Stop using cream separators as planters!

salmonslayer · #61 07/07/11, 12:01 PM

We ended up selling the cream separator I showed in the picture above to Heritage Farm for a small price because though the Mrs and I collect antiques we didnt know what to do with it and we didnt want it to just waste away in the barn. If you check out his website you will see that he has some beautiful cream separators and we hope he can make use of the one he got from us. I hate to see antiques destroyed or left to ruin but I do like to see them used. We even have a B4 1947 Toastmaster toaster that we use every day...its a work of art to me but its still functional and it reminds me of when I lived with my grandfather when I was a kid.

DroppedAtBirth · #62 02/07/12, 04:21 PM

On average what are the antique cream separators worth? My grandma-in-law has an old one sitting in one of her outbuildings that she is going to let me use. I would like to buy it from her and just wanted to know what would be a fair amount to offer.

FarmboyBill · #63 02/07/12, 04:34 PM

Saw a seperator at the sale Sat. I thik it wa called a DOMO, or something like that. It was freed up, but I think the bearings was gone. It looked in pretty/somewhat good shape, but they musta never oiled it with good ole Rileys seperator oil.

FarmboyBill · #64 02/07/12, 04:37 PM

Fro you even think of buying it. Look it over. That means take it apart. Look at each and every disc. Look on the inside of the bell housing for rust. Look at the center piece for rust. Check the ring, AND if the seperator looks to be in good shape Take the rubber ring and see if you can find another. Turn it. If it slips like it has a busted gear tooth or more. Forget it. If it has one, itall get more. Check the spouts for rust, under and over. If its just brown. Thats ok. If you can feel pitted rust. Think again.

DroppedAtBirth · #65 02/07/12, 05:53 PM

This is the one that my grandpa-in-law used to use on the family's original homestead. We are working on buying the homestead and getting it back in the family. I am interested in this particular cream separator even if it doesn't work. If it doesn't work, it will sit as a decoration somewhere in the house as a conversation piece until I can afford to restore it, but I really want to know a realistic price to offer for it. I was thinking a couple of hundred but I have no idea if this is way too low or way too high. It has been sitting out in the shed for at least 30 years but it was in use until it went into storage.

haypoint · #66 02/07/12, 08:11 PM

Those of you that want to restore or preserve a cream seperator: Have you ever used one? I don't mean do you know how they work, I mean how many have actually poured 5 gallons of fresh milk through one, and then spent the next hour cleaning the discs and other internal parts. For most of us, it is just simpler to spoon the cream off the top and be done with it.
Oh, there was a time when I thought I had to have one. actually I owned two, a hand crank and an electric. Way too much of a bother for any small farm with a few milk cows.

springvalley · #67 02/07/12, 08:21 PM

At one time every farm owned one because most farmers sold cream and not milk. As time went on, farmers started selling milk and forgot about the cream. Some still used them to get enough cream to make butter for their own use. I myself have I think four of them, one was my fathers, and several others have been bought just because they were cheap. I never plan on using them but they look nice in the shed. > Marc

Heritagefarm · #68 02/15/12, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haypoint

Those of you that want to restore or preserve a cream seperator: Have you ever used one? I don't mean do you know how they work, I mean how many have actually poured 5 gallons of fresh milk through one, and then spent the next hour cleaning the discs and other internal parts. For most of us, it is just simpler to spoon the cream off the top and be done with it.
Oh, there was a time when I thought I had to have one. actually I owned two, a hand crank and an electric. Way too much of a bother for any small farm with a few milk cows.

I can say yes to that. But the joy of having a beautiful antique that functions so well and serves such a good purpose gives one a very good sense of fulfillment. And you can't scoop cream off goat's milk unless you have no taste buds and let it sit a week before spooning the cream off.

**highlands** · #69 02/15/12, 04:28 PM

If you're looking for historic stuff I have a pile of wooden bobbins. Just make me an offer before I use them for kindling.

Heritagefarm · #70 02/15/12, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highlands

If you're looking for historic stuff I have a pile of wooden bobbins. Just make me an offer before I use them for kindling.

To compare cream separators to wooden bobbins is sheer blasphemy. Antique cream separators are very useful and beautiful. Most of them still have ample amounts of use left in them, at least after I'm don't with them anyways.

rootsandwings · #71 02/15/12, 05:16 PM

you need new goats. or better milk handling! I can let mine sit ten days and skim off sweet cream for ice cream! (and my tastebuds are just fine, thanks - feed it to kids who think I'm amazing.)