looking for go devil logging sled ideas

[hunterbrooksfarm]

I know its not tractor related, but seeings though when I moved I left my tractor at my dad's place 1100miles away in Maine and I'm.now in Michigan. I bought a team of Belgians last year to use around the small farm here for misc work like logging, pulling wagons, some small field equipment and what ever else I can find for them to earn their keep. I've been skidding logs from out in the back part of the property but I'd like to increase my firewood production a little bit, I know I could do it with a go devil logging sled. I've been looking around the net for ideas and there isn't to many clear pictures of one around for me to get ideas from. So if there is anyone that might have pictures of one that they've built or a friends built post them up so I can get some ideas and start welding something up.

I picked up a old logging bob sled from the late 1800's for $50 and was gonna restore it this winter and use it for some of my larger jobs of select wood. But for now for just a plane old fire wood and for selective thinning of a Wood lot a go devil logging sled would be easier.
Any help.would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Jeremy

 

[Relic]

could You explain,devil logging sled,thanks

 

[hunterbrooksfarm]

It's a small sled typically used by a single horse in narrow tight logging areas which allows the end of the log to be elevated and supported above the ground by the sled allowing the horse to pull the log/logs easier as the butt end doesn't dig into the ground. It can be made of wood
With metal on the skids or completely metal.
It's the same concept as a skid pan, except less ground contact.

 

[groundcover]

Had a guy do some skidding with a two horse team, he used a logging a arch kind of thing that he made out of two truck tires and a shortened axle. He would chain up his logs and as they pulled forward the front would lift up a bit, seamed to work pretty slick.

 

[forgeblast]

I have used something with my lawn tractor. I took a blue plastic barrel (the 55 gallon type) cut it in 1/2 and then cut one end off. I then cut two holes in the other full end. This allows me to loop a chain through. You can then just drag the log and it keeps it from digging in.
If not check out the foxfire books they have one whole book on sleds.

 

[GLyford]

I like this one:
Go devil.wmv - YouTube
Looks effective and simple to build. Here's a discussion where the user describes the materials used to make it:
Go Devil ( logging sled ) | Draft Animal Power
There's a slightly different one on page three of the discussion that also looks like it should work well.

This looks like a more traditional one:
http://jasperveneermills.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/scan102.jpg
it matches the description on the wiki page:
Go-devil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This one seems to illustrate the wiki comment, and has a few other variations on preceding and following pages:
Logging farm forest crops in the Northeast., Page: 46 | UNT Digital Library

Apparently they don't have to be big to be effective:
Skidding Logs with the Go Devil - YouTube

Thanks for the reference, looks like it should be a fun project. Good luck!