FAQ

A. Hemingray insulators were used for a variety of purposes, but the primary goal was always the same: to insulate an object from another object, whether that was a telephone pole, telegraph pole, power line, lightning rod, or battery platform. Hemingray made insulators for all of these different applications, and you can see them all in the database along with their original intended usage. If you're looking for a specific usage type, you can also look it up using the Hemingray Database Advanced Search feature.

A. Many different companies manufactured insulators. You can refer to this chart to see if your glass insulator was manufactured by Hemingray. It is important to note that Hemingray ONLY manufactured glass insulators (not ceramic, porcelain, rubber, or plastic.)

A. The value of a Hemingray insulator depends on many different factors, including its CD number (a unique Consolidated Design number assigned to each different style of insulator), embossing, color, condition, and any manufacturing anomalies. Please refer to the Find Your Insulator's Value page for a complete guide to finding your insulator's value.

A. If your Hemingray insulator is embossed with a style number (such as HEMINGRAY-42 or № 16), you can look up your insulator by style number. Some Hemingray styles are comprised of letters, words, or a combination, such as: T.S., E2, № 1 Provo Type, Muncie Type, etc. If your Hemingray insulator does not appear to be embossed with a style, I would recommend trying the Identify Your Insulator page.

A. If the number appears directly after "Hemingray-" (such as Hemingray-42) or appears directly after "№" (the abbreviation for numero, which is Latin for number), that is called the insulator's style number. Some Hemingray styles are comprised of letters, words, or a combination, such as: T.S., E2, № 1 Provo Type, Muncie Type, etc. View all Hemingray insulators by style.

Hemingray insulators produced between 1933 and 1967 also have mold numbers and date codes, such as "20-46::". Refer to this page for more information on how to decypher these numbers.

A. I clean most* of my dirty insulators in a 2 gallon plastic paint bucket filled with a mixture of water and oxalic acid (wood bleach crystals). A good ratio is about 0.5 pounds of oxalic acid for every 1.25 gallons (20 cups) of water. This mixture lasts for many years (the mixture in my bucket has been used for over 10 years and has cleaned dozens of insulators with no problem). Using rubber gloves, place your dirty insulators carefully into the bucket and let them sit for several days (or weeks if you're not in a hurry). Once they're ready, remove the insulators, rinse them off under cool water, and use 00 or 000 steel wool (or even synthetic steel wool works) to get off any remaining soot. Especially stubborn insulators can go back into the bath for another round.

There are many important notes to observe before working with oxalic acid!

• *Never use oxalic acid to clean carnival glass, flashed amber, opalescent glass, or insulators with metal pieces attached! You will destroy them.
• Add the oxalic acid crystals to the water (not vice versa).
• Use a plastic bucket (not metal). Oxalic acid is corrosive and will eat away at metal.
• Always wear eye, face, and hand protection. Even though it's a mild mixture, be safe.
• Keep the bucket out of reach of children and pets. Always keep a lid on it when not in use, and label the bucket.

This is just one method of cleaning your insulators. For more information on other insulator cleaning techniques, please visit Insulators.info. Please note: I assume no responsibility or liability for any misuse or damage caused by the information above.

A. Those "bumps" are called drip points. Hemingray patented drip points on May 2, 1893 as "teats" for helping to draw moisture off of the insulator. Moisture was undesirable as it could cause leakage on the line due to the water acting as a conductor. Hemingray produced two styles of drip points: The first design used from the 1890s through the 1920s are referred to in the hobby as "sharp drip points," abbreviated "SDP". The second style, introduced in the 1920s and used through the 1950s are "round drip points," abbreviated "RDP". Some Hemingray insulators in the 1940s through 1960s were also produced with a "corrugated base" (abbreviated "CB") which appears as a rough, cross-hatch style base. This is not considered a form of drip point, but essentially served the same purpose. Many Hemingrays were also commonly manufactured with a smooth base (abbreviated "SB").

A. Hemingray ceased operations in the 1970's, so if you're looking to buy Hemingray insulators to start your own collection, I would highly recommend joining the National Insulator Association and looking for an insulator show in your area. This is the best way to get in touch with other insulator collectors. You'll also find that we insulator collectors are very generous and might even give you an insulator or two to get started! We love encouraging new collectors in the hobby. eBay is also a good place to find Hemingray insulators. Though you'll probably be paying more for shipping, if you aren't able to make it to a show, it's often a great alternative. I also occasionally post insulators on my For Sale page.

A. If you have an insulator that is on my Wanted List that you're looking to sell, please contact me!

Otherwise, if your Hemingray insulator is worth $5 or more, eBay is generally a good place to start. On the other hand, if you're looking to sell a box full of very common $1 insulators, you're better off just donating them to a local antique/junk/thrift shop, giving them away to kids, or using them as indoor/outdoor decorations. I recommend performing a search on eBay to see how many other people out there have the same insulator you do and how much they're selling for (and, more importantly, if there are any bids!)