Sleigh/Bobled Setup

Our feed sled always was setup with a pole and cross chains. It sure is handy for getting into tight spots, as the front and back bobs will track when adjusted right. It’s a bit different to manuver until you get the hang of it, but that doesn’t take long.
Our sleigh that we use for rides is setup with the pole attached to the front of the runners….it’s fine, but turning tight will put a bit more side load on the pole, as you’re now trying to “skid” a full length runner sideways. I’ve had ours loaded heavy and never had an issue with that, but it is something to keep in mind.
I’ve never used one with the wheel replacement runners, but always wondered if they had a tendency to “stub their toe” and rock forward? The weight always needs to be well aft of the center of any runner to work best, but they still look like they’d need a “stay chain” or something to me.
A neighbor borrowed our feed sled one year to pattern his after, but neglected to set the “axel” back far enough on the runners. That thing pulled like a ton of bricks!! He finally changed it to match ours and it’s a whole other ballgame now! Amazing what a difference that few inches made!
John

I’ve never noticed any problems with it. I hauled alot of hay alot of miles over some pretty rough ground, feeding and hauling from our haysheds and never had any problems that I thought were the sled’s fault. I’ve probably backed up a few sled-lengths at the most at one time, and it seemed to do ok. We had one hayshed that was about 7 miles away and 3 times a week, I’d head over there and throw about 50-75 bales on (depended on the condition of the road, as there was a pretty steep, long hill to pull on one end and another to go down on the other) and it would rock along, like any good sled, but never felt like it wanted to tip.
John

Roscoe-
The set-up you need really depends on what you are doing with the sleigh/bobsled. I use a two bunk work sled for hay transport and I log with a bobsled. Both have heavy duty rolls with poles joined with mortise and tenon. Additionally, they have steel cross-members for added strength. It is very important to have the roll/pole attached to the front of the runners so that your horses get some lift when they pull forward. When you have big load on, this is absolutely essential. How you attach the rear runners is not so important as how the front is set up. I do use heavy bridle chains on the bobsled, as it is common to have very steep runs down to log landings around here in Vermont. Also, from inside to inside of the runners, which in my case are 4×6 oak, my bob measures about 38 inches, and the bunk is 46 inches wide a top plate that is 53 inches wide. I can email you some photos of the bobsled if that is helpful, just send me your email address. Good luck!
-Brad

Moccasin runners are wide in the wood body of the runner and then taper down to a smaller dimension at the shoes (steel). My bobsled runners are 5 ” or so and taper down to 3″ at the 3/8 thick steel shoes. This provides more float in deep snow and also allows you to use larger, more durable runners with a smaller steel shoe. In terms of the roll, it is pinned thru the upturned nose of the runners. If you think of the end of the runners as a circle of, say about 4-6 inches in diameter, then the holes for the pins for the roll go right thru the center of the circle. You will see this in my photos.
-Brad

I still go back and watch this video once in a while. It sheds a lot of light for me in the making of a sled.

Bens Mill : Making a sled

http://www.folkstreams.net/film,187

Gordon