Wood Dog or Log Dog Specs

[olfart]

A friend asked me this evening if I could make a "wood dog".  I told him I probably could if I had a clue what one looked like.  He described it as being maybe a foot long and a couple of inches turned 90 degrees and sharpened on each end.  After changing my search parameters to "log dog", I found some on the friendly neighborhood auction site.  The photo there doesn't give me any idea of dimensions, as there are just a bunch of them in a pile in the photo.  Can anybody offer suggestions on dimensions for a "log dog"?

 

[1forgeur]

Check out DF in the shop on you tube. I think he shows how to make them.

[Glenn]

Much of the construction size depends on the size logs being dogged down. 

I make mine from 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch stock so it can handle the stress of holding the log. Make the hook section maybe 4 inches long and the distance between the hooks maybe 24 inches. The secret to the dog is to make the wedge on one of the hooks point N-S and on the other hook point E-W.  A square(ish) corner on the bends is better because that is what your going to hit with a hammer and the impact will drive the hook into the log rather than bend the span. The corner will deform a bit with use so do not worry about it. Mine were made from mild steel and have provided a LOT of service. In fact they were used this week.

Make two dogs, one for each end of the tree. Install a dog on either side of the tree to secure it in place. 

These are great when hewing a tree to square, or bucking the log. 

[Glenn]

Peter Ross shows how to make a log dog and peavey hook.

[olfart]

Thanks, Glenn!  That Woodright Shop video was just what I needed.

[arkie]

Another thank you to Glenn for the log dog and peavy hook video link....I bookmarked that puppy!!

[JHCC]

Also, look into a log spud to remove the bark.

[Frosty]

Good video link, thanks Glenn.

Please note, the real lesson in the video isn't making a peavy or log dog it's about upsetting. Whether into a square corner so it can be driven without deflecting the hammer, damaging the bend springing, wasting energy so the point doesn't drive in.  Or to provide material for a pivot when punched and drifted or to make a pintle. Or heading a rivet, bolt, etc. then there's piening the rivet or tenon to make the join. 

Upsetting is a valuable, heck critical must have skill set.

Is there a"The Woodwright's Shop," and Peter Ross forgings" sub section in IFI the videos section? I remember a number of episodes with forged iron. Ah, John just mentioned the log spud episode. At least I hope he's talking about a "Woodright's Shop," episode Where's the link John? Another I recall is about "ironing" a log sledge. There were lots of iron pieces involved in making a log sledge. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[SLAG]

Frosty,

The design of the Woodwright site of videos,  is a little badly organized.

There is at least one Peter Ross smithing project per series.

In order to search through the videos, you have to troll through each separate series,  one by one.

For example, I had a heck of a time trying to (re) find a program concerning making holdfasts. (an excellent program, by the way), until I realized their organization method.

There are at least ten programs covering various aspects of forging, on the site.

SLAG.

p.s.  it is fun watching Mr. Ross's annoyance at the host's incessant chattering.  (look at his eyes). l.o.l.

[olfart]

OK, I tried my hand at making a couple of log dogs today.  The one I made from 5/8" rebar was a booger bear to work, and it ain't pretty.  The 1/2" round hot rolled worked at lot easier.  It ain't pretty  either, but here's a pic of it.  Maybe this will help the next guy who's looking for a log dog.

 

[Glenn]

The length of the dog is in relation to the size of the log being held. Bigger can hold both a bigger log or a small log. If you can, visit the tool when it is in use to get a better understanding of how it actually works. It will be an educational experience. (grin).

[olfart]

I'll try to do a followup.  He's carving a totem pole with a chainsaw, so it should be interesting.

Thanks again for the help!

 

[John McPherson]

Excellent sketches of woodworking and many other tools, with how they were used, in Eric Sloane's "A Museum of Tools".

[anvil]

here's my log dog and kant hook made by me.

I do them a little different. I was influenced for these by a canadian log house builder named B. Allan Mackie. I got his book after getting out of the service and built a log house with these dogs and kant. 

I use rectangular stock and leave a triangular shape in the middle. Point down.  The tool is slightly curved.I taper the arms and leave enough parent stock to forge the chisel ends and upset these corners.  These chisel ends are slightly pointed inwards.To add to what Glen said, the chisels should be opposed. However, other co.binations are needed as well. here's the reason. The chisels should not cut the grain, it should go in parallel with the grain. If you cut them, they will leave a scar. So there are times when the chisels should be both parallel, both perpendicular, and opposed.

The reason for my shape is that they are far easier to install than when straight. The curve makes a spring tension, the inward angle of rhe chisels enhances this spring action. You only need to strike the center of the dog, the top of the triangle. Too many times with rebar straight backed dogs, when you hit one end, the other end bounces off the log! To remove it, just strike the dog a horizontal blow and it pops loose.

I also make three different lengths. This covers about every tree booger you will run into. Most of rhe time, they all work no matter the log,, but there are times.

The logs here are ready for my alaskan mill.

I got a kant hook with no kant so figured out how to replace it. I made two, one a spare. Lol, haven't needed the spare. I've lost the foot, so my next project is to forge a foot for my kant hook. I watched the Peter Ross vid on kant hooks and log dogs. Our technique for the kant hook is almost identical.

The first pic is of a reel log dog. 

And the last pic is the house I built.  And ironed to the max!

[Charles R. Stevens]

Sounds like your talking about log dogs and large pinch dogs there Anvil. You certainly have a good design their

Expert work on the Kant hook as well, looks factory made. 

[olfart]

Lookin' good, Anvil!  Did you cut all the logs for the house? 

 

[arkie]

Anvil, if I may ask...do you know what are the lengths of the log dogs you made?  Reason I'm asking is that I would like to make a set for a friend of mine and I probably would make incorrect lengths if I took a WAG at it.  Your usage would probably be about the size logs he works with, looking at your photos.  Thanks in advance.

[anvil]

5 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

Expert work on the Kant hook as well,

Thanks! The upset corner with the triangle shape was a trip. 

The chisel edges being opposed came from the canadian guy. All the rest is just plane blacksmith logic. 

Not bad for a broke down ole horse shoer.  who decided to work standing up in front of his anvil... 

 

1 hour ago, arkie said:

Anvil, if I may ask...do you know what are the lengths of the log dogs you made?

Ill check but I'm pretty sure i made them 6",12",14" and they were made out of 1/2"x1-1/4 or 1-1/2". Ill double check.

5 hours ago, olfart said:

Did you cut all the logs

Not for the house I bought them as 2 years aged. The ones the dogs are in are a sweet deal. The DOW is cutting and limbing them and selling them for a buck and a quarter for a 24' log with a 12" top. So, for my "dream shop I willat least be hauling them from the forest.  Sheesh, just cant beat the price!

[Glenn]

Reference: The log dogs I use are 12, 16, and 20 inches. The size used depends on the size of the wood and what is being done. 

If you are assembling a beam structure, you may want the wedge ends turned at 45* to bite into the wood not cut it. 

[arkie]

Glenn and anvil....thanks for the log dog dimensions.  My friend is always working with felled trees and firewood; he heats his house mainly with wood fired stoves.  Those will make it easier to work.  I've seen him wrestle with the loose logs and get really frustrated.

[Frosty]

Nice log dogs Anvil. The logic of how they were made and why follows my experience.

The only time I made log dogs was on a cabin build site in a camp fire over a sledge hammer and were about like the pics of Olfarts though the chisels weren't as long. It wanted to spring loose every tie you drove a point, the other would pop out. I kept modifying them till they worked, didn't know I was upsetting into the corner, I was a long way from a blacksmith. That was the summer of 1975 and I was copying rebar dogs one of the other residents had. 

Oh, as regards my first sentence, mine barely functioned till I'd taken them back to the fire 5-6 times and then just. 

Beautiful work, I love a well designed and executed job of tool making. SWEET!

Frosty The Lucky.

 

[Frosty]

On 8/17/2018 at 5:15 PM, SLAG said:

p.s.  it is fun watching Mr. Ross's annoyance at the host's incessant chattering.  (look at his eyes). l.o.l.

Yeah, I spent about 2 days trying to find some of the old episodes with smithing content a couple few years ago and gave up. It is both amusing and frustrating watching how Roy gets in the way, he has writers and a director. He and Mr. Ross both worked together at Colonial Williamsburg and have been friends for decades. However, the guys directing the action have to have something to do. It's frustrating mostly because I'd like to see Mr. Ross just make the things. He can talk and work. Or so I've heard. 

Earlier episodes and Roy did quite a bit of smithing, IIRC: the bark spud and slick, then there were the draw knife and draw shave episode, Struck carving chisels, then pushed carving chisels and then carving knives. Maybe the first couple seasons but Roy is no slouch at the anvil any more than I expect Mr. Ross is inept in a wood shop. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Glenn]

2 hours ago, arkie said:

My friend is always working with felled trees and firewood; I've seen him wrestle with the loose logs and get really frustrated.

Have him put down 4 logs on the ground and then stack the rest of the logs perpendicular to, and on, those ground logs. Think of the rails and slats on a pallet. Dog the logs to be cut down. Middle logs can also be dogged together on the top of the log. The ground logs will keep the chain saw out of the dirt and make bucking the wood a whole lot easier, and faster.

 

 

 

[Daguy]

On 8/17/2018 at 2:16 AM, Glenn said:

Peter Ross shows how to make a log dog and peavey hook.

Link to several of the blacksmithing episodes, including the Holdfast and the Log Dog / Peavey Hook

Peter Ross Working Metal

[Glenn]

Thank you for the link. It has been posted in the Reference section of Blacksmithing General Discussion.