[AT] A long shot--Wisconsin part Brazing and cast iron

[Larry D. Goss]

No need to apologize, Mike.  I recognize every day that I'm now a member
of the "senior" generation that knows (or at least "knew") a lot of
stuff about how things worked that is lost on the techies of today.  My
wife calls us "Geezers."

I have a book in my library that is invaluable for processes of the
nature that this group works with all the time.  It's called "Dick's
Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts & Processes or How They Did It in The
1870's."  If you can find a copy, get it!

The dust cover starts off with: How do you make wahoo beer or ginger
pop? How do you test gold or silver?  How can you remove a ring from a
swollen finger? What is the best way to wash a white dog?  How can you
detect counterfeit money?  

Besides fun stuff like that, there are lots of formulas for the
practical pursuits of smithing, glass making, wood finishing, old-time
cooking, etc.  And the title really does say "Receipts" instead of
"Recipes".  It's a Funk & Wagnalls publication.

It goes along with another book called: Formulas, Methods, Tips and Data
for Home and Workshop.  And, there are a half dozen books on How Things
Work (and similar titles.)  These volumes have the low-tech versions of
the materials that you find in Mark's Handbook, Machinery Handbook,
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, etc. and are still practical for home
owners because the raw materials and chemicals listed are items that are
available from the drugstore and super market.

There is a cadre of people on this list who "know" this stuff.  I'm not
going to name names, but we all recognize who they are and trust their
comments. 

Larry

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Mike Reggie
Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 2:07 AM
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
Subject: RE: [AT] A long shot--Wisconsin part Brazing and cast iron



  Sorry Larry,
I often wonder about the origins of  some of these things, like was
borax 
used as substitute for some existing flux, or was it a case that there
was 
no flux, and sombody discovered that borax would be a good flux?  Kind
of 
like a chicken/egg question I guess.

      Mike


----Original Message Follows----
From: "Larry D. Goss" <rlgoss at evansville.net>
Reply-To: Antique tractor email discussion group 
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'" 
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Subject: RE: [AT] A long shot--Wisconsin part    Brazing and cast iron
Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2006 09:28:48 -0500

"I've heard older guys talking about using ordinary borax as flux"

LOL!  I guess I know where that puts me.  :-)  "Back in the day" when I
was learning all this stuff, borax was the chemical equivalent of "the"
flux that was available -- but that was over 50 years ago.

Larry


_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
Remembering Our Friend Cecil Monson 11-4-2005
http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at