Rotating Toy Collection Carousel

Rotating Toy Collection Carousel AG WORLD Wow! That’s the reaction Vince Carr and his brother Alvin were going for when they installed a spinning display in Vince’s Baton Rouge La farm toy shed Modifying two 17-ft tall Ingersoll Rand parts cabinets to create a carousel that fits in the shed required conquering plenty of physical and mental challenges With more than 1 000 toys Carr wanted a unique way to display them So when an electrician buddy told him the parts cabinets were available for $500 he couldn’t pass it up “I went there 3 times to look at them because there were no exterior bolts or screws I thought this isn’t possible to take apart ” Carr recalls So he called Alvin and they spent a couple days figuring out how to take the machine home in pieces “It runs like the carpet machines at big box stores ” Carr explains about his final setup A 4-in solid steel driveshaft turns 3-ft dia gears smaller gears and chains with everything timed “It took four men to lift it and put it in place in the toy shed ” Carr says The parts cabinets built in Germany used 3-phase electric Carr purchased a converter to convert to 60 hertz He took the two driveshafts to a shop to make one 16-ft long shaft After it was back home the Carrs welded the steel shelves together to build 12 shelves adding extra support between the joints When finished the carousel was 16 ft long 5 1/2 ft deep and 10 ft high Carr pressure-washed old cedar fence boards to frame it in so that two shelves can be seen at a time He glued red and green felt to the shelves to contrast with his red and green tractor models Lights on the inside of the top of the frame spotlight the toys as they slowly spin revealing 12 2-ft deep shelves that hold about 700 toys “I don’t want it to go too fast but sometimes I have to rev the speed when it won’t start ” Carr says noting he has a switch to turn the carrousel on and a dial to set the speed He adds that though the carousel is big it frees up space in the shed which is used often for family gatherings that he and his wife Linda host Altogether it took about a year to create the display Carr is grateful to his brother and friends Jay Manno and Randy Fountain who helped build it It’s been worth it he says “It wows everyone - even if they’ve seen my collection before ” he says He invites collectors interested in his display to contact him Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Vince Carr P O Box 41114 Baton Rouge La 70815 ph 225 413-0153; Lindacar29@yahoo com

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