Thread: Melbourne Scraping Class reunion

Thinking outside the box a little, is is a blancher? or maybe a finisher? Phil will know both of those machines from a previous life...

Regards
Ray

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Would this set up have been so close to the house?
Would the weight have been there or is it standing in for something else?

Hi Stuart,
It would be set up close to the house and the weights are supposed to be there but as you pointed out they wont fit through the hole in the roof. Also they are on backwards.

Originally Posted by Ueee

My last 2 sensible guesses are a warming cupboard/drawer or a temperature controlled pantry/cellar.
After that i'm onto hamsters in the barrel.....

Hi Ewan,
nope Hamsters sounds the way to go though

Originally Posted by RayG

Thinking outside the box a little, is is a blancher? or maybe a finisher? Phil will know both of those machines from a previous life...
Regards
Ray

Hi Ray,
You are taking me back to some great days in a previous life. The last blancher I made was in about 1982, arrgh! that was 30 years ago!
Gotta tell you it worked a lot better than this thing, thank goodness, it was for asparagus and with close to the highest respiration rate of all it needed to work. Who needs salmonella
But nope is still the answer

The answer is (imagine a drum roll if you will)
A gas maker for the stove to cook tea and to run some lights.
It mixed petroleum and air through a carburettor and had a gasometer sitting on the top. Inside the drum is a paddle and the drum was filled with water. The weights were raised and as they fell they rotated the paddle.
Why is black magic that I don't understand but am gathering the information as we speak.
The unit was invented by Quirks of Ballarat and apparently there were thousands of them.
The gas produced was called 'Safety Gas'.

Phil

Originally Posted by Steamwhisperer

The answer is (imagine a drum roll if you will)
A gas maker for the stove to cook tea and to run some lights.
It mixed petroleum and air through a carburettor and had a gasometer sitting on the top. Inside the drum is a paddle and the drum was filled with water. The weights were raised and as they fell they rotated the paddle.
Why is black magic that I don't understand but am gathering the information as we speak.
The unit was invented by Quirks of Ballarat and apparently there were thousands of them.
The gas produced was called 'Safety Gas'.

Phil

I WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**
I think you'll find that is infact a gas washing plant(or scrubber if you like). Is it a paddle in the drum or whats left of a brush?. Either way I think its for scrubbing "something*" out of the gas.
Of course I could be wrong.


He did indeed RC, though he didnt have enough printouts of the address for me to get a copy............and it seems I'm to stupid to take a picture of it. .


Stuart

*I think its an acid but I'm not sure. I'll do a little googling, shouldnt be hard to find.

**maybe not..........

Ok this is the best I can find so far(bit of a worry).
About halfway down the page is a coal gasifer followed by the scrubber(gee I wonder how they came up with the name?)
Shelli's blog: Carrickfergus With Mom

Not so sure I won now.......what would need to be scrubbed out? But what else would it be for? dont need a pump the gasometer would take care of that right?

Stuart

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Ok this is the best I can find so far(bit of a worry).
About halfway down the page is a coal gasifer followed by the scrubber(gee I wonder how they came up with the name?)
Shelli's blog: Carrickfergus With Mom

Not so sure I won now.......what would need to be scrubbed out? But what else would it be for? dont need a pump the gasometer would take care of that right?

Stuart

The jury is still out on what happens with the paddle in the drum full of water Stuart.
There is an expert in Geelong that has given us some info on how they work.
The boss is getting it for me

Hi .RC, Yes, I did, and I believe that's one of the best books around on Machine Measurement.. I also copied it onto a couple of sd cards. Many thanks

That's one of the hardest books to find.


Nice one Phil, I would never have guessed gas generator.. ( although Josh almost had it )

Are you going to start another thread for the Lake Goldsmith Rally? I have a few pictures..

Regards
Ray

Originally Posted by RayG

Hi .RC, Yes, I did, and I believe that's one of the best books around on Machine Measurement.. I also copied it onto a couple of sd cards. Many thanks

That's one of the hardest books to find.


Nice one Phil, I would never have guessed gas generator.. ( although Josh almost had it )

Are you going to start another thread for the Lake Goldsmith Rally? I have a few pictures..

Regards
Ray

Hi Ray,
Josh was very close thats why I did the 'who which on the what now' (kind of a please explain)
Good idea on the Lake Goldsmith thread.

Phil

Originally Posted by Ueee

I'm guessing the timber bender would have been in the wheelwrights workshop for the bending of rims?

It was and it is, but it is also used for other things like window frames and tool handles I believe.

Stuart
(better late than never)

Thanks Stuart,
I think we all go caught up in the what is it?

Oh, and welcome Josh, it took until Phils post for me to work out who this Brobdingnagian was.....

Originally Posted by Ueee

Thanks Stuart,
I think we all go caught up in the what is it?

Oh, and welcome Josh, it took until Phils post for me to work out who this Brobdingnagian was.....

Hi Ewan,
Apologies for that. There is a lot of bent timber on the stage coaches (and people for that matter).
Even the poles that connect to the harness and help steer them is put through the steamers and bent to shape

Phil

Originally Posted by Steamwhisperer

The answer is (imagine a drum roll if you will)
A gas maker for the stove to cook tea and to run some lights.
It mixed petroleum and air through a carburettor and had a gasometer sitting on the top. Inside the drum is a paddle and the drum was filled with water. The weights were raised and as they fell they rotated the paddle.
Why is black magic that I don't understand but am gathering the information as we speak.
The unit was invented by Quirks of Ballarat and apparently there were thousands of them.
The gas produced was called 'Safety Gas'.

Phil

Ahh!
The penny drops.


Thanks for the welcome, joining the forum was overdue.

Fantastic weekend guys, thanks to all you blokes for making it so enjoyable
A special mention to two blokes, Mark Gray for travelling such a long distance and Phil (Machtool) for making the effort with such a massive workload awaiting his return.
Much appreciated.

Phil

Hi Phil,

I've been thinking about this on and off. You say the drum is "filled"?

How about "3/4 filled"?
If the paddles look like the wheel off a paddle steamer(not much in the center) and the water level is correct, the paddle is a low pressure pump* forcing air/fual mix into the gasometer. Depending on how well the blades of the paddle wheel fit the drum there will be a little leakage. The water doesnt get lifted as the center is empty. When the pressure gets high enough the pump would stop(apart from leakage).

Maybe its called "Saftey Gas" as there wouldnt be any carbon monoxide in it?

Stuart

*if you turn it the right way

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Hi Phil,

I've been thinking about this on and off. You say the drum is "filled"?

How about "3/4 filled"?
If the paddles look like the wheel off a paddle steamer(not much in the center) and the water level is correct, the paddle is a low pressure pump* forcing air/fual mix into the gasometer. Depending on how well the blades of the paddle wheel fit the drum there will be a little leakage. The water doesnt get lifted as the center is empty. When the pressure gets high enough the pump would stop(apart from leakage).

Maybe its called "Saftey Gas" as there wouldnt be any carbon monoxide in it?

Stuart

*if you turn it the right way

Hi Stuart,
I am still waiting for the info but while looking I came across this.
Have a look at section 'G'

Phil