Vintage Scene AprilMay 2023_Layout 1 15/05/2023 16:39 Page 10
Marvellous Milking Magic By Rebecca Carson
S
am Kennedy once told Daddy that if he ever saw a Gascoigne Auto-Wash, he should buy it as he might not ever see one again. A Gascoigne AutoWash is a piece of equipment used to clean the clusters that were used in the days when milking machines had buckets and a vacuum line above the cow stands. It could wash four clusters at a time, but if you only had three you bunged one pipe with red wax. By connecting the clusters to the Auto-Wash, the cleaning water was sucked up into a glass tube. When it was full, the flap at the bottom opened and the water fell down into a big
sink, where it was sucked back up through the clusters again. This was better than getting a bucket of water and washing it out by hand, and it meant you could be in the house for your breakfast a lot sooner! A man showed Dad a glass tube and asked him, “Do you know what this is?” Dad saw the iconic red wax bung and knew what it was, so he bought it. Dad and I polished it up, and found that it was very shiny under the grime and the glass on it is nice and clean.
The vacuum tap was really grimey and notchy. Measuring the broken spring from the bottom of the tap.
I worked in some fine grinding paste and then Autosol.
It all came out clean and smooth. 10
May/June 2023
The vacuum gauge came from eBay. I wonder if it works.
It does!!
Call 01295 404099 to advertise or email advertising@vintagescene.co.uk