The Bakery Wagon

[Joshua Kingsley]

Any advise on construction would be great as I would like to deliver milk and eggs to the three developments in the neighborhood with a single or small team if I stay here at Dad’s. The big thing would be the construction and how to go about building the wagon so that it is serviceable and noticed on our busy roads here in the Rutland area.
Thanks Joshua

[goodcompanion]

@Countymouse 18417 wrote:

Looks great! I am curious what you learned about springs and wheels. I think you are using wooden wheels, right? This is in keeping with the overall design of the wagon, are there other advantages to this type of wheel? I have been toying with the idea of building a smaller two wheeled delivery cart if your delivery experience seems positive. I was basically going to rob the wheels, axle, and suspension from a small utility trailer and sit in on a nicely constructed and decorated box. Does this type of design jive with what you have learned about wheels and suspension?

There are no real advantages of the wood wheel over the pneumatic version, other than that a good wood wheel will last a lifetime with care and no rubber tire will do that. Also I guess just plain largeness of diameter served to smooth the ride in the absence of pneumatic tires. There are, I think, some wooden wheels with bearings that will fit certain trailer axles. That might allow you to swap out a wooden wheel, maybe with a rubber tire, for your auto type ones later on if you wanted.

I can see that for a two-wheeled vehicle a car trailer might be a decent shortcut. But depending on what your finished wagon was supposed to look like it might also be a headache, and make your work harder than if you had started with a serviceable antique or from scratch.

One factor is that in two wheelers the diameter of the wheels affects the height of the box and consequently the configuration of the shafts or pole. I have seen the pioneer gears that have little tires and a set of steel shafts with a big rise–this looks very unnatural to me.

Anyway, I guess what I am trying to say is that my decision-making process led me to a more traditional design executed with some modern materials. That’s what appealed to my eye and sense of form following function, and I thought that on some level that this type of vehicle captures the popular imagination better than one obviously made from car or trailer parts, which I hope will translate into profit from sales. You just have to go with what your eye and your gut tells you. So many variables for how projects like these can go together, I don’t think there’s just one right way.

[Andy Carson]

Hmmm… That’s a good point about the wheel, bed, and shaft height. I agree a cart would look much better (and probably be move functional) with taller wheels. Taller wheels would definately look better if they were wooden… That would probably require a different axle and probably different springs as well. So yeah, probably better from scratch. By the way, do you have a good source for the wagon parts (wheels, axles, springs, etc)? Maybe they have a website to share?

[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

[goodcompanion]

@Countymouse 18435 wrote:

Hmmm… That’s a good point about the wheel, bed, and shaft height. I agree a cart would look much better (and probably be move functional) with taller wheels. Taller wheels would definately look better if they were wooden… That would probably require a different axle and probably different springs as well. So yeah, probably better from scratch. By the way, do you have a good source for the wagon parts (wheels, axles, springs, etc)? Maybe they have a website to share?

What do you think of this design for a 2-wheeled delivery van?

http://www.wildhorsebooks.com/Plans/Delivery%20van%20copy%20copy.jpg

Well, I got two new wheels made to order by Witmer Coach in New Holland PA. They did great work, and the wheels came out at around $140 each. Depending on the width of the felloe (wooden part of the rim) and the nature of the tire (rubber or steel) the cost per wheel runs between about $100 to $175 I think. $175 gets you a monster wheel. They sell all the springs and axles too. If you find an antique with sound wheels that could be modified that might save you some money, otherwise Witmer is the place. All the prices are very reasonable.

They are Amish though so no website. They will send you a catalog and price list if you call, though.

[Andy Carson]

We all have our own styles. This kind of cart appeals to me. I was hoping for something built tough enough I could use it in the field, but wouldn’t be “too ugly” for deliveries. I was thinking that if I had a strong frame, wheels, axle, etc, I might be able to simply swap out a “field bed” for a “fancy bed.” That’s why I am so curious about these parts.

[Robert MoonShadow]

This is so great! …and beautiful, as well.
You’ve got style, performance & substance – an artform – all together here.
Might I suggest, that just prior to launching upon your maiden delivery “voyage”, that you drop a hint to the local newssource as a source of local/common interest-type story? Free publicity, and if the route & time is prominently mentioned, could turn into quite a source of attention for you…

You know, if this process is documented in video or photos, there’d probably be some people interested in buying them, as an idea-source for their own adaptations. {Hint, hint :)}

[OldKat]

@goodcompanion 18416 wrote:

Here are some photos. There is enough of it together now to give you the idea!

I have been in dialog with SFJ about doing an article about this project, from the original inspiration through construction to the end use. Any suggestions from you guys as far as angles of interest to the readership would be welcome! For instance one thing to note is that while my version makes pretty heavy use of cabinet joinery, you can make a very serviceable box using plywood in lieu of stile-rail-panel construction, I could elaborate on that.

Another is that I have along the way learned a lot about springs and wheels, and what makes commercial vehicles distinct from passenger vehicles. That is to say, a doctor’s buggy or amish buggy would make a poor platform for a wagon like this, and explaining why that’s so might save somebody a lot of trouble.

Ohhh, niiiiiice work. This is so fun to watch coming into reality.

[goodcompanion]

Thanks for the compliments!

I get to combine some of my favorite interests here. Draft horses, bread, woodworking, and artwork.

Won’t be ready for the parade but that’s all right since I never got around to contacting the organizer anyway. But it has to be ready the week after or vegetables will go unsold due to a lack of venue.

The yellow plywood looks and is bellied out since it is not tacked to the studs in the center yet.

[Andy Carson]

Wow! This is really coming together nicely. Is the window to see behind you? Are you going to put on rear view mirrors? Brakes? Are you planning on only stopping at places where you can tie the horses? Somehow I imagine people who see you might want to buy things then and there… Do you plan on setting up a small display table when you get to the location? Are you going to put a logo or farm info on the side of the wagon?

[goodcompanion]

@Countymouse 18561 wrote:

Wow! This is really coming together nicely. Is the window to see behind you? Are you going to put on rear view mirrors? Brakes? Are you planning on only stopping at places where you can tie the horses? Somehow I imagine people who see you might want to buy things then and there… Do you plan on setting up a small display table when you get to the location? Are you going to put a logo or farm info on the side of the wagon?

The window is to see into the cargo compartment. It will be covered with a little door. It’s not really to see behind since the back door of the wagon does not have glass. It was a feature of the original design–I’m not sure what the main function was, but it seemed like a good idea to include it, as it would let some daylight into the cargo area. I will also have a 12v dome light in there.

We will have 3 scheduled stops on an 8 mile round trip. We will distribute cards with the wagon’s schedule. In Vergennes, I will be selling in two public locations for the use of which I must coordinate with the city manager. In our one location in Ferrisburgh we will be on private property. The plan is to only sell while stationary once the horse has been tied up, not upon request while in transit.

For vending, I hope to set up a quasi-stall alongside the wagon. I’m going to make an awning that will roll up tight right under the roof eave for transport. Most of our goods (bread, eggs, some vegetables) will transport in special wooden crates that will be sized to fit inside the van in special lurch-proof shelving. These same crates will mount on display brackets that will hold them underneath the awning, above the wheels, canted out at an attractive angle. Not sure yet whether a table will be necessary as well. I think the brackets alone will display about 14 square feet of items in crates (5 or 6 crates) which should be enough with good planning. Hopefully crates can be quickly and logically recharged or swapped out with those from inside the van. The van will transport a total of 12 crates measuring about 16″ wide by 24″ long x 1′ high, plus two large coolers, one for meats and one for vegetables.

No brakes. We are counting on the shafts for that.

There will definitely be a bunch of print and artwork on the side of the wagon. Hopefully real per-fessional like. My brother-in-law is a painter (as in paintings, not houses) and is coming up to visit this weekend. I hope to rope him into doing something really amazing.

I am still thinking of some little wry text on the back of the wagon. One frontrunner:

“Back to the Future
But not,
as it turns out,
in a DeLorean”

or more simply:

“This is how we roll.”

[OldKat]

“This is how we roll.”

I like it; short & to the point. Ties in with your bakery stuff, too. Thought of a picture of a horsedrawn dinner roll ( on wheels)? 😀

[CharlyBonifaz]

combination?
Back to the Future
“This is how we roll.”

[jac]

Or “Bake ‘n’ Roll”..
John

[steve]

how about sreen print your flyer to the sides.Towns people can relate all three—your farm, flyer, people.
I,m just thinking of on farm sales pumkins, potateos,bulky items,
poor weather, VERY IMPRESSED,Steve

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