Hello All!
Regarding Skinner's Union (S.U.): Gus is partly right. Skinner's refers to
someone who skins (an animal). The S.U. people were leather workers, I have
no idea how the story of plumbing was introduced; fuel lines I suppose, but
then it would be Plumber's Union (P.U.;-)). Anyway, leather was used to seal
gasoline (petrol) connections and work as diaphragms on fuel systems in the
days prior to the invention of neoprene.
If you have ever worked, or will work, on an old (c. pre-1955)
car, truck, or tractor you are bound to find leather in the fuel system or
carburetor (if it still original). If you do find such archaic artifacts of
the automotive world, make sure that you place them in a jar of petrol and
seal it until you put the system back together, or replace the leather with a
new neoprene item.
S.U. was purchased by B.M.C (I believe, or it could be earlier).
Safety Fast!
Tom Le Blanc '73B
Graduate Division, University of California at Santa
Barbara
|