Log Arch Build

BowtieTimber · February 09, 2023, 08:43:20 AM

Still waiting on a few odds and ends to arrive in the mail. In the mean time I made up this removable caster for the front tongue to make it easy to move it all around by hand.

Walnut Beast · February 09, 2023, 08:59:26 AM

A tip for you on the wheel casters you have. You can move a good amount of weight but they bind easy and can bend when wheels are not in the direction of pull. A quick kick or push by a longer handle to get them in the direction of travel sometimes is what's needed

lshobie · February 12, 2023, 06:59:15 AM

Looks great! I built one out of scrap and found that most designs only carried one big log so I made it that I could put a bunch of smaller logs on top of the rig - saved lots of time and I moved lots of material with it.

https://youtu.be/mnrOjxFh62g

BowtieTimber · March 01, 2023, 11:27:55 PM

Quote from: lshobie on February 12, 2023, 06:59:15 AM
Looks great! I built one out of scrap and found that most designs only carried one big log so I made it that I could put a bunch of smaller logs on top of the rig - saved lots of time and I moved lots of material with it.

https://youtu.be/mnrOjxFh62g

That's a pretty cool concept, I like that!
Unrelated to the post, do you have another YouTube channel where you fix up old sleds? I'm pretty sure I've seen some of them if that is you!
After a short hiatus I was able to get all the odds and ends I needed. Just need a couple small touches and paint then I'll be ready to put it all to work!

BowtieTimber · March 01, 2023, 11:30:13 PM

Walnut Beast · March 02, 2023, 03:50:30 AM

Looks great and the supervisor also!

Wlmedley · March 02, 2023, 03:00:21 PM

Looks good,should work really well.You might have trouble getting cable to spool up on winch.I used 5/16" cable and it was hard to get wrapped right on small drum.

jb616 · March 02, 2023, 03:21:41 PM

Quote from: Wlmedley on March 02, 2023, 03:00:21 PM
Looks good,should work really well.You might have trouble getting cable to spool up on winch.I used 5/16" cable and it was hard to get wrapped right on small drum.

Here are a couple lessons that i learned with mine; 1 I used the synthetic winch rope which is very pliable and very strong. 2 Because i trashed 3 of the boat winches in one day, i called Woodmizer and ordered a winch that i have on my manual LT30. I don't know the namebrand but the teeth on the large pulley are not external to the diameter of the pulley but inside if that makes sense. Yes it cost over $300 but each of the ones I trashed cost $80.
Another tip. put the hook on a pulley and bring the winch rope back up to the frame. you will double your lifting power.

Crusarius · March 02, 2023, 08:02:00 PM

I love the detail and thought you put into making that work. You will be very happy with it. Mine was slapped together from my scrap pile and leftover sawmill build steel.

One thing that really sets mine apart is the 2 piece construction.

The blue part is actually the tongue for my sawmill. It slides inside the log arch frame. this makes it so I can drag it around with the truck or tractor but then it can be broken apart for longer logs.

This log was almost 30' long. towed like a dream. a lot easier than borrowing a long enough trailer to bring it home.

all of the straps and everything was temporary during testing. I now have chain loops and binders that I use to hold everything in place.

bitternut · March 02, 2023, 09:43:03 PM

I have a hard time believing that that set-up passes as legal on any highway in NY STATE. huh-smiley

Certainly gets the job done though. Had any opportunities to cruse by a trooper yet?

Old Greenhorn · March 02, 2023, 10:00:12 PM

Hah! You haven't been on my road. I drag logs with my little arch and leave a trail of bark and pith from where I got on the road to where I got off. Easier to find the scene of the crime that way. :D You'll see everything on my road if you live long enough. One Sunday morning I'm eating my breakfast and I see a tandem axle dump going down the road pulling a 20' equipment trailer with a LOAD of 50' steel roof trusses on it and let me tell you that load had more bounce than a goochie dancer. The extra 8' hanging off the front and 15 or more off the back. Driver did real good too, until he tried to turn up into the woods with the load and got both the front and back of the trusses hung up on geological obstructions at the same time. Took a big excavator and a dozer to finish the last 150' of the run, but it was Sunday, so who cares? :D
I see all manner of things running up and down, even horses for a few years.

bitternut · March 02, 2023, 10:14:43 PM

That may be possible on some back road Tom but Crusarius's picture was taken on what looks to be a major highway. I would slap a triangular orange slow moving vehicle sign on the back of that log and play dumb if got stopped.

Crusarius · March 02, 2023, 10:33:38 PM

that was taken on a county road in front of my house. I stopped and talked to the sheriff plenty of times with logs like that. The only thing they recommended was a flag on the back which I did add after I took the picture.

rusticretreater · March 02, 2023, 11:49:14 PM

Yeah, if you're just going slow and live nearby its really kind of like driving a farm vehicles down the road.

Old Greenhorn · March 03, 2023, 07:16:28 AM

Rural is as rural does. :D
Most of the LEO's around here have common sense and can apply it. If you are not obstructing the road, have sufficient warning devices, and it is a temporary thing, they let it slide just about every time. Sometimes there are issues with State Troopers who are transferred into this barracks from city locations or were not raised rural. We also see it from the DEP whose police are often long time NYC beat cops that need a transfer to 'the country' to work some things out. They take a little while to relax and fall into the groove and a rare few never do. I had a buddy drive his lull 5 miles from one location to another over town, county, and state roads (one was our main divided highway, 55 MPH, 4 lane) with no issue. Now I wouldn't do that with a feller buncher, but if you are smart and stay on the shoulder and don't damage the road you are almost always good. It also cuts both ways. Take advantage of it, run an overweight or unsafe load, or damage a road and get caught, well then you are done. It will seem like every time you pull a rig out of a driveway there will be a cop waiting to check you out and word gets around quick to look for you.
I should add though, these times are fading away now that our demographic is changing in the area. A lot more folks just pull their phone out of their pocket and make a call to complain rather than smile and wave.

mudfarmer · March 03, 2023, 10:20:24 AM

No problems doing stuff like that up here in the land of the free. Don't start telling people that though we'd like to keep it that way ;)

BowtieTimber · March 14, 2023, 09:02:28 AM

Well finally got around to doing some field trials with the arch!

Started with the large cherry with the croch piece and it handled it no problem. Moved on to the much heavier straight cherry log which is handled with ease.

We then started hammering out some 12' long ash logs no problem!

Overall I'm very happy with the performance. I will be adding a "Y" brace up front to hold the logs steady instead of a rachet strap.

Might have to weld a nut onto the winch so I can hook an impact drill up instead of winching by hand. That gets a bit old by the end of the day.