Posted 12 years ago
blunderbuss2
(199 items)
A friend gave this to me knowing how much I live in the past (now known as an antique lover). It was in pretty bad shape with the bellows rotted away. Oddly to me the bellows were not leather but a rubberized canvas. I live in a sailing community & had some canvas, so rubberized some & replaced it. Used leather(original) for the flapper-valves. I challenge any expert now after some yrs to tell me, "that's a replacement".
Now, what do I do with bellows in the tropics? I have no fireplace! Got an antique wooden coffee grinder & don't drink coffee. Go figure.
Now what catagory do I put this in? Doesn't seem to be a matching one.
Bellin, you like it, come get it or have somebody pick it up! That heart surgery told me I'm not Immortal, just immoral & I'm trying to dump stuff on people who would appreciate it. I'm serious!
I give it to you if you can figure out how to get it there. I sent jason something that weighed about 4 ozs & it cost me $5-6. I can't send COD. I work on aircraft so can get things to P.R. or the Virgins but it still cost $ to send. Your gestapo makes things hard. Here is a suggestion, ck a travel agent & see when they have somebody coming down here & contact them tru the travel agent. My ph# is: 1721-554-2447 or Vonage in the States(AL) 334-651-0361 but that is a land base & I have to be home to get it.
That open-heart surgery woke me up & I have things I would like to go into good hands rather than be lost to the WOGS. Just being realistic. Your call.
I always check out the old bellows.Its hard to find a set without holes or splits.
Ron, this set didn't even have but bits of canvass left(not leather) & the tacks. I had some old heavy cotton sail canvass & wanted to restore it. Found some liquid insulation while in the States & coated the canvass well with it after making a pattern & used the orig. tacks to put it together. Made leather flapper valves & voila! It came out much better than expected & to-date, nobody has questioned that the rubberized canvass is nothing but original after a few months. I've been in the Caribbean basin for 42 yrs & have become very good at painting in shades of grey (even on aircraft while waiting on parts). "Is it safe?".
Blunder open heart surgery saved you and you will live a longggg time buddy :-) You sure get some strange items living in your land of paradise . No snow !! xo
Mani, glad you are so confident. Aug. 19 (Tuesday) is my 4th anniversary of The Night of The Living Dead. I'm now like nothing ever happened & feel great for my age. Yeah, we do run into a lot of strange things for the area!
Blunder I have known people who live full lives after open heart surgery . Just take your meds :-) And be glad they caught the blockage and your all brand new again . xo
Actually Mani, it wasn't a blockage but aortic valve. The valve consist of 3 flaps & one was just sort of flapping. I have often thought about the way I found out & and still think it was worth it, even if I had died. LOL!!