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csziggy

(34,120 posts)
Mon Feb 15, 2021, 08:28 PM Feb 2021

I need to find a particlur type of connector

I've got some vintage cast iron horse and wagon pieces. Various wagons - grocery, Coca Cola, ladder wagon, fire tank wago, and a beer wagon.

Most are in good to very good condition but I just bought two that while in good condition, need some work. There is a piece, maybe a screw that holds a pair of horses to the double yoke that helps them pull the wagon. Since on the horses that are already attached you only see the brass ends, I am not sure if they are similar to Chicago screw or a rivet. The brass ends are flat on both ends, with no place to use a screw.

I only have two pairs of horses without this attachment, the beer wagon horses need a piece about 3 1/2" and the ladder wagon horses need one only about 2 1/4"

If I knew what this was called, I might could find what I need

By the way, these pieces are vintage, not true antique. They are probably between 40 and 60 years old. They are fairly crudely made, but overall they make a nice collection so I'd love to have the whole set ready to display.

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I need to find a particlur type of connector (Original Post) csziggy Feb 2021 OP
Got photos? LunaSea Feb 2021 #1
Here are a couple of good close ups from an eBay auction csziggy Feb 2021 #3
Much clearer now LunaSea Feb 2021 #7
i'm tempted to say that looks like a chicago screw rampartc Feb 2021 #8
any photos or manufacturers data? rampartc Feb 2021 #2
See my reply to the first response above. csziggy Feb 2021 #4
Sex bolt Clearly fogged in Feb 2021 #5
Yeah, I saw a post about those the other day maybe in the Lounge csziggy Feb 2021 #9
Looks like some kind of rivet, but Kali Feb 2021 #6
Well, bailing wire would hold them together csziggy Feb 2021 #11
Something like this? MN2theMax Feb 2021 #10
Yes, that is what I am thinking would be easiest csziggy Feb 2021 #12
Well, I dug out the binding posts I have and they are too fat to go through the holes csziggy Feb 2021 #13

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
3. Here are a couple of good close ups from an eBay auction
Mon Feb 15, 2021, 09:03 PM
Feb 2021

Not my pieces, but this is the same vintage wagon I have:



You can see the flat brass end just in front of the screw that holds each horse together.

This next picture shows the silver shaft of whatever the connector is, going through one horse, the double tree, then through the second horse.



The auction I stole these images from is at: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Cast-Iron-Beer-wagon-and-8-horses-Nice-piece/164610553314?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20201210111314%26meid%3D5d963be5c7164eaeb524bb7006aa8b6b%26pid%3D101195%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D233893151926%26itm%3D164610553314%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithDarwoV3BBEV2b%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p2047675.c101195.m1851

LunaSea

(2,892 posts)
7. Much clearer now
Mon Feb 15, 2021, 09:31 PM
Feb 2021

thanks.
Rivet seems likely, but test if one of the others might unscrew. I've seen custom bolts that have screw on heads or thread in the middle from this era.

A quick solution might be to find a couple of nails with similar head shape and enough length (or can be cut to) to meet in the middle. A bit of epoxy to hold it and a dab of brass paint to match the others.

rampartc

(5,271 posts)
8. i'm tempted to say that looks like a chicago screw
Mon Feb 15, 2021, 09:31 PM
Feb 2021

IF that hole is 3/16" or larger that might be the first thing i'd try. they come in varying lengths and the cheapest/easiest to procure are at the office depot. different finishes and materials are available but that 3/16" diameter is constant.

https://www.binding101.com/binding/binding-supplies/screw-posts?msclkid=a2c2c71cba5716ab08daa737a319ab21&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=NX_NTM_Search_Binding%20Supplies%20(L)&utm_term=chicago%20binding%20screws&utm_content=Screw%20Posts%20-%20Aluminum

carriage bolts come in every diameter and length at your local hardware store. some thread might show between horses but that could be covered by running through tubing stock or even heat shrink tube.

sort of puts me in mind of a "20 mule team" model i had as a kid.

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
4. See my reply to the first response above.
Mon Feb 15, 2021, 09:05 PM
Feb 2021

Some of the eBay auctions mention a manufacturer, but it was not important to me, so I didn't make note of it.

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
9. Yeah, I saw a post about those the other day maybe in the Lounge
Mon Feb 15, 2021, 09:34 PM
Feb 2021

They would do the job but I can't find any with flat heads and without even a slot for a screwdriver. I'll hunt some more with that as my search parameter.

Kali

(54,990 posts)
6. Looks like some kind of rivet, but
Mon Feb 15, 2021, 09:20 PM
Feb 2021

I would bet you could make something with some sort of hollow tubing or long ferules that you could use a screw in, or even some kind of epoxy type of a situation.

Of course I would use bailing wire.

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
11. Well, bailing wire would hold them together
Mon Feb 15, 2021, 10:00 PM
Feb 2021

But I'd really like to emulate the originals even if I'm not doing a full restoration.

I'm thinking the easiest thing to settle on would be a sex blot aka Chicago screw. I had a whole stash of short ones that were melted down when the barn burned. If I use the male ends where visible and used some sort of tube the right size to screw (or glue) them into, that might work.

Another option would be binding posts like are used to hold big scrapbooks together. You can get extensions to lengthen them and one end is flat, while the other end has a very shallow slot to screw them together. Problem is, they don't often come in brass - but I could paint them brass color. I might even have some of those, if I can remember where they are.

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
12. Yes, that is what I am thinking would be easiest
Mon Feb 15, 2021, 10:10 PM
Feb 2021

I've used binding posts a lot with scrapbooks. They come in different lengths and you can get extensions to make them longer. I know I don't have any brass ones, but if I can find some brass ends, I can use the extensions I have in the middle.

OOOH! McMaster-Carr has brass binding posts in the lengths I need! They're a bit expensive, but they would be as close as possible.
https://www.mcmaster.com/brass-rivets/brass-low-profile-binding-barrels-and-screws/

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
13. Well, I dug out the binding posts I have and they are too fat to go through the holes
Tue Feb 16, 2021, 06:00 PM
Feb 2021

I measured the shafts of the fasteners on the other horses and the shaft is 1/8" in diameter with heads 1/4" in diameter.

This makes it much more difficult. McMaster-Carr's smallest binding posts diameters are 3/16" which might possibly fit, but I am not willing to pay for them on the off chance. Plus they don't have plain flat heads, they have Phillips/flat slots.

So my next idea is to find brass nail head double cap rivets and a shaft (piece of heavy wire or thin rod) that will fit between and drive the rivets onto the wire or rod. Although in the original the heads on the sides are brass, the shaft between is gray color, some generic metal.

Since the double cap rivets are used in leather work, I may call a local shoe shop and see if they have them. Or, my husband knows a guy who makes belts - he probably has them by the hundreds and I only need four - unless I replace all the same parts on the rest of the team for the beer wagon, then I'd need eighteen. Sixteen for the eight horses on the beer wagon and a pair for the horses on the ladder wagon.

OK, I found some "rapid rivets" at Tandy Leather with the right size heads, 100 for $3.99 that might work. That's little enough money to try them out!

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