B
BrianK
Guest
Last fall I asked Battenkiller for a copy of his plans for his log arch build. See his thread,
My New "Log Rite" Log Arch
He forwarded a copy of his drawing with measurements and cut list with angles. A couple people have asked me for a copy, so I'm going to post them here, along with some of his comments from his thread and our series of PMs about it so others can use it.
I have a friend who worked in a metal fab & welding shop who is going to put one together for me this summer. I have an old 4x8 utility trailer that is rusted out that we are going to salvage for axles/wheels and tires, and I already found a big set of unused Dixie skidding tongs on Craigslist for $50 (took several months of searching to find one local.)
I'll post photos of my build when its finished in a couple months.
My New "Log Rite" Log Arch
He forwarded a copy of his drawing with measurements and cut list with angles. A couple people have asked me for a copy, so I'm going to post them here, along with some of his comments from his thread and our series of PMs about it so others can use it.
I downloaded some pics of the older (welded) design from the Log Rite site and realized I could make a clone for next to nothing. I overlaid a grid onto the photos (not the model shown above) so I could figure out the scale of everything from the measurements given on the website. I determined that they used 1 1/2" square steel tubing, and by using the weight given for the device, I was able to calculate the gauge of the steel from the cut list I made.
I went to the local steel yard and bought one 21' piece of 1 1/2" X 1 1/2" welded steel tubing with 3/16" wall thickness. $54. I went home and cut it up with my cheap used tool sale horizontal band saw. Here's the layout of the arch itself:
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A buddy gave me one of those wheeled jacks for moving trailers around the lot. I pulled the wheels and mounted them on the arch frame. Then I welded a 6' piece of the square tubing to the top (using a sheetrock square to get it as square as I could), braced the handle heavily near the fulcrum area with more square tubing, added side braces made from some scrap pipe, and stuck a pipe into the end to determine the best resistance arm length for the wood I want to lift. Here's a pic of the front with my log tongs hanging off the pipe, grabbing onto a piece of pine about 3 1/2' long and 22" across - about 300 pounds.
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Here's a side view of the arch with the log held up:
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Here's Lady BK, all 5'6" and 142 pounds of her, lifting up the log all by herself. The welding gloves are only because I just completed that weld at the handle end and the steel was still hot.
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Now she's having a real easy time of it because I slid the ring on the tongs back and shortened up the resistance arm a bunch. Notice how relaxed she is, and she isn't even having to hold the handle at the very end for more leverage. As soon as I can find a piece of 1 1/8" cold-rolled steel that will fit snug inside the front of the handle, I'll drill a few holes through it so I can make it as adjustable as I want it. I'll be making a 4' extension handle for pulling long logs (up to 16'), welding on some pipe for pull handles, then sanding, priming and painting it.
I may spring for new wheels and put these ones back on the trailer jack, but I kinda like having the whole thing for under $60 for now. I already had the lifting tongs for lifting logs out in the field onto the truck bed, but you could go with skidder tongs to save a bit of money, or just use some chain, or even some HD rope to hold it tight so you can lift it. The tongs are fast, though.
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The frame is made from one 21' piece of 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 3/16" (wall thickness) square tubing with a couple pieces of 3/4" round steel pipe scrap for the side braces. I have a small metal cutting band saw, so I did the cutting myself. Assembly was done on a flat steel plate and all welding was done using my small Lincoln MIG welder.
No use getting huge logging tongs because the design only takes a 24" log through the middle. Plus, a large set may drag too close to the ground if the arch is built to my specs. A set that opens to 28" or so will make life easier, though. I think mine go to just 25" wide when fully open and they are hard to get in place on the biggest logs. I think I paid $90 for them. Don't get cheap skidder tongs. Real logs tongs are what you want.
The bar that holds the tongs is 1" square solid bar stock, with holes drilled every 1 1/2" for adjustment of the lever arm length. I welded ears of 1/4" plate to the bar and drilled them out for a 1/2" machine bolt to hold them in place. Just one way of doing it.
I'm pretty sure the handle is 64" long. That's how much I had left over after building the frame. I will get around to making the extension handle, but I haven't needed it yet. The adjustable load arm length let's me boost up the mechanical advantage when I need to. Obviously, you can't lift as high off the ground with it set really short, but you usually just need to clear it in order to get things rolling.
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It has held up to some pretty massive logs so far, and I even used it to guide a 300 pound 15' long steel beam into my walkout basement. Worked like a champ, and nobody's toes got squashed in the process.
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I have a friend who worked in a metal fab & welding shop who is going to put one together for me this summer. I have an old 4x8 utility trailer that is rusted out that we are going to salvage for axles/wheels and tires, and I already found a big set of unused Dixie skidding tongs on Craigslist for $50 (took several months of searching to find one local.)
I'll post photos of my build when its finished in a couple months.