Good Finds

P. McKinley

P. McKinley

Joined
Jan 27, 2008
Messages
2,010
We have a farm outside of Pictou, Nova Scotia that was my father-in-law's ancestral home. Over the past few years I've been scrounging through the barn and sheds(all built about 165 yrs ago) and have slowly separated out some of the stuff that interests me. Next summer the barn will be dismantled for the hand-hewn timbers saved. The following year the house comes down and will be redesigned and built using the saved barn timbers.

Here's a simple shot of our farm(+/- 83 acres) on the shores of the Northumberland Straight. Many of the tools shown below were used to construct the house, barn and other buildings on the property.


This is the old work shop where the following items were found:


Here's a few items that I have put aside:

A hand forged froe(sp?):






This ammo can is 31 inches long and will make a fine edge-quenching tank:


These two hammer heads were in nasty condition. I ground off all the rust and pits and fitted them with crude handles. The sledge is 4 lbs, and the straight peen is 3 1/2 lbs.


A bit of steel for banging on...... two harrow rakes, two files, and three thick planer blades( I think).


Our neighbor there cuts, splits and sells firewood. This was in his pile and there's plenty more:
Fiddleback Red Maple


Curly Bird's Eye Red Maple


Finally..... WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?




 
Cool finds, and some excellant wood! Don't forget to save hinges and other hardware when dismantling the barn, because of it's age these will proably be wrought iron and good for many projects.
 
Thanks for all the input folks.

A "rope twister" is what I initially thought. However, I make a lot of my own natural cordage(milkweed, dogbane, etc.) and the "reverse wrap" technique employs at least two strands of fibre which are both twisted in one direction then wrapped over each other in the opposite direction. I don't see this tool performing that trick.

My father-in-law doesn't remember what it was used for be he does remember that when the hay was scythe-cut, it was gathered and tied with a rope made of the same hay. He and I both wonder if this tool was used to create that single strand of twisted hay.
 
Were the planer blades attatched to anything? They are planer blades, I have a few of various sizes from an old mill in NB. Depending on their age (and with the amount of rust on them, they could be fairly old) they are probably high carbon but the newer ones are mostly HSS. Was that anvil in the shop too? Great finds.
 
Tattoo - They were not attached to anything and there are no marks on the blades that would indicate steel type. They also don't "look" to be tooooo old. And, no, the anvil is mine and is in my shop at home on Cape Breton.

Rick - Wow, I never would have guessed that! I can see the wringing mechanism and the mop head fitting(?), but the short(ened) handle throws me off. Thanks Rick. You've settled a five year-long controversy.
 
Bigblue17 said:
Rick - Wow, I never would have guessed that! I can see the wringing mechanism and the mop head fitting(?), but the short(ened) handle throws me off. Thanks Rick. You've settled a five year-long controversy.
Click to expand...

DANG! Now your family will have to find something else to argue about. ;-)

- Paul Meske
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top