Page 205 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

from a college workshop.
This next incident did not really affect me directly but was nevertheless unforgettable.
The auction of machinery had been at the old Geest Industries small truck factory in
Boston which had closed.
For years and years this firm had churned out small wheeled trucks of all types and sizes
and exported them to all parts of the globe. Now it was all gone and Jack had bought
several of the specialist machines.

THE FIRST AND LAST
The first on my list was a large “fly press”. (Picture below of similar machines )

These strange machines are
very top heavy and by means
of fast revolving wheels and
inertia, produce huge impact
pressure on anything placed
on its working platform.

Large ones are heavy and
cumbersome all the weight
being at the top.
I duly arrived and found two
identical fly presses stood
side by side on the factory
floor bolted securely to their
concrete foundations.

Both had appropriate labels
designating their new owners.
They were about 12 to 14 feet
high and very very top heavy.

The factory was alive with
vehicles and men constantly
back and forth emptying the
once thriving unit of its life
blood, the machines.

After studying this unusual machine for some time I decided on the best way to tackle the
job. The press was destined for another factory unit in the town where two ex Geest
employees had set up their own small factory in an old railway goods shed.
The press had to travel in a vertical position as its internal workings prevented it lying
down. It was with some difficulty, I managed to obtain the use of a fork truck and carefully
placed the forks above the heavy working platform and directly beneath the top heavy twin
wheel press movement.
I was confident that there was no chance of moving the machine successfully without this
aid and the lorry crane could not get to the location within the building.

SAFETY FIRST

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