Harvesting Old Iron: Antique Threshing Machines Restored

By Bill Vossler
Published on November 17, 2011
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Restoration of the Humming Bird took four years.
Restoration of the Humming Bird took four years. "Just as an example," Bruce Anderson says, "there are 100 pieces of wood in each straw walker, and six straw walkers, so that’s 600 little pieces of wood."
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Rear view of the Humming Bird thresher before it went to work at the Butterfield (Minn.) Steam & Gas Engine Show.
Rear view of the Humming Bird thresher before it went to work at the Butterfield (Minn.) Steam & Gas Engine Show.
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This recreated Farmers Friend decal lends a touch of authenticity to the Humming Bird.
This recreated Farmers Friend decal lends a touch of authenticity to the Humming Bird.
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The chains and pulleys on Orville Anderson’s Humming Bird are original to the piece.
The chains and pulleys on Orville Anderson’s Humming Bird are original to the piece.
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When Orville brought the Humming Bird home, it sat in his yard for years before he restored it to the fine condition it’s in today.
When Orville brought the Humming Bird home, it sat in his yard for years before he restored it to the fine condition it’s in today.
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It took the Andersons two days to pull the Humming Bird 60 miles. During restoration, Orville stripped the thresher down to its bones, as shown here.
It took the Andersons two days to pull the Humming Bird 60 miles. During restoration, Orville stripped the thresher down to its bones, as shown here.
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Fabrication of the pipe that moves back and forth, piling straw over a wide area, was a daunting task.
Fabrication of the pipe that moves back and forth, piling straw over a wide area, was a daunting task.
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To get to this stage, Orville’s Wood Bros. Humming Bird thresher required four years of work.
To get to this stage, Orville’s Wood Bros. Humming Bird thresher required four years of work.
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The Humming Bird has a Garden City double-wing feeder system. “I understand that is not original to the piece,” Bruce says. “It would be fun to know what the original one looked like.”
The Humming Bird has a Garden City double-wing feeder system. “I understand that is not original to the piece,” Bruce says. “It would be fun to know what the original one looked like.”
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Sons Jacob (left) and Paul with their dad, Bruce Anderson, at the Butterfield (Minn.) Steam & Gas Engine Show.
Sons Jacob (left) and Paul with their dad, Bruce Anderson, at the Butterfield (Minn.) Steam & Gas Engine Show.
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This rear side view of the Sterling shows the double-bagging system.
This rear side view of the Sterling shows the double-bagging system.
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Orville also restored wagons like this John Deere model.
Orville also restored wagons like this John Deere model.
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Heebner & Sons of Lansdale, Pa., licensed its entire product line to IHC in about 1909. IHC then renamed the line “Sterling.”
Heebner & Sons of Lansdale, Pa., licensed its entire product line to IHC in about 1909. IHC then renamed the line “Sterling.”
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The Andersons’ 1922 McCormick-Deering hay press. “It makes what I call a two-man bale, requiring two guys to lift it,” Bruce says. “I think they probably used bale hooks to handle them.”
The Andersons’ 1922 McCormick-Deering hay press. “It makes what I call a two-man bale, requiring two guys to lift it,” Bruce says. “I think they probably used bale hooks to handle them.”

Orville Anderson grew up around a 32-inch Wood Bros. threshing machine that was part of the threshing ring that operated near his home in Madelia, Minn. “He was the grain hauler,” says Orville’s son, Bruce Anderson, “and in that ring part of his responsibilities were to help grease and maintain that threshing machine, so he was pretty well versed in it.”

So it was no surprise when Orville bought a circa 1910 Wood Bros. Humming Bird thresher in 1987. “In those days you could still get antique threshing machines at farm auctions for $5,” Bruce says, “or $25 if someone was bidding against you.”

The antique thresher travels sixty miles on steel

The huge Humming Bird came from the Storden, Minn., area, some 60 miles from Madelia. “We loaded the pickup with every type of tool we could think of when we went to get it,” Bruce recalls. “Jacks, planks and everything.” Before the Humming Bird could be pulled by a four-wheel drive pickup, it had to be jacked up out of the dirt and planks were placed under the wheels. “We pulled it 60 miles on highways on those steel wheels,” Bruce says. “We had quite an adventure pulling it home.”

As it was being pulled, for instance, a front wheel came off, dropping the axle onto the road and almost snapping the pole off. “We had to jack it up on the highway and take some parts from a back wheel to the front to hold the wheel on,” Bruce says. Later, a part from the blower fell off. But by the time the Andersons returned to retrieve the part, another driver stopped, picked up the part and drove away. “So some part of the machine got away from us,” Bruce says. “We never did find out what it was.”

Restoration of the Humming Bird promised to be a huge project, so it was put on hold while Orville restored 13 other threshers, including a 22-inch Case that didn’t need a lot of work, a Case double-wing feeder from about 1910 and an almost-new Oliver Red River Special. “It was a ball-bearing machine with rubber tires,” Bruce recalls. “A nice, smooth-running machine.”

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