Blasphemy and Fire

Yes, it is true.  Those “fun loving” guys of the church used to burn people at the stake for acts that they considered “blasphemous.”    Luckily, such behavior has fallen out of practice.  Also luckily, this story has nothing to do with religious persecution. (there are plenty of current news sources out there if that is what you seek to read on a fine Sunday morning)  This story is simply about an old style of fire extinguisher.

This type of extinguisher is of the water-soda-acid variety.  If you are old enough, you will recall seeing them hanging on the walls in schools and other buildings.  Even into the early 1980’s you could still find some of these in use.  By then they were often the stainless steel variety.  As a kid, I once built a working steam boiler out of one and mounted it into a wood burning stove. (but that’s another tale for another day)

This specific example is much older.  It is made of copper.  And unlike the later copper ones that were all soldered together, this one has a nice pretty row of rivets on the top bell and down the seam at the back.  My wife, Elizabeth, who is absolutely awesome, surprised me with this as a gift.  She knew what the plan was, so she is not only generally awesome but also a great co-conspirator.  But that is getting ahead of myself.

These old extinguishers contained about 2 to 2-1/2 gallons of water along with some sodium bicarbonate mixed in.  Suspended under the screw on top handle is a glass bottle with weighted stopper that contained acid, often sulfuric.

As the unit hung, dormant on the wall, all was quiet.  In the event of a fire, however, all that was necessary was to take the extinguisher off of the wall hook and turn it upside down, holding it by the handle in the bottom base collar.  Upon doing so, the weighted plug in the bottle would drop out which then allowed the acid to blend with the water-soda mix.

Just like a kids baking soda/vinegar volcano experiment, the reaction would progress rapidly and violently, the subsequent rise in pressure (lots of it, these were often hydrotested to 350 or 500 psi) would then force the mixture out through the hose and nozzle–hopefully allowing the user to put out the fire and save the building (or save a witch being burned at the stake for that matter)

Today, these old copper extinguishers are saved by collectors, rare but not so rare as to be priceless antiques….sometimes displayed…but very often they are turned into lamps by drilling a hole in the bottom for the cord and one in the top to mount the fixture and lampshade.  By some standards, THIS is a form of blasphemy!  Which brings me to the co-conspiratorial part and intended acts of antique blasphemy.  It is true, this is to be incorporated into a project.  Usually when I incorporate antiques into other things I preserve them rather than alter them.  Restoration is an art form.  This time, however, I am going to commit some antique blasphemy.  I promise that the results–while having to do with lighting, will NOT be a lamp.   …and it will be awesome!