The Eagle

[blue eyed devil]

My camera sucks but here is a couple jpegs. of the lifting device I built.

[blue eyed devil]

pic 2

[Kyle - Utah]

Now that's a fine piece of work! It's funny, but when I look at it, it's the nuts that make my wallet hurt. The rest looks like a lot of fine craftsmanship but those nuts just look expensive!

Best Regards

[Darin Alexander]

Fine looking job.

You didn't happen to draw up a set of plans for it?

Darin

[blue eyed devil]

The plans are by Allan Mackie from an back issue ILBA newsletter which I ordered from them last month.
It actually a pretty simple design to make,basiclly bolting things up .You only need to weld 4-1/4" plates to the tongs radius,make a locking device(to hold it open) and thread some shaft.If you build one be sure to use high grade bolts, nuts and washers where there is load!
The biggest expense was the plate metal. I drew up templates from the plans and had a fabrication shop cut the pieces and punch out the holes.Yeah,those nuts nearly broke the bank, j/k,they are just ordinary nylocks.The bolts however are grade 8 (important for strength).
Two pieces of high grade shaft are required/w threaded ends which goes thru 1"id. pipe.I used 1" 4540 HTSR shaft.Never weld on this type of shaft unless you are a professional welder.It's not nessasary anyway. I had a wirerope shop(very important) make all the lifting cables and supply the shackles and eye hook.
I used an old reach from a logging trailer and 4" sq tubing to build the lifting boom.I don't have plans for the boom.
Ive got about $700.00~ CAD into the whole thing.

[MikeS]

I've seen the Mackie plans for your grabber, and also seen renditions of it. I have one like it, however, it is hydraulic operated. Actually, it's a bypass log loader bucket, on a hydraulic materials handling knuckleboon crane.

One thing I learned using my loader bucket, with the shoe, is to use stainless steel. Stainless eliminates rust and iron marking the logs.

Anyone who makes one of these lifters, MAKE SURE you understand that you will be lifting logs that weight 2000 lbs. and more. It MUST be a safe device. Don't skimp on quality of fabrication and strength of pins. If you plan to use it for more than one project, grease fittings are a must. Anyone in business or using the lifter around employees should have it engineered. Otherwise, you are open to a lot of liability should an accident happen.

Nice looking lifter!

[blue eyed devil]

I'm going to get rid of the hook device that holds it open and use a 12 volt winch to open and close the tongs.That will be it's only function.

[mfritch]

If you cannot get the stainless steel for the flanges, you can also line the device with thin strips of Ultra High Molecular Weight (UMHW) plastic. This is pretty common stuff at most industrial supply houses or you can contact a plastic supplier in most large cities. Here is another idea for metal stains. I use a product from the company that supplies my anti-stain treatment to remove iron stains. It will remove the marks that rust leaves. It will also remove the stains from mistakenly filing your chainsaw while sitting on the log wall. The product is originally used to remove the tannic acid stains found in the Western Redcedar and Redwood lumber industries. It works very well. Contact me if you're interested and I'll dig up the literature on it.

[blue eyed devil]

Thanks for the tip.
I have a bunch of UHMW scavaged from the sawmill bone yard.
I've been making tools out of it.It's incredibly tough and low friction too.
I see alot of guys using straps instead of tongs. They must still have to use tongs alot to get the strap in ???

[blue eyed devil]

Come to think of it low friction might not be a good thing on this set-up.I did weld some small tabs across the bottom of each tong.They sink into the log about 1/4 but I find that the wood rebounds to a certain extent.

[mfritch]

Blue, I think that when you look at the lifting device, the mechanical advantage is such that the heavier the log the more solid is the grip on the log. It's not like a hydraulic grapple that needs to be kept shut. The nubs probably wont hurt, but you may want to pick up a log and then get down and see just how many of them are really touching the wood.

On straps, I was the guy that started using them about five years ago where I put two of them on every log in the house. They are put on the logs when we set them on the house for the last time in the yard. This way we have the balance pont preset. When we do the teardown, we can race around the house and move every log to the trailer in a hurry. Where they really shine is unloading the trailers to put the logs on the house. It really speeds things up there. If you are doing site-built homes, there really is no need to use them. I get mine from a manufacturer about 15 miles from my yard. They are 1" straps, 6 feet long with a 6" eye in both ends. They are rated and have a tag on them, but I cannot remember right now what the exact load rating is. The cost is $4.00 each FOB Clackamas, Oregon. If you're shipping houses, theywill save you money!

[MikeS]

Pertaining to the uhmw plastic; I tried many methods of attaching the uhmw to my loader bucket. Ultimately, it would sheer off. The stainless is a compromise to the plastic, but not much of one. The plastic is slightly easier to keep clean.

We found the plastic is more slippery than stainless. You need to consider that, when using a Mackie style tongs. If the log starts to slip out of the tongs, you have no way of stopping it with that device. We did have logs slip now and then, with the plastic on my loader bucket. In my case, we just squeezed the bucket a bit more, and kept the log under control.

I have a loader bucket I'd sell. It has stainless shoes on it. I replaced the bucket because the orbit motor is not aligned and the motor blows seals regularly. You can use it without the orbit motor and swing the logs manually. The hydraulic pinch function works perfectly.

I think Mark's straps are safer, when using a crane. Whatever you do, make sure you keep it safe.

[blue eyed devil]

Mike
I did have a few logs slip going over rough terrain last winter,but they were covered in frost and ice.I have not had any slip since I welded the tabs on ,but then again, I'm extremly careful moving logs around the yard.
If I don't get around to attaching the winch for opening and closing the tongs,I'm going to atleast weld some v shaped tabs on the lower shaft tube.The way it is now makes it difficult to hook up for opening because the lower shaft rests on the log when you set it in place.

I agree......... safety first.
A crane would be nice ,but I can't have everything.

[blue eyed devil]

I mounted a 1500lb winch to my boom today,strickly to open and close the tongs.A big improvement over the hook set-up.
My lifter goes pretty high ,but I will not be able to set the ridge.

The good thing about living in the sticks........ I can get a Butt-n-top loader for setting the ridge .
Hey Mike........ is this similar to what your grapple looks like??
Posted the Butt-n-top pic because not many would know one.
Just like an excavator............. only much bigger.Some can reach fifty feet.

[mfritch]

Blue, I've been around forestry, logging and log home building for years and I have never seen a grapple like the one on the Madill shovel. What in the world is that for? How does it work? Is it for handling bulk small wood? By the way, does any one want to start 'an ugly truck' contest for who has the ugliest old piece of log lifting equipment? We could all sign disclaimers stating that we will never use them again!

[blue eyed devil]

You won't see this unit on any log builders yard for obvious reasons, but you will see one of these on most landings, loading logging trucks (in a big hurry).They can lift from forty to fifty thousand pounds. The grapple rotates in almost any direction.
They are strickly for high production forestry.The cab is more like a tower, the operator is waaaaay up there.I have friends in the logging business so I can grab one if needed.Got to be gentle using the grapple.

[Scotty]

Er; uh Mark. I hope you meant 15 years, (or more), on initiating the concept of two straps per log and leaving them in place for the move and reerect. I know we were using the concept in the late 80's for our homes going to Japan and we got the idea from someone else.
Regards, Scotty