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DIY bypass grapple

Started by northforker, June 26, 2013, 01:51:47 AM

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northforker

You have good ideas, barbender. I was looking through a bunch of pics if grapple skidders and I think I now understand what you are saying about the boom angle. In the right configuration, when I retract the bucket cylinders, this pulls the grapple toward the machine. The Bob-Tach boom I am using only has a slight upward angle relative to the mount plate so I can't really draw the grapple in very far without lifting the loader arms significantly. Boy, that's a great idea you have for incorporating a push blade in the mount! It would be perfect for pushing stuff out of the way when making a skidding path. It's an excellent idea.

Quote from: barbender on July 15, 2013, 01:15:26 PM
Northforker, if I was building my boom again, I would make it so that the grapple/boom was about 45° from your bucket hinge point when it is centered in it's travel, so the grapple comes toward the machine as you roll back. This gives you a higher vertical reach, and makes heeling stuff easier. This is a bit difficult to describe in writing, but basically make it the same shape as a grapple skidder's grapple, so as you lift the load it comes up and crowds toward you. I even thought I could make the bottom of the mount plate a dozer blade, you could roll it back so the grapple is high off the ground, and push junk out of your way with the blade. I've used mine a lot for skidding short distances, and piling 100" wood on the landing for trucks to haul out of, and these features would work well for that.

Randy88

You guys don't know it but your in the process of building the machine I was looking for a few years back, to elimate all the chainsaw work and people on the ground on foot, rather put them in a machine and cut, skid and shove stuff out of the way, put a swivel on it and mount it on my skidsteer and its exactly what I need as an attachment.   Nobody makes one I can afford to buy, so keep this going so I know how to make it myself, especially the part of putting the saw on it and how to go about that.

barbender

Northforker, my boom is pretty much the same as yours. I shamelessly copied mine from a picture of a Valby attachment, and that was how their boom was setup. It didn't take long to see that that boom configuration didn't work that great. That's what I get for copying ;D
Too many irons in the fire

kenmie

looks like a nice one....what do you calculate the total cost to be

drythropple

Depending on the size of timber you need to cut have you thought about a tree shear instead of a saw?

DDW_OR

here is a link to northforker's Fellerbuncher 
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,54852.0/all.html#top

FYI i grew up in Columbia Falls.
"let the machines do the work"

DDW_OR

Here is a link to my multitek firewood processor. maybe it can give you some ideas on the bar saw
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,93354.0/all.html#top


 

  

line E4 connects to the cylinder that moves the bar
"let the machines do the work"

moodnacreek

I really respect a man who makes his own tools. The bar saw attachment  I would be afraid to do without copying a proven one.  Almost has to be a 3/4 pitch, wide short bar hung heavy and very well garded.  To me its a brutal assignment  for a chain saw but don,t stop now!

mike_belben

Quote from: northforker on July 06, 2013, 12:53:49 PM
Thanks Randy! I'm still scheming about the bar saw addition. I'd like to just have a separate saw assembly that would bolt on/off without too much difficulty. Many of the commercially available grapples (Valby, etc.) have some parts of the grapple jaws or struts mounted external to the grapple frame. I built mine with all the moving parts internal to the frame so I would have a large surface to bolt a saw assembly to without interference from other moving parts. Even before I start building the saw, I know the devil is in the details, particularly when it comes to modulating bar feed with saw speed. Ideally, I'd want a system of valves that would sense pressure to the saw motor and speed up/slow down the bar feed accordingly. I will have a look at Danzco's valve assembly and see how much it costs. He's obviously thought about this problem in great detail. Then there is the matter of oiling the chain. I tested an idea for an oiler that I think I'll use. I have a small 2-way pneumatic cylinder that has about an ounce of displacement. I'll turn it into a pump using 2 check valves. Using the extending/retracting motion of the bar, it behaves like a syringe of sorts. When the bar retracts, the cylinder sucks in and fills with oil. The oil is pumped to the bar as the bar extends. The oil will either come from a separate reservoir mounted on the grapple assembly, or will be drawn from the hydraulic system. I also thought about using grease as a lubricant...anybody here ever try that?

Quote from: Randy88 on July 04, 2013, 09:07:13 AM
Excellent job, I'm impressed, how are you planning on going about adding a bar saw to it?



Great build.  Did the barsaw ever happen?


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