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

 

[RonMar]

Looks very good so far. If you are going to make a habit of this, you really need to invest in a CAD program It is way quicker and more versitile than cutting and fitting wood scraps(or cardboard like I used to use to try out your ideas. The measuring features of most CAD programs are also great for estimating materials. I use Autocad and love it. for a project like this, I can draw up an arm like you made then select it and rotate it around a set point within the limits of the ram min/max length to see how far the grapple will open and close and how it will match up with the rest of the bucket. I usually get pretty good at building things on the third or forth try as I have usually found all the better ways to do it by then.. Doing the first couple of builds on the CAD sure saves time and materials.

I have been toying with ideas to add a grapple to the fork bucket I made last summer. I like the ram down the back of the bucket. Keeps it protected and the weight closer to the tractor. Need to finish building the flatbed for my project truck first.

Keep the pics comming, and please show us some of it in operation when you get it finished.

 

[Steve_Miller]

Jim,
I am planning on putting the cylinder behind, but not quite sure if it will provide enough down force for my liking. I guess I'll try it and see what happens. There will be three tines on the front part, well thats the plan right now. The multiple holes was part of my design, trying to find out how high up I need to go to get clearance for the pivoting action.

Thanks for the interest
Steve

 

[Steve_Miller]

RonMar,
If CAD is anything like other programs I don't have the patience to sit there and figure out how to use it. I find if you don't use a program enough then you tend to forget how to use all the functions very quickly. Not that it couldn't save me a lot of time in the end, but I find it fun trying things the way I do now, mostly by trial and error, and errors are usually what I don't forget.

P.S. Besides, I'd rather spend that money on something tractor related.

Steve

 

[BloomingtonMike]

Just stick with the wood then - it works for you just fine!

 

[PineRidge]

I'm like you as I have CAD on my puter but never sat down and tried to master it. To busy twisting wrenches to actually get the job done instead of planning on how to do it. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Steve_Miller]

Got a little more done yesterday.

Steve

 

[Steve_Miller]

An opened view.

 

[PineRidge]

looks mean, real mean. Are you planning on picking up a house with that monster? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[jinman]

Steve, that's very nice! I was a little surprised to see the pin-on attachment, but on a small grapple or bucket, it should not take long to change out even with pins.

I hope to see pictures of it in use soon. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Steve_Miller]

Was set back for a while as my brother past away suddenly last week at the age of 43. A little more progress. I got the hydraulics geared to my rear remote for now. Hope to gear up a selector valve in the near future for the grapple and my snow wing.

Steve