ausfire Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Took a walk around one of our scrap piles today looking for some junk art stuff. I am always impressed by the artistry and blacksmithing skills involved in the old machinery. The artistic possibilities are endless. Here are a few interesting pieces for those of you who like photos of old stuff. 1. The handle on the ore bucket in this pic must have taken some effort to bend. The stampers would make great post anvils. 2. The design elements in this sheep shearing wheel are cool. Made by the Wolseley Co. in England - I wonder if it was the same company that made Wolseley cars?? 3. The curves in this fluming (?) would have been difficult to achieve. Don't know what they were for, but what sculptural possibilities. 4. The coil of tubing on the right side of this pic could have many uses. The scrap dealer didn't get that bit. 5. We reckon these old mine wheels standing on end would make impressive water features. 6. The intricacy and artistic appeal of cast iron . 7. The long-gone blacksmith who hammered out these wrought iron hooks would have been proud of his work. 8. Nice to know where things come from. This Petter engine from Yeovil in England had a long journey. 9. I couldn't lift one end of this steel block off the ground. A ready made anvil or upsetting block. Don't know what it was. 10. This thing is a Heine Punch Press from about 1980. I am going to drag it out from the scrap and install it near the forge. 11. No-one has any idea what this thing is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 I really love your universe, aus! Bests: Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John in Oly, WA Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 You have some nice treasure piles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Fluming? Uh . . . Er . . . GASP!! No wonder you come up with so much cool sculptures, you have great resources. A guy can have all the talent and skills in the world but without the materials it's just potential. I'm suffering intense . . . STUFF envy. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 I always love the pictures you share. Old things seem to have so much more class than stuff made today. I bet you could make a big old kangaroo or something out of that old ore bucket with all the stuff you have around. It's pretty much a piece of art on it's own. That last picture looks like it would have been part to a cable conveyor system maybe? I feel like i have seen something like it in one of the abandoned mine exploration videos ive seen on YT but I could be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 I wonder if the flume like thing was used to sort material after it went through the stamps in a water slurry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted July 11, 2018 Author Share Posted July 11, 2018 11 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: I wonder if the flume like thing was used to sort material after it went through the stamps in a water slurry? That could well be. It is certainly connected with the mining industry. We are considering fitting it together and creating a kind of sluice set-up for the kids to pan some little gems. It's nice to have things like that for visitors' kids to do. We could supply the water from our windmill. Here's a pic of the mill. 27 feet across the blades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 No 3 is a childrens slippery slide. Made for when children were children, not bits of digital fluff. Had fun walking through there discussing that stuff with you Darryl, and I think the final picture is either from a heavy rack saw, or from a large pump to drain mine shafts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 The last picture looks like forklift extensions to me...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 Yes , but well camouflaged , possibly hiding in plain sight. Those punch presses can be very handy and quite forgiving in the restoration thereof , lots of adjustment gizmos. i would have thought older though possibly 60's ? great pile! Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 That heavy iron is gorgeous. I'd gladly accept any of it should you decide to mail some my way. I'll even send more nails! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 I think that punch press is likely to be MUCH older tthan the 1980s Darryl, closer to ( but not quite as old as) 1880s. The later heine presses had many more " user friendly" additions like vee belts and provision for guarding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted July 12, 2018 Author Share Posted July 12, 2018 Ah, just my bumbly fingers on the keyboard, Woody. I meant to type 1880. The Heine company still exists and I emailed them a photo of that press to find out some information for a label to put on it. They were pleased to know of its existence and said it was one of their very early models from that era. And if that fluming (Pic 3) is a kids' slippery slide, it's a pretty robust construction, unlike the bits of tin we see today. Hey, perhaps we could reconstruct it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 Haha wouldnt it be a magnificent slide! I really cant guess what it might be, even "fluming" is a new word for me, and I will endeavour to learn more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 There you go, i was thinking turn o'the century, but great to see that mr heine himself can date the old punch! If it isnt too rooted, it might make a few things a bit easier. Set it up with your touchmark so when a job is finished give it a whiz, and it is stamped! Good to see i wasnt too far off with the date Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted July 12, 2018 Author Share Posted July 12, 2018 58 minutes ago, iron woodrow said: Good to see i wasnt too far off with the date Actually, you were closer than I was. It was a few years ago that I wrote to the Heine Company and I looked back in the files to find their reply. Here's some of what they said: It was one of the first presses we made in about 1895 to 1900. The name would have been on a plate on the front of the slide, please see photo attached. We have an identical machine in our archives. It was approx 8 tons capacity and they were used for stamping out metal items, eg ends of containers (food cans, tobacco tins etc), cutlery, brackets etc. The company was founded in 1886 by John Heine, an engineer who migrated from England. He built up a manufacturing company that gradually specialised in power presses and forming dies. It was the first company to make automatic can making machinery in Australia, commencing around 1890. The company quickly forged a reputation as Australia's foremost machinery manufacturer and over the years has produced tens of thousands of machines for Australian industry, as a visit today to almost any factory in Australia will reveal. The range included metal stamping presses from 2 to 350 tonnes capacity, general sheet metal working machinery and can making machinery including 2 and 3 piece body makers, end presses and seamers. Such is the strength and quality of these machines that most are still in service today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 Aus, you gotta quit posting pictures of your scrap pile, it makes me INSANELY jealous every time I see it. I want it ALL!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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