Scientific Instruments, Specimens, Books and Collectables

Fortunes in Minerals including Uranium [Simple Tests and How to Make Them] – Ion Idriess

An Ion Idriess classic which followed “Prospecting for Gold”. Experts regarded this book as a serious compendium. Includes chemical tests and sections on the use of the blowpipe.

Published by Angus and Robertson, a 1954 edition of the revised edition. Large octavo, 310 pages with some instructive illustrations. A very good copy bar the dust jacket is chipped and aged – now protected in Brodart.

Ion Idriess classic – makes your fortune in minerals – plenty have.

$40.00

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Amsler Polar Planimeter [Measuring the area of complex irregular shapes/ boundaries] c1910

Plush-lined fitted case some 12” long contains a polar planimeter invented by Swiss mathematician Jacob Amsler. All in very good condition and working order.

The instrument was a revolutionary change from the complex Cartesian system base instruments used before. This device uses polar co-ordinates.

With this device two arms are connected with a pivot both arms moving around the anchor. As the pivot moves back and forth it traces an area whose net measurement is zero. The means that the area traced by the tracer point exactly equals the area of the closed curve. The area is equivalent to 2pi X the product of the length of the tracer arm, the radius of the counting wheel and the number of revolutions of the counting wheel.

In more modern times mathematicians apply “Green’s theorem”.

Amsler’s radical and very useful new design

$190.00

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Strawbale Homebuilding – Alan Gray.

An “Earth Garden Magazine Publication” i.e. self published by Alan Gray of PO Box 2, Trentham, Victoria – love it!.

The title more or less explains all. Octavo, perfect bound, 156 pages with numerous illustrations from original photographs of the magnificent constructions. This method may have gone out of fashion with the move towards stainless steel, glass and posh bathrooms.

Time for a resurgence we would say – the economy monetary and environmental should be promoted by Governments and all of their cascading authorities.

Every public servant should be made to build one – sorry if you live off the purse.

More money and delight can be made from this book over any other

$25.00

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Mines and Minerals – Herbert Cox and Felix Ratte – Sydney 1885

First edition of this extremely scarce book for the mining industry. Printed by John Woods of Bridge Street, Sydney and published in 1885 as part of the “Technical Education Series. The principal author Cox was Instructor of the Department of Geology, Mineralogy and Mining at the Sydney Technical College [advertisements to his course appear at the rear] – his co-author held a similar position at the Ballarat School of Mines.

Octavo, 342 pages, plus index and numerous trade related advertisements at the back and the front. Some adverts of the key machinery providers of the period – Dunn, Babcock etc., relevant booksellers lists which include Geike’s volumes and the odd amusing elements such as the Waterproof Riding or Driving Toga which doubles as a bush bed covering. Original brown cloth covered boards with gilt tiles and embellishments to front, back and spine. The condition is still good to better we think for such a rarity which no doubt has been quite well used. The binding is a little loose but not that bad. Find another one!

Super information starting with chapters on geology, stratified deposits, Mineral veins and lodes, irregular and alluvial deposits. Moving to the Physical Properties of Minerals and their composition and determination. Noble metals and silver and lead, mercury, copper, tin, tungsten, titanium, and molybdenum. Leading to haloids, salts, quartz, opal, silicates, and precious stones.

Near the end we have two chapters which drew our attention – Assays and the use of the Blowpipe and Special Assays for Gold and Silver. The use of the carbon block and the blowpipe …

Special Australian book on Geology and Mineralogy – 1885

$240.00

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The Moth Hunters – Aboriginal Prehistory of the Australian Alps – Josephine Flood.

First edition of this important work – the very first history of the Aboriginal people who inhabited a large area of south-eastern Australia.

Published by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, Canberra in 1980. Large sized soft cover [no equivalent hardback] 388 pages after preface and helpful guides. Well illustrated with diagrams, images from photographs [50 plates] and sketches [60 figures, maps, tables etc.

Chapters include – archaeological background; geographical setting; ethnohistorical evidence; demography; material culture; of Moths and Men; tribal territories; rock art; settlement patterns; – Canberra, Alps, southern uplands; stone assemblages of open campsites etc etc.

Near the end we have commentary on the excavation of nine rocks shelters.

Followed by numerous appendices re specific understandings and discoveries – a wealth of information and a most rewarding book.

Readable most comprehensive work of Australian Aboriginal pre-history.

$240.00

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Einstein’s Universe – Nigel Calder

Marking the Centenary of Einstein’s birth the BBC brought together some of the brightest ever to contribute to this work of relativity.

Sometimes explained at a level beyond mere mortals, sometimes in such a trivial manner hardly touching the boundaries of the concepts and connectivity involved. Here we have a a master work on the subject which still holds well despite the forty plus years since its publication.

Octavo, 178 pages, illustrated appropriately. Some minor highlighting by an educated reader which helps with emphasis.

Einstein and relativity more than just “shells of time”

$30.00

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Fortunes in Minerals including Uranium [Simple Tests and How to Make Them] – Ion Idriess

Amsler Polar Planimeter [Measuring the area of complex irregular shapes/ boundaries] c1910

Strawbale Homebuilding – Alan Gray.

Mines and Minerals – Herbert Cox and Felix Ratte – Sydney 1885

The Moth Hunters – Aboriginal Prehistory of the Australian Alps – Josephine Flood.

Einstein’s Universe – Nigel Calder

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