OT, mostly: Doehler Jarvis metalware

In article <[email hidden]>,
zxcvbob <[email hidden]> wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

The large round one is marked on the back: NATIONAL LEAD CO. with a
picture of "Little Dutch Boy" stamped in the center. The smaller
boat-shaped bowls are marked the same except they also say
"DOEHLER-JARVIS DIV."

They are shiny with no patina, and are the color of chrome more so than
tin or silver. Does anyone know what they are? Are they worth
anything? Tin is worth over $10 per pound; that's why I bought them,
but I don't want to destroy them if they are worth more than scrap.
Actually, they look kind of nice, I might try to find a use for them.

<snip>

Hey bob,

I know this is unlikely to be much help ... you've probably been there
already. But a google search took me to ebay where there was a
"Doehler-Jarvis Chromeware Tray, Fruit Bowl" listed with a buy it now
price of $12.50 plus shipping. Look here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4453069632

Another, (Japanese) ebay site listed a "Metal Creamer & Sugar
w/tray!/Doehler & Jarvis U.S.A." currently at $39.12 ... unfortunately
in Hong Kong currency (I think) but only $5.00 USA.

http://cgi.ebay.com.hk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200094529991

Other hits led me to believe that Doehler & Jarvis is or was a big
aluminum die casting firm. Apparently they did a big business with the
american auto industry and were in financial trouble in the late 1990s.
Of course it now seems the entire american auto industry is in financial
trouble.

So, what to do? Sell them on ebay! ;-)

Regards,
Dave

Dave W said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
zxcvbob <[email hidden]> wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

The large round one is marked on the back: NATIONAL LEAD CO. with a
picture of "Little Dutch Boy" stamped in the center. The smaller
boat-shaped bowls are marked the same except they also say
"DOEHLER-JARVIS DIV."

They are shiny with no patina, and are the color of chrome more so than
tin or silver. Does anyone know what they are? Are they worth
anything? Tin is worth over $10 per pound; that's why I bought them,
but I don't want to destroy them if they are worth more than scrap.
Actually, they look kind of nice, I might try to find a use for them.

<snip>

Hey bob,

I know this is unlikely to be much help ... you've probably been there
already. But a google search took me to ebay where there was a
"Doehler-Jarvis Chromeware Tray, Fruit Bowl" listed with a buy it now
price of $12.50 plus shipping. Look here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4453069632

That matches these pieces perfectly. Thanks. I wonder what's under the
chrome plating? I may email the seller and see if they will tell me if
there's any info in that pamphlet.

I'm looking for a cheap source of tin to mix at 2% or 3% with scrap lead
to do some die casting. The tin is to reduce the surface tension so the
metal will flow into the molds better -- and to make the castings shiny.

Of course I could just put them in a 500 degree oven and see what
happens. If they melt, they are a high-tin alloy (like Britannia metal)
and I can use them. If they don't melt, the high heat shouldn't hurt
them a bit.

Bob

Tin-Lead solders?

"zxcvbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was at the Goodwill store today, and I picked up a set of small shallow
bowls for $3. I'm trying to figure out if they are polished pewter, or
Britannia metal, or something else. All three have the same border; I
don't know what you'd call it.

The large round one is marked on the back: NATIONAL LEAD CO. with a
picture of "Little Dutch Boy" stamped in the center. The smaller
boat-shaped bowls are marked the same except they also say "DOEHLER-JARVIS
DIV."

They are shiny with no patina, and are the color of chrome more so than
tin or silver. Does anyone know what they are? Are they worth anything?
Tin is worth over $10 per pound; that's why I bought them, but I don't
want to destroy them if they are worth more than scrap. Actually, they
look kind of nice, I might try to find a use for them.

I also bought a small vase for $2 marked "ENGLISH PEWTER" on the bottom,
and "MADE IN ENGLAND" in very small type. It was tarnished and had nasty
water spots. I polished it a bit and now it's the color of slightly
tarnished silver. It looks a different color than the Doehler Jarvis, but
that could be an illusion because they are highly polished.

Thanks,
Bob

*
The Doehler pieces are die cast zinc. D-J was a world famous as the largest
die caster in the first half of the 20th century. Herman Doehler was the
Henry Ford of the casting industry, sort of. The company was based in
Toledo Ohio, where Herman Doehler established it after he emigrated from
Germany. The company was privately held for most of its existence and one
of its owners was National Lead. I worked there when Bill Farley, the
textile and junk bond king owned it.

In its hay day, D-J made trinkets and gifts as promotions for its
customers. The die castings were usually chrome plated. (In those days,
the majority of D-J's products were chromed plated zinc castings used as
trim for automobiles.) The company was in business for over 80 years, so
there were many different gift items cast. (I have a candy dish and a few
platters I found in a thrift shop back in the '80s.) I can't imagine them
being too valuable, but I think they're fun to collect. (e-Bay seems to
have a number of pieces right now.) When the place was sold for the last
time and finally shut down in the mid '90s, the employees were given the
stuff left in the vault. By that time, not many people were left who
remembered them being made.

Pablo

Quoted message said:

Tin-Lead solders?

I don't know if you're asking about tin soldiers and misspelled it, or
about solder as a source of tin. :-)

I'm gonna be casting .45 caliber bullets (big heavy ones that are
expensive to buy) I need to add about 2% tin to get the lead to cast
better.

I've got my eye on several eBay auctions for 95% tin solder.

Bob

pablo said:

In its hay day, D-J made trinkets and gifts as promotions for its
customers. The die castings were usually chrome plated. (In those days,
the majority of D-J's products were chromed plated zinc castings used as
trim for automobiles.) The company was in business for over 80 years, so
there were many different gift items cast. (I have a candy dish and a few
platters I found in a thrift shop back in the '80s.) I can't imagine them
being too valuable, but I think they're fun to collect. (e-Bay seems to
have a number of pieces right now.) When the place was sold for the last
time and finally shut down in the mid '90s, the employees were given the
stuff left in the vault. By that time, not many people were left who
remembered them being made.

Pablo

Thanks. So the pieces are totally worthless to me as scrap, but they
are kind of pretty and might be useful for something. I was hoping they
were chrome or nickel plated Britannia metal.

Bob

zxcvbob said:

Quoted message said:

Tin-Lead solders?

I don't know if you're asking about tin soldiers and misspelled it, or
about solder as a source of tin. :-)

I'm gonna be casting .45 caliber bullets (big heavy ones that are
expensive to buy) I need to add about 2% tin to get the lead to cast
better.

I've got my eye on several eBay auctions for 95% tin solder.

Bob

Trade your pure lead to the black powder guys for 1.5 times the weight
in wheelweights.

Wheelweights properly fluxed cast pistol bullets just hunky and are good
in AVERAGE rifles up to about 1600FPS even with gas checks. I launch
them at up to 2100fps out of smooth clean bores.

Gunner

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