"Cable Cart" Takes Wood To Second Floor Deck

"Cable Cart" Takes Wood To Second Floor Deck WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 34-1-18 Jim Harkness, Laingsburg, Mich., came up with an easy way to get firewood up to his friend's second floor apartment. He built a ramp with a winch-powered cart. "My friend Peter Bucklin, who just turned 75 and has arthritis, said the part of winter he dreaded most was carrying firewood up the 21 steps to his second floor apartment because they're often covered with snow and ice. I told him I'd build something to haul the wood," says Harkness. "It works great for wood and he uses it for other things, too, such as getting bags of groceries." The wooden ramp measures 28 in. wide by 25 ft. long and is built from 4 by 6's, with 2 by 4's used for track guides. The base of the ramp has short legs that set on two 18-in. sq. cement patio blocks, while the legs on top of the ramp set on the second story deck. The cart is made from plywood and measures 18 in. wide by 28 in. long. Harkness used 2 -in. rollers to mount the cart on the tracks. A 110-volt winch at the top of the ramp is operated by a remote control to raise and lower the cart. The cart has a stainless steel grate at the bottom, allowing debris to fall through. "Peter really likes it," says Harkness. "It's easy to operate and saves many trips up and down the stairs. It takes about 20 seconds to move the cart up or down the ramp and it can handle about 100 lbs. of wood at a time. A tarp fastened to one side of the cart can be pulled over the load if it's raining or snowing." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jim Harkness, 9541 Beard Rd., Laingsburg, Mich. 48848 (ph 517 675-7330).

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