MOTHER'S LOG LIFTER
(Page 2 of 2)
September/October 1982
By the Mother Earth News staff
After you've welded up the basic framework, the rest of the log-lifter's parts should bolt together easily. To assemble them, first trim out the slots in the swing braces that support the 3/4" axle rod, then install your fasteners. The rear springs should run between the triple-nutted pivot bolts on the back tabs and the 3/8" bolts at the rear of the braces, while the front tensioners clip to eyebolts mounted on the frame stanchions and the overhead arms. Once these parts are in place, slip the axle through its supports (with the wheels inside and the washers between them), and tack-weld those steel rings to the 3/4" rod so that the hubs can't "walk" inward while turning.
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With everything put together, you can paint the metal parts and head out to the woodlot to put your new creation through its paces. It's been designed to be used like a peavey in that its legs are first tucked under the log and the frame is then pushed forward with the arms in the "up" position, causing them to fall down on the trunk and dig into the wood. After that, by pulling back on the handle, you can easily move the load to your cutting area. In order to use our truck as a sawbuck, simply lay it down on its rest with the log in its cradle, and slice rounds off the ends protruding from the right and left sides of the frame.
The tool's jaws will accept timber up to 16" in diameter, and — should knots or limb stubs on a log interfere with the action of the wheels during transport — the axle can be moved back to the rear notch to provide additional clearance.
Yep, it'd be hard to beat a tool that does the job of two and saves money besides. We figure you should be able to put your own lifter together, as we did, for about $50, and — if the device allows you to increase your reliance upon firewood — possibly bank several times that amount in savings over conventional fuels within a short time. That's a bargain . . . no matter how you slice it.
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