Grappling fun - A Picture Thread....

saxnbees · Jul 31, 2017

Apparently there are some small dimensional differences between the Frostbite and Sundown GR40 Grapples. Here's a picture of my Sundown extensions mounted. The extensions are unmodified. It looks like the vertical side pieces of the fingers are slightly longer on the Frostbite than the Sundown. Hence the need to grind away a small portion of the extension to make up for that fact.

Mikejeakins · Jul 31, 2017

saxnbees said:
Here's a rock I picked up using my new Sundown GR40 grapple. I didn't even know the rock was there because it was covered with dirt but I went too deep trying to pull up a ground juniper. Next thing I knew, I had a big rock partially out of the ground and had to finish the job so I wouldn't have a rock sticking up. Now I have to get some fill to put in the hole!

View attachment 517010 View attachment 517011

Can't put my finger on it but something doesn't look right with your pictures.

saxnbees · Jul 31, 2017

I don't know why they are upside down in the thread. They are not that way on my computer and if I click on the small images in the thread, the enlarged images are right side up.

Mikejeakins · Jul 31, 2017

Computers. They drive me nuts.

saxnbees · Aug 1, 2017

OK. I think I know why the thumbnails were upside down. They were taken with a smart phone. Apparently, when you take a picture, orientation information is stored with the picture in metadata. That metadata information is usually used by applications to determine how to display the picture right side up. However, some applications are not new/smart enough to do that. So, the orientation of the phone becomes important when a picture is taken. From what I gather, when Apple invented the IPhone, Apple decided that the phone should be oriented with the logo (top) of the camera up for portrait mode and to the left for landscape mode. However, many people like to hold the phone in landscape mode with the volume buttons on the top so they can use them to snap the picture just like an 'old fashioned' camera. But that puts the top of the phone to the right and stores the image upside down. Apparently, the web software that displays the thumbnails in the thread are not smart enough to look at the metadata to determine the correct orientation and so they display upside down. But the web software that enlarges the image when the thumbnail is clicked is smart so the enlarged image is displayed correctly. Not what I expected....

Here are the pictures corrected by flipping both horizontally and vertically.

dragoneggs · Aug 1, 2017

saxnbees said:
OK. I think I know why the thumbnails were upside down. They were taken with a smart phone. Apparently, when you take a picture, orientation information is stored with the picture in metadata. That metadata information is usually used by applications to determine how to display the picture right side up. However, some applications are not new/smart enough to do that. So, the orientation of the phone becomes important when a picture is taken. From what I gather, when Apple invented the IPhone, Apple decided that the phone should be oriented with the logo (top) of the camera up for portrait mode and to the left for landscape mode. However, many people like to hold the phone in landscape mode with the volume buttons on the top so they can use them to snap the picture just like an 'old fashioned' camera. But that puts the top of the phone to the right and stores the image upside down. Apparently, the web software that displays the thumbnails in the thread are not smart enough to look at the metadata to determine the correct orientation and so they display upside down. But the web software that enlarges the image when the thumbnail is clicked is smart so the enlarged image is displayed correctly. Not what I expected....

That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.

Gordon Gould · Aug 1, 2017

Mikejeakins said:
Hey Gordon can you do a video of your tractor using your grapple?

Since I have no camera man I set the camera on the wood splitter and pawed around in a log pile. Tried to do some basic stuff. In the last (4th) grab I was after those two pieces of popple underneath . As you can see I am still pretty tentative and a little jerky as I have very little time with this grapple so far. If this is not what you were looking for let me know and I will try something different.

Frost Bite Log Grapple - YouTube

gg

Mikejeakins · Aug 1, 2017

Gordon Gould said:
Since I have no camera man I set the camera on the wood splitter and pawed around in a log pile. Tried to do some basic stuff. In the last (4th) grab I was after those two pieces of popple underneath . As you can see I am still pretty tentative and a little jerky as I have very little time with this grapple so far. If this is not what you were looking for let me know and I will try something different.

Frost Bite Log Grapple - YouTube

gg

Thanks Gordon

Coyote machine · Aug 2, 2017

John_Mc said:
A snatchblock attached to tree won't double your pulling force. You need to attach it to the load, run the cable through and attach the hook end back to your tractor or to a nearby tree.

My clamshell snatchblock comes with a nylon strap that wraps around a tree and connects to the pin of the snatchblock. The winch cable is placed on the pulley and the clamshell closes, The winch cable end with hook attaches to a choker chain at the load/log. The winch then pulls the log toward the snatchblock and then when situated correctly, one would remove the snatchblock and continue to reel in the log to the winch's 'backblade plate. Using a snatchblock is often to redirect the direction of the load/log, and in doing so doubles the pulling strength of the winch, to my understanding of how it works.

I am willing to entertain that my understanding could be faulty. I get your idea of routing the winch cable through the snatchblock and returning the hook end to the actual winch backblade area or in same plane, to a nearby tree, etc. to use 100' of cable doubled back for effective length of 50' from load point, but is that the only way one accomplishes doubling the pull force/strength? I'm always willing to learn where I may be mistaken or misinformed...

Thanks,

CM

BTW, to the poster who was questioning if the rockplate can be used in conjunction with the extension feet for log use in addition to rock clamping/grabbing; the US distributor for Igland Grapples and now for Frostbite, Windy Knoll, in NH, told me on the phone that using the rock plate restricts the jaws closing completely, and therefore will keep smaller logs from being properly clamped. So, rock plate on for rocks and large diameter logs, rock plate OFf for smaller logs....YMMV, but that's the source making the statement, and for my money what he says makes sense....:confused3:

terryknight · Aug 2, 2017

if the block is attached to the pulled object it doubles the pull. if it is used to redirect the pull (around a corner) the pull is not doubled

k0ua · Aug 2, 2017

saxnbees said:
OK. I think I know why the thumbnails were upside down. They were taken with a smart phone. Apparently, when you take a picture, orientation information is stored with the picture in metadata. That metadata information is usually used by applications to determine how to display the picture right side up. However, some applications are not new/smart enough to do that. So, the orientation of the phone becomes important when a picture is taken. From what I gather, when Apple invented the IPhone, Apple decided that the phone should be oriented with the logo (top) of the camera up for portrait mode and to the left for landscape mode. However, many people like to hold the phone in landscape mode with the volume buttons on the top so they can use them to snap the picture just like an 'old fashioned' camera. But that puts the top of the phone to the right and stores the image upside down. Apparently, the web software that displays the thumbnails in the thread are not smart enough to look at the metadata to determine the correct orientation and so they display upside down. But the web software that enlarges the image when the thumbnail is clicked is smart so the enlarged image is displayed correctly. Not what I expected....

Here are the pictures corrected by flipping both horizontally and vertically.

View attachment 517207 View attachment 517208

That is the best explanation I have ever heard for this.

aeblank · Aug 2, 2017

Even windows 7 isn't smart enough, but windows 10 is.....

Coyote machine · Aug 2, 2017

aeblank said:
Even windows 7 isn't smart enough, but windows 10 is.....

I've got windows 11!:thumbsup:

Coyote machine · Aug 2, 2017

terryknight said:
if the block is attached to the pulled object it doubles the pull. if it is used to redirect the pull (around a corner) the pull is not doubled

Sounds right...:confused3:
What 'law' or whatever governs that? Physics?

lostcreekranch · Aug 2, 2017

Coyote machine said:
Sounds right...:confused3:
What 'law' or whatever governs that? Physics?

How do pulleys work? - Explain that Stuff

Simple Science for Little Folks.

saxnbees · Aug 2, 2017

I mounted the rock plate on my Sundown GR40 today and tried it out. Unfortunately, I need longer bolts to try the grapple with both the rock plate and extensions. After using the GR40 on some decent sized rocks, I think having both might help pry some of the bigger rocks up.

Here's a picture of the rock plate mounted.

There was discussion earlier in the thread concerning whether the thumb would hit the rock plate or not. Notice in the picture that it does contact the rock plate about one inch from the leading edge. I guess this makes sense because then the force of the thumb would be opposite the plate for maximum applied pressure. I am assuming that the thumb on a Frostbite would probably also contact a rock plate due to the similarities between the two grapples.

Here's some pictures of rocks I plucked from the ground this afternoon.

Notice that at least some of the rocks might have been impossible to pick up with the grapple without the rock plate. Then again, I probably could have picked them up manually like I have been for years. But my back is getting old. And, besides, what fun is that?

Coyote machine · Aug 3, 2017

saxnbees said:
I mounted the rock plate on my Sundown GR40 today and tried it out. Unfortunately, I need longer bolts to try the grapple with both the rock plate and extensions. After using the GR40 on some decent sized rocks, I think having both might help pry some of the bigger rocks up.

Here's a picture of the rock plate mounted.

View attachment 517305

There was discussion earlier in the thread concerning whether the thumb would hit the rock plate or not. Notice in the picture that it does contact the rock plate about one inch from the leading edge. I guess this makes sense because then the force of the thumb would be opposite the plate for maximum applied pressure. I am assuming that the thumb on a Frostbite would probably also contact a rock plate due to the similarities between the two grapples.

Here's some pictures of rocks I plucked from the ground this afternoon.

View attachment 517306 View attachment 517307 View attachment 517338 View attachment 517309 View attachment 517310 View attachment 517311 View attachment 517312

Notice that at least some of the rocks might have been impossible to pick up with the grapple without the rock plate. Then again, I probably could have picked them up manually like I have been for years. But my back is getting old. And, besides, what fun is that?

Good pics!
Where did you buy your rock plate, and if you don't mind, what did it run you?

Thanks,

CM

saxnbees · Aug 3, 2017

I have lots of rocks here in Maine so there will likely be more pictures over time, at least of the bigger rocks.

I had to call around for the rock plate. Nobody seemed to have one and my regular tractor supplier said it would take a considerable amount of time to get one in from JS Woodhouse, the distributor. Apparently they come by slow boat from Norway(?) but are made in Lithuania(?). But I didn't want to wait so I found a rock plate at Big Boy's Toys LLC in Pomfret Center, Connecticut. At the time, they said they had two and I bought one, so maybe they have one left. I paid $55 for the plate and shipping to Maine was almost $23 due to the weight of the plate.

From conversations in this thread, i think the plate might also fit a Frostbite and an Igland GR20 but I can't say for sure. Gordon Gould was able to use Sundown extensions on his Frostbite (with minor grinding) so the holes match up on each finger, but I haven't seen any mention of the distance between the fingers.

Here's the dimension I think you need to decide if the rock plate would fit your Igland GR20. Measurements are to the center of holes.

Bolts are 5/8" and different lengths depending upon the attachments in use. (extensions and plate)
The holes in each finger are 2.75" apart
Distance between holes in the two fingers: 24.5"