Rural Heritage June/July 2025

as simple as pulling two 3/8-inch pins and dropping them back in. If your holes don’t match up perfectly drill them a size larger. They don’t need to be tight. You want the pins to drop right in. A drawbar directly between the stub axles on a general-purpose cart is a fairly standard feature for hooking implements, but it would be directly in the way of lifting the end of a stick with the arch. To be secure, a slip hook chain must be attached at least a little way back from the front end of the stick or log. The stick must then be lifted from far enough back so that its end doesn’t catch under the drawbar. Lifting and pulling from that far back will tend to pull the neck yoke up under your team’s jaws. More tongue weight will hold it down but also adds to the risk of sore withers during general use. A fairly simple solution is to build the rear 12 inches of the deck into one piece with the drawbar. When this drawbar is removed it can be replaced with an arch and winch to be mounted a few inches in front of the stub axles. There is still room to lift a stick clear from the frame. Seat and front standard heights need to fit your anatomy. When training a colt, a second seat is nice for your helper. The Tongue The seven vehicles or implements in my shed all need tongues. Waaay too many poles sticking out in all directions. However, each vehicle has a socket made from 2 1/2-inch square steel tube with a 3/16-inch wall thickness and about 8 inches long. A 2-inch by 2-inch square steel tongue will slide easily into these sockets. One tongue fits them all. Eighth-inch thick

The deck of the forecart angles out as it approaches the wheels and fenders, allowing obstacles to be pushed aside rather than run under the wheels.

The toolbar is part of the rear 12 inches of the deck which can be removed when the forecart is fitted with log skidding equipment, thereby eliminating it as an obstruction when lifting a log centered between the imaginary axle.

The tongue receiver on the cart matches the receivers on all of Bob's implements and vehicles. It uses a pin to attach and a bolt that is screwed down can make the connection rigid and not rattle.

Here, the tongue is attached. Notice the radiator hose that has been split and riveted to the tongue.

Rural Heritage

10