Cant Hook Plans, Build It Yourself

A Log Peavey and Cant Hook are tools used to roll logs.

A cant hook or cant dog is a traditional logging tool consisting of a wooden lever handle with a movable metal hook called a dog at one end, and is used for handling and turning logs and cants, especially in sawmills.

A peavey or peavey hook is similar, but has a spike in the end of the handle, whereas a cant hook has a blunt end or possibly small teeth for friction and grip. Both serve a similar purpose for handling logs but offer slightly different log gripping designs.

Cant Hook Plans DIY Guide - Build It Yourself

As described above, a Cant Hook has a pivoting hook and often but not always a tooth or teeth on the bottom of the handle for gripping logs to roll them over of dislodge them from a log jam.

Where did the term Cant and Cant Hook come from?

Cant —"A square-edged timber or a squared log."

Cant Hook —"A form of lever for canting over, or turning, timber, consisting of a wooden bar with an iron catch, or hooked arm near its lower end which passes over the log, grips it, and so affords a hold by which it may be pulled over. Also called a cant dog."

The origin of the cant hook is lost in the fog of history, but we do know it dates back at least to the time of the earliest colonists when lumbering was big business that spurred the growth of construction all across the country. Trees were felled, the branches stripped with axes, and the resulting logs dragged to the banks of rivers and floated to sawmills and shipyards downstream. Men who rode these floating log masses were known as "river drivers." Their task was to keep the logs moving and prevent them from becoming log jams.

 Video: How To Build A Cant Hook

Home made Cant Hook designs have options. As we look at the design for a Cant Hook, as described above the cant hook often incorporates a tooth or teeth of some sort that grips into the side of a log while a movable arched hook lever called a cant dog grips into the other side of a log for rolling it.

Cant Hook Design and Fabrication is an art but can be performed by anyone with general workshop skills.

How To Build A Cant Hook

This Cant Hook was made out of 1" steel pipe (half-way flattened). The pivot arm is made out of 3/4" pipe, crimped. It’s very strong and lightweight.

Cant Hook Design

In this design, for the handle I found a piece of pipe that was already cut to a good length. I then cut off a couple pieces from a bent PK hitch and welded them on. For the hook, I used a big U bolt, the arc in it was a little tight so I had to bend it open some. On one end I welded on some random piece of steel pile. The tooth was cut out of a 3/8" plate. The two pieces then simply bolt together.

Then, I went to find a big log so I could try it! I was able to roll this big tree trunk over with no trouble at all; although, it is on a bit of an incline. Although it grabs onto large logs GREAT, anything smaller then 12" in diameter is a different story. The bottom of the pipe extends to far and it digs into the ground, and the log also ends up on top of the pipe. Another problem with the smaller logs is that the tooth is at the wrong angle; I will have to add another tooth behind the other so it can grab small logs.

Here is another home made cant hook, Its just built from some scraps that were lying around from other projects. Handle is 5' long Ali scaffold pipe, and the hook 20mm round bar bent to shape in a press. The spike is a M12HT cap-screw sharpened to a point.