[jac]

This is great info.. Tying this to Kevins question about night time working and mowing.. Somewhere on this forum I saw a mention of sugar levels dropping in hay. Is sugar higher or lower at night ? I remember grandfather saying he was in the field by half 4 in the morning and done mowing by 10 before it got really hot. This gave the horses an easier day and he said the dew lubed the knife as well..and this was in the 30s when temps were considered hot in the high 70s Was the sugar down at that time in the morning ?.. Would Kevins idea of night working be a way to mow hay and still get a quality result and ease the horses also ??..
John

[jac]

Hi Kevin. I read somewhere that the oil lamps fitted to wagons and buggies years ago were fitted to let other people see you and not to let you see the road ahead. On a moon lit night you would be surprised by how much you and especially your team can see. Sounds like a real problem you guys have with the heat..
John

[jac]

I think a lot of the old wagons and delivery vans were designed with wheels the size they were for practical reasons. Taller wheels are easier to pull plus the bed was then at a height that a man could get a sack for example onto his back easier. Other considerations like height of the box seat for driving through conjested traffic and trying to design a full lock into the turntable were all related to wheel height… and those wheels just look so much better than automobile wheels..Wooden wheels with hard rubber “tyres” are a good compromise. For top quality work Doug Hanson takes some beating and he has a good list of equipment like wheels ,springs and period looking steps and such like..
John

[jac]

Real nice work Erik, its great to see skills like that still alive today..looks like it will last a couple of lifetimes..Mitch is bang on with the leather washers and they ARE vital..Over here we had 2 types of light axle… the “Mail” axle was developed for the stage coach. It was strong and safe. The “Collinge” axle was smoother though. The “Collinge” was oiled and the “Mail” was greased..Looking forward to more fotos..
John

[jac]

I think it was in the book review section under “Quest for the original horse whisperers”…let us know if it works out …
John

[jac]

Hey OldKat I’ll watch the mail…now where did I leave that Pioneer catalogue ????:D..Youre right though.. it is a dinky little mower and a 6ft bar version would be good.. tho mabey with grippier tires.. BTW did you ever try out that recipie for the fly repelant with the walnut leaves or is it not fly season yet?..
John

[jac]

Thanks Mitch, thats perfect. Just the finishing touch. Im a bit pedantic over draft angles an stuff:rolleyes:..You guys are lucky to have so many good machines and spare parts still..One of those no9s with the rubber tyres and the high gear and a 6ft bar would be like a Rolls Royce for me…
John

[jac]

This is a document sent to me by Peter Herold from Germany and he gave me permission to share his work here.. it might not relate directly to new mower manufacture but it is a big step in the right direction.. Thanks Peter….
John

[jac]

Hardpan there is moves in Europe regards building new horsedrawn mowers. I’ll keep you posted when I get more info. Ive gave one of my old mowers to our local college with the remit to design a 21st century version with emphasis on friction reduction,vibration and weight. The teachers and students are really excited by the project… BTW can anyone give me the dimensions of the evener atachment point on the mower pole..a foto would be great.. mine has been messed with over the years and I want to return my 19th century mower to original :D..
John

[jac]

Mitch I recon you’d find a bigger que of folks trying to get out of here than you guys trying to get in..:D me included !..
John

[jac]

A big lot of British horses are way too fat. Our Clydes are off corn now and I have to say for the better. They get chopped alpha mixed with our home grown chopped hay with a 15% protien grass pellet and a warm bran mash mixed. This is varied depending on grass quality/growth and work load. Having said that I think logging will need a different level of feed to ordinary farm work.. but this works for me and I think too many folks take the easy route and read the feed bag label regards quantity and go with that ,rather than moniter the horse daily…
John

[jac]

Here is an article I found a while back that might be of interest..I know it doesnt detail amounts of corn as such but might alleviate some worry for some folks regards economics of keeping draft horses..
John

[jac]

Holly Crap !!!!!!!!:eek: and all this time I thought you guys were in the land of the free !!!!…
John

[jac]

Thank you for posting such an honest detail of your unfortunate incident.. but keep in mind that he may or may not have lost confidence in you but you must never lose confidence in him coz as you know that will travel down the lines like a telgraph. I have followed your progress from the start and wish you a safe return to where you were..
John

[jac]

Interesting video Charlie and a great idea that clearly works.. however… How many tons of hay would it take ? We use a valuable food source to clean up an industrial problem.!! Is that not the same as growing wheat for industrial use instead of food ?? Another thing troubling me is this.., If these natural seepages have been going on for millions of years and far excede anything that spills from the oil wells, how come natures spills never reach shore or destroy anything ?? I can grasp the fact that there are life forms that actually thrive in the stuff but I cant bare to watch the gulls and other diving birds being pulled off the beach and find it hard to grasp that these birds get coated in oil out at sea by mother nature.!!??
John

[Author]

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