Projects

[willedoo]

I'm starting to plan a new project, namely building what I call a log jinker. The goal is a mini version of the timber jinkers you see on the road when semi's are hauling logs. It's in two sections - the rear section which works like a standard log arch, and the front dolly section which would hook on behind the ute. There's quite a few variations around the basic designs but I like the winchless type in this video. The first part of the video shows a bloke hooking up a log with the front section only and skull-dragging the rear of the log on the ground. The later part of the video shows the rear arch being employed to carry the log fully suspended off the ground. The biggest challenge will be how to build it at minimal cost as I had a big clean up three years ago and foolishly tossed out most of the steel I had. I also have to source wheels and hubs as I only have a couple of old 13" wheels that came off a trailer and no hubs. Three years ago I also threw out wheels and running gear off a Nissan Patrol, a heap of Landcruiser wheels and two sets of running gear and wheels from a Suzuki LJ80 Stockman as well as hubs and axles off a couple of trailers. I wish I still had them but if I keep my nose to the ground I might find someone throwing stuff like that out.

 

The reason for it is that I have a few logs on the ground around my place and would like to retrieve them and try out the eBay chainsaw slabbing jig that I've never used. There's a bit of brush box, forest red gum, ironbark, bloodwood and some unidentified big tree that fell across my small dam. I think it's some type of tall growing acacia; the timber is hard and dark red and should polish up nice. If the rig works it should be handy in the long term for different jobs.

 

 

 

[old man emu]

I like the way that the log is lifted by the movement of the front wheel assembly. I was a bit afraid that if you slipped or lost your grip on the raising lever for the rear wheels, you could get hit by it as it came down. All-in-all a great design for bringing a log from the paddock to the woodpile. Cuts out some double handling.

 

With these wheeled projects, getting wheel rims, and hubs is often the biggest problem. I've got hubs and tyres for a bike trailer, but have to find Ford Falcon wheel rims. That's if ever the round tuit for that project arrives.

[willedoo]

21 minutes ago, old man emu said:

I was a bit afraid that if you slipped or lost your grip on the raising lever for the rear wheels, you could get hit by it as it came down.

I guess there would be a bit of trial and error there. It's easy to have visions of a mousetrap-like closing action catching fingers. Some have extendable levers with a smaller diameter pipe or box section inside another with drilled holes and a locking pin for adjustment. I'd say that would be for carting longer or shorter logs. I'd like to try something like a rope lanyard on the end of the lever to keep out of the way.

Edited August 30 by willedoo

[willedoo]

I had a look this afternoon and I should be able to scrape up the steel for it. The main thing I have to chase up is wheels, axles and hubs. I've got a pintle hitch hook I'll be taking off a Landcruiser wreck before I sell it, but I don't have the towing ring part of it.

[onetrack]

Whoa, Willie - that's a lot of fabbing work, just to haul a few logs around! Why don't you get yourself a little old Cat 22, like my mate on his 100 acres down on the Campaspe, South of Echuca - and just snig them around with a chain, to where you want them!

What are you going to do for brakes for that jinker on steepish slopes? An unbraked loaded jinker going downhill is a recipe for trouble! The old horse-drawn or bullock-drawn whims and jinkers had no brakes, but they dragged one end of the log on the ground, still.

 

 

Edited August 30 by onetrack

[willedoo]

It will be all uphill going. I'll just keep my fingers crossed it doesn't disconnect and end up in the neighbours place.

[old man emu]

29 minutes ago, onetrack said:

Why don't you get yourself a little old Cat 22

Why get involved with another machine to buy and maintain when the thing williedoo is looking at is an unpowered trailer? 

[willedoo]

29 minutes ago, onetrack said:

Why don't you get yourself a little old Cat 22, like my mate on his 100 acres down on the Campaspe, South of Echuca

That's the next project - to see if I can get the old IH TD8 going. I don't know if it will ever be a goer again but it's worth looking at. I just have to sort the investigation into a logical sequence so I know where I stand with it before spending too much money on it.

[willedoo]

3 minutes ago, old man emu said:

Why get involved with another machine to buy and maintain when the thing williedoo is looking at is an unpowered trailer? 

Also, I can see the way the sections work, either singularly or together, they would be handy for a few other jobs as well. I've been trying to figure out ways of lifting rocks without getting another hernia and this might have potential.

 

The way the front section lifts reminds me of a cam action.

[willedoo]

21 hours ago, onetrack said:

that's a lot of fabbing work, just to haul a few logs around!

Here's another alternative which is cheaper and maybe more practical - a lifting arch mounted directly on the back of the ute tray. I already have the winch and steel. The tray is 8' so for shorter logs I could probably get a 12' log entirely on the deck hopefully without the front wheels being too light. Nice and secure and would cost bugger all to build.

 

For longer logs, I would only need the rear section of the contraption in the OP video. It could be hooked up, the rear of the log raised and secured, then the lifting arch used to lift the front of the log onto the back section of the ute tray. Secured the right way it would ride there and swivel much like a semi trailer turntable. It would be half the cost of the tandem setup in the OP. Also the lifting arch on the ute could be built so it's easy to take off when not needed. The ute lifting arch would also be more versatile for lifting and loading things other than logs. The road registered ute tray could also be set up the same way so the lifting arch and winch could be swapped between the road vehicle and the unregistered scrub basher. I think it's a more practical alternative. Start with the arch on the ute back and take it from there.

 

 

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, willedoo said:

Here's another alternative which is cheaper and maybe more practical

I don't think it is practical at all. The junker designs can be hitched to the drawing vehicle quickly. They can be manhandled into position quickly and more accurately than trying to back a ute up to the log. Also they are narrow so you can haul logs out of tight spaces. The initial disadvantage is in trying to source the wheels and rims. Solve that and you are on your way. 

[willedoo]

Although you've still got to back the ute up to within the towbar length of the front of the log with the articulated setup. I had a look at the winch and it's only a 500kg winch so it might not be big enough. Cost wise, it wouldn't be viable to buy a new winch.

[old man emu]

You don't have a quad bike like that Finnish bloke?

[willedoo]

1 minute ago, old man emu said:

You don't have a quad bike like that Finnish bloke?

Unfortunately not. I had a Honda quad bike that needed an engine repair but it went along with all the steel, axles and wheels in the the great clean-up of 2021. The only property off-road vehicle now is a 4x4 Mitsubishi Triton.

[old man emu]

Make do with what you've got.

[willedoo]

That quad bike used to belong to my dad. He rolled it on top of himself and broke his leg when he came home a bit full after playing bowls and got a bit over enthusiastic rounding his sheep up. It was repairable when I disposed of it. The front wheel drive wasn't working and the engine needed a new main bearing by the sound of the knock. By the time a main bearing goes, there's usually a total engine rebuild in order at that many hours.

[willedoo]

Facebook marketplace often has old caravan or trailer full axles and wheels for sale at a more affordable price than buying new hubs and stub axles. The problem with FB marketplace is getting a seller to reply to your message. Most of them don't. They often sell the item then don't bother to take the ad down so they  just ignore messages.

[willedoo]

44 minutes ago, old man emu said:

You don't have a quad bike like that Finnish bloke?

One thing about all those European and American YouTube videos is that they are hauling pine and other timbers much lighter than our Australian hardwoods. I've got a billet cut from a brushbox that had to come down when my power line was repaired early in the year. I might put it on the scales to get a rough weight estimate of logs. Brushbox is medium weight I think. The heaviest around here is ironbark.

[spacesailor]

Does " Ironbark " float in water . 

I noticed that some woods are that heavy, they sink .

spacesailor

 

[red750]

2 hours ago, old man emu said:

The initial disadvantage is in trying to source the wheels and rims.

No auto wreckers around?

[willedoo]

6 minutes ago, red750 said:

No auto wreckers around?

Might be worth a try but they are normally fairly expensive around here. You never know your luck though.

[red750]

Probably cheaper than new though.

[onetrack]

Farcebook Marketplace in your region should turn up something. Even Gumtree might produce something, but Gumtree is getting more useless each day, as eBay, the owner of Gumtree, prompts you to buy their Chinese crap instead.

 

Edited August 31 by onetrack

[willedoo]

There's still bargains on FB marketplace and even some good stuff for free but you have to be quick and basically first cab off the ranks. Today I contacted a bloke who was selling a tandem 7x5 trailer. It was a solid trailer with  ladder racks, large toolbox, sunraysia wheels and about a month's rego left. It had surface rust and needed a cleanup and a coat of paint. He had $1500 on it as is. He messaged me back saying it was sold and he'd dropped the price to $500 as there was a couple of holes in the side he didn't notice when he listed it. I'd say the buyer played him like a fish. The four wheel hubs would be worth that.

[willedoo]

The idea for those lifting arches on the back of trailers and utes would have come from pole trucks which are used in the oilfields for moving rigs and equipment. The basic principle is the same except the pole truck winches pull horizontally to a snatch block on the rear of the deck then up to the top. The lifting arches pull directly from the top of the arch.

 

They still use pole trucks but not quite as much as they used to. Mobile cranes are used a lot these days.