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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Pennsylvania, USA
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    54
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    12

    Default 1910-era line shaft machine shop

    Hi everyone, I'm new here but was encouraged to share some pictures of a museum at which I volunteer. The site is in Kinzer PA (between Philadelphia and Lancaster in Pennsylvania, USA) and is the Rough & Tumble Engineers Historical Association. It's a great collection of mainly agricultural machinery and engines, steam, coal, a blacksmith, threshing, a sawmill, shingle mill, line shaft machine shop, etc. I know most of the members here are Down Under, but if you're ever in this neck of the woods, we'd love to show you around.

    https://www.roughandtumble.org/

    We all strive to have WORKING machinery and actually use it on demo days making useful things (not just chips). It's been a pleasure learning at the proverbial knees of some really really smart and experienced people.

    Brown & Sharpe #2 horizontal mill circa 1912 I believe (we have the vertical head for it too), and a small Buffalo drill press
    IMG_20180813_135758.jpg

    View through the shop from one end:
    IMG_20180813_135801.jpg

    Brown & Sharpe automatic screw machine which was literally pulled out of a scrap yard by one of the founding members of the shop in West Chester PA - we use this on operating days for visitors to make their own souvenirs (machinists' jack this year and last, a brass whistle, etc.)
    IMG_20180813_135804.jpg

    Three Reed (I believe they're all Reeds) in about descending vintage from newest to oldest:
    IMG_20180813_135812.jpg
    IMG_20180813_135820.jpg
    IMG_20180813_135824.jpg

    A Champion Blower & Forge drill press built about 10mi away in Lancaster PA:
    IMG_20180813_135828.jpg

    Another old treadle-powered Reed. This machine was rebuilt by a local teen for his Boy Scout Eagle project. Behind it is a Bullard vertical boring mill that we are the 2nd owner of - it's in the process of being rebuilt.
    IMG_20180813_135838.jpg

    Horizontal boring machine (being put back together)
    IMG_20180813_135842.jpg

    Tolman shaper (I believe this one was a Boy Scout project too, but might be wrong)
    IMG_20180813_135849.jpg

    Monster Whitcomb & Blaisdell shaper
    IMG_20180813_135856.jpg

    View from opposite end of the shop showing the overhead works:
    IMG_20180813_135937.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Country West Oz
    Age
    77
    Posts
    169

    Default

    I love all this old stuff, it must be great to be able to work on it and get it operational.
    Regards
    Bradford

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Dural NSW
    Age
    82
    Posts
    1,203

    Default

    I also like these old machinery & tools, & overhead shafting.
    Particularly the Brown & Sharpe Mill with the "Dont Touch" sign on it, which means if I visited, I would have to touch.
    The Capstan Lathe is also a nice collectable, & the Travelling head shaper looks to be in pristine condition.
    A very nice collection, well done !
    Bruce

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    54
    Posts
    825

    Default

    I'm not sure how I missed this the first time around but thank you for the great photos.
    I love line shaft workshops and if they are still operational then all the better.
    Keep up the great work.
    Cheers,
    Greg.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    35
    Posts
    1,519

    Default

    That oldest reed lathe is really interesting, I wonder what that big thing hanging under the carriage is?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Pennsylvania, USA
    Age
    54
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    12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by caskwarrior View Post
    I wonder what that big thing hanging under the carriage is?
    Hi Cask, that's just a big hunk of iron; the thinking is since that carriage is so small it just lends some needed heft to the works.

    Abratool, I spent three days this summer 'running' that B&S horizontal mill during the ling show weekend. We're using it to make a new table for a Brainard mill we're restoring, just like this one:
    6338-A.jpg

    I'm really lucky to have such a great shop at my disposal; like I said it's the guys who work there with me that are the most amazing part. The amount of knowledge there is truly impressive.

    Mike

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Dural NSW
    Age
    82
    Posts
    1,203

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    Mike
    Thanks for the input on your activities. Glad you enjoyed working & demonstrating the B & S Mill.
    Wish you were a bit closer as I would be visiting your workshop frequently !!!
    Love the Scraping Marks on the Brainard mill, & no guards.
    A lot of those blokes (Australian for Guys) would have heaps of knowledge.
    All the best
    Bruce

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Alexandra Vic
    Age
    69
    Posts
    654

    Default

    Nice collection of tools. The Monster W&B shaper is actually a planer. On a shaper the work is fixed and the tool moves along it to cut, on a planer the tool is stationary (apart from feeds and depth of cut) and the the work moves under it to cut. The give away is that the shaper has a moving ram for the tool, while a planer has a moving table for the workpiece.
    I used to be an engineer, I'm not an engineer any more, but on the really good days I can remember when I was.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Pennsylvania, USA
    Age
    54
    Posts
    12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by malb View Post
    Nice collection of tools. The Monster W&B shaper is actually a planer. On a shaper the work is fixed and the tool moves along it to cut, on a planer the tool is stationary (apart from feeds and depth of cut) and the the work moves under it to cut. The give away is that the shaper has a moving ram for the tool, while a planer has a moving table for the workpiece.
    Thank you malb; I DO know the difference but it just seems my aging brain decides to swap the terms around at the wrong times! When that big boy is running you'd best stay clear of the table, it won't think twice about putting a hurting on your unsuspecting leg!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Pennsylvania, USA
    Age
    54
    Posts
    12

    Default Planer in action

    The first Saturday of each month is a work day at the organization. My buddy and I spent most of the day machining a casting we got back. It's a replacement arm for the 1905-ish Bullard vertical turret lathe. We're the 2nd owner of the machine; it was salvaged from a shop in Arizona. We have pictures of the machine being loaded in AZ with both counterbalance arms in place as shown in this picture (this isn't our machine, FYI):
    OldBullard.jpg

    BUT... somewhere during the 2000mi trip, when the machine arrived in Pennsylvania, the left-hand arm was gone; three sheared-off half bolts were in the trailer bed. No idea where it was lost but its a miracle no one got hurt -- it's a good 45-50 pound hunk of cast iron. Fortunately, the machine shown above is nearby in Maryland at another museum and one of our members is involved with that shop as well. They were nice enough to donate their arm as a pattern for the foundry and away we went.

    So, we had two faces to machine on a VERY strangely-shaped part. Took a good 2 hours of setup to get clamped and dialed in to our satisfaction. Then the cutting began -- here's a link to the fun:

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/6Coy1DRbp2Dx4M2a9

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Posts
    843

    Default

    Mick, wow. thanks for the great pics. Just great stuff. You are lucky to be able to work and play on such machines.

    Greg.

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