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27th July 2014, 02:16 AM #1Senior Member
- Join Date
- Oct 2008
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- Cairns, Q
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- 351
Blast from the Past - Darlton Kerosene Blowlamp
PROBLEM: Needed heat to help remove a water pump pulley. Out of oxygen, and there is a split in the Primus propane torch hose, and no new hoses for this early type torch available in Cairns.
SOLUTION: Dig out the old Darlton blowlamp made by Commonwealth Metallic in Sydney in the days when when we used to make things here, and bought new by me in 1955. It was probably last used in the mid-seventies. After a few minutes spent in freeing up the pump valve and giving the pump washer a dose of neatsfoot oil to soften it, she fired up first go, and, while the pulley is not yet right off, it moved a couple of millimetres from the position it was pressed on to 87 years ago. Hopefully a further soaking for another couple of days with penetrating oil and then some more heat will see it come right off still in one piece. I'm not game to put it in the press because it is so tight on the shaft it would almost certainly break the pulley.
LESSON: Never dispose of any tools or equipment - you might need them again some day!
Frank.
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27th July 2014 02:16 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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27th July 2014, 08:55 AM #2
Any down sides to those kero tourches? I have thought of getting one my self for odd jobs.
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27th July 2014, 09:08 AM #3
I loved watching "Tacka" Shellback doing the soldering for guttering & down pipes with one of these on the early houses Dad used to build. Cairns (circa 1960's) first as a foreman for Peter Bushnel then in his own right in partnership with Ian Knox.. "Tacka" also used to melt the lead in a laddle on a stand in front of the blow torch to seal cast iron pipes used for sewerage vents. Just something about the sound these make that sticks in my memory.
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27th July 2014, 09:14 AM #4GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Sep 2008
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- texas, queensland
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- 1,239
i have a mate that has one and still uses it quite a lot . great for pre heating before brazing or warming a large area of material he says . he picked it up at a swap meet and i now am on the lookout for one .
johno'If the enemy is in range, so are you.'
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27th July 2014, 09:52 AM #5
There is something to be said about a tool that can be fired up 70 years down the track and without much fussing about, it does the job for you.
Grahame
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27th July 2014, 03:46 PM #6
Hi,
The down sides, they stink, they have to be preheated thus take longer to fire up.
My Primus one has hooks on the side to hold the solder ladle while it is heated up. Had mine since my apprentice days in 1956.
Regards
Ps that's what the hook on the top of the one in the picture is for and to hold a soldering iron.Hugh
Enough is enough, more than enough is too much.
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