Channel surfing last night ran across this on Pawn Stars. Never heard of or seen these before. A Flax cooling bag? Used for cooling an engine? Anyone recall these being used or using one personally? Were they even effective? How did they work?
I remember my father hanging a bag behind the grille of our 49 Chev torpedo back, Grandpa did the same with his 48 Dodge. I still might have Dad’s somewhere.Not for cooling an engine. Its a bag for holding drinking water like a canteen, but the water stays chilled by the slight amount that evaporates through the fabric.
I think it was supposed to work like a swamp cooler. I was young, and just wonder if it was for drinking water.One of the selling/pawning points mentioned on the show last night was it alternatively being used for cooling a car engine. i.e. hanging from the grille like @440 4 speed mentioned above. I found it hard to believe it would have much effect, especially if the bag blocked some air moving through the grille. Would the trade-off be worth it? In particular in the '40s they said it was more commonly seen.
Yes, you are correct, worked like a swamp cooler.Not for cooling an engine. Its a bag for holding drinking water like a canteen, but the water stays chilled by the slight amount that evaporates through the fabric.
I completely agree with you as to what they were originally intended for. But that episode of Pawn Stars last night mentioned some folks using them to cool their engines in the 40’s. That’s how I understood it anyway. And that prompted me to start this thread. Whether it worked or not was a question I had. And if anyone knew of anyone who ever did this. Then again the folks on this site probably weren’t driving cars in the 40’s. Nor the 20’s or 30’s for that matter.They are hung on the grills not for any cooling effect on the radiator, but to keep them in the air-stream to chill the water for drinking later.
As mentioned here: Flax Canvas Water Bag
I guess we'll have to ask someone who lived in that era. Looking at those cars in the article, two of them have the water bags hanging below the bumper, which to me looks like any cool air is going to miss the radiator.I completely agree with you as to what they were originally intended for. But that episode of Pawn Stars last night mentioned some folks using them to cool their engines in the 40’s. That’s how I understood it anyway. And that prompted me to start this thread. Whether it worked or not was a question I had. And if anyone knew of anyone who ever did this. Then again the folks on this site probably weren’t driving cars in the 40’s. Nor the 20’s or 30’s for that matter.
A brief search on the inner webs earlier today turned up this result. The first post on the thread here makes mention of the engine cooling use. Myth? Wives tale? It is the internet after all so I take it with a grain of salt. Appreciate your input.
Flax cooling bags. Old vehicles
I'm first hand witness as to this waterI completely agree with you as to what they were originally intended for. But that episode of Pawn Stars last night mentioned some folks using them to cool their engines in the 40’s. That’s how I understood it anyway. And that prompted me to start this thread. Whether it worked or not was a question I had. And if anyone knew of anyone who ever did this. Then again the folks on this site probably weren’t driving cars in the 40’s. Nor the 20’s or 30’s for that matter.
A brief search on the inner webs earlier today turned up this result. The first post on the thread here makes mention of the engine cooling use. Myth? Wives tale? It is the internet after all so I take it with a grain of salt. Appreciate your input.
Flax cooling bags. Old vehicles
Sorry, but have to disagree. I didn'tNot for cooling an engine. Its a bag for holding drinking water like a canteen, but the water stays chilled by the slight amount that evaporates through the fabric.
I have no doubt that they could be used to cool an engine; any source of water would be used if the engine boiled over and needed some more. I just can't imagine that the bag would really cool the air by an appreciable amount unless the bag seeped so much that it would be empty in half an hour, and as I said earlier, hanging it below the front bumper won't help the rad much. At any rate, looking it up I have seen a couple of notes about people using it to cool the car, but some sources say that it was to put the water into the rad as needed. I also came across an old timer who said that it was common for ranch trucks to have the bags for cool water when thirsty; they hung not from the front but off the side mirror.Sorry, but have to disagree. I didn't
give you a big red X out of respect.
I've witnessed first hand what these
bags were used for. (Yes, I'm that old).
Engine cooling was the primary
concern, as these bags were used
almost entirely in the desert southwest
during the flathead engine era.