# Capstan Winch Ideas?



## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I'm in the need of a capstan winch, but I can't justify dropping a huge pile of cash on one.. 

I'm trying to figure out a way I could make one, but not real sure what to do. I was hoping some of you may have built one, or had a solution for being able to do what you can with one.. 

I had thought about mounting an extra rim on the outside of the rear tractor wheel, lifting the back end up with the 3 point (make an attachment to do it with) and then use the rim as the winch.. 

Then I thought, it would be nice if there was some kind of reduction transmission for a cheap price (yeah I know.. Just hoping) that I could put onto the PTO of the tractor, and use some sort of rim or barrel or similar as the winch drum... 

Anyone have a cheap solution for me? I need this to be able to winch a cable up a hill, so I can attach it to large logs, and winch them back down the hill... A regular winch won't work because I'm talking 500 feet or so of cable (yeah, that's the next thing to find)


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## Sawmill Jim (Dec 5, 2008)

Have saw those things sell a auctions cheep .You could make any big winch work the same way . Seems you would have to spool all that cable behind the pulling device . I ran a little over a 100' of cable on a TJ 225 log skidder but most time a log will hang up if you run out much line . 

I always wanted to build a yarder type device . Wish you were closer i got lots of spare parts .A buddy pulled a thousand feet of line off a winch he got from the oil patch i still got a few hundred feet of it ,don't know what i will ever use it for now .


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I just happened to come up with a couple thousand feet of 1/2" cable at the end of this month.. or so I am being told. 

I'm friends with the guy that does all the elevator work in our building at work. He said they are re-cabling some cars the end of the month, and he should have at least 7) 500 foot lengths.. He said they just normally dump it in their dumpster.. Man.. that's a lot f scrap prices... Yeah, they will be pretty greasy, but a few uses in the great outdoors will fix that.

Anyway, What I'm thinking is, I need a big drum to be able to wrap a 1/2" cable around, so I'm starting to think of the attachment for the three point hitch on the tractor with an extra rim is the way to go and winch away... 

I'll have to pull some really large logs around 500 feet or so, down a large hill.. 

I did think too about hanging a cable, then using a chain hoist to lift up a log, and slide it down.. 

Man what I would give to have a steam mule... 

OH.... with the extra cable I'll be getting.. I'm planning a zip slide or two


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## Sawmill Jim (Dec 5, 2008)

Yep i got a large l gear box that would work too. That grease on the cable is good that is some real fine cable to the best made . Think you will find the tractor wheel idea may not be so good . My TJ 225 would stand straight up pulling some logs ,lot of times i would back it up to a tree but it could pop a 1/2 cable doing this . 

Should been there the day i flipped that skidder bottom side up .


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## Bluecometk (Jun 20, 2009)

Hey Simi,
 You are in the neighborhood of the worlds biggest Navy. Isnât there anybody you know who has connections? I bet there are a lot of old retired winches laying in scrap yards in that area. The Navy has a lot of old smaller vessels and tugs that are being retired. Maybe at the odd chance call the base they may have an odd lot scrap sale coming up soon.
 I got a 55-gallon drum of mooring swivels for 15 dollars one time. You may just get lucky.
Just my two cents


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Will steel cable work on a capstan winch? I thought they were made for rope?

A local farmer made a winch attached to a jacked up wheel to lift a heavy weight and drop it on a well pipe he was driving. The rope got wrapped over top of the rope already on the winch. The weight went to the top of the tripod and then all heck broke loose. Luckily no one got pounded into the ground.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

If you have a drum big enough you can.. that's why I'm thinking about a tractor rim..


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## driftwood (Jun 29, 2013)

might be cheaper and safer to rent a dozer for a couple days....


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

A dozer isn't going to make it up on this hill either.. it's down to dragging or flying the logs down... 

This is actually going to be an issue in most places on my property I want to bring timber down from, so I need to get it figured out... I keep telling my wife I want to name the place Vertical Acres... 

Rental will be out of the question over the years.. What I would like is to find a cheap dozer to buy I could use to put some roads or trails in with.. I'll keep dreaming... In the mean time.. gotta figure this out.. I'm really starting to think about flying it down..


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## driftwood (Jun 29, 2013)

what are you going to do with the logs?

if you had plenty cable to reach and some heavy duty cable pulleys,,,,theraretically you could just hook tractor and pull with the tractor,,,,,hooking a pulley on the log and fastening cable to a tree below and up high you could pull part way with tractor and then rehitch just to log when you have a straight downhill pull....would be way stronger than the capsin way...


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Problem is I don't have much pulling room.. maybe 30 feet or so... that's why I was thinking a winch to coil the feed out behind....

Like I said though, I'm starting to think about stringing a cable and hoisting them up and sliding the down.. 

I'm gonna use most for firewood, but I'll try and get a Alaskan saw made up and make me a little rough lumber from the larger stuff


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## Sawmill Jim (Dec 5, 2008)

simi-steading said:


> Problem is I don't have much pulling room.. maybe 30 feet or so... that's why I was thinking a winch to coil the feed out behind....
> 
> Like I said though, I'm starting to think about stringing a cable and hoisting them up and sliding the down..
> 
> I'm gonna use most for firewood, but I'll try and get a Alaskan saw made up and make me a little rough lumber from the larger stuff


What is your definition of larger stuff ??

Build you a band saw ,think i read where you and some buddy's were handy with working with metal / I built a re saw and put a 20 hp 3ph motor on it and a hydrochloric belt feed . Built if from scratch . :happy:


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## SpaceCadet12364 (Apr 27, 2003)

If you have a ford ifs front end , manual trans , and a motor gas or electric you can make a capstan. with a little effort on you part. the ifs weld gears so it is solid spool if you can get 4.88 or lower smaller motor required. cut of end for knuckle and add a wire spool on shaft. trans so you can adjust line speed. seen guys use old drum brake and e brake handle for locking in place. mount a wide steel wheel for spool. a little 4 cyl. makes a powerful winch.


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