LET IT SLIDE ON A SUISSE SLED

Image Gallery STAF PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR

by Gladys Mackey Beattie

Here In Quebec, we've found our easy-to-build Suisse sled to be just about the ideal device to handle the kind of haulin' chores that crop up almost daily on a farm. And—since most of the materials needed to Construct the simple freight carrier are Probably already around just waitin' to be used—you can put the versatile sled to work on your homestead for next to nothing!

EASY CONSTRUCTION

To make the 3" X 6' model shown in the photos (a size which we've found to be especially versatile), lay out two 6' posts or Poles that taper from approximately 10, to about 8" in diameter. If the skids have some natural curve at their larger ends, so much the better ... as the bottom front of each runner must be hewn or sawed off to form an angle of approximately W.

With that done, place the posts side by side (&a they'll appear on the finished sled) and cut three notches—each a' deep and 4' wide—in the top of both runners ... to accommodate the three 4" X 4" X 36" crosspieces. (Make sure that the mortices match and are square to the skids and that the skids are parallel when the braces are in place... otherwise, you'll have a cockeyed Suisse that will never run true.) Now, nail the crosspieces securely In place, and your basic frame is complete.

To make the floor of the sled, you'll need approximately six 1" X 6" X 60" boards. Nail the planks solidly to the crosspieces to help keep your sled square under rough conditions.

CUSTOM DESIGN

The size and type of box you build will, of course, depend on how you plan to use your sled. Since we utilize our hauler for garden work, we made the box walls 2411 high and added a removable tailgate. The latter feature makes for easy loading and unloading, but keeps produce from roiling out of the carrier's back when we're climbing the hill that leads to our house ... and also enables us to haul more manure per trip without leaving small deposits of it all along the route to the garden.