Kyles redneck builds/ ideas

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  • #76
Oftentimes in my experience there might be videos on something, sometimes no. But on a forum there are tons of people who have dealt with that particular issue before, and likely are skilled enough they don't care about making a video. I guess some people make/ don't make videos because of their personality, and often someone not making videos may be just as skilled, if not more so. Say for example i finally got a lathe, and i had a question on turning a part. I could possibly find a video, but on a forum there will be people who can point out intricacies of what's actually happening that actually teach me the why, and so now I can approach the problem differently. Kinda like the difference between following a recipe and being a cook
 
Not the ones who call the vid a "how to" something, but that's the first time they try it. That gets under my skin. A lot of time spent to see a sub-par result, at best.
Yeppers ... sometimes it’s all sizzle and no steak 🥩
 
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  • #82
Long winded as can be, don't read unless you are really bored. Sorry. But if you are bored, plz read thru and point out the obvious thing I've missed and why this won't work, because I'm actually going to try to build this, like this week. I need it for my tree service of course, but i have some hurry up stuff i need it for too, which the wife is on board with because it's for her folks :lol: On the other hand if this does work pretty well, this could be a game changer for small time people like myself, allowing a trailer to self load/unload very substantial weight using only a single winch, some pipe, some basic rigging stuff, and some rope.

Long time since i started this thread, nothing done, but that's a changing lol. So I've had a crazy year since i posted this, and still like the idea, and now have more materials squirreled away so it's time. With everything that's happened, I've decided that a loader for my trailer (old utility pole trailer) makes the most sense first, so that's the focus for the time being. I think I've also decided on a gin pole type setup, which while having severe limitations also has some huge advantages, most notably lack of outriggers, absolute minimum of moving parts, least amount of materials and weight, very quick to deploy and stow away, and the largest lifting capacity possible. I'll be using it for tree work, and as a mobile crane for future projects. Since I don't have a trailer for my backhoe this will be far more mobile, and will have a much much higher lifting capacity and height than it as well. My backhoe can push this around too, which will only add to its usefulness.

Gin pole trucks/trailers normally don't self load, and trying to do so is a huge design problem. I've had some time to ponder on this, and i think i have a workable solution to this, while still only using 1 winch as the sole powered component. The idea is rather than mounting all of the stuff on the floor like a normal gin pole truck would do, i would raise the components up off the floor by building a permanent structure to mount them to. The pivot point of the poles would be 4 to 6 feet off the floor of the trailer, giving a higher rigging point which will make loading much easier. They will also be set closer to the center, giving room to run guy lines to prevent the poles from going over center, which means i can pull the load backwards. The backstays will be mounted much higher, likely around 10 feet from the floor of the trailer. This gives better line angles, but much more importantly will give me a high rigging point to use to drift the load in or out.

In use I've figured I'm going to do 1 of 3 things, lift something up and drive it around (like a normal gin pole truck would do), load onto the trailer, or unload from the trailer. The first one is simple, but the loading and unloading are more complex. Multiple winches seemed like the only solution until i remembered a story Gerry once told of using a tree to lift a load up a hill with a truck, tightening another line in another tree, and then lowering the truck line, drifting the load to the desired landing zone. I then figured i needed a super high rigging point, which really wouldn't work on a trailer too well, not to mention would have to assembled and disassembled when moving, which isn't going to work too well either. Then i came up with the idea that if the winch line has a pulley that's held back by a rope, i could lift with the winch, let off the rope, which would drift the load out over the gin poles, which would unload the trailer.

Loading still needed to be figured out, but so far, 2 of the 3 can be done. Then i think i figured it out today. If the winch line goes to an elevated backstay point first, then goes to the gin poles, i could use the same rope idea to load as well. The gin poles would have the rope there, and the pulley tied to the rope would be pulled tight to the top of the poles and tied off to start. The winch would pick the piece up, straight towards the gin poles to start, but once it is high enough, i could slowly lower the block, thus drifting the load into the trailer. By lowering the block suspended from the gin poles i would lose height, but since the winch line is also led to an elevated backstay position, it would raise the load when more winch line was taken in, thus drifting the piece into the trailer.

Since both rigging points (the backstay anchor and the gin poles) are elevated, it would work fine for drifting the piece in, and will solve the problem of doing everything with a single winch. It will require some extra rope handling, but honestly that makes landing the pieces easier without requiring a remote control, much like lowering a limb. Pulling pieces back into the trailer would normally pull the gin poles over and collapse the whole thing, but i think if i set them far enough into the trailer I'll be able to run an extra full guyline, locking the poles firmly in place. Since the rope will only be let out under load, i wouldn't need pulleys, and could weld up pipe to mimic blocks so i would have a bomber way to do multi part line to handle the loads, which for 7/16 wire rope could be 4k on single part line.

The gin poles could be left permanently rigged, and simply folded forward when traveling, and raised and lowered with the winch, basically removing all grunt work and setup time. They will be fixed length, which makes them simpler and since it's on a long trailer it will be hardly noticeable when not in use. The cathead could also be designed to take a stiffleg, which could be clipped on, chained to the trailer to take a compression load, and then used as an outrigger. This would allow me to pull sideways, like if i pulled up next to a house and needed to winch stuff to the truck sideways across the yard. I could also rig up a skyline yarder setup almost instantly, by parking in line with the tail anchor, rigging an extra line to act as a skyline, which could be tensioned and released by pulling forward or backward. The winch line would act as a mainline, and if i used another rope line as a haulback line, i could rig a very basic slackline pulling setup by adding another bollard to the trailer to hold back a pulley on the mainline. It would be a hand over hand pulling the setup back, but that sometimes would beat the alternatives quite handily. I could also add some basic outriggers to the rear of the trailer (maybe as simple as moving the trailer jack), which would allow me to load/unload my truck bed from the trailer, to be able to haul full loads under cdl. My truck and this trailer weight in at 13k empty, so i should be able to get 10 to 12k a trip under cdl, which is about as good as you can get with a heavy truck like mine. The ability to use the lift without the truck attached would be really cool too at times, like when working on stuff and you need a set rigging point (think welding stuff up that needs to be flipped around, sharpening mower blades, etc).

Any thoughts, criticisms, alternative ideas, etc? What am i forgetting, what have i missed? I'm surely missing something, please shoot this idea down before i need to drink a bottle of Jameson and hack this off my trailer :lol: I have everything here except the pulleys, belts, and chains to power the winch, I'm going to use an old 5 hp lawnmower engine, with simple belt clutches for forward and reverse. I'll run 2 control lines to the rear of the trailer, pull one for up and the other for down, and the winch has a free spool as well so i could rig that back there too. I need to buy the wire rope yet, and will likely buy some new treemaster for my rope, easy to splice and would take the abuse running over pipe and sitting in the elements very well, since it will likely be pretty permanently rigged.
 
I just read it and have glimpses of what I think it means. I'm going to study this with my son who interprets things like this from words into reality better than I do and see how it plays out. I'm going to have to sketch it some just try to understand better but you have certainly thought it through and it sounds like an awesome idea.
 
That is probably the longest post at the treehouse I've ever seen. I'm glad to see it... That level of detail is needed to try to explain and project something like this. Cool that it is for doing such a cool project.
 
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  • #88
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As promised, horrible drawings, nothing to scale. My kids were impressed tho, but that doesn't mean much because they can't draw yet either. I didn't show the guylines/backstay, because it would only somehow make the drawings worse, but the gin poles will be guyed front and back, anchoring them in place. In use they won't be able to move at all. To change between loading and unloading, I'll have to add the extra pulley and rope, shown on the final picture. Still debating on wire rope size, i may want the extra length afforded by using 3/8 for using as a yarder, and doubled it would still lift 2 tons, which is quite the load on the trailer. 3/8 would likely wear better as well, since I'm going to use 4 inch logging blocks. Going to have to see if i can get a 3/8 wedge ferrule.
 
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  • #93
I'll be able to fold them up and down, and adjust the angle with the winch, but I won't be able to do so under load. To do it under load i would need 2 winches, which is adding weight and complexity. 2 winches would be ideal tho, and i can add one later, but this is kinda a run what you brung deal for now. Most of the smaller (not dedicated oilfield super lift setups) I've seen online are using only 1 winch, they fold the poles out to the angle desired with the winch and then use a chain with a grab hook to lock the poles in position.

The heavy duty ones they use in the oil patch are on another level, I've seen pictures of some with 70 ton ratings or so, with tandem steering axles, rolling tailboards, etc. To pick that kind of weight on rubber is insane, but they have done it that way for decades. For this trailer I'm only going for the gin poles themselves, I'm hoping to keep this simple and cheap, using stuff i got here already. The whole thing, including the winch and wire rope, should be around 500 pounds total, which is good to be light since it's a small 14k tandem trailer i plated for 12k so I'm under cdl. It's a pintle, so the uplift on the hitch isn't a concern.
 
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  • #94
Here's a video of a pickup truck one, and how they fold them into the working position and back down. A higher angle in between the gin pole base and the tailboard lowers the force immensely, having such small angles in between the ropes and the gin poles makes the loads when raising/lowering absolutely huge. I'll be sure to have a high point in the back on the "tailgate" to allow easy raising. They are using chains on each side, which makes zero sense when i can run a wire rope pendant through a pulley and have one chain for adjustment (pipe with side plates, it doesn't need to be an actual pulley). The big trucks use pendants and multi part line going to an auxiliary winch that is used just for controlling the boom angle, but most I've seen them very rarely adjust the pole angle in use, only setting it more upright for heavier picks and booming down when doing lighter picks further away from truck. I'll also have guylines towards the rear, so when I'm pulling towards the front the poles won't be able to come back, but rather will be locked in place and acting as a hard rigging point. When loading, I'll be backing up to the log, loading it, resetting the hook to the gin poles by pulling the rope right and cleating off, then backing up to the next log. Basically it will be moved constantly to the logs, but will self load. When I'm done loading I'll fold the poles forward and then drive away, and I'll have the bed built up enough so i won't need to tie anything down because it will be deep enough.

 
Wow...those chains thrashing and the gin pole jerking around generates a modicum of terror. There do seem some ways to get F'd up if you don't pay good attention...but that's reality.
But overall it looked OK. It would be nice if he had a way to make the gin pole deployment smoother...may just be a function of the type of winch?
 
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  • #96
It's the attachment point, or rather the lack of one towards the rear. You simply add a small upright, which makes for better line angles, less force. When designed correctly it's very controlled and easy. He's also surging the winch and getting everything rocking, which is just jerky motion rather than just doing it. It works, but adding a small upright to the equation just makes it much easier. You have to be careful too because as it approaches the straight up balance point you have to reverse direction of the winch, meaning it's almost 2 blocked. Basically get them close to upright, flop them past vertical by hand, then lower to the desired angle.



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  • #98
Hahahahahaha very true. That was done on my phone, and i can't draw for shit. I'm not sure how I'm even able to weld, maybe i just need a 14" pencil clamped in a stinger and I'll draw better :lol:
 
In your first drawing it looks like the two-gin-poles assembly has to have a strong union, or anti-spread cable/member at their base, or good strength/rigidity of the two-uprights structure they pivot off of to prevent spread failure.

Unless you got that covered and I missed it. The big unit anchors on a flatbed, I think. Thus spreading load is dealt with.

? whadayathink ? on base, off base?

edit - you'll have some sizeable fore/aft bend loads on those uprights too.
 
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