Were Bogards Or Champions Made On Ravenswood Machines?

[Steph]

Some background from American Machine-Made Marbles:

Champion started making marbles in Pennsboro, Ritchie County, VA sometime around 1940.

Bill Heaton founded the Heaton Agate Co. in Cairo, WV in 1946. The Bogards bought Heaton Agate and all their equipment in 1971. Jack Bogard said in an interview that they also bought one of Ravenswood's machines. He said Champion got another. And then a couple of decades later Jack's new company Jabo got Dave McCullough from Champion!

AMMM says that the later Ritchie County marble companies, a group which includes Heaton Agate, used machines which were "copied or closely replicated" from Champion designs. On the other hand Bill Heaton is credited with designs of his own, which Dave McCullough used to build a machine while he was at Champion. This machine was used in the 1980's to produce the "Whirlwind" and many of the New Old Fashioneds.

So much interrelation!

• Question 1: Did either Bogard or Champion use Ravenwood's machines?
  

Jabo bought Bogard's equipment in 1987, and bought Vitro in 1992. AMMM says that Heaton's marbles ranged from 3/8" to about 1". However, AMMM also said that while Jabo was contemplating the Vitro purchase, Dave McCullough was 'particularly interested in the 1", 3/4", and the pee wee marble machines that Vitro owned'.

• Question 2: Which sizes of machines did Jabo get from Vitro? From Bogard? . . . . (Late note: I now see that the Bogards traded Heaton's 3/8" machine to Marble King.)
  

Many 5/8" Jabo Classics look like Anacortes Vitro marbles. Also, the swirl patterns on Jabo's 1-inchers can look parrot-y. However, the first Classics (Figure 1) were made in 1991, so they were made with a Bogard machine. It seems most likely that the Fall 1992 Classics run would also have been done with Bogard equipment. But which Bogard equipment? Many Ravenswoods look like they could be mistaken for Jabos. It makes one wonder.

• Question 3: Were the first Jabo Classics of Heaton heritage or Ravenswood?
  

Figure 1. Photo by Steve Sturtz.

• Question 4: Which company's machines were used for which size of Jabo classic? 5/8", 3/4", 1", and peewees. Most or all of this is covered in the above. One thing I want to pin down is whether Jabo used both Vitro and Bogard machines for the 5/8" runs. And if so, it would be cool to have some idea of the proportion.
  After thought: I suppose there are other possibilities. Perhaps the machines are combined and/or modified. Or even replaced with new equipment.
  

• Question 5: What happened to Bogard/Heaton's cat eye machine(s)?
  

[sissydear]

It will be interesting to see wvron's answers to the above. He and Dave McCullough may be the only ones who can. Edna

[wvrons]

This could get very lengthy and detailed. Dave M. could probably get into more exact details and actual dates. Yes,Bogard and Champion had machines (or parts of) from Ravenswood Novelty. Jack told me he tried (more than once) running the Ravenswood rolls. They ran ok,but just way to slow,for production number needs of the day. The last that i knew Jack still had the Ravenswood rolls wrapped and in the overhead stroage at the (now sold) Jabo Williamstown WV site. That is the confusing problems with all this trying to track machines from place to place. Once these machines left a company to another,or even at the same location,many of the parts could and would be changed around from one machine to another. The machines now at Jabo are most likely a combination of a couple or three past companies,but most came from Vitro Parkersburg,then Vitro Anacortes. It is possible that the adjustments on a,or some machines and rolls can be adjusted to run marbles of various sizes,pee wee 1/4 to 3/4. But a set of rolls sized to run 9/16 size,will run that size the best,but it is possible to run other sizes. Depending on the order size or quanity,it may not be cost efficent to change to a different size set of rolls. Of course this also is dependent on the machine operators skill. There is several different pieces to a marble machine and some can be switched out and some are specfic to only one machine. It would be very difficult (if possible at all) to accurately track a complete machine,or where different parts went or are located now. These various machines are not young and no new ones built. This of course is about most of the older WV machines. Not including Alox,Peltier,the Miller which is not far away,etc. Alley designed his machines and others for overseas. The various machines or equipment pieces have some to do with the marble pattern. But so does the tank,the glass in the tank,temp,additives,speeds,time,and as Dave always says,LUCK. When Mid-Atlantic sold their machines,there were about 8-10 machines,where each exact one came from ? But most were all making the same similiar marble,pattern,striping,etc. I guess that what i am trying to explain is that,it is very difficult (if possible) to track a certian marble or pattern to one machine,in most cases with the WV machines. Even the corkscrew was due to one piece,the spinning cup,not the entire machine. Like most with marbles there are lots of variables and not all is 100% in every case.

Plus,i have forgot most of the questions now,LOL.

[Steph]

LOL

It felt good just to get the questions off my chest.

I think I was prepared for an idea like this:

When Mid-Atlantic sold their machines,there were about 8-10 machines,where each exact one came from ? But most were all making the same similiar marble,pattern,striping,etc. I guess that what i am trying to explain is that,it is very difficult (if possible) to track a certian marble or pattern to one machine,in most cases with the WV machines.

Sorta needed to feel like the bases were covered before I jumped to that though.

If not said carefully it's very close to "they all look alike", which wouldn't be true of course.