Well the fall work is now just about wrapped up, it soon will be time to hit the shop and begin another (hopefully) interesting project
I try to pick out something that is historical in nature, it usually brings a challenge, because | have to draw on, and sharpen up-- past skills------ and best of all open up the tool chest, and get out those well worn tools
You know as I gazed on that photo of the group of carpenters that was published in the tool forum-it took me back to my younger days, to a time when I said to my father--"dad I think that I will try working as a carpenter"--A few days later he knocked at my door with an old tool chest of his, containing some old tools, and said to me--"these old tools will look better than new ones--there will be time to buy new ones later on"---I was about 22 years old then-------
A while later A construction Company moved into our area and was hiring carpenters--I said to my father--"I think I will give it a try"
I will never forget how things evolved, I din't really think that I had a chance but anyway I visited the bare site containing a small trailer, and knocked on the door, the door opened and a big red faced Irish man stood there looking down at me--his name was Danny Kerrigan--and said to me--"what can I do for you sonny"--I said--"I am looking for carpenter work"
He said 'you look sort of young to be a carpenter"
In reply I said "if I can't do the work you can fire me"
He really like my reply and told me to come on in to work the next day
That chance meeting started my lifetime career--I found work--It was the best job I ever had--and it wasn't very far away!!
To continue I have to regress to a time early in my married life and career just starting out then----
My Aunt Rev. Gertrude Maude Hayes made one of her yearly pilgrimages from Cleveland Ohio to visit her brother (my dad)--she just loved coming and getting out in the grain field--helping to stook the grain, and just being part of farm life again for a short period--anyway--my aunt was a spiritualist minister, many would scoff at, but not me no sireee----
Before she left we all would get together and we could ask her one question, as my turn came around, I asked her--"will I find work", because money was very tight and I had a young family to feed, and there was no work around---
Well her answer was--" you will it will be the best job you ever had and it won't be very far away.
I forgot about her answer at that time but a short time later--a construction company moved into the area---need I say more---
I hope you are enjoying my trip down memory lane, and if you are come on in and let me know, maybe you can help me prepare my winter project please do--I am looking for ideas for an historical wheelbarrow--if you have access to any I would appreciate the help--
Thanks Jim for coming onboard with the early wheelbarow attachment,I will file if for consideration and eventually make a selection
It certainly is interesting, I might say that with additional hand work--hand planing, rough dressed material, chamferred edges, the true identity of this wheelbarrow will surface
The closest thing I could add that might help is this wheelbarrow which I repaired this last season finishing it just in time to bring in the apple crop.
I found it like this when we moved in here and would have liked to leave it that way but after a few years it was just to broken up.
I like to keep the axle fatted up with some of that lard that's left over.Use it now every day to haul wood up from the shed.
My grandmother's sister was one of those spiritualists. She cured my warts.
Don--Thanks for coming in with your addition to my file, it sure isexciting to see what types\styles of barrows are out there, yours isfrom a different culture and country, but similarities abound
I like the metal wheel it reminds me of the barrow we had here on the farm when I was growing up--I didn't know enough to keep track of it--
It is interesting that your family had some connection to my Aunt's church--thanks for that tidbit of info--it would be nice to hear from others--
thanks again
NH
The styling of the body is also quite nice, fairly sturdy, but yet has finesse qualities
As I promised before --there is more to the story--
Again we regress back to when I was about 5 years old--My Aunt came to visit us that summer, and while she was here there was a drowning in the Canal west of the village of Morrisburg, and the police could not locate the body--well they visited my aunt here on the farm because they had heard of her unusual powers of locating loved ones--they asked her if she could help them--
to make a long story short--she told them where to go and they would find who they were looking for caught in a roll of wire--well need I say more, I have a lovely photograph of my family and my aunt that was taken by the Toronto Daily Star at that time
I have many more interesting stories dealing with Aunt Maude but I think that is where I will end this topic and I would like to go back to my project for this winter
Don--could you do a favour for me, and maybe for other interested ones looking in, and seeing that you have that wheel barrow right in front of you--could you list few of the dimensions for us, like the wheel's size, total length, width, height of the frame, cross sectional size of frame members --other items are obvious from the photograph