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Inside The Secret Underground Laboratory

#781
At the trolley museum where I volunteer one of the trolley barns has a big scary-looking knife switch to dis/connect power to the 600-volt DC overhead wire. It’s inside a small narrow padlocked wooden cabinet; when it’s in the down/off position the handle is visible sticking out the bottom. We trolley operators have a key to the padlock, and we’re trained to smartly snap the knife up into the on position using the back of our fingers, preferably with a gloved hand. Then we lock it up again. Many of the trolleys have similar but smaller knife switches in various places.
 
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#782
farace said:
At the trolley museum where I volunteer one of the trolley barns has a big scary-looking knife switch to dis/connect power to the 600-volt DC overhead wire. It’s inside a small narrow padlocked wooden cabinet; when it’s in the down/off position the handle is visible sticking out the bottom. We trolley operators have a key to the padlock, and we’re trained to smartly snap the knife up into the on position using the back of our fingers, preferably with a gloved hand. Then we lock it up again. Many of the trolleys have similar but smaller knife switches in various places.
Click to expand...
East Haven?
 
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#783
Bobo said:
East Haven?
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Yes, the Shore Line Trolley Museum. I’m one of the volunteer operators.

2E6460CC-CCD6-4585-A302-39B278B477EA.jpeg
 
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#785
Here's what I did for the switch on the Avey Sensitive Drill Press. Not as cool as the knife switch idea, but simple and practical. I can't justify spending too much time on this machine. Other machines and Scroll Basses are calling me. And customers!

I found this old drum switch in my stash of machinery electrical stuff. It's a Furnas drum switch, high quality, from the '50's. But it was painted green and is heavily worn and old-looking. I cleaned off its contacts and checked it out internally. Bolted it right to the motor mount plate and wired it up with some reasonably new cord. It's functional and safe and looks appropriate for this machine. Another piece of machinery saved from the junk box.

I like drum switches on my machines. They are simple and reliable. I have older industrial grade drum switches on most of my big old machines. I have some cheap import drum switches (about $15) on a few machines and they are holding up well so far. New industrial drum switches are about $100.

IMG_8977B.jpg
 
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#786
Bruce Johnson said:
Here's what I did for the switch on the Avey Sensitive Drill Press. Not as cool as the knife switch idea, but simple and practical. I can't justify spending too much time on this machine. Other machines and Scroll Basses are calling me. And customers!

I found this old drum switch in my stash of machinery electrical stuff. It's a Furnas drum switch, high quality, from the '50's. But it was painted green and is heavily worn and old-looking. I cleaned off its contacts and checked it out internally. Bolted it right to the motor mount plate and wired it up with some reasonably new cord. It's functional and safe and looks appropriate for this machine. Another piece of machinery saved from the junk box.

I like drum switches on my machines. They are simple and reliable. I have older industrial grade drum switches on most of my big old machines. I have some cheap import drum switches (about $15) on a few machines and they are holding up well so far. New industrial drum switches are about $100.

View attachment 4812400
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So very cool!
 
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#792
Jon Clegg said:
Saw this come up on CL today and immediately thought of @Bruce Johnson
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Oh, yeah. That qualifies as a cool old machine, worth restoring and saving. It looks to be 1910-1920 vintage. A large throat, but fairly light duty bandsaw, mostly marketed for farm shops. Made for thinner woods, furniture. The bandsaws made for boatyards were much taller and heavier frames, to cut big timbers. This one is fairly compact for a 36" throat saw. I like it.

I hope it finds a good home.
 
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#795
ardgedee said:
Looks like it's missing its upper wheel, and the pulley wheels are positioned outside the frame (rather than inside in that catalog image), so I hope it's restorable.
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Yeah, hopefully the upper wheel is sitting around nearby. There are some blades hanging on the frame, so I hope it's reasonably complete. Those pulleys are the classic fast/loose pair that would take a 4" leather belt from your overhead line shaft. I think the spec sheet says that it needs 2 horsepower.
 
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#797
Max Bogosity said:
But there's a standard option to run off five goats instead.
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Or two barefoot farm children. That's no joke, sadly. During the depression years, many farm shop machines were rigged up to be human powered...by your assistant. That's why you had kids. On a farm, they had to earn their food as they were growing up. That's not all bad. They became some tough adults during the WWII years.
 
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#799
Jon Clegg said:
However, the divorce would.cost me dearly.
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Maybe so, but the bandsaw would remain loyal to you. :thumbsup:

As you may guess, my relationship with my machines has cost me several romantic relationships with fine women. You make your choices in life. And they did.....
 
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#800
Max Bogosity said:
But there's a standard option to run off five goats instead.
Click to expand...
There were companies that specialized in making treadmills... from dogs to goats to people to horses, nearly any mammal could be put to use with the right treadmill. These were in production well into the early 20th century but at some point the folks with big steam engine tractors began replacing them with gas-powered tractors, and poorer people would repurpose the old steam engines for their own purposes.
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Mostly I know about this because my dad grew up with a commercial sawmill in the back yard, it was his father's business which my dad almost inherited -- his older brother got it instead (and tbh this was probably the best outcome, my uncle (and later, his sons) kept the business afloat pretty well and it allowed my dad to follow his own career aspirations). Dad and his siblings didn't have to walk a treadmill to power the sawmill when they were kids because it was powered first by a big old steam boiler engine and eventually by modern electrical power. Dad still had nostalgia for steam engines, and used to take us to shows and meets when we were kids... I didn't appreciate those trips then as much as I do in hindsight. At least he wasn't taking us to antique treadmill meets. He was an avid collector of books about 18th and 19th century craft and industry, he had all the Eric Sloane books for example, as well as some phenomenally huge coffee table books republishing old industrial catalogs, I spent many hours with those when I was a kid.
 
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