Placing the Ox Yoke Hardware
Scout the Ox accepts a fitting.
With a few minor adjustments I'm ready to place the hardware on the yoke. Drilling will be more easily accomplished on square arms (i.e. before they are rounded).
There will be an eye-bolt on the rear facing side.
And one will be interchangeable --- either top or bottom. This will give the option of three different hitch-points to make sure the yoke will seat correctly with varying loads.
The hitch-point is the vertical distance from the ground to the connection of the pull-chain on the yoke.
Without getting in over my head into physics, I'll just say that the height-of-the-hitch-point changes the angle-of-the-pull-chain; the angle-of-the-pull-chain, while under load, affects how the yoke seats on the ox.
(The heft of the load is a factor as well, as is the height of the attachment to the work (cart, implement, stump etc).)
See my videos about hitch-point at Adjusting the Hitch-Point On Adjustable Ox Yoke (link here) and at Ox Yoke Malfunctions: Adjusting the Hitch-Point (link here).
The eyelet-screws will attach the britchen harness to the yoke. (The britchen harness holds the ox yoke in place while backing, or when the ox puts his head down to graze.)
With the hardware placed, I can remove it and continue the carving process.
The closer to completion, the smaller the changes that are made.
With the holes drilled I can now begin to round the arms of the yoke.
It's time to re-install the hardware and do a trial run to test the fit of the yoke seat.
