Stone boat designs

[KinAlberta]

Anyone know of a great - multipurpose - DIY stone boat design?

Years ago we had the old basic salvaged wood version and it worked ok for years until it basically rotted away. In the last few years I've realized that I could use another but something a bit more modern and advanced. ie adjustable height skids, tie downs, maybe nylon runners, rot proof of course. Ability to attach wheels, rails, etc.

Eg. On the weekend I bought over $1,000 of PT lumber (12' 6x6s, 4x6s, etc) and started to build a support framework for our old rusting bridge that I recently jacked out of the mud. Had a heck of a time dragging the first beginnings of a base to the site. The whole process would have been a snap if I had a stone boat with tie downs, attachable/detachable wheels, etc.

Anyway, every so often I see a need for a decent stone boat and might as well build a good one if I'm going to build anything at all.


Note: Rock sled is another old name for these.

[NCC]

I'm curious as to why you would want a stone boat instead of a wagon or sleigh? I would prefer to have the running gear for a wagon and sleigh and then just move the deck from one to the other based on the ground conditions. Having wheels on a stone boat would be a disaster as a free moving stone boat would be in your horses heels every time you stop or go down a hill.

[KinAlberta]

Stone boats are great because they are low, but skids alone, like wheels alone, have real limitations. ie I'm going to have to winch my bridge support base into place and maybe even lay down boards with some fence posts or something to serve as rollers to first get it close to the creek bank.

I also several other little tasks to do like moving a couple small buildings. Eg: I have a tiny boathouse (only 7'x14') that I plan to move in amongst some trees. My old Ford Excursion could easily pull it but not close to where I want it. So then it will be a case of using a come along or atv winch and other work. A trailer or standard stone boat could get it fairly close but then I'll have to manoeuvre it about. (I have a trailer but getting it on the trailer is a lot more work than just sliding a stone boat under it.)

I won't be pulling it with a horse.

[Drewski Canuck]

While your general maligning of a good stoneboat is understandable, your bigger complaint is man handling objects in difficult conditions.

That is why God allowed the Japanese to invent the Turfir Winch for us Red Blooded Canadians to use for our crazy projects.

Imagine a 100 yard long winch that walked along a special cable, both back and forth, up to 2500 pd capacity.

You can rent these things, or watch the auctions when a fabrication shop is liquidated and buy one.

Ask any of the real crazy bush guys on here, and they will vouch for these things.

As for the Stoneboat, the addition of slip on wheels and axles now means a welded frame with receivers attached to the outside with clevis pins for locks to put the axle stubs into that the tires are bolted onto (PRINCESS AUTO IS YOUR FRIEND).

Yes, you can put a 6 x 6 on the bottom of the frame and clad it in puck board for ease of sliding, but once you have wheels on this thing, you may never use it as a stone boat anyway.

Drewski

[KinAlberta]

Very interesting, thanks.

Griphoist (Tirfor) Hand Winch | Cool Tools

http://kk.org/cooltools/griphoist-tirfo/



Unfortunately adding wheels before loading an object means lifting, dragging or jacking up objects two to three times as high. I can slide a stone under say a 10" lift. To put say the little boathouse on my double wide would be a struggle.

Plus, say a bolt on or drop down axle brace could allow for wheel mounting to move forwards backwards or even sideways, with mounting on the front or back or at the left or right side.

[Mangosteen]

Yeah I remember having a rock party behind the stone boat. Walking around with two pails while a tractor pulls the stoneboat.
Used to get 1.25 an hour doing that.

How many on here can even relate to that. Immigrants of late no way.