"Black-Walnut Cracker made from a Model A Steering Gear"

[Frodbran]

No, I don't have one.
However, I did _see_ one, 30-some years ago, at my uncle's rural property in the SE corner of Missouri.
My father and I were visiting and he took us out to his shed to show us his latest acquisition, a black-walnut cracker he said was made out of a "Model A Steering Gear", as I only dimly recall.
Of course as a mere 40-something youngster, I wasn't paying nearly enough attention. Now, I'm closing in on my uncle's age, and living on a property that is hip-deep in black walnuts, and I'm rueing my inattention.
So, forgive me. It's a long-shot for sure that any of you had an uncle who had one and paid attention while he demonstrated it, but I figure it's less of a long-shot to ask:

"If someone walked up to you and said, 'Make me a black-walnut cracker out of a Model A steering gear, any kind, and I will give you .' can you even envision what she may be talking about/how it could be done?"

I think I recall that the gear may have been mounted in its gearbox which might have been cut-away to allow a nut to be inserted.


(I apologize for polluting your forum by bringing up reports of Model A parts being DESTROYED for other uses, but "Blame Ryan; he let me have an account!")


Thank you. I've wanted a Model A since the day I first rode in my (other) uncle's, but time is running out for me to own one. For one thing, I can't afford a place to keep one properly. I am thrilled however to find a community such as yours dedicated to keeping them and keeping them up. Thank you for that too.
--
David

[Vern]

Welcome David,
You have come to the right place to search for something like that.
I’m going to guess that there are members here who can’t throw away a worn out part, and occasionally look at it and wonder “what could I possibly make with this?”
I’ve seen engine blocks turned into planters, carburetors made into paperweights, and old camshafts used for table legs.
Hold on and welcome aboArd

[David in San Antonio]

I had a very old black walnut tree in my back yard in Minnesota. My (now long deceased) 96 year old neighbor, one of the last WWI veterans, said I’d never eat a single walnut from that tree. He was right. The squirrels gnawed a hole in every single one before it fell out of the tree. Upon hearing I had this huge black walnut tree, several people told me it was worth a fortune to a furniture maker, who would pay for cutting it down and would pay me with a piece of black walnut furniture. It seemed every one of them knew someone whose brother in law showed off their gorgeous black walnut dining room table and 8 chairs and told this story every Thanksgiving. So I called a few likely prospects and found 1. It wasn’t straight enough and had too many branches (or something) to make good furniture, and 2. It was so close to my house and that of the neighbors on both sides it would be prohibitively expensive to crane it out. One more thing, according to the amateur experts: black walnut trees (they solemnly warned me) secrete a natural toxin that keeps other things from growing nearby. This turned out to be nonsense, as I planted a beautiful lawn and landscape which produced magnificent weeds every year without fail.

[Frodbran]

@Vern Thanks for the welcome. Like any forum, I'm not expecting 100% accuracy, just as long as a person is 100% over-confident. ;^) Thank you for the welcome.


@David in San Antonio Lucky, lucky. Beautiful city. You should know there are tree professionals who can climb to the tops of the tallest trees and cut them down "in chunks." They are also extremely expert in lowering branches with ropes and pulleys to safe, even if tight, "landing zones."



These days, trees like your giant walnut still aren't desirable for furniture, but they command a small fortune for "live-edge slab" items, like tables and bartops: the thicker the better. If they have flaws, those are filled with eye-popping epoxies which even raise the price.


That part about the "natural toxin" is true, if perhaps exaggerated. Black walnut is juglans nigra, and is allelopathic[1], "releasing chemicals from its roots and other tissues that may harm other organisms." Most old farmers would never plant a garden near one.


(@Vern Please send pictures of Engine-Block Planter. And price list. Do people really declare Model A blocks "beyond repair?")

--
David



[1] I'm not smart; I'm clever; I got this from wikipedia...

[MVal]

Black walnut stump and other short pieces are also in demand for gun stocks and forestocks.

Al

[Frodbran]

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I carve 3D topo maps from walnut boards.
BUT I need a big-time black-walnut cracker made from a Henry Ford mechanism.

(@David Walnut grows all the way from Ontario down into Texas. (That's the Wikipedia talking again.))

[David in San Antonio]

Well dang, all these gunstock and “live-edge slab” crafters are too late to do me any good. I moved out of Minneapolis almost 30 years ago.

[nkaminar]

English walnuts are grafted onto black walnut root stocks. I don't know why.

I had a walnut tree when I lived in California and there was a fence that ran from the forest to near the tree. The squirrels would use the fence as a highway to get the walnuts. I set up a Have-A-Heart trap on the fence and would trap at least one squirrel each day. I would take the squirrels at least 2 miles away from my house and let them go. Do you know that squirrels cannot find their way home if deposited at lease 2 miles away?

By the way, a sledge hammer will crack black walnuts.

[updraught]

I hope no squirrels were harmed.
Australians love squirrels as we don't have them.

Our nuts are so hard they would break the steering gear.

[nkaminar]

No squirrels harmed with the Have-A-Heart traps. They are cute tree rats with bushy tails until they get into your walnut trees or bird feeders. Relocating them is better than shooting them, which gets the neighbors upset.

Updraught, give me your address and I will send you a few squirrels. You have to pay the duty.