On Aug 27, 9:48 am, Modat22 wrote:
Hello folks, I built a sawmill a couple years ago and all the manual
moving of logs has got me a bit depressed. Now I'm thinking about
building a log loader which is basically a front loader like arm with
a grapple. I haven't started designing or building this yet just
thinking it out a little.

At the hinge points I will be using hardened pins but I'm not sure of
a couple things.

1. how to size them (if someone could point to an equation let me
know) or I'll just way oversize them and forget calculating them.

2. should these pins be in bushings and if so what material should
these bushing be?

I've been trying to get a close look at front loaders but haven't seen
any around lately LOL.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks

I built a front end loader a few years ago and got a sawmill running
earlier this month.

The simplest way I know to move logs is shear legs set up at one end
of the sawmill track so you can lift logs out of a truck or trailer
and lower and position them on the track. I used 2" pipe for the shear
legs with a chain fall hanging in the center and block-and-tackles
tied to large trees on either end to pull the rig from side to side.

The front end loader is built on a Sears GT18 garden tractor, which is
too small to lift 400 - 700Lb oak logs. It's already blown both front
tires moving wet snow.

I used O-1 drill rod for the pivot pins and brass water pipe for the
bushings on the front end loader, although as someone else noted
commercial loaders run steel on steel and grease daily. The biggest
problem was retaining the pins. I TIG welded flat plates on one end
and bolted the plate to the frame but several of the welds broke at
the end of the heated zone. I packed the rest in charcoal and annealed
them, losing a little surface finish but ending the breakage.

Jim Wilkins