Log Grabs/Dogs

[Does’ Leap]

I found some reasonably priced old grabs/dogs on ebay and couldn’t resist. I’ve read about Ronnie T and some of the southern loggers using these. Are the dogs always used in sets of two pounded into opposite sides of the log and then hooked to the evener through a chain and grab? Is one dog/grab ever used? I’ve heard reference to a type of hammer used to pound and release the grabs. Is there a particular name for this hammer?

Seems like the grabs could give extra lift when ground skidding logs as you are pulling from both sides of the log rather than the top of the log when using a chain. Any thoughts on the way these grabs are set up with the slip hook fastened the way it is?

[IMG]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MPAa10wHRBE/TyMUJBF6zkI/AAAAAAAABGY/OjV4KNjAWck/s800/P1030574.JPG[/IMG]

George

[Ronnie Tucker]

i use a loose ring on mine. it is about 4in inside.some times one will work.i call it a grab hammer. ronnie tucker

[Anonymous]

Dogs used to be very popular here in Nova Scotia. Ours are a little differnt, I’ll take a pic and post it rather than trying to desribe the hooks. Some times there were as many as four dogs all on short pieces of chain attached to a ring with a central ring that has a hook and swivle forged in one end. Small logs could be hooked with one dog so as logs as you had dogs could be gatherd up in one twitch. I’v never used them much and when I did it was in small wood, but I’v seen teams of oxen get a nice lift with sets of dogs on big logs. The teamster would set the dogs in on a log so the hook was centerd in the butt he said it pulled easier than using a chain. The reason we stoped using them much was sharp horses tend to pull the dogs out the log if it gets snubbed up. The old teamsters would talk about a nice steady yard horse who squeezed into the collar. Horse pulling end the days of slow starting steady horses here.:( I may take a set off the shop wall monday and give them a try again thanks for posting the picture.

Tristan

[Tim Harrigan]

So do you dog in on each side of a log, like a set of tongs, dog in with one on the end like I think Tristan said, or dog in to two logs and pull side by side or a train. Are these the same as the dogs they used when rafting years ago? I can see where in some applications these would pull easier than a chocker chain and maybe hold better than tongs. Dog in on the ends, or side of the log?

[Ronnie Tucker]

I’m trying to download some jpg photos, but it keeps telling me that the download has failed. Whats wrong?

Ronnie

[CharlyBonifaz]

@Ronnie Tucker 32102 wrote:

I’m trying to download some jpg photos, but it keeps telling me that the download has failed. Whats wrong?

size too big?
10MB goes for all of your uploaded pics?

[Does’ Leap]

Ronnie:

I re-size my photos in Microsoft Picture Manager (Programs > Microsoft Office > Microsoft Office Tools > Picture Manager). If you click on “edit pictures” you can “compress” them for “web pages” and you should be able to upload them.

George

[Jenemap]

year, that’s really cool !

[Gabe Ayers]

George I think it was also called a skip hammer. It looks somewhat like the tools used on railroad spikes only not as long on the point. Most that use them make their own, cut down from other tools like a sledge. Kevin

[Does’ Leap]

Thanks for the replies. I am having a hard time picturing how the ring is used in this set-up. It seems like once your dogs are set in a log you want to hitch as close as possible to the load by getting rid of the excess chain. I assume that is what the ring/s are used for? The best I can come up with to solve this would be to use a short length of chain with 2 grabs on it (pictured on top to right of blue rope). Once the dogs are set, I would hook the double-grab hooks on the dog chains close to the log and then hook that to my single tree or evener via a swivel. Any thoughts on how this would work? I would really like to see how it should be set up if anyone can post some pictures. If anyone could post a picture of a grab or skip hammer, that would be much appreciated as well.

George

[IMG]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rj55Aux6_Ts/Ttkb6IXynyI/AAAAAAAABEI/ut9EnbWgHC0/s800/P1030522.JPG[/IMG]

[Does’ Leap]

I found some answers on grabs and their set-up in an “ebook” entitled “Logging: the principles and general methods of operation in the United States”, published 1913. I posted a link to this fascinating and informative book a week ago and there were no takers?! Here is the link:

http://books.google.com/books?id=U6UJAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA388&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false

There is a table of contents and index with hyper-links. The information on grabs is on page 153 and the illustrations on page 151. The “Morris patent skidding grab” seems like the best set-up, but I can’t quite figure it out based on the picture.

George

[Tim Harrigan]

George, thanks for this link and thanks for reminding me of it. I looked at it briefly when you posted but then forgot about it before I could get back to it. When you get the grab set up sorted out post some pictures. I want to get a good sense of how they are applied.

Is that Amsteel Blue line you are running? How do you like it, and what are you using it for?

[Ronnie Tucker]

there is a web site sam linsey.com which shows 8 wheel log wagons.it shows lots of pictures of mules and oxen.also history of the linsey log wagon.the above mentioned book was very good.

[Does’ Leap]

Tim:

It is not Amsteel Blue – same thing (synthetic winch cable) different brand. Here’s the discussion on it: http://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?3797-Snatch-Block-Rope-Questions/page2

George

[Tim Harrigan]

OK, I remember that now. Are you happy with the snatch blocks, and your system in general now that you have had to make them grunt a few times?

[Author]

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