Posted 13 years ago
kevincranf…
(1 item)
This is a "thing" that I found in a basement clean-out. It has no writing on it at all, but seems to be very well made. I'm guessing its some sort of smudge pot or orchard heater. I would really appreciate any input as to what it is, who made it, etc., since no one has been able to figure it out for the past 7 years I've had it. Thanks.
My guess would be a bee smoker.But I searched vintage and antique ones and came up empty.Still my guess... Very cool !!
I agree with Hedgewalker. Cool find.
This is not a bee smoker . My father used to keep bees and he had an antique bee smoker that looked nothing like this .Bee smokers have a bellows on them , this item does not . I also did a little research on the internet and none of the bee smokers look like this . I have also lived in an area that had a lot of orange orchards . I have seen the owners use smug pots and orchard heaters . That is what this is , an orchard heater not a bee smoker .
I woul like to see pictures of the other side and the bottom. Are there any doors or acess to the inside? Could it be some sort of fumigator? I grew up in orange orchards in California and never saw a smudge pot this small or like this.
Its an "icy ball" refrigerator, its missing the ice tray and the wood 'ice box'. a kerosene burner goes under the fluted ball, after its hot you turn off the heat and the other ball gets cold.
note; it should have an ammonia mix in it- careful
So much for being a orchard heater. Thanks sologato for a definite confirmation. I have seen one and did not know what I had seen.
COOL!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icyball
sologato is right on the mark here, I saw one before and was very similar and the owner of the one that I saw said it was a Primitive cooling unit using ammonia.