Does anybody remember these? They were an iron for ironing clothes before electricity became available in a lot of rural communities. The ones I remember had a blue ball about 2 1/2 or 3" in diameter that you filled with naptha gas, and a built in pump to pressurize the ball with air. Then you lit it just like a Coleman camp stove, and after the initial flames had settled down to a nice even hiss, the internal burner heated the sole plate and it was great to iron clothes with. I would like to get one of those balls for a fuel tank for my Odds and Ends hit and miss engine. If anybody has one, let me know please. Childhood memorys of my aunt Betty ironing clothes prompted this story I wrote a few years ago, titled "Aunt Bettys Iron".
“Aunt Betty’s Iron”
The part of Ontario that I grew up in had no Hydro electric power untilI was about 10 years old, and then when it did come through, a lot of peoplecouldn't afford it until I was about 15 years old.
This lead to a lot of strange and wonderful memories of when I was akid. One of the more awe inspiring memories is of my aunt Betty's Naptha gaspowered clothes iron. (And yes, she wasmarried to the ill fated Uncle Jimmy who put the Naptha in grandpa's oilcan).
Now I'm sure that not too manyof you knew that there was such a thing as a Naptha powered clothes iron.
It kinda looked like anelectric clothes iron, but it had a round blue globe about 3" diameter onone end. This globe had a screw on lid and a pressure pump just like a gaslantern.
The procedure to use this thing was to fill the globe withNaptha gas, pump up the internal pressure, then light it with a kitchen matchand let it preheat.--And that was the fun part. My aunt Betty was deathlyafraid of the damn thing, because when you lit it, blue flames would shoot inall directions, totally enveloping the iron and the hand of whoever lit it, andit would hiss like a ruptured dragon until the burners inside the iron heatedup---then it would settle into a rather contented hiss and you would be readyto iron the days washing with it.
She would make my uncle take it outside to light it and get itwarmed up to operating temperature. My uncle knew no fear!! (Hell, he even usedNaptha in his Zippo cigarette lighter, because it was cheaper than lighterfluid.).
I always loved it if I happened to be at Grandpa's house onironing day. My uncle never worked too steady---it interfered with his whiskeydrinking and fiddle playing too much. As a consequence, him and my aunt livedin a little house on a piece of mygrandpa's land.
He wasn't big on working, buthe was great with all of us various nephews and nieces, and could be dependedon for some great pyrotechnic displays!!!
“Aunt Betty’s Iron”
The part of Ontario that I grew up in had no Hydro electric power untilI was about 10 years old, and then when it did come through, a lot of peoplecouldn't afford it until I was about 15 years old.
This lead to a lot of strange and wonderful memories of when I was akid. One of the more awe inspiring memories is of my aunt Betty's Naptha gaspowered clothes iron. (And yes, she wasmarried to the ill fated Uncle Jimmy who put the Naptha in grandpa's oilcan).
Now I'm sure that not too manyof you knew that there was such a thing as a Naptha powered clothes iron.
It kinda looked like anelectric clothes iron, but it had a round blue globe about 3" diameter onone end. This globe had a screw on lid and a pressure pump just like a gaslantern.
The procedure to use this thing was to fill the globe withNaptha gas, pump up the internal pressure, then light it with a kitchen matchand let it preheat.--And that was the fun part. My aunt Betty was deathlyafraid of the damn thing, because when you lit it, blue flames would shoot inall directions, totally enveloping the iron and the hand of whoever lit it, andit would hiss like a ruptured dragon until the burners inside the iron heatedup---then it would settle into a rather contented hiss and you would be readyto iron the days washing with it.
She would make my uncle take it outside to light it and get itwarmed up to operating temperature. My uncle knew no fear!! (Hell, he even usedNaptha in his Zippo cigarette lighter, because it was cheaper than lighterfluid.).
I always loved it if I happened to be at Grandpa's house onironing day. My uncle never worked too steady---it interfered with his whiskeydrinking and fiddle playing too much. As a consequence, him and my aunt livedin a little house on a piece of mygrandpa's land.
He wasn't big on working, buthe was great with all of us various nephews and nieces, and could be dependedon for some great pyrotechnic displays!!!
