NGE antique platform

[gfe76]

I have a chance to buy this platform. No pic yet. It is large and heavy with a worm drive wheel to change height of drum. It is all cast iron with about a 3" thick all wood drum. Works fine..problem is owner wants $500. I might be able to get him down to $350. Thoughts???

[paranday]

$500 seems a good price. I was tempted by $1200, for what it's worth. Except that one was too far away.

Go for it.

[Speedbag]

Sounds like a classic set up if that's what your wanting.

You can certainly get a very efficient adjustable wall unit for a lot less than that, but a classic is a classic.

[gfe76]

you guys are great to respond so quickly...Fred Ryan (grand ave gym) called me and we discussed it. He said the same thing---buy it! I go tonite to look at it and will post some pics--

[Bag Man]

This is a no brainer if the equipment is in even reasonable shape. Buy it.

If you pass on it, let me know. I would be interested.

Steve

[gfe76]

Here are pics of the nge platform. I bought it for $400. He would not take $350 (I initially offered him $250). It works fine..I have not put it up yet. The drum has damage to center where the old swivel was attached. Seemed like someone tried to hang a heavy bag from it and it tore through the drum..and probably no one used washers on the bolts coming thru top. I plan on cutting out the damaged area with a jig saw and making a 3" x 3" plug to patch it, with a 2x4, 8" long board on topside to "anchor" the plug. Then I will attach new swivel to plug. Any idea what this thing weighs? 150#? 200#?
The drum is 36" diam. Length is 40". Width is 22". I wish the drum were smaller, but if you look at backside of drum you can see cast iron arms are so long that I can't go with much smaller drum. Thanks for all the comments/ideas.

[MsDeville]

Lucky Dog!

Hi gfe76 and welcome to the forum!

Wow! Looks like you scored! That is going to be an awesome and sturdy platform after you referbish it. I wouldn't complain about the 36" drum. That's what I work out on and I love the large surface area and hopefully you'll appreciate it in time. Is the drum oak? It should clean up nicely. Can't wait to see you in action on this brute.

[paranday]

An old catalog says shipping weight 300Lbs.

http://www.speedbagforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2111&d=1318096547

[Bag Man]

You did well. Your purchase is easily worth $1,000 in my opinion. Congratulations.

Do not replace the drum, and unless you are a carpenter, have the repair done professionally. The fix you described will greatly diminish the value of the piece, as will replacing the drum.

Steve

[Johnny O]

Nice Find!

Beautiful! I picked up a newer version of that same platform a few months ago. The drum I have is identical to yours. See my post in the history section of the forum. Other than the decorative logo in the center of the platform, are there any other markings or part numbers on the unit?

http://www.speedbagforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3834

Johnny O

[Bag Man]

I believe that the NGE stands for Narragansett Gymnasium Equipment. My read is this was a name that was used by Everlast after it purchased the old Narragansett Machine Works (NMW) in the late 1950s and moved the company from Providence, RI to Moberly, Missouri. The sled of the NGE piece is exactly the same as the old NMW pieces save the logo, which had NMW in the circle. The drum on the NMW platforms, however, were of a different design.

My humble opnion, this piece dates to the late 1950s or 1960s; although the design appears older. They apparently continued to use he same castings. I'm guessing that your piece dates from when after Everlast dropped the NGE name, which I'm guessing was sometime in the 1970s.

I'm the Bag Man, why would I lie?

[gfe76]

I will check for other markings when I actually get it. I can't pick it up for about a week. I'm trying to find a woodworker to repair the drum as opposed to doing it myself. But, I believe a "plug" is going to have to be used.
Hard to believe this thing weighs 300#. I'm worried about how to mount it. It will go in garage with wood studded walls. Do you think four 5/16" lag bolts (4" long) would hold it???

[Bag Man]

Spot on on the repair.

This is not a difficult repair for a good carpenter, nor should it be that expensive. You might have to have a plug fit, but, you would be amazed what can be done. Look for someone who repairs antique wood furniture. There is also a technique called French polishing that will leave the face looking like glass. Not sure where you are located. I know an outfit in Newark, NJ that I would recommend. PM me if you would like the name.

Steve

[Zaza]

You can see how I mounted mine oldie-but-goodie here... might be of some help?

http://www.speedbagforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3561

I used 2x6's (and shims) lagged to the wall first to get it level.... then used massive lag bolts(1/2" x 5" I believe) to attach the platform to the wall.

It's not going anywhere!

[gfe76]

Thanks to everyone...I'm in jax, fl......I've contacted a woodworker club...I think I'll be able to find someone to do the job...plan on refinishing the drum and sanding (wish I could sandblast) the metal, then repaint it black---will take the drum off, but not sure if I am going to disassemble the frame.