"Barn find" classic machinery parts
Discussion
Hi guys,
I am in the process of clearing out an old farm outbuilding to convert into a garage and amongst all the scrap I stumbled across some unusual parts from years gone by. Some of them I have a vague idea what they are, whilst others I haven't got a clue! They are all in reasonable used condition but I would imagine they could be worth a few bob to the right person who collects this kind of thing. Problem is, I don't know what half of it is and other than eBay or throwing them in a skip, I don't know what to do with half of it!
So I thought I'd post some pics up and see what you guys think, maybe you could help me diagnose exactly what some of the unknown items are and whether any of it is worth anything or is it just old tat? Also thought some of you might enjoy seeing a few quirky wee things like the engine tester and moisture testing kit.
1. Antique horse drawn implement... not sure exactly what though? Is it a harrow for potato drills maybe? I know some people paint these up and stick them in their front gardens, I'm just not totally sure what it is called.
2. Some sort of gauge, rated in mmWS units from 0-1600, no idea what it is though?
3. Brass pressure gauge, though not sure what its specific use would be
4. Quirky little engine tester - it says to connect it to a carburettor and then states various symptoms for the engine depending on the state of the needle. Seems to be in decent condition and not something I've ever seen before!
5. I think this is some sort of thermometer, it is made by A.R.I.C Surrey, England. It is 6" in diameter and rated from 150-300 deg, but it doesn't designate what units this is in (Fahrenheit, Celsius, kelvin?). Comes with a brass (?) probe. As we live on a farm, I was wondering if this could have been part of our grain dryer but my dad unfortunately hasn't got a clue where it came from!
6. Industrial thermostat, again no idea what its purpose could be/have been. Complete with long brass probe from the rear
7. Some sort of electrical gauges from the 70s - comes in a little wooden box with a service tag attached stamped 1971. The box is stamped Erma Limited, Wembley, England. The tool inside is stamped with an american company from New Jersey. The kit contains a series of little gauges and a couple of other hand held tools but I have absolutely no clue what it is or was used for. Case and gauges are in good condition but tool itself is showing a little corrosion on the alloy.
8. Moisture testing kit, made by Thomas Ashworth & Co Ltd, Burnley, England. Comes in a nice wooden box complete with various utensils, the main moisture tester itself and a tube of calcium carbide. From what I can see, the test material is placed into the moisture tester along with a quantity of calcium carbide, and the gauge is able to display the level of moisture. Again, I have a feeling this was used for measuring the level of moisture in grain, but no idea what period it dates to and whether it would be of interest to anyone nowadays.
Cheers - enjoy!
I am in the process of clearing out an old farm outbuilding to convert into a garage and amongst all the scrap I stumbled across some unusual parts from years gone by. Some of them I have a vague idea what they are, whilst others I haven't got a clue! They are all in reasonable used condition but I would imagine they could be worth a few bob to the right person who collects this kind of thing. Problem is, I don't know what half of it is and other than eBay or throwing them in a skip, I don't know what to do with half of it!
So I thought I'd post some pics up and see what you guys think, maybe you could help me diagnose exactly what some of the unknown items are and whether any of it is worth anything or is it just old tat? Also thought some of you might enjoy seeing a few quirky wee things like the engine tester and moisture testing kit.
1. Antique horse drawn implement... not sure exactly what though? Is it a harrow for potato drills maybe? I know some people paint these up and stick them in their front gardens, I'm just not totally sure what it is called.
2. Some sort of gauge, rated in mmWS units from 0-1600, no idea what it is though?
3. Brass pressure gauge, though not sure what its specific use would be
4. Quirky little engine tester - it says to connect it to a carburettor and then states various symptoms for the engine depending on the state of the needle. Seems to be in decent condition and not something I've ever seen before!
5. I think this is some sort of thermometer, it is made by A.R.I.C Surrey, England. It is 6" in diameter and rated from 150-300 deg, but it doesn't designate what units this is in (Fahrenheit, Celsius, kelvin?). Comes with a brass (?) probe. As we live on a farm, I was wondering if this could have been part of our grain dryer but my dad unfortunately hasn't got a clue where it came from!
6. Industrial thermostat, again no idea what its purpose could be/have been. Complete with long brass probe from the rear
7. Some sort of electrical gauges from the 70s - comes in a little wooden box with a service tag attached stamped 1971. The box is stamped Erma Limited, Wembley, England. The tool inside is stamped with an american company from New Jersey. The kit contains a series of little gauges and a couple of other hand held tools but I have absolutely no clue what it is or was used for. Case and gauges are in good condition but tool itself is showing a little corrosion on the alloy.
8. Moisture testing kit, made by Thomas Ashworth & Co Ltd, Burnley, England. Comes in a nice wooden box complete with various utensils, the main moisture tester itself and a tube of calcium carbide. From what I can see, the test material is placed into the moisture tester along with a quantity of calcium carbide, and the gauge is able to display the level of moisture. Again, I have a feeling this was used for measuring the level of moisture in grain, but no idea what period it dates to and whether it would be of interest to anyone nowadays.
Cheers - enjoy!
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff