makin a log grab

[weisyboy]

after bending my 4 in 1 bucket on the bobcat again i decided i need a log grab.

so hows this look for a desighn each one would be 2 peices of 3/8" plate about 4" apart with pipe/plate between them.

i would put 2 of them about 5' apart.

2" bore 8" stroke ram would give me a max opening of 3'4" and the closed opening would be 10" at the widest.

pic is with a 24" log.







can get it all out of a 4' square of plate

[bill m]

3/8 plate is not strong enough. Minimum 1/2 - 5/8 would be better.

[northwoods1]

3/8 plate is not strong enough. Minimum 1/2 - 5/8 would be better.

I agree with Bill on at least 1/2", but I would also make it so that  it has some kind of forks on there or something so that the clamps where just to hold the log in place and not have to be supporting the wieght so much of what you where carrying.

[g_man]

I don't know about clamping them 5' apart. I think you might find that if you have a big lumpy or severly tapered log it might slip out of one end unless your vertical piece has more of a hook to it. Some times you will get all the weight on one clamp and be way off center. Getting under or behind the log 5' apart and grabbing it in the middle might work better for you.

[clww]

I would go with the thicker metal, too.

[240b]

looks like a Multitek grapple I'd get some 1/2" Hard-ox or t-1 plate if your going to go through the trouble to build your own.  mild steel will be noodle like

[captain_crunch]

I am afraid without a bit of a fork under log it will take too much pressure on clamp to hold log.Guess if you added even rock teeth to bucket might
 be enough Buddy of mine has a set of pallet forks off a lift truck that pin into top of loader bucket and set inside bucket. He can fold em over backwards or un pin them and fhey work good enough We are building a set for me. Also if you get t-1 or better steel have them Plasme cut touch heat applied to the plate to cut em will alter the high dollar steel and all but make mild steel out of them

[Jeff]

We've moved tens of thousands of cords of wood to the sawmill using 50" long forks. We had two machines over the years with "thumbs" on them and they were a nuisance.

[weisyboy]

each tye would move independantyl (not hooked to the other) to compensate for taper that is the bigest problem with the clamshel bucket, 

i dont wanna use forks sa im geting logs out of big piles and need to grab one falf way up that is sitting between to others i need to be able to grab it by the top half. also i want to be able to place it into the mill over the rails, with forks i cant slide them out but with a grab i can just lift up and over.

i have a set of pallet forks but only use them on massive short logs i cant grab with the bucket.

i might go 1/2" plate i was gunna use 3/8 cos i have a sheet.

the 4 in 1 has teeth about 1" long on each side of bucket (5' wide) and will grab most every log with a litle fiddling, the biggest problem is one end is wider because of log taper and other end will let go, with is why i decided to use 1 ram on each side piped into the same line, that way one can stop and the other keep going and clamp the log.

iv seen a lot of similar grabs on articulated loaders working in hardwood mills around the place, but i havent been able to measure one, the pine mills use log forks (heavty palet forks with grab in center.

[g_man]

Sounds like you know what you need. Your two separate cylinder plan sounds great. Mine is made from 3/8" material but I would feel better if it were heavier. Though I have not bent it yet I can tell it is only a matter of time before I do. And I only handle small logs. My tractor will only pick 1000 lb max and my truck will only take 12'  logs.

[weisyboy]

i was gunna put 2 peices of 3/8" plate about 3-4" apart and weld in 2" tubing and plate gussets between them, i would not just have a single piece of 3/8 plate it would last about 10 mins.

the side of the bucket is 5/16" and i have only managed to bend the side of it once, and i lift logs up to 42' long and 2' diameter, will easily lift a log about 1.5 ton.

[Buck]

Yep You need more hook on the lower side. somewhere between a rake and a fork and I think you would be much happier with it.

[Hilltop366]

Would there be any advantage to make the top clamp a bit narrower than the bottom so they would by pass a bit in case you wanted to pick up small pieces? Thinking of things like slabs and trimmings.

[chevytaHOE5674]

We've moved tens of thousands of cords of wood to the sawmill using 50" long forks. We had two machines over the years with "thumbs" on them and they were a nuisance.

We move thousands of feet of logs daily with 5' long forks and a thumb in the middle. Without the thumb the logs slip and slide off the forks also it is hard to get a full "bite" to keep the sawmill filled. The thumb allows you to "grab/pinch" a single logs out of a pile or load and set them places. Also allows you to be move careful when setting logs down as you have something to keep them from just wildly rolling off the end of the forks.  Without the thumb on the machine moving logs is very tedious and frustrating (we have an extra machine with just forks and it sits unused because its such a pain).

Forks with one single thumb in the middle allows for taper in the logs. Also with the correct length forks for the thumb it allows you to grab logs very easily

[Ironwood]

If you were not 12,000 miles away, I have some nice "block" forks that I dont need, about 2"x2" and tapered. They are off a 14,000 lb forklift that was used to move BIG lifts of blocks.  I even left them unpainted for YOU. They would be good for both the top and bottom of your design. You should look around if something like this were available, it might be the "cat's meow"

 Ironwood