This is my first post and wanted to show others here my progress on building a log arch for my single axle trailer 6X10 with winch. I started by making the hinges from 2X3 angle iron 1/4" thickness. I milled some off of the 2" side and welded together forming a C channel that is 3"X3.250. I reinforced the wall of the hinge with a 1/2" block and drilled a 3/4" hole straight thru. Used a reamer that was available to finish the hole at .753 as my hinge pin is from a .747 piece of stainless steel. These hinges will be mounted to the trailer floor. The arch is being made from 2X3 1/4" thick tubing.
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A first post with pictures. Congratulations and Welcome to the Forestry Forum.
Add your location to your profile so that we will know/remember. :)
(Just above the "CLICK HERE TO INSERT IMAGE IN POST" there is a box where you can click and rotate your picture +90° and it will be oriented correctly.) ;)
Thanks, I have a lot to learn from everyone here. One thing I would do different would be to NOT BUILD AN ARCH! I would use two vertical, one horizontal and brace it. The angles were just too much work. Here are all the pieces including the hinge pins ready to be welded.
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Hey, smiley_wavy you are my neighbor. 8)
how much are looking at lifting?
i built an arch using 2 1/2" sq tubing, 1/4" wall and cut my angles at 22.5° to help spread the load out. i used some 3 1/2" round tubing, 1" wall and a wrist pin of 2 1/2". i first had a 12,000# winch, but fired it and put my 18,000# on and i think by changing from a 24v dc motor, to a 12v dc, i cut my power in half. going to contact warn monday to see what they say about it. but the heaviest iv load iv loaded to date was 2 sections of pecan weighing 12,300#, so ea were just a tad over 6,000# or 1 a bit liter than 6k and 1 well over 6k. the biggest mistake i made was, making it to tall. i think I'm a little over 12' long/tall, with a 4' over hang off the back of my trailer. the idea was to use that extra 4' to reach out further and choke short to be able to pull the logs onto dovetail. but over the past yr of working it, iv realized its to tall when in the near vertical position and pulling between 30 and 45° is stressing the arch. i can see a considerable bow in the legs, so plans are to take off 4' and re-contour the sq tubing for the hinge and weld it back up. i even used 1/2" thick, 6"x14" flat plate and welded 2 at ea 22.5° cut/weld to help reinforce the arch, which it did, but it transferred the stress directly down the legs, bowing them out.
This arch will be 6' tall and I intended to mount on the dovetail. Is that a wise decision based on your experience? I am reinforcing the joints with 1/4" plate 2-3/4" wide. I try to use as much scrap metal as possible as I am very frugal and this was the only flat bar I had in the scrap barrel. Thanks for sharing your design.
Quote from: bertrn on December 16, 2018, 11:50:33 PM
This arch will be 6' tall and I intended to mount on the dovetail. Is that a wise decision based on your experience? I am reinforcing the joints with 1/4" plate 2-3/4" wide. I try to use as much scrap metal as possible as I am very frugal and this was the only flat bar I had in the scrap barrel. Thanks for sharing your design.
i i had thought about mounting on the dove as well, but decided that to achieve the ability to get a log further onto the trailer, moving it closer to the front was better. i think i am 4 stake pockets forward of where the dove and deck meet. when i chop off the legs, i will move the arch as far rearward as possible, to still give the ability to hang off the back of the dove.
not sure where my thread is on my arch, but its somewhere on here, in a thread with a feller building his arch out of wood.
as for wise, i don't know, since i have not tried it from there. i do have holes drill and tapped to accept the arch hinge blocks, which i think were nearly as big as the pocket itself. i had to add a washer (for use with a 1/2" grade 8 bolt, washer is 8 too) to take up the space between the pocket, hinger block and the trailer frame.
Log Loading Arch out of timbers. in Forestry and Logging (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=102281.60)
page 4 has a few pics of my arch. if you would like more, let me know. i fly back to tx the 21st and can get some more pics.
a pic of the arch pulling a crotchety top onto the dove is 1 of the 2 sections of pecan, that a combined wt. for the 2 was 12,300. the other pic with my wife standing by a log is the first large log i pulled, which stretched the weld on D ring
Wow, those were some impressive logs. I do not plan to lift anything of that size. I see your point about 12 feet being too tall also. Great info and thanks for sharing!
Just wondered how you are making out with this? I've been looking forward to some photos. Thinking of doing something like this for myself.
I have not been able to work on it due to holidays but should anticipate next week finishing welding. I will post pics then. Thanks
The
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Got a little welding accomplished this week.
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oooh, shiny :) looks good so far. looking forward to seeing this in action been tempted to do it on my trailer.
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I finished placing an order for a mill a month or so ago and told my friend I need a way to get logs to the mill. He told me they had a number of old trailers and he might have something for me so I drive over and he walks me back to this old boat trailer. It had a little damage that bent the leaf springs but otherwise it was in decent shape. 21 foot total length, could carry a 17' log.
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We removed the old boat winch and cut off the original receiver and the surge brakes. Which was a difficult decision but I want to operate this in the cold months and from what I've heard, they are illegal in the winter because they can freeze up? Either way, we went and purchased a 12k receiver and welded it on and removed the boat supports.
You can see my friend below working his magic with the angle grinder
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There it is after all of the removals. I ordered a 12k leaf spring kit and we're going to weld some new heavy duty fenders. We're trying to decide how to deck it, my friend thinks he has some "scrap" 1/8" plate with some small holes in it that we could put on it.
Also trying to decide how tall to make the arch, I'm guessing it should be half as tall as the longest log I plan on recovering? ie - if i want to grab a 17 footer, I'll need to 8.5 feet minimum to reach the middle of the trailer? I know logs aren't perfect cylinders and there will be all sorts of load distributions but can anyone help me ballpark it?
And anyone have suggestions on the best place to purchase trailer brakes?
I purchased a 12k winch that I'll be running to the arch and back through a snatch block (or two) to help reduce the load on it.
Any other suggestions are very welcome
biocmp, looks like its going to be a nice build. You really should start your own thread. I would love to give you some advice and ideas but do not want to muddy up the op's thread with your build.
Thanks for the suggestion, just created a new thread:
new trailer build thread (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=112981.new#new)
That sure is fancy! I made mine on the cheap. Used left over trailer tires and scrap spindles and other parts. i think the paint was the most expensive thing!
It can lever the end up on a log up to about 18" with no problem. I usually put the arch on the small end and lift big end with 3 point and pinchers or chain.
It's easier to lift end of log with grapple and strap arch to it. With this rig, I've pulled 65' trees with 22" butt end. Only problem is manuvering thru the forest with that long of a trailer!
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