Apr 14 Mare barrow by Ian Swaine By Tracy

I have built a traditional style mare barrow. The mare can carry almost 1/4 of a cubic meter, perhaps over 125 kg of logs, but this is very difficult to judge as the logs are very green. Although not ‘easy’ to push it is considerably faster and lighter work than carrying timber by hand.

It is easy to overload and you have to be realistic about your stamina! The wheel is 14″ diameter, from a small scrambler motorbike and cost £7 at a boot sale together with a spare tyre. The axle is 12mm threaded rod, as the original was missing. It is packed with washers and bolted to brackets made out of plain steel angle iron. The frame is 4″ by 2 ” preserved softwood fencing rail and various scrap off cuts, treated with creosote, excluding the handles which are just oiled with linseed. All fixing is done with 50mm and 100mm self tapping screws.

I feel the mare is fairly practical, and easily made by most people. Today on soft rutted ground it carried bigs loads very well. Improvements in dimensions of the design may be possible. The two rails of the frame need to be very well braced together, otherwise it flexes worryingly.. That was the only modification I had to make. Even loading is a knack, and fairly essential to keep you from straining. I would love to load the mare and run it over a weigh bridge!

Ian Swaine is a woodland manager, woodland educator and tool restorer.

You can see more about him on his website, The Luddite.