Leather And One Of It's Many Uses.

[Daniel Darlow]

On a visit to the fantastic Geevor Tin Mine in Cornwall last week.
Saw the Levant mines last year but could not fit all of this marvellous history in, in one day.
On a tour round the now skeleton factory works, still proudly attended by staff made redundant in 1990 by Mrs T.
We saw the way the tin was extracted from the ore by a similar method of gold extracting by 'panning' the method of shaking the heavier material on a table with constant water movement.
It was my wife who pointed out that the tables were not metal but leather, on inspection and confirmation from the staff, that these 'shaker tables' were leather topped from the early 1900's till the end of life in 1990. Amazing product, piece of history, never to be repeated, and a sorry story for Cornwall, all due to the drop in Tin price....mind you.. there is no way that you would see me down there! And as I was informed, if there was ever a need for a hole in the ground the Cornish was down there first! Kernow Bys Vyken.

 

[Judy Bass]

It's always really interesting to see where leather has been used historically. I have samples of leather taken from an organ where it has been used as valves. Still in perfect condition after 100 years as it was kept free from dirt and supple by the ambient moisture content
Any other leather stories?
Cheers
Judyb

 

[Robert Bailey]

I got leathered last night

 

[Trevor Ives]

The other use for leather in Cornwall was to seal the piston in the cylinder of the pumping engines.
The pistons were cast in situ and shaped inside with hammer and cisle using a pole in the centre and a piece of string to measure the circumference.
Leather was then put round the piston edge in a trough shape with water on top to make a seal. This flexed to take up the small differences in diameter.
The cylinders would be up to 9 ft in diameter.

 

[Daniel Darlow]

Those gimp masks are a tight fit then Bill??

 

[Jacob Ward]

Little story
My dad is an antique sanitary specialist
Every few weeks like today he has been in London in the palace......
As they are having a major refit as her maJ is in Balmoral till next week
The "crappers" in the private quarters are called valve closets.

Involving a stirup pump
A flipper valve
And several sets of leather bellows to give a variable time delay to the flush.
My dad has removed these toilets 1 by 1 to refurbish and restore them as they where installed in 1889 and need a bit of tlc

Basically a leather controlled toilet !!!@

J

 

[John Bolton]

An interesting insight into royal 'thrones'.

 

[Jacob Ward]

Ha
Today he did lizzy's one
He says the walls are like over 2 foot thick and metal.
It'd a bomb shelter for the Queens own toilet


J

 

[John Bolton]

.........So that's a real 'thunder-box'.

 

[Daniel Darlow]

One prefers to keep ones personal noises to ones own!

 

[K.O. (Shorty) Glanville]

So, is that where the term "Leather A*se" came from??

Just askin'.

 

[Jacob Ward]

Err
No
Your turn k.o.

J I