skyline logging

[ch47dpilot]

Looking at clearing some 4-8" dia pines from a depresion on my property that I'd like to turn into a pond. The depresion is about 10' deep so dragging the cut trees is not practical. Have seen on TV how they use skylines to log on hill sides. Wonder if anyone has tried this on a DIY level. Was thinking I could put a cable between two trees and have a pulley on the cable. Run a second cable through the pulley. Then using a winch or hooking it to my tractor I could lift and then pull the trees up the bank. My only issue is how to only lift the trees 3-4ft of the ground before it starts to pull the tree/pulley in. My idea is to put a clevis on the end of the cable then as the cable is pulled in(tree lifted off ground) the clevis won't be able to go through the pulley and will then pull the pulley toward winch. Sounds easy to me other than the inital running of the skyline cable. Any other ideas I'd appreciate.

I'm also wondering how to remove the stumps. Won't be able to get a stump grinder down there so that's not an option. Have heard you can turn stumps into gunpowder and burn them:Gray Matter: Fire In The Hole | Popular Science. Anyone tried this? How effective/ how long to burn a 8'dia 24"tall stump?

 

[greenthumb]

This sounds like a project I might ask the question. Is your life insurance paid up.

 

[V1Rotate]

Seems to me a CH47 could lift them out no problem.

 

[Stimw]

I think by the time you do all that (and have you priced cable??) you would be better off just cutting a ramp and dragging them.

 

[crazyal]

Have you looked into having a logger do the work? I would cut the stumps off flush and leave them if they are going to be underwater if at all possible.

 

[bcp]

Get a cone or sled for the front end of the log and drag them out with a cable. If the logs are too heavy, cut them in half.

Bruce

 

[creekbend]

In your post, you stated that the depression is only ten foot in depth. How wide an area are you talking about? 1-5 acres possibly? I agree with the suggestion that bcp offered.Ten foot is not that deep if the area you are dealing with provides a sufficient angle. In regards to the stumps, if you are planning on stocking fish, the stumps would make excellent fish attractors. They would also offer a means of protection for the smaller fry to escape from the adult fish. Just a thought? Are you planning on providing some source of drainage for the pond?

 

[ch47dpilot]

There is a small area that is a a shallower angle I maybe able to drag them out with a winch. Planned to try and drag them first but I'm looking at other options if that doesn't work. As far as drainage the water that does flow into the depresion right now goes through a V cut then continues down a hill. Plan to dam up the V once the area is cleared and I can get some equipment down there. The Dam will be a whole different topic in the future. The "V" is about 8ft wide at the bottom, 10ft heigh and about 15-20ft wide at the top. Figure I can make a earthen dam but I'm clueless on were to start that.

 

[creekbend]

www.aces.edu www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1114

 

[creekbend]

Alabama Cooperative Extension System - ACES.edu ACES Publications : POND BUILDING:A GUIDE TO PLANNING, CONSTRUCTING,.. : ANR-1114

I sincerely hope that these two sites that I posted above will assist you somewhat. Best wishes.

 

[Taylortractornut]

CH47 I worked with a small yarder set up. It was called a loggers dream. They used od truck and bus frames. THey had 2 winches that were chan driven off the trucks tans mission. It had an A frame on the back and 2 sheaves at the top. One ran across the draw and to a lower point on that side. THen It had a hotshot rig just a frame of plate steel with 2 pullies or sheaves that road on the anchored cable. On the bottom of the hotshot was a sheave for the drag cable to work on. THey just fed out and the hotshot rod the tight anchor line down. The logs could be hooked to it and then the harder they drug the higer they lifted up.

SOme times the anchor line could be used add lift by letting the hot shot get to its location then letting the anchor line down and tighten the drg line up to the sheave on the hotshot. THen lifting the anchor line and further drwing the drag line in. This would make it lift completely off the ground. SOme of the winches were made from factory winches and some were the guts of old dragline skids. THe otheres were a mixe of modded truck and car axles. I was just a kid about 5 or the last time i saw one working. I think I know of the last one in the county. They were used where the little 440 JD and tree farmers couldnt go.

 

[ch47dpilot]

I sincerely hope that these two sites that I posted above will assist you somewhat. Best wishes.

Thanks lots of good info, hopefully later this year I'll be starting a thread with the pond in progress

 

[MarkV]

I must not have a good idea of the site. Seems to me if you are going to get equipment into the depression to build a dam you could pull the trees out of the depression with equipment. Do your homework on building a dam. There is a lot more to it than piling up dirt. Most of us don't personally own big enough equipment to make it a DIY job.

MarkV

 

[newbury]

Looking at clearing some 4-8" dia pines

How many?

from a depresion on my property that I'd like to turn into a pond. The depresion is about 10' deep so dragging the cut trees is not practical.

Why not? How big an area??

Have seen on TV how they use skylines to log on hill sides. Wonder if anyone has tried this on a DIY level.

Not personally but have read a lot about it.

Was thinking I could put a cable between two trees and have a pulley on the cable. Run a second cable through the pulley. Then using a winch or hooking it to my tractor I could lift and then pull the trees up the bank. My only issue is how to only lift the trees 3-4ft of the ground before it starts to pull the tree/pulley in. My idea is to put a clevis on the end of the cable then as the cable is pulled in(tree lifted off ground) the clevis won't be able to go through the pulley and will then pull the pulley toward winch. Sounds easy to me other than the inital running of the skyline cable. Any other ideas I'd appreciate.

For small cable yarders most studies have built a metal tripod for the mast.

However a 10' deep depression shouldn't make it impossible to drag logs up. What I envision as the hard part of your project is getting two trees substantial enough to act as the endpoints.

http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/newtown_square/publications/research_papers/pdfs/scanned/OCR/ne_rp609.pdf

http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/newtown_square/publications/research_papers/pdfs/scanned/OCR/ne_rp557.pdf

http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/pdfpubs/pdf79242509/pdf79242509.pdf

Also how much "tree" are you pulling out? If you have a pine 20' long x 6" around it only weighs about 200 lbs without branches etc. If you need to pull whole trees from stump to tip.

I suggest you determine the easiest route out of the depression, and where you have the 10' obstacle lay the bigger trees down and build a more gradual ramp.
Stage your cut trees at the bottom of the ramp, go up on top and drag them over.

 

[schmism]

4-8" tree is not a large tree.

for any standard truck mounted winch will be able to winch the tree out of the ditch virtually complete.

skip the whole skyline verion and just winch them up the hill.

dont worry about the stumps, they are under 10' of water. leave the tops for fish habitat.

 

[IronHog]

Looking at clearing some 4-8" dia pines from a depresion on my property that I'd like to turn into a pond.

Anyone tried this? How effective/ how long to burn a 8'dia 24"tall stump?

Your going to try to log pine pulpwood with a cable system? Digging the pond with a shovel might be easier.


If the trees are pretty sparce just build your pond and let the trees die and fall in the water...... will make for a better bond long term.

 

[clemsonfor]

Have you lost your mind?

Why dont you just cut them all into the center of the depression let them dry this summer and then burn them. The trees are only pulpwood anyhow. There worth very little unless you have say 10 + acres of them, and in that case someone will figure out how to get them out.


If its 8ft wide a logger can run equiptment up and down it.