Electric hand lever press

About the sound

The electric hand lever press built by Loar in the 1930s was used in factories for pressing products out of bakelite such as egg cups, coasters or ashtrays. Today it is an exhibit of the Technikmuseum Schleiper Hammer and is turned on for presentations.
On the recording one can here the production of the body of a bakelite-egg cup. First bakelite- molding compound is filled into a heated mold. A slight crackling sound is made by the molding compound melting in the mold. Then, by use of a lever the operator presses the heated material into the desired form. In a matter of minutes the material cools off and the molding compound turns into an egg cup with mixed red and brown colors. After that the operator activates a lever in order to press the finished egg cup out of the mold. The activation of the lever as well as the product being pressed out of the mold also creates characteristic sounds. Finally the worker puts the egg cup body together with the base of the egg cup.

Sound recordist: Konrad Gutkowski/Julian Blaschke
Photographer: Konrad Gutkowski/Julian Blaschke
Video recordist: Konrad Gutkowski/Julian Blaschke