Mickwhitt 4,592 #1 Posted May 27, 2020 Hi all. Spent this afternoon digging around in a spoil tip at our local foundry, one that worked from the 1930s into ther early 2000s. It's now a housing estate. My brother is a bit of a history buff so wanted to have a nose round to see what we could find. Bricks is the answer, and lots of them There were about five manufacturers and a few different patterns, shaped to make the arches and walls in a metal smelting furnace. All were glazed at one end where they had formed the furnace lining. Made in Scotland they were brought down here to build our foundry. Just a small part of our industrial heritage, that has been bulldozed and buried under housing to be forgotten apart from street names. People are already asking why is my street called Foundry Gate? 5 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,987 #2 Posted May 27, 2020 Save them. I have here a few bricks with interesting marks on them. There was even pride displayed on brick making back then. A good source for a history lesson to those who ask. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,279 #3 Posted May 27, 2020 3 minutes ago, formariz said: . A good source for a history lesson to those who ask Agreed. Trina and I and also our friend Jennifer absolutely love looking around at stuff like that. We spent 4 days at an old German p o w camp last year and it was one of the best vacations we've ever had. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mickwhitt 4,592 #4 Posted May 27, 2020 also found two rather large split pins and a curl of metal which appears to be a chip from large scale lathe turning which would have been done on site making shafts etc. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mickwhitt 4,592 #5 Posted May 27, 2020 this is a chip curl about 2 inches across by half an inch wide and the cut depth would have been about a quarter inch. That's a pretty big old lathe there. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,279 #6 Posted May 27, 2020 3 minutes ago, Mickwhitt said: also found two rather large split pins and a curl of metal which appears to be a chip from large scale lathe turning which would have been done on site making shafts etc. I never had a notion a cotter pin could be that big Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mickwhitt 4,592 #7 Posted May 27, 2020 Speaking of big.... This is a bolt made for the recent strengthening work to the Tinsley viaduct on the M1 motorway. The bridge is a huge structure but was badly designed and badly built so it's been constantly worked on since it was finished. This thing was laid in the middle of the lower deck carriageway when I was driving my police van home one evening. I picked it up and thought "you'll never find another one of them Mikey" The next evening one fell from the second deck where they were working right in front of my van. Blue lights and lots of cursing to the faceless spanner monkey who had dropped it resulted in no further falling objects. 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SylvanLakeWH 25,493 #8 Posted May 27, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, Mickwhitt said: Speaking of big.... Very cool! If you had the nut that would make a great front end weight for a WH. Quote Edited May 27, 2020 by SylvanLakeWH typo 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tractorhead 9,064 #9 Posted May 27, 2020 Hard story so to speak Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
