Identify This Old Tirfor?

[Haironyourchest]

Edited March 5, 2022 by Haironyourchest

[Haironyourchest]

I have made some progress on identification, and there's a bit of history in it's history.

 

Going by the plate, it was the property of a now defunct company in the former East Germany.

 

 

VEB Ströhmungsmaschinenbau Pirna

WWW.INDUSTRIE-KULTUR-OST.DE

---

BAUJAHR: 1914/1970 ANGESTELLTE: 2000...

 

 

in the town of Pirna, near Dresden. The company premesis was once a mental asylum. During the GDR era it was a state owned factory for aeroplane terbines. When that industry failed, it was repurposed to make water terbines. 

 

Whether the outfit built Tirfor copies or not, I don't know. It may have been purchaced somewhere else and rebadged with the company logo and data. However, there is a "date of production" on the plate (1976).

 

This model of Tirfor are called H-15 in Germany, and were/are Bundeswehr issue. The bottom of the casing can be easily removed for cleaning and oiling, there is also a grease nipple on the non-lever end of the main crankshaft, which lubricates the main load bearing element. I have not seen this on other Tirfors, and I wonder why it isn't standard? Seems like a great idea.

 

The Bundeswehr Tirfors are dark green with a riveted carry handle, but mine is light grey with a folding carry handle. So I'm thinking it might have been a special GDR version.

 

The cable, original (?), is also oddball. It's not a "maxiflex" 4 strand but it has the same diameter - 11.5mm.... I cut the frayed end off and re-welded and ground the taper. Looking at the cross section it appears to be 7x19 seale.

 

I've restored the workings to a pristine condition as possible, lubed it to the max and made a handle for it. My custom handle is even "telescopic" after a fashion. If you want it longer you pull out the inner, flip it, and shove it back in. 

 

I've wire brushed the rope and treated with linseed oil, which has dried to a nice finish.

 

The auld machine came with broken there pins (it's the version with two, rather than three) and there were another 6 spares on board.

 

A new maxiflex rope is en-route, from Slovenia, for €100 cheaper than the standard Irish price. I'll keep the original rope for gnarly dirty pulls.

 

This machine came to me third hand, via a neighbor who I helped out. It came to Ireland in the early 90's, I believe, with an east German chap who has long passed. He was said to be a gangster of some sort, very shady background. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stubby]

21 hours ago, Haironyourchest said:

I have made some progress on identification, and there's a bit of history in it's history.

 

Going by the plate, it was the property of a now defunct company in the former East Germany.

 

 

VEB Ströhmungsmaschinenbau Pirna

WWW.INDUSTRIE-KULTUR-OST.DE

---

BAUJAHR: 1914/1970 ANGESTELLTE: 2000...

 

 

in the town of Pirna, near Dresden. The company premesis was once a mental asylum. During the GDR era it was a state owned factory for aeroplane terbines. When that industry failed, it was repurposed to make water terbines. 

 

Whether the outfit built Tirfor copies or not, I don't know. It may have been purchaced somewhere else and rebadged with the company logo and data. However, there is a "date of production" on the plate (1976).

 

This model of Tirfor are called H-15 in Germany, and were/are Bundeswehr issue. The bottom of the casing can be easily removed for cleaning and oiling, there is also a grease nipple on the non-lever end of the main crankshaft, which lubricates the main load bearing element. I have not seen this on other Tirfors, and I wonder why it isn't standard? Seems like a great idea.

 

The Bundeswehr Tirfors are dark green with a riveted carry handle, but mine is light grey with a folding carry handle. So I'm thinking it might have been a special GDR version.

 

The cable, original (?), is also oddball. It's not a "maxiflex" 4 strand but it has the same diameter - 11.5mm.... I cut the frayed end off and re-welded and ground the taper. Looking at the cross section it appears to be 7x19 seale.

 

I've restored the workings to a pristine condition as possible, lubed it to the max and made a handle for it. My custom handle is even "telescopic" after a fashion. If you want it longer you pull out the inner, flip it, and shove it back in. 

 

I've wire brushed the rope and treated with linseed oil, which has dried to a nice finish.

 

The auld machine came with broken there pins (it's the version with two, rather than three) and there were another 6 spares on board.

 

A new maxiflex rope is en-route, from Slovenia, for €100 cheaper than the standard Irish price. I'll keep the original rope for gnarly dirty pulls.

 

This machine came to me third hand, via a neighbor who I helped out. It came to Ireland in the early 90's, I believe, with an east German chap who has long passed. He was said to be a gangster of some sort, very shady background. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suppose you godda have a hobby 🙂

[Haironyourchest]

2 hours ago, Stubby said:

Suppose you godda have a hobby 🙂

It's bordering on a fetish, tbh.