I was reading our local T clubs newsletter today and stumbled across something interesting. Seems theres a really cool Machine Museum near Calgary, in fact just outside town in the Cochrane area. The place looks like an excellent destination for a car guy cruise. http://www.museumofmaking.org Mike
Hey.. Here's some from the machine shop at greenfield village...from the 75 th of the deuce this summer...I got to spin out the worlds smallest br*** candle stick holder for $5...Man I'd love to have these in my garage....
we have a park by us that has a museum with tools like that in it and they ARE run by a steam engine. one of the steam engines there is the refrigeration pump from the old Pabst Brewery in Milwaukee WI
Damn,I love old tooling. If more room thats what my shop would look like. I just have room for a mill and a small lathe.
There is an old machine shop here in town made of limestone, and in the rafters they still have the shafts, belts, and other parts from when it all ran off steam. Now it's all CNC.
Ah! ... The good old days!! When I worked as an apprentice machinist, I worked in a shop that looked like the one Cword posted. Let's see ... about 50 years ago!! Crazy thing was, many of those belt driven machine tools were pretty damned accurate!! (well ... at least as accurate as the guy running them!)
Now imagine that car Co.s like Dodge Brothers and others were producing 200,000 cars a year with machines like that.
As I understand, the only problem was if someone was putting a nice finish cut on a part, and the guy down the line started up for a heavy cut the RPM lugged down for a second. Now the first guy has a glitch in his finish.
We used to have a shop with similar equipment in it here in town when I was a kid. It was an experience to walk in there and watch them work when I was in my teens. I always thought someone would loose a finger or two in those belts.
We used to have a shop with similar equipment in it here in town when I was a kid. It was an experience to walk in there and watch them work when I was in my teens. I always thought someone would loose a finger or two in those belts. Great photos.
The shop we live in here looked like that..... the a'holes that owned the property broke it all up and sold it for s**** before we brought the place Made me and Mrs Bluto pretty upset. There is a wonderful little shop in a nearby village full of German machines The old man that owns it is nice and proud to start his shop for folks. It's wonderful to not only watch but listen to.We visit him often.
Thats the truth,It all comes down to the operator. The old machines were rigid and thats goes a long way to making accurate parts,newer tool have lighter castings. Here is a good site for any machinist......I sure most of you already found it. http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/index.php