Alox Third Generation Run

[Steph]

The Alox adventure continues!

In 2006 the authors of American Machine-Made Marbles reported that Alox's last working machine, which had been salvaged by two machinists at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, had been shipped to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee during the 1980's. They said it "still rests in Tennessee, perhaps dreaming of more productive days".

I imagine the authors were being romantic and poetic, but guess what!

Nancy Frier, granddaughter of Alox founder John Frier, has retrieved the machine and it is now running again.

I don't have all the details - perhaps someone else will help flesh those out - but here are some photos of their run from this past Monday.

I'm having trouble deciding which photos to include! (Click on pix to enlarge)

[MrsMopar]

WOWWWWWW!! Kewl pictures! Nifty historical machine and stuff going on...that's just awesome! Way to go Nancy!

It's like history coming alive in the present, how kewl is that!

:-) Felicia

[bermar]

This is a very interesting and gratifying report. I saw the Alox machine when it first arrived at Jabo and was eager to see what it could do.

I was there the day after the run and saw the marbles. As you may be able to see in the above pictures, the aging rollers are a little rough and will need some smoothing work. The marbles have a minor "orange peel" surface that will be easily remedied. It's a great success story. Congratulations on the revival of an important part of the marble story.

Burt

[Akro gatherer]

so this machine is at the jabo plant?

[david Chamberlain]

So? David

[marboman]

How can you not love a machine that makes marbles?

[Mike]

This is a very interesting and gratifying report. I saw the Alox machine when it first arrived at Jabo and was eager to see what it could do.

I was there the day after the run and saw the marbles. As you may be able to see in the above pictures, the aging rollers are a little rough and will need some smoothing work. The marbles have a minor "orange peel" surface that will be easily remedied. It's a great success story. Congratulations on the revival of an important part of the marble story.

Burt

This could be a really good thing! Special Alox runs with great & expensive glass. Polish up them rollers. Next Generation Alox sounds pretty good.....huh? Do you want true to time period or modifications to add something?

[bermar]

I did not hear anyone say how the machine would be used in the future.

My assumption is that it is a privately owned machine.

All information would have to be secured from the owner.

[Al Oregon]

That's great to hear and see. Kudos to Nancy for following up on that and thanks for sharing the pictures.

[Digswithstick]

You said it Al ! Made in USA again ! Wonder if this will drive up prices of first and second run ?

[david Chamberlain]

Which 1st and 2nd run? Let's see, there has already been a 2nd run of JOKER II 2010 or was that the third run of JOKER III. Whose on first? I dunno; I think I need a crib sheet. Help! David

Edit Sunday May 2nd: I was just being silly here and do have a running tab on JOKER runs + obviously full respect for Alox Agate Co marbles past and present and the considerable effort that went into pulling off this 21st Century Alox marble run. Alox marbles and Jabo marbles will never be mistaken one for the other.

[Steph]

David, did you put your Alox post in the Joker thread and vice versa? We really do need a score sheet! :-)

[Steph]

I figure "first run" would be the marbles made while the Alox company was still open.

Then I figure "second run" could be the ones made in Branson.

AMMM says only "about a half dozen" marbles were made there, to prove that the machine was working. Also says none are known to exist today.

Those would be too rare to value!

I didn't ask Nancy what "Third Generation" meant though. Maybe she was talking about herself, the 3rd generation of Friers making marbles. :-) Guess I could still ask. :-)

[MrsMopar]

I'm thinking she meant herself, being the granddaughter.

Such a kewl idea too! Revive the machine and make marbles like her ancestors did...that's soooo awesome!

Maybe someone who was there will come along with some insight? This is one of those times you wish you were a fly on the wall observing the goings-on.

Definitely a great addition to the Alox history.

:-) Felicia

[bermar]

David,

There is no second run of Joker II and no third run of Joker III. Each run has its own distinct name, characteristics, and date.

Burt

[wvrons]

It has been a busy week. This is and the name of the run was The Third Generation Alox run. We did it April 26,2010,with the help of Jabo and Dave McCullogh,Richard Mcknight,Ronnie Ewers. Others present were Nancy Frier,Dave Stutsman,Frank(Alley grandson)and Ruby Sellers,Ruby,s brother Jim and myself. We had hopes that Rae Weekley could be there,but not possible. Her father owned and operated Ravenswood. Nancy wanted them present because of her grandfathers ties with those companies. This project has been in different stages for almost a year now. A second run is planned in the furture,with some more work being done on the rolls. More work ahead by Dave,Jim,Myself,Griff and etc. The machine ran for hours without any problem at all. My surprise was at just how much slower this type machine actually did run. I was used to the speed of the updated machines. The shear and rolls on the Alox machine seemed like they were in slow motion. This machine had not run for about 60+ years. It had sat outside in the elements many of those years. But with some help it came alive once again. When Nancy deliverd it to Jabo last may,Dave went to work on the disassemble. I took the rolls for bead blasting,and the reassemble and painting began. A few slight changes had to be made or repaired,bearings etc. Dave mounted a variable speed drive,3 phase electric motor to run it. Which was good,because the tips of the roll flights are wore. If the machine was fed to fast or the roll speed to slow the glass would climb the flights and make the barbell,dog bones,etc. We had several,three long spindels,barbells,kisses etc. but these pieces were also special. With more work on the rolls hopes are to lessen or maybe eliminate the orange peel. But many liked this affect. This will seperate the Third Generation Alox run from any others. Lots of pictures and videos were taken. There should be some on Joes Marbles Web before long. I am sure there will be more details posted ahead. Once the run was finished,there were lots of hugs and tears in the Jabo office. The group could not have been more happy. Nancy's father is not in good health and her goal was to run this machine one more time. Then present her father with some Third Generation Alox marbles. If only,he could have been there.

I CANNOT THANK the Most WONDERFUL Nancy Frier enough THANKS for giving me this GREAT opportunity of having a small part in this machine made marble history. Plus the quality time of her company.

Nancy and Dave S. spent the week here at my house. I did manage to get her around to visit some people and places. We visited Akro and Roger & Claudia,The West Virginia Glass museum,Fenton,the Oil,Gas museum and state history,Sammy Hogue made marbles for her,Cairo marble Festival,etc plus Jabo. A busy past week and another one ahead.

THANK YOU Nanc

Ron S.

[mmuehlba]

did a quick search and found this . Mike

Alox Kites and the Man Who Made Them

[wvrons]

Thanks Steph and Felica,Hi Bert,good to see you again,thanks for helping with this until i got back. Nancy will have a large book out this winter with all the history and details of the total Alox company from the start until today. She worked for her grandfather doing various jobs including packaging old Alox marbles. He started this company in 1919. Nancy was good enough to save large amounts of paper documentation from all angles. She has been good enough to share most with me over the past year. A lot of news and Alox marble history coming ahead. I will leave that up to Nancy or watch for the book. Alox marbles and toys will also be in a movie by Warner Brothers in the future. She has been very busy the past year or two. Along with the help of Mike Johnson. Some of the 3rd Generation Alox marbles,in time will be bagged sets with original vintage Alox headers. As usual there is a lot going on right now and ahead. Maybe Nancy will show up here later today. She is on her way home since 10pm and will need some sleep first. Another hint,there are only two bags left for sale with the original Alox header and containing the Paul Bunyan marbles. Nancy is the only contact for these. Lots of connections with Alox,Alley,Ravenswood,Heaton,and Master. All ahead in the book .

[Akro gatherer]

So? David

Is this a question like mine? Trying to get clarity of where the machine is like I was simply doing......or what is it David, sir?

[MrsMopar]

I Love it! Thanx Ron for all the info, sure helps a LOT! This is all so very exciting and with more to come (book AND movie!), yeaaaaahhhhhh! Gosh, to be living during such an historical time, Ron, I'd have been on pins and needles the whole time, I cannot imagine such a prestigeous group gathered..wowwww..just the thought is overwhelming!

God bless you Nancy for doing this for your dad, what a noble and loving gift this will be for him. Prayers for a safe trip home too!

:-) Felicia

[david Chamberlain]

Akro Gatherer,

No, 'cause it was pretty clear that there couldn't be any doubt from the preceding posts in the thread that the Alox machine was at Jabo. I was wondering if you were maybe enquiring more deeply regarding the circumstances of it being there thus the "So?" to your post basically asking for more clarity on what you might have been getting at. Maybe I just read more into it than was there.....David

[Akro gatherer]

1. I saw the Alox machine when it first arrived at Jabo and was eager to see what it could do.

This is the only statement that said anything of where this machine is before I posted. How was I to know what time frame he was talking about? But nontheless here comes one of YOU GUYS to jump in and say "hey, he said Jabo and did not genuflect". It's a shame that a simple question can not be asked without this happening when anything about Jabo is in the question. How does that kool-aid taste? Can you say knee-jerk? I thought I already posted how I felt about Jabo and you even commented on it but now this? Things that make you go hmmmm. This is why the Jabo argument goes on because nobody will lay it down.

[nancylfrier]

Thanks Steph for posting the pix s for me. Thanks Ron for putting the info up and everything else you did, and thanks Felicia. Wow Monday the 26th was over the top. I thank Dave Mc for all the work he did and by the Grace of God all this was able to happen. I called it the 3rd Generation because I am the third generation to carry on Alox. I was just thankful the machine ran for a day and the marbles were round. We hope to do another run after the rollers are spiffed up and will let everyone know after the run is completed. The machine is at Jabo and I have plans to take it to The City Museum in St Louis were her old friend is the Shoelace Braiders, the Braiders are the original braiders from 1919 when my Grampa started Alox, and are still working and making shoelaces and other products. The old Marble machine had to put her best roller forward the other day so the old braider machine would not be one up on her. Thank you , thank you , thank you to all who have helped make my dream come true and to all that is interested in the progress of Alox. A friend of mime Jeff Duntemann has a site for the old Alox kites and I took our Kites out to the Kite Museum in Long Beach Washington last August for the kick off of the Alox Kite Exhibit.

Dave Chamberlan I would love to talk to you and see what pix s you have of Alox for my book, if that would be ok, you can email me at [email protected]. Thank you all again

nancy l frier

A lways

L oved

O hugs &

X kisses

[david Chamberlain]

Hi Nancy,

Will get back to you this coming week and can send along original photographs or do some new ones. I took great liberties a few years ago and actually named two Alox marbles. Will send you an example; just as soon as I see what I have that might suit your purposes. I have always had great affection for Alox marbles. My email is [email protected] or call (831) 462-1873. David Chamberlain

[Akro gatherer]

man that old machine is a real piece of history. would be nice to see especially with the marble show just minutes away saturday.