Foot-operated apparatus for holding a packed banana box in place to nail the lid on. It was used on the Pike farm from around 1940, initially by Jack Pike (John Pike Snr) and then by Glen Pike (known as Mick) and then David Pike. The cramp was stored after cardboard cartons replaced timber boxes.

It is made of steel tube and angle and includes a piece of recycled tractor wheel to hold the lid in place. The adaptation was made by Mick Pike with the assistance of local blacksmith Jack Moy, whose workshop was on Sawtell Road.

The packing of bananas is essential to the safe transportation of the fruit to market. Bananas were packed green, tightly, as single bananas. The cramp is designed to squash the bananas together so they didn’t vibrate and bruise during the 2-3 days of transportation by truck. The cramp holds the lid in place for nailing. It was initially designed to hold bushel-sized boxes and was adapted when the size of the boxes decreased.

Hand-held cramps were commonly used in the industry. The advantage of this more elaborate cramp is that both sides of the box could be nailed down at once, whereas hand-held cramps were one-sided and each end had to be nailed separately.

Timber boxes were made of case gum, generally flooded or blue gum, which was available from a number of local mills.  For a time, the BGF had its own plantation. Women and children often made the boxes. David and his brother would make 40 boxes before going to school.