The wood kiln that could.

A mid morning text that read "Not lookin good @all" could only mean shawn was pulling pieces out of the wood kiln already. Shawn is a bit of a pessimist (about wood fired results) but keeps it to himself, so this bit of sharing raised alarms of my own. We prepared for a half hour of getting our stuff from the kiln like the coolers and lights and to check the work for ourselves.  I saw the piece that shawn had pulled out and the glaze was not melted. Crap monkies! Flash-lighted the rest of the kiln and the story read the same throughout. A quick gut check and we through some wood in.

The previous few days had seemed too easy. The kiln never was let loose. I had written on facebook that it seemed undramatic. I had no pyro high. This firing we were planning on holding the temp back  a couple of cones to spare more wear and tear on the kiln. Cone 11 doesn't cut it for out tastes in color and texture.

From no color in the kiln to cone 13 ish (we only had 12's in and they were gone by the end) in under 6 hours we felt pretty good. we started a crash cool cycle to keep the schedule of unloading on wed.

This is how it should look at the end of the firing... oh sweet flame.

Dragon Wells Steam Works

Evapralux

Air Conditioning Systems

1922-1923

Dragon Wells Steam Works

      Created originally as a prototype to demonstrate the possible cooling effects of simple water evaporation “The Ladder” as it was called in the factory, had production issues.  After one year the idea was scrapped. 

     A few still exist today and have been used for the cooling of tea storage units.

Tea Storage Jars

      Found with the Teacup Preservation System and the PLANT-A-TION, these jars were made for long-term tea storage.

     Like the Specimen Jars, there are no records of their being manufactured by Dragon Wells Steam Works.  Many believe these jars may have been made in small numbers for F. Emeril Carter.

Specimen Jars 

     Though never officially made at the NYC factory these jars carry the Dragon Wells nameplate and details.

     The use for these cans is only speculative. F. Emerill Carter was known to explore cave systems and small Islands. He may have used these Specimen Jars to keep animals or plants safe during shipment back to his home in Arkham MA.

Production Oil Cans

1923-1944

Dragon Wells Steam Works 

     The Rise in automobile sales and the first world war gave Americans a new need for lubrication equipment. The first oil cans off the assembly line at Dragon Wells Steam Works were gravity fed systems which were reliable and simple. As lubrication became a more important part of the mechanical world the oil delivering vessels required greater precision. The gauge became the downfall of the pressurized oilers. Company after company was contracted to produce the gauge but none at the time were consistent enough for accurate oil distribution. 

Pressurized Machine Oiler and Bearing Cleaner

1939

     Prototypes were first developed for show at the 1939 Worlds Fair in New York City. The rival engineering firm L M ERICSSON & CO disputed the original patent for the device. This delayed the unveiling at the Worlds Fair. The System kept machines online and increased efficiency of the assembly lines at Dragon Wells Steam Works. Similar systems were adopted at manufacturing facilities at Ford Motor Co. and Kessler Motor Co. The longevity of the few that were made is a testament to the craftsmanship of Dragon Wells Steam Works at the end of the 1930’s.