How I Make a Broom

[oldironfarmer]

On my shop thread someone asked me to show how I make a broom. I'm going to attempt it with text and pictures, but it may be a little long. I'm just not sure I could make a video without a lot of editing.

Here is my broom machine, also known as a broom factory, also known as a kicker winder.

The machine had been moved to my town in 1913 (it was pushing fifty years old then, I have a newspaper article announcing the new business, OK only became a state in 1907) and the gentleman (JJ Coburn) made brooms on it into the 1940's. It was in a shed next to my in-laws'. I was poking around where i had no right. Upon inquiry the heirs gave it to me, they wanted someone to make brooms with it, so I have obliged. I feel very privileged to have it. The broom maker at Silver Dollar City, Branson MO, mentored me. He is a real old time craftsman and I am also very fortunate to count him as a friend, Mr. Stan Inman. Ne is retired now. I acquired the machine in 2009.

The big spool with the worn wooden bars are "kicked" to turn a sprocket to turn a three jaw chuck, which winds the broom. This machine is from 1860 to 1870 era. The foot wear on the bars has stopped, I'm left handed so I use my right foot. My mentor told me that, and sure enough, it would feel real funny to use my left foot.

Here's close ups of the right side of the kicker spool with it's sprocket.

And here is the chuck, with ratchet pawl. It is hand tightened, no chuck key. Bet you thought those were a new invention, didn't you?

Around back, wire to wrap around the broom corn is on a spool at the left, goes through a couple of pulleys, then wraps around a pulley before going to the broom.

The pulley is on a square shaft, and three wraps of wire insures the shaft will turn with the wire movement. If the pulley gets slick you wet it and rust it. One end of the shaft is in a wooden bearing, but the other end is in a leather bearing with a clamp bolt. Leather was rotted away on mine so I made one out of an old glove. Works great, just a little oil occasionally.

That's the kicker. Next post I'll start winding a broom.

 

[PugetDude]

Awesome! Subscribed; this is going to be a great thread.

 

[oldironfarmer]

To make a broom, first you soak some hurl for a few minutes in water. Hurl is the top part of the broomcorn plant. Broomcorn is in the sorghum family however it is inedible for both humans and livestock. The only use is for brooms. The straw has a solid core which makes it survive a bend much better than hollow core like wheat straw. Wheat straw buckles and breaks when used in a broom.

I use an antique plastic bucket to soak my hurl. What do you do with your hurl?

Then you chuck up a handle (different than up chucking a handle) and feed the wire through a hole in the handle.

Give it a couple of turns to tighten the wire.

I didn't have my glasses on so the picture is a little fuzzy, but you can see it as I see it. Through the maker's eyes, so to speak.

Then you take a small handful of hurl (it's still wet, yuck) with both hands and feed it under the wire as you turn the handle with the foot control. (found my glasses!)

Sure would be nice if they had moving pictures, but this is a really old machine.

After a couple of rounds you have the start for a broom.

Then add a little broomcorn to one side, holding tightly (laid my glasses down)

turn the handle 180 degrees, add another knot, then make four more rounds and secure the wire. This gives the broom some shoulders.

Then trim the broomcorn to the right side of the wire.

Wind a few more turns moving the wire to the right so it is on the handle.

Starting to look like a broom, eh?

Why yes, I love Canada, why do you ask?

 

[oldironfarmer]

Awesome! Subscribed; this is going to be a great thread.

Thanks for the visit! Not surprising to get swept up in the subject

 

[PugetDude]

Not surprising to get swept up in the subject

Broom makers must like "corny" jokes.

 

[j p smith]

Very Cool Andy. Thanks for showing the broom making process.
I will be in Broken Arrow tomorrow evening to attend family reunion Saturday morning, Sunday we are going to go to Steamarama in Republic, mo, then on to Boonville Indiana

 

[slimpickins]

Eh there! Glad to hear you love Canada ... see my sig for proper spelling of Canada!

Fascinating thread on making a broom. One of those "always wondered how they did that?" kinda things!

I'll be watching!

Cheers Eh!

 

[don long]

Thanks Andy
That looks like the start of a witches ride on .

 

[Redwolf947]

Cool to see the process Thanks oldironfarmer

 

[drivesitfar]

OIF: since you are soaking the broomcorn in an antique bucket how long do you soak it in there for before starting your broom. or does it have a hole in it and you just wait until the water runs out of it?

never knew somebody could make a broom in their garage so thanks for starting a thread and showing us it's possible. also love the old tools that look to be doing a fine job still close to 100 years later.

i'd love to see Quidditch become a game of the future and your brooms would even be more useful.

for you that don't have a clue what Quidditch is here's some videos for you if you have a few minutes to watch them.

back to our regularly scheduled broom making program and sorry for the diversion for those of you that are not Harry Potter fans.

BTW i'd like to put in my order for a Nimbus 2017 if it's available yet.

 

[jhn9840]

Very cool. Never knew such a machine existed. Thanks for sharing it.

jhn9840
John

 

[Professur]

I've watched a broom being wound on a similar machine at Upper Canada Village. Takes quite a bit of hand strength too.

 

[DenisG]

I never heard of "hurl" used as a noun, so I learned something new. I found it defined in other places (on-line) as "sorted and trimmed broomcorn", but words flex with usage.
Also interesting that the words "hurl" and "hurtle" are related to Middle English word "hurlen" -- to dash against -- which could apply to sweeping.

Now when I look at my messy workshop I can say "I think I need to hurl."

 

[Ironhorse74]

Outstanding, very cool.

 

[LXCam]

That's pretty dang cool.

 

[ilovevocs]

Very cool indeed. Thanks for sharing.

Do you sell your brooms? I enjoy having items in my shop that were hand man by a guy in his shop here in the USA.

 

[bluebolt]

Cool waiting for the next installment!

 

[oldironfarmer]

Broom makers must like corny jokes.

Says the guy with the jackalope on his avatar

Very Cool Andy. Thanks for showing the broom making process.
I will be in Broken Arrow tomorrow evening to attend family reunion Saturday morning, Sunday we are going to go to Steamarama in Republic, mo, then on to Boonville Indiana

Weather should be clearing, we had lots of rain today.

Eh there! Glad to hear you love Canada ... see my sig for proper spelling of Canada!

Fascinating thread on making a broom. One of those "always wondered how they did that?" kinda things!

I'll be watching!

Cheers Eh!

Thanks for stopping by and the nice comments. Who doesn't like Canada, eh? I worked a job in Europe with a geotechnical engineer from Calgary. What a fine fellow and wonderful family.

Thanks Andy
That looks like the start of a witches ride on .

My mentor told me the primary broomaking rule: successful broom makers do not tell transportation jokes (ladies buy the brooms)

I appreciate all the comments, guys!

 

[oldironfarmer]

Cool to see the process Thanks oldironfarmer

Thank you!

OIF: since you are soaking the broomcorn in an antique bucket how long do you soak it in there for before starting your broom. or does it have a hole in it and you just wait until the water runs out of it?

I only soak it about five minutes. It makes the fiber more pliable and helps keep them from slipping while being tied.

never knew somebody could make a broom in their garage so thanks for starting a thread and showing us it's possible. also love the old tools that look to be doing a fine job still close to 100 years later.

It helps to have the equipment, and it is just about unavailable. You can make brooms entirely by hand, but it takes more skill. And they are pushing 150 years old.

i'd love to see Quidditch become a game of the future and your brooms would even be more useful.

for you that don't have a clue what Quidditch is here's some videos for you if you have a few minutes to watch them.

back to our regularly scheduled broom making program and sorry for the diversion for those of you that are not Harry Potter fans.

BTW i'd like to put in my order for a Nimbus 2017 if it's available yet.

That's where my money goes, into the Quid ditch.

Very cool. Never knew such a machine existed. Thanks for sharing it.

jhn9840
John

Thanks for looking!

I've watched a broom being wound on a similar machine at Upper Canada Village. Takes quite a bit of hand strength too.

The machines are all over, but not trading hands very often, lots of them are in museums. I get to use the museum machine at Fairview, I think that's cool.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I never heard of "hurl" used as a noun, so I learned something new. I found it defined in other places (on-line) as "sorted and trimmed broomcorn", but words flex with usage.
Also interesting that the words "hurl" and "hurtle" are related to Middle English word "hurlen" -- to dash against -- which could apply to sweeping.

Now when I look at my messy workshop I can say "I think I need to hurl."

Very clever I had never looked up the definition. I really thought it was an industry specific term that may not have been in teh dictionary. Wrong again!

Outstanding, very cool.

Thank you!

That's pretty dang cool.

More thanks!

Very cool indeed. Thanks for sharing.

Do you sell your brooms? I enjoy having items in my shop that were hand man by a guy in his shop here in the USA.

Even more thanks! I do sell my brooms, but I've not shipped one yet. I think UPS will do it just fine.

Cool waiting for the next installment!

About out of thanks! Starting the next installment now

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy, that is just awesome.

You are a man of many talents..

The machine looks a treat..

Like my Mum used to say "you can't beat an old style broom"

Thank you for sharing..

Regards

 

[oldironfarmer]

Picking up where we left off, the broom has two shoulders to give it some width and the wire has been transferred to the handle.

Now the sweeping layer is added. Quite a bit of corn, spread around the broom two to three layers. This layer should cover the wire from the first layer.

After the sweeping layer is on you do five turns of wire toward the bristle end.

Trim the broom corn on the last round to make a nice straight end.

And cut a ramp for the wire to follow on the next step.

Then sort out straight fibers for the finish layer. The group on bottom are sorted, the group on top are rejects, not uniform enough. The rejects are fine for the core of the next broom.

Then you carefully add a one fiber thick layer, the finish layer. A little harder than it looks, but I get it right some times.

You wind the wire back toward the handle end on the finish layer, five turns right over the five turns of the sweeping layer.

Finishing up the full one fiber layer, you gently pull up the corn and hide the wire under it.

And when you get to the ramp, you transfer the wire down the ramp to the handle.

This picture shows the ramp better. If there is no ramp the wire can slide off the shoulder and loosen everything up. I haven't figured out how to recover from that yet. It winds up being a broom I use in my shop.

You need to go around a couple of times to get the wire straight on the handle, and unhide it where you started hiding the wire.

Bring the wire back to the surface.

Being careful to keep the fibers straight and close together. Watch the first round closely, it will try to crawl uphill toward the bristle end. It needs to go straight around and wind up right next to the itself.

Then as you go around, trim the fiber to a feather edge. Take your time and do a neat job.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy, that is just awesome.

You are a man of many talents..

The machine looks a treat..

Like my Mum used to say "you can't beat an old style broom"

Thank you for sharing..

Regards

Hey 1/3! Good to see you here! I thought you were just "over there", you do get around.

But watch your spelling, I am "a man of mini talents".

Your mum was right, of course. Corn brooms just have a different feel about them.

I feel very privileged to have custody of the machine, preserving it for the next generation. I have to take time to make and sell brooms if I'm going to keep the broom factory.

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy (OIF): WELL DONE SIR!!

also do you sell these hand made brooms or just make a few for gifts and for yourself?

 

[countryroad82]

My that is awesome! Question about the factory itself, since you know quite a bit of its history, did you know whom originally built the machine? That is an art my friend, I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one but you really should consider making a video. At least to have a live instruction manual on how it was done. Anyway that's just too cool!

 

[Rex_A_Lott]

As always, I am amazed at how people did things when they didnt have much to work with. Remarkable machine, especially when you look at its age. Ever wonder how many brooms they screwed up before they got a good technique down?
Thanks for taking the time to post the pics and the explanation.

 

[Kevin54]

Now that is very, very, cool indeed. Not only just the machine, but also the talent to make a broom. The machine is a very unique piece of history. if it ever gets to the point that you decide to get rid of the machine, make sure it goes to someone who will use it, or at least make sure it goes into a museum for all to enjoy. People use brooms everyday, but most don't give a thought as to how they are made.

 

[dkroth]

I'm in for one when you work out the shipping details...

 

[machine_punk]

Thanks for sharing your machine and technique.

I enjoyed your sense of humor in the telling of the story.

I'd certainly be interested in a broom and a wisk broom (hand broom?) if you sell them or ship them.

Kevin

 

[wyo george]

Very cool, thanks for sharing your knowledge and equipment with us.

 

[MattVette89]

I never thought making a broom would be interesting but this is absolutely intriguing.

How long does it take start to finish? What do you use for the handles? Can you make different style brooms or are they all the same? Do you sell these once you are done or is it just for a hobby? Where do you source the material for the bristles?

Keep up the good work!

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy (OIF): WELL DONE SIR!!

also do you sell these hand made brooms or just make a few for gifts and for yourself?

I go to a few tractor shows and sell them. Only twice per year or so. Funny I seldom take tractors to tractor shows, I'm the broom maker. I plan to take my award winning show truck "Nobody" to Fairview OK next Saturday, if the weather forecast is good. I don't like to get it wet.

I've had some interest here for brooms so I'm going to check with UPS about shipping.

My that is awesome! Question about the factory itself, since you know quite a bit of its history, did you know whom originally built the machine? That is an art my friend, I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one but you really should consider making a video. At least to have a live instruction manual on how it was done. Anyway that's just too cool!

Thanks for the comments! The origin of the broom machine is a mystery. Remember it was fifty years old when the previous owner moved it to Oklahoma in 1913. I assume it was a new purchase for him as he had a farm near here.

There are videos online, although they don't do it exactly like I was taught. If I find the time I'd like to make a video.

As always, I am amazed at how people did things when they didnt have much to work with. Remarkable machine, especially when you look at its age. Ever wonder how many brooms they screwed up before they got a good technique down?
Thanks for taking the time to post the pics and the explanation.

As with most technology, I'm sure broom making techniques evolved over the years. It is a well built machine, and does the job very well.

Thanks for your interest!

Now that is very, very, cool indeed. Not only just the machine, but also the talent to make a broom. The machine is a very unique piece of history. if it ever gets to the point that you decide to get rid of the machine, make sure it goes to someone who will use it, or at least make sure it goes into a museum for all to enjoy. People use brooms everyday, but most don't give a thought as to how they are made.

Thanks! I only make brooms because I have a broom machine! I can't stand to own something and not know how to use it. I would hate to see it in a museum, but there are diminishing quantities of people interested in learning archaic crafts.

Back to the story!

 

[oldironfarmer]

I'm in for one when you work out the shipping details...

OK!

Thanks for sharing your machine and technique.

I enjoyed your sense of humor in the telling of the story.

I'd certainly be interested in a broom and a wisk broom (hand broom?) if you sell them or ship them.

Kevin

OKx2! I've made a few whisk brooms but my machine is not well suited. I'll see what I can do...

Very cool, thanks for sharing your knowledge and equipment with us.

You're welcome!

I never thought making a broom would be interesting but this is absolutely intriguing.

How long does it take start to finish? For a full size broom, about an hour, 45 minutes when I get to cooking making several. What do you use for the handles? I buy handles from a broom supply company, a variety of woods. Can you make different style brooms or are they all the same? I only make standard hardware store style brooms. I could learn different styles, but I'm a traditionalist at heart. Do you sell these once you are done or is it just for a hobby? I sell them when I can. Where do you source the material for the bristles? From a broom supply company, who would have guessed? There's not very many of them.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks!

 

[fozzy]

Very cool! Thank you for sharing this.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Very cool! Thank you for sharing this.

Thank you!

 

[oldironfarmer]

Return with me now, to the days of broom making in Pawnee County, Oklahoma!

Last we knew, the broom was about to get a wrap.

Now you can see we've hidden the wire to make a nicely finished top.

Now the rough ends of the corn gets trimmed at a shallow angle as the handle is turned slowly.

Continue turning and trimming then cover the cut ends.

Once all the cuts ends are covered, put a nail in it!

Now, holding the wire tight, wrap it part way around the nail, cut it off (without letting the wire unspool around the handle) and drive the nail flush to hide the cut wire end. Easy as pie!

Have you made pie? Not all that easy when I do it.

So here's the broom ready to be pressed in the broom maker's vise (background).

 

[Geobound]

So this has got to be one of the best threads I've followed on any forum in a long time, thanks for posting it.

A follow up to "hurl".

As a Canadian we use the word "hurl" as in to puke, yak, barf.......well you get the point.

I once had a licence plate called Hurl.

There is also an Irish sport called Hurling, quite fascinating to watch......well to some anyway, and it dates back to over 3000 years ago.

Look up on YouTube for Hurling, for some clips.

Again great thread Andy!

 

[A_Pmech]

Great thread Andy. The history of your machine makes it even cooler!

Old manufacturing machines of all kinds are special to me and it is surprising what survives the ravages of time and what doesn't.

 

[Brad54]

That's awesome!

How long does it take to make a broom? Or better yet, how many could you make in a day? And how much do you sell them for?

Around here (Georgia), local feed stores are still a GREAT place for selling the old ways of things--my local feed store sells craftsman-built bat houses, carpenter bee traps, bird feeders, bird houses and honey bee hives. Your local feed store or old-school hardware store might be interested in selling them for you.

-Brad

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I watched a guy make brooms at pioneer village in Minden nebraska years ago,my wife has a wise broom the guy made hanging around here some place.
Cool stuff!