While I'm on the topic of snorkels, I am just wondering if anyone might know how they made the bends in the rubber snorkels back in their day? Was this done in the mold, or formed later by some special process? I've often wondered about this and have asked a few people over the years but nobody knows. It seems every brand of mower had its own unique bends in the snorkel.
Exactly what kind of rubber was used also seems to be a mystery today. I was always led to believe it was 100% natural rubber, but must have been treated so it could handle oil and some heat, as well as sun exposure. One thing is for certain, the countries that once manufactured quality rubber no longer seem able to. All of the rubber products coming from Asian nations perish and crack in no time. Last year I purchased some rubber plug covers made in Taiwan and got them out to use the other day, only to find they had perished while still inside their packets. I had them stored in a dark, timber cabinet. Basically they just crumbled up in my hands. Yet most of the rubber parts on old Victas from the 1960s are still intact, but have gone a bit hard. That was generally what happened to rubber in the old days. It went hard over time. These days it just perishes and falls to bits. Something about the art of rubber manufacturing has been lost to the modern world.
