Machinery Restoration

The Coker Rope & Sail Trust is very grateful to:
– PRISM – The Arts Council section dedicated to The Preservation of Industrial and Scientific Material
– The Association for Industrial Archeology
– South West Museum Development Programme
for their support which made possible the restoration of Dawe’s Twineworks machinery and the installation of the engine.

Machinery Restoration was started by Neil Evans and Chris Barker in Spring 2014. They checked out, rebuilt and restored the actual twine-making machinery which was abandoned, almost intact, when the twineworks closed in the 1960s. This included the ground floor machinery, notably the main line shaft which is driven by the engine, and which in turn drives all the ground floor drying drums, and the first floor shaft for the twisting heads. The main line-shaft which runs above the ground floor had its bearings cleaned and aligned. The pulleys were sand-blasted and painted in the original blue. One pulley was fitted so that the shaft could be turned with our 2HP engine and de-rusted. An additional bearing and support was designed and installed to support the shaft cut off about 20 years ago. It was bent slightly when cut, so some grinding and shimming was undertaken to centre the bearing. The big pulleys were lifted back in place, and restoration of one set of ground-floor machinery was completed. Best of all, the complete system could be driven at about 1/3 speed using our trusty 2HP Ruston & Hornsby’ portable stationary engine’.
The illustrated 12 page report prepared to secure the funding is available here: PRISM report FINAL lite

Of course, things have moved on, and we now power the whole works with our ‘new’ 1927 Shanks oil engine and, following the removal of scaffolding after 10 years, we now have full twisting and finishing demonstration set-ups along the walk.

We also have a smaller line-shaft system in our workshop built up from machinery donated or found on site. This is typical of most small factories before WWII and is powered by an old electric motor. We have a lathe, a drill press and a twine twisting machine – useful for visitors who are unable to climb the steep stairs to the main twisting floor.

Click on any of the photos below to get a full-size picture.
Latest photos are at the top; oldest at the bottom.

Ground Floor Restoration

: This winch pulls 100m of cable to tension the idler drum at the far end of the ropewalk

: The drum and pulleys are cleaned, treated and back in place.

: 25 lengths of twine run round this drum for ‘sizing’ and drying. It has been removed from the frame behind for badly-needed cleaning

: Neil and Chris looking smug because the pulleys are back in place with a new support and bearing.

: The main shaft was cut about 30 years ago. The two large pulleys which take the engine drive need support. This oak post and a new bearing should do it.

: Checking the main line-shaft runout. It is 0.043″. The bearing will have to be centred.

: Some of the pulleys, painted in the original colour, and ready for re-mounting

: All the main shaft pulleys back from sand-blasting. The engine will drive the large one.

: Invisible spokes means the shaft is spinning!

: The 2HP Ruston & Hornsby engine drives the main line-shaft for the first time so the shaft can be de-rusted and cleaned.

: The main line-shaft’s No.2 bearing removed for checking and cleaning. The shaft weighs almost half a ton, so it never touches the cap. The bronze bearing is in good condition. All the bearings and the shaft are now back in position and aligned.

: The north end of the line-shaft with all the drive pulleys removed for sand-blasting and painting.

: When the engine is running, but the machinery isn’t wanted, the drive belt runs a ‘loose’ pulley. This is the bearing it runs on. The ‘fast’ pulley, which drives the machinery, clamps to the shaft (rusty) to the left.

: The main line-shaft has been lifted up clear of its bearings. The string is stretched over all four main line-shaft bearings. This is bearing No.2 which was about 1/4″ low and left. With a thicker wooden packer below, and some movement on its slotted holes to the right, it is now correct.

: The shaft emerging through the engine house wall. The bricks have been removed

: This pulley drives the upper floor machinery. About to be removed for cleaning.

: Two of the pulleys which drove other machinery. There were 14 nuts and bolts holding the nearer pulley. In removing ten pulleys, we only had to cut 3 small nuts – after 100 years. The rest were removed intact.

: The pulleys were painted blue! The ‘key’ is just a square nail.

: At some time, the pulley mounted here has slipped. The flat and the key may have been added to stop this.

: Ready for sand-blasting. The engine drives the large ones

: The bare shaft sitting in four bronze bearings – caps removed

: Two large (53″) pulleys fit here – the Fast and the Loose. They take the drive belt from the engine. The modern blocks will be removed very soon.

First Floor Restoration

Neil started at the top with the line-shaft which drives the four machines which actually twist the twine. On November 14th, the overhead shaft and two sets of twisting heads were successfully driven for the first time since 1968 by the Trust’s Ruston & Hornsby 2HP ‘mobile’ stationary engine. See photos below.