When I was at the local Salvation Army I picked up a porta-potti for $3.50 to replace the 'hassok' (glorified bucket) that I got for free many years ago.
Yee-haw, this penny-pincher is moving up to a flush toilet.
Anyway, this thing is ancient. Possibly used by the wife of a fur trapper. It's a Montgomery Ward Western Field Model 470. I haven't found any info online yet, but my guess is that it comes from the '60s, based on the fact that the john my parents had in their camper in the early '70s was like the modern style.
However, after I got it home I got to thinking about old plastic cracking and failing, and I'm now wondering if I can trust this thing to not fail catastrophically at the most in-opportune time... Yuck.
Yeah, I know, I can get a new Thetford for about $70, so why take the chance, right? But I have this unexplainable affinity for giving new life to old stuff, so I would like to get some idea of the risk before I write it off.
I also like the design. It looks like two plastic jerrycans clamped together. Each half has big molded-in handles and big filler caps. Looks like it would be easier to carry to/from filling/dumping stations, and easier to fill/dump once there, compared to the contemporary design. I'll post up a picture if anyone cares.
So, are there any plastics engineers on board that can give me an idea of the probability of failure? Or indicators to check for? Treatments to reverse aging? I know UV is a big factor, and this thing is discolored, but somehow I don't think it sun fading. Again, I'll post a picture if it helps with a diagnosis.
Thanks,
Yee-haw, this penny-pincher is moving up to a flush toilet.
Anyway, this thing is ancient. Possibly used by the wife of a fur trapper. It's a Montgomery Ward Western Field Model 470. I haven't found any info online yet, but my guess is that it comes from the '60s, based on the fact that the john my parents had in their camper in the early '70s was like the modern style.
However, after I got it home I got to thinking about old plastic cracking and failing, and I'm now wondering if I can trust this thing to not fail catastrophically at the most in-opportune time... Yuck.
Yeah, I know, I can get a new Thetford for about $70, so why take the chance, right? But I have this unexplainable affinity for giving new life to old stuff, so I would like to get some idea of the risk before I write it off.
I also like the design. It looks like two plastic jerrycans clamped together. Each half has big molded-in handles and big filler caps. Looks like it would be easier to carry to/from filling/dumping stations, and easier to fill/dump once there, compared to the contemporary design. I'll post up a picture if anyone cares.
So, are there any plastics engineers on board that can give me an idea of the probability of failure? Or indicators to check for? Treatments to reverse aging? I know UV is a big factor, and this thing is discolored, but somehow I don't think it sun fading. Again, I'll post a picture if it helps with a diagnosis.
Thanks,