My Old Skool Gear

[roberthelpus]

So I was down in the basement last week with a friend who noticed this platform. The cheap discount store, bag wouldn't hold air. I found this forum through google and found the Turbo Speed Bag from Title recommended for begginers, so I bought it.

This rig is rom the 60's. I remember being in grade school when my uncle John, who was known to like his whiskey coming over and making it sing while telling some wild stories that my mom probably wouldn't approve of



You can see that the swivel (a replacement with three screw holes) is off center. Because of that, and so I can use different size bags, I will replace the steel ring with a board.



The swivel is just a ball and socket where the ball has a hole through which you string a piece of leather. Tie a knot in the leather where you want it and you can adjust it to whatever length that you want.

So what do y'all think of the swivel? It's better than I can hit at the moment but do you think that I'll be looking for something else once I get the board installed and get some practice in? I think this is a good design and think that I'll keep it.

Oh yeah, I've got gloves that are just as old.

[atgatt]

Well I'll be. That is very similar to the platform I won in a bet over 30 years ago.

It had a metal ring and X beams to hold the bag in center. Can't remember what swivel was like though.

Used that platform a whole lot and wish I had the sense to keep it for at least memory's sake.

Thanks for showing it and the memories it brought.

[Speedbag]

I'd say that is a real classic. I have never seen or hit a swivel like that.

[Dutchman]

It bears a resemblance to the Nicols patent swivel that dates back to the early part of the 20th century. The bags back then had a rope at the top instead of a loop. You adjusted the height of the bag by where you put the knot in the rope, which was fed through a hole in the swivel ball.

[roberthelpus]

I am tinking that it is older, or of an older design, than the 60's. It is cast and then machined. The part that screws to the crosspices has gingerbready scroll work on it that reminds me of early 20th, or even 19th century style metal work.

My dad sparred with Ezzard Charles' sparring partner around Charles' heyday so who knows where this thing came from. My pops, although a strong guy, lasted less than 30 seconds and was looking for the license plate of the truck that hit him. He thought he could make a go of it but soon realized that you don't fool with profesionals, and came away with a lesson in humility and respect.

I definitely think about the old man, who just passed in October when I use this. Maybe someday I'll be half as tough as he was.

[Speedbag]

I am tinking that it is older, or of an older design, than the 60's. It is cast and then machined. The part that screws to the crosspices has gingerbready scroll work on it that reminds me of early 20th, or even 19th century style metal work.

My dad sparred with Ezzard Charles' sparring partner around Charles' heyday so who knows where this thing came from. My pops, although a strong guy, lasted less than 30 seconds and was looking for the license plate of the truck that hit him. He thought he could make a go of it but soon realized that you don't fool with profesionals, and came away with a lesson in humility and respect.

I definitely think about the old man, who just passed in October when I use this. Maybe someday I'll be half as tough as he was.

Man, that's a great story. Looks like his apple didn't fall far from the tree.
If I were you, I would use it often.

[roberthelpus]

Thanks. He did teach me work ethic when I was growing up, but I didn't have to get a job loading and unloading boxcars at the age of 12 to help support the family. I had to rebel and be hippy for a while, and then had to learn all of those lessons all over again.

Meanwhile, this dates from the 30's and looks like it could be similar



Found it through this thread http://speedbagforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274

I'll let you all know how it works with a (better) wood platform.

[Speedbag]

He looks like he's punching a basketball....

[roberthelpus]

You guys are great here and I've found some very helpful info.

I put a small bag of sand that I had laying around on top and man did that make a difference. It really did jump around before that. By hitting in the direction where the swivel was most centered - where the rim would hit the same place on the bag - I started to get something going. Yay

Then I took the metal rim down and replaced it with a 24"X24" piece of 3/4" plywood. Even better and 1/4" higher to boot. I put the old cross pieces on top of the arms, but I didn't really have a reason for it.

It still bounces but less than before. I need to tie the front end up to a floor joist before for added support before I put more sand on it.

After retying the bag to the swivel, I discovered that the ball jumps up and down in the socket (of the swivel) if the leather that is used to tie it isn't touching the board. Of course that causes drag so I will be getting a new swivel. Besides that, it would be a real PIA to change bags later on when I get another, probably smaller bag.

[roberthelpus]

Update

So here is what I have now.



I kept the original oak frame. "3/4 plywood for the frame - I wanted to add another layer of wood but didn't want to lose any height as both the TITLE Deluxe Pro Swivel and the Everlast Plastic Swivel are longer than the original. It's sitting at the right height with the Title swivel now. I'm happy with the Deluxe Pro - got the duct tape to keep the bag from riding up thing - and it works fine but it is definitely not well made. I threw the Everlast in because it was so inexpensive and I was paying that much for shipping anyway.

I'll probably add a little more sand as it still jumps a tiny bit. Yeah it's ugly but I wanted to use stuff that I had laying around as much as possible as I have a ton of it. If it was upstairs I'd worry more about asthetics but in the basement, who cares.

So I'm set for a good while other than I will probably get a smaller bag someday, just for fun. I really enjoy speedbagging. I've been taking it in a real relaxed way and have been slowly but steadily improving. Not that I don't push my self at all but I haven't brought out the metronome as I mentioned in another post. I wind up going down to the basement, at least once a day, and the next thing I know an hour has gone by. When I come back up the stairs I'm standing up straighter and I feel like I'm a half inch taller. I feel refreshed and energized. I usually just break a sweat - the basement has heat but the vents are all closed, so it's not as warm as the house is.

[Tim]

I wind up going down to the basement, at least once a day, and the next thing I know an hour has gone by. When I come back up the stairs I'm standing up straighter and I feel like I'm a half inch taller. I feel refreshed and energized.

I know what you mean....that's precisely why I hit the speed bag (just came back from the garage myself)