http://middleport-newyork.com/elmer-vary-tinkerer-and-inventor/ on Erie Canal, Niagara County NY | Village Middleport NY |Sat, 14 May 2016 22:38:23 +0000hourly1http://middleport-newyork.com/elmer-vary-tinkerer-and-inventor/#comment-3923 Thu, 26 Nov 2015 23:39:09 +0000http://middleport-newyork.com/?p=2480#comment-3923Around 1965 when I was in 9th grade I build a steam engine from plans that I found in the school library. Someone told me that I should show it to Elmer Vary. He had a wonderful collection of steam engines that he had built. As I recall, most were made from kits he obtained from the U.K. He ran them on compressed air so that moisture from steam would not condense and cause corrosion. He did not like the boiler that I built for my engine. It was made from a paint can with the lid soldered on. He said it was dangerous because there was no pressure relief valve and used his lathe to make me one while I watched in fascination. “Now go home and solder that on before you run your engine again” He was a class act! ]]>http://middleport-newyork.com/elmer-vary-tinkerer-and-inventor/#comment-3711 Fri, 25 Sep 2015 22:12:51 +0000http://middleport-newyork.com/?p=2480#comment-3711Great article! What a nice piece of the history of Middleport. Who knew we had inventors in our midst–and now today it continues with David Lyndaker’s magnetic zipper. How cool! Do I detect Larry and Brian in that picture, or am I imagining things? I sat with Margaret Vary many evenings when she was older and alone in the house. What a sweetheart she was! ]]>