Kyles redneck builds/ ideas

[Tree09]

It is and it isn't. I made this so that the frame is an integral part of it. If i wanted to make it so i could pull it on or off, i could have added flanges or something like that (i technically still could). As built the boom, long outrigger, and winch part are easily removed, and I'll be adding anchor points so I'll be able to use the winch as a tree mounted winch too if needed, giving me 2 winching bollard setups. I also kinda decided that when i started this project, this would be my chipper until i get away from chipping, which is my down the road end goal. If i needed to put this on a different chipper, it would be doable if i wanted to. That's the cool thing about steel, you can modify it almost infinitely.

I honestly made this more complicated than i originally intended, but i think it came out alright. Anytime you build something for the first time you learn things as you go, so the later versions of the same thing goes faster and better. This was also a long and drawn out project, only being worked on in my limited free time when i was feeling good enough to do it. To put this in perspective i haven't cut trees for that long either, physically i wasn't there yet and once i decided that i was building iron to do the grunt parts, trees are on hold until i get it done. It was an experiment partly too, many of the design features were made up on the cuff, and looking back i would try different things in certain places.

 

[lxskllr]

I kinda like the rusty iron look. Goes good with the rigging. Looks like an old fishing boat.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I was thinking he need some gale and such flags for it. Couple of nice American flags. And maybe a "Don't Tread on Me".

 

[flushcut]

What's its name?
The build kinda reminds me of the movie Jaws just after the shark destroyes the dive cage and Roy has to hang a block off of a foot peg. Don't ask because I don't know either. Beer and a horrible Packer game may have something to do with it.

 

[flushcut]

I was thinking he need some gale and such flags for it. Couple of nice American flags. And maybe a "Don't Tread on Me".

Jolly Roger.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Definately. Skull and cross bone. Tree Pirate!!! Arrrrrrrrrrr!

 

[stikine]

It is and it isn't. I made this so that the frame is an integral part of it. If i wanted to make it so i could pull it on or off, i could have added flanges or something like that (i technically still could). As built the boom, long outrigger, and winch part are easily removed, and I'll be adding anchor points so I'll be able to use the winch as a tree mounted winch too if needed, giving me 2 winching bollard setups. I also kinda decided that when i started this project, this would be my chipper until i get away from chipping, which is my down the road end goal. If i needed to put this on a different chipper, it would be doable if i wanted to. That's the cool thing about steel, you can modify it almost infinitely.

I honestly made this more complicated than i originally intended, but i think it came out alright. Anytime you build something for the first time you learn things as you go, so the later versions of the same thing goes faster and better. This was also a long and drawn out project, only being worked on in my limited free time when i was feeling good enough to do it. To put this in perspective i haven't cut trees for that long either, physically i wasn't there yet and once i decided that i was building iron to do the grunt parts, trees are on hold until i get it done. It was an experiment partly too, many of the design features were made up on the cuff, and looking back i would try different things in certain places.

Damnit, tldrd haha.

 

[Eric H-L]

Westtech rigging is where i got them, and I'm not sure why they wouldn't work on rope. They are 5 inch, half inch rope size, and are round just like you would expect. There's even pictures of Jerry using them in the fundamentals too, most of the rigging blocks pictured look like the logging blocks I'm using. They are new tho, so they don't have any burrs like steel rope can do to them.

I was just checking out the blocks at Westtech. They have a seriously large selection! Kyle I appreciate the research you did could save others some time and money. Those blocks you chose look like an astonishing favorable cost to capacity ratio! 💰/🏋️‍♂️

 

[ruel]

Just watched the videos of it running, had skipped them I guess. Holy hell Kyle, that thing is so friggin cool!

 

[Tree09]

Thx man

 

[flushcut]

Bump.

 

[cory]

Kyle shows up with that thing, the trees be like, wtf, We Surrender!!!!!

 

[flushcut]

They just fall over.

 

[Tree09]

Started going again on the log trailer, doing the front supports and getting ready to weld the winch on. Couple chain falls and the chipper boom becomes a crappy crane, better than my back tho.

 

[Eric H-L]

How much do you think the winch weighs?

 

[Tree09]

200 or so

 

[Bart]

Good stuff Kyle. Now for a total derail, moose hunting, I saw a guy on tv who had rig-down wheels on an aluminum boat so he headed for shore, dropped his wheels and drove up the beach, possibly also substantially inland too. Drove back into the water, up go the wheels, boated home. I believe he was hunting and loaded the boat before heading back into the water.

Sorry, carry on!

Kyle, with argon Co2 mix mig at very low settings does the weld act hotter than you expect based on your settings - main point, on a real cold day. I was fixing a thin muffler at -10deg C and it didn't seem right. Wasn't wetting out much almost looked like shield gas shortage. Maybe my regulator was frozen and not flowing right? Too hard to keep an eye on the flowmeter with almost constant spot weld style to avoid burn through. Pre test showed 20 cfm. Supposed to be 70 psi into the needle valve. Older regulator. Oh, it first happened on pure Co2 which I ran out of before switching to my mix bottle. Maybe the machine electronics uncalibrate in the cold. Pulling at straws here.

 

[Tree09]

No telling from here, could be moisture on the steel at those temps. Get a weed burner to preheat and you'll fight stuff less. Regulators and pretty much everything else hates the cold, so that could be it. A bad ground could cause that, any resistance to ground is voltage that you're losing, so you might have to tweak your settings per what you're welding on. I've burned semi loads of wire, and i couldn't tell you what settings i use at all because every machine is different so every time you set it up it'll be different. Set your voltage first, and then set your wire to it, and do it by the sound and how it's melting and then tweak for your application. Just remember your wire speed is your heat.

What gas are you running? And what were you running on pure co2? I know some fields use co2 for mig welds, and some dual shield, but I've never even seen it tried around here. You need 90 percent argon to hit spray so i like that for hard wire (the o2 trimix is the best imo), and then 75/25 for dual shield and you can really lay it down. But that's just what I've found to be the best for code and production pipe and structural.

 

[Bart]

Thanks for the input. Welded a screw on for ground, freshly dressed ground clamp surfaces, about 0.045" thick old metal muffler, 75/25 argon/co2 pretty sure, solid wire 0.023. Have the machine turned damn near as low as it can go, definitely globular. In the old days just ran co2 not as nice but 3x cheaper. Average weld duration 1 to 2 seconds tops or "poof" you're through. I'm leaning toward gas malfunction or voltage control malfunction. For now my solution is wait till it warms up to finish. Gonna get to some more forgiving 0.055 metal patches soon. A $C note for a piddly little crap quality replacement muffler!! When this type of weld works the little patches each settle down mostly smooth. My malfunctions look like the lunar surface that roils up if you lose your gas, but supposedly I indicate that I have gas. ?

I envision some of your high current weld pools being so big it's like a little cauldron of witches brew!

edit - turns out both cylinders fooled me. The Co2 would give a small puff while I watched but taper off, main gauge doesn't read accurately near zero. Coincidence, mix gas exactly ran out while I welded briefly. Warmed both tanks up in the house' got tiny puffs and confirmed they ere empty. -4 today, finished up ok after refills.

 

[Bart]

Kyle, I saw a version of your mini crane, the triangulated structure, on a boat trailer on a tv show about living in Alaska. The guy was hoisting logs 1200 lb limit. He had two small log pieces bonded as a temporary skid ramp to get the end of the log to go up at first and he left the hoist cable on to hold up the log end during transport. Backed it right into the water to unload, take the logs away by boat. Great minds think alike!

 

[Tree09]

 

[ruel]

I love seeing your builds Man, super fun!

 

[Tree09]

Thx man, slowly getting there. The weather breaking a bit will help

 

[Tree09]

Baby steps, got the front poles and their mounts done on the log trailer. Had to do a higher one up front so i can tuck the winch all the way close to the upright, this will give me the correct fleet angle. Got the mower up on skids so i can assess where to do stuff, I'm hoping most of the parts can be repurposed so i don't really have to buy much at all. I'm finding that having a little crane on the chipper is wonderful for building stuff, the tray makes a very nice bench to put stuff on and you have nice a little work area that the crane covers. It's not quite as fast as a jib crane is but having the ability to adjust the radius and it stays there is nice. Most manual cranes will drift a bit because nothing is holding it from swinging and this is no different, but you learn to work with it so it's not a huge deal. It's not on a solid foundation like a jib crane would be, but it still drifts less than some that I've used before. It's not prefect but i think it does pretty good so far for being a bunch of scrap

 

[stikine]

Haha, you're still drinking that crap beer! Nice work young man!