Hand Grinding Laterite Clay

To be of any use the laterite clay needed to be dried in the sun or an oven and then ground into fine particles be of use. A manual grinder was manufactured from bits and pieces and after some time, this was mechanised.

This image of Des Bettany’s artwork has been reproduced with permission from the book ‘Don’t Ever Again Say “It Can’t Be Done”’ published by The Changi Museum, Singapore.

‘A grinder for grinding the laterite to a fine powder was made and installed.’

Source: Robert Moffett, ‘Rubber Factory Report’, in Lachlan Grant (ed.), The Changi Book, Published by New South in association with the Australian War Memorial, 2015, pg., 203