Bottle Collections Chat

[RED Matthews]

So Cowseamaize that would be great. You could see a lot of old demijohns, and a lot of the big advertising bottles. We should also include a trip to the CORNING GLASS NUSEUM. That would really make it your days worth. RED M.

 

[mrkeith49]

Hi Red...Many years ago I worked in a Mould shop making the A/B beer bottle molds as well as others. We did all the machining and sold them to to Foster Forbes and others that I can't remember. I do know at that time the patternmaker (correct name?) was a real work of art creating the embossed logos on the molds. The bodies were made from iron with bronze rings for the top, and iron or bronze bottoms with CID rimgs machined for identification. I also remember machining the baffles made from a steel called dameron. It went into the center of the mold when the glass was shot. Interesting time in my life....Pittsburgh Pa. Keith

 

[RED Matthews]

Well Keith - that makes you a good follow up friend. That Dameron is the metal I sold all over the world. It was referred to as HR metal and the suffix numbers represented the Rockwell hardness it would come to when exposed to the hot glass. It started being used for B&B plungers and today almost every thing that hot glass touches is Dameron's metals. There is a plant in Indiana that I am told is making beer bottles at around 900 /min.. I haven't been able to verify that - it seams like a crazy game if something went wrong at the lehr loader. You would be up to your rump in hot glass - in no time. RED M.

 

[RED Matthews]

Keith, please send me your address RED M Edit by request.

 

[RED Matthews]

I guess we need to get more acquainted and in contact I tried yesterday - but went at it wrong. We have a lot we could converse about. I traveled the world selling the Dameron products. and development of the market. RED M.

 

[RED Matthews]

I couldn't get a pm to you today; I wanted to get some contact to cover some subjects. I am in NY for the summer. RED M.

 

[DeepDown]

RED, where in Indiana they making 900 bottles a minute? I only wondering, because I live in Indiana. Just cool thing to know. It is Ironic... I Just starting collecting the old Bottles and Fruit Jars 2 months ago. And just 2 yrs ago. I was dead broke (because housing market crash. was building a house to re-sale when crashed) and lost my house I had 20 yrs. In Alexandria, Indiana... And in All that Time... Never once knew Ball Glass was made all around me. 15mins from Muncie, 10 mins from Gas City, 15 mins from converse & swayzee. in the middle of all the really old ball factories. Never even made the connection to Ball state & Ball Glass. --- Knew St Clair Glass paper weights & Adalain Lamps was made in that town. Never could understand why St Clair Glass was sooo sky high. But I didn't get into old Glass stuff then... I'd see the St Clair Glass & the other old Glass stuff in auction all the time. St clair couldn't buy unless you had lots & lots f money. I thought those people was crazy..lol And more Ironic.. altho my house was tiny 1 bedroom turned into a house. not worth much now... It was one the oldest houses left in that town.. There was no known date on it. It shows up on the 1860's map... the town museum has. No One knows what exactly it was used for... Except Train used run right in front it in 1800's... and house next door was the train station. No date on that house either.. Mine, I think it was the out house... or a parts shed. and 1900's was turned into a small house. Half of it bathroom & room to basement was early 1900 add ons. --- wish I started collecting when had that house... I would of dug up my whole yard to see what I could find.. So now, I trying to learn about the Past & present glass companies in Indiana. Now that I like collecting the old glass.

 

[RED Matthews]

I APPRECIATE your post DeepDown. I have liked and collected glass for 77 years now. I just can't stay away from the hobby, because I find something new about glass making almost every day. It is a material that man can apply to life in skikdillions of ways. Have you been to my home-page? Are you into collecting now - and if so - tell me about your interests. RED M

 

[RED Matthews]

I think that high speed machine is operating in Muncie or near there. I will check back with the Dameron Salesman that told me about it. RED M.

 

[JohnDeereMoxie]

RED, a question about milk bottle molds... did they destroy them when the company went out of business? I was wondering how one would go about acquiring a mold, I would love to get my hands on a Westport Mass or Acoaxet Mass milk mold...