£185 Windlass

[BuckbyLocks]

Mike's link leads to some souvenir wear in the "also viewed" items, and there's a small watering can, probably for a conservatory, which has some very nice brushwork. I fancy it may never have been done by any recognised former boat painter, but the style is lovely. Strong and bold without being overpowering. It's HERE.

Not suggesting that this is one of his, but Ron Hough painted these at Braunston in the early 70s. We bought one on our honeymoon in 71. It is still around the house but no longer used as a watering can.

[magnetman]

intriguing that the latest bronze is described as 'Neales no 2'

 

it looks to me like a Boatmans cabin lock key as discussed previously.

 

I guess Laurence Hogg would know.

[MtB]

Mike's link leads to some souvenir wear in the "also viewed" items, and there's a small watering can, probably for a conservatory, which has some very nice brushwork. I fancy it may never have been done by any recognised former boat painter, but the style is lovely. Strong and bold without being overpowering. It's HERE.

 

The can itself is a pleasingly flamboyant design too isn't it! Painting style compliments it superbly.

 

MtB

[sarahavfc]

intriguing that the latest bronze is described as 'Neales no 2'

 

it looks to me like a Boatmans cabin lock key as discussed previously.

 

I guess Laurence Hogg would know.

 

 

I asked Laurence what it was and he said it was a Neales No. 2.

[magnetman]

did he say who made it?

[sarahavfc]

He thinks it may be of his which he described as a Neales No.2.

 

I'm not sure of the age, I just know we've had it a very long time.

Edited April 5, 2013 by sarahavfc

[dave moore]

Hi all

 

Just donning my windlass anorak! Back in the 60s when I was around Gas St with some of the Birmingham and Midland boaters, I swapped a part full bottle of gas for an old subclass with Ronnie Aldridge, who was working for them at the time. I've cherished it since and recovered it several times! I knew little of its origins until Horace Foster, an ex boat man, helped me move Resolute a few years ago. He immediately identified it as a Harry Neal No 2. Digging further, I discovered that Harry Neal collected tolls in the Smethwick area and had a sideline in casting metal windlasses...iron or steel, not bronze. I assume that one was used to pattern Sarah's, although it's a bit bigger than my original. B W produced some fine cast galvanised one's in the 60s/70s ( I still have several, much nicer than some modern lumps) which could well have been the inspiration.

 

If you are still reading, congratulations!!! Unusually, I'm laid up sick with time to spare.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

Edited April 5, 2013 by dave moore

[ChimneyChain]

As I've said before does anyone think that these brass/bronze windless are actually any good and are they fit for purpose. I think they are purely for decoration purposes. After all windless's weren't called windless's they were called irons.

 

Darren

[magnetman]

I believe that bronze windlasses are a relatively modern thing - I can't help thinking that it would not be cost effective compared with forged iron. after all it was simply a working environment

[Derek R.]

I think you both are correct. The engraved 'Ernest Thomas' windlass looked as if the engraving had revealed steel beneath a 'bronze' coloured plated surface. Different colour beneath.

[dave moore]

I agree entirely. I recall buying a brass one from the Staffs and. Worcs Canal Society in the 60s which has never seen a spindle, but I remember that some working boaters had theirs chrome plated, probably a manifestation of their love of polished metal. I've a photo here of Arthur Bray at work with one tucked into his belt.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[Tuscan]

I agree entirely. I recall buying a brass one from the Staffs and. Worcs Canal Society in the 60s which has never seen a spindle, but I remember that some working boaters had theirs chrome plated, probably a manifestation of their love of polished metal. I've a photo here of Arthur Bray at work with one tucked into his belt.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

 

 

I met them on one of their summer holiday trips they were going from Braunston to Berko. They were just south of Cowroast trawling the the lock and just outside both gates. Restocking windlasses for sale during the rest of the year.

[magnetman]

I think you both are correct. The engraved 'Ernest Thomas' windlass looked as if the engraving had revealed steel beneath a 'bronze' coloured plated surface. Different colour beneath.

 

I asked the seller on ebay and he said it was not magnetic

[Bee]

Chimneychain asks if they are any practical use, well bronze is not as strong as steel and that's a fact but it`s pretty tough, the batch that I am making at the moment are cast from crown wheels from rear axle diffs. These are phosphor bronze and I have given one of these a good mauling in the vice and it is still very much intact,I wonder about the galv. steel / iron ones with a cast head and steel handle, that weld could be a bit of an issue.

[magnetman]

some of the ones with a cast head are pinned instead which is interesting

 

your bronze on ebay is doing well!

[alan_fincher]

As I've said before does anyone think that these brass/bronze windless are actually any good and are they fit for purpose. I think they are purely for decoration purposes. After all windless's weren't called windless's they were called irons.

 

Darren

Provided they are gunmetal or bronze the cast ones can be a fully functional item. I used to use my old Grand Union sized one as my regular windlass, and it shows little signs of any more wear than a cast iron one.

We have broken heads of modern alloy ones. - I reckon bronze ones are at least equal to modern lightweight alloy ones.

[magnetman]

anyone tried winding the paddles with a decent cordless drill with a socket attachment?

 

 

I feel sure if the canals were still commercial there would be a power tool.

 

or automated paddles, god forbid!

[Derek R.]

A power tool, well before hydraulics and the like there were 'Lock Keepers'! - On rivers at least such as Thames and Trent, and even the Lee had theirs. But fully automated? I went on a river in France - a very quiet one - where the trip boat we traveled on negotiated a fully automated electronically controlled lock. It sensed the boat arriving, set the lock, opened the gates, closed behind us etc. It was a lock not much bigger than a GU wide lock with a drop of five feet or so, and the whole process was so slow you could have cooked and ate an entire meal in the time it took to lock through. Half of the entire trip time was spent waiting for this thing to perform.

 

Beside the lock was the old lock keepers house. Renovated a la Francais. Nice if you like rendered breeze block.

[fudd]

A power tool, well before hydraulics and the like there were 'Lock Keepers'! - On rivers at least such as Thames and Trent, and even the Lee had theirs. But fully automated? I went on a river in France - a very quiet one - where the trip boat we traveled on negotiated a fully automated electronically controlled lock. It sensed the boat arriving, set the lock, opened the gates, closed behind us etc. It was a lock not much bigger than a GU wide lock with a drop of five feet or so, and the whole process was so slow you could have cooked and ate an entire meal in the time it took to lock through. Half of the entire trip time was spent waiting for this thing to perform.

 

Beside the lock was the old lock keepers house. Renovated a la Francais. Nice if you like rendered breeze block.

How do you know it's breeze block if its been rendered?

[Derek R.]

Any new build house or renovated building is done with breeze block. They've gone up like an invasion of 'pill boxes' in 'Mum's' village, and the debris from the old lock cottage was still in evidence around the structure. There would almost certainly have been some old Limestone there, but any character had been lost in the sharp edges and magnolia paint.

[fittie]

I have just been talking to Sara re her bronze windlass on eBay and I fail to see what it has to do with a NEALE [sic] No 2 windlass.

Is NEALE different to a NEAL N2. If I could put photos on this site I would which might help.

 

RE are bronze windlasses usable - they are with care as they do bend or rather twist if you try to snatch up a stiff paddle - but great to use -nice to the hands if you have 40 locks to do in a day. I use my GU style one only on the Hatton type. My smaller one now rarely sees the light of day. I paid £8 for my large bronze windlass in the mid to late 70s - what an investment!

 

I have 3 Cookes, 2 small eye and one of those has a long throw so is that a "girls" one?

Once again if only I knew how to post images.

 

On a different subject I can see what people mean re the painted watering can and at £10.50 good value and I think there is an air of RH about it.

I have a RH painted Buckby can that belonged to Mr Bray and his son gave me a GUCC steamer funnel - those were the days!

 

Chrome windlasses were all the rage at Braunston in the late 60s to 70s - someone at Bottom Lock had a mate that could get it done for a small fee - talking to a friend of mine on the subject of windlasses last summer said he wished he had left all his windlasses well alone.

[Laurence Hogg]

"I have just been talking to Sara re her bronze windlass on eBay and I fail to see what it has to do with a NEALE [sic] No 2 windlass.

Is NEALE different to a NEAL N2. If I could put photos on this site I would which might help".

 

"

The pattern for that bronze windlass was a Neal No2 we borrowed off John Jinks many years ago. Its a "Boatmans Cabin Co" product from the 1980/90's. I supplied it to Sarah's dad..

Edited April 10, 2013 by Laurence Hogg

[fittie]

So Sarah has told me. I just thought that by the look of her bronze windlass it looks a little long but without knowing the length of the throw I can't really comment further. It's quite pretty though!

[Derek R.]

Hi Fittie,

 

There's a step by step guide to posting photo's here; Posting images.

But if you have prints or slides they will first need to be 'scanned' into the computer to make them accessible as a 'file'.

 

Shout if you get stuck.

 

Derek

[fittie]

bb

This is my H NEAL N2 with my old bronze windlass