Sprung-Blade Inclined-Dasher Churn: The Blades Close to Pass the Narrow Top and Spread to Fill the Wide Bottom

"... the yoke spring E and slots (a) allow the dasher blades to be forced easily into the smaller opening in the top of the tub, and when in to expand and fill the larger space at the bottom."

From 18 mm pine cut a floor 460 x 336 mm, two ends 400 mm wide at the foot, 320 mm at the top and 400 mm tall, and two sloping sides 336 mm wide that join them. Glue and screw the ends and sides on the floor so the tub is 400 mm wide inside at the floor and 320 mm at the top, 300 mm front to back. Cut a lid 374 x 336 mm with a turned dowel knob. Drill a 42 mm hole through the right side where the spindle meets it, about 345 mm above the inside floor.

Cut a 40 mm hardwood dowel 641 mm long and whittle or plane one end to a point over 30 mm. Screw the journal box in the left corner of the floor, against the sloping side. Cut a half-lap notch 30 mm wide and 12 mm deep across the spindle 85 mm from its point for the cross tie.

Draw an oval 340 x 220 mm on 16 mm hardwood and cut it in two along its length, then take 4 mm off each straight edge so the halves clear the spindle. Drill four 20 mm holes f in each blade and chisel four 20 mm square pockets d, 8 mm deep with bevelled sides, facing the same way. Glue a 9 mm dowel pin b into each blade 31 mm from its straight edge, 30 mm from its lower end. Cut a hardwood cross tie F 190 x 30 x 16 mm with a 10 mm slot 30 mm long near each end, glue it into the spindle's notch, and drop the pins into its slots. Slide the collar onto the spindle above the blades and screw two spring steel strips 15 x 1.5 mm, 42 mm long, from the collar to each blade's top end.

Pass the spindle's top out through the hole in the right side, squeeze the blades together through the tub's top and let them spread, and seat the point in the journal box. Fix a hardwood crank arm 130 mm long on the spindle outside the tub with a screw across, and glue in a 24 mm dowel handle 100 mm long.

Pour in about 12 litres of heavy cream at about 15 °C, checked with the thermometer, and put the lid on. Turn the crank steadily and time it: the blades dip in and out of the cream, the pockets carrying air down. When the butter comes, pour off the buttermilk, wash the butter in cold water until it runs clear, work in a pinch of salt and weigh it.

**John U. Fiester** of Winchester, Guernsey County, Ohio, US 22,945, "Churn": the drawing reads 15 February 1859, the text 25 February 1859. A tub wider at the top can be overset; his is wider at the bottom, and the sprung, guided blades still fill it. He claimed the adjustable dasher with its yoke spring, slotted cross tie and pins, holes and air pockets. He gave no sizes or materials: ours are a pine tub, hardwood dasher and steel springs.