dummy question.....

[Wife'nHubby]

In this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzBt_2oN3bA&feature=related

what is the hook called that is connected to the crane and where would I buy the hook?

Shari

 

[beerman6]

skidder tongs? Labonville(site sponsor) has them,also Northern Tool.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Thanks much! I will go take a look.

Shari

 

[K7NUT]

I thought it would be a hay hook?
I love those, the more you pull, the tighter it grabs, hey, isn't that like the IRS?

 

[TreePointer]

I brought one into Tractor Supply for one of my projects. When the clerk asked me what it was, and I told her that I'm actually a dentist and I use it for difficult extractions. After a short pause, she cracked a big smile.

:greenchainsaw:

 

[Wife'nHubby]

I thought it would be a hay hook?
I love those, the more you pull, the tighter it grabs, hey, isn't that like the IRS?

Acutually, I was thinking ice tongs.... found skidding tongs at Northern Tool.

IRS? Ha!Ha!


Shari

 

[wdchuck]

Northern Tool is just a stones throw from you Shari, on Hwy 100, and the manager is a well versed horse trader. You'll be in good hands.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

How are you planning on using it?

Acutually, I was thinking ice tongs.... found skidding tongs at Northern Tool.

IRS? Ha!Ha!


Shari

How are you planning on using it? What kind of lift are you going to hook it on?

I'm totally impressed with you Shari! Keep your head up!

 

[Wife'nHubby]

How are you planning on using it? What kind of lift are you going to hook it on?

I'm totally impressed with you Shari! Keep your head up!

You asked how I am going to use this.... hmmm... I'm still figuring this out. I've got some extra large rounds of maple that I have to handle. Some of the rounds will have to be cut in 1/2 or 1/4, either way I am expecting they will still be very heavy for me (hubby's Drs. won't let him lift more than 10#).

Now, I've got three ways I can approach this overly large maple:

1. We have a medical Hoyer lift (rated at 450# I think) so I am thinking I can use the Hoyer with the skidder tongs to get the wood up on the splitter, or

2. Farm & Fleet sells a nifty mini-crane and with the skidder tongs attached to that I could mount the crane into my wood trailer and lift the wood that way, or

3. If I choose not to use the skidder tongs, I might get a small 12v winch and mount it on the wood trailer, place the splitter next to the trailer with a ramp leading up to the splitter, and either roll the rounds up to the splitter. I could also just connect the tongs to the winch and drag the pieces up to the splitter.

Hey, when you are short, out of shape and old you try to look for an easy way to do a heavy job.

I guess I am still thinking this through so I am not sure which way to go yet.

Here's a picture of some of the rounds I will be working on.

Shari

 

[avalancher]

You asked how I am going to use this.... hmmm... I'm still figuring this out. I've got some extra large rounds of maple that I have to handle. Some of the rounds will have to be cut in 1/2 or 1/4, either way I am expecting they will still be very heavy for me (hubby's Drs. won't let him lift more than 10#).

Now, I've got three ways I can approach this overly large maple:

1. We have a medical Hoyer lift (rated at 450# I think) so I am thinking I can use the Hoyer with the skidder tongs to get the wood up on the splitter, or

2. Farm & Fleet sells a nifty mini-crane and with the skidder tongs attached to that I could mount the crane into my wood trailer and lift the wood that way, or

3. If I choose not to use the skidder tongs, I might get a small 12v winch and mount it on the wood trailer, place the splitter next to the trailer with a ramp leading up to the splitter, and either roll the rounds up to the splitter. I could also just connect the tongs to the winch and drag the pieces up to the splitter.

Hey, when you are short, out of shape and old you try to look for an easy way to do a heavy job.

I guess I am still thinking this through so I am not sure which way to go yet.

Here's a picture of some of the rounds I will be working on.

Shari

A lot of work and expense for a bunch of rounds, just quarter them up with your saw and be done with it.
I know it wont work for what you got pictured,but if you bring wood home in your wood trailer, try and back the splitter right up to the back of the trailer, and turn it sideways. Then use a short piece of 2x12 as a ramp from the trailer to the splitter bed. Roll them rounds right on to the splitter.After the first split, let the unsplit half fall back into the trailer.
I have found that this is the easiest way to deal with large rounds. No lifting required.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

You could save the big ones for last so you have room to work and cut them with the grain with your saw as mentioned before to more managable sizes. It will make a lot of 'noodles' instead of chips but after a few cuts each piece will be closer to a size a person can lift. It will also give a flat surface for more stability on the splitter beam.

The beam of your splitter might or might not hold the entire weight if that size round. When it splits, part of it may fall on you, damage your equipment or both. I'm familiar with the Hoyer lift. I work part time as a maintenance man in a nursing home setting. That big one is to much to expect it to handle on uneven ground.

Can you tip your small splitter sideways and lean it over to the round and get it to make splits off the side ? This way the weight of the round doesnt have to be supported ?

I know you want to get it done, but work safely while you are at it. Where will you both be if you are laid up too ?

 

[CentaurG2]

Quarter the rounds with a saw as mentioned or just go old school on them with a maul and a couple of steel wedges. If the wood is straight grained (oak, maple, ash) the hammer and wedge approach is actually faster than the chainsaw and a lot less messy.

 

[clawmute]

Those are skidding tongs and have been around for several hundred years, and yes ice men did use a smaller version of them to carry blocks of ice around on their shoulders.

When I had my sawmill these skidding tongs are what I used to skid logs up to the cold deck. I roll big chunks up an inclined ramp to keep from lifting them. Lifting some of those is not an option. A pole or beam lever and tripod can serve as a crane - very low cost to make.

 

[rdbrumfield]

Shari, being that you have showed us that you are very good at putting things together. Now that you have your splitter going. Take a couple of 2x6's lie them side by side and nail some cross pieces to you have a solid ramp about 8ft long. Get one of those blocks and roll or stand it right by the splitter and put the ramp on it so you can roll your blocks to the mouth of the splitter. I know it is grunt work, but take your time, the pile will go from blocks to firewood. The only other thing if you had a block and tackle with the tongs and had a stout tree limb above your splitter to pick the blocks with.

If you like Shari, go to you tube, and look up woodsplitters, plumbstriaight, watch the spelling. I have a splitter in there that picks up the wood with tongs. I have since put a new engine on and it does get with it.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Hubby reminded me yesterday that we have some VERY sturdy car ramps and they just might be the thing to use. They are homemade, built out of true, old style, full size railroad ties. Those beasts are heavy! I am going to do some measuring tomorrow to see how close those ramps will bring me to the top rail of the I-beam. Our Didier splitter is very short so maybe just rolling them up the car ramps will work. I lifted one up to the splitter today to just do a test split with the repaired splitter. I know I wouldn't want to spend even 1 hour trying to lift rounds that big (18" + dia. x 20" long fresh cut maple).... and we some that are larger diameter.

There's a guy on our local Craig's List selling wood by the wheelbarrow full - one of our larger rounds I'm guessing would more than fill one wheelbarrow after split.

Shari

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Very good job building!

Shari, being that you have showed us that you are very good at putting things together. Now that you have your splitter going. Take a couple of 2x6's lie them side by side and nail some cross pieces to you have a solid ramp about 8ft long. Get one of those blocks and roll or stand it right by the splitter and put the ramp on it so you can roll your blocks to the mouth of the splitter. I know it is grunt work, but take your time, the pile will go from blocks to firewood. The only other thing if you had a block and tackle with the tongs and had a stout tree limb above your splitter to pick the blocks with.

If you like Shari, go to you tube, and look up woodsplitters, plumbstriaight, watch the spelling. I have a splitter in there that picks up the wood with tongs. I have since put a new engine on and it does get with it.

Here is the link to YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex-HO10fEpo