I fought the log and the log one... For a while... Then I got smart...
Just an old car jack and part of an old cant hook...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/39553/DSC03229.JPG)
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Great idea, wish I was clever enough to think of things like that. ;)
Great idea
Now thats slickern slick :laugh:
Nice. I would weld a bar (foot) on the bottom of the jack.
Looks like a good idea. Plus I see in the second picture how to improve my scissor jack toe board.
Quote from: Magicman on July 08, 2015, 08:44:15 PM
Nice. I would weld a bar (foot) on the bottom of the jack.
I was going to but I don't see an antvantage... Working great the way it is and I don't want to add more weight.
I might weld a roller 1/4" roller pin bearing sharpened to a point on the red point of the jack.
I did grind a point on it allready and it's working good. But I think it will be a wear point.
Quote from: Kbeitz on July 08, 2015, 08:55:11 PM
I was going to but I don't see an antvantage...
When you get a stubborn unbalanced log/cant on the sawmill and the bottom of the jack slips sideways you just might see the need. I am always thinking safety.
That was the first thing I was thinking MM. Once I get moving again, I'm have to build something to help me roll logs/cants on the mill.
Quote from: Kbeitz on July 08, 2015, 07:07:41 PM
Just an old car jack and part of an old cant hook...
That is a clever re-purposing of an old bumper jack. I have had one for years in my barn - now I will find a way to use it around the mill.
Bob
The only problem I see is that as you raise the jack, the point of the cant hook is pointing less and less to the center of the log. I can see it tearing out of the log and having it flop back on you. The cant hook is designed to have the opposing grip point at the end of the pole helping it maintain a constant angle relative to the log.
You've completely changed the dynamic and are depending entirely on the hook remaining embedded in the one point.
With that said, it looks really cool and I would have never thought of it. Nice job!
Pretty clever idea Kbeitz.
Another handy sawmill tool. ;)
If you ever have a problem with the hook tearing out and not working on a particular log, maybe a short chain with a hook on the end that you can slip on to your existing red "horn" part of your jack would be handy? Take the chain/hook and go under the log up to the back side and hook it over onto the flat sawn part and it'll kind of parbuckle roll the log when you lift the jack. I hope I explained that good enough and you can follow my questionable mind... ::)
Guess I'm on the lookout for an old bumper jack now. Good idea for those without hydraulics and little help.
Quote from: coalsmok on July 09, 2015, 01:56:24 PM
Guess I'm on the lookout for an old bumper jack now. Good idea for those without hydraulics and little help.
Auto salvage yards (junk yards) around here get $30 to $40 for these handy old jacks. I bought one at a yard sale for 2 bucks.
I had one log that was kinda rotton.... The hook slipped out a few times before it turned...
The slip was slow as it dug in sliding around the log. So far I don't see much danger using this tool.
I tried to pull it out of a good log to see if it was unstable when the log was in the air but no way it was tight.
I'll let you all know if I have any misshapes or any problems using it...
One thing i did do was to oil it so it would go back down easyer.
I also welded a longer handle on the up/down switch.
Great idea, hope you don't mind if I copy it. Going to have to start searching for one of those Jacks from when cars had real bumpers. :)
Copy away.... Glad I could help.
I don't have help so any idea of making my job easer I'm going to try.
I had to move this log 2 - 3 feet to the right. I usually pry it if a leverage point is available or use low gear on my head advance and push it with the saw head or ... use the bumper jack. It is the easiest. 8)
Bob
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13036/P1020013~0.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13036/P1020014.JPG)
I like the idea, a short flat bar across the bottom might be enough to stop and kick outs if it becomes an issue. I thought about this on the leveling jacks, just never pursued it to that point.
One could make a variety of interchangeable bases to fit whatever situation. Also, what about building one with a double hook?
Another use is....
Find a chunk of pipe that will slide down over the jack.
Weld it fast to the part that moves up.
Drill a 5/8 hold through the top part of the pipe.
Find another chunk of pipe that slides over the pipe that you just welded om the jack.
Drill a 5/8" hole about every 6" up the pipe. Put a long bolt into the hole to tie the two pipes together.
The will make you and adjustable pusher from around 4 feet to 8-10 feel long.
Great for working on roofs to jack them up for new post.
I've been using High Lift / Ranch Right type jacks that way, with a piece of pipe, for years. Great for racking building frames straight.
Quote from: tmarch on July 08, 2015, 07:29:21 PM
Great idea, wish I was clever enough to think of things like that. ;)
Thats a great idea. A guy could modificate that to do several different tasks.... smiley_thumbsup smiley_thumbsup
Kbeitz...Great idea...that's roughly how I turn all my bigguns. As someone else mentioned, I use a logrite hook dug in to the top, far side of the log/cant, attached to a chain running underneath to a clevis hook which is attached to an older, heavy duty Hi-Lift jack. The I beam of the jack slides and locks into a receiver attached to the inside of the track rail. it easily turns anything I can fit on the mill and a few logs that can't. ;)
I'm with MM on the safety thing. you need to engineer a safer way to secure the jack when turning. Nice round logs are one thing, but get a big, knarly chunk of wood on your mill and things can go south on you pretty quick.