Oil press Valea Mică – Zlatna, Alba county, 19th century
The installation was transferred in the museum in the year 1967 and is made of four distinct components involved in the same technological process, that is the seed oil fabrication.
The hydraulic wheel and the camshaft drive the hammers that pound the seeds put in the „pot”, grinding them. The flour thus obtained was sieved through a sift and kneaded with water, the resulted cake being then fried on a metallic tray integrated in the stove. Once fried, the cake was pressed by the massive beam of the press, driven by rotating the large wood screw, and the oil flowed in the space carved in the oil press base. From 3-4 kg of seeds, approximately 1 l of oil was obtained, depending on the quality of seeds.
The installation is completed by a crusher made of a round stone that was rolled in a semi-circular trough. The fruits (especially apples) were crushed and placed in the press basket, in order to later obtain, through fermentation, the vinegar.
The complex is sheltered under a shed with wood poles surrounded by a low stone wall, that support a hipped roof with shingle covering (initially thatched).
