Log wagon

[Cowboy Billy]

Well my current project is log racks for one of my running gears. I have a lot of wood down at the farm and I do not want to skid it out and get dirt on the logs.

It would be nice to use new steel to build a project. But I just cannot afford it! Luckily my little Brother got steel shipping crates and gave to me. But its still a lot of work to cut them apart and grind off all the welds.

I got the cross beams made and the uprights started.

The uprights and cross beams are 3" channel and I boxed them to make them stronger

Where I am at now is trying to figure out how much more support I need for the uprights. There is going to be a lot of pressure on them and I am worried about them bending. I am also worried about bending the cross beam where the red arrow points. Where if it bends it could hit the tire.

I am thinking of welding the one on that I have sitting on there. But am not sure if a shorter one on 45 deg angle would be enough or if I should have a longer one so it will support the whole corner? But the longer one would use up more room that I could stack logs on. And I might want to build a flat deck that I can set on it that would carry a big water tank and firehose pump so I would have a mobile fire wagon.

Billy

 

[quads]

Good work!

An old uncle made one similar to that out of an old gravity box running gear that he used to skid saw-logs out of the woods and to the sawmill. His had stake pockets in it that he stuck small logs into for the uprights/stakes on the sides. He also made big tines out of the beams from an old plow that bolted in the bucket of his old Ford Jubilee and that's what he loaded/unloaded the wagon with.

 

[Clarkbar2311]

It might make some sense to take some plate cut into triangles and reinforce 180 from where your arrows are. Above the tire. nicely done.

 

[thewoodlands]

Looks good just make sure you post some pictures of that beast in action.

Zap

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Thanks Quads

I have a lot of work for it when I get it to the farm. Part of the reason I was playing around with the log tongs on the bucket of the tractor. Was to see if load the wagon from the back. There are very few places that are wide enough for me to load it from the side.

Thanks Clarkbar

I'll look into that. I need to make sure I have enough clearance as the racks slide into pockets on the running gear as I need to be able to take them off and use the gear for other things.

Thanks Zap

Will Do!

Billy

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Looks good Billy. Now you can really haul some loads out of there.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Thanks Dennis

I have alot for it to do! I have 1.5 + miles of trails I have made in the last year that I need to go back and pick up the saw logs. I just pushed everything off on the side of the trails when I made them. Most of its cedar but there's alot of spruce too. I got a used jonsered 2145 three weeks ago to cut all the branches off with.

Billy

 

[gzecc]

Billy, Did you consider straddling the upright with two struts. One on either side of the upright. Should make it twice as strong. You could still do it if you already did the single

 

[SolarAndWood]

As long as you run wire rope between the uprights after its loaded, it seems the biggest stress is going to come from a loading mishap. Like maybe pushing the forward uprights forward or out with the end of a log? Even if a log slipped out of the tongs, it doesn't seem like there is a big enough moment arm on the cross arms outboard of the supports to bend it to the point of failure, unless it was dropped on top of the upright.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Thanks Gzecc

Its a good idea. I know its hard to tell from the pictures but it is heavy duty C channel I am not worried about the channel bending but I boxed it just to be sure. My biggest worry was it breaking at the welds.

Thanks S&W

Sounds like a plan! I have some 10,000 lb straps I can use across the top.

Billy

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Well I finally used the log wagon for the first time. And I LIKE IT!! It sure is nicer than the old running gear I was using and the tires don't hit the wood while I am turning. It handles 17' logs no problem. Its 7'4" between the racks so 8' log is a little tricky. But most times if I need 8' logs I haul it out 16' and cut it up when I get it out.

I still need to get a set of tires and rims those are the ones I got with the trailer. The two on the front are the wrong bolt pattern and they broke one of the studs off on each hub to make then fit. But I wanted to try it out so I used it like I got it. But it will be getting new tires and rims that fit

I wanted to pull it with my farmall 130 but I had one steep hill to go up and wasn't sure the little tractor would do it.

Those are tamarack logs. My friend said it would be a lot stronger for the beams of my other trailer and hold up better than the spruce I had cut for it. I don't know but I will saw it up and see how it goes!

Billy

 

[Jags]

Hey Billy, from a strength point if you are worried about the horizontal 3" channel bending at the point of your arrow, you could take another 3" from between the tire and the existing channel and butt it up to the vertical (~12" long) rise.

It would increase the strength of that area by 100%.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Thanks Jags

I am going to run it as it is for now. But if I see it start to flex alot I will do that. When I get forks on the loader I might do that as I will let the wood spread out as I lift it and keep it from binding and lifting the trailer too.

Billy

 

[smokinj]

Up and beyond the call of duty again Billy, very nice piece!