Vulcanizer

Home-Made Vulcanizer

From: Popular Mechanics 1911, feb

A novel vulcanizer for pneumatic tires, and one that will do exellent work, can be made of an old electric smoothing iron. The handle is removed and a 1/4 inch hole drilled in the top, 1 3/4 inch deep, for a small thermometer registering high temperatures. A small wood pattern is made flat on one side, and cut out to fit the tread of the tire on the other, and used in making a mold for a brass casting. A piece of woo is formed to fit inside the shoe.

Two rods of wrought 1/4 inch in diameter by 6 inches long, are each threaded on one end for a distance of 3 inches. The other end of each of these rods is formed into a hook to hold a piece of chain. The sketch clearly shows the apparatus, also the method of clamping it to an automobile tire. It is only necessary to connect the iron by a flexible electric cord to a lamp socket in the ordinary way, the current being preferably turned on at the iron and not by the socket switch.