Need ideas to build a "stone boat"

[Big Barn]

Need ideas to build a "stone boat"

An excavator can limit traveling by moving a pile of rocks to full reach ahead, then traveling past them and doing it again. Repeat. Many buckets-full can get moved a distance with only one round trip travel.

Bruce

Yes. A 200 class machine would only have to be respotted 4 or 5 times for the OP’s estimated distance. A larger machine with more reach even less times.

 

[searcyfarms]

Re: Need ideas to build a "stone boat"

Yes. A 200 class machine would only have to be respotted 4 or 5 times for the OP’s estimated distance. A larger machine with more reach even less times.

the volvo EC250 i rented was 56K lbs, had a reach of about 30 feet - there are your 5 times - surprisingly they move pretty fast for as big as they are i think like 3 to 4 mph

 

[Big Barn]

On second thought if the route and terrain is conducive, hire a dump truck with a high lift gate ( or remove the tailgate if not) and move the excavator once to load.

Every situation is unique.

 

[4570Man]

Need ideas to build a "stone boat"

Yes. A 200 class machine would only have to be respotted 4 or 5 times for the OP’s estimated distance. A larger machine with more reach even less times.

Wouldn’t a machine that size be dealing with close to a 100’ circle?

 

[Big Barn]

Re: Need ideas to build a "stone boat"

Wouldn’t a machine that size be dealing with close to a 100’ circle?

Close to it, yes. So maybe respotting machine only twice.

 

[searcyfarms]

how about we build a catapult and just chuck them suckers over there!!! think of the fun we could have with that!!!!

 

[CADplans]

I will haul them,, if the price is right,,, :thumbsup:

:laughing:

 

[Renze]

I like the idea of forks on the 3ph. Forklift (solid) forks, not tubular. Back the forks under it. You'll find other uses for them too. 5k# one- you might have to chain it on, per post #16.

Great thread.

I just made a Euro standard (large frontloader) to 3ph adapter. Use it to attach the muck fork to my 3011 to clean low roof sheep pens, or to attach the pallet forks to the back of my 5718 to lift pallets of concrete masonry blocks that my loader cant lift.

 

[Eagleview]

I used a car roof when I was doing everything the hard way . I cut it off through the pillars at dash level so they were all long . I then turned it over so the pillars were sticking up and then welded some old pipe to join them all up to form a perimeter beam around them all . Hooked a chain around the bottom of the two front pillars and towed it like that .
It worked well, would crinkle and carry on as it went over undulations but held up remarkably well .

 

[BBHomestead]

Having an excavator guy come this fall to build several terrace walls of big stones I have about 150' away from where they'll be used. He could probably ferry them from yonder but want to stockpile them close to where they'll be used. Most, I can't lift with the FEL (grapple claw), but can roll with the open claw dragging backwards.

I understand that in the old days, farmers built "stone boats" to sled them out of their fields. Does anyone have any modern ideas to build such a sled. Material of choice would be steel, but never seen one in use currently (well, in spite of my age, I've never seen one in use ever, lol!) Ideas?

Can also if dont want to have drag lines all over and easier on tractor make a log/stone arch! Basically get a axle and weld a heavy pipe above it high enough that when you lower your FEL attached to the end the bar fits over the rocks then chain rocks to pipe and lift the FEL if have a 1 in 4 distance between rock and FEL from tires it gives your FEL 3 to 4 times the lift capacity and can be drove around like trailer easy to see what doing and make sure build it light enough to lift whole thing with FEL so after placing stones you can just lift it up drive it back to next rock!

 

[oosik]

I could post a picture of the stone boat from the homestead adjoining my property on the north. However - it's very old and was set up to be pulled by a mule or team of mules. The homesteader had five sons. So loading/unloading probably wasn't much of a problem. They built MANY stone "fences" clearing their large fields. Some are over a mile long. They are about 2 1/2' feet high and around six feet wide. The largest stones form the outside walls of these fences.

I've seen a children's saucer sled used to move stones. Worked pretty slick - didn't do the saucer sled much good.

BCP - that stone boat is genius - pure genius.

I have just ONE rock I would like to move. It's dead, smack in the center of my high meadow. Estimated weight - 14,000 to 16,000 pounds. More than I could even hope to drag with the M6040. One of these days I'll have my neighbor come over with his compressor driven jack hammer. 4 or 6 pieces would be nice.

 

[Big Barn]

I could post a picture of the stone boat from the homestead adjoining my property on the north. However - it's very old and was set up to be pulled by a mule or team of mules. The homesteader had five sons. So loading/unloading probably wasn't much of a problem. They built MANY stone "fences" clearing their large fields. Some are over a mile long. They are about 2 1/2' feet high and around six feet wide. The largest stones form the outside walls of these fences.

I've seen a children's saucer sled used to move stones. Worked pretty slick - didn't do the saucer sled much good.

BCP - that stone boat is genius - pure genius.

I have just ONE rock I would like to move. It's dead, smack in the center of my high meadow. Estimated weight - 14,000 to 16,000 pounds. More than I could even hope to drag with the M6040. One of these days I'll have my neighbor come over with his compressor driven jack hammer. 4 or 6 pieces would be nice.

How about a pic of one of the stone FENCES?

 

[oosik]

"How about a pic of one of those stone FENCES?" OK - if it's a nice day tomorrow. I'll take the camera over and get some pics. The closest one is about a half mile NW of my house here.

 

[BBHomestead]

This is one of the safest ways to love heavy objects with your tractor because it takes away a lot of balance issues!

 

[oosik]

Well - what a surprise. The weather man got it right - it's raining this morning. If it doesn't clear by this PM, so I can go over in the ATV and take pics - I'll fire up the Taco Wagon and make the trip.

I have not forgotten Big Barn. I WILL get some pics.

 

[Big Barn]

Awesome. Thanks,oosik. I’m certain there will be others interested also.

 

[oosik]

No problem - the rocks being wet should stand out better against the fields of dry, tan grass also.

 

[oosik]

OK - still raining and I'm just not overly excited about rainy wx adventures. SO........ here, I hope, is a Google Earth shot of one of the stone walls. It's roughly 1200 feet long. If you look closely - lower left hand area. Straight path leading to tiny black dot. That's the neighbors cows - following my barbed wire fence to the black dot - my NW property corner. OK - here goes........


View attachment 613168 . By golly - it worked. There are several "fences/walls" on this old homestead. They really aren't fences nor walls. Just a place to put the rock from cleared fields. This is the most obvious one.

 

[oosik]

OK - photos of the "wall/fence". I don't remember so many being so small. One would hope they had some form of rock rake along with the stone boat.

View attachment 613175View attachment 613176View attachment 613177View attachment 613178View attachment 613179View attachment 613180View attachment 613181View attachment 613182

The final picture is the cleared high meadow. On the extreme right - upper corner - black dot - my NW property corner.

 

[LouNY]

They will sink into the ground over the course of many years,
some of the rock piles where we pick and unloaded for years had been 4 feet or higher tall,
in the last 50 years they have subsided into the ground in many places,
where we had piled up on ledges they have spread themselves out from animals and weather.