I have just purchased a Darton Thermograph on Ebay, looked a good idea
at the time !

It has now safely arrived and appears to be in semi working order,
clock and rotating chart appears to work but the ink has all dried up
and I suspect the nib is damaged.

Just wondered if anyone had any links to a full working order device,
or some instructions regards the ink and nib.

Brief photo on here http://tiny.cc/4z12x

Many thanks

Paul C
www.bramptonweather.co.uk
www.cumbriaweatherforum.co.uk

"Paul Crabtree" wrote ...
I have just purchased a Darton Thermograph on Ebay, looked a good
idea
at the time !
It has now safely arrived and appears to be in semi working order,
clock and rotating chart appears to work but the ink has all dried
up
and I suspect the nib is damaged.
Just wondered if anyone had any links to a full working order
device,
or some instructions regards the ink and nib.
Brief photo on here http://tiny.cc/4z12x


.... can't get that link to work for me - I get a '404': if you're
going to go in for what I suppose nowadays would be regarded as
'legacy' instrumentation, then it might be an idea to get hold of the
'official' book(s) that covers such equipment as I doubt (though might
be proved wrong) that such will be found easily on the Net.

The 'official' volume for the UK (and associated services), was the
Handbook of Meteorological Instruments (HMSO/Meteorological Office)
.... in several parts: the part you need is 'Part 1: Instruments for
Surface Observations'.

I see Amazon has some for sale, though not cheap ... £22= (+p&p) but
if you're into these things for the long haul, it would be a wise
investment.

On the specific ink/nib thing, IIRC, autographic instruments such as
this were eventually switched to integral nibs which we just slipped
onto the pen arm rather than all that messing about with cleaning the
triangular nib (methylated spirits) and dripping ink (carefully!) into
the nib etc., with the usual build-up of gungy-ink on the base of the
thermograph/hygrograph etc.

The problem was that the integral nibs would dry up suddenly (like a
'Biro') and unless you kept an eye on them, you could lose a 12-24hrs
worth of 'trace' (depending on how often the screen was visited), and
at this time, many offices were 'distant reading' temperatures rather
than traipsing out to the screen hourly (or more frequently) to read
the thermometers.

Someone in the newsgroup of course may have a copy of the publication
and might be able to scan the appropriate pages/diagrams.

Martin.


--
Martin Rowley
West Moors, East Dorset (UK): 17m (56ft) amsl
Lat: 50.82N Long: 01.88W
NGR: SU 082 023

"Martin Rowley" wrote in message
news
"Paul Crabtree" wrote ...
I have just purchased a Darton Thermograph on Ebay, looked a good idea
at the time !
It has now safely arrived and appears to be in semi working order,
clock and rotating chart appears to work but the ink has all dried up
and I suspect the nib is damaged.
Just wondered if anyone had any links to a full working order device,
or some instructions regards the ink and nib.
Brief photo on here http://tiny.cc/4z12x


... can't get that link to work for me - I get a '404': if you're going to
go in for what I suppose nowadays would be regarded as 'legacy'
instrumentation, then it might be an idea to get hold of the 'official'
book(s) that covers such equipment as I doubt (though might be proved
wrong) that such will be found easily on the Net.

The 'official' volume for the UK (and associated services), was the
Handbook of Meteorological Instruments (HMSO/Meteorological Office) ... in
several parts: the part you need is 'Part 1: Instruments for Surface
Observations'.

I see Amazon has some for sale, though not cheap ... £22= (+p&p) but if
you're into these things for the long haul, it would be a wise investment.

On the specific ink/nib thing, IIRC, autographic instruments such as this
were eventually switched to integral nibs which we just slipped onto the
pen arm rather than all that messing about with cleaning the triangular
nib (methylated spirits) and dripping ink (carefully!) into the nib etc.,
with the usual build-up of gungy-ink on the base of the
thermograph/hygrograph etc.

The problem was that the integral nibs would dry up suddenly (like a
'Biro') and unless you kept an eye on them, you could lose a 12-24hrs
worth of 'trace' (depending on how often the screen was visited), and at
this time, many offices were 'distant reading' temperatures rather than
traipsing out to the screen hourly (or more frequently) to read the
thermometers.

Someone in the newsgroup of course may have a copy of the publication and
might be able to scan the appropriate pages/diagrams.

Martin.


I found this Google Book useful when setting up a thermohygrograph
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Q...s_similarbooks
If you are using Firefox then Pixlr Grabber will allow you to 'grab' and
print pages
I've used Barometer World www.barometerworld.co.uk and Read Scientific
for consumables.
--
George in Epping, West Essex (107m asl)
www.eppingweather.co.uk
www.winter1947.co.uk
COL 36055

Thanks for the advice

Hopefully this link will work http://tinyurl.com/6jhzuot

I hopefully would just like to have it working, rather than being used
for any recordable readings.

regards

Paul C

"Paul Crabtree" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the advice

Hopefully this link will work http://tinyurl.com/6jhzuot

I hopefully would just like to have it working, rather than being
used
for any recordable readings.

regards

Paul C


.... yes, that link is fine: a wonderful bit of kit! I'd get it up and
running to take readings; bit of a faff to begin with, but once
calibrated etc., it's not too much of a problem: getting hold of the
charts is usually the stumbling block, but George has made some good
suggestions as to sources.

The 'feet' look as if they are sprung - suggesting it was used in an
environment subject to vibration or sudden movements - a marine
environment perhaps?

Martin.



--
Martin Rowley
West Moors, East Dorset (UK): 17m (56ft) amsl
Lat: 50.82N Long: 01.88W
NGR: SU 082 023

"Martin Rowley" wrote in message
...
"Paul Crabtree" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the advice

Hopefully this link will work http://tinyurl.com/6jhzuot

I hopefully would just like to have it working, rather than being used
for any recordable readings.

regards

Paul C


... yes, that link is fine: a wonderful bit of kit! I'd get it up and
running to take readings; bit of a faff to begin with, but once calibrated
etc., it's not too much of a problem: getting hold of the charts is
usually the stumbling block, but George has made some good suggestions as
to sources.

Martin.


You can of course make your own charts. I know someone who prints off
barograph charts onto photo quality paper using a genuine chart as the
master. The challenge is to maintain the correct dimensions throughout the
process-so that one rotation of the drum is still equal to seven days on the
chart.(or whatever time period the drum is geared to rotate in). I recall
being told, as a student in the early 1970's, that photocopies of large
scale OS maps would be distorted and therefore not acceptable for the
Geology mapping project so I had to buy duplicates of the expensive
originals. (I still have them).

--
George in Epping, West Essex (107m asl)
www.eppingweather.co.uk
www.winter1947.co.uk
COL 36055

Paul Crabtree wrote:
Thanks for the advice

Hopefully this link will work http://tinyurl.com/6jhzuot

I hopefully would just like to have it working, rather than being used
for any recordable readings.

regards

Paul C
-------------------------
Except for the spring feet it looks like the one we used to use to do
"The Wind and Weather" with at our old lab at Beckton Sewage Treatment
Works in the late sixties, early seventies. I seem to recall us having
mini felt tips for the pen which were replaceable but did tend to dry up
as Martin says.
Dave