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Personal Museum/collections?

MHRestorations
Does anyone else on this site have their own 'personal collection' of antiquated electrical equipment that's in too good a condition to throw away, or may be unique?


I was caused to wonder this by the 'reuse' thread. We're starting a full rewire soon on a property which has a beautiful combined service head, main switch and fuseboard, all in one unit. I can't remember who made it, I want to say Callenders (later BICC). it's light cream coloured (almost the GPO 'light straw' if anyone's familiar) and with gilded lettering stating the purpose of each 'section' (Electricity supply, main switch and 'fuses').


I fully intend to keep at least the main switch and fusebox as functional (but clearly not actually used) items, and the service head if it turns out it can't be separated from the main switch easily, or if the DNO decide. I suspect it has rewireable fuses in, and possibly even a neutral fuse, although the meter dates to the 80s so that would likely be linked out.


In any case I'll be taking detailed photos of the installation as it is before we disturb it.


My colleague regards this as timewasting and would love to destroy the old gear in a blaze of RCBOs and 18th ed. compliant boards, but I bribe him with lunch to allow me to save such relics. I feel it's part of history?


Am I alone in this respect, and if not, how out of hand can it get?


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    MHRestorations:

    Am I alone in this respect, and if not, how out of hand can it get?



    There is a cure for hoarding! ?


    I certainly think that there is a good case for using old equipment in training courses. If you are doing an EICR course (the C&G numbers keep changing) it is helpful to see some of the old equipment which may be seen.


    The described equipment sounds unusual and, therefore, worthy of preservation. At least one example should be retained - does anybody here know what the Science Museum holds?


    It is very easy to take photos these days. Please post them here, which will make them widely available for at least some years to come.
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    My wife told me off a few years ago because I had a desiccated rat and the meter tails it had been chewing the insulation off prior to its demise.


    My take on it was it a good example of how much damage a rat could do to cable insulation before it made the mistake of touching both exposed conductors at the same time,  my wife said it was morbid.


    Andy Betteridge
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    I hasten to add the dead rat rode around in the van and never entered our home.
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    I think that Mr Peckham has a few stuck in his "Black Museum", he educates leckies .


    I must admit I like to see some of the old stuff it makes you see how things have evolved, often made better than todays rubbish and of course reminds me of things I was brought up with.


    All the isolator switches were upside down by todays standards and fuses blew with a reel good sound that anyone could hear without doubt.

    That`s back in the days before it became illegal to connect an apprentice up to the mains just for a laugh - charging a capacitor up and throwing it for them to catch does not have quite the same ring about it.
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    Yes I will put my hands up to that. I m no longer teaching at the college but I used to take various bits and bobs in for show and tell sessions to illustrate topics I was teaching. It always amused me if a circuit breaker or RCD was handed round the students would have to turn it off and on. 


    Ii I am teaching a lot of 18th Edition courses and hand around an AFDD and an SPD, last week I was delivering an in house course to a large consultancy and having the opportunity to handle an AFDD went down well. 


    You our may have seen me at Elex shows showing my samples, if you come along to Sandown Elex in a couple of weeks time I will be waving around a sample of Wavecon cable from my private museum.
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    a sample of Wavecon cable from my private museum


    Bet you haven't got round to preparing that three-and-a-half cable I gave you John!


    Regards


    BOD
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    In my workshop I have a good number of round pin plugs sockets and adaptors a lot of which are in use for various bits of kit I like using them the original idea was to re create a workshop I started my career in hundreds of years back ! For those worried yes it's all fused at 5 amps at the feed point
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    For me, I tend to the William Morris school of thought - if it has neither value nor beauty, then chuck it out.


    Regards


    OMS


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    My colleagues are trying to put me in there?
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    Have a look at Flameport.com (I think it is John Ward) virtual museum.


    Colin

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