Patti, I can understand why it's your favorite.
The whole setting is simply beautiful!
Thanks for sharing it.

Aggie

Well that would be my favorite too!! You are so lucky! That is awesome!

Thank you Aggie....now it's way past bed time....what are you doing up????....LOL....go to bed...!!!

patti

Cindee you're up this late too....
'round here it's past midnight....

patti

Lovely pic. I like all of it!! But what kind of machine is it? Looks like a grinding wheel or maybe it is cement?? Looks like you sit on the seat so must have worked something on the wheel. Tell me?? Jan

It is an old grinder...and the wheel is stone.

The would sit on the little seat and there are two "peddle" of sorts (mine have the peddles but they are not attached at the time) The peddles are two long shafts you put your feet on. You push one down then the other. You get a rythme going...up, down, up, down...and the stone turns...then you hold the knife on it to sharpen it.

I really don't know how I know that...I must have seen one used when I was small...I can picture it working in my mind. I do remember there was an old man who lived across the street when I was young who had a small stone that you cranked with a handle to sharpen knives and sissors. My mother would send our knives over there and I would do the cranking while he sharpened.

Oh the good old days....LOL

They were simple and slow...no stress.

patti

I agree this is a magazine picture setting. It looks like a serene place you can sit and just enjoy a pieceful evening. Ican see why this is you fav.

Oh I'd love to sit and have a cup with you in that setting. Beautiful. TFS.

Just beautiful! I love unique pieces like this in the garden! Where did you find it? What a pleasure to sit on that wicker chair and gaze at it!

What a prize Patti! My mother had an old grinding wheel like that, otherwise I wouldn't really know what it was either :) But hers had no wood left on it. One of us kids broke the wheel in half when we were young I think. I love your porch and the lovely wicker!
Kudzu/Cherry

Here is a link that might be useful: Kudzu's Blog

Your grinder is awesome! In such great shape too! My Daddy had one very similar and I've watched him sharpen many, many blades over the years. What a great setting you have it in too! Looks very inviting!

countrygrl....I found it in a consignment store and grabbed it. I have in years past found two others but just couldn't justify buying either one of them at the time...This time I didn't think twice. They are few and far between and I 'wanted' it...lol

A few weeks after I bought it, the wind blew it over and broke the stone into three pieces. I was hoping to somehow glue it together and fill the seam with cement...when I found someone had posted that they had a stone wheel for an old grinder on freecycle and it was just a couple miles from me. I just couldn't believe it.
The Americana watermelon is a chunk of the broken stone I painted.

It was rusty when I got it...so I painted it with a rusty brown primer paint to keep it from getting worse. I think I'll give it another coat of paint before winter and then wrap it in plastic to protect it from the snow I think we'll be getting this year. I expect a lot of snow.

And thank you all for you nice comments

patti

Wow! I love it!

Thanks for telling me what it is. I have a vague memory after reading your answer of seeing 1 in a movie when I was a kid. So lucky the thing broke the 1st stone because that is a lovely watermelon slice. Way to go!!Hope it is well anchored now! Probably not real balanced as metal & heavy stone. (Didn't think of safety much way back when!!) Gives the area a warm homey feeling ! Jan

Oh what a serene calender picture or Greeting card.What a Treasure!

Goldenpond...hey thanks for that idea...I could make cards for myself to send....but for what occasion..."thinking about you"??? maybe

patti

Hi. Do you have plans to add the foot pedals? Or, do you have a picture of them? I think I can make a small reproduction for my yard.

Robert

pattico - What a wonderful area! Love the combination of the past (grinding wheel) and broken bricks ... with your beautiful wicker, flowers, pillows and teapot...a lovely place to sit and relax. And your "save" of the broken wheel...that watermelon looks so summery/4th of Julyish...great idea! I leave old metal wheels, etc. uncovered in the winter around here...(ugh, not ready for that yet!) and they do fine...the plastic may make your piece rust more by holding in moisture...jsut a thought. Thanks for sharing. Jeanne

Like everyone else I love it - but I'm green with envy. Don't know if anyone else is green yet.

Arlene

What a wonderful piece! Beautiful photo Patti. So inviting. Thanks! ~tenderlee

Robert...the peddle things are still attached..they are on the ground...then there are rods that attach to the hub on the wheel...but the are bent so I just let them hang.

If the rod were straight they hold the peddles up off the ground.

Maybe after Halloween I'll get a picture of it for you. But before then I just don't have lots of time , we always have a big Fall Harvest party here on that evening for our church family, our family and friends. I've got cleaning and Fall decorating to do ...

patti

Wow!! What a serene setting you have. And the stories that sharpening wheel could tell!
It would make great cards with sayings like, grinding away in life; the wheels of life are turning.
Love the watermelon too. You did a great job on it. And very unique with the broken stone.
Vickie

Patti, I was wrong the rods are straight on most pedal sharpening stones.

{{gwi:192816}}

ron...that part that sticks up from the hub that the rods are attached to are missing on mine...(I think) I took it all apart to get the old one off after it broke...I just can't remember if it had something like that on it...If so I don't know what I did with it.

What a cool setting! I love rust. I love cement. I love circles. It's perfect! I really think you should submit it to robolady's blog for her "junk" calendar. Below is a link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Margo's Junkin' Journal Calendar Contest