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Engineering Oddities

Strange Tales from the Workshop

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Michael Gilligan21/06/2013 22:30:33
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Posted by Stub Mandrel on 21/06/2013 21:05:14:

Investigating violin repairing, I was struck how hide glue appears to be so superior to synthetic adhesives.

Neil

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And, for repairing books, an adhesive made from the swim-bladder of the Sturgeon is still unsurpassed.

I was recently studying a book by Albrectht Dürer, which has a "paste-over" correction on one of the diagrams. There is absolutely no sign of lifting, embrittlement, or discolouration ... The book was printed, and the correction applied, in 1525.

MichaelG.

Hopper22/06/2013 05:31:35
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Posted by Rik Shaw on 21/06/2013 20:01:59:

I like the way they used to use wood (lignum vitae) for ships prop shafts bearings... , --- Rik

They still do. Submarines still use lignum vitae for the stern tube bearing, quiet, long lasting and lubricated by sea water. Not sure about surface vessels these days though.

And neatsfoot oil -- I always did wonder what happend to all those poor neats hopping around with no feet.

When I was an apprentice, an old merchant navy ex-stoker told me to pee on your hands if you get blisters from shovelling clinker, or from pulling a cleaning brush through a million boiler tubes. It did not seem to me that it made much difference though. He did teach me how to repack a leaking valve using a string from the boilerhouse floor mop for packing. That one worked ok.

And my old man was so tight he used to use treacle or Golden Syrup for gasket cement on his motorbike, and sealed leaking intake manifolds by applying treacle to the outside of the manifold with the engine running, and then throw a hand full of dust over it while revving the engine "to suck it in and get a good seal".

jason udall22/06/2013 09:16:19
2032 forum posts
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Jack& jill treacle and brown paper?
Bazyle22/06/2013 09:51:02
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6956 forum posts
229 photos

I remember flour and water paste for papier mache but we never used it for wallpaper as the house was too damp.

Ennech22/06/2013 10:08:51
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153 forum posts
143 photos

In the transformer department of the heavy electrical company where I served my apprenticeship we used a board insulating material called Elephantide.

Ian S C22/06/2013 11:48:21
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7468 forum posts
230 photos

Molassas, used as a dressing on leather belting to stop it slipping, main problem is the belt tends to get eaten by mice.

A few year back our navy got a couple of new frigates built in Austrailia, The first one on its delivery voyage to NZ had to heave to on the way over when the prop shaft siezed, the stern bearing was made of Teflon, or similar, and as it heated, it swelled on the shaft, unlike the old, and tried Lignum Vitae.

Ian S C

Stub Mandrel22/06/2013 16:54:13
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4318 forum posts
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> Jack& jill treacle and brown paper?

It may be 45 years since I pranced around to that rhyme, but it's vinegar, surely?

Neil

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