Misc Newest Gadget - Ropemaking Machine

mecoastie

Veteran Member
SO I have been looking for one of these for a few years. But I could not justify the couple hundred bucks that most places want for them. Friend works at an antique store and one came in. Got it for a very good price. These were marketed in the early 1900s to farmers to make and repair rope. Going to try it out this weekend. Definitely not the most practical of pieces but I have a passion for hand crank agricultural tools. Stole a couple pics of an identical one from Ebay.
 

Attachments

  • rope machine.jpg
    rope machine.jpg
    239 KB · Views: 44
  • Rope machine 2.jpg
    Rope machine 2.jpg
    222.8 KB · Views: 43

West

Senior
Looks like a old warnout relic. Better just sell it to me for a dollar more than what you paid for it.
 

mecoastie

Veteran Member
Here are a couple of pics of the rope I made this morning. It is out of baler twine.
 

Attachments

  • rope1.jpg
    rope1.jpg
    33.5 KB · Views: 23
  • rope2.jpg
    rope2.jpg
    33.2 KB · Views: 23

Martinhouse

Deceased
Does the back side of that thing, where the crank handle is, have gears that spin the three hooks? I kind of know how it works because I used to do this by hand with heavy cotton thread to make candle wicks. My sisters put a cup hook in an old hand-cranked drill of my dad's to make their wicks.

I had planned to use the nylon baling twine to make rope if I ever needed more than I already have. The slotted paddle is a really good tool to know about.
 

mecoastie

Veteran Member
Does the back side of that thing, where the crank handle is, have gears that spin the three hooks? I kind of know how it works because I used to do this by hand with heavy cotton thread to make candle wicks. My sisters put a cup hook in an old hand-cranked drill of my dad's to make their wicks.

I had planned to use the nylon baling twine to make rope if I ever needed more than I already have. The slotted paddle is a really good tool to know about.

Yes look at the pictures in my first post. You can see the gearing. The center hook turns once each rottion of the handle but the 3 hooks are geared much higher.
 

mecoastie

Veteran Member
That IS cool! Love those old time tools.

These old hand crank tools are a passion of mine. I collect a lot of them from the late 1800s thru the 1930s. That was the golden age of a lot of that stuff. Post Civil War and pre rural electrification. My wife's rule is it cant be too big. My kids get a charge out of running some of them. My daughter wants to grow flax to try to make rope from scratch. I think we are going to stick to twine for now.
 
Top