I love pictures of old factories.
This one is a set of pics from the Doxford & Sons ship yard. They're fabricating crankshafts, connecting rods and liners of epic proportions.
Cool to see how it was done before the dawn of CNC equipment and automation.
Note the crankshaft parts being cut out on the oxy/acetylene table. Look at the thickness of that plate (if you can call it a plate)
(http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides/images/7/7a/Flamecutting1.jpg)
(http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides/images/2/22/Boringoutcrwebs.jpg)
(http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides/images/3/3f/Crankshaftshop2.jpg)
More here
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides/William_Doxford_and_Sons#The_Manufacturing_Process (http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides/William_Doxford_and_Sons#The_Manufacturing_Process)
Found this one too
Smith and Wesson factory
(http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/4a22747a.preview.jpg)
I found that incredibly cool, being a ship fan and all ~
JM
that's frickin amazing.
i wonder what the piece-to-piece accuracy was?
Good enough to make those ships run for millions of miles!
JM
Quote from: ducatiz on May 30, 2011, 06:03:33 PM
that's frickin amazing.
i wonder what the piece-to-piece accuracy was?
Honestly probably not too much looser than current manufacturing of something that size.
So probably a couple thousandths. Probably the crank journals got ground and the rods were honed. Now we're talking a few tenths. As in four decimal places.
the scope of it is amazing
you'd hone it with a truck
Yep. The awesome thing about those machines is (lathes for example) they have probably 75 hp motors and gear driven spindles. Something like that will handle a 1" per side cut with ease.
There's no stopping it.
Quote from: Monsterlover on May 30, 2011, 06:51:16 PM
Yep. The awesome thing about those machines is (lathes for example) they have probably 75 hp motors and gear driven spindles. Something like that will handle a 1" per side cut with ease.
There's no stopping it.
You'd like it in a sawmill...
death whirring around every corner. ;D
The shots of the individual machining processes are fascinating and I'm truly in awe of the scale.
This shot however, melts my brain with the scope of the whole operation...
(http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides/images/d/dc/LIghtMachineShop.jpg)
I'd hate to get the power bill for just this building let alone the whole joint.
Quote from: alfisti on May 30, 2011, 07:03:21 PM
The shots of the individual machining processes are fascinating and I'm truly in awe of the scale.
This shot however, melts my brain with the scope of the whole operation...
(http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides/images/d/dc/LIghtMachineShop.jpg)
I'd hate to get the power bill for just this building let alone the whole joint.
Hey, where are all the osha lines??
As an old Navy Diver, I love this shot...
(http://www.descocorp.com/Completed%20Mark%20V%20Helmets%202.jpg)
Quote from: NorDog on May 30, 2011, 07:21:03 PM
As an old Navy Diver, I love this shot...
(http://www.descocorp.com/Completed%20Mark%20V%20Helmets%202.jpg)
can you spot your old bell?
Quote from: rgramjet on May 30, 2011, 07:20:48 PM
Hey, where are all the osha lines??
No safety equipment, not even eye protection. Old school indeed.
Quote from: ducatiz on May 30, 2011, 07:22:58 PM
can you spot your old bell?
[laugh]
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll176/nordog59/5dmlMKV.jpg)
[laugh] [laugh] [laugh]
Quote from: alfisti on May 30, 2011, 07:03:21 PM
The shots of the individual machining processes are fascinating and I'm truly in awe of the scale.
This shot however, melts my brain with the scope of the whole operation...
(http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides/images/d/dc/LIghtMachineShop.jpg)
I'd hate to get the power bill for just this building let alone the whole joint.
I didn't see in the article but I wouldn't be surprised if the had the ability to generate their own power.
Did anyone notice the layout of the engine lathes??
They're european, the cross slide hand wheel is on the left. (American lathes have the cross slide hand wheel on the right).
I've worked on both, so to me it stood out.
By cracky, you're right!
That ship yard is in the UK btw. . .
The short bed lathe, center right looks a lot like a "Dean Grace Smith". I've spent countless hours on one. ;)
i love those shipbuilding images. i worked for a toolmaker who did an apprenticeship in one of
those ship foundries (maybe that one?)
he told me that the really huge cranks were finish-cut after all the parts were assembled. the
journal being finished was positioned over a precision floor plate with a moving tool post. the crank
would be spun ... giant 6 ft. throws whooshing around ... with the machinist standing between
taking the finish cut. one false step ... they go get the next apprentice to finish up.
The original post reminds me of a display at the IMTS show last fall. They had a raw forging for some type of ship crankshaft (inline config, odd number of cylinders) chucked up in a machining center and it was happily turning and milling away, turning it from cast nastiness to machined beauty all day. It was something to behold.
But not the old way of doing it... :)
Interesting tangent:
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/ducati-stars-in-national-geographic-s-new-megafactories-series-35986.html (http://www.autoevolution.com/news/ducati-stars-in-national-geographic-s-new-megafactories-series-35986.html)
I love those photo's. This is one of a series of pictures that came out last year....I don't remember who released them but they were all color picts from the 30's and 40's.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/2179856488_df37556c84_o.jpg)
Welder making boilers for a ship, Combustion Engineering Co., Chattanooga, Tenn. 1942
Awesome pictures, the scale is just mind blowing. I'm involved with the manufacture of some pretty big gear, but those engines....
WOW
Quote from: spolic on May 31, 2011, 11:00:10 AM
I love those photo's. This is one of a series of pictures that came out last year....I don't remember who released them but they were all color picts from the 30's and 40's.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/2179856488_df37556c84_o.jpg)
Welder making boilers for a ship, Combustion Engineering Co., Chattanooga, Tenn. 1942
Any more of these?
The quality is outstanding [thumbsup]
Agreed.
Also, I have that hood ;D
Give this a try
https://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/sets/72157603671370361/?page=16 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/sets/72157603671370361/?page=16)
Quote from: spolic on June 01, 2011, 07:53:18 AM
Give this a try
https://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/sets/72157603671370361/?page=16 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/sets/72157603671370361/?page=16)
These. Are. Awesome.!
Literally thousands of pics here. Thanks for linky!
Found more goodness today. .
1912 marine engine shop
"Detroit Ship Building Co. Steamer No. 190, main engine in shop, three-cylinder compound-inclined type, (66 x 66 x 96) / 108 inches."
worth viewing full size
(http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/4a26744a.jpg)
Info on the compound engine-
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Compound_engine (http://wapedia.mobi/en/Compound_engine)
Quote from: the_Journeyman on May 30, 2011, 06:18:47 PM
Good enough to make those ships run for millions of miles!
JM
or just long enough to intersect with a U-Boat torpedo
Compound engines power many of the famous ocean liners. Titanic had two triple-expansion (three chambers along with a turbine.
JM
Quote from: the_Journeyman on July 13, 2011, 01:55:20 PM
Compound engines power many of the famous ocean liners. Titanic had two triple-expansion (three chambers along with a turbine.
JM
a lot of friggin' good it did them
1936 video of an automobile production line
http://www.dump.com/2011/07/15/fascinating-1936-footage-of-car-assembly-line-video/ (http://www.dump.com/2011/07/15/fascinating-1936-footage-of-car-assembly-line-video/)
MAKING ENGINE WHEELS - British Pathe (http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=36276)
TRAIN GRAVEYARD - British Pathe (http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=1165)
GERMAN NEWSREEL - LOCOMOTIVES - British Pathe (http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=55644)
Quote from: Monsterlover on July 21, 2011, 09:24:01 AM
1936 video of an automobile production line
http://www.dump.com/2011/07/15/fascinating-1936-footage-of-car-assembly-line-video/ (http://www.dump.com/2011/07/15/fascinating-1936-footage-of-car-assembly-line-video/)
those stampers are mind-boggling
I bet that equipment collected a few fingers in it's day
Quote from: Monsterlover on August 18, 2011, 11:15:51 AM
I bet that equipment collected a few fingers in it's day
..and hated bosses? or owners who refused to allow the union in the door?
no doubt
Quote from: Monsterlover on August 18, 2011, 11:15:51 AM
I bet that equipment collected a few fingers in it's day
I reckon that's why there are four buttons for two operators on those presses, so you have to have your hands clear.
In my youth I worked in a machine shop where we did finish work for Hawker Siddley Aircraft.All press and stamp machinary required to have both feet on pedals and both hands on buttons. Without that the machine would stop instantly. There was never any accidents and happy and safe workers.Eye protection and steel toe capped boots was required as soon as you entered the building and hearing protection was required in certain areas. You were given 2 chances. 3rd time you collected the contents of your locker and went bye bye. [thumbsup]