How to age a windlass

[Cheshire cat]

On 23/04/2023 at 17:26, buccaneer66 said:

A few Duntons on ebay, I found this odd one as well.

Those ones work very well because they have short and long throw according to available space. As someone has previously statedThe smaller sized holes are sized so as to fit a tapered shaft. 

Available from Jannels at Burton on Trent if anyone is interested

[IanD]

1 minute ago, Cheshire cat said:

Those ones work very well because they have short and long throw according to available space. As someone has previously statedThe smaller sized holes are sized so as to fit a tapered shaft. 

Available from Jannels at Burton on Trent if anyone is interested

And they mangle paddle spindles -- please use something less damaging!

[ditchcrawler]

9 minutes ago, IanD said:

And they mangle paddle spindles -- please use something less damaging!

I have asked this question of many people including CRT operatives and not had any positive evidence based reply. Like you I suspect they do but if it is the case I would expect groves worn in the shafts in the spot where the windlass sort of makes contact

[Alway Swilby]

20 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I have asked this question of many people including CRT operatives and not had any positive evidence based reply. Like you I suspect they do but if it is the case I would expect groves worn in the shafts in the spot where the windlass sort of makes contact

 

 

34 minutes ago, IanD said:

And they mangle paddle spindles -- please use something less damaging!

As I said further up the thread, I have countless times seen people using the big hole of their (normal type) windlass on a small spindle. My suspicion is that it is this that causes the damage to the spindles, not the use of the windlasses shown.

[magnetman]

One would need to have been given an aesthetic anaesthetic to deal with such a horrid thing. 

Eye injection to dull the pain.

[buccaneer66]

Yes the thing is a horrible looking design

[dave moore]

I’m afraid that these are the new normal for many. I’ve seen a good few in use by volunteer lock keepers. What can be done, I don’t know….

[IanD]

4 hours ago, Alway Swilby said:

 

 

As I said further up the thread, I have countless times seen people using the big hole of their (normal type) windlass on a small spindle. My suspicion is that it is this that causes the damage to the spindles, not the use of the windlasses shown.

That rounds the corners off, it doesn't cause the grooves in the spindle which these abominations do and which seem to be more and more common... 😞

[magnetman]

I'm glad I no longer dip the magnet.

 

My record haul was 13 windlasses in one go at Batchworth lock a number of yars ago. Around 2006. None of those abominations included. I would be even more depressed than I am if I were to be unfortunate enough to haul that junk out. 

 

Christ they are bad. Understandable but terrible. 

 

[buccaneer66]

Those things just look wrong.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

I suspect they are cheaper to make now than ones made from welding bits of box section steel to a bit of bent rod and a lot less than cast bronze/brass/aluminium, or forged steel. Laser, or abrasive water cut the square apertures and outline in thin sheet and welded to a bent rod. Lots of little places offering laser and water cutting steel now, so the price will have dropped over only a decade or two ago.

I'm guessing they are lighter in weight too.

[buccaneer66]

Even though I don't have a boat I do have two windlasses, an aluminium one with double boss, and a blacksmith made Wey And Arun canal company one.

[magnetman]

On 23/04/2023 at 17:01, dave moore said:

. The whole windlass thing has been on my mind for some time, there seems to be a dearth of anything decent available these days. Admittedly, I’m a dyed in the wool traditionalist with a few proper taper headed ones, mostly acquired years ago, a couple of historics more years than I care to remember. 
 
 

It occurs to me from time to time that someone might be hoarding them. 

 

 

A couple of brass windlasses on fleabay currently. 

 

I think these are the decorative type although one of them has signs of use inside the eye so possibly bronze? 

 

They look like brass. 

 

 

 

and the other one 

 

 

 

 

Curious casting on the second one. 

 

I guess someone saw the nice little bronze pocket windlass get £123 then the even nicer Laurence Hogg Neales No.1 bronze get about £75. 

 

 

These two are definitely not as nice although pretty when polished I would not trust them they don't look strong enough. 

 

Interesting to see what they get. 

 

 

 

 

I am intrigued about the second one. Is it just a low grade casting which causes this problem? 

 

 

Compare with the Laurence Hogg bronze and the quality difference is rather glaringly obvious ! 

 

LH Bronze

 

 

Brass?

 

 

Brass? 

 

 

 

 

I know which one I'll be using !!

[rusty69]

9 minutes ago, magnetman said:

It occurs to me from time to time that someone might be hoarding them. 

 

 

A couple of brass windlasses on fleabay currently. 

 

I think these are the decorative type although one of them has signs of use inside the eye so possibly bronze? 

 

They look like brass. 

 

 

 

and the other one 

 

 

 

 

Curious casting on the second one. 

 

I guess someone saw the nice little bronze pocket windlass get £123 then the even nicer Laurence Hogg Neales No.1 bronze get about £75. 

 

 

These two are definitely not as nice although pretty when polished I would not trust them they don't look strong enough. 

 

Interesting to see what they get. 

 

 

 

 

I am intrigued about the second one. Is it just a low grade casting which causes this problem? 

 

 

Compare with the Laurence Hogg bronze and the quality difference is rather glaringly obvious ! 

 

LH Bronze

 

 

Brass?

 

 

Brass? 

 

 

 

 

I know which one I'll be using !!

I got one like that. Always assumed it was bronze. Wanna buy it?

 

I aged it by leaving it outside in a bucket of water 

[magnetman]

Is the socket the right size for current lockgear? 

 

Difficult to see if it is bronze or brass. 

 

It looks like the larger size. 

[rusty69]

21 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Is the socket the right size for current lockgear? 

 

Difficult to see if it is bronze or brass. 

 

It looks like the larger size. 

The socket measures 30mm on one side, and 32 mm on tother 

Edited April 29 by rusty69

[magnetman]

 

Take it to scrapyard and see if they will use their XRF on it

 

 

 

 

ETA I don't think it is one of Laurence Hogg's ones as the thickness of the bar is not the same. It seems a bit lightweight. Do you know how much it weighs? 

 

The little LH bronze pictured above was described in the eBay ad as being 750g. Quite heavy as if it is one of Laurence's ones it will be LG2 Gunmetal which is a leaded bronze. 

[rusty69]

8 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Do you know how much it weighs? 

No. I will be buying a set of scales soon though. 

[magnetman]

Don't buy them on my account. 

[rusty69]

Just now, magnetman said:

Don't buy them on my account. 

I haven't got your account number. 

[magnetman]

You don't need a set of scales. Just one scale will do the job..

[rusty69]

Just now, magnetman said:

You don't need a set of scales. Just one scale will do the job..

It's a set of one. 

 

I'm buying scales to measure out my epoxy. If the epoxy weighs too much, I will have to remove some ballast. 

[magnetman]

On 23/04/2023 at 21:56, Victor Vectis said:

Yes.

Come on, fess up!

 

Who outbid me?

 

Well they did say it would be decorative ! 

 

 

It is definitely one of Laurence's ones. 

 

Sorry about that old chap. 

 

 

 

Edited May 3 by magnetman

[rusty69]

On 29/04/2023 at 08:35, magnetman said:

Interesting to see what they get

A lass, I didn't wind. 

 

20 squid plus postage. 

[Victor Vectis]

On 03/05/2023 at 13:12, magnetman said:

 

Well they did say it would be decorative ! 

 

 

It is definitely one of Laurence's ones. 

 

Sorry about that old chap. 

 

 

 

 

I should think so too!

 

I was planning to use it, not hang it up on the wall.