Rock Sled Ideas Wanted

JimMorrissey · Apr 28, 2006

Anybody have any ideas on how to make some kind of rock sled for large boulders (3-4000lbs)? I'm not really interested in an old automobile hood, but maybe that's the way to go. I'd like to be able to push or tumble the rock onto the sled, then chain off on the bucket hooks and drag the rock into roughly the right place. I don't have a rear drawbar, so I'd be pulling. I don't think that matters, but it's worth mentioning.

OldMcDonald · Apr 28, 2006

My present property (Portugal) had very few stones that big, so I have dealt with them by using a tpl box. A heavy lever underneath will help you roll them onto the box. Failing that, I have used a chain in the past (England, Scotland, Australia) to move boulders that weighed in excess of 2 tons UK - 2.25 US (on the basis that one cubic yard is approx 2 tons). Dragging them does sometimes gouge out a channel, but a chain is cheap compared with making something more sophisticated, and backfilling the gouge is usually not a problem. I have done other things, including making a proper 2 runner sledge, but that meant lifting the stones (or rather pushing them) up a ramp about 9" high to get them on the sledge. I have also pushed them with a tpl box, used a wire rope and winch; rolled them by hand (with a lever to help); and smashed them up into smaller sized pieces. Really big boulders are simply an interesting challenge in life. Millions of little ones are the real problem - but I have ways of fixing them too. Old McDonald.

texasjohn · Apr 28, 2006

I'm no expert, but I believe that it does matter how you move the rocks.... I understand that the FEL is built to lift and dig using hydraulics with a relief valve.... if you use hooks to drag backwards an extremely heavy load that gets hung up on the ground, then the forces on the FEL and associated parts are going, IMHO, to be far in excess of its design load. I urge you to investigate further my concern.. and perhaps some other more engineering capable TBN member will voice their opinion.

ksmmoto · Apr 28, 2006

Used to be lots of them here in Michigan. We called them "Stone Boats".

I have an old truck hood, but it is all ripped up and wore through. So I want to build a stone boat also. Not sure what I want to use for the front yet.

My dad had one years ago that had 1/4" steel curved for the front and 2" x 6" rough cut oak boards bolted on. Need to keep it low so you can push or drag a large boulder on to it.

Usually just use the FEL to unload, just catch a corner and tip up. This is how I ripped up the truck hood!

ksmmoto

MikeD74T · Apr 29, 2006

Check with nearest fairgrounds that has horse pulling & look at their stone boat. They pull 10k+. Or look at horse pulling websites.
Basically a steel plate 3'x6' to 5'x8' 1/4 - 1/2 thick, upturned front so it will slide, reinforced hole at front to attach pulling chain, 3/8"x2"x2" angle down each side with occasional holes to chain rocks onto boat when necessary. If towing down a steep hill you can let a loop of chain drag under the front to hold it back. Just park the boat near the rock, roll the rock onto the boat, tie down as necessary, drag it away.

scott_vt · Apr 29, 2006

Mornin Jim,
We used this setup a couple of weeks ago. It was 1/4" Diamond plate steel with torch cutouts in the corners for chain hooks. The playe was 2' x 5' approx. This chunk of concrete was heavy /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

scotty

Farwell · Apr 29, 2006

I have never hauled anything that heavy but I have a piece of 3/4 inch plywood that is 2'x4' that has a hook bolted through the front end that I have loaded with rocks as high as I could stack them with out falling off. I have been using this plywood for over three years. The bottom of the plywood is really polished from all the moving it over sand.
The plate steel will work for anything that is not too big for your tractor to pull. If you can have the weight a little towards the back of the plate the front end won't dig in.
That is one huge hunk of concrete.
Farwell

Toolguy · Apr 30, 2006

That steel plate is a good idea. If you use a very short chain to hook it to the drawbar it will lift up on the plate when you pull and transfer some of the weight of the rock(s) to the tractor. This will give the rear wheels more traction and also make it easier to pull since you will be dragging less weight .

KentT · May 3, 2006

I have an antique stoneboat made of roughsawn oak 2x8's sawn at a 30-degree angle on the front end. It's about 40" wide, with the 5 boards fastened together by using a 3' wide by 3/8" bar on the top side, front and rear. The boards are mounted to that bar using carriage bolts.

jdgreg · May 4, 2006

Anybody use a pallet? Gotta do the same thing. I've got a couple of sturdy pallets laying around, and seems the bottom runners have the edge cut off, so this may work.

Using a truck hood, man that brought back memories. I remember helping my dad pick up rocks on my grandparents ranch in Tx using one. I would sit on the old truck hood as he drug it behind the pickup to the next batch of victims. Had to have been 40 yrs ago. Aaaah, the good old days. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Timber · Jul 17, 2006

I use an aluminum dock plate.The fron already has a bent lip on it and there a holes for legs to drop between the truck and loading dock. Mine is 3/8 thick

sandman2234 · Jul 17, 2006

In my younger days, I could talk the ladies into just about anything. Here is a picture of a friends mother who came down from Michigan to visit and I took them out to the sand dunes to watch me ride the Odysey that you see pulling an old VW hood I located. The friend moved back to Michigan to be closer to her Mother before she passed away.

Anyway, talking about dragging heavy things on hoods brought back fond memories. Excuse the low quality picture, it was taken by an amatuer using an old 110 camera.
David from jax

JimMorrissey · Jul 22, 2006

Might try the hood idea. We have a huge steel dealer locally but the "gent" is a real sorry old man....very angry and charges top dollar for used steel as if new. If you question him, he throws what you want in the scrap heap; unfortunate situation for sure.

JimMorrissey · Jul 22, 2006

Timber, What's a "dock plate"?

rswyan · Jul 22, 2006

Jim,

It's a metal ramp/plate that is used on loading docks to accomodate any variation in height between the truck and the dock itself so that a pallet jack or forklift can easily offload the freight or load.