Interior. Leafield House, former factory office and dressing area. Process. Square counter sinking by hand using a pneumatic punch/chisel and hammer. Note the dust extractor.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Vertical Corer no. 1 cutting blocks or rough outs for curling stones from block of common ailsa granite.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Finishing, Quality Control, inspection and stone matching.
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Interior. Dispatch Shed. Curling Stones, Top Row left to right:
(red handle) Outdoor common ailsa upto year 2000 with ailsert on one side only, 40lbs in weight; (yellow handle) Indoor blue hone, 1970s, 40lbs in weight; (blue handle) Indoor Furnace Loch Fyne granite, c.1930s-1940s, 38-40lbs in weight
Middle Row left to right: Indoor Blue Trevor Stone (Wales), c.1960s, 40lbs in weight; Indoor Blue Trevor hybrid with ailsa craig ailsert, stone c.1960s, ailsert c.1995
Bottom Row: Outdoor ailsa craig blue hone, c.1930s - early 1950s, 38lbs in weight; Outdoor Crawford John , c.1900, 32-34llbs in weight
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Interior view of Kay's Curling Stone Factory, Mauchline. Dispatch Shed. Curling Stones, Top Row left to right:
Outdoor common ailsa upto year 2000 with ailsert on one side only, 40lbs in weight; Indoor blue hone, 1970s, 40lbs in weight; Indoor Furnace Loch Fyne granite, c.1930s-1940s, 38-40lbs in weight
Middle Row left to right: Indoor Blue Trevor Stone (Wales), c.1960s, 40lbs in weight; Indoor Blue Trevor hybrid with ailsa craig ailsert, stone c.1960s, ailsert c.1995
Bottom Row: Outdoor ailsa craig blue hone, c.1930s - early 1950s, 38lbs in weight; Outdoor Crawford John , c.1900, 32-34llbs in weight
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Interior. Main Workshop/Giftware. Here we see lathes 5, 6 and 7. Lathe 5 is the banding lathe which shapes the striking band on the stones. This is made by Lang. Lathe 6 is used to undercut the circular pocket in giftware curling stones for metal finishings, and is a Ward 3DB Capstan or turret lathe made by H W Ward and Co. Worcester, England. Lathe 7 is used to drill the metal fittings holes in the curing stone giftware blanks. This is a Herbert No. 5 Senior lathe.
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View of front elevation, east range. Blocked lower windows, disused. Leefield House to left has had its wallhead and lower fenestration remodelled.
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Interior. Former Turning Shop, now Giftware. Lathe no.9. This saws giftware cores.
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. 1st floor. View of Mechanised belting or strike band machine. This ran on compressed air interacting with a percussion hammer. Mr James Wyllie demonstrates how this was used. Disused since shot blasting introduced.
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View of Andrew Barclay Co. Ltd -built Curling Stone Turning Machine (this job now carried out by Lathes 1 and 3). Now disused.
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View of Andrew Barclay Co. Ltd-built Cupping Machine (cutting of cups of curling stones now carried out by Lathes 1 and 3).
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View of Quenching Tank for cutting tools and Tongs from the smithy (originally in Rough Out Shed, ground floor and now gone). These objects date from the 1940s - 1960s.
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Interior. Giftware. Booth for lacquering giftware.
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Kay's Curling Stones, price list 1920-21
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Interior. Main Workshop. Detail of Landis Saw cutting ailsert from Vertical Corer no.2 cores into 1 inch/25mm disks. Each disk takes 2-3 minutes to cut.
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Interior. Main Workshop Process: Polishing. Here we see polishing of the completed stone using an angle grinder and five different grade diamond polishing disks. Tin oxide is also used to give the stone its final shine.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Polishing. Here, John Brown, is applying tin oxide for the final polishing of the shoulders and cup of the curling stone. the tin oxide is aplied to a buffing tool. The polisher puts his uper body weight against this and the stone and smooths the cup area which contains the running edge of the stone. The sides of the stone are not pilished as this is the rougher striking band.
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General view of southern part of the site.
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Main Entrance. Spare coring machine (vertical drill).
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Rough Out machine (disused since 1980s), installed by Andrew Barclay (Kilmarnock) c.1959. Machine set up to show block in place and roughed out block on machine in foreground.
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. Rough Out machine (disused since 1980s), installed by Andrew Barclay (Kilmarnock) c.1959. Machine set up to roughed out block on machine and tools used including key for tightening the tool bar holder.
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. View of 'cuddies'. The cuddy on the left was for cutting the strike band on the curling stone (also known as belting). On the right, the cuddy for cutting square counter sink for handle fittings. Disused since 1980s. Mr James Wyllie demonstrates how these were used.
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View of Curling Stone Polishing Machine. Now disused.
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Mauchline, Kay's Curling Stone Factory: Annotated survey drawing of Ground plan showing simplified flow process
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Interior. Leafield House, former factory office and dressing area. Process: Finishing. 'Cuddy' used until the 1980s on which the curling stone maker created the striking band (known as belting) and countersinking the stone for attaching the handle. This was originally done by hand using small hammer and chisel.
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Kay's Curling Stones, price list 1920-21
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Interior. Main Workshop. Vertical Corer no.1 cutting blocks or rough outs for curling stones from block of common ailsa granite.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Quality Control, matching and finishing area. Note the rough-outs on the right as they have come from Vertical Corer no. 1. Lathes 2 and 3 are visible in the background. Lathe 2 cuts the 'pockets' or recesses for the ailserts and Lathe 3 rough shapes the shoulder profile and reduces the rough-out to 134mm in depth.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Turret of Lathe 2. Note the completed polished curling stones on the right and the slab of ailsa common granite in the foreground.
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Interior. Former Turning Shop. Now Giftware. This section was built in 1949 and was originally an open courtyard area. Here we see storage for giftware.
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. Rough Out machine (disused since 1980s), installed by Andrew Barclay (Kilmarnock) c.1959. Machine set up to show block in place and roughed out block on machine in foreground. Mr Jmes Wyllie, owner, demonstrates the machine showing how the cutting tool would be brought across the face of the bock to be cut.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Stenciling of common ailsa slab. Vertical corer 2 wil then cut the rough out (body f curing stone) which wil then be refined on Lathes 1-4.
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Interior. Giftware section. 6 spindle lathe. This machine does the job of Lathes 1-4 in giftware.
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Interior. Former Turning Shop, now Giftware. Lathe no.7 cores the middle size giftware and undercuts large giftware.
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. View of 'cuddies'. The cuddy on the left was for cutting the strike band on the curling stone (also known as belting). On the right, the cuddy for cutting square counter sink for handle fittings. Disused since 1980s. Mr James Wyllie demonstrates how these were used.
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View of Andrew Barclay Co. Ltd-built Grinding Machine (grinding now carried out by Lathe 4). Now disused.
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View from north east of 1949 Turning Shop (now Giftware), Toilets, Canteen and Rough Out Shed (hipped roof).
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View from W showing part of WSW front
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Interior. Leafield House, former factory office and dressing area. Process: Finishing. Hand dressing the striking band (known as belting) of a curling stone. Note the dust extractor. c.1975, James Wyllie.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Turret of Lathe 1 Roughing out granite block from which a curling stone will be created.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Landis Saw for cutting ailsert from Vertical Corer no.2 cores into 1inch/25mm disks. Each disk takes 2-3 minutes to cut.
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Interior. Former Turning Shop. Now Giftware. This section was built in 1949 and was originally an open courtyard area. Here we see the polisher for giftware. to the right is ailsert storage. The machine on the left is the six spindle machine that lishes the giftware.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Corer 1. This drill cuts the blocks which are then send to lathe 3 to have the ailsert pocket cut.
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Interior view of main Workshop, Kay's Curling Stone Factory, Mauchline. Polishing. Here John Brown applies the last tin oxide polish to the curling stone cup/running edge and shoulders.
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General view of site from south west. These buildings were not originally part of the curling stone works and date from after 1909 (25 inch, Ordnance Survey Map, Ayrshire, 1909, sheet 028.08) but depicted on the 1938 survey 25 inch, Ordnance Survey Map (Ayrshire, 1945, sheet 028.08). It is unclear what the function of these buildings were used for. They are now storage for the curling stone factory.
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General view of Leefield House on left. This and the adjacent disused area on the right (regular fenestration at wall- head) is the surviving southern range of the former masonry-built box factory (access not possible). Leefield House on the left is modernised, but was formerly fenestrated as the range to the right. Leefield House was lived in by the Wylie family and was used also formerly as part of the curling stone finishing department. The house is currenty empty.
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General view of Leefield House (former box making factory, latterly used as finishing department for curling stone factory adjacent).
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Interior. Main Workshop. No 4 lathe (Herbert 9C/30 lathe), final diamond cutting. The curling stone profile is 90% complete after cutting on this lathe.
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. View of rough out machine (disused).
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. View of rough out machine (disused) and Mr James Wyllie.
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. View of 'cuddies'. The cuddy on the left was for cutting the strike band on the curling stone (also known as belting). On the right, the cuddy for cutting square counter sink for handle fittings. Disused since 1980s.
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. 1st floor. View of Mechanised belting or strike band machine. This ran on compressed air interacting with a percussion hammer. Mr James Wyllie demonstrates how this was used. Disued since shot blasting introduced.
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Interior. Main Workshop. View of quality control and ailsert insertion into curling stone rough block area.
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Copy of annotated mechanical copy, plan, section, 'Proposed Granite Dust Extraction' on block ayout of Roughing out Shop, Smithy, Boring Department (now Giftware), Turning Shop (now Saw and Shot Blast area), Polishing (now Storage and Lathe area) and Grinding Room (now rear of Main Workshop), Finishing Shop (disused) and Dispatch Shed. Survey of Private Collection
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Interior. 1st floor original building (partially demolished c.1960). Process: Finishing. Striking band of curling stone applied by hand. Willie Cairns (right), Andrew McGavin (left).
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Interior. Main Workshop. Turret of Lathe 1, Roughing-out machine. Block or rough-cut common ailsa stone from vertical corer no. 2 is being fashioned.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Turret of Lathe 1, Roughing-out machine. Block or rough-cut common ailsa stone from vertical corer no. 2 is being fashioned.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Lathe 2 (right) and Lathe 3 (left). Lathe 2 cuts the top and bottom ailsert recess and drills central hole for handle. Lathe 3 has a tungsten tip drill tool which creates the shoulder shaping and roughs-out the stone to 134mm in depth.
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Interior. Former Turning Shop. Now Giftware. This section was built in 1949 as originally an open courtyard area.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Finishing. Here the running edge is being rubbed into emory paper. Carbon paper is then placed on the running edge and a brass roller is run over it to produce a 'print' of the running edge surface. This is then sent to be measured and checked to ensure that the running edge is within specification allowing the pairing of stones prior to dispatch.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Finishing. Here the the print is being removed from the running edge of the curling stone.This is then sent to be measured and checked to ensure that the running edge is within specification allowing the pairing of stones prior to dispatch.
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General View of Kays of Mauchline from west at Barskimming Road.
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. Rough Out machine (disused since 1980s), installed by Andrew Barclay (Kilmarnock) c.1959. Machine set up to show block in place and roughed out block on machine in foreground. Mr James Wyllie, owner, demonstrates the machine showing how the cutting tool would be brought across the face of the bock to be cut
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. Rough Out machine (disused since 1980s), installed by Andrew Barclay (Kilmarnock) c.1959. Detail of cutting tool bar and roughed out bock. Machine set up to roughed out block on machine and tools used including key for tightening the tool bar holder.
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. Details of artefacts including a polishing shoe, belting hammer (for creating the striking band by hand), calipers for measuring the diameter of the stne during roughing out, cutting tools for rough out machine and key for tightening the chucks on the rough out machine.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Slab of ailsa common granite. This sawn slab (sawing is done off site) will have template applied to draw on the number of stones from this slab. The slab wil then go to Vertical Corer no.1 where the blocks or rough-outs will be cut.
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Interior. Former Turning Shop. Now Giftware. This section was built in 1949 and was originally an open courtyard area. Here we see storage for giftware and laqureing boothe on left. The lacquering simulates the highly polished surface of full size curling stones.
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Interior. Main Workshop. View of Corers 2 (ailserts) and 1 (rough outs). These drills produce the two components of the curling stone.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Finishing. Here the running edge is being rubbed into emory paper. Carbon paper is then placed on the running edge and a brass roller is run over it to produce a 'print' of the running edge surface. This is then sent to be measured and checked to ensure that the running edge is within specification allowing the pairing of stones prior to dispatch.
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Interior. Former Turning Shop, now Giftware. Ailsert (running edge blue hone insert for curling stone) storage rack for main workshop on left, polishing machine for fitting inserts or giftware. Grinding machine and heating system.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Lathe no.6 (shaping some larger size giftware and undercuts small size giftware (disk recess fittings). Lathe no.5 (banding machine) is on the right.
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. View of 'cuddies'. The cuddy on the left was for cutting the strike band on the curling stone (also known as belting). On the right, the cuddy for cutting square counter sink for handle fittings. Disused since 1980s. Mr James Wyllie demonstrates how these were used.
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. Balance scales originally used to weigh curling stones against standard stone.
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Interior. Main Workshop. General view from South.Lathe 3 on right and Vertical Corer 2 on extreme left. Finishing and quality control are in the central area.
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Interior. Giftware. Booth for lacquering giftware. Mr James Wyllie demonstrates.
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Interior. Former Roughing Out Shed. Process: Roughing out. Roughing out and boring a curling stone by hand c.1925, Willie Cairns (left), 'Scottie' Willison (right)
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Interior. Former Polishing Shop (now storage area). Process: Finishing. Polishing of curling stone by Gerry Graham c.1925.
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View of site from SW prior to taking down of 3 storey building, formerly a Mauchline Box-making factory. The disused Rough Out Shed of the curling stone factory is on the left.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Vertical Corer nos. 2 and 1 cutting ailserts and blocks or rough outs for curling stones from blocks of blue hone (ailsert) and common ailsa granite.
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Interior. Dispatch Shed. Curling Stones, Top Row left to right:
Blue Hone block roughed out and bored by hand; Blue Hone ailsa block as from quarry
Bottom Row: Indoor Blue Hone ailsa, late 1940s - early 1950s, 40llbs in weight; Outdoor Blue Hone ailsa, 1940s-1950s, 36-38lbs
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Interior. Main Workshop. Finishing. After the running edge is rubbed on emory paper, carbon paper is then placed on the running edge and a brass roller is run over it to produce a 'print' of the running edge surface. This is then sent to be measured and checked to ensure that the running edge is within specification allowing the pairing of stones prior to dispatch.
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General view of site from south showing former roughing out shed (left, double pitch roof with former extractor unit house (disused) in front), main entrance into main workshop (partial 1949 extension to infill existing courtyard), dispatch shed (blue doors/ double pitch roof) and Leefield House (former house with ground floor extension which contained finishing area, below).
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Main Entrance. Extension (c.1960) post demolition of upper floors above Main Workshop space.
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View from north east of 1949 Turning Shop (now Giftware), Toilets, Canteen and Rough Out Shed (hipped roof).
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Interior. Rough Out Shed. Ground floor. Rough Out machine (disused since 1980s), installed by Andrew Barclay (Kilmarnock) c.1959. Machine set up to roughed out block on machine and tools used including key for tightening the tool bar holder.
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View from north of 1949 extension (now Giftware) on right. The Main Workshop wall is in the midde of the picture. Lathe 5 (Banding) sits behind this wall.
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Interior. Former Packing Shed. Process: Finishing. Finished stones having 'Kays Excelsior' and 'Made in Scotland' stencilled onto the striking band prior to shipping. c. 1940s. No longer done
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View of site from SW prior to taking down of 3 storey building, formerly a Mauchline Box-making factory. The disused Rough Out Shed of the curling stone factory is on the left.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Vertical Corer no.2 cutting ailserts from block of blue hone ailsa.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Lathe 3. This Herbert 9C/30 turret lathe does rough shaping of the shoulders of the curling stone.
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Interior. Main Workshop. Corer 2. This drill cuts the ailserts. Aislerts are disks which are inserted into the body of the curling stone and provides the running edge over the ice. Modern stones have 2 ailserts to enable double the use before replacing or reconditioning of stones needs to take place.
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General view of site from south west. These huildings were not originally part of the curling stone works and date from after 1909 (25 inch, Ordnance Survey Map, Ayrshire, 1909, sheet 028.08) but depicted on the 1938 survey 25 inch, Ordnance Survey Map (Ayrshire, 1945, sheet 028.08). It is unclear what the funtion of these buildings were used for. They are now storage for the curling stone factory.
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General view of dispatch building. This was added in the 1940s.
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General view of disused southern range of the former box factory. This area was not used by the curling stone manufactory adjacent.
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View of rear of east range. Former workshop. Disused and not part of the Curling Stone Factory. the extension is Leefield House which was partly used for Finishing (ground floor).
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Interior. Main Workshop. No 4 lathe (Herbert 9C/30 lathe), final diamond cutting. The curling stone profile is 90% complete after cutting on this lathe.
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Interior. Main Workshop. No 4 lathe (Herbert 9C/30 lathe), final diamond cutting. The curling stone profile is 90% complete after cutting on this lathe.
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Interior. Former Turning Shop, now Giftware. Engineering Lathe. No.8. For general use.
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Interior. Former Turning Shop, now Giftware. General view from east.
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Interior. Former Packing Shed, now Research and Design and storage from East. This was added in the 1940s.
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Details
Organisation: Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
Alternative name(s):
Canmore ID: 320218
Site type: Factory (period Unassigned)
County: Ayrshire
Parish: Mauchline
Council: East Ayrshire