Windlass

[Speedwheel]

To avoid hijacking David's thread anymore, I though I would start a new one.

 

A collection of windlasses showing different sized eyes.

 

Also an interesting double windlass. Not seen another one like it though maybe they are quite common. It appears to be very similar to the ones BW produced in the 60s/70s but with a double eye.

 

[alan_fincher]

To avoid hijacking David's thread anymore, I though I would start a new one.

 

A collection of windlasses showing different sized eyes.

 

Also an interesting double windlass. Not seen another one like it though maybe they are quite common. It appears to be very similar to the ones BW produced in the 60s/70s but with a double eye.

 

Counting from the left at least (1) & (3) look to me like the commonest "Grand Union" type, and (5), (7) & (8) like the same thing in the "narrow canal" size.

 

Hire fleets like Wyvern Shipping at Leighton Buzzard sent you off with two of each, painted colour coded to tell you where to use them, (IIRC Red for "Wide" and Blue for "Narrow", but maybe the other way about!).

 

These were cast iron windlasses, almost certainly using something "Cooke-like" for the mould, but suffered from the castings still being quite rough, before a layer of galvanising was added. This could be quite rough on the hands, but filing down "lumps" was liable to leave exposed iron, that then rusted.

 

The Bronze one I pictured was from the same moulds, just a different material.

 

The double eyed one is intriguing - I'm sure I have seen them before, but, although similarly styled to those above, it seems not to be galvanised.

 

When it's not dark outside I'll dig out and photograph some old ones, that I know include....

 

"Circle Engineering" - Double Eyed, but with roller handle designed to avoid the pinched flesh syndrome. Possibly the heaviest windlass made at the time!

 

"Harborough" - Presumably made my Harborough Marine - Cast, with 2 eyes in a line, but with a fixed brass handle that made them very smooth to use.

 

All museum pieces now, as there is few things any will fit properly!

 

EDITED - Because I can't even count up to 8, it seems!

Edited November 27, 2011 by alan_fincher

[Laurence Hogg]

Heres my double head inline windlass, this belonged to John Jinks, we (Boatmans Cabin Co) were going to produce bronze ones at one time but the market wasnt as good as it should have been so none were made.

In my collection I also have a "Toy" windlass which I will photograph in due course, very small approx 4"x4".

 

[Derek R.]

I recall Jim McD. once had a double eye in line, and I think it was that one which broke on him whilst going up Maffas. We were paired up returning from a Christmas do somewhere and he suddenly stopped winding and stood stock still gazing at something in his hands. Windlass has sheared around double eye. Must have been a hair line crack in it some place, I don't know if he kept it and fixed it up.

[Hairy-Neil]

If it's anything like the one I had the cast and galvanised finish combined, made welding impossible, at least with the facilities I had available.

 

The ones pictured above look to me like the cast one I found on the WRG stand at one of the national festivals. It was bent (which was why it was still for sale I guess.... ) I took it home and fetched it one across the anvil, and that's the point at which I discovered it was a casting....

 

Not to be beaten I set to and made several, thinking I'd sell the spares and make a tidy profit....

[XAlan W]

To avoid hijacking David's thread anymore, I though I would start a new one.

 

A collection of windlasses showing different sized eyes.

 

Also an interesting double windlass. Not seen another one like it though maybe they are quite common. It appears to be very similar to the ones BW produced in the 60s/70s but with a double eye.

 

The double headed windless [the same or very similar to yours]used to be on sale at boatyards/chandlers in the early /mid 60`s. IIRC Ladyline seemed to have some dealings in the wholesale side, as I remember on a piling run from Drayton to Coven, I was asked to drop a sack full off at SUC at Norbury & also the boatyard at cut end[ I remember that Sam [Lomas] didn`t rate them very highly

[carlt]

I recall Jim McD. once had a double eye in line,

 

[alan_fincher]

I recall Jim McD. once had a double eye in line, and I think it was that one which broke on him whilst going up Maffas. We were paired up returning from a Christmas do somewhere and he suddenly stopped winding and stood stock still gazing at something in his hands. Windlass has sheared around double eye. Must have been a hair line crack in it some place, I don't know if he kept it and fixed it up.

 

Certainly I have seen two modern alloy windlasses have their head just snap off......

 

Cath took out a nearly new "Walsh" one with apparently very little effort, snapping it cleanly jost below the head. It did look like the quality of the casting was the issue, as there were clearly "bubbles" where it broke.

 

Subsequently I have seen one of the crew of Towcester take the head off a Dunton Double in similar style, proving, I guess, that paying a heap of money for one doesn't guarantee it will last a lifetime.

 

I must say I can never recall seeing a cast iron one snapped through though, although I have certainly seen welded steel ones bent to the point of being useless. I don't think some of the people who have made them over the years know too much about mechanics, and where the greatest forces will be. It used to be quite common to see welded windlasses with a fillet (or two) of steel introduced to brace head on to handle, but often these were not in the plane where the greatest forces were likely.

[Speedwheel]

I recall Jim McD. once had a double eye in line, and I think it was that one which broke on him whilst going up Maffas. We were paired up returning from a Christmas do somewhere and he suddenly stopped winding and stood stock still gazing at something in his hands. Windlass has sheared around double eye. Must have been a hair line crack in it some place, I don't know if he kept it and fixed it up.

 

I had one sheer off on me. It went right on the angle. Looking at it there seemed to have been a defect in the casting as there was only a tiny bit of metal that had been holding it with the rest clearly corroded. Gave me a nice bruise!

[alan_fincher]

Getting my windlass threads mixed up, and the post I just made here might also be appropriate to make reference to here.

 

The square on my old GU style bronze cast windlass measures marginally over 1 3/8" at the bigger end of the taper, and marginally over 1 1/4" at the narrower end.

 

This is seriously large, and I'm not aware of any surviving paddle gear or bridge gear that it should now really be used on.

[David Mack]

The ones pictured above look to me like the cast one I found on the WRG stand at one of the national festivals. It was bent (which was why it was still for sale I guess.... ) I took it home and fetched it one across the anvil, and that's the point at which I discovered it was a casting....

 

If it was for sale on a WRG stand it was almost certainly one that had been fished out during a lock clearance somewhere. WRG used to make a few bob selling them. So could be of any age and could have come from more or less anywhere, though Southern Stratford would be a good bet.

 

David

[Tiggers]

Spotted this post and thought I would share my haul of the day!

 

Clearing out Canis Major's front locker, and found some more (now up to 16!) windlasses.

 

The second in from the right appears to be a cooke windlass with the clay pipe stamped in it. I've been told these are quite sort after? I must admit be being a bit of a novice in the history of windlasses!

 

Edited December 15, 2011 by Tiggers

[Derek R.]

From right to left the first looks home made;

second is worth keeping but a little bent;

third is a galvy cast job;

and the fourth reminds me of one we had for the River Wey, long throw, and needed.

[David Schweizer]

Spotted this post and thought I would share my haul of the day!

 

Clearing out Canis Major's front locker, and found some more (now up to 16!) windlasses.

 

The second in from the right appears to be a cooke windlass with the clay pipe stamped in it. I've been told these are quite sort after? I must admit be being a bit of a novice in the history of windlasses!

 

The Pipeclay Impression was certainly used on Windlasses also bearing the G H COOKE impression, but whetwer they are by the same member of the Cooke family is a matter of conjecture. I have been researching the manufacture of these windlasses for some while, and hope to publish the results in due course.

 

Unfortunately both Jan's and my recent ill health put everything on a halt for a couple of years, and a couple of lines of research have gone cold, hopefulty the article will be published some time next year, in the meantime would you be willing to send me a couple of photos with measurements, the one in your collection appears to have either an unusually small socket, and quite a long throw.

[Laurence Hogg]

Getting my windlass threads mixed up, and the post I just made here might also be appropriate to make reference to here.

 

The square on my old GU style bronze cast windlass measures marginally over 1 3/8" at the bigger end of the taper, and marginally over 1 1/4" at the narrower end.

 

This is seriously large, and I'm not aware of any surviving paddle gear or bridge gear that it should now really be used on.

I thoink you will find the Ham Baker GU enclosed paddle gear will be a nice fit.

[Tiggers]

The Pipeclay Impression was certainly used on Windlasses also bearing the G H COOKE impression, but whetwer they are by the same member of the Cooke family is a matter of conjecture. I have been researching the manufacture of these windlasses for some while, and hope to publish the results in due course.

 

Unfortunately both Jan's and my recent ill health put everything on a halt for a couple of years, and a couple of lines of research have gone cold, hopefulty the article will be published some time next year, in the meantime would you be willing to send me a couple of photos with measurements, the one in your collection appears to have either an unusually small socket, and quite a long throw.

 

Yes of course. I am away from the boat now, but will send over some pics and the measurements next week if that is ok?

 

I am meeting up with John tomorrow so should be able to ask him about the windlasses. I think they may have come from Keays yard, as there are number of bits on the boat that did, such as a small statue of a preacher and a tiny 2" brass windlass.

 

There was another, double eyed (side by side as opposed to one on top of another) which looks as though it has some age about it. It has JHSO (I think) and something else after on it, and on the otherside it has 471A (I think).

Edited December 16, 2011 by Tiggers

[Duchess]

There are a lack of pictures on here and I can see it’s an old post, so I’m interested in this one.

Roller handle, there are others around. This is the first one I’ve seen 😎

 

[Jerra]

I made one like that (well telling the truth I don't weld so a mate did the welding). Unfortunately I forgot it at a lock a couple of years ago.  By the time I got back it had gone.  Somebody somewhere ha one that was originally painted red.

[MtB]

12 hours ago, Jerra said:

I made one like that (well telling the truth I don't weld so a mate did the welding). Unfortunately I forgot it at a lock a couple of years ago.  By the time I got back it had gone.  Somebody somewhere ha one that was originally painted red.

 

Disappointing when that happens isn't it? 

 

I find they can vanish in five minutes at an otherwise deserted lock. 

 

 

[Jerra]

50 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Disappointing when that happens isn't it? 

 

I find they can vanish in five minutes at an otherwise deserted lock. 

 

 

More or less exactly what happened.  Nobody in sight and I was close enough to run back but it had vanished.

[ditchcrawler]

So what do you do if you see a windlass left by a lock and no boat about. If you leave it the boater may come back or it could easily fall into the wrong hands, if you take it, its stealing by finding?

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

So what do you do if you see a windlass left by a lock and no boat about. If you leave it the boater may come back or it could easily fall into the wrong hands, if you take it, its stealing by finding?

 

Ah so its YOU taking them all!! 

 

 

[IanD]

4 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

So what do you do if you see a windlass left by a lock and no boat about. If you leave it the boater may come back or it could easily fall into the wrong hands, if you take it, its stealing by finding?

I'd pick it up and then post on canal social media -- including CWDF! -- to see if the owner can be found and reunited with it...

[ditchcrawler]

The one I picked up the owner came back, complete with boat after winding somewhere, so I was able to return it. (they were going back home)

23 minutes ago, IanD said:

I'd pick it up and then post on canal social media -- including CWDF! -- to see if the owner can be found and reunited with it...

Its bad enough trying to repatriate keys that people leave laying around with no phone number on them 

[IanD]

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

The one I picked up the owner came back, complete with boat after winding somewhere, so I was able to return it. (they were going back home)

Its bad enough trying to repatriate keys that people leave laying around with no phone number on them 

But at least I'd try -- the option didn't exist with the windlass I picked up 30+ years ago... 😉