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Baron Blakeslee vapor degreaser from 1960s

adv.

I am an environmental attorney representing a metal finisher that used a Baron Blakeslee vapor degreaser in the 1960s, although we do not have an operations manual. Were there many different types of Baron Blakeslee vapor degreasers during that time? Does anyone happen to have a picture or an operations manual? Thank you.

Bret Stone
- Santa Barbara, California
2005

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I'm sure you could find advertisements for these units in old journals, and maybe even some technical write-ups by their sales or tech people. I'm rather sure there would be multiple sizes, and probably some additional style options, such as with or without a liquid compartment and with or without a cover. We have a great library if you have an associate out east who would like to peruse those old journals.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005

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2005

That was probably the Cadillac of vapor degreasers at that time. They came in a huge amount of sizes. Like a Cadillac, they had a large amount of bells and whistles that you could add on, but were not standard.
The amount of solvent released into the area is hugely dependent on the way that the operator used the equipment.
Over the years, the freeboard has increased, the quality of the cooling coils improved, Covers became more effective, hoist speeds were lowered significantly and the physical environment is critical, IE: no drafts either horizontal or vertical. The misuse of the equipment was terrible in several places that I have been.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida

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2005

Hi Bret,
I did a quick Google Search on Baron Blakeslee vapor degreaser. Here are a few links for you:

http://www.degreasingdevices.com/degreasers.htm

http://www.ultronix.com/useddegreasers.html

http://www.thermalequipment.com/bbi.htm (this is the manufacturer's website).

There are about 300 hits. I don't know how many are useful to you.

Good luck.

Bill Duttlinger
- Naperville, Illinois

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Ed. note: Jan. 2017, the URLs which are struck through are no longer functional.

Baron Blakeslee was purchased by Enviro Tech International. We have copies of many of the old manuals and employees who may have been around when your machine was made. We have experience in representing parties in legal matters.

Larry Clark
Enviro Tech International, Inc. - Melrose Park, Illinois
2006

I WAS EMPLOYED WITH G.S.BLAKESLEE, WHICH LATER BECAME BARON-BLAKESLEE, I believe IN 1964. MACHINE MODELS INCLUDED D15P,D25P,D35P,D45P,D55P,D65P,D75P,D85P,D95P. THESE WERE ALL VAPOR-SPRAY MODELS. LV, AND LLV MODELS WERE LIQUID DIP,VAPOR SPRAY TYPE, HAVING MULTIPLE SUMPS. THE SMALLEST AVAILABLE WAS A 55 GAL. STANDARD INDUSTRIAL DRUM, FITTED WITH AN ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENT AT THE BOTTOM, UNDER A WORK GRID. IT HAD A SINGLE TUBE COOLING COIL MOUNTED IN ONE OF THE BUNGS WHICH WAS FED BY STANDARD TAP WATER.SPECIAL MODELS WERE AVAILABLE DESIGNED TO THE CUSTOMERS SPECIFIC NEEDS, THEY COULD GET QUITE LARGE. THE SOLVENT WAS TRICHLORETHYLENE, OR PERCHLORETHYLENE DEPENDING HOW MUCH HEAT WAS REQUIRED TO CLEAN THE METAL.

JAMES J. DONOHUE
- BARCELONETA, PUERTO RICO
2006

CORRECTION, AND ADDITION TO MY RESPONSE RE:DEGREASER. THE LV,AND LLV MODEL BARON-BLAKESLEE DEGREASER WERE LIQUID,VAPOR TYPE. LIQUID DIP TO REMOVE SURFACE CONTAMINATION, FOLLOWED BY VAPOR RINSE. ALL MODELS WERE AVAILABLE WITH COVERS SUCH AS THE "ECONOLID", WHICH WAS A MYLAR SHEET ON A STEEL ROLLER WHICH WAS DRAWN BACK AND FORTH TO OPEN,OR CLOSE THE WORK AREA.THE BARREL DEGREASER WAS FURNISHED WITH A STANDARD STEEL LID.

JAMES J. DONOHUE
- BARCELONETA, PUERTO RICO
2006

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We had an in ground Baron Blakeslee vapor degreaser using trychlorethylene roughly 8 foot by 4 foot with water cooling pipes around the top inside perimeter. Wanted to know when these degreasers were first manufactured and sold?

Also, what year it became illegal to use this type of degreaser?

Barry Meister
former manufacturer - Newark, New Jersey
February 3, 2010

Hi, Barry. I personally know them to have been in very wide use from the 1960s to the mid 1980s, but a literature search would be necessary for me to know if they were used in the 1950s and 1940s.

I am not aware that it is or ever was illegal to use vapor degreasers.

That is not to say that there are not specific regulations governing the operation of the device and the use of trichlorethylene. Today, for example, I know there are NESHAP and other regulations governing maximum parts hoisting speed, the details of the refrigeration coils, the need for covering the device when not in use; secondary containment regulations guarding against a spill, and general regulations about the use of trichlorethylene.

There are probably environmental attorneys and specialists who have all these regulations on the tip of their tongue. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
February , 2010

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opinion!

As a sales trainee at GS Blakeslee in Cicero for most of 1968, I ran the parts department. Late that same year I became regional sales engineer for northern New England, taking over what had been Blakeslee Sales Manager Larry Bashe's territory.

I recall well, how he tutored me to [deleted by editor, see note].

[deleted by editor, see note]. Frankly, I stayed away from the machines themselves as much as I possibly could. I had survived Hepatitus as a child and was regularly warned by doctors of my higher risks of dry cleaning solvents and alcohol.

I actually sold few of the smaller machines. My territory had many high-volume makers of small parts (fasteners, jewelry findings, etc.) and as a result I sold a relatively high number of rotating basket machines on high capacity conveyor systems.

My territory also contained the early collection of printed circuit board makers and other electronic parts (Raytheon, RCA, Honeywell, Data, etc.) so I sold quite a few Freon-based ultrasonic machines. I think only the sales rep in California sold more of those than I.

I was there when the two guys from Baron bought the company. I was thinking of them after re-watching the original Wall Street film. It was that memory, and revived curiousity that caused me to Google the company and find this web page.

[deleted by editor, see note] I did not get along well with Bashe, so I left [deleted by editor, see note]. My experience with the computer industry took me to National Ultrasonic in New Jersey, where I became Sales Manager for that market.

By one of the world's coincidences, following the death of its primary financial backer, I returned to Chicago in 1968 as Director of Marketing and bought a house in Wheaton, Ill and became Larry Bashe's neighbor. My daughter and his son were classmates in Wheaton North high School.

I was told sometime in the early 70s that he died on the golf course [deleted by editor, see note].

Joe Harkins
- Jersey City, New Jersey
September 28, 2010

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Ed. note: Our editorial policy has always been to not publicly bash products or print ad hominem postings. So we deleted a few lines from Joe's letter. If you want the unedited version, please advise and we will forward your e-mail address to Joe for private discussions.