Davy Furnace

Installed in the 1960s around the same time the original furnace boilers were removed, this oil-fired furnace (later converted to burn natural gas) was used to heat the raw metal to be worked on the Davy Press. The large raw steel billets were hauled into the furnace using balanced tongs wielded by the overhead crane. The heavy steel framed doors were then fastened and the steel billets heated for hours, often overnight, to achieve the high temperatures needed to shape the metal in the Davy Press. Once ready, the red-hot steel was removed from the furnace with a wedge spade billet holder (used in a similar way to a garden spade) and transferred to the Davy Press.

Facts

Year Installed: c1960
Dimensions: 5m long x 4m wide, 2m high.
Material: Steel framed, lined with fire brick
SHI No.: 47450525

References

Futurepast Heritage Consulting (2009) ATP Section 170 Heritage & Conservation Register.

Godden Mackay (1996) Eveleigh Workshops Management Plan for Moveable Items and Social History- Volume 3 (Inventory).