Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Turpentine Company Model

I finally finished my turpentine company model.  It is somewhat of a composite of photos I found in my old industrial books and on the Internet.  The industry is correct for my modeled timeframe of the 1930's.  The still heats rosin from slash pine sap, with the vapor being condensed into turpentine.  The firebox heats the attached kettle (in the back of my firebox under the platform).  The turpentine is collected in the large barrel on the left side of the still, and then tapped into smaller barrels for shipment.  This company is served by trucks as it is too small for rail service.



This was an enjoyable modeling project despite a lot of fumbling as to the construction.  One of the books I consulted, printed in 1937, talked about the advantages of using asbestos mortar and asbestos sheeting - we live and learn.  These businesses typically included a water tank and I may add one depending on availability of space where I place it on the layout.

I thought I would add one of the vintage turpentine mill photos I used for inspiration for this model.


This mill was located in Florida - the book with the photo was published in 1937.  I found others via Internet search - each a little different but in general similar.

I appreciate the nice comment just posted.



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