Old Machine Shop Photos You Might Like

Here's a website (from the UK) with a very extensive series of photos (5 pages worth) from 1943, showing off the Hendey Machine Company of Torrington, CT.

Thanks to "neil85020" of the valleymetal Yahoo group!

<http://www.lathes.co.uk/hendeyfactory/index.html>

Among the things people have commented on has been the lack of "personal protective devices", and the fact that most of the guys in the photos look pretty old (because the younger men were off fighting the war).

- hman
(John)
 
Nice to see old machinery. We actually have a 1920s huge radial arm drill machine in the shop. It is used daily.
 
R L W P shows his nice photographs of The Coventry Ordnance Works with its huge gun boring lathes, Thet long gone factory along with Sir William Beardmore & Cos. Parkhead works in Glasgow were Britain,s finest heavy gun establishments, Sadly both were screwed up by scurrulous bankers, They closed Coventry works during the great depression, Beardmore,s died the death of a thousand cuts, eventually disappearing in the 1970/s I was most fortunate to be allowed to see the two huge naval gun boring lathes working , By that time on large shafts It was awesome! Even the nice sound of their big D.C. motors I still have a cutting from one of the big lathes during a roughing cut 3/16" feed x 1" deep , a nice blue thing, Sadly the works is no more, A nice supermarket now!
 
Tony Wells said:
That's probably a QC guy. Notice his calipers.....no dial, no digital. Anyone still use verniers? (Besides me)
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Calipers? I thought he was holding a C clamp. No wonder I have so many problems trying to take measurements. In addition I thought any well dressed man about town/Machinist wears at least a 3 piece suit when running the lathe. Fashion sense dictates you leave the vest behind when running the mill.
 
grayone said:
40" "jawdrop::faint:
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I have my own 24" vernier caliper, the shop where I work has a Starrett master 48" which I have thankfully never had to use yet, there is also an 18" Starrett master vernier that I use often and it is a magnificent tool. The 48" one is a bit spendy http://www.starrett.com/metrology/p...pers/110203-Vernier-and-Pocket-Calipe/123Z-48 so have managed to not have to use it so far, it is also quite heavy.
I have a pristine 1940's era Starrett 6" caliper that belonged to my Grandfather which I have never used, nor will ever use, I should probably list this one on Ebay and see what happens.
 
In my avatar, I'm standing next to a 1938 Cincinnati milling machine...Is that considered an old machine shop photo?
 
It would take a hoist just to put a key in the keyway on that shaft!
 
Electric motors of 80 odd years ago were cool old things , They were bombproof and long suffering, I like the cast -iron basket weave shell end guard, Nice example of foundry work, Back to the era, when patternmakers did not have a tendency to build up their pattern with Isopon resin, and file and rub it to shape, Everything was carved , And moulders were pretty skilled in greensand & got finishes on their castings which were a treat, Nowadays the finishes are awful, Still these old motors had a lovely sound when they were running, Shops had a nice ambience.
 
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