The Price Of Old Windlasses

[magnetman]

Did you buy it?

Looking at the way it has been made I think its a brass reproduction . maybe they were available earlier than the 90s I only appeared on the cut in 1994 and saw these for sale at Uxbridge boat centre for about £30 or thereabouts.

 

The whole thing is of a thinner profile and the way that the square section is changed to round before the bend in the handle looks a bit "lightweight" to me but I have not seen very many windlasses.

[magnetman]

15 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

Failed to spot when you put it there that you are the seller.

I still think the 33mm to 30mm taper equates to the size that would have fitted GU standard paddle gear, before it all got refitted with the smaller sized spindles, (I'm excluding the Ham Baker stuff on the Birmingham main line, which wasn't modified in the same way).

I have one of these, and unless some kind of reducer is fitted to them, I don't think they will work on many conventional paddles of today.

They probably will fit some surviving hydraulic gear, and also the GU Birmingham line Ham Baker paddles, but not well, because the taper will be too much.

I can confirm that in the 1970s cast iron and cast bronze (or gunmetal) were made to udentical dimensions, differing only by the maeterial used.

keithbo's example looks like one of those to my eye.

I didn't notice he was the seller either .

 

Alan - get one of your old cast iron/galvanised GU sized windlasses out and measure the eye you will find it is larger than the keithbo one.

I've had quite a few cast_galvanised single socket windlasses out with the magnet on the GU and they are all larger than the stated dimensions.

The odd thing is that the north GU candlestick type paddles have a taper which is actually slightly smaller than the old cast galvanised GU windlasses. Going back further with the hand forged windlasses and matching hand forged paddle spindles is another subject altogether !

I'd be willing to bet that this windlass (the brass one which is brass and modern) will fit the candlestick paddles perfectly but might bend if used enthusiastically.

(This topic as been done already . )

 

Edited November 25, 2017 by magnetman

[keithbo]

Not very well up on different windlass's but yes I bought it but cannot remember where possibly at a boat rally somewhere in the midlands between 1973 and 1979 it weights 1.2 kilo and is the same internal dimensions with the same taper as another one I have which is steel and marked 6-67-1 on one side and JHSG1 on the other this is a double headed windlass bought about the same time. The only other place the brass one could have been bought was a canal chandlers in the middle of Birmingham cannot remember the name as getting on for 40/50 years ago now and the old grey cells are getting old. The brass one is approx. 7mm thickness across the head whereas the steel one is about 3.5 mm so the brass one is twice a thick as the steel one. The steel one weighs 916 gms so considerably lighter

[pete harrison]

On 18/11/2017 at 23:13, Mike the Boilerman said:

Dare I suggest now would be a good time to stock up on ordinary cast monoblock steel windlasses while they are cheap? Like this.

They've stopped making them now apparently, and the fabricated steel ones are totally inferior. 

Are the windlass's above any good as they seem quite cheap at £10.50, and appear to still be available at present 

[Laurence Hogg]

11 hours ago, pete harrison said:

Are the windlass's above any good as they seem quite cheap at £10.50, and appear to still be available at present 

From an ex manufacturers point of view I would like to know what that dual head is cast from, Aluminium or iron? Also how is the handle set in, when cast? or post casting of the head.

The first windlass I ever cast was at school and was of the same construction, it did last quite some time but the head was bronze.

[pete harrison]

On 18/11/2017 at 21:13, ditchcrawler said:

Brass one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Windlass-Key-Lock-Handle-For-Canal-Boat-Barge-Narrowboat-Brass/362118317992?hash=item544fef07a8:g:v-8AAOSwQm9Z0NlV

 

On 18/11/2017 at 22:32, alan_fincher said:

Insane price, particularly if someone planned to use it.

Almost certainly the eye will be too small to use on many modern sized spindles.

 

Insane price - I agree.

I never thought that modern brass / bronze / gunmetal windlass's would ever interest me but I have just bought a small (narrow canals) and a large (Grand Union Canal) for £75.00 the pair including postage. Although both of these are in very good condition they will be used for decorative purposes only 

Small one which is either bronze or gunmetal (photograph from Ebay):

Edited December 16, 2017 by pete harrison

[Bee]

Looks a bit like one of mine, if it is its bronze.

[Ray T]

Brass / bronze is so last week. 

Edited December 16, 2017 by Ray T

[Derek R.]

Carbon fibre? Better attach something metal to it for fishing with a magnet!

[J R ALSOP]

Probably float Derek, saw Yarmouth aground in the "Riser" pound yesterday, back end about 5" out the water.

[Derek R.]

I missed that! Floating windlasses - whatever next, maybe floating Yarmouths.

Best to you.

Derek

[Jrtm]

We mamaged to get my wife a single tapered hole brass/copper windlass not old but new for £13 last year was amazed at the price i think the guy got the price wrong as he listed it on pay slip as standard windlass. If i go past and they have another ill be getting it! He did also try and offer us a mooring at £200 something for a winter mooring we tried to take the mooring then and there but he said he didnt deal with the mooring payments. Got a call next day quoting far more shame!