# Rebuilding a wagon



## Grey Mare (Jun 28, 2013)

Thought I would share this with anyone who is interested. Some years back when I was really involved with our draft clubs and showing, one of the classes that really interested me was the antique wagon classes. I loved how those wagon's looked once restored, their history, and how a nice team of draft horses made it seem like you were back in that time period. 

So began the search for a wagon for me...took me months of looking in old barns, asking around, driving all over Virginia in search of the perfect one, as I knew the moment I saw it I would know. This is what I found, an old Thornhill freight wagon:


Once off loaded at a friends barn, who is a master builder of all things horse drawn. Bob offered to let me house the wagon there and keep an eye on my work, as I wanted to do the work myself and would ask for help with things I did not know how to do. Right side:


Left side:


The under side once the box was lifted off, years of dust, neglect, and a few areas where the wood was soft and rotten, had to replace the reach pole, the fellows of the wheels, which went to Pennsylvania to an Amish shop that still does that, as the wheels are metal on the outside around them:




And during restoration, I sanded every square inch of the wagon, took me about 6 months of hard work to do all the work. A lot of swearing, a few tears, lots of scraped knuckles, grumbling, laughter, and hard work. This is the new reach pole and primer paint:


Coat of primer paint on the evener and first coat of paint on the frame that holds the bed:




The wheels back from Pennsylvania. We had to have special made leather washers for the barrel of the wheel, the old grease and dirt had to be scraped out, then cleaned, sanded and redone...I had to get help with that as the nuts that go on the wheels turn a certain way. If you don't get it right the wheel with either become too tight or come off:


Almost done...putting on the original colors as close as I could come with modern paint:


Done!! 






Maiden drive....is a beautiful wagon, had a lot of people want to buy it but, I just can't part with it, though I don't have a team anymore to pull it. 


The team that pulled it...my pride and joy, Trixie and Smoke:


----------



## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Looking good. Raise the tongue about a foot so it doesn't hit them in the knees. If you weren't so far away I would give you a brand new neckyoke. I found it in an old barn I was tearing down.

By the way, the cross members that hold the wagon bed are called bunks.

Muleskinner,


----------



## Grey Mare (Jun 28, 2013)

You noted what we did too...in the end we did lift it after that first drive to see how things were, the height and all. Tongue did go up some...Drove well, typical work type wagon, if you were in the box it would jaw your teeth out, but in the seat with the double springs, you were fine...

I did get myself in a pinch one afternoon driving. Went to turn in the road where I thought I had room to turn, back and turn again...nope. Ended up backing as far as I could without going into a ditch, turned and my right lead mare went down into a small ditch, the left hand mare on the road and literally drug the wagon over about 5" at a trot...and once then felt the resistance moved out! Never got the wheels under the box or anything...my friend who was with me was white as a sheet, I wasn't too worried as I knew my mares were pro's at this and I let them do their job with a little guidance. 

Afterwords as we headed home, my friend said that it looked like I knew what I was doing. I glanced over and chuckled, said I had you fooled too then. Think she slugged me in the arm as I had her grabbing onto the seat during the turn!


----------



## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Wow, great job.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Then while I go into the house to get my camera to take a photo of the final product, one my sons would come along in the tractor with a loader full of manure. "That's looks like where dad said to put it."


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Beautiful.


----------



## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

Beautiful work Grey! Looks fantastic!


----------



## RideBarefoot (Jun 29, 2008)

Lovely restoration and a gorgeous team!


----------



## Grey Mare (Jun 28, 2013)

Thank you! It was a true labor of love...had fun driving it


----------



## uncleotis (Mar 14, 2005)

Beautiful.


----------



## Skamp (Apr 26, 2014)

Nice!


----------



## Designlover (May 15, 2018)

Your wagon looks wonderful! Was it hard to make?


----------



## Grey Mare (Jun 28, 2013)

Yes I had to have help from a master carpenter/wagon builder for the reach pole and assembly of the wheels. Hard because i am meticulous when it comes to the painting and detail work. But, in the end you have something that if taken care of, will last well into my granddaughters life.


----------

