I wrote a rather detailed account on how we survive the summer heat without air-conditioning here: http://hilda.hhandg.com/?p=1335, but there was some concern that perhaps I’d included too much detail, so here follows a concise list of suggestions without any of the stories or experiences. Continue reading “Six practical ways that you can keep cooler without air conditioning.”
Surviving the summer heat without air-conditioning.
This is the story of our personal experiences in our 1870’s Victorian Italianate house in Northeast Ohio, USA. This recount should be enough of a practical guide to enable any reader to unlock the clever designs of their old house to make it through summer much like Victorians did.
If you would prefer a very concise guide (void of personal experiences) this may better suit you. http://hilda.hhandg.com/?p=1399
Background.
When we bought our house in 2007, it was little more than a vinyl-clad shell – and a fairly worn one at that.
Certainly not boasting the grandeur of its appearance (above) in the 1980s.
It boasted a sizeable air conditioning unit for relief from the summer, and two (yes, two) furnaces for warmth in the winter.
Now. If sweet music had been playing on a record as you read the opening sentences, this would the point that it scratches to a halt.
Continue reading “Surviving the summer heat without air-conditioning.”
Revival of a 1936 Chambers Model A Range (Style No. 11-A-22)
“If you can move it out of the basement, it’s yours.”
Some of the my more interesting projects have started with that phrase … but WHY, OH WHY do people put these impossibly heavy objects in their basements, and how on earth do they get them down there? Are today’s lifters that much weaker than yesterday’s?
With a range, I suppose there is a logical explanation: canning.
People would do canning in their basements to cut down on heat in the house (not sure quite how that works out, as our cool basement helps to keep the upstairs floor cool, which at least helps keep bare feet cool). Continue reading “Revival of a 1936 Chambers Model A Range (Style No. 11-A-22)”
Yesteryear’s Washing Guides
I’ve extracted these from several out of print books, now in the public domain.
They’re worth a read, and you’ll soon realise just why it was laundry duties occupied an entire DAY.
Even with my electrified, albeit vintage, washer, laundry this past Saturday morning took 5 hours from the first rinse to the last item on the line. (I’ll start soaking the clothes on Friday pm from now!)
Audels Household Helps, Hints and Receipts excerpt 1
Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts excerpt 2
The Duties of the Laundry Maid – Isabella Beeton
Manual of Household Work and Management – Butterworth (this is a large file, I’m sorry… I’ll put it through OCR sometime and shrink it down).
1964 Kenmore Wringer Washer (pink & white)
What do I know about this washer?
While Kenmore’s serial numbers for these washers start with ‘110’, the two subsequent digits represent the year that it was manufactured.
In this case, the washer was made in ’64.
It’s got a two-speed straight vane agitator (though we need to install a new speed toggle), and a timer that goes up to 20 minutes on the one side, or remains on using the “hold” option on the other side.
We believe it is a 1950s model as the 50s models had the brush filter mounted on the lid, which you see below.
The agitator suffered a direct blow at some point in its history, as a chunk had been broken off.
It was nothing that 2-part epoxy couldn’t fix though.
The final step to the repair was the application of fiberglass cloth and resin to ensure that it never cracks in the same place a second time.
Alternative therapies for toddler with urinary tract infection
It’s been just under three weeks since Eliza’s urine started smelling ‘off’.
It’s probably been just under two weeks since she displayed the need to itch around her bottom. Continue reading “Alternative therapies for toddler with urinary tract infection”
Antique Phonograph Restoration. Victrola? Brunswick? Edison?
Frank told me that he’d bought me a surprise (of course, the give-away post title has already spoiled it for you!).
I walked into the kitchen after work to find this.
It didn’t work.
There are no maker’s marks on the unit; no lable to indicate which of the brands this is.
There was a velvet record cleaner in the case with the ‘His Master’s Voice’ logo on it, and a case for needles with “Brunswick” written on the lid.
Frank and I, people that we are, dove inside to take a look at the mechanics and work out why it wasn’t working.
It is powered by a hand-crank dual-spring OKEH motor. (Yes, it is pronounced “okay”, but is in actuality the initials for Otto K. E. Heinemann (1877–1965), a German-American manager for the U.S. branch of German-owned Odeon Records.)
I took off the top of the cast housing, at which point the springs released fully (severely gouging the table I was working at, as the teeth of the cogs dug in – I guess just because it’s siezed doesn’t mean that there’s not pent up energy inside! Could have been rather tragic if my fingers had been in the way).
Now, I find myself with the task of reattaching the spring to the anchor on the arbor.
I did fully disassemble the housings last night, but couldn’t get the spring to hold.
I’m guessing that the hole became disfigured when the spring flew off, so I’ll have to use pliers to get it back on.
This motor drawing is sideways.
Comparing it to mine, the right side should be on the top.
Seeing as I’m going to have to reopen the housings, I figure that I might as well give it a thorough cleaning.
The mechanism can be cleaned with Paint Thinner, I read, and then either grease / wheel bearing lube can be used to recoat everything, or a homemade vaseline:graphite (2:1) slop can be made.
I think I’ll go with the first option.
To describe how it works:
When you turn the crank, it turns a cog that rotates the top spring housing.
There is a ‘pin’ (arbor) that runs between the top and bottom spring housings which is connected to the spring through an anchor of sorts.
In order for the top spring to tighten as the crank is being turned, the arbor must remain stationary.
If the arbor moves with the top spring housing, the spring will never tighten.
The only way for the arbor to remain stationery is if the bottom spring is turning in the opposing direction with an equal force.
When sufficient potential energy has built up, the energy will transfer to the driving gear, turning the turntable spindle.
Well, that’s how I imagined it working anyway based on my ‘appraisal’.
The Disassembly
I took photographs along the way, to ensure that I’d put it back together correctly!
The Cleaning
Lots of WD40, lots of paper towels, lots of elbow grease.
But in the end, the clean coils were generously coated with synthetic grease, and will hopefully last for another 110 yrs.
I was turning the coils directly into the housing, which took a LOT of strength and downwards pressure to stop everything from flying out.
Unfortunately, I noticed that bits of newspaper (my worksurface) were making their way into the base of the housing – not good – and all it took was that one moment of lapsed concentration, and the coil flew, slicing my left thumb and right thumb knuckle.
Frank heard the ‘snap’ as the coil released, and rushed in for fear that I might have sliced my juggular!!!
He wound the coils for me (wearing gloves).
The Injuiry
Why you should wear gloves 🙂
A video showing the directional rotations of the spring housings while charging.
As the machine was cranked, once fully reassembled, it was easy to feel that the potential energy was building within the springs, however as it reached its peak point, you could hear a dull thud as the the spring released from the arbor anchor.
One of them obviously wasn’t on quite all the way.
I disassembled the motor one again, after observing the spring housings while turning the crank.
The bottom housing was completely stationary, and as the top housing would turn, the arbor would turn too.
If the bottom housing were catching the housing, it’d have been totally stationary, but both housings would move.
I opened the bottom housing and tried three times to tighten the center-most coil so that it’d hold.
Finally, we had a winner.
1 year old with dental cavities.
I am adding updates to the top of this post.
Please scroll down to view earlier posts.
13 Apr, 2011:
A very nice lady at Sensishield wrote back to me this morning. Not only did she say that they saw no reason why (under careful use and parental guidance) the toothpaste wouldn’t be detrimental to Eliza, but she also offered to send some complimentary tubes to my mother-in-law in advance of her visit next week! Very, very kind.
In other news, I am seeing no further evidence of decay on Eliza’s teeth. Her gums are looking much better. Over the last two weeks the gums above her top two right teeth had bled from time to time (not sure if it was the use of acidity of the hydrogen peroxide, or the abbrasion of baking soda, or the brushing itself, or simply inflamed and unhealthy gums).
We bought some yoghurt for her, in the hope that an oral injection of good bacteria might add to our fighting efforts. Unfortunately, she’s not interested in yoghurt.
This Friday will be two weeks that Eliza has been on her homeopathic medication and Cod Liver Oil.
Frank’s mother suggesting using Flax Seed Oil as a vegetarian alternative to the CLO … but I paid $26 for the CLO, it tastes of lemon (more chemicals, I know … but at least she doesn’t spit it out!!), and I’m going to finish it before I buy anything else.
I bought some Purslane seeds to plant this year. Purslane is rich in Omega 3 and fat-soluble vitamins A and E.
With any luck, the CLO will take us through to a rich summer supply of Purslane.
Salivating over Victorians
Well, summer is fast approaching, and the little lady in my life is becoming better and better at occupying herself. Cue time to do some much-needed decoration around the house.
Here are some photos that I’ve found via Google Images. I did not take the photos, nor do I make any claim to them.
These are just to swoon over.
The End of Long Weekends
I’m not sure that I even wish to say a great deal here!
I only got a tiny proportion of the work done that I’d anticipated getting done.
Eliza has been trying to cut the same teeth unsuccessfully for a couple of months now, and she’s frustrated, and we’re frustrated.
She’s not really wanted to do much on her own, and nighttime has been difficult to say the least. So despite having more company, and anticipating doing more work, it’s been same-old-same-old.
Not much has got done.
I’ve not been sleeping well either.
SIGH!!