Hard rock mining tool..Anyone know what for?

Dustedyou · Jul 14, 2013

OK so I was looking at a Sierra mine (the Kentucky) and pictures posted were normal except this!

, why all the heat dissemination? looks like they were trying to get rid of heat in water,, but ushually they were using boilers! odd no?? anyone know what it is?

DizzyDigger · Jul 14, 2013

Could it have been a steam powerplant to operate a multi-stamp mill?

Dustedyou · Jul 17, 2013

probably a part to it there were 8 original "Stampers" at the site .. they eventually added 15 more that would have to be one hell of a boiler.. but according to the museum they used a water mill to move the stampers.. odd piece.. cant imagine the poor engineer that designed it or the plumber who built it..lol!

swizzle · Jul 17, 2013

With the pipes being so close together like that my first thought was a grizzly to clear off the heavier stone first. Looks like there's a lot more then that to it though.

Goldwasher · Jul 18, 2013

looks like it was made to sit right in/on a fire to generate steam

Crude site built boiler with no intention of decades of use?

UncleMatt · Jul 18, 2013

Perhaps its a steam boiler meant for a closed system where the steam is condensed and recycled through the system. Maybe because no local water was available in enough quantity to run the boiler in a non-closed system.

pippinwhitepaws · Jul 18, 2013

an on-demand hot water heater for grimy miners?

tamrock · Aug 13, 2013

Boy!, That is a wackie looking thing, but this is my take on this strange looking apparatus. Its a water trap for the high pressure pneumatic air lines that run the pneumatic air tools such as rock drills, jack hammers, coal cutters, etc. When you have to much water in the air lines the air tools will not run worth a s**t. The tools will even create ice in the exhaust ports with the rapid expansion of compressed air full of water. At that point much cussing and swearing begins. To solve that problem it looks as someone designed this manifold to allow high pressure air with water to cool and accumulte and fitted it in just after the main compresser and before the main air feed line. This water collecting manifold would then be drained periodically out from a petcock valve on the bottom of this thing and the providing air lines to the tools would be much more clear of water. This is only my guess to what this bazzaro is.

Dustedyou · Aug 13, 2013

thank you TAM!

tamrock · Aug 13, 2013

Dustedyou said:
thank you TAM!

Not 100% sure on this item, just an ed-ju-ma-ka-ted guess. I will say though its a pipeman & steam fitters masterpiece and most likely the best of its kind.

Sheldon J · Aug 14, 2013

You do know a large part of it is missing right

Gavin · Aug 15, 2013

Ran across this at a mill site a couple of weeks ago - high in the mountains of Montana.

Dustedyou · Aug 15, 2013

Gavin said:
Ran across this at a mill site a couple of weeks ago - high in the mountains of Montana.
View attachment 845814
View attachment 845816

NICE Boiler!
get any marks off it?

tamrock · Aug 16, 2013

More old mining stuff

I ran across some of this old mining stuff on my route. Old and no longer used and a few other pics of it still being used. The last pic is a jackleg contest is not new, but a time for me I call the good ol days back in Leadville Colo. 2nd half 1970's No online chat, cell phone, going uptown to hit the bars was social networking at either 6 joints. And no one ever used the term caught driving while impaired. Cop just took your keys and said you could walk home, come by the station in the morning for your keys or sleep in your car for 2 hours and I'll come back then and see how well you look and if your still alive and not frozen to death you'll get your keys back. That did of course depend on how well you respected his position.

tamrock · Aug 16, 2013

Sheldon J said:
You do know a large part of it is missing right

For all I know its missing that? and a bunch of other stuff as I've never seen this kind of thing before. That skid plate on the bottom leads me to believe it was meant to be moved from place to place as it, what ever it is? was needed in more then one location.

gold tramp · Aug 16, 2013

Mining ..... Thanks for the pics nice ole stuff!!!!

tamrock · Aug 16, 2013

Gavin said:
Ran across this at a mill site a couple of weeks ago - high in the mountains of Montana.
Sound like your up in the Troy or Libby Montana area?

Gavin · Aug 16, 2013

Tamrock, not quite that far north. Im down by Gold Creek outside of Deer Lodge.

tamrock · Aug 17, 2013

The Treasure State.... how fitting!

Gavin said:
Tamrock, not quite that far north. Im down by Gold Creek outside of Deer Lodge.

Gavin, you sure have a wonderful place to call home. I get up in your neck of the woods around 4 to 6 times a year. I go to Columbus, Big Timber, Marysville and then shoot over to the silver valley of Idaho after that cut back down through Ennis and Virgina City on the way back home. I wish I could secure more business, so I could justify more trips up that way from here in Denver. The State motto goes without saying we are a place for treasure hunters. Gold, Silver, Large deposits of Copper and even Platinum found in the borders of Montana and doesn't end with rare metal deposits. Sapphires, Diamonds and beautiful mineral specimens have been found alongside your rich mining history. I won't forget a place for the artifacts of the previous cultures must still be waiting to be found. I do much picking on my trips and do have a cool piece of ephemera from your area. It wasn't found in Montana, but it came from Deer Lodge. It is a bank receipt from the 1st Na.Bank of Deer Lodge -date March 26 1877- the bank was started by the Copper King, William A Clark its on receiving $80.00 from an other Montana pioneer banker Lewis H. Hershfield in Helena, Mt. It is all in W.A. Clarks hand writing. I also read on line just yesterday that Clark's daughter Huguette from his 2nd marriage died recently at 104 and its going to involve 60 lawyers to settle her estate of 300 million bucks. The trail is to begin next month.

Gavin · Aug 19, 2013

Nice bank receipt Tamrock. At one time, i had thought of collecting such items but soon realized that it would take away from my "hobby budget". The Huguette story has been very interesting to follow the last couple of years. I am sure with the pending litigation, many more colorful twists will be added. You are right about the great area I call call home. Here are a couple pictures to whet your appetite and maybe give you a reason to plan for extra time in the area.