Frosty Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I've been reading a couple chapters in the CDL manual over and over and over because I need a schoolbus endorsement. Well,I don't need to do that too many times and I need some serious decompression. Then there's the fact that summer is rapidly coming to an end here in the far north west and I need to start dragging some firewood logs in. Sometimes wrapping a cable or chain around a log is a major hassle so I forged this up yesterday and today. Stock: two each 22" x 1/2" x 1" rec. and two each 10" x 1/2" rd. Pivot hole punched 1/2" and riveted with a washer between the legs. Ring holes punched and drifted to 5/8" Rings turned, arc welded and ovaled to keep welds on straight sections. I'll paint it a bright color and grind the points sharp tomorrow and let you know how it works when give it a try later. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drako11 Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 That looks great Frosty! I don't drag in a lot of logs, but I may try making one of those anyone would be neat to hang on a wall, or I'm sure someone around here would want one. How do you open it wide enough to get around the log with only one chain link though? Can you add more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Those are a reminder of my youth. Hauled out a lot of logs with a set almost exactly like those. Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yance Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Nice set of grabs Frosty. After freezup you can use 'em for ice tongs.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 31, 2009 Author Share Posted July 31, 2009 That looks great Frosty! I don't drag in a lot of logs, but I may try making one of those anyone would be neat to hang on a wall, or I'm sure someone around here would want one. How do you open it wide enough to get around the log with only one chain link though? Can you add more? If you'd like a chance to drag logs you're welcome here. heck, we can even pay with fire and hit things if you'd like. It opens wider than any log on our property, the legs are 19" from the pivot to where the points turn and there's a lot more slack in the rings than it looks. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Masuk Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Those are pretty sweet, did you use mild steel for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jura T Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Those are nice looking. A friend of mine asked me to do similar ones to him after we used a pair to drag a new anvil stump at another friend's place. I tested the the ones over there and there definitely were tool steel (according the sparks). So now I've been wondering whether I should use simple tool steel or spring steel... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divermike Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 great project Frosty, and you didn't have to make the tool, to make the tool... etc.. this is where the rubber meets the road as a blacksmith, when you need something, just make it!! when I grow up, I wanna... ahh the heck with it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Hill Forge Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I recently went to an estate auction of a gentleman who was a blacksmith, roofing tinner, made wooden tool handles to sell, horse drawn logger, and farmed 600 acres. There were many sets of tongs sold (most sold between $50 and $170 each by the way) and lots of cant hooks. His blacksmith shop was mostly still in tact, although they did sell his anvil (not great, and about 125#, sold for like $400 and a large cone anvil (sold for $430, of course after my last bid of $420 !!). I bought a set of tongs that he started but didn't finish that appear to be made from a large truck tie rod. I also obtained a sheet metal pattern he made for making tongs. It was quite an auction and history lesson. I'll try to get some pictur3es up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnptc Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 a smaller set works great for dragging pallets in a truck to the tailend :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ameling Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I've got several of those hanging about. But the last logs I needed to drag about were TOO LARGE - 4 to 6 foot in diameter oak and walnut! The tongs just wouldn't open wide enough. I ended up wrapping chain around them. (And these were just the culls and ends of the logs!) Nice job on the forging. With the right size logs, they can work great. I made up separate tongs for hauling ice blocks - thinner/lighter with more point to them. Works better on ice. But I also watch for those one-handed ice tongs at sales. The top ends are shorter past the pivot point, and they have a short bar/handle between them connected to the arms with a chain link. In use you grab that handle, slip the points down around an ice block, then lift up. The weight on the handle pushes the points into the ice block. Same principle as your logging tongs - just a whole lot lighter/smaller. Well, those one-handed ice tongs also work great on blocks of firewood! When you have to carry those blocks a bit, just slip a set of ice tongs down over a block and carry back to the truck. Two of them helps balance out the load. Otherwise you would have to use both hands to pick up and carry one chunk. It speeds things up a bit, and is less taxing on the arms/legs. There is a company that makes an all metal bar linkage version of log grabber/carrier. But those small ice tongs are cheaper - even at antique prices. Hmmm ... that reminds me. I need to re-do the wood on my one cant hook before I really need to use it. Mikey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 31, 2009 Author Share Posted July 31, 2009 Thanks guys I made them more for the sake of building a fire and beating on something, I could've use the choker but . . . Yes, they're mild, trees here aren't very large and all I have to pull with is a pickup so these will be plenty strong. I may have to widen the bits is they want to tear out. The factory ones are much wider like a flattened diamond. I made a pallet grabber at work some years ago. As far as I know they're still using it. Same idea but designed to pinch the 2x4 pallet stringer rather than embed in it. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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