Horse Buggy Completed

[billybopp]

Wow.  Yeah.   That's a LOT of work!   The result is spectacular, tho!

- Bill

[EdJ]

As I began the project pictures were necessary to identify how the whole thing was put together.  All the Wood above the springs would have to be replaces due to rot.  I had to measure and calculate the angles and sizes of each component.  The box was constructed with perimeter stringers and corner blocks.  In the middle there is a raised frame that the seat would sit on.

In the middle there is a raised frame that the seat would sit on.

The seat frame base was build with lap joints.  Arm rests were beveled out and additionally flared from back to front.

  

 

[jcuk]

Fantastic work there thanks for posting.

JCUK

[Grey Drakkon]

That is freaking amazing!

[EdJ]

With pictures, deconstruction and measurements taken it was time to start rebuilding.  First issue was that I determined the lower stringers on the box were bent providing a bit of boat shape to the box.  Never bent wood before but determined that with a heat gun and clamps I could do it dry rather than steam.  

Now I could make the lap joints and corner blocks.

On both sides of the seat support there are large progressive coves (4.5 inches.)  Router bits do not go that big so alternatives were required.  I found a way of using the table saw and a diagonal fence where you take progressive passes at slightly higher blade heights.  Test piece picture below.

Glued and clamped everything up and built the seat.  Notice the lower rear of the seat is slanted back and arched at the top.  Fitting the vertical piece on the arch was a challenge and had to be fitted by hand.

Note all the irons that hold the seat together including the dash and the trunk frame.  While I tried to measure the rotten wood accurately, every piece of metal had to be lengthened or shortened slightly to fit the new assembly.  Cutting, welding, heating up in the forge and bending.

Off on a 6 day motorcycle adventure trip.  Will post again in a week.

 

[Sheilajeanne]

1 hour ago, EdJ said:

Cutting, welding, heating up in the forge and bending.

Did that mean some of the metal had to be completely replaced? How much of the original metal was re-usable?

I'm in awe of the craftmanship that went into the original, and also, therefore, into your restoration!

I'm sure most people would have cut some corners when it came to things like the angle of the seat back! 

[Chief Filipino]

Wow that's awesome! 

 

[scrapyarddog]

Uh un-uh-ing-uh-believable 

 

Amazing. Makes me want to restore that antique chair my cats insist is their second litter box.

[EdJ]

On 9/8/2020 at 10:55 AM, Sheilajeanne said:

Did that mean some of the metal had to be completely replaced? How much of the original metal was re-usable?

I'm in awe of the craftmanship that went into the original, and also, therefore, into your restoration!

I'm sure most people would have cut some corners when it came to things like the angle of the seat back! 

No replaced metal, just resizing generally just a 1/16th of an inch.

[EdJ]

Back safely from the motorcycle trip.  The next phase of the project was the running gear and single tree.  Dismantling the wood from the steel was pretty easy other than there were some seized bolts occasionally and I had to order some replacement axle straps (holds the wood cap on the steel axle).  Attached is a picture of the fifth wheel bolt that the front axle pivots on when turning.  The nut snapped the threads off and I had to re fabricate it.  The half moon fits in the spring perch (next pic) preventing the bolt from spinning. 

 

The next few weeks were spent scraping all the old paint and chalking off the axle caps, wheels and the single tree.  It took roughly 4 hours per wheel to scrap and sand.  The wood looks new but has some an checking in the grain.

 

Note in the above picture from the center moving out.  There is a sovern hub with a wood core, spokes, then fellows, then steel tire, and then rubber tire.  Most of the spokes were it pretty good shape other than some bowing.  There is a slight gap at the end of the spoke to the fellow and then a slight gap again to the steel tire.  Most of this is all due to 120 years of shrinkage.  It is possible to resize  the fellows ans steel tire on the spokes to tighten it up but it costs about the same as purchasing new wheels.  I decided to leave as is and see how much they would tighten up with some TLC. 

I mixed up a concoction of 1/3 each boiled linseed oil, turpentine, and spar varnish and heated it up to 160 degrees and foam brushed it on the wood.  The old wood sucked it up and it took 3 coats per wheel with the 4th coat eliminating the turpentine providing a slight top coat for uv protection.  After drying for 3 weeks the finish turned out with a nice rustic patina.

 

The wheels tightened up substantially but I would not go any faster than a walk with a horse.  If I sent them in for a full tire job I would probably end up with some new spokes and maybe a fellow or two.  Since I like the way they turned out I decided to keep them as is until a need arises.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2020 by EdJ