Most of my projects involving woodworking result in items that just sit around, but this one is a bit different in that the end product gets pulled by a horse. Connor the Clydesdale has a number of conveyances that he pulls around at the behest of my niece or sister-in-law. Of course there is the classic open sleigh, as well as summer versions including the two-wheeled horse
cart and a wheeled wagon. My niece planned to give hay rides using the wagon but the open-sided flatbed wagon seemed a bit risky for non-family and it was wisely deemed that it should have some railings to keep riders out of the gopher holes. So in addition to a fresh coat of paint, it received side and rear rails, plus a stairway railing to make the entry/exit easier.
The balusters and railings were made from birch. These pieces started out square in cross-section, then were cut to octagonal and finally trimmed to an approximation of round using a spokeshave. They were left unsanded to retain their rustic look, which seemed appropriate to a hay-ride wagon. The side and rear railings were assembled into L-shaped pieces by joining them to corner sections, with the intent of enhancing rigidity. The birch that I used had a fair amount of colour variation so rather than staining them, they were painted in a contrasting colour to the wagon. Making the railing pieces was pretty straightforward, if a bit laborious. Some construction details can be found
here.
| Material: | Birch |
| Finish: | Exterior paint |
| Done: | October 15, 2016 |
