Wagon No: 1 off the production line

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Sneak Preview of the 2012 Advert

THE COUNTRY WAGON COMPANY

PO Box 833

UNDERBERG
3257

Tel:   033-7011973

Cell: 083-5487960


Specifications:
Size:              300mm X 6oomm
Material:              Sturdy Mountain Pine,
               Wheels of Pine

Ideal as a mobile toy box or for transporting toddlers around the garden

Price:  ___________________

Rob Stayt:     Underberg Woodcrafters

 

Made in the mountains for special little people

 

 

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Wagon Sales

Production is looking good!  One wagon has been donated to the Himeville Museum & Historical Society fete raffle on the 17th December.  Himeville is the village next door to Underberg; five kilometres away to be exact.

I am manufacturing components for future wagons and, next year, I should be able to produce plenty of wagons for the holiday seasons.  The entire stock of wagons, 11 of them, has been sold to local people here in Underberg.  Not too bad for a small village.  There is a strong possibility that I'll have agents in Durban and Hillcrest which means a good turnover in wagons and people will be able to buy them in the city bringing a touch of country.




Exciting news!  The full size wagon that I rebuilt, a Merriweather origionally built in Pietermaritzburg, has been sold by the owner who never used it at his resort.  The buyer is a chap from the Central Berg and he does wedding transport for the brides to be with his wagons.  I am so proud that his new wagon will be used for this purpose.  Perhaps we'll see a picture of it in one of our local magazines.

WAGONS HO.........

Saturday, October 1, 2011

The Busy Factory

This has been a busy week for me as I have been manufacturing sub-assemblies for the wagons.  Once the material is cut to size, drilled and sanded, it is so easy and quick to assemble the various sub-assemblies.  Just drop the components into the assembly fixture, add drops of glue and drive in the screw with the electric drill fitted with a screw driver attachment.

So progress is being made and I should have enough sub-assemblies to assemble five wagons by the end of next week.

Here's to a dusty but successful week of assembly work.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

The Factory Upgrades

The wagon factory, such as it is, has had an upgrade today.  I have built an assembly fixture for assembling the platforms of the wagons. This makes things so much easier and more accurate.  I should be able to borrow a thicknessing machine this coming week and so production should increase.  So that's two assembly fixtures. More are on the drawing board to help ease production.  It takes so much time to sand each plank down to size and the sizes are not always met closely.  The machine will produce consistant sizes and therefore ease things a bit.

I need to increase the wheel glueing setup to produce more that one wheel a day.  Now this is a slow process, but should improve with more clamping equipment.

Meantime the sawdust pile increases as production goes on.  Wagon number 5 is now under construction and soon to be finished.

Maybe I can produce two wagons a week and with more equipment increase to three or four.  Hold thumbs and think f the kids who need wagons.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Products

Oh by the way!  This is the other product we are currently manufacturing.

Sawdust everywhere!

The price of the wagon is R250-00 (25 pounds to you Brits and you come and fetch 'em yourselves, e-mail me for Brit Airways booking info!! [oh where is the pound sign on this ridiculous laptop?]) plus delivery.   This price includes a bag of sawdust!

Plans are afoot to start building several bird nesting boxes as the time for nesting is here.  So we shall see what comes of this project. (More sawdust you say? We'll see!)

EH?

I wish that my room had a floor;
  I don't so much care for a door;
    But this crawling around
    Without touching the ground
  Is getting to be quite a bore.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

PRODUCTION HAS STARTED

Thus far the wagon factory has produced number 1 wagon, a few bags of kindling and a pile of sawdust. At the moment production comprises cutting wood to size, sanding components, making wheels, varnishing and painting. I have built three basic wagons which still have to have their wheels and pull handles fitted. They are soon to be finished. Meantime the sawdust is filling my pockets.

No:1