The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-07-15
A Good Hay.Rack.

GOOD nay-rack Is one OF the essentials
of the farm, and it is not soditlicult to con-
struct one that great mechanical genius is
required, but with little direction almost
any man, who has a fair understanding of
the rules of mechanism, can make fair
job, at least.
Among the points to be particularly OBJ
served when building arack are lightness,
strength, spread of surface and conven-
fence for handling. The writer of this
has made great many different STYLES,
but the following described has given in
all cases the best satisfaction: For a
heavy wagon take two scantlings about
twelve feet long, varying according to the
coupling of the wagon, three by four
inches in size, as the stills or bed pieces.
Set these up edgewise, and frame in four
cross-pieces, one about six inches from
each end, and the other two so as to di-
vide the space equally, and the whole of
width that will fit in nicely between the
stakes. Place the frame upon the boil
sters, allowing it to project in front some
twelve or fourteen inches, and finish the
rack without removing it again.
Frame post into each of the four cor
ners, extending up one foot to where a
shoulder should be formed, and then frame
on two ss.pieces, two by four, and six
and one-half feet long. If convenient
tools are not at hand, the posts may be set
by boring holes in the stills and cross
pieces, and tenoning the posts with good
shoulders but where this is done it is adj
visable to use posts two by four, set broad
way with the rack, so as to give good sup
port to the cross-pieces and broad shout
ders to prevent breaking over. This done,
bolt on to the bed two pieces, two by four,
and six and half feet long, between the
wheels. Put them such a distance apart
as the wheels will readily admit, and into
the ends of these, as we'll as into the ends
OF the rear cross-piece, cut two mortices,
each three or four inches long and three
tourths of an inch wide, standing toward
the wheel next to them, and into this puts
of green or steamed lumber, the wheel
guards curved up so as to be self-sustain-
ing and hold firmly to place. The person
making the rack must determine at what
point to make the mOrtices, as the matter
must be governed by the dish of the
wheels. For the front, all that is neces-
sary is to place the strips Of green or
steamed boards in the mortices of the Gen.
ter piece, and bend them over, boiling
them down to the top surface of the cross
piece.
A bolt should be put through the ends
OF each of the center cross-pieces, and also
that of the rear, to prevent the pieces be-
ing split while springing in the bows.
Halfinch lumber may be used, if more
convenient, for wheel guards, if made six
inches wide, and of hard wood. Where
green boards cannot be conveniently OBJ
tanned, bury the dry ones, after getting
them of proper size, in box of saw-dust
and pour over the whole a bucket or two
of hot water, and after becoming we'll
steamed take out one at time, and as
hastily as possible bend into position.
Now the rack is completed excepting
the ladder, or front pole, and side-boards.
The former may be constructed to suit the
farmer himself. A very cheap way is to
have an iron staple on the inside of the
front cross piece, and have the standard
pass down through this into an auger-h hole
in the cross-piece of the frame. The stand
ard should be of frst-quality timber so
that it will not be possible to break it over
and precipitate the driver on to the horses
when he may be attempting to sustain
himself by it. Holes bored through the
standard with halfinch bit will admit of
short pins being put in to fasten the lines
to.
Upon the ends of the center cross pieces
and between the points where the wheel
guards enter bolt boards cut nearly square
so as to fit the space, as these will afford
convenient seats when driving from the
field, and avert the trouble Of climbing in
and out of rack constructed in the ordi-
nary way with long side-pieces A rack
made after this plan will hold heavy loads,
and, if the lumber is seasoned, is conven-
iently handled by one man.-Odso Farmer.