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moving logs by hand, the DIY approach

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teef

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ok, among my many strange hobbies is woodcrafting and as many of you will know i usually scavenge my wood from local windfall or county council cuttings. that has brought me to the point were i have need of a good way to move a hefty chunk of log by hand.

my specific need ATM is to get a 6 foot length of 10 inch beech out of the woods and back to my home. the distance isn't far -- less than 2 kilometers -- but it's certainly more than i can manage by shear grunt. i'd rather do this myself -- i fully expect to have to do this again sometime -- so that's got me looking at ways to move logs by hand.

it seems the tool of choice for this type of thing is a log arch:

another-log-arch-in-use.png

now my needs are a little more modest that what this thing is obviously capable of and i'm the DIY sort of guy so ...

anyone have a lead on plans to make something like this at home?

ideally i'd like to make it out of wood or maybe iron pipe as i have no means of metal fabrication at hand. obv the wheels are what they are. in place of the grapple i'd likely just go for a bit of sturdy rope to work as a sling. i'd need it all to be something that could be backpacked in to location. for example, i'm thinking the long lever that extends from the arch to the guy's hands could be any suitable pole scavanged in the woods.

i realize that's a hefty wish list but aim high and compromise as needs be, eh?
 
There is a kind of trolley that is used for moving full rolls of carpet. Just two wheels either side that sit at the centre of balance.
These log arches are bloody hard to control on an uneven surface and are a back injury waiting to happen...be careful buddy.
I cheat, I use a link box on the back of a small orchard tractor. I tie the end of the large log into the link box then lift it clear of the ground and "skid" it out of the woodland.
 
good point! and "an uneven surface" is very much what i need to account for because i'll largely be using the thing to haul a log out of the woods. there are trails of course but "uneven" is exactly what they are going to be, on a good day.

something like your carpet trolley is sounding like a better idea. after all i'm not hauling 1000 lb trees, 200-300 lbs at most i would guess, so something a little more modest might be in order. also must consider the safety factor, as you've mentioned. don't want to be on the wrong side of a 300 lb log that has decided to go some direction of its own choosing.
 
If you go on Pinterest there are loads of guides to making kayak dolly’s using milk crates or fold up stools or PVC pipe. You could always find an old wheels bin and cut it down.
 
I have moved long heavy logs using a sack truck. I tied the log to the truck and lifted the end of the log whilst rolling along on the wheels.
 
How did you get on @teef ?
I made a dolly for moving composite worktops about from a pair of pneumatic tyres, a bit of 3x2 and some ¾ threaded bar for the axle.
I'd imagine a log ratchet strapped to a sack barrow at the front and a set of wheels at the back would be relatively easy to move.
Keeping the weight low over uneven ground is the priority.
 
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