Thread: New Log Bolsters WIP

Was sick of the current bolsters breaking or tipping over on the tray due to them being cobbled together from scrap steel that was laying around at the time.

So last week I bought some steel but due to work and the heat wave we've had, have only just started on the new bolsters tonight.

Pics of steel, chains and chain dogs in Troopy from last Friday. Posts are 75x75x6mm and bottom rail is 125x75x6mm.

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Steel laid out on workhorses and tacked together.

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Various shots of welding, used the inverter rather than the MIG as the steel is 6mm thick, MIG would probably have done the job and would've been 20 times quicker, but decided to use the arc to get good penetration as some of the boys who load and unload my truck can be a bit rough sometimes.

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6mm thick

Just how rough are the boys that load your truck??

Originally Posted by murray44

6mm thick

Just how rough are the boys that load your truck??

You gotta remember that I sometimes get loaded with 15 to 25ton excavators and they have enormous power if you forget what you're doing for a second. Also the loader at the mill can do some serious damage if it wanted to. Pic off a Cat loader from the Internet to show size of machine, instead of a bucket it obviously would have log grab.

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This is one of my previous uprights and that is 3mm wall thickness. Peeled open like a sardine can but the other set which has 5mm just bent which I can straighten afterwards.

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Anyway, tonight I marked out and cut some flat bar for gussets, will clean these up tomorrow and weld them on.

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I would strongly suggest that you cap the open ends of your posts. You will gain much strength at the joint where they meet the bolster. Another worthwhile modification is to taper the top of the posts so as to guide a log inwards between the posts.

Already have something planned in regards to capping, still need to notch and cap to suit the tray as it will need to sit on and within the recessed edges of the tray.

As for the tapered tops, waiting to hear back from a mate, he may have some from an old set that I can use or modify to suit.

Originally Posted by Karl Robbers

I would strongly suggest that you cap the open ends of your posts. You will gain much strength at the joint where they meet the bolster.

So would it have been better to weld the horizontal on top of the verticals, rather thatn between? Or would that mean you then have to cap the horizontal?

Originally Posted by murray44

So would it have been better to weld the horizontal on top of the verticals, rather thatn between? Or would that mean you then have to cap the horizontal?

The direction of the layout was fine. You are correct in your observation that the other member would need capping if you swapped the layout. RHS, CHS and SHS are really versatile sections but to get the best strength from them they really need capping to tie the walls together otherwise they are prone to ripping the corners as we see in several of the photos attached to this thread.

Often a tie plate with a gap at each side will suffice with the added advantage that water can drain from the section.

Not too much has happened the last week, something called work has got in the way.

Anyway, cleaned and welded the gussets on tonight and hopefully will get the checkouts to fit the tray and restraint links done in the morning as I'll be picking up a couple of loads of Poplar logs tomorrow arvo.

Got a few hours this morning to do the checkouts, weld the restraints and fit the chains etc.

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And this is showing that it all went well, very happy with how it all came together and performed. Following pics are of me unloading at the yard with excavator.

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Which mill were you unloading at MM? Damien.

Originally Posted by goodwoody

Which mill were you unloading at MM? Damien.

Damien think you're either getting your threads or Users mixed up.

I was unloading at Millgrove in Victoria.

Originally Posted by DJ's Timber

Got a few hours this morning to do the checkouts, weld the restraints and fit the chains etc.~

DJ whats the wood??

Great job by the way

Originally Posted by wheelinround

DJ whats the wood??

Great job by the way

As previously mentioned in #8, Poplar and ta.

Originally Posted by DJ's Timber

As previously mentioned in #8, Poplar and ta.

Thanks for bringing this thread to the attention of the odd forum Hermit DJ, cheers - great job