small milling horses

[woodshop]

For those that asked, here are details of the small horses I use when milling. Extra hassle getting the logs/cants up onto them, but when I do it sure saves the back and knees.

24" long
18 1/2" high
22" wide at base looking from end
legs are full 2" by 3" white pine
main beam across is solid 5" by 3" doug fir
end braces are 3/4 birch plywood (the good stuff, no voids)
side braces across legs are 3/4 x 4 1/2" white pine
aluminum indexed strip on top is 1/4" thick x 2" wide.

everything is glued and screwed, with quick and dirty coat of varnish to shed rain/oil

chocks are solid chunks of sweetgum 2 1/4 thick, 3" wide and 4 1/4" long with 1" angle iron one end that contacts log, with 1/4" metal pins on bottom where they fit into the aluminum strip.

Before I screwed on the aluminum strip, I dado-ed out an area so sawdust can accumulate, and every once in a while I just run something down them to clean out.

My goal was sturdy enough for a 24" 8ft long hardwood log, but light enough to throw in truck. As you can see in the pics where I cut into one end, using a long bar to trim up sides of log can be hazardous to the health of the horses.

 

[Woodsurfer]

Nice design! Thanks for sharing. I see the long bar cut! At least you missed the steel screws!

Having worked with them for a while, is there anything you would change?

 

[woodshop]

Nice design! Thanks for sharing. I see the long bar cut! At least you missed the steel screws!

Having worked with them for a while, is there anything you would change?

...YES... thanks for reminding me... I would have made one of them 1/4" longer so it would fit over the other and thus they would stack together better when transporting.

 

[flht01]

...YES... thanks for reminding me... I would have made one of them 1/4" longer so it would fit over the other and thus they would stack together better when transporting.

Can't say Thank You enough for posting the info and pictures. Not only will it help with the back but it will also make it a lot easier to get that last board out of the flitches. Well done.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Nice horses Woodshop.

 

[smithie55]

Them have some serious horse power.
Yes in deed thanks Woodshop
The holes that keep the dogs in place, is the spacing that you have there work good or would you have put them closer together?
What do they weigh? about 15 20 lbs a piece?
Happy millin

 

[woodshop]

The holes that keep the dogs in place, is the spacing that you have there work good or would you have put them closer together?
What do they weigh? about 15 20 lbs a piece?
Happy millin

The hole spacing, other than having to drill them accurately so the pins on the dogs always fit, are not that critical because I often have the log actually sitting up on the dogs, up off the top of the actual horse. That way, as flht01 says, you can mill thin stuff like the slab off a log. If you put the dogs only say 6 inches apart, and the round side of the slab down onto them, it leaves lots of room under the slab to slice a board or two off that slab. If it was not up on those chocks, if it was laying right on the horses, there wouldn't be a lot of clearance under it for the csm or Ripsaw.

Never weighed them... will do that tomorrow as I'm curious myself.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Nice ponies! Just curious... Have you thought about making one taller than the other to take advantage of milling down hill? Would it be more trouble than what it's worth in your opinion?

 

[woodshop]

Nice ponies! Just curious... Have you thought about making one taller than the other to take advantage of milling down hill? Would it be more trouble than what it's worth in your opinion?

Never thought of that... but would be a good idea. As said before in posts, it amazes me how only a little downhill grade makes it so much easier to mill. I suppose only 1 or 2 inches higher on one would do the trick since the horse are usually only 5 or 6 ft apart. I'm rarely on perfectly level ground though, and I take advantage of a downgrade where the logs lay anyway. Good idea though, something somebody might incorporate if they were to make these.

 

[Adkpk]

Woodshop you are the master of the jig. Those horses are serious items. Thanks.

 

[woodshop]

Woodshop you are the master of the jig.

Adrpk I freely admit that comes from being lazy, or better put, short attention span and short tolerance when it comes to inefficient piece work. If I can make something that either speeds up an operation or makes it more efficient, I'll spend tons of time making something to that end. It pays off in the long run.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Adrpk I freely admit that comes from being lazy, or better put, short attention span and short tolerance when it comes to inefficient piece work. If I can make something that either speeds up an operation or makes it more efficient, I'll spend tons of time making something to that end. It pays off in the long run.

If I cleared the jigs out of my shop, I could double my work space. The way I look at it, if I spend 2 hours making a jig that allows me to have my high school helper cut out 200 chair pieces flawlessly, it's worth it.

 

[poleframer]

Thanks for the post, woodshop. Added the pics to my "good ideas" folder.
I will be upgrading my horses at some point. The jack that raises, and lowers the piece of ply with the quartered tablesaw blade dogs works well, but need to be removeable (awkward and heavy).I started with just Vs in the ply, but had log rotation issues. I'd like to figure a system that dogs the log, but is adjustable for log size, and allows for easier log rotation when I make beams.
Russell

 

[woodshop]

If I cleared the jigs out of my shop, I could double my work space.

DITTO aggie... I dedicate a large amount of shop and storage space just to store jigs for various product runs. I actually number my jigs, keep a running "Jig Tally Sheet" in my "Master Shop" loose leaf binder because once in a while I run into a jig I built a while back I havn't used in a while, and have forgotten exactly what it was for. Is THAT pathetic or what? I know I know... I gotta slow down and smell the roses

 

[woodshop]

Thanks for the post, woodshop.

You're welcome Russel, I like your use of quartered table saw blades... my kinda rig.

 

[Adkpk]

Adrpk I freely admit that comes from being lazy, or better put, short attention span and short tolerance when it comes to inefficient piece work. If I can make something that either speeds up an operation or makes it more efficient, I'll spend tons of time making something to that end. It pays off in the long run.

You and I would make good partners. I am just the opposite. I am lazy in the sense I would cut an inch thick limb with a pair of snips rather than walk to the truck to get the loppers. My brother is a cabinet maker. They use jigs. Other wise I wouldn't even know what one was.