wheelbarow

Donny B. · June 11, 2011, 12:14:56 AM

This old wheelbarrow is part of a kit put together by an old time prospector. This one is to help him move his ore bucket around. The wheel swaps over to his swag barrow and dry blower so that he can gradually move all his gear about his show.

I just love the ingenuity of our pioneers with their imagination and ability to construct something useful from almost nothing.

bonneyman · June 11, 2011, 10:10:46 AM

Very cool!

I, too, appreciate the ingenuity of our forebears, and strive to be one of the "younger" generation to keep such skills alive.

Branson · June 12, 2011, 08:03:19 AM

Quote from: Donny B. on June 11, 2011, 12:14:56 AM
This old wheelbarrow is part of a kit put together by an old time prospector. This one is to help him move his ore bucket around. The wheel swaps over to his swag barrow and dry blower so that he can gradually move all his gear about his show.
I just love the ingenuity of our pioneers with their imagination and ability to construct something useful from almost nothing.

Right dinkum. Looks like "almost nothing" included parts from a folding cot -- the brackets that hold the legs in place. Swag barrow, I get, but what's a dry blower?

The wheel is interesting! I like the old pattern square hub, but how is the rest of it constructed? Are there boards on the other side at 90 degrees to the ones we see in the picture? What's the tire?

lzenglish · June 12, 2011, 11:03:59 AM

That is a thing of Beauty Donny B. ! An all-in-one Prospecting Rig !

Wayne

Donny B. · June 13, 2011, 07:17:52 AM

Quote from: Branson on June 12, 2011, 08:03:19 AM

...................................Swag barrow, I get, but what's a dry blower?

The wheel is interesting! I like the old pattern square hub, but how is the rest of it constructed? Are there boards on the other side at 90 degrees to the ones we see in the picture? What's the tire?

Thanks for the interest!

I guess dryblowers were probably unique to Australia and were used by many prospectors trying their luck in the arid areas where most of our gold mining takes place and where water was at a premium. Ore was put in the top and through a series of vibrating trays and air the lighter material was separated from the heavier gold bearing material. You can see the bellows to provide the air at the bottom of the one pictured here. Unfortunately the treadle for working the bellows is missing from this one and since it is probably a "one of" I am not sure what to do about replacing it. A little imagination I guess. I have not used this one but I believe that in general they were quite successful and though many of the early ones were designed and made up by the prospectors themselves from whatever materials they could scrounge, sophisticated modern commercial machines are still available.

The wheel is not double planked. It is held together by the metal straps on both sides and the tyre is made from some sort of rubber hose material. It was made to be transferable to each of the units of the set.

I am pleased that I found the set with so much of it still together. I guess it is not really a tool as such, so there are a couple of miners' tools in some of the pictures to justify its inclusion on a tool site.

Papaw · June 13, 2011, 08:23:03 AM

Necessity is the mother of invention.

dimwittedmoose51 · June 13, 2011, 09:17:41 AM

Papaw told me that since you posted about your prospector"tools", that if you discover any gold or precious metals with the rig, he gets 1% of the booty...for site mantlepiece of course LOL

Cool rig, none the less

DM&FS

Papaw · June 13, 2011, 09:27:26 AM

Yep! Insert BIG Smiley here!

Branson · June 13, 2011, 09:38:53 AM

Amazing stuff! Thanks for the additional pictures, too. Dry blower makes sense to me now -- what a contraption.

Donny B. · June 13, 2011, 07:18:21 PM

Quote from: dimwittedmoose51 on June 13, 2011, 09:17:41 AM
Papaw told me that since you posted about your prospector"tools", that if you discover any gold or precious metals with the rig, he gets 1% of the booty...for site mantlepiece of course LOL

Cool rig, none the less

DM&FS

Well that sounds fair but I wouldn't go putting a deposit on any new motor bikes on the strength of an anticipated large windfall...........or small windfall, even.

rusty · June 13, 2011, 07:49:56 PM

Interesting device, I have seen devices in the US for slucing where water was scarce, such as in Arizona, usually they just used some way to recycle the same water instead of letting it run out the end. Using a dry process seems a whole lot more inventive...

(Some day someone really has to explain to me why the St. Louis Mine was in Arizona..)

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