Fourth Cut

The locking mechanism sucks. I think the problem is that I integrated it within the winch itself, so when I load the winch with 2000 lbs of ice the internal stresses are so great it binds the moving parts. My plan is to add an external 'clicker' that will bolt to the gantry crane, and be independent of the winch, but still lock the spindle.

Cut #4 was pretty successful. In addition to the typical lag bolts I use, I put two through bolts in the slab with butterfly clips on the end, which keeps it from pulling back out. Although the winch lock failed, I think the slab was cut long enough to bottom out, stopping the free-fall.

I'll check on things in the morning and see if it held up. I'm now trying to time my cuts towards late afternoon, so the evening drop in temperature works to my advantage. The sunshine causes the bolts to pull out more easily.



This is a photo I took of my last failed attempt. Notice the shadow of the slab creating a third space within the ice, rendering 2D space into an (almost) 3D space. This is part of what I'm after.