# help with sawbuck



## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

Hi,

I have a project I want to do and that is to make a "sawbuck". You may not call "it" that but when I grew up that is what they called them in northern WI. In those days almost everyone had one as supplmental wood heat and being poor you did your own wood. I recall seeing lots of designs depending on who made it and how good they were at woodworking. Some used logs others 2X4's or 2X6's...... Some lashed them together some pegged them, nails, wire, spit....... OK maybe not that last one.

I'd like to make one out of either 2X4 or 2X6 and make it look like a craftsman made it. I will not be doing any major "logs" but might do a few tree limbs but a lot of its use is for looks. I have some used 2X6 cedar so that will most likly be my wood choise.

The design I'm picturing is a X=X==X looking thing, if you can picture that. I could just guess at things but if someone has made one or has plans for one or has any idea of what I'm talking about and wants to comment please do so.

Thanks,

Ed


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

Hi Ed used to have one when I was a kid on the farm. All I did was put runners on the ground with to running cross members holding the X's together. It was pretty crude but it worked. Now that I have some knowledge of tools. I would notch out for every connection. I don't know where off hand you would get plans for one it's basicly hit or miss type project.


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## Pop_pop1 (Sep 10, 2004)

Hi Ed,

http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1999_October_November/The_Crosscut_Saw

http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1989_November_December/A_Tale_of_Two_Sawbucks

http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1982_September_October/Mother_s_Log_Lifter

Check out the links above. These may be what you are looking for.....Chuck


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

Here's a site I found for you Ed hope it helps it's on a pdf file though. Here is the site address. http://woodworkers.lightwire.net/projects.htm Hope this helps. Ed if you can't get a copy email me and I'll print them and send them to you.


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## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

Pop_pop1 said:


> Hi Ed,
> 
> http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1999_October_November/The_Crosscut_Saw
> 
> ...


 Hey I had forgot about these people.....
Could you check your links, I get a lavender shaded box with some message that says the cover png doesn't exist????????? Odd to say the least.

Ed


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## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

Glenmore said:


> Here's a site I found for you Ed hope it helps it's on a pdf file though. Here is the site address. http://woodworkers.lightwire.net/projects.htm Hope this helps. Ed if you can't get a copy email me and I'll print them and send them to you.


 Thanks...... I have no problems with pdf been using it since it was invented.

Interesting design and a good starting point....... hey when we had these only some loggers had chainsaws....... had to put your foot somewhere for the draw stroke and I guess you would put a lot less strain on them using a chainsaw, mostly just the weight of the log.

Ed


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

reible said:


> Hey I had forgot about these people.....
> Could you check your links, I get a lavender shaded box with some message that says the cover png doesn't exist????????? Odd to say the least.
> 
> Ed



If the PDF's won't open, try saving them to your desktop then opening them. Sometimes that helps....


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## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

kp91 said:


> If the PDF's won't open, try saving them to your desktop then opening them. Sometimes that helps....


 Site must have been down late last night as when I tried this morning everything was working and the pages came up.

Thanks,

Ed


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## Pop_pop1 (Sep 10, 2004)

Hi Ed,
I've had a lot of computer and email problems yesterday and last night so I just got your message about the links. If you go to www.motherearthnews.com and do a search for crossbuck, and it will find those 3 articals. Good luck.......Chuck


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## Warren (Sep 24, 2004)

I built the one on Glenmore's link a couple of days ago. Took all of 30 minutes. All 2x4 construction is over doing it. I think 1x3 or 4 will be more than sufficient for the cross pieces. Cut the chain a couple of inches longer then you feel you'll need so you can open up the supports for extra big log. I work in a fairly damp area and it's nice to beable to hang the thing up on the side of shed instead of leaving the legs mired in the dirt.


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## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

Pop_pop1 said:


> Hi Ed,
> I've had a lot of computer and email problems yesterday and last night so I just got your message about the links. If you go to www.motherearthnews.com and do a search for crossbuck, and it will find those 3 articals. Good luck.......Chuck


 Thanks, must have been some net problems the other day but everything is working again for that site.

I did some other searching and found some other things of interest. I use to get the magazine back in the 70's in fact I might even have some issue stuck away in a box yet... Glad to see they are still around.

Ed


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## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

Warren said:


> I built the one on Glenmore's link a couple of days ago. Took all of 30 minutes. All 2x4 construction is over doing it. I think 1x3 or 4 will be more than sufficient for the cross pieces. Cut the chain a couple of inches longer then you feel you'll need so you can open up the supports for extra big log. I work in a fairly damp area and it's nice to beable to hang the thing up on the side of shed instead of leaving the legs mired in the dirt.


 Great! how about a couple of pictures?

Ed


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## Pop_pop1 (Sep 10, 2004)

I was pretty well out of poop when I posted the search for motherearth news last night. I got it wrong. Sorry about that. The correct search would be "sawbuck". My brain was not working very well. Try it out, I think this design is about what you are looking for.
www.motherearthnews.com and search for sawbuck. 3 articles with drawings should come up.......Chuck


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## Warren (Sep 24, 2004)

Reible,

Don't do pictures. No camera. The plans site has good pictures and the diagrams are excellent.

One other thing, I didn't do the angle cuts on the cross pieces. Didn't think theywere necessary using 3 foot chain sections. Longer chains give you as much adjustment as you'll need unless you're cutting red woods.


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