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Carl, thanks for posting that. More importantly, thank you for keeping the bobsled (and scoot) alive and promoting its use as a viable logging tool. I picked up my bobsled yesterday and plan to bring it out later this week. Here are a few questions:

• Do you try to maintain some consistency in the lengths of your logs on your bottom tier (i.e. against your bunk)? I imagine that loading 8 footers and 16 footers on the bottom might lead to some challenging dynamics for the top tier of logs?
• I noticed that your top chain is set back from your bunk a ways. Do you try for the center of the load? If so, why?
• I am making up some bridle chains for my sled. Since my pole does not have stabilizer straps extending from roll (I noticed your bridle chains are inside this strap), is there a problem having my bridle chains around my roll at the junction with the runners?

George

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Carl, great video. I am looking forward to the next installment.

George

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Ethan:

I have started to use saplings for all my poles. Center grain is much stronger and more dimensionally stable than sawed lumber. I look for a nice straight sapling, cut it to length, rough out the base with a chainsaw , and then use a circular saw on edge to shave it down (not OSHA approved) to fit the implement . Any good hardwood will do.

If you want a finished look, you could start with a 4×4 piece of ash or other hard wood, snap a chalk line for your taper on both sides (maybe down to 2 3/4″), and cut it on a band saw (I would not use a table saw for this). Flip it and repeat the process. When your done, chamfer the edges with a block plane or a circular saw set at 45 degrees. I don’t have a pioneer, but you might need to cut down the base of the pole so it fits in the receiver of the forecart. You usually start your taper maybe a foot from the forecart.

Good luck.

George

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@mitchmaine 32974 wrote:

i have changed my mind. its ok. a scoot is pretty light and fairly simple tool. a twitch chain is lighter. keep it simple, right? i agree.

Cheers to that. I still own the winch and have only used it twice in the last 4 years (since I got horses) to pull down a couple of hang-ups my horses couldn’t get a hold of.

George

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Mitch, I own a farmi-style winch and logged with it for years. It would be pretty burly to be lugging it around in the woods with a load of logs. I thought briefly about mounting a atv winch to my logging arch – it would be a lot lighter and easier to attach to an existing arch. Here is a 15,000 winch: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?pq=20,000+atv+winch&hl=en&gs_nf=1&ds=pr&cp=6&gs_id=p&xhr=t&q=15,000+atv+winch&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=681&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=11877985647875461351&sa=X&ei=lVVPT8-VMojl0QHcytXoDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CGcQ8wIwAQ
That should snake out most of what a team of horses could pull…

George

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Mark:

I plunged into a 6×6 and use that as my scabbard. I drilled a couple of holes in one part of my arch and welded up a bracket and fastened the scabbard to the arch with wood screws. Works great. Here are some pics….

http://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?2536-Customized-Logging-Arch&highlight=CUSTOMIZED+LOGGING+ARCH

George

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@Carl Russell 32875 wrote:

Once…..Another aspect of the scoot is that a partially loaded sled can be moved to where more logs can be loaded….. something you can’t do very easily with a bobsled.
Carl

What about getting your bottom deck loaded with your two chains and then moving to another load of logs for your top? Also, are you loading double, uncut logs on your bobsled? How long do you go? I have put some 20 footers on my scoot, but it doesn’t work very well. Also, do you need to be relatively consistent with the length of logs against your bunk, the first tier so to speak? I imagine the top deck doesn’t matter so much?

George

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Lanny:

I spoke to a fellow from the website. Sounds like a good system, but prohibitively expensive – roughly about $200 / horse in materials.

George

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Carl:

Thanks for the detailed response. Regarding the twist, how many times do the chains overlap? It seems like a lot of the same principals for strategic loading of the scoot also apply to the bob. I think Brad wrote a while back that the “devil is in the details” for loading a bob. I have certainly found that with the scoot. Small lessons learned and then forgotten and/or ignored for the sake of expediency can lead to a frustratingly time-consuming experience of getting a load on. I have found that a little more time invested up front in the layout pays dividends later when its time for loading. I like your approach of loading the bob, and getting another jag ready to be loaded at the brow before hooking onto the bob. I have found the less time I hook and unhook from the scoot the better.

Your grab hook looks great – nice work. Since I don’t have a forge (yet:)), I will try welding some 3/4 round-stock (as a lever) to a store-bought grab and see how that works. Any disadvantage to having a longer grab/lever (i.e. 18″)? Is there such as thing as too tight (I am thinking of tripping off the grab once on the landing)?

As an aside, that seems like good bobsled load of spruce in the video for bare-ground. I can’t remember how you said that scaled out, but it was less than it looks. I have found that my bigger loads have everything to do with the size and quality of the logs. Makes sense of course, but interestingly my horses seems to work as hard with 450 feet of small logs on the scoot as they do with 650 feet of large, relatively un-tapered logs. My imagination? In the circa-1900 logging book I posted awhile back, bobsled loads averaged 800-1000 feet. I imagine that has a lot to do with log quality.

George

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Lanny, I didn’t see the website in your post. Do you have an address?

George

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Mark:

What are rim pads and when and why do you use them? I have heard of using pads for horses with dropped soles for extra protection/cushion. Are rim pads different?

George

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How frequent and severe are leg injuries from caulks? I have heard horses are more apt to caulk themselves in slash and brush. True? I swamp as little as possible and, within reason, have the horses walk over and through slash. Will this approach need to change?

George

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@Thecowboysgirl 32750 wrote:

Hey guys.

Furthermore, should I expect this to be a problem when making them into a team?

I have a “boss mare” who isn’t boss b/c of her size (half draft). This doesn’t stop her from challenging my full sized geldings, especially the less dominant of the two. Irregardless, they (the mare with either of the two) work well in harness together b/c the are under my “domain”. A few corrections like the ones mentioned above and they work with out fuss. With firm, directed leadership, I don’t think you will have a problem.

George

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Brad, I am thinking seriously about shoeing my horses next winter. We have done our trimming for the past 3 years and I have a friend/farrier who is willing to help me get started shoeing. I like having my horses barefoot though. I have gotten along well logging and farming with my team in the past, but this winter has been tough with no shoes. I am planning on building a forge, collecting shoeing tools, and keeping my eyes out for an anvil.

George

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Brad, interested to hear what you have for a replacement? I assume you are keeping your other horse? A suffolk?

George

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