I don't know if this has been posted but it's one of my favorites.
Here is a link to a free hour long documentary of his woodworking.
Rip Mr. Thresher
http://www.folkstreams.net/film,187
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Thanks for sharing, fell asleep last night watching this.
That was a good video... sure wish I had his shop...
I was fascinated with the building of the water trough. What kind of wood did he use?
Bob
I remember seeing this years ago. I watched the whole thing through again. One of my favorites. Lineshaft driven equipment has always fascinated me. Thanks for bringing it up.
Ben's mill is still open to the public.My wife and I visited the mill 11 years ago.The local historical society maintains it and holds open house summer through early fall.Definitely a place of interest and worth the visit.It is located in Barnet or West Barnet,Vt.Ben was quite a rascal as well as being very talented.
Quote from: 47sawdust on November 13, 2016, 12:47:56 PM
Ben's mill is still open to the public.My wife and I visited the mill 11 years ago.The local historical society maintains it and holds open house summer through early fall.Definitely a place of interest and worth the visit.It is located in Barnet or West Barnet,Vt.Ben was quite a rascal as well as being very talented.
Good to know. I'll be visiting there some day, that's for sure
The wood is white pine.
I'm glad you guys are enjoying the film. I just watched it again... love it!
Ben was one tough fellow. What a craftsman.
I have a book about the layout of his mill .
I need to look for it after watching this again.
He was a tough man for sure :)
No one repairs any thing any more they just get a new one:(
I was amazed when he told the guy a buck fifty, I know that was back in the eighties, but still, I thought he shoukd have charged at least ten bucks!
Even one guy said, that he could have been a millionaire if he charged enough...the taxes must not be too bad up there in the NEK!
I LOVE stuff like this...thanks for posting!
You are very welcome :)
Quote from: Ox on November 13, 2016, 11:21:49 AM
Lineshaft driven equipment has always fascinated me.
Me, too. My dad was plant engineer for a paper mill along the Delaware River in the 1950s-60s that had a water wheel that drove line shafts, and he told me how they used to have "grease monkeys" who would climb up to grease all these bearings on the overhead line shafts, and he said one guy got his clothing fouled in the shaft and no one found his body for a few hours...
Then there was the guy who fell into one of the "beaters" ... these huge vats that held water and the material they made paper from, with a vertical driven drum that had all these knives that sheared against a stationary "bed knife" ... I guess they didn't find too much left of him... this was before OSHA, I guess...
Thanks for sharing! I think there is a little write up on him in the tool barn at the Tunbridge fair grounds.
thanks. really enjoyed it.
These days, the local shop would decline the fork modification because of potential liability.
Or charege you $50 plus/hr.
This series was actually filmed in the late 70s....produced in 82.
Ben was hit by a car crossing the street from his house heading to the mill and died a year later from his wounds. He was unable to work after being hurt.
A flood wiped out the dam and there is not much left....
The epa turds are giving them tons of red tape now that they want to rebuild it.... imagine that!!
Quote from: shop guy on November 18, 2016, 02:26:05 PM
Or charege you $50 plus/hr.
This series was actually filmed in the late 70s....produced in 82.
Ben was hit by a car crossing the street from his house heading to the mill and died a year later from his wounds. He was unable to work after being hurt.
A flood wiped out the dam and there is not much left....
The epa turds are giving them tons of red tape now that they want to rebuild it.... imagine that!!
That is a shame about the accident! :(
Hopefully the EPA will be changing soon!!!!
Amen!!!!!!!!
The epa turds are giving them tons of red tape now that they want to rebuild it.... imagine that!
Without the epa you might have turds in your drinking water.
Quote from: 47sawdust on November 20, 2016, 08:55:28 AM
The epa turds are giving them tons of red tape now that they want to rebuild it.... imagine that!
Without the epa you might have turds in your drinking water.
I don't think rebuilding the mill will hurt your drinking water.. The EPA is way out of hand with their rules in
MY HUMBLE OPINION.
::)
EPA, another over bloated, make work, out of control government department.
Having been to Ben's mill, 3 or 4 years ago, I enjoyed the film.
The day I was there, there was a wooden tub in the mill.
Now I know how they are made and assembled.
Gerald
truly incredible. 8)
Very interesting love how they built that stuff .
That's a great story, I've heard of the mill but never seen any publication on it. The old ways of doing things are forgotten or short for this world so I love that people preserve some of it like this movie or "fox fire" series..... thanks for sharing I really appreciate it.
That was really interesting. It's amazing to see how efficient he was. He made hard work look easy.