Valley Axe Man

A rather un expected package arrived in the Valley yesterday, containing one of Andy's prototypes in the form of a Twose trip buckrake ,....... After a quick call to the man himself he said it's something that's been on the back burner since he first did his transport boxes back in the early days of his business, but plans when time allows to build a prototype of a Twose push off, as he on with making bits for Fergy tractors and JCB backhoe loader models........

Close Mark but not quite right... but yes a Muirhill would be the dogs danglies in the collection...... Cheers Smithy will pass that on to him aye it's a grand model, fairly fills a table by the time you get a tractor on the front of it too....... a nice drainage machine would look fantastic on it but don't think that will happen any time soon........

Funny you should say that Mark..... what is planned is yellow and has tracks but no blade as such not saying too much as yet but will be an impressive bit of building when Andy has them done

Happy New Year to all forum members old and new, No one really knows what the future holds for any of us but lets hope that 2016 is a healthy and prosperous year for all that share this hobby we all seem to have taken a liking for Best wishes from us here in the Valley to one and all

A bit of a delay in posting this one, but thought I'd catch up being as it's the start of the New Year , it arrived down here in the Valley mid October and had it's first outing to the HEMS show and was then loaded for Penrith but never got so now with a bit of time here's an update from the collection in the form of one of Andy's Scammell lowloader trailers and dolly, in time there will be something for a load for it, which is an on going project amongst other things, the dolly features working fifth wheel, road springs and the axle flipped with diff removed for somewhere for the hydraulic cylinders for the brakes to live, Trailer features knock out rear axle pairs, individually bolted up split rims, and also piped up for brakes, built to Andy's usual high standard, has been hitched up to a County 1124 but also been tested behind a 1455 nash There are one or two other builds that I've talked about with Andy, so not sure yet what will appear or when but when it does I know it'll be worth the wait, A very Happy and healthy New Year to all that follow this thread and like and comment on Andy's work hopefully more updates soon

Fairly harsh trimming there Smithy, them shears are savage things but save a lot of time and labour.....my uncle hired one on a 13 tonner on a thinnings contract job about 7 or 8 years ago on a local estate, and my mum was carting away on a valmet 6400 and forwarding trailer at the time, though if you can get a finger in on the firewood contract then you'll have a supply for years

Cheers Bill, Aye always keep finding something, be it a little addition or a small repair but enjoying the full sized as much as the models, She'll never be a perfect example but I don't think I'd be as happy with her if she was.... It good to get out on her too, life seems a better more relaxed pace when just tramping along with the wind through your hair and the waft of diesel exhaust up your nostrils Thanks John , the bloke that restored her a good while back did a good job before he put her back to work on a bit of pto and trailer work, was his baling tractor this season too and it was only lack of space for his other tractors that made him sell..... Before the major rebuild of my landy engine after a bit of a minor incident with the timing gear idler bearing in November I had come across a 48" Kidd rotoflail that was unrestored but tidy enough to go with her, but had to pass on it with landy taking priority..... would have made a nice outfit though

Well managed to spend a few hours down at the yard once the rains had stopped, Battery fitted, drop arm seal done and steering box oil level topped up, measurements taken for the tipping pipe for when I get back to work next week and also after a bit of research found that she's fitted with the wrong levelling box and lift rod on the linkage, the Super and NP Super were fitted with different ones to the Major and Power Major..... still it's not a concours job so I not too bothered about it, but got her out and took her for a run to stretch her legs and get her warmed up, so thought I grab a pic of her whilst she was out of the shed

Great collection to have been able to go and see Cyril

Nice little collection there Smithy look forward to seeing some pics as your projects unfold

Cheers Smithy what Majors do you have apart from your E27N then? is she a diesel or a petrol/tvo?

Aye very true Smithy, no worries there be plenty more updates on the way as work progresses

another little update...... Spoilt her to a new Battery yesterday, bit of an early Christmas present nipped down to yard over weekend to measure up for the tipping pipe, and with the weather being favourable I decided I'd take her out for a run to stretch her legs...... though the plan got thwarted by a flat battery so whipped it off at took it home to charge but a couple of the cells were dead and wouldn't bubble under charging..... so replaced it with a new one .... so still not got the tipping pipe sorted but brought my pullers home from work for doing the drop arm seal..... we'll get there eventually

Looking forward to seeing it James We've had a silver stretched 143 with little tag at the back in at work belonging to Hogarths Recovery that came to collect one of Willie Armstrongs 8 leggers that we'd had in being straightend out.... though we had a few wreckers bring roll-over jobs in just of late.... must be an influx of agency drivers out on tankers that haven't experienced live load work before.......

Fantastic job on the 143 James Well done

Another tidy job you've done there Martin, Well done

Cheers Martin hopefully get a few more of the little jobs done and get her out for a stretch of her legs when the weather picks up abit

Little update...... Managed to source some fittings through one of our hydraulic suppliers at work to make up my own tipping pipe rather than buy one, and also tracked down a replacement for the missing offside front bonnet handle, but due to recent issues with my Landy engine, spare cash a bit limited but hope to get back to finishing her off in the New Year, I noticed a little weep of oil down the drop arm off the steering box, nowt too serious but summat else on the fettle it list.... still the oil seal only about £4 so it won't break the bank

You done a good job on her Martin really looks the part..... only one fault i'll pick and that it's in 32nd..... should be in 16th

Fair sized haul you had there David ...... hope you not going to run out of cabinet space

Cheers , still a bit more to do when time allows

Just as a change from 16th, I on with trying to tweek a UH blue grey super major into a 32nd scale version of my 1:1 scale one...... So far it's gained a set of Scaledown 14x30's on the rear and a set of tin fronts that I had laying about off a UH pre force 5000, the exhaust has changed from blue to silver, next on the list of things to do are removal of the belt pulley and to add a number plate.....

Very tidy rig there Martin

Some tidy work there Martin

Cheers Justin mmm hard to say Martin.... could well be, I didn't get a proper look at the one I saw as was out on the service van from work at the time, so didn't get too good of a view of it.....