Powerless. I am powerless. This stuff just finds me. I could say that I put up a fight to keep from bringing this junk back to Hooptyrides, Inc. but I would be lying. Some real Grade A finds. An old Chevrolet Deluxe heater, a Grote Heavy Duty turn signal control from a time before turn signals were standard equipment, a Moon spun aluminum gas tank complete with stinky old lacquered gas, a Danish Modern dining room table marked "Made in Denmark Imported by Eaarsgard Los Angeles", and an ether machine. Want to buy that dining table? Good! Because I want to sell it to you!
As far as ether dispensers go, this particular unit was in pretty rough condition. Three castered and lopsided, terrifically dirty and full of spiders, it was like any other daunting starting point. All potential. For the above photo I had stripped off everything I could and got to work with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. (It seems Mark and I are about to start a Magic Eraser Admiration Society.)
Lots of effort, Pine-Sol, Comet, Feed-N-Wax, Armor-All, chrome polish and 0000 steel wool went into this project and it turned out pretty amazing. Sure will make a nice end table! I will put a lamp in that well on the right and pencils and magnifying glass in that little drawer so I can continue showing the New York Times Crossword who's boss!
Perhaps a home for a goldfish? A Siamese fighting beta! Absolutely nickel plated beautiful.
Does it work? Sure! Well, I mean, within a very wide definition of what it means to work, hell yes it works! After plugging it in and getting it to power up after some fiddling, I replaced enough hoses to get pressure up to the ether jar. Note the gauge! Now, would I allow somebody to administer ether with this device? Of course not. But it does appear to do what it is supposed to. Besides, who else has a combo ether tank/side table/beta tank/vacuum pump?
Hooptyrides, Inc. is plumbed for compressed air but should it be plumbed for vacuum?
