Fresh from the shop

[timberfaller390]

 Here's a few pics of my latest restoration. It's a 1930's Oliver AC-2 walking plow.












It started out as a pile of parts. After a lot of sand blasting, paint and a new set of handles this is the end result.

[Warbird]

That's pretty cool!  How did you come across it?

[fishpharmer]

Looks brand new.  When I see stuff like that, I think of the many days someone guided those handles (or the originals ;) ) behind a mule or horse most likely trying to feed a family.  I cannot help but wonder where it was made, how much it cost, was it mail ordered or from a store? Or ordered online and shipped by fedex  :D?   There is a lot of history in that little plow.  TF I sure am glad you saved it from the scrapyard.

[timberfaller390]

This one was not bound for the scrap yard. I bought it from one of my horseshoeing clients that hosts an "old-time plow day" at his farm every year. He has at  least 50 or 60 plows of various sizes. I bought this one for myself but he wants me to start working on his pile a few at a time. This plow was manufactured in the early thirties by the Oliver Chilled Plow Works in South Bend Indiana. The company started making plows in the 1860's and used a apecial "chilling" method to harden thier plow shares, points and landsides and they would wear longer than other companies plows. Plow collectors say the two major events in plow manufacturing history was 1. John Deere invented the steel plow and 2. James Oliver made them last longer.

[Chris Burchfield]

Do you have a good pair of Mules to match with that nice looking plow?

[Chuck White]

In years past, I've walked a good many miles behind a plow similar to that.

Good job in restoration and painting.

[Planman1954]

I love this forum, since its so neat to see the work of talented people that otherwise would not be known. Thanks for posting your plow restoration. It looks fantastic. Great job.

[pineywoods]

Very nice job TF. MY dad was a sharecropper during my early years. Those plows and others like it put food on the table and clothes on our back. Most of the ones I remember were Avery, also lots of wooden ones called a georgia stock..

[Woodwalker]

also lots of wooden ones called a georgia stock..

I remember my Dad talking about Georgia stocks. Haven't heard or thought of that term in years. As soon as I read Piney's post, a lot of memories of my Dad flooded back.

[sandhills]

That looks beautiful, can't imagine starting in on a quarter of ground with one though .

[pineywoods]

That looks beautiful, can't imagine starting in on a quarter of ground with one though .

One of these, a good mule and good soil, about 40 acres was all a good man could handle.

[timberfaller390]

Do you have a good pair of Mules to match with that nice looking plow?

just one right now and she is already giving me dirty looks (more than usual) about it. I bought the polw to use at that old time plow day I was talking about but now I don't want to get it dirty    :  :D
Thanks everybody for the compliments. Georgia stocks are a completely different design, the handles are different and everything goes together different. Some plows were made of wood with metal hardware but were designed the same as a conventional plow. A plow that is made of wood is said to have a stock and the same part on a metal plow like mine is called a beam.

[Ed]

Radex point?  :D

Ed

[logwalker]

That is a remarkable restoration.

So does it take more than one mule to pull a plow that size?

How does a mule compare to a horse for pulling one?

Joe

[timberfaller390]

A plow this size can be pulled with one mule or horse. As far as how a mule compares to a horse for pulling it really depends on the individual animal. Horse A may out pull mule B while mule A will out do horse B. A mule is less "flighty" than a horse but can be more stubborn. It pretty much comes down to the teamsters personal prefferance. Mine is mules.