When machinest, were machinest... not computer programers

[TAB]

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides/William_Doxford_and_Sons#The_Manufacturing_Process

[twyacht]

Great post TAB, Thank you.

An entire generation (or maybe even two), now rely on C & C machines, and a computer program that just has to be "monitored" with a QC guy at the end to check every other one.

My Grandfather, Thomas Diamond Watchorn, was a WWII veteran, went to MIT after re-enlisting for Korea, and formed  Watchorn Hydraulics, out of Miami in the late 50's.

Had a fat contract with the airlines, landing gear and aileron, flaps etc,.. systems, and NASA for the retractable launch pad, all run by hydraulic systems.  Long before the days of "computer programmers" there was this generation that did it the "old fashioned way", slide rules, mathematics, and their God given brains.

Firearms used to be made this way, large precision equip. the same way. It worked, lasted longer than a lot of crap out there today, was serviceable, and was made with 99% American stuff.

Thanks again for the post. It reminds me of an America of yesterday that I wish were here today.

[alfsauve]

Noticed few of them used eye or ear protection.

[Ksail101]

Damn. Those Crankshafts are huge. And I think that one of the pics is part of the exhaust manifold or looks like one. Precision.

And also those pieces on the lathes are awesome .

[tombogan03884]

Actually the old machines, fine as they were could not come any where close to the tolerances and repeatability of modern, CNC machinery. As for the stuff about  "computer programmers" while it is true that the initial program and blue prints are dreamed up by some college grad with no machining skills, it has to be perfected by a set up man on the machine who has to have the same knowledge  as the old timers, plus speed and feed rates that were never taken into account on hand fed machinery.
In short, with advances in machines, tool coatings, materials and measuring devices, the "Old timers could never DREAM of matching the quality, interchangeability, of production quantities produced today.

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

Great post TAB, Thank you.

An entire generation (or maybe even two), now rely on C & C machines, and a computer program that just has to be "monitored" with a QC guy at the end to check every other one.

My Grandfather, Thomas Diamond Watchorn, was a WWII veteran, went to MIT after re-enlisting for Korea, and formed  Watchorn Hydraulics, out of Miami in the late 50's.

Had a fat contract with the airlines, landing gear and aileron, flaps etc,.. systems, and NASA for the retractable launch pad, all run by hydraulic systems.  Long before the days of "computer programmers" there was this generation that did it the "old fashioned way", slide rules, mathematics, and their God given brains.

Firearms used to be made this way, large precision equip. the same way. It worked, lasted longer than a lot of crap out there today, was serviceable, and was made with 99% American stuff.

Thanks again for the post. It reminds me of an America of yesterday that I wish were here today.

those pics are from the UK

[TAB]

Actually the old machines, fine as they were could not come any where close to the tolerances and repeatability of modern, CNC machinery. As for the stuff about  "computer programmers" while it is true that the initial program and blue prints are dreamed up by some college grad with no machining skills, it has to be perfected by a set up man on the machine who has to have the same knowledge  as the old timers, plus speed and feed rates that were never taken into account on hand fed machinery.
In short, with advances in machines, tool coatings, materials and measuring devices, the "Old timers could never DREAM of matching the quality, interchangeability, of production quantities produced today.

while that is true, if you put one of those guys on a manel lathe and told them to cut a radius, they would be screwed.

One of the smartest guy I ever met was a old school machinest, the man could not read or write, but he could machine up things just from designers  rough drawings on napkins and the parts would work. 

[twyacht]

Noticed few of them used eye or ear protection.

Ear and eye protection? This is when men were men, not subject to liability lawyers that would have a field day with the practices of days gone by.

it has to be perfected by a set up man on the machine who has to have the same knowledge  as the old timers, plus speed and feed rates that were never taken into account on hand fed machinery.

I think that's the point Tom. The generation that gave us the Industrial Revolution had no C&C stuff, they fabricated, calculated, put the micrometer on it, and flat out made it.  No college grad ever shirked away from getting their hands dirty back than if they had a plan or idea at the manufacturing level. They do NOW, but not than.

As an example, why are there still so many "old" pieces of equip. in local machine shops?

Cause the new stuff is crap...

Go back to GM, Chrysler, or Ford during WWII. the pics match to a "T".

[CJS3]

I saw a program on the History Channel about rebuilding WWII aircraft. It was an English group that would buy up trashed aircraft and rebuild them using original specs. They took a ME109 crankshaft to a Diamler Benz (the original manufacturer) factory in Germany to get it rebuilt using the well worn original crankshaft, and the spec sheet (from 1943), as templates for the new crankshaft.

The DB reps said they were unable to duplicate the original with the machinery they had available. The computer controled engineering and manufacturing available in the 21st century was unable to duplicate the precision of the hand operated manufacturing of the mid 20th century. I found that to be the most interesting part of the program.

[tombogan03884]

while that is true, if you put one of those guys on a manel lathe and told them to cut a radius, they would be screwed.

One of the smartest guy I ever met was a old school machinest, the man could not read or write, but he could machine up things just from designers  rough drawings on napkins and the parts would work. 

That depends on whether you are talking about a "Machinist", or an "Operator" who puts parts in and takes parts out.
A Machinist would have no problem switching back and forth. I know, it's what I do 
Still, it was a cool post, in the 3rd or 4th picture down did you notice that the big milling machines were "Cincinnatis ".
They had to buy American for the best, because most milling and machining technology developed from Colts factory. That was why the milling machine Co. was located in Bridgeport Conn. So it was close enough to service Colt.