HOME FIRES

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 13th Year

Issue

Issue No.

7

Date Released

Mar 1960

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1MINISTER’S VISIT
2. 2HOME FIRES
3. 3MINER’S FAMILY

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: the story of a foundry manufacturing stoves and cookers
NCB Commentary - Coke from the N.C.B. plant at Twechar by the lorryload - Fife coal by the scoopful - these are the demands of a modern Scottish iron foundry. And it all adds up to burning more coal.
It adds up to burning more coal because inside the foundry they’re making stoves. The casting is carried out by modern methods using automatic furnaces but the human element is still important. Two of these men are brothers. They’re craftsmen iron-founders and they’ve been at the works since they were lads.
When the moulds are opened the stove has begun to take shape.
Next casings are sprayed in a range of attractive colours. This factory, incidentally, produces some 120 different types of stoves and cookers.
Now the enamelling is "fired" - again automation plays its part and after a predetermined period in the ovens at 800 degrees C. the colouring becomes indestructably a part of the metal.
Firebricks are as important part of any stove and 21 tons of them are required every week - the clay used is mined locally and a lot of fuel is needed to fire the kilns.
Now Jimmy Weir begins the process of assembly. Although you don’t see many at a time - over a thousand people are employed at the foundry which is one of the largest of its kind. It turns out 55,000 products every year.
Many stoves nowadays are thermostatically controlled making solid fuel appliances as trouble free as other forms of heating.
The stove is finished. It’s smokeless in operation and will give a lifetime of service. The cheerful glow of an open fire is retained without all the heat going up the chimney and without adding to the smoke and dirt of our big cities.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 8th February 1960.

Keywords

Food and cooking; Domestic life; Industry and manufacture; Fuels

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board