Toasty Toes...Learning to Use an Antique Carriage Foot Warmer!

I have wanted one of these things for years...decades, actually...but more for the novelty of it than anything.

This is a Clark No. 7C carriage foot warmer.

The "C" designation identifies it as a wagon foot warmer, i.e. not quite so posh as the 7D, which has a nice row of vents across the front of the warmer.  This one only has end vents.

Anyway, I had no idea what a treat I was in for, when I bought this lovely old heater from well-known purveyor of carriage antiques, Mike Zaetta, as a Christmas present to myself.

The next thing to do, of course, was to figure out how to use it.  Being "primitive", (late 1800s/early 1900s), I was a bit concerned about using it in a wooden buggy, as it burns carbon fuel.

I am sure I'm not the only antique carriage driving enthusiast who has idly wondered what sort of fuel was actually used in the old heaters.

The fuel is contained in a drawer that pulls out from one end of the heater.  In this photo,  the drawer contains some charcoal briquettes.  However, in the OLD days...

The companies who made the heaters also sold carbon fuel bricks in a size that fit the drawer, and were said to burn up to 15 hours, without smoke or smell!  I found this unopened box of 12 fuel bricks on eBay, and for obvious reasons, though I'm tempted, have not opened it.  I would destroy the fragile box.  However, the box is printed with all the instructions necessary to prepare the heater for use.

 I have learned from friends on the internet, how to use modern day barbeque charcoal briquettes to fuel the heater for pleasure driving.

A generous Facebook friend described how he prepares his carriage heaters for use in -10 degree F sleigh rides!

The first step is to ignite about six briquettes (all the tray will hold) in a makeshift coffee can charcoal lighter, using Match Light brand briquettes.  The coals are lit and allowed to go ashy while harnessing up the horses (they smoke and stink a lot before they're ashy).  Then the briquettes are transferred to the tray, which is inserted into the heater, and off you go!

However, with my usual luck, I found that the ends of the heater and the handle became BLISTERING hot with six coals in the tray!

I tried several times with fewer coals until there weren't enough coals to provide meaningful warmth.  I don't know what was wrong, but it could perhaps have to do with the fact that the ends have been chrome plated sometime in modern history.

I kind of thought it was hopeless.

However, I am not easily discouraged!  I bought some 1 1/2" wide heat shield material at the auto parts store, doubled it and wrapped the ends, holding it in place with large hose clamps.  I also put a piece over the handle plate.

Then I re-did my experiments.  With four coals in the drawer, the outer, exposed metal edges of the heater were cool enough to touch.  Underneath the unit, they were actually cold! The carpeted surface (warning!  Asbestos underneath!) was pleasingly warm to the touch.  This, I felt, was a safe starting place to actually use the heater in the buggy.

Today I finally got a chance to try it out!  I took my heater, coal starter made from a clean 1 gallon paint can (with a small wad of newspaper to insure ignition), four coals, tongs and a fire stick down to the barn and started the coals in the driveway, after I had the carriage ready and just before bringing Spunky in to groom, harness and hitch.

This proved to be about 15 minutes too soon, since preparation includes putting on hoof boots, scraping mud and shedding hair off, etc.  I'll ignite the coals a little later in the process next time.

Before hitching the mare, I placed the heater in the buggy to pre-heat.  By the time I was ready to get in, the heater was blissfully toasty to the bare hand!  The floorboards of the carriage under the heater were COLD.

It was about 39 degrees when we headed out.
I tossed in a bottle of water in case I needed a fire extinguisher!

I started out without the blanket over my legs, but as soon as we were outside the barn, I realized how big a mistake THAT was!  I hastily threw the light blanket over my knees!

 However, still being very wary of the unfamiliar heating device, I did not let the blanket contact it.  Here's a nice shot of my delicate lady slippers parked on top of the heater.

Curiously, every surface on the heater remained touch-able, including the vented metal ends.  I do not know why everything was so different in my pre-drive trials.

Since all surfaces of the heater remained touch-able, I wasn't far from home before I threw caution to the wind and tossed the blanket over my feet.  I checked several times; the blanket never got hot, but the warmth wafting up from the heater under that blanket was divine!!!

There was no smoke and no smell emanating from the heater at this point either.

Toward the end of the drive I discovered one of the true virtues of the heater!  I'd been out about an hour and my hands were FREEZING!  I had thought about reaching down to the heater, but that was impractical.  Instead, I threw the blanket off, picked up the heater, put it on my lap, and placed my frigid digits on its welcoming surface!  Oooooohhhhh!  Bliss!!!!!  My fingers were toasty in no time!





Once again, while unharnessing Spunky and putting a cooler on her and giving everyone their lunch, my hands were again frozen!  On my way to the house, I gathered my stuff up, holding the heater firmly in my hands (not using the handle!) and carried it in my grateful hands to the house!

After an hour's drive, plus the excessive pre-heating time, there were marble-sized briquettes still glowing in the drawer.

So, altogether, the little carriage heater is one of the most delightful treats for winter carriage driving imaginable!  From now on, I won't leave home without it!

Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_J._Clark
http://postalmuseum.si.edu/collections/object-spotlight/rfd-carriage-heater.html
http://carriagemuseumlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Cold-Feet.pdf
ttps://books.google.com/books?id=GBVQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA190&dq=how+to+use+a+carriage+heater&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjN0r_x0onKAhUJwmMKHbkpAcoQ6AEINTAB#v=onepage&q=how%20to%20use%20a%20carriage%20heater&f=false