Logging Arch Project

[quote="Garlic Pete"]That is a pretty neat piece.

It looks like he must have used a truck frame, maybe the same donor as the wheels. It must have taken some heat and work to put those nice curves in that frame.

I was expecting something with a sheave or sheave block at the top to thread a winch cable through, then use that to choke the logs, pull them in and lift the butts of the logs for dragging. It looks like that spindle at the top is too small a diameter to work with a winch cable, though. Is the idea with this one to back up over the end of the log, then choke the log with a chain, running the chain up to he spindle. When you drive away, the chain would go taut, lifting the end of the log somewhat and allowing it to drag but not dig into the dirt.

Do I have it figured out right?

Hopefully you can find some suitable replacement wheels and tires. I'd want to keep it looking right for the period, rather than just put on some practical but not good looking modern tubeless wheels and tires.

That arch should multiply your D2 into a D6 equivalent at least! It'll give you much more power and flexibility moving those logs around.

Nice re-discovery!

Pete.[/quote]

Pete, thanks for looking at it closely and making those comments. I am going to have to check with my dad on how Grampa actually used it. He had a heavy duty winch (non-Hyster) mounted on the back of the Cat and I assumed he ran the cable up over that spindle and hooked it to a choker chain on the log in question, then just reeled it in and up. (The winch was powered by a hydraulic motor- I have it here and am considering re-building and remounting it). He also at one time I had a hand-crank winch bolted to the Arch- you can see the mounting bracket in the pics. I am not sure how I am going to set it up yet.

Greg

GP - you can do it that way. I have and it works fine, but of course with an operating winch, you can run the choker down the hill to get the logs instead of having to back down there...

He must have used the poles as a lifting device when not skidding with it. With the spread, you definitely could have gotten the logs into the steel arch to haul even with the Fordson.

I think the cable from the winch simply ran over the the top of the spindle much like the fairleads of the old cable log skidders. As Neal said drag them in, possible multiple stems on individual ckokers on one main line and winch the butts a couple feet up off the ground. My bet would be that the secondary hand winch was used when he used it as a portable "mobile crane".

Update: I took the wheels and spindles to a machine shop today, because with my tools i could not get the lug nuts off to save my life. They confirmed they are Ford AA truck wheels (20" split rims). They were only made for two years, 30-31. A search on-line has revealed NO replacements available, new or used... so if I do find a pair they will be stupid expensive. My machine shop boys say they can drill a new bolt pattern in the hubs if I can find a set of wheels that will work as replacements (4 or 5" x 20" truck wheels of some make and model). So I will begin looking around...

Greg

could you just get a tubeless rim and cut the guts out of it and weld the guts out of the rims you have in the tubeless piece
There seems to be a move in the US away from split rims and you could still retain the look it had when first made and bring it up to more modern type of wheel and maybe make it easier for tyre repairs in the future

Paul

could you just get a tubeless rim and cut the guts out of it and weld the guts out of the rims you have in the tubeless piece
There seems to be a move in the US away from split rims and you could still retain the look it had when first made and bring it up to more modern type of wheel and maybe make it easier for tyre repairs in the future

Paul