Swingletree Straps?

[Bebe_Falcon1]

I bought two straps to attach my swingletree (singletree?) to the frame of my cart to restrict it’s movement, however, because the frame is metal I’m not sure how best to secure the straps.

Drill into the wooden swingletree, then wrap the straps around the metal frame and finish by screwing them in to the swingletree? Or drill into the metal frame and attach the straps with screws there instead (after wrapping around the swingletree, of course)?

(Does that make sense?!)

I’d appreciate any direction, as we have a clinic coming up later this month and the baler twine that was rigged-up by the cart’s last owner looks a little unbecoming!

[cayuse]

I might be all wrong here and maybe less than helpful, but I would drill in to the swingletree and not the metal if you can as I was once told by an instructor not to drill into a metal cart as it would compromise the strength. However, I did have my husband move up my footman’s loops on my metal cart and that involved drilling (and an unhappy instructor) and that fix has held fine with no issues.

[Bebe_Falcon1]

That’s what I was thinking too … although more so because drilling into the cart is more permanent than a swingletree, which could potentially be replaced! (I didn’t think about the structural thing, which may also be true)

[AnnaKarena92]

I would drill into the metal and rivet the straps on, like you would on any other cart. If the cart is that fragile that an 3/16" hole is going to compromise the structural integrity enough to make it unsafe, I’ take it to the junk yard. Use an aluminum rivet so that corrodes before the metal frame. You can get a rivet gun cheap at Harbor Freight.

[Bebe_Falcon1]

Oohhh interesting, I would never have thought of rivets. Thanks for the advice!