I like the lower one as it is relatively light as it has only one socket, suitable for the smaller, more common, spindle size. But I have been caught out on occasion by a large spindle, which, of course, it won't fit. The "new" one has the advantage of the two sizes of socket. It has an attractively bulbous end to the handle, designed, presumably, to make it harder to drop. I have sanded the handle smooth - or smoothish - ready for action this weekend.
The "new" one appears to have been cast in a mould, whereas the other one was constructed by the more usual method (today, anyway) of welding.
I searched the internet for the characters stamped on it, "JHSG A4" and "14D5", with no success - but I found lots of references to a different type of windlass. It seems that a "windlass" on a sea-going boat is a device for lowering or raising the anchor. (How is it that I didn't know that before?)
When I clicked on the Wikipedia entry for (lock) windlass I was amused by the disparaging feel of the second sentence in the description of a windlass handle:
Handle: The handle is long enough for a two-handed grip and is far enough from the socket to give enough leverage to wind the paddle up or down. There may be a freely-rotating sleeve around the handle to protect the tender hands of a novice boater from the blisters which can be caused by the friction of a rough iron handle turning against soft skin.
Back to my windlass. There is also a set of four digits stamped on the arm: 1802. That is almost certainly not the date of manufacture, as I believe the all-purpose double-socketed windlass is a relatively late invention. In the early days I understand that many different types of windlass were in existence, each one suited to a particular canal company's paddle gear.
Can anyone explain my windlass's markings?
7 comments:
Hi there, I used to work in a foundry many years ago, the letters SG stand for ductile iron, Which basicly is a mixture of cast iron and steel plus other elements put together during the melting process to create a metal that has the properties of both cast iron, ie, easy machining, and steel, ie, strength/flexability.
Regards
Paul
Hi there, the 14 D 5 is probably the date the windlass was made, that being, 14th december 2005, and the JH could be the company that made it, JH Lavender Ltd, but thats just a guess.
Regards
Paul
Thanks Paul - most interesting. While you're there ... if something has been "drop forged" what does that mean?
Hi there again,
Drop forging is a method for shaping metal into a mold or die using the force of a very heavy weight that is droped onto the pre heated metal and forces it into the shape of the die or mould. On a smaller scale a blacksmith using a hammer and anvil is another type of drop forging.
Regards
Paul
Hi there again,
Just to add to the confusion
Looking at the numbers 1802 on the windlass, these could also be the date it was made ie, 1st, August, 2002. In the foundry I worked in we used various stamps and those Dymo tape printers to get a date of manufacture onto our castings. The letters 14D5 look like they could have been made with a Dymo type tape printer and then stuck onto the pattern. Every foundry had its own methods and product codes.
Regards
Paul
Thanks Paul.
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