What in the world is a blow press? You may have seen something like this on the front lawn of a country home. Someone just making use of something that is no longer suitable for its intended purpose.
Well it is not a blow press, it is a worn-out, rusty, broken down wheelbarrow. And, that is not what attracted my attention to the front yard of this home. What attracted my attention was the tall brown piece of machinery that stood proudly in front of it.
The homeowner was enjoying the morning and getting some exercise by cleaning up the plants around the front of his home. I walk over to ask him what he was so proudly displaying in his front lawn. He told me it was a “Blow Press”. As he described it, I understood that it was a punch press made by the Blow Press Company of Acton Ontario. His work before retirement involved designing and building this type of machinery. When he learned that the company was closing down, he mentioned to the owner that he would like to get one of those machines to put in his front lawn. Unfortunately, there were none left in the factory at that time. However, several years later, a flatbed truck drove up to his home and dropped off this machine.
This heavy duty machine punched out the delicate metal parts that were used to fasten brassieres. An electric motor was mounted on the top shelf at the right and two belts connected it to the large double pulley at the top of the machine. A coil of metal was fed into the hopper below the motor bracket and the finished parts dropped into a bucket between the legs of the stand.
Now it is a very sturdy support for the plant that is embracing it in its stretch for the sun. The current owner is proud to own one of the first castings of this historic piece of the industrial age. One day you will be able to see it in a museum.
– Where do you want to go today? –
Have you ever seen anything like this?
Doug, I love the expression “blow press”. I love the wheelbarrow arrangement. And the blow press: I would be seriously tempted to modify it to become a barbeque, something like Red Green would build but with less mess and no duct tape. Thanks for a great post!
Thanks Kebba. You have a great imagination. I agree, I would not want “duct tape flavouring” in my barbequed food.
So right! Nor the aesthetic. Are you familiar with Red Green and his repurposing of devices? 🙂
I remember his TV series and the ever present Duct Tape. Have you heard that it has even been used to repair airplanes?
I recall his tv series. Duct Tape was used for everything. Did you know that it has been used to repair airplanes?