Pictures of Huge Machinery

[guythatbrews]

I stumbled onto this page. Despite the Pinterest crap which I hate the pictures are very interesting and will make you feel very small. I wonder how much machinery like this still exists in the western hemisphere? Maybe none?

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/439312138650537690/

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Yep, there’s some big stuff there alright.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[guythatbrews]

Ever run anything that big Tyrone?

 

[marka12161]

Every machine, or at least the parts of every machine, was made by a biggrer machine.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Ever run anything that big Tyrone?

Some of them. Quite a few were out of my league I’m pleased to say. The “ medals “ were all the same size no matter how big the machines were.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[Kingbob]

look at that guy.... checking his facebook

 

[Salem Straub]

Great stuff. Here's a better direct link, Pinterest not involved.

Jakob Tuggener's Sensational Photos Of Weapons Factories In Neutral Switzerland - Flashbak

Jakob Tuggener (1904-1988) published Fabrik (Factory) in 1943, when factories in ‘neutral’ Switzerland were producing weapons for the armies of Europe. Tuggener’s photos reveal his fascination with machinery and humanity’s relationship with it. You can almost hear the din of the looms, lathes...

flashbak.com

 

[maynah]

look at that guy.... checking his facebook

He's not checking facebook, he's texting the guy down by the tailstock.
Quicker than walking down there.

 

[guythatbrews]

Great stuff. Here's a better direct link, Pinterest not involved.

Jakob Tuggener's Sensational Photos Of Weapons Factories In Neutral Switzerland - Flashbak

Jakob Tuggener (1904-1988) published Fabrik (Factory) in 1943, when factories in ‘neutral’ Switzerland were producing weapons for the armies of Europe. Tuggener’s photos reveal his fascination with machinery and humanity’s relationship with it. You can almost hear the din of the looms, lathes...

flashbak.com

Only one guy wearing safety glasses. It's surprising at least a few aren't wearing eye patches.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Only one guy wearing safety glasses. It's surprising at least a few aren't wearing eye patches.

Yep, I worked with two guys that lost eyes at work. One was chiselling a brass bearing with no eye protection. The other was an apprentice involved in some horse play with files.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[plastikdreams]

Yep, I worked with two guys that lost eyes at work. One was chiselling a brass bearing with no eye protection. The other was an apprentice involved in some horse play with files.

Regards Tyrone.

Why would you play with horses and files?

 

[JST]

That picture looks like a "pit lathe". A "cheap" way to get a machine with a really huge swing. Some were apparently as much as 30 feet or more swing.

Generally more for facing than turning long ODs.

 

[markwesti]

Mesta http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2017/03/mesta-machine-company.html

 

[ssbn641gold]

Mesta Machine Company made some pretty large machinery.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Why would you play with horses and files?

Maybe “ horse play “ doesn’t translate in the USA. In the UK it means “ Fooling around “. The lads were fencing with files and it all went very wrong.

Before I knew the guy had a glass eye I was drilling some 2” holes in a machine foundation for holding down bolts with him. We were using one of those old and heavy “ Black & Decker “ two handed drills. I had the control handle and my pal was holding onto a length of steam pipe screwed into the drill frame.
The carbide tipped drill was slightly bent and the further the drill went into the concrete the more it was shaking us about. When we had about an inch to go and the shaking was pretty bad my pal started shouting “ Stop, stop ! “ and began looking up at the sky.
I thought “ No way, if we stop now it’ll be a bugger to start again “. So I carried on.
He carried on shouting “ Stop, stop !” So eventually I had to stop drilling.
I said “ What‘s the problem Norman ? “
He said “ It’s my glass eye Tyrone, the vibration was causing it to nearly fall out !”

That‘s how I found out about his accident.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[Richard King]

Mesta Machine Company made some pretty large machinery.

In the 1970's my Dad got a contract to install a HUGE Mesta lathe in a GE plant in Gilbert, MN USA. I cant find the picture, but my brother was standing on the bed in front of the chuck and the top of the chuck was 3 foot higher then his head. They used the machine to turn rock crusher spindles.

 

[Peter from Holland]

Mesta also made one of those big strategical presses

Peter

 

[Richard King]

A month ago I taught a class in Pennsylvania at a defense plant They had HUGE machines. Here is a 60" wide x 24 ' travel 3 column Mattison Way Grinder that they told me was the biggest ever made by Mattison and a I think it's a Giddings and Lewis 12' x 12' x 22' planner. They also had a 15' x 50' new double column Vertical machining Center that I didn't take a picture of. I have to upload the pictures of the machines and I'll post them here. The base the 3 guys who are standing next to was ground on the Huge surface grinder. The 2nd and last pictures click on it to enlarge and you can see the new HUGE VMC on the right of the photo. It's blue and grey. The surface grinder in on the left of the last pic.

 

[guythatbrews]

Markwesti thanks for the Mesta stuff. Just amazing! Never been around any machining over 4' or so, much less any huge machining. Love to look at the pics and glad I haven't been round it at the same time. A buddy's father-in-law spent his entire working life at Lakawana. He was one of the last to go. IIRC he had 3 months of vaca a year. He's gone now and a less practical guy you'll never meet, but wish I woulda talked to him about the plant.

Tyrone, we Yanks also horseplay and to bad results. Was the swordsman wearing safety glasses? Great glass eye story. I still have a visual of it in my minds eye. At an antique store in New Orleans i saw a big bowel of glass eyes. Weird.

Intercontinental Machine is a big shop just north of Kansas City in Riverside, Missouri. I've always heard about it but never been there. Alas, their website pictures feature products. Not so much equipment. Go figure!

 

[plastikdreams]

Maybe “ horse play “ doesn’t translate in the USA. In the UK it means “ Fooling around “. The lads were fencing with files and it all went very wrong.

Before I knew the guy had a glass eye I was drilling some 2” holes in a machine foundation for holding down bolts with him. We were using one of those old and heavy “ Black & Decker “ two handed drills. I had the control handle and my pal was holding onto a length of steam pipe screwed into the drill frame.
The carbide tipped drill was slightly bent and the further the drill went into the concrete the more it was shaking us about. When we had about an inch to go and the shaking was pretty bad my pal started shouting “ Stop, stop ! “ and began looking up at the sky.
I thought “ No way, if we stop now it’ll be a bugger to start again “. So I carried on.
He carried on shouting “ Stop, stop !” So eventually I had to stop drilling.
I said “ What‘s the problem Norman ? “
He said “ It’s my glass eye Tyrone, the vibration was causing it to nearly fall out !”

That‘s how I found out about his accident.

Regards Tyrone.

Ahh I was making a joke...guess it didn't go as planned