HELP what is it ????

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi All, Bit of a long shot but the small table at the bottom reminds me of a grease table for catching diamonds.

A property of rough (and cut) diamonds is that they cannot be wet so they will stick to a grease table like the proverbial stuff on a blanket!

Just a thought…

Martin

[Tractor manParticipant @tractorman]

Alan pm sent to you. Mick

[ALAN STAMMERS 1Participant @alanstammers1]

Today I moved the smaller parts of the plant into our shed to make things easy to work on. 4 more photos of bits taken off today, still not sure what the plant is , but many helpful and very welcome suggestions . I thought that HACKSAW had the answer but I have looked at hundreds of photos of Seaton burn colliery and it is nothing like that at all. several of you have asked where we live, it is TRUSTHORPE which is between MABLETHORPE and SUTTON ON SEA lincs east coast. so if you find yourself in this area then you would be very welcome to come and have a cup of coffee etc and look at this item and my other steam locos etc. the last photo shows an American 5" loco that I have just finished restoring etc. so I can get on with this project now. wishing you all a very happy Christmas, alan & heidi

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

Posted by ALAN STAMMERS 1 on 04/12/2017 20:13:30:

Hi recently bought this mighty item off ebay as a project for the winter. or 2 or 3 or more…the whole thing weighs around a quarter of a ton and totally seized up.

however I have been working on it for 2 weeks now after removing the roof and some of the smaller parts to take in my shed, taking many pics so I will know how to put the bits back when cleaned and painted.

to get an idea of size, the height to the curved roof iron beams are 44" tall…I would love to see any pics of the original plant that this was a model as it is very old and looks worth seeing to , even if I am 84 ,it gives me some thing to keep the old brain ticking over. I must be potty

 

Why can't I see any image(s)?

Edited By Ian Skeldon 2 on 07/12/2017 20:05:09

[ALAN STAMMERS 1Participant @alanstammers1]

Hi, if you go back to my last message [ the one above your message and look under my name alan stammers on the left hand side ,then click on 17 photos underneath my name the pics will come up ok..but have to go out now so will look in the morning for any more messages thank you alan

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

Thanks Alan, for some reason I just assumed that the photos were embedded into the post and I couldn't see them, all made clear now.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Did some digging into Mining equipment.

The round drum is with holes in it is called a Trommel. It's a common bit of mining equipment used to sort minerals into different sizes. Sorting's done because many later processes such as roasting work on lumps of a particular size. Big lumps are crushed in a mill to reduce their size,while small lumps and powder are agglomerated together.

I don't think Alan's model is for Tin because that process uses a fine powder. Alan's photos suggest ore is sorted by size, not completely crushed.

Many processes involve water like this modern coal plant. It's more elaborate than Alan's model:

Likewise alluvial gold also uses water, so I don't think Alan's model is for gold:

So my guess is a metal like Lead/Silver or Manganese. This machine is for copper.

Dave

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Could be just for gravel either for roading or ballast for railway, just part of the gear at a quarry.

Ian S C

[ALAN STAMMERS 1Participant @alanstammers1]

I don't think so Ian, as its far to complicated for just sifting stone, with 7 hoppers and 12 outlet chutes, plus 22 pulleys. and other complicated moving parts ,and just found another small sieve for even smaller particles inside the plant.

but a big thank you for your interest. have a great Christmas, alan

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

There is probably as much, maybe more gravel screened than any other ore, it's required in fairly exact sizes for every thing from railway ballast, to concrete, for base fill for roading, then a different grade in the seal.

Ian S C

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

I think Ian is correct, its a grading plant for quarry products, there may be 7 hoppers but the range of graded stones is often wider than just 7. You can separate into main groups and then perhaps blend when you need a mixture of "all in" grades, hence the various shutes?

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

I agree with Alan: it's too complicated for grading gravel. The other clue is that it's not sorting ordinary gravel is that quarry gravel is a cheap high-volume product. The output arrangements on this machine suggest low-volume high-value production. For example I don't think an ordinary gravel sorter would include an expensive fitment like this:

What do you get from gravel in small quantities that's worth all this effort? Quite likely the input is an ore bearing gravel or conglomerate, 'pay dirt'. Many possibilities in 'pay dirt' ranging from Gold and other precious metals like Tellurium through Gemstones to optical grade silica. But it's all guess work without a better understanding of the machine's insides.

Perhaps when Alan gets the model apart he can map out the processes applied at each stage. All we really know so far is that there's a Trommel on top, a couple of largish output chutes (I guess for waste) and many chutes producing not very much. You can tell the outputs are low volume because they're physically small and are accessed manually from a walkway with steps: whatever the machine does, it doesn't produce goodies by the ton.

Dave

[ALAN STAMMERS 1Participant @alanstammers1]

Thank you all again for your interest and helpful comments, I think Dave has probably got the best idea so far, I will post photos / progress etc when the weather gets a bit warmer for me to work outside on the big lump of iron work.

have a great Christmas all of you and thanks again….alan

[ALAN STAMMERS 1Participant @alanstammers1]

Hello its the "HELP WHAT IS IT ? MAN AGAIN

THE MODEL GOLD MINE COME WHATEVER, HAS NOW HAD A FACE LIFT

I HAVE SPENT ALL WINTER AND BEST PART OF THIS SPRING JUST FREEING UP MOST OF THE MACHINERY ITEMS, AND PAINTING . OVER 400 HOURS / 30 SANDING BLOCKS / 6 CANS OF WD 40 / PLUS PAINT AND RED OXIDE, ALSO VERY SORE HANDS, AND ITS LOOKING A BIT BETTER.ALTHOUGH MOST OF IT WAS DONE WITH MY ONE GOOD HAND.I HAVE TAKEN MANY PHOTOS AS A LOT OF ITEMS HAD TO BE DISMANTLED TO MAKE THEM WORK AGAIN, HOWEVER IT IS NOT A COMPLETE JOB AND WILL NEED A BIT MORE WORK, WHICH I AM UNABLE TO DO MYSELF AS MY 85TH BIRTHDAY IS VERY NEAR.SO I WILL PROBABLY ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE AND RETIRE PROPPER…A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THAT HAVE SUPORTED ME ON THIS PROJECT I.WILL PUT PHOTOS ON THIS MESSAGE WITH MORE IF NEEDED

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Well done Alan, I've looked at your albums and it's incredible how you've changed that great rusty pile into a fantastic model.

Neil

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Edited By Neil Wyatt on 20/06/2018 20:21:55

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

What exceptional talent!! Congratulations would be in order for someone in their 50s. As a fellow octogenarian, I am left feeling totally inadequate. That ought to be exhibited as a prime example of skill and application.

rgds

Bill

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Super well done Alan. Looked through your albums & ea. stage looks meticulously refurbished.

George.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by ALAN STAMMERS 1 on 20/06/2018 18:26:35:….

…MOST OF IT WAS DONE WITH MY ONE GOOD HAND….!

That's awesome! And a real inspiration to those of us who struggle along a bit with much simpler tasks!

Did you ever ascertain for certain (?) what the original plant was used for processing? Coal or gold or ?

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

Hi Alan just looked at the albums and I think that the work and skill that you have put into the model is amazing and wondered if it would be available to be seen perhaps at one of the exhibitions. I would love to see it have you done any work on what it's original use in full size, would have been.

David

[ALAN STAMMERS 1Participant @alanstammers1]

Thank you all for your lovely remarks and comments, , [ you just brought a tear to an old fogies eyes ] I have had a lot comments on what the plant may be but nothing conclusive as yet ,perhaps someone will see it and identify it for sure .As I say I have not done all the work and not started on the crane in the original photos as it is still seized up and I am not sure if it is part of the original plant [cannot think why it would need a crane as the line shaft that it was fixed to is fully braked by turning the spoked wheel. If had the use of both my hands I would love to complete the plant, but that is not possible now ,so may put it on ebay etc to see what interest it gets. its quite a heavy item ,probably,over a quarter of a ton so I have made a swivelling wheel platform to move it around our garage etc.

Thanks again , your a great bunch of lads, so glad that I joined the club Alan

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Fabulous work Alan, looks like a museum quality piece now

I slashed my wrist with an electric hobby saw

My sympathies for your terrible accident

I avoid revolving teeth and jigsaws nowadays and only use an oscillating saw

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Alan,

I suggest you contact the editors of Model Engineer, Diane and Martin.

I am sure they would be delighted to have an article about the model and how you restored it in the magazine.

Neil

[ALAN STAMMERS 1Participant @alanstammers1]

Thank you Neil, but I don't think I am up to that . I am not the demonstrative type. but it realy would be great thanks again alan

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

There is probably enough in this thread to make a short article for the mag, photos etc.

Ian S C

[ALAN STAMMERS 1Participant @alanstammers1]

Thank you Ian, that would be good but I don't know anything about how to do this. But thanks again Alan

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