I had to smile when you gave your honest opinion on the „comfort“ of the drivers seat! In my lifetime I have sat many hours on seats at meetings and conferences in hotels and conference centers including the lecture halls of universities. I have cursed the designers of practically all of the different seating and have more than once wished for them to be seated for eternity on their own creations. It seems to be true throughout the centuries that those who design seating avoid at all costs to sit on these for any length of time! But you are innocent! You got pictures to support you and the remnants, of which I am still absolutely flabbergasted as to how many clues the pile of firewood has discluded to the eye of you, the expert who can look at a bolt hole in a rotten plank and come up with the founded design of a complete stage coach. Thank you for letting us take part in that detective investigation and a nice weekend to you and your family.
JUST what I needed for a Friday evening, with a well deserved Kentucky nectar, after a wild week of maintaining a horse farm and small cattle farm learning as I go. Thank you Dave!
Sure do enjoy watching your videos. The way you speak and work reminds me so much of my mentor when I was a young man. He taught me about working with my hands and the Lord. If you were closer I would buy you a cup of coffee and tell you about him.
Like you, I often use a farrier's hammer for small driving jobs in the shop. The one I have was made by Atha in the late 1800s...it belonged to my granddad. We love your videos!
This reminds me that I made a 1 foot model of a Conestoga covered wagon when I was about 8 years old. From scratch. (With a little help from my father, of course...) I treasured it.
what did they store under the drivers seat? just empty space or was there something there. another tour in history. Love your work and also the after hours work.
The truck I used to drive (Mercedes) had a wonderful back support. It had air cushioning for your lower back to stop you moving sideways. The Volvo I drive now doesn't have the same back support. On top of that I spend a reasonable amount of time off road or on gravel roads. I do however have an air sprung seat! You can't help but wonder how they did it day in day out. They really were a different breed back then.
I heard once that the average height and weight for a man in 1930 , according to the CCC was 5'-8" 145 lbs. I purchased a 1947 Chevy COE ( cab over engine ) sight unseen, when I climbed into the cab it was like fitting ten pounds of you know what into a five pound bag. Those old vehicles must have been roomy back in the day but no so much now.
Same as now (used to be) not built for drivers comfort. Now things are made to keep grown men from crying like little girls.. Love 💘 your videos, been watching since before the Borax Wagons. Enjoy them every week
With the bracing and the nuts sticking into the driver's back too, the original designer might have disliked coach drivers? Maybe his wife ran away with a driver.😊 You do such nice work. Thank you for sharing with us.
That seat is nothing compared to him wearing Jean pants and shirts at the same time. Just seeing this is making me sick. Someone needs to contact his family, if he has any.
Another great video. Good the hear the sounds and smells of the forge and anvil again for this six year old in 1948, Dad would take me along to the blacksmith shop as he converted his farm's 2 mule implements into 3 point lift conversion for the shiny new red and gray Ford 8N tractor (War production prohibited prior purchasing). The only missing sound 75 years later is the wooden half barrel filled with quenching water.
Looks good to me as per the pictures but I certainly wouldnt want to spend a few hours on rough tracks driving it....oh boy no!! Props to you for accuracy though , thanks for sharing
I remember my great grand parents talking that life was a bit harder back then and grandma saying they would not make things softer for themselves stubborn and that was all she would say
Yeah, it must have been super annoying to make all those parts back in the day. I wonder if there were big mechanical presses that used leverage and weight to make up for lack of hydraulics.
Leaving aside the fact that they did have presses, you don't need a press like his to get the same results fast. Heat the iron proper and you'll bend it with your hand on a jig. Same results, different pathways. Remember, more than one way to skin the cat. :)
Remember folks no matter what you think or say there's always a stubby bus load of youtube commenters that will try to show the world what geniuses they are by trying to make you look stupid
Thank you for sharing. It will definitely make it so the driver won't fall asleep at the reins or fall off of it. I find it hard when a genius designs something and then tortures the person using it. I have had that happen at work and had to learn patience to deal with their work, and no suggestion will ever change their mind because they think they are so smart.
Hola Rick, Estoy ansioso cada sábado para ver tus vídeos, eres un genio trabajando tanto la madera como el acero, un artesano de la vieja escuela, como decimos por aquí, en Catalunya, lo mismo planchas un huevo que fríes una corbata, lastima que todo es en inglés, pero con la traducción simultánea al castellano me voy enterando de lo que comentas. Animo que cada vez queda menos para terminar tan espectacular trabajo.
This would have to have been the most uncomfortable wagon in the West. Definitely economy class, no meal, no drinks, no restroom, wooden seats, not even a bag of peanuts. Highway men wouldn't even bother pulling up this coach to rob the poor passengers. Always a pleasure watching your workmanship in action.
Educational as always, Thank you. I wonder, in the old picture, it looks as though the seat back was not as high, it looked more towards mid to lower back. Would that not be more comfortable, at the lower back, since your in constant, or semi-constant movement with your upper body....just wondering.
At 7:00 Dave starts using the bending tool. I notice that he has deep and thorough knowledge of how to use it.Dave changes the posts, and the sleeves, based on what he wants to do, and what the tool does to the rod he is bending. I think it would takes months of daily use, with a teacher, to learn this.
Don't sell yourself short. Considering what you had to start with I think you did a great job. The owner should be more than well pleased at your result...
There is nothing in that first picture that indicates that the driver seat (which also shows a woman sharing that seat to the driver's left) was not at least padded to provide some relief from sitting directly on the metal supports. Also, that picture clearly shows a fringed top that would protect them (at least their heads and shoulders) from the sun overhead. I am wonder if/when that will be addressed in the build.
The level seat and vertical back is a killer on your tailbone. I know that driving a team you tend to lean forward, but geeeze, that looks uncomfortable.
Dave, can't say enough how much I've enjoy your channel, love how precise you do your work. If you have time just a few questions, I got quite a few old hammers my self, what do you call that little goats foot hammer you use? Some times you use coal other times gas, does it have to do with the amount of metal you have to move? When you put the metal on the seats would it make a difference if it's on top or underneath, then the head is only thing you have to contend with when making the seat covering. Just curious
As always, really enjoyed the vid, one thing, that hollow space under the seat is begging to be partially boxed in and maybe with a removable lid to make a storage compartment.
Just found your channel a month or so ago and have subscribed. This 67-year-old woman taking great comfort in the days of old watching you work, reminding us of a time when life was much much more appealing than our modern society. God bless you.
Welcome to "Club Dave & Diane", Nancy. If you aren't aware of the Borax Wagon project that Dave did back around 2015, you might find that series quite compelling. I believe Dave created a Playlist for those vids. Cheers!
You can scale out those photos! If there is a single known dimension in the photo (i.e. some of the irons that you physically have) you can scale any unknown dimension on that photo with a set of sharp dividers and a dial caliper!!! (in regards to seat back, width, top height, etc)
Just by the picture, it looked to me that the back came up not quite so high, just above belt level. But I don't know if that makes any difference with the comfort. (And you're the expert... I'm just a gawker.)
It has been a pleasure watching you and the skill you take to make items historically correct. Who will take your place after you are gone? or will this work be lost.
Damn, I love what you do; I drop into alpha brain waves whenever I watch an episode. It's too bad you don't have an apprentice; once you're gone, your wonderful preservation of an old art ends. It's not too late to pick up a young apprentice. I'm sure they will come out of the woodwork whenever you need them. Grab one.
I've often thought that watching these videos. It must be a pretty small pool of people now days with the knowledge and skills to do all of what he does. Would be a shame to loose the art all together
It appears to me, especially at 1:05, as though there are seat cushions on all of the seats, including the driver's seat. It looks to me like his backside is a couple of inches off of the seat plank. And I can see cushions on the passenger seats. While they wouldn't have wasted a lot of money on the driver's comfort, it looks like passengers (probably lower-fare ones) also ride on the front seat. That being the case, I can see them making a leather-covered horsehair cushion for the front seat. That could also reduce driver fatigue, and possibly reduce accidents, which would cut into the profit margin.
He'll be adding cushions for sure. He was commenting on the overall shape of the seat, not the flat hardness of it, when he said it was uncomfortable. A back and arms that go straight up without any lean are really uncomfortable.
Dave, it obvious you enjoy all phases and skills on each project: woodworking, blacksmithing, wheelwright, machinist, painter, upholsterer, engineer, investigator, historian, etc. While you enjoy it all, which is your absolute favorite and, likewise, which is your least favorite? And why?
Based on the picture with just a couple of people standing beside the coach, it looks like the driver's seat does not have a wood arm as high as you made yours. It looks like it might be 2-3 inches in the front slopping up to maybe 5 or 6 in the back. The metal arm seams to be only two - three inches high on the front and follows the taper of the wood to the back of the seat. I think that this would give the driver a little more room when getting on and off and working the brake.
If it was me, and if Lazy Bones was still in business in Billings, I'd put a big Lazy Bones easy chair up there. :^D With a cup holder and a thermos holder.
Sure going to wear the driver’s pants in interesting places. And your comment on the little divider and operating the brake with the right leg remind me of an unanswered question: why do American cars have right-hand drive?
Once you pad the seat out it will get better….I would have given an inch or two on the center armrest to accomodate wider persons…I hate going to my local vaudeville house and sitting a theater chair from the 1920’s.
I don't know if you actually read these comments but I did experiment that a woodworker showed me type bond 3 or type bond 2 if you only. Put the glue on one side of the surface and the edge service you rough up with a wire wheel. Giving the pores of the bond t works extremely well
I can see where the drivers seat would be very un comfortable, which brings up the question, Would the seats have leather pads filled with horsehair or something else that was used for padding when mud wagons were in use?
That top seat wasn't made for comfort, had to keep the drivers and shotgun riders wide awake and the driver did have to stay in place. The Shotgun rider had to be able to move around slide and be able to shoot on either side of the coach was always my thoughts. But you know what they say about thoughts and opinions. Thanks for sharing with us Dave, the coach is coming right along and will haul a lot when completed. Stay safe and keep up the great videos and all the fun you can work into them. Fred.
Maybe this was the most uncomfortable seat you ever built, Dave, but the way you built it reflected your unmatched skills once again!
Thanks Dave and Diane, I look forward to watching your videos every Tuesday and Friday evening.
I had to smile when you gave your honest opinion on the „comfort“ of the drivers seat! In my lifetime I have sat many hours on seats at meetings and conferences in hotels and conference centers including the lecture halls of universities. I have cursed the designers of practically all of the different seating and have more than once wished for them to be seated for eternity on their own creations. It seems to be true throughout the centuries that those who design seating avoid at all costs to sit on these for any length of time! But you are innocent! You got pictures to support you and the remnants, of which I am still absolutely flabbergasted as to how many clues the pile of firewood has discluded to the eye of you, the expert who can look at a bolt hole in a rotten plank and come up with the founded design of a complete stage coach. Thank you for letting us take part in that detective investigation and a nice weekend to you and your family.
Back in the day I bet those coach builders would say that will work. Nice that will work Dave.
You are building history and memories for so many humans. This is where the Lord will say: well done.
Hi, right hand drive , like it . Many thanks from UK.
10:58 That is an interesting hammer! Another self-made tool? I think tool making is the seed of artistry. Thanks for sharing!
JUST what I needed for a Friday evening, with a well deserved Kentucky nectar, after a wild week of maintaining a horse farm and small cattle farm learning as I go. Thank you Dave!
Sure do enjoy watching your videos. The way you speak and work reminds me so much of my mentor when I was a young man. He taught me about working with my hands and the Lord. If you were closer I would buy you a cup of coffee and tell you about him.
I find Dave's blacksmithing soooo relaxing. I just can't take my eyes off.
Dave, I really enjoy watching you work!
Like you, I often use a farrier's hammer for small driving jobs in the shop. The one I have was made by Atha in the late 1800s...it belonged to my granddad. We love your videos!
This reminds me that I made a 1 foot model of a Conestoga covered wagon when I was about 8 years old.
From scratch.
(With a little help from my father, of course...)
I treasured it.
here again, 3 hours behind. It's a treat to watch, that frt seat went together quick and smooth.
Dave proving once again that you can never have too many clamps in your workshop.
You can say that again. :))
We can call him the Clamp Master!!!!
I surely enjoy watching you work the metal into what you want it to be. Another mighty fine video
Kinda funny in a way. You're sitting there saying yuck, we're sitting here saying " he's building a real wagon " from the ground up. Good job Dave.
Gosh,I really would like to see this coach in action one day . Great build as always,thank you for sharing 😊
what did they store under the drivers seat? just empty space or was there something there. another tour in history. Love your work and also the after hours work.
Excellent craftmanship, Sir. Many thanks and hat off from Germany.
The truck I used to drive (Mercedes) had a wonderful back support. It had air cushioning for your lower back to stop you moving sideways. The Volvo I drive now doesn't have the same back support.
On top of that I spend a reasonable amount of time off road or on gravel roads.
I do however have an air sprung seat! You can't help but wonder how they did it day in day out.
They really were a different breed back then.
I heard once that the average height and weight for a man in 1930 , according to the CCC was 5'-8" 145 lbs.
I purchased a 1947 Chevy COE ( cab over engine ) sight unseen, when I climbed into the cab it was like fitting ten pounds of you know what into a five pound bag.
Those old vehicles must have been roomy back in the day but no so much now.
Same as now (used to be) not built for drivers comfort. Now things are made to keep grown men from crying like little girls.. Love 💘 your videos, been watching since before the Borax Wagons. Enjoy them every week
A good job you have some photos to work from .
Coming along nicely 👍👍👍
Another awesome wainwright Friday night!!! Thank you for sharing!
With the bracing and the nuts sticking into the driver's back too, the original designer might have disliked coach drivers? Maybe his wife ran away with a driver.😊 You do such nice work. Thank you for sharing with us.
That seat is nothing compared to him wearing Jean pants and shirts at the same time. Just seeing this is making me sick. Someone needs to contact his family, if he has any.
Another great video. Good the hear the sounds and smells of the forge and anvil again for this six year old in 1948, Dad would take me along to the blacksmith shop as he converted his farm's 2 mule implements into 3 point lift conversion for the shiny new red and gray Ford 8N tractor (War production prohibited prior purchasing). The only missing sound 75 years later is the wooden half barrel filled with quenching water.
I love watching the progress, but I hate knowing we're getting closer to the end of the project
Looks good to me as per the pictures but I certainly wouldnt want to spend a few hours on rough tracks driving it....oh boy no!! Props to you for accuracy though , thanks for sharing
next time I Visit my brother in Big bend I'm going to stop by your shed and say hello. 🤠
I remember my great grand parents talking that life was a bit harder back then and grandma saying they would not make things softer for themselves stubborn and that was all she would say
Amazing carpenter and iron working skills. You make it look easy to rebuild the coach.
I bet the blacksmiths and waggon builders in the days of old would've loved having that press to bend perfect 90° angles in 2 seconds
Yeah, it must have been super annoying to make all those parts back in the day. I wonder if there were big mechanical presses that used leverage and weight to make up for lack of hydraulics.
Outstanding video!!!
The hydraulic press was invented in 1795 - so, they were in use - albeit manually operated.
Leaving aside the fact that they did have presses, you don't need a press like his to get the same results fast. Heat the iron proper and you'll bend it with your hand on a jig. Same results, different pathways.
Remember, more than one way to skin the cat. :)
Remember folks no matter what you think or say there's always a stubby bus load of youtube commenters that will try to show the world what geniuses they are by trying to make you look stupid
Thank you for sharing. It will definitely make it so the driver won't fall asleep at the reins or fall off of it. I find it hard when a genius designs something and then tortures the person using it. I have had that happen at work and had to learn patience to deal with their work, and no suggestion will ever change their mind because they think they are so smart.
Thanks for making it as you see it and keeping it historically correct.
Unfortunately, he did it while wearing both a Jean shirt and pants at the same time... I think it is his way of calling out for help.
Hola Rick,
Estoy ansioso cada sábado para ver tus vídeos, eres un genio trabajando tanto la madera como el acero, un artesano de la vieja escuela, como decimos por aquí, en Catalunya, lo mismo planchas un huevo que fríes una corbata, lastima que todo es en inglés, pero con la traducción simultánea al castellano me voy enterando de lo que comentas.
Animo que cada vez queda menos para terminar tan espectacular trabajo.
In your hands Dave, that Hossfeld bender along with your forge, are two fine tools.
Stay safe and we'll see you next week.
This would have to have been the most uncomfortable wagon in the West. Definitely economy class, no meal, no drinks, no restroom, wooden seats, not even a bag of peanuts. Highway men wouldn't even bother pulling up this coach to rob the poor passengers. Always a pleasure watching your workmanship in action.
He's going make cushions, at least for the passengers, I imagine the driver too.
Your blacksmithing skills are just as amazing as your woodworking !
Its been a hell of a journey of exploration so far Dave
Educational as always, Thank you. I wonder, in the old picture, it looks as though the seat back was not as high, it looked more towards mid to lower back. Would that not be more comfortable, at the lower back, since your in constant, or semi-constant movement with your upper body....just wondering.
At 7:00 Dave starts using the bending tool. I notice that he has deep and thorough knowledge of how to use it.Dave changes the posts, and the sleeves, based on what he wants to do, and what the tool does to the rod he is bending. I think it would takes months of daily use, with a teacher, to learn this.
Don't sell yourself short. Considering what you had to start with I think you did a great job. The owner should be more than well pleased at your result...
I notice the driver sits on the right! A tradition we Brits maintain till this day 😉 Who says we drive on the wrong side of the road?
Love the forging and having to build parts that have to be a duplicate of original parts. Great video
There is nothing in that first picture that indicates that the driver seat (which also shows a woman sharing that seat to the driver's left) was not at least padded to provide some relief from sitting directly on the metal supports. Also, that picture clearly shows a fringed top that would protect them (at least their heads and shoulders) from the sun overhead. I am wonder if/when that will be addressed in the build.
The level seat and vertical back is a killer on your tailbone. I know that driving a team you tend to lean forward, but geeeze, that looks uncomfortable.
also, but I think it isnt right, it has to be slighty curved backwards. 7 degrees will do.
Dave, can't say enough how much I've enjoy your channel, love how precise you do your work. If you have time just a few questions, I got quite a few old hammers my self, what do you call that little goats foot hammer you use? Some times you use coal other times gas, does it have to do with the amount of metal you have to move? When you put the metal on the seats would it make a difference if it's on top or underneath, then the head is only thing you have to contend with when making the seat covering. Just curious
As always, really enjoyed the vid, one thing, that hollow space under the seat is begging to be partially boxed in and maybe with a removable lid to make a storage compartment.
Wow Dave thats a new Furness I see nice
Just found your channel a month or so ago and have subscribed. This 67-year-old woman taking great comfort in the days of old watching you work, reminding us of a time when life was much much more appealing than our modern society. God bless you.
Welcome to "Club Dave & Diane", Nancy. If you aren't aware of the Borax Wagon project that Dave did back around 2015, you might find that series quite compelling. I believe Dave created a Playlist for those vids.
Cheers!
Amazing, just amazing.
I am hoping there will be test drive avinchaly.
Dave your craft men ship is tops Thank You
I really enjoy watching you work!
You can scale out those photos! If there is a single known dimension in the photo (i.e. some of the irons that you physically have) you can scale any unknown dimension on that photo with a set of sharp dividers and a dial caliper!!! (in regards to seat back, width, top height, etc)
In addition to being an extraordinary craftsman you also seem to use the most beautiful wood.
Great job looking great love your videos thank you
The video was excellent as well. 👏👏
Nice New England church pew guaranteed to keep you awake for the whole service
Once again thanks for the video.
Just by the picture, it looked to me that the back came up not quite so high, just above belt level. But I don't know if that makes any difference with the comfort. (And you're the expert... I'm just a gawker.)
It has been a pleasure watching you and the skill you take to make items historically correct. Who will take your place after you are gone? or will this work be lost.
Damn, I love what you do; I drop into alpha brain waves whenever I watch an episode. It's too bad you don't have an apprentice; once you're gone, your wonderful preservation of an old art ends. It's not too late to pick up a young apprentice. I'm sure they will come out of the woodwork whenever you need them. Grab one.
I've often thought that watching these videos. It must be a pretty small pool of people now days with the knowledge and skills to do all of what he does. Would be a shame to loose the art all together
Beautiful work.
👏👏 estava ansioso para assistir mais um capítulo desta grande história.
Deus abençoe a todos.
You are outstanding work.
Just a humble input, I think I would use the front wheel as a relative reference and done the sizing from that.
Thank you for bringing us along!
Dave is about my age, but with 4 times the intelligence and energy. He's a phenom...
Thanks, very interesting.
It appears to me, especially at 1:05, as though there are seat cushions on all of the seats, including the driver's seat. It looks to me like his backside is a couple of inches off of the seat plank. And I can see cushions on the passenger seats. While they wouldn't have wasted a lot of money on the driver's comfort, it looks like passengers (probably lower-fare ones) also ride on the front seat. That being the case, I can see them making a leather-covered horsehair cushion for the front seat. That could also reduce driver fatigue, and possibly reduce accidents, which would cut into the profit margin.
He'll be adding cushions for sure. He was commenting on the overall shape of the seat, not the flat hardness of it, when he said it was uncomfortable. A back and arms that go straight up without any lean are really uncomfortable.
absolutely beautiful sir
Enjoyed the ride.
Thanks for another great video. May GOD bless you and yours.
Thanks!
I was watching very carefully when you were bending the bars...the pea is under the closest bar!
And thus--the airline "coach class" seat was invented more than 100 years before the airplane
And a bach rest iron and bolt nuts to jab in your back too - yech.
Dave, it obvious you enjoy all phases and skills on each project: woodworking, blacksmithing, wheelwright, machinist, painter, upholsterer, engineer, investigator, historian, etc. While you enjoy it all, which is your absolute favorite and, likewise, which is your least favorite? And why?
My back hurts just looking at the boot seat. No thank you. But thanks for sharing.
Based on the picture with just a couple of people standing beside the coach, it looks like the driver's seat does not have a wood arm as high as you made yours. It looks like it might be 2-3 inches in the front slopping up to maybe 5 or 6 in the back. The metal arm seams to be only two - three inches high on the front and follows the taper of the wood to the back of the seat. I think that this would give the driver a little more room when getting on and off and working the brake.
Buenas tardes, ¡ Me gusta mucho su trabajo, usted es un artista !
And just like magic it's done!!!!
Great video, you will make it work out, always enjoy coming in by invite, thanks
An uncomfortable seat leads to a properly surly driver, doncha know? 😉
An uncomfortable seat might have led to a quicker trip, too.
That makes me feel sorry for the horses.
Great video
Just glad I didn’t have to ride on it!!!!
Or, a driver who won't fall asleep on the road.
thank you
If it was me, and if Lazy Bones was still in business in Billings, I'd put a big Lazy Bones easy chair up there. :^D With a cup holder and a thermos holder.
There were tall folks back then, there were rotund folks back then, but not to many tall, rotund folks back then. Lol!
Sure going to wear the driver’s pants in interesting places. And your comment on the little divider and operating the brake with the right leg remind me of an unanswered question: why do American cars have right-hand drive?
Thanks Guys
Once you pad the seat out it will get better….I would have given an inch or two on the center armrest to accomodate wider persons…I hate going to my local vaudeville house and sitting a theater chair from the 1920’s.
Karl--People in the 1920/30's didn't have anything to eat. Maybe didn't NEED larger seats? JS.
How do you choose whether to use the coal-fired hearth or the gas oven when blacksmithing parts like these?
Awesome sir .
I don't know if you actually read these comments but I did experiment that a woodworker showed me type bond 3 or type bond 2 if you only. Put the glue on one side of the surface and the edge service you rough up with a wire wheel. Giving the pores of the bond t works extremely well
Don't think they were very concerned with the driver's comfort back in those days. Probably would have been different if the owner was the driver.
Driver typically will be leaning forward-
@@horacerumpole6912 Precisely, imagine him being perched up there with nothing to prevent him falling over backwards.
I can see where the drivers seat would be very un comfortable, which brings up the question, Would the seats have leather pads filled with horsehair or something else that was used for padding when mud wagons were in use?
would it help if there was a wedge shape cushion.
The driver set is a bit small but like you said got to go with the history.
That top seat wasn't made for comfort, had to keep the drivers and shotgun riders wide awake and the driver did have to stay in place. The Shotgun rider had to be able to move around slide and be able to shoot on either side of the coach was always my thoughts. But you know what they say about thoughts and opinions. Thanks for sharing with us Dave, the coach is coming right along and will haul a lot when completed. Stay safe and keep up the great videos and all the fun you can work into them. Fred.