Machine shop
- Thread starter JWFilips
- Start date
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
No wire nuts back in those days, were there? I've seen an awful lot of professional (?) wiring from back in that era in some mills and garages I've worked at that was about like that. Metal box, BX cable, wires twisted together and the old black friction tape (remember the smell on your hands after you used it?). Seemed to work good. I've been told the ancient knob and tube wiring was actually better in some respects than some of the wiring that followed it, but I'm no electrician.
Smells I can still recall- the scent when you opened a fresh waxed paper package of that black friction tape smell of oakum stuffing for plumbing, insulation and cabin chinking, the smell of the creosote we used to get by the 5 gallon bucket to soak and coat lumber for ground contact with, new, good leather and the smell of the old horsehair stuffed seats in old vehicles that had been shut up all winter. And MOTHBALLS! Lord, seemed like every home had a room that smelled of moth balls. I haven't even seen them for sale in ages.
Smells I can still recall- the scent when you opened a fresh waxed paper package of that black friction tape smell of oakum stuffing for plumbing, insulation and cabin chinking, the smell of the creosote we used to get by the 5 gallon bucket to soak and coat lumber for ground contact with, new, good leather and the smell of the old horsehair stuffed seats in old vehicles that had been shut up all winter. And MOTHBALLS! Lord, seemed like every home had a room that smelled of moth balls. I haven't even seen them for sale in ages.
smokeywolf
Well-Known Member
I see no tool rest. Hope there is some kind of spark guard that will keep that milling cutter from being sucked into the wheel housing.
KeithB
Resident Half Fast Machinist
I can't really figure out what operation the woman holding the milling cutter near the grinder was doing. You certainly don't sharpen them that way! Maybe she was deburring or polishing the teeth AFTER grinding. Smokey is right, there needs to be some type of guard.
fiver
Well-Known Member
the smell of the grinding wheel dust from the sparks is what come to mind right off.
I bet she was just flippin extatic to have that job during that time frame and a place to call home at the end of the day.
I would also lay money down there wasn't a lot of happy faced jibber jabber hen clucking going on when the wheels were turning either.
I bet she was just flippin extatic to have that job during that time frame and a place to call home at the end of the day.
I would also lay money down there wasn't a lot of happy faced jibber jabber hen clucking going on when the wheels were turning either.
Pistolero
Well-Known Member
Keith, I definitely understand what you mean about not sharpening a mill cutter that way,
but I have seen some amazing things done by hand by skilled practitioners. She looks deadly
serious, very focused on her work, has a finger wrapped to prevent injury from sharp tools, the draped
bib to keep her cleaner is all old and used, and she has pretty thick glasses on, could easily be
magnifiers to let her see more detail of her work piece.
I wouldn't entirely rule out a highly skilled person actually touching up mill cutters when the
company may have been burning through their supply at an unsustainable rate, can't find
enough new ones in the wartime shortages. We had some women assemblers who could do
truly amazing work with hand tools under magnification. It doesn't look like a posed shot,
but a real, live candid shot of someone doing a dirty, difficult job. Also, double bulbs giving a lot
of light on the subject. I may be wrong, but I wouldn't bet that she wasn't sharpening it,
and maybe was an expert at it.
To me, the lack of a rest of any kind (one is hinged out of the way down very low) is the oddest
part. Perhaps it is some sort of a soft stropping or buffing wheel to do final deburring or polishing
of an edge.
Bill
but I have seen some amazing things done by hand by skilled practitioners. She looks deadly
serious, very focused on her work, has a finger wrapped to prevent injury from sharp tools, the draped
bib to keep her cleaner is all old and used, and she has pretty thick glasses on, could easily be
magnifiers to let her see more detail of her work piece.
I wouldn't entirely rule out a highly skilled person actually touching up mill cutters when the
company may have been burning through their supply at an unsustainable rate, can't find
enough new ones in the wartime shortages. We had some women assemblers who could do
truly amazing work with hand tools under magnification. It doesn't look like a posed shot,
but a real, live candid shot of someone doing a dirty, difficult job. Also, double bulbs giving a lot
of light on the subject. I may be wrong, but I wouldn't bet that she wasn't sharpening it,
and maybe was an expert at it.
To me, the lack of a rest of any kind (one is hinged out of the way down very low) is the oddest
part. Perhaps it is some sort of a soft stropping or buffing wheel to do final deburring or polishing
of an edge.
Bill
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smokeywolf
Well-Known Member
I just haven't the foggiest as to what she's doing. I think I agree with Bill that it's not a posed shot. What leads me to that conclusion is the two milling cutters in the rag in her lap.
Haven't seen any buffers of that era that had short shafts and enclosed wheels. If that is a grinding wheel it's too large of diameter to do any sharpening on small dia. milling cutters with teeth that close together.
Haven't seen any buffers of that era that had short shafts and enclosed wheels. If that is a grinding wheel it's too large of diameter to do any sharpening on small dia. milling cutters with teeth that close together.
Those cutters would have been used,for something. Meaning,they start out new.... get used and sharpened on proper machines until out of spec for that part. Then instead of tieing up grinder time.... "send it to the gals". To be used on a lesser precision part of manufacture? Touching up cutters by hand is a delicate..... but highly desirable skill.
Backing up the truck...... this is an intangible when defining,well not just how things get done on the shop floor but,to the hows/whys of this generations accomplishments.
Backing up the truck...... this is an intangible when defining,well not just how things get done on the shop floor but,to the hows/whys of this generations accomplishments.