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Featured Jeweler's or Glass-Blower's Bench Twin-Burner, I Think

Discussion in 'Tools' started by wlwhittier, Jul 21, 2025.

  1. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    It's 7" across the Y-burners, almost 12" tall; the cast-iron base is 4 1/4" diameter. One of the burner sleeves is marked: Victor Crescent 3/4 FT., the other: Colonial 3/4. Victor has a screen (pic 6), Colonial has none. The Y-portion is a ceramic, which a hard steel point will not scratch.

    I'll guess it was fueled by Coal Gas, or perhaps Natural Gas. Air is supplied to each of the 4 flame holes by 2 smaller angled orifices that meet just behind them.

    The Eastlake motif on the barbed inlet valve tee suggests the age of the tool...but I'm not familiar enough with Eastlake to say more than mid to late 19th C, as a guess. What do y'all say about this thing? Thanks for lookin'!

    P1440864.jpeg P1440869.jpeg P1440867.jpeg P1440871.jpeg P1440868.jpeg P1440873.jpeg P1440865.jpeg P1440866.jpeg P1440870.jpeg P1440872.jpeg
     
  2. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

  3. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

  4. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

  5. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    Wow! I am wholly surprised, Books! So the gas is Acetylene, from Carbide!
    For this thing of mine to be a lamp, somehow a shade, or pair of them, must needs...an' I see no attachment feature for such. Also, the utilitarian design seems to belong more on a workbench than in a domestic setting.
    I admit to being too young to have had exposure to such lighting appliances, so all is conjecture. Thanks!
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2025
    Figtree3 and komokwa like this.
  6. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

    Based on this example of a wall sconce (found through pinterest, with no viable link or additional information), it may have just been open flames -

    upload_2025-7-22_13-54-5.png
    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/412853490834419467/

    A bit better than an open candle, but the Victorians may have figured out pretty quickly that a table lamp with open flames and a constant fuel supply was not the best idea. Not to mention the hazards of the gas line somehow getting to the lamp in the first place. It may explain why I am having trouble finding any comparative examples.
     
  7. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    Open flame acetalyne...not wise. I bet it would still work , not that anyone in their right minds would hook it up.
     
    komokwa, mirana and wlwhittier like this.
  8. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

    Coal gas was the more common "town gas" (manufactured gas distributed from a central plant) at this period.
     
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  9. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    You're right about that...but an open flame from a candle was used for decades to illuminate homes, an' some workplaces. So it makes sense to me that, as you have found, open flames fueled by one gas or another, without benefit of any chimney or shade, were perfectly acceptable. They were simple times, an' the safety aspect took time to impress itself on the majority of users:
    As in...Oh, boy, Howdy!
     
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  10. Figtree3

    Figtree3 What would you do if you weren't afraid?

    It's fun to read about things that were completely unknown to me earlier. Thanks for posting this, @wlwhittier !
     
    Born2it and wlwhittier like this.
  11. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    I share your enthusiasm, Fig!
     
    Born2it and Figtree3 like this.
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