight taper. And so do mauls and splitting wedges. It seems to me that when I early on sharpened/ground an axe to a hollow taper, it stuck much more easily.
No one has also suggested it so far, but there is a third possibility for attaching your thin (1") splitting wedge, and that is butting a longer piece of it to the web, past the end of the flange. It makes for a shorter length of beam, or a longer capacity of log.
I think it would give a thin wedge like yours more side to side (angular) support than butting on top of the flange. Especially if some support cleats were added from the web, below the flange) I can imagine that a wedge as narrow as yours may tend to bend/fatigue side to side after a time.
My splitter is quite different actually. There is no wedge at the end. The wedge is on a carriage that the ram pushes along the splitter beam, just like the ways and carriage on a machine tool. The end of the splitter is a flat plate (about 1" if I recall correctly) welded to flanges and webs, both. It has a short ring (from pipe) welded end on to dig into the butt end of the log - a dog, of sorts.
The carriage wedge is quite broad and hollow, and though seemingly cast, I Imagine could be built up from plate, as well.
Also, It sounds like you have a welder, but don't have confidence in your welds. I'm sure if you practiced a little with scrap, that could change.
Anyway looking forward to your progress!
No one has also suggested it so far, but there is a third possibility for attaching your thin (1") splitting wedge, and that is butting a longer piece of it to the web, past the end of the flange. It makes for a shorter length of beam, or a longer capacity of log.
I think it would give a thin wedge like yours more side to side (angular) support than butting on top of the flange. Especially if some support cleats were added from the web, below the flange) I can imagine that a wedge as narrow as yours may tend to bend/fatigue side to side after a time.
My splitter is quite different actually. There is no wedge at the end. The wedge is on a carriage that the ram pushes along the splitter beam, just like the ways and carriage on a machine tool. The end of the splitter is a flat plate (about 1" if I recall correctly) welded to flanges and webs, both. It has a short ring (from pipe) welded end on to dig into the butt end of the log - a dog, of sorts.
The carriage wedge is quite broad and hollow, and though seemingly cast, I Imagine could be built up from plate, as well.
Also, It sounds like you have a welder, but don't have confidence in your welds. I'm sure if you practiced a little with scrap, that could change.
Anyway looking forward to your progress!