Syracuse Walking Plow

DAPNET Forums Archive › Forums › Equipment Category › Equipment › Syracuse Walking Plow

Tagged: , , ,

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • March 16, 2012 at 1:35 pm #43627
    Claddagh Farms
    Participant

    Just picked up a Syracuse Walking Plow…..the traveling veggie man who brought it into my dooryard said it was a single horse plow, and he should have known because he used to do quite a bit of horse farming. However, it looks like it is a 14″ plow, unless I’ve got my measurement completely wrong. Also the beam is over the landside, in-line, and not over the mouldboard.

    I picked the thing up because I wanted a walking plow, and because I’m a sucker for saving aging…erm, I mean historic, equipment. I also have two Syracuse Two-Way plows, and it looks like some of the plow parts might be interchangeable. I also think the chilled plow is probably a bit easier to keep in shape since the village blacksmith drank himself into the grave long ago, and my forge isn’t set up yet…..

    Anyone have any ideas about this thing? The number behind the mouldboard is 442.

    March 16, 2012 at 1:49 pm #72894
    njfarmer
    Participant

    That plow looks pretty big to be pulled single. I guess it could be pulled through sandy ground. But not for a decent amount of time. Reguardless it is still a nice plow.

    March 16, 2012 at 2:06 pm #72889
    Claddagh Farms
    Participant

    I have a sandy patch I might try to draw it through with a single, but really it is not set right for that. I need to break it all down and clean it up, craft some new handles for it before I try. I’ll be working the team together soon to get them in condition before plowing, and then I’ll give them a shot on this thing, provided I can get it operable soon.

    Interesting note….these handles aren’t original but appear to be from the 40’s. They must have been stock handles for another plow because there are additional holes which have been plugged. I also haven’t seen any plows with two types of handle stays–round & flat stock. But then I haven’t found many examples of Syracuse plows…. I would love to see the 1899 Syracuse Chilled Plow Catalog but can’t find a copy to buy or view. My feeling is that this plow is quite old but its owner stopped using it in the 50’s sometime and now I own it…..

    If anyone more recently had tried to use it, they would be sorely disappointed because it has been mal-adjusted and either lost shims or become loose. Narry a bolt on the thing is tight, although they are all rusted solid!

    March 16, 2012 at 2:08 pm #72890
    Claddagh Farms
    Participant

    Does anyone know of a source for the square bolts to hold the mouldboard, landside, etc on with? Or can one modify carriage bolts with a grinder?

    I’ve got 3 weeks before my plowing mentor returns from Florida, and I’d like to get this operational before he gets here, so I can get hints from him without using up too much of his own plowing time…..

    March 16, 2012 at 2:51 pm #72885
    dominiquer60
    Moderator

    I have a 455 which is a certifiable single plow at 8″. I have the 1899 catalog and can check it for you when I get back to VT (I am in FL too), but you may have to remind me, I forget easily:)

    E-Z Trail, 9575 Salt Creek Road, Fredericksburg OH 44627 has 3/8 plow bolts for $.25 each, but you will have to write to them, I can’t find a phone number in it any where in their catalog.

    If you search for a thread here about “Ben’s Mill” he heats up carriage bolts and pounds them into a mold to re-shape them into shoe bolts, maybe the same can be done for a plow bolt.

    March 17, 2012 at 12:24 am #72891
    Claddagh Farms
    Participant

    Erika, thanks for pointing me to Ben’s Mill!! What a great piece…..brought back a ton of memories working with my Father In Law at his sawmill…..Henry was very similar to Ben…they could have been brothers! I learned most of my forging, milling, building, tinkering, machining skills from Henry as a young man.

    Plus Ben’s Mill gave me a window into a few things I very much would like to do…..AND I think I will be making my own plow share bolts!

    Thanks again!

    I will DM you to remind you about the plow catalog…Can you scan it? I would be interested in seeing the 442 walking plow, and their two-way plow. I have 2 two-way sulkies. One is a Syracuse pre-1900, and the other is a JD/Syracuse hybrid from post 1905…..

    All the best,

    Neal

    March 17, 2012 at 4:29 pm #72886
    dominiquer60
    Moderator

    You are welcome, Ben’s mill is such a classic.

    I don’t have the ability to scan right now, but I will be bringing the Plow and the Catalog to the Plowing Clinic at Sam Rich’s in April. If you can’t make it we will work something out. I keep thinking it would make for a good reprint to sell on ebay or through Small Farmers Journal.

    March 18, 2012 at 12:47 pm #72892
    Claddagh Farms
    Participant

    Thanks for letting me know about the plowing clinic. I doubt I can make it…although it would be nice to bring the team down and play. I’m hoping to have a go with the plow by then here. Hopefully I can talk Elmin Mitchell into working with me for the first few furroughs.

    I’m sure we can work something out…it would be great to make that catalog available to a wider audience!

    March 18, 2012 at 12:52 pm #72893
    Claddagh Farms
    Participant

    I got ambitious yesterday while boiling sap and took the plow apart. It was amazing to see under the layers of forest green spray paint and rust, the faintest hint of the original red color of the plow.

    March 18, 2012 at 3:54 pm #72887
    dominiquer60
    Moderator

    It’s a Syracuse alright!

    There is a before and and after pictures of my 455 buried in this thread http://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?2444-Lets-See-Your-Plow!/page5&highlight=show+plow There was a little red paint left, but I went with my own color scheme. The cross brace I believe to be original with a few red paint chips left on it and now a few good coats of Danish oil as well.

    We’ll work some thing out. Happy restoration, it’s fun to rediscover well crafted tools.

    March 18, 2012 at 9:54 pm #72888
    mitchmaine
    Participant

    hi neal,

    great plow. hard to tell from the photographs, but looks like a jointer bolted to the beam of the plow? it would take some horse to plow very long in heavy maine soils pulling a 14 inch plow. seems like it should be a team plow. elmin will make a good mentor.
    mitch

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.