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Regarding the Titan, the IHC 10-20 Titan was first built in 1915; the serial number should be stamped on the top of the frame channel up by the cooling tank.
Once you have the s/n, the tractor can be dated from page 36 of "Wendel's Notebook," available from Farm Collector Books. The 10-20 has a "TV" prefix on the serial number.
The Granite State trade name on the corn Sheller might date to a reaper and/or mowing machine business back in the 1850s.C.H. Wendel, P.O. Box 257, Amana, IA 52203.
NAME THAT TRACTOR
I subscribed to your magazine for my father, who still lives in the Grantsburg area of southern Illinois. Dad has an F-30 Farmall that he thinks he will start restoring next year, and if he doesn't, I will. I learned how to rake hay driving an F-20 and love the old equipment.
David Oliver, 10006 Falcon Court, LaVale, MD 21502; (301) 724-1425.
WEAVERS AND SCALES
Regarding Clarence Champlin's inquiry in the October 2001 "Letters" column, these items are parts of a fence weaver or fence wire twister, patented May 15, 1906, by Harry E. Bush of Seattle, Wash. It was Patent No. 820,909. The left object in the picture is a wire tightener or grip. One is used on each set of wires in the making of the fence. The object sitting on the bucket is one of the twisters on the fence weaver.
Also, Harold Prosch's "what's-it" tool in the November 2001 "Letters" column is a blacksmith's caliper. Found in most old blacksmith shops, this tool was used mostly to transfer measurements from one piece of iron to another, often when the iron was red hot.
Lastly, on the cotton scale inquiry in December 2001: If you look at the cotton scale, note the big hook on one end. Place the scale so that the hook points up. Note that near the center there are two small hooks (or "eyes").
In the cotton field, a three-legged pole tripod was set up and the upper hook (or eye) was attached to the top of this tripod. The cotton sack was then attached to the lower hook. Because the sack might be up to 15 feet long (12 was most common), it was doubled when weighed.