Log Par buckling?

[JaredWoodcock]

Tyler’s log loading thread got me wondering what types of manual log stacking methods are people using. I have stacked some round hay bales by par buckling them up and over themselves and it worked pretty well. Does anyone with experience have any log par buckling tips, tricks, or stories to learn from?

[dominiquer60]

Tim Harrigan has a great you-tube video parbuckling with a single ox. It visually demonstrates some subtleties of getting it to work well. Of course it helps that he has a bunch of EAB straight Ash logs to demonstrate with.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by dominiquer60.

[Does’ Leap]

[Tyler Sage]

Here a video of my log loading system. Its really simple, just a cable attached to a chain in the middle of the log, then around a pulley tied to the tree, then to the arch. With a well shaped pile and well placed rails, the horses dont have too much trouble getting 16′ pine butt logs up to the top of the pile. The log truck parks on the road behind the pile when it loads. I try to stack up at least 5.5 mbf to make sure there always a little more than one load for the trucker so i never some up short. I am careful not too stack too much because i just have to restock it after the trucker picks up With this system the trucker can show up without me being there and just load up and be on his way.
I might add a second pulley to the system, i might attach the cable to the tree then to a pulley with a grab hook that attaches to the log then back to the tree, then to the cart. I think this might generate a more controlled pull and allow for more delicate log placement on the stack.
I am hesitant to get into parbuckling because its such a pain to get chains out form under the big logs once they are inn place on the pile, the fewer chains i have to wrestle out the from the log pile the better. If the chain is really stuck i can hook it to the cart to pull it out but i usually work by myself and that a lot of climbing on and off the cart and pile.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm7oBmt1m04&w=560&h=315%5D

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by Tyler Sage.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by Tyler Sage.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by Tyler Sage.

[Tyler Sage]

Cant figure out how to add the video in the slick way you all did, sorry! You will just have to click the link…

[JaredWoodcock]

Yeah I work alone as well and I was hoping some old timers would chime in with some of the finer details, like chain handling as you mentioned. I am only doing a couple truck loads so it is less of an issue on my current job, the main problem is that it it 26 inch plus red oak and pretty heavy.

[Carl Russell]

I made up skids that I could attach chains to the ends of. That way the weight of the log would hold them in place, but at the load the logs would roll off. It requires rolling the logs by hand to put them into place on the pile, but solves the chain under the log issue. Of course one can pull the chains out with the animals… or bunch the chain in front of the log, then roll the log over to free the chain.

Alternatively I have also looped chain around the first log on the top of the pile to accomplish the same thing. The challenge with this is that the chain must be over the end of the skid, or the log will be squeezed between chain and skid, and will not make it up onto the pile. In the end the chain should be attached to the front of middle of the tier, not to the far side, so at some point the logs should roll off the chain before they go too far.

By the way, I made it through all of this experimenting. Had to skid logs back out of the road where they fell off the other side of the truck. Had to skid them off the truck because one end didn’t make it. Had to cut new skids because one broke. Had to increase my vocabulary of curse words, and suffered a few bruises to limb and ego. But in the end successfully mastered a skill that made the use of animals effective enough that I worked for 25 years before I bought a landing machine.

If it is confusing, or tedious, or challenging, doesn’t mean that has to be the ultimate reality. Patience and creativity, and finesse, can bring a lot of functionality to tasks like par-buckling logs. Rolling large logs is a huge mechanical advantage over pulling, or outright lifting. Having that sense of confidence provides a resource for time and creativity. If you devise a way to effectively roll the logs, you and your animals will work much easier. Using living power depends on such initiative.

In the right conditions I have rolled entire trees up on the pile, both with parbuckle, and by hand, before the trees were cut into logs. The first attempt is by no means indicative of the long-term effectiveness once the technique is perfected. I think that perfecting peavey techniques of rolling logs by hand are critical to being able to effectively understand parbuckling.

Don’t give up before you get started…. it takes tons of practice…. Literally “tons”, of practice.

I have attached a few pics of large logs that I had to parbuckle with the animals in order to move….. and a broken sled that suffered from my experimentation, that required recovery of the huge oak log, and parbuckling all over again.

Carl

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[Ron]

Hi Tyler
Maybe you have already been suggested this so excuse me if I am repeating things. In the Ottawa Valley the Para hitch was used a lot in logging they usually put a second pulley at the base of the tree. The cable went from the log to the top pulley on the tree to the bottom pulley on the tree base and out to the horses. This kept the pull very smooth and the draft point easier to handle for the horses. You have a nice set up and the horses work great very good work. Hope that is of some help.
ron

[Author]

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