A Set of Wheels

[Ransomes AM54]

Does anyone know of a dilapidated, rotten, and absolutely knackered straw elevator (straw pitcher, straw jack, etc.). A little like this:





They're quite big (not the little folding type) and were mainly used by contractors rather than farmers, but there must be one or two still rotting in the corners of fields or yards somewhere.

I am desperately seeking a set of wheels for one. Foster would be great, but Ransomes would do. Iron would be fab, but pneumatics would be fine for now.

thanks in advance!

[Fowler VF]

I might possibly have got some off a Blackstone but probably only 2 left somewhere in the nettles. We used the other pair on our plough hitches. Any use?

Worth looking around old hop farms, almost every other hop farm had these, particularly the Blackstone ones (which were folders), for elevating the chopped bines and waste away from the picking machine. They went for the big long ones like the Blackstone because of the size and length and ready availability; as thrashing went out so machine hop picking was coming in.

[Ransomes AM54]

That's very kind of you Nick, trouble is that the iron wheels (the one I really want) are quite large - the larger pair being almost the size of thresher wheels and so the Blackstone ones (if iron) would be too small.

My elevator is on a set of pneumatics as it is (so it is mobile at least), but they are off an old muck-spreader or some-such and it looks silly, so I am really after a set of four as fitted to smaller Ransomes/Foster threshing machines as these are the correct size and style (not sure who made them - they seem to be common to a few commercial/agricultural vehicles of the period).

Good tip to look to the hop industry though, thanks.

[Ransomes AM54]

Just thought I'd bump this up again, before I proceed down the somewhat expensive route of having a set of iron wheels made.

[General C.R Dewet]

Piers, Joe Black has an interesting set of wheels, might be off an old elevator, baler. Have you seen them?. I think probably made by the Atlas Foundry in Shrewsbury.

[Ransomes AM54]

Aye, I've seen 'em.

Thing is, the elevator is already on wheels - just the wrong ones! And as this is a restoration, I will be restoring it to how it would have been when first leaving Foster's.

I'm from the 'Mark Vine School of Restoration' - In my mind, there's no point in restoring anything unless you're going to do the job properly.

[merryweather]

I brought a very similar elevator many years ago but when I came to collect it the scrapmans son had torched it! Got the CI wheels and a few other bits.

The wheels should be perfect for you.

Roger

roger.white@naturalimpacts.com or 07952 386 837

[Steaming North]

Look at Junktion Antiques. They often seem to have a few sets of spindly wheels etc.

[Ransomes AM54]

Originally Posted by merryweather

I brought a very similar elevator many years ago but when I came to collect it the scrapmans son had torched it! Got the CI wheels and a few other bits.

The wheels should be perfect for you.

Roger

roger.white@naturalimpacts.com or 07952 386 837

Ace news! Thanks Roger, email sent...

Piers.

[8_10 Brass Cleaner]

if Roger didnt sort you out Piers, what about these?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Ca...item2ed59f4901