Welsh Mines Society
Cymdeithas Mwyngloddiau Cymru

• Sunday 23^rd March - Spring Indoor Meet
  
  Although the advertised underground trip planned for the Saturday had been cancelled, some members arrived the day before, and were able to help with preparations in the morning before folk began to arrive.  (Payment in kind for a great hot meal the previous evening, cooked on the AGA, and eaten in the workshop, with a nice bottle of red and great company).  Geoff had opened up the entire ground floor of his property, so there was adequate space for all activities.  These included, in addition to the obligatory chat between friends and new aquaintences, over teas, coffees and biscuits, a substantial buffet lunch, and a handful of very interesting presentations throughout the afternoon.  For those with an interest in machine tools and all things mechanical, tours of Geoffs workshop were given before lunch.
  
  The afternoon presentations included the following subjects :
  
  
  • The Water of Ayr Hone-Stone Works in Ayrshire.
    Stone extraction (from both underground and surface quarries) hasn't occured for several years, but the works remain more or less as they were when in full production, a visit to the site being the basis of the presentation.
    
    This presentation opened my eyes to the subject of natural hone stones, which I'd not previously looked at in detail, having used the same manmade 'oil stone' for close on 30 years to keep my tools sharp. 
    One of the many publications authored by Dr Gordon Tucker, and published by The Ayrshire Archaeological & Natural History Society, in 1983 (47 Pages), is titled, 'Ayrshire Hone-Stones', and covers this establishment.  (See http://www.outsideecho.com/DGT-BIO.htm#_Toc390754683)  It is unfortunately long out of print.
    However, a currently available, online publication, written in more recent years, also describes the works, in addition to providing information on the stones themselves.  It can be found
    here : http://bosq.home.xs4all.nl/info%2020m/grinding_and_honing_part_3.pdf
    
  
  
  • Three dimensional scanning, and panoramic photographic surveys by Deri Jones of DJA.
    This included  examples of his work completed for the Copper Coast Geopark, Ireland, (which can be seen here http://www.coppercoastgeopark.com/heritage/mining-heritage.html - see links under the heading : 'Virtual tours of Tankardstown mine site') and Cwmbyr Lead Mine.
    

    I first became aware of 3D scanning, in the 1990's, as used to ensure new chemical plant ties in to the old correctly - but interesting to see it now being used in recording IA.
    

  There may have been other material presented, but the above I mangaged to observe from the hallway, due to the volume of folk filling the living room !
  

  All in all, I think most folk found the day very agreeable - thanks therefore go to Geoff and the presenters for making it possible.
  

  Mike Munro