Log trailer arch height

fishfighter · December 03, 2016, 04:33:32 AM

A little more work done. Back bumper added. Had to split a house trailer beam. for the fit.

Then I started making the rollers. I might just use this one that is 35" wide. Once a log is loaded, I could just roll them off to the sides. Let me know what y'alls thinking on that or should I add more to the sides to go all across. ;D

It's 2" piping with welded on 1/4" plating at the ends and a 1/2" rod all the way thru. Was going to use bearing, but it is not a fast moving part. It spins real easy. ;D

Everything I used in this build, I had on hand other then a few pieces of iron so far. ;D

I do have some 3/8" cable that I plan on running from the front of the trailer to the top of the arch when the arch is extended all the way back to help arch support. Will be doing the same to the back to keep the arch going forward to much.

SkyDoc · December 03, 2016, 07:24:31 AM

Fish,

I've got a neighbor with about a ~16' long 5' round black oak on the ground that they want gone sitting in their yard. Do you want to come down and test that trailer out? I'd take it but I'd have to whittle it down a BUNCH to move it with my hoe. Even then, it'd sit for a good while before I could do anything with it. It was cut down last summer.

Doc

Kbeitz · December 03, 2016, 08:13:30 AM

My first roller had a 1" rod and i bent it with the first log.

fishfighter · December 03, 2016, 08:36:21 AM

Quote from: SkyDoc on December 03, 2016, 07:24:31 AM
Fish,

I've got a neighbor with about a ~16' long 5' round black oak on the ground that they want gone sitting in their yard. Do you want to come down and test that trailer out? I'd take it but I'd have to whittle it down a BUNCH to move it with my hoe. Even then, it'd sit for a good while before I could do anything with it. It was cut down last summer.

Doc

No thanks. I will never deal with an over sized log again. They broke me in the pass. :D

fishfighter · December 03, 2016, 08:37:27 AM

Quote from: Kbeitz on December 03, 2016, 08:13:30 AM
My first roller had a 1" rod and i bent it with the first log.

Well heck, that ain't good.

K, how long was your roller that you bent? My thinking is that maybe a short roller will not bend as easy. I hope I'm right. ;D

bags · December 03, 2016, 09:08:26 AM

I wouldn't install any rollers on the back of the trailer. The rear edge of the trailer and the log is the "brake" for the arch--- especially if you need to pull past center on the lift.

Ljohnsaw · December 03, 2016, 09:55:21 AM

Quote from: Kbeitz on December 03, 2016, 08:13:30 AM
My first roller had a 1" rod and i bent it with the first log.

I've bent a lot of 1" on stuff, too. Why not just make a few cradles across the back for the 2" pipe to just sit in. Got any 2½" or 3" pipe to take a section from? The log will slide over the pipe, and if it needs it, it will roll in the cradle. Put a little grease on the cradle to help it along. If you decide you don't want the roller, just take it off the cradles. Just make sure you don't put a cradle right in the middle where it will be in the way should you not want them. The cradles would need to be a little bit higher than half way up the pipe on the front side to keep the pipe from slipping out as you pull but could probably be lower on the rear side.

fishfighter · December 03, 2016, 10:56:43 AM

Quote from: bags on December 03, 2016, 09:08:26 AM
I wouldn't install any rollers on the back of the trailer. The rear edge of the trailer and the log is the "brake" for the arch--- especially if you need to pull past center on the lift.

I did think of this. To combat this, I have two 3000lb wenches that I could install on the backside of the arch. Adjust them as I load up. I still don't know. :D I'm going to give that roller a try. Just have to wait till the rain stops and that will be next Tuesday. Got a couple big oak logs here and if it can do them, then SYP logs about half the weight will be no problem. Heck, I am still building and will work out the bugs. ;D

Cradle holding a pipe? That could work. ;D Once I try the roller, then I will try just straight over the bumper on the side. If both fail, maybe just weld the pipe direct to the back of the I beam bumper which would give a smooth transition area. My plans are just to lift a log with the arch and get the log about a 1/3 of the way on the trailer. After that, I will drop the snatch block off the arch and then just use the wench to pull the log all the way up.

Kbeitz · December 03, 2016, 03:41:49 PM

Quote from: fishfighter on December 03, 2016, 08:37:27 AM
Quote from: Kbeitz on December 03, 2016, 08:13:30 AM
My first roller had a 1" rod and i bent it with the first log.

Well heck, that ain't good. K, how long was your roller that you bent? My thinking is that maybe a short roller will not bend as easy. I hope I'm right. ;D

Roller was only 36" long. Logs was huge.

fishfighter · December 04, 2016, 08:25:28 AM

K, those are some big ones. I will be looking for SYP logs that are no bigger then 26". As far as hard wood trees, I have all that I want here and I can get those with a tractor or a backhoe.

Still raining which is a good thing. About 4" so far with a couple more to come. Everything that fell, the ground has sucked it up. Not a puddle in sight. ;D

fishfighter · December 06, 2016, 03:39:29 PM

Got some cables up to the arch and some lights installed today.

Arch all the way down.

Arch all the way up.

The cables are 3/8" and should do the job.

Got a lead on about 60 SYP trees that I need to go check out tomorrow. ;D

Upper · December 06, 2016, 07:51:33 PM

Looks to me the log may bump the trailer before it clears.

Ljohnsaw · December 06, 2016, 08:51:47 PM

Quote from: Upper on December 06, 2016, 07:51:33 PM
Looks to me the log may bump the trailer before it clears.

Fishfighter, what will be your M.O.? Do you have a pulley on the arch that the winch cable will run through? Do you have a stop on your cable to make the arch lift or will you lift the log up until the hook hits the pulley? You said you have 3/8" cable but the angle it is at will probably have 6 to 8 times the tension that the log weighs (maybe even more)! How many cable clamps do you have on the ends? I would have no less than 3 with that set up. Ideally, the cables should come off the top at 90° (if they are trying to support weight) and the smaller the angle, the higher the forces at play.

Most of the arches I've seen on here, the arm is nearly flat on the ground. The log drags up to it, catches on the snatch block at some point and then the winch is pulling the arch up, lifting the log.

fishfighter · December 07, 2016, 05:53:10 AM

The winch will be the lifting force for the arch. The cables are there for just support for when lifting the arch to prevent it from flipping forward all the way and traveling. They are not to support the arch when lifting. Well, they will support the arch some. But the arch bottom will rest on the trailer frame as you can see the pivot point when the arch is all the way down.

I have a 20K snatch block pulley that the winch cable passes thru. Reeled up to the snatch box, that is when the arch starts lifting. The way I have it set up, I will be just lifting a log on the back of the trailer. Then disconnect the winch cable from the arch and then rehook back to the log and use the winch to drag the log on the trailer.

My target logs will all be SYP logs that will be no bigger then 26". I really will be looking for logs under 20". Looking for SYP logs to start a timber frame barn build in the near future.

I still have to add stabilizers to the very back of the trailer to give the back support along with a few other things. Still a work in progress. Once I get the stabilizers installed, I will try it out on a 26"x 16'6" red oak log which is about a third more then the weight of a SYP log of the same size. ;D

Ljohnsaw · December 07, 2016, 09:35:23 AM

OK. good to hear you have a plan. Still, I would have more than one cable clamp. Should the arch fall back down, there will be quite a shock on the cables.