Iron Miners
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 Post subject: Coal Cutters how they work
PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 7:45 pm 
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Location: Central Ohio
The purpose of the cutters was to eliminate the coal miner to no longer lay on his back & undermine the coal for hours on end. This machine would cut under the seam of coal causing the weight of the coal to collapse above the cut & to easily be loaded into mine cars for further processing.

The cutter usually had a rail mounted sled that the cutter would go from workings to workings. Utilizing the motor on the cutting machine a chain would be added on to the sled to allow the machine to go to the next working without having to push this enormous beast.

The problem with this machine when introduced is that it created alot of coal dust. They never used water at that time for dust control. At least the model that we have been restoring is an explosion proof model. Past cutters were not built to this standard which now changed the entire coal industry of equipment to build everything with the "NEW" explosion proof standards. More & more coal miners were killed by explosions & standards were adopted quickly to regulate the safety of the miners.

The operated was now exposed to the most dangerous environments in the entire industry of coal mining.

If the cutting bar would kill you first then the dust would get packed into their lungs latter causing "BLACK LUNG"

This machine quickly got its name as the:

"WIDOW MAKER"

Check out the diagrams on how this early machine operated in a room & pillar method.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:16 pm 
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Location: Within 60 Miles of the Northern Anthracite Field
ah, yea basically a giant chain saw :D they also used these in the northern anthracite field where the coal is flat. although none remain except in a museum.

anthracite undercutter:

Image

Image

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:21 pm 
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Sweet pictures but can you even think of operating one of these as your JOB.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:25 pm 
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Location: Within 60 Miles of the Northern Anthracite Field
man that must have been terrible.i cant even imagine the dust that must have created not to mention the flying coal also. safety glasses didnt even exist in those days. fire damp was highly explosive which consists of a mixture of methane gas released from the coal and coal dust combined. it was then ignited by the miners open flame head lamp causing an explosion........ wonder where the coal dust came from........ :?

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 1:01 am 
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Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2005 11:33 pm
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Location: Above the Sterling Hill Mine
Very nice pictures. Looks like it would be sweet to operate or play with, but not to be your day by day job. It makes Alaskan Crab catching kindergarten.

Miner Greg


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:54 pm 
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Location: Hard coal region, PA
Yeah seriously. bad news bears. Theres a couple cool pictures of undercutters ive seen on ebay and such form the bitty fields.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:22 am 
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Location: Hard coal region, PA
I wish i could upload the pictures i took today from here. Marble cutters! 8)

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 11:43 pm 
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Banks were they using a wire saw with diamonds on the cutters?

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:51 pm 
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Yeah actually.. 8) However thats not what i was refering to!! :twisted:

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:09 am 
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If they were using an old cutter saw that would be bad ass.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:31 am 
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Sure it is bad news, but I'd still love to see the stuff operate.

They also use cutters in the salt mines. The salt mines are flat pitch generally.

Miner Greg


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:57 pm 
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That is one thing we have specialized in: RESTORING TO OPERATING CONDITION. It is a different experience watching these picec opf equipment operating vs. static displays.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:54 pm 
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Maybe I can't find them, but did you guys upload videos of this cutter in operation?

Miner Greg


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 5:51 pm 
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Location: Within 60 Miles of the Northern Anthracite Field
the videos are mixed in with the photos. seems the ohio boys are a little slow to find the videos forum :?

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 12:21 am 
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We know where the video section is but we rather just keep it with the subject topic.

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