Sunday Funday project.....130 year old woodhauler

[ScotO]

I got around to sneaking out to the shop today and doing a project I've been wanting to do for many years now.....

Around 6 years ago or so I tore down a barn over on the mountain, it was built in 1868 by a Civil War vet. Anyway, during the barn tear-down, I found many interesting antique items buried in the mess (half of the barn had collapsed back in the 1950's, the farm had been abandoned in the early 1930's).

One of those items was an antique wheel barrow wheel with the original hardware. I threw it in the truck, it ended up in my barn for a 'down the road' project. Well I finally got around to doing that wheelbarrow today, with some white oak from a tree I cut late last spring....I made some boards just for this project when we milled that oak.

Dug the antique wheel out of the barn around lunchtime, and carefully took all the antique carriage bolts out of it so I could reuse them.



Dug out one thick white oak board (over 2" thick), and several 1" thick ones for the barrow planks. Cut two long tapered handles out of the thick board, along with several other pieces to use for the legs, bracing and sheaves....



began attaching the original hardware to the new handles.....it was neat to see that old stuff come back to life again...




more on the next post....

 

[ScotO]

got the bracing all figured out, made new sheaves for the axles, and made new legs....



made up some new boards, and a nice high back (so I can heap the splits up to haul 'em into the basement). Still have to make some pipe handles for it yet, but tell me what you think.....not to bad for a handful of screws and 5 hours of playtime...



you can really heap the splits on the old girl, I'll tell ya that!

 

[fossil]

I'd say she's mostly a new girl. Very nice. What, if anything, did you use as a guide for the configuration of the thing?

 

[WellSeasoned]

Dude, thats awesome! That will be a handy piece of equiptment. Nice work!

 

[ScotO]

I'd say she's mostly a new girl. Very nice. What, if anything, did you use as a guide for the configuration of the thing?

Yeah, the woods all new (BUT, it was taken out of a 100+ year old white oak I cut down, so technically.....)

Rick, I just 'wung it'. There were two stubs where the previous owner had cut off the handles where the hardware was, as if to reuse the wheel and hardware himself someday.....I used those to guess the taper of the handles and there was a small part of one sheave left on that stub, I used it to fabricate new ones...

old sheave scrap and new fabricated one....



The rest of it, just kinda built it like I felt it would be best built.....sad thing is, The Boss already saw it and has visions of pumpkins and a haybale sitting on it for fall and Thanksgiving.....looks like I may not get to use it for firewood right away!

 

[ScotO]

Dude, thats awesome! That will be a handy piece of equiptment. Nice work!

Thanks WS.....I like bringing old things back to life....

I still have to make some pipe handles for it, I'll get around to that sometime this week maybe....

 

[fossil]

Pretty dang cool. Like finding a piece of a jawbone and figuring out how the whole dinosaur may have looked. Yeah, I understand all the pieces are old...but you've created something all brand new from them. Call her new or call her old, I'll just call her nicely done. Rick

 

[ScotO]

Pretty dang cool. Like finding a piece of a jawbone and figuring out how the whole dinosaur may have looked. Yeah, I understand all the pieces are old...but you've created something all brand new from them. Call her new or call her old, I'll call her nicely done. Rick

Thank you sir...
Yes, it's kinda like archeology......REDNECK archeology!

 

[pyroholic]

Pretty darn sweet if you ask me!

 

[Thistle]

Oh niiiiiiice.

 

[osagebow]

That's pretty durned cool! Hopefully you won't need those big splits 'till after thanksgiving anyway.

 

[swagler85]

Very nice, curious about the legs. You worried about them catching in something while your moving it and them coming loose? Maybe add a brace?

 

[Ashful]

Nice work, Scotty! How's the fore-aft balance, with it loaded? Seems to me, that would be the toughest part of the design. This one looks a tad heavy on the handles, with no front wheel overhang. Likely more an issue for us skinny guys, than Scotty Schwartzenegger. :lol:

 

[ScotO]

Very nice, curious about the legs. You worried about them catching in something while your moving it and them coming loose? Maybe add a brace?

Swags, I am going to add braces to both legs soon. The problem I'm having now is that my wife has commandeered the barrow already with plans to use it for decorating the front of the house.....she's going to stain and seal it!!

So much for having a wood hauler......

 

[ScotO]

Nice work, Scotty! How's the fore-aft balance, with it loaded? Seems to me, that would be the toughest part of the design. This one looks a tad heavy on the handles, with no front wheel overhang. Likely more an issue for us skinny guys, than Scotty Schwartzenegger. :lol:

Lol....I ain't that big! Joful, its a tad heavy at the handles, but I wanted to stay behind the wheel more for the looks....the originals I've seen are more like that as well.

Like I said to Swags, wifey has stolen it already, I may not get to use until after Thanksgiving! Looks like I'll have to build something else to haul my wood!

 

[lukem]

Looks real good, Scotty. Looks like the grips could use a little tuning with the draw-knife too.

 

[ScotO]

Looks real good, Scotty. Looks like the grips could use a little tuning with the draw-knife too.

I made some curved handles out of black iron pipe, gonna install them later.......I'll update with pics.
Also going to make a set of braces for the legs, not sure if I'm gonna use flat stock metal or make 'em out of oak....

 

[bogydave]

You are a multi-talented man Scotty !
Great job

(Agree with the wife, an exterior clear finish would make it look even better & preserve it for years )

 

[ScotO]

You are a multi-talented man Scotty !
Great job

(Agree with the wife, an exterior clear finish would make it look even better & preserve it for years )

Thanks, my friend......I'm a jack of all trades, but I've only mastered a few!!

wifey has plans to stain it with Minwax Early American (have almost a gallon left over from the flooring project), then a couple coats of helmsman spar....

It'll look good with a haybale, mums and a pumpkin on it come October......

After Thanksgiving, I'll put it to work for the winter.

 

[HittinSteel]

Nice work! That is just cool.

 

[ScotO]

Made the handles for it this evening out of 3/4" pipe, welded washers on for collars and for a stop at the tail end of each handle. Looks great, and they are very comfortable to use!

 

[firecracker_77]

got the bracing all figured out, made new sheaves for the axles, and made new legs....

View attachment 108304 View attachment 108305 View attachment 108306 View attachment 108307

made up some new boards, and a nice high back (so I can heap the splits up to haul 'em into the basement). Still have to make some pipe handles for it yet, but tell me what you think.....not to bad for a handful of screws and 5 hours of playtime...

View attachment 108310 View attachment 108308 View attachment 108309

you can really heap the splits on the old girl, I'll tell ya that!

View attachment 108311 View attachment 108312

Beauty

 

[PapaDave]

Ok, that's it. The handles are the last straw.
Next think we know, you'll have made some nice wrought iron leg braces. Well, I guess those would be the last straw, but that's it. The last straw.

 

[firecracker_77]

Wow I can see Mt. Wood in the background. Largest wood pile East of the Mississippi

 

[firecracker_77]

How old do you think the wheel is? 20th century or late 1800s