@james-fleming well my favorite is Hendrick's if that helps any.
Now you need to explain to them the difference between a cotton picker and a cotton stripper! ?????ÿ
@holy-cow I called a local cotton gin parts manufacturer and when I described what we found to him that was his exact conclusion.
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Here is what you are looking for:
EBay, box of 40 cotton spindles.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/262310440237
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Historically, many things have been used. Now many states have tighter specs.
I think in some areas concrete posts are commonly used.
In my state most set in the last hundred years are a pipe, rebar, or similar iron. Recent ones tend to be 30 inches (76 cm) long. So the cotton picker spindle would not be used for a property corner. They are required to be findable with a magnetic or electronic means.
In the last 30 or so years they have been required to be identified with the surveyor's license number, most often provided by adding an embossed plastic cap. The caps don't all survive in the long term, but that's a lot better than nothing. Some states use a tag, which would survive weather and animals better, but could fall off.
Went back out to the site today to satisfy my curiosity. Uncovered the corner and cleaned it up a bit and I've come to the conclusion that what has been previously called a gin gear by one surveyor and an axle by another surveyor is in fact a 6 tooth spline shaft.
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I don't seem to have permission to see the pictures.
Oregon's law is quite specific. But the County Surveyor has the power to allow anything in specific circumstances.?ÿ But my other 2 states, Washington & Oklahoma, are not specific at all.?ÿ
In the photo I think that the spindle may be in concrete around that fence post. If that is the case it should be quite solid. I agree that if it is just in the dirt it is not going to be stable.
Not sure that video is the fairest of comparisons. They seem to have selected the hardest and least flexible asphalt they could find on a sub-freezing day. The cotton gin spikes are hardened steel and as such won't suffer a lot of iron on iron hammering. But they can usually be driven flush in well under 50 blows.
Still, cotton gin spikes are fine when you can pick them up by the bucket full for the taking, as in the American South. I'm sure that they are as scarce in Fiji as below freezing days. If you have to pay for them I'd much rather use the ChrisNik's.?ÿ?ÿ
@turnercyrilh
If I found that I'd probably be calling it an axle.
Now when I clicked they downloaded to my phone and look good.
@norman-oklahoma honestly I don't think describing it as an axle or as a gin gear is incorrect but it definitely leaves some doubt. For the sake of my survey I am calling them 6 tooth splined shafts which IMO leaves no doubt as to what was located at the time of my survey. You can get on good ol' google and type in 6 tooth splined shaft and you will get image results that show you what you are looking for. If you type in axle you get lots of different images of axles with some of them indeed showing that a part of the axle is a splined shaft. Searching for gin gear isn't helpful at all but it wouldn't surprise me if these were part of some cotton gin machinery.
With the somewhat rounded upper edge it looks just like an old tractor PTO. Definitely appears very old
@beartow could be. The divot in top might also explain why the crew thought the one they found 4' deep was a pipe.
