On the topic of leather washers, my family's business was windmills and water wells in Northeastern New Mexico. I don't need to get into all of the mechanics of how a windmill works, but at the bottom of the well (often several hundred feet deep) is a brass cylinder at the end of the pipe. There's one check valve that sits at the bottom and should be largely stationary, and another check valve that moves up and down the cylinder, connected to the head of the windmill with wooden sucker rods.
While attempts have been made to create seals for the check valves with rubber, leather has traditionally been the best material, as it shrinks when it's dry, swells when it gets wet, and can wear in a manner that doesn't destroy the more expensive cylinder at the bottom of the well. Growing up and working with my dad, we went on lots of jobs to "releather" the windmills once the leathers were worn down enough that they no longer maintained an acceptable seal.
Here's a picture of the checks - the one with one leather band is the one that sits at the bottom (and the leather generally sees minimal wear), and the one with the three bands is the one that moves up and down the cylinder to lift water to the top of the well. Not pictured on the upper check is the set of threads on the bottom that you screw into the top threads on the bottom check if you needed to service it for some reason (typically the brass portions getting too worn down):
We had a hand pump near the back door of our farmhouse. I learned how to prime the pump with a soup-can full of water from an early age. There was also a well at the the new house, at 93 grandview, but that was a rope & bucket affair, no pump.
And of course I got some familiarity with wells & well-digging during my time in Senegal. That was a whole different scene.
Sep 18, 2023·edited Sep 18, 2023Liked by john sundman
Also wanted to mention that your stories about older New York always remind me of F. Paul Wilson's "Repairman Jack" stories which are largely set in pre-gentrification NYC, with a TON of New Jersey thrown in as well.
Another great comment. I've only read one Repairman Jack novel, The Keep, but I have a friend who's a big fan.
But here's the funny part: Guess where F. Paul Wilson went to high school? That's right: Xavier High School,, 30 West 16th Street. Which makes him, like me, a Son of Xavier. We weren't there at the same time, but I'm sure we had a lot of the same teachers, etc. ROTC became optional twenty years ago, but when Wilson & I were students there it was compulsory, so we both suffered through all that military indoctrination stuff.
Sep 18, 2023·edited Sep 18, 2023Liked by john sundman
Given your writings, I STRONGLY suspect that you'd really enjoy Wilson's books.
And just to be that pedant, "The Keep" is the first book in Wilson's "Adversary Cycle". "The Tomb" is the second book and features Jack's first appearance. Technically the Adversary Cycle goes on for four more books (mostly independently of Jack), while the Repairman Jack books go on for another fifteen or sixteen, before looping back to the "Adversary Cycle" (and this does not include Wilson's Jack prequels - very much Gritty New York Books and his young adult books that heavily feature New Jersey).
I'll stop pitching Wilson now other than to say that both of you touch on very similar themes ("Secret History of the World"), which makes me suspect that there's something in the water over at Xavier High School, and I may need to steal a drink the next time I'm back in NJ.
Wonderful story and writing. Keep it up.
On the topic of leather washers, my family's business was windmills and water wells in Northeastern New Mexico. I don't need to get into all of the mechanics of how a windmill works, but at the bottom of the well (often several hundred feet deep) is a brass cylinder at the end of the pipe. There's one check valve that sits at the bottom and should be largely stationary, and another check valve that moves up and down the cylinder, connected to the head of the windmill with wooden sucker rods.
While attempts have been made to create seals for the check valves with rubber, leather has traditionally been the best material, as it shrinks when it's dry, swells when it gets wet, and can wear in a manner that doesn't destroy the more expensive cylinder at the bottom of the well. Growing up and working with my dad, we went on lots of jobs to "releather" the windmills once the leathers were worn down enough that they no longer maintained an acceptable seal.
Here's a picture of the checks - the one with one leather band is the one that sits at the bottom (and the leather generally sees minimal wear), and the one with the three bands is the one that moves up and down the cylinder to lift water to the top of the well. Not pictured on the upper check is the set of threads on the bottom that you screw into the top threads on the bottom check if you needed to service it for some reason (typically the brass portions getting too worn down):
https://offerup.com/item/detail/538879405
Wow, what a sublime comment! Thank you!
We had a hand pump near the back door of our farmhouse. I learned how to prime the pump with a soup-can full of water from an early age. There was also a well at the the new house, at 93 grandview, but that was a rope & bucket affair, no pump.
And of course I got some familiarity with wells & well-digging during my time in Senegal. That was a whole different scene.
Also wanted to mention that your stories about older New York always remind me of F. Paul Wilson's "Repairman Jack" stories which are largely set in pre-gentrification NYC, with a TON of New Jersey thrown in as well.
Another great comment. I've only read one Repairman Jack novel, The Keep, but I have a friend who's a big fan.
But here's the funny part: Guess where F. Paul Wilson went to high school? That's right: Xavier High School,, 30 West 16th Street. Which makes him, like me, a Son of Xavier. We weren't there at the same time, but I'm sure we had a lot of the same teachers, etc. ROTC became optional twenty years ago, but when Wilson & I were students there it was compulsory, so we both suffered through all that military indoctrination stuff.
Given your writings, I STRONGLY suspect that you'd really enjoy Wilson's books.
And just to be that pedant, "The Keep" is the first book in Wilson's "Adversary Cycle". "The Tomb" is the second book and features Jack's first appearance. Technically the Adversary Cycle goes on for four more books (mostly independently of Jack), while the Repairman Jack books go on for another fifteen or sixteen, before looping back to the "Adversary Cycle" (and this does not include Wilson's Jack prequels - very much Gritty New York Books and his young adult books that heavily feature New Jersey).
I'll stop pitching Wilson now other than to say that both of you touch on very similar themes ("Secret History of the World"), which makes me suspect that there's something in the water over at Xavier High School, and I may need to steal a drink the next time I'm back in NJ.