How To Get Covered With Rust Dust In Three Easy Steps!
by J.D. Hanes
Issue No. 188 - December 1988
In the beginning, there was a storage building filled with items from the Cambridge Glass factory. The items consisted of molds, snaps, punties, gauges, miscellaneous tools and paper records.
Next, there were two naive member/collectors who asked "could they be of help ?" That's a daring question to ask Bill Smith or Mark Nye!
After spending last fall cleaning gauges, Cindy Arent and myself
found ourselves, along with Judy Momirov, being appointed as the
co-chairpersons of the "Non-Glass Items" committee, Step one is now
completed - asking to help!
Step two is to go to the storage building and get out some molds or tools to clean.
Step three is to clean these with a wire brush or motor driven wheel.
There you have it! Covered with "Rust Dust" in three easy (?) steps!!
In reality, doing this kind of work is really interesting. All of the people who have worked on the cleaning of these items have learned things that they did not know, or even realized they wanted to know.
For example: Some did not know that tools and molds were re-tooled to be used for different Items. Also, learned rather quickly, was the fact that the men who moved these molds must have been "very strong!" These molds are extremely heavy.
If you have been fortunate enough to take one of the tours through
the old Cambridge Glass factory in the past few years, and wondered why
the steps from the mold room to the main factory were so warped and
grooved by those who trod upon them - we can now understand. Those
molds were "HEAVY!"
There is one thing that we really do need from you, our fellow members - HELP!
It isn't necessary that you get involved a collecting "rust dust," unless you really want to get into the physical part of cleaning these items. We also need people who can write down the information from the items as they ere cleaned. There are a great many paper records that need to be sorted and recorded. Light or heavy work ... there is plenty of both types to suit your Individual skills!
If any members are going to be in the Cambridge area and would like
to give us some help, please let us know. We can be available most
evenings and on weekends.
We realize, of course, that it is now too cold to be doing this type of work in an unheated building, but please keep us in mind next spring. As soon as the weather breaks and we can work in comfort, we will be back at it, full force.
Please, write to us in care of the club Post Office Box or call us in the evenings. (Phone numbers omitted - Webmaster).
If you are going to be in the Springfield, Ohio, area next spring, I'm sure that Bill Smith or Clark West could use your help in cleaning etching plates. You can reach them in care of the club Post Office box, or by calling them. (Phone numbers omitted - Webmaster).
I'll try to keep you updated as we go, so until the next report, keep collecting Cambridge!
ADDITIONAL MUSEUM ACTIVITES
The weekend of October 28th thru 30th saw some additional activity at the N.C.C. Museum storage building, a home in Chantilly, Virginia, and during the many hours and miles between.
On Friday morning, October 28th, Bill Smith and his son Ed started
from Springfield, Ohio, in Bill's pickup truck, pulling a rented horse
trailer ... on a most unusual journey. They were headed for Chantilly,
Virginia, and the home of N.C.C. member Janet Sanders.
They were to pick up, and haul back to the Museum, close to two tons of glass shelving, showcase doors, wall brackets, miscellaneous hardware, etc. A gift to NCC from Janet.
When they arrived at the Museum, around noon on Sunday, they were greeted by a work party from the Cambridge Cordials Study Group. In no time at all, they were able to unload the heavy cargo and get it safely placed in the storage building There it will rest until such time as it is needed, for building additional showcases, for display in the Museum itself.
We are happy to report that only one small shelf was broken while handling this large amount of glass. Of course, Bill and Ed ran into several problems, but all were worked out and the glass was safely delivered. Many thanks go to Janet for her generous donation, and to Bill and Ed for delivering same!