Homemade Grapple project

[Steve_Miller]

I'm going to try and build a grapple from scrap that is lying around home and work. This is the start of it. Not too much engineering in this, probably most of it will be fixing and strengthening as I break or bend it. Trying to keep it as light as possible.

Steve

 

[EddieWalker]

Since it's scrap, you can't go wrong!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Sounds like a fun project, keep the pictures coming!!!

Eddie

 

[Steve_Miller]

Today's progress. Took me an hour or more to get the thing half square and then another hour or more to get it square on the loader arms.

Steve

 

[Steve_Miller]

Another view

 

[BloomingtonMike]

So this is the fixed portion correct? Will it have jaws that are hydraulicly closed? It sure does look great. Are you an accomplished welder or what experience do you have? Looks great!

 

[Steve_Miller]

Mike,
Yes, this is the fixed portion, I now have to do my thinking on how to make a clamper and hinging. If I had a closeup view of some of my welds, you'd probably want to retract that question about me being an accomplished welder. I have an old Miller 225AC welder using Lincoln 7014 rods, which by the way any welder tells me any dummy can weld with those rods. I guess I fit the bill. This is the picture of the feet/teeth i'm going to put on the bottom.

Steve

 

[VT_Kioti]

Steve
Real nice job. For what we do with our welds it is more important that welds stay together /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif than how they look /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. It would be nice but thats frosting.
Keep the pics coming. It is a very interesting project.

 

[Steve_Miller]

This is my engineering, I do better with wood than drawings. I'm not quite exact on figures, but I think this set up should give me about 450 to 500 lbs of force at the tips of the grapple. Does anyone know what force is an acceptable force at the tip? Or is it measured somewhere else?

Steve

 

[Steve_Miller]

Frontal view.

 

[jimmysisson]

Steve - are you going to put the cylinder behind the upright and push up to clamp down on the front of the grapple? I can't tell what the pieces are intended for. Will there be two grapple arms run by one cylinder? I like the idea of protecting the cylinder and hoses behind the unit, since brush and branches seem to get everywhere. What's the piece on the right side of the frame that has multiple holes?
The wood engineering is an excellent way to get the geometry right. I'm interested in your progress, thanks for the pics.
Jim