Anybody into old machinery photos?

Tom@Hilltop_Machine

Tom@Hilltop_Machine

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2005
Location
Rural Retreat, VA
So I have been searching the interweb for old photos to hang up in my new shop office. I figured I would start sharing what I have bought for those interested.
Large Horizontal Boring Mill (HBM).
hbm.jpg

Large planer.
plainer.jpg
 
Bring your black and white camera and we can take some pics of you beside similar machines at a couple places in Charlotte :D

There's a functionally artistic beauty to those old machines the nobody cares to capture anymore.
 
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My first job out of college was for a custom rubber molder. One of our largest customers was Anco and we molded their rubber windshield wiper blades. We had a giant planar that would cut the wiper profile in the mold plates. We would line up 48" x 48" x 6" thick mold plates on the bed and that machine would just run for hours. We were constantly making tools for wiper blades. Also remember "Jim". Jim was the guy who custom ground each and every tool to make those profiles. The guy was an artist and could custom grind any shape. Damn! That was almost 30 years ago. I'm surprised I can still remember that detail. I had an office near the tool room and I would hear that bed going in one direction, then a loud "click" when it hit the stop, and the bed would reverse and go the other direction. It got to the point where you wouldn't notice when the planar was running but you sure as hell noticed it when it stopped.
 
tlucier said:
My first job out of college was for a custom rubber molder. One of our largest customers was Anco and we molded their rubber windshield wiper blades. We had a giant planar that would cut the wiper profile in the mold plates. We would line up 48" x 48" x 6" thick mold plates on the bed and that machine would just run for hours. We were constantly making tools for wiper blades. Also remember "Jim". Jim was the guy who custom ground each and every tool to make those profiles. The guy was an artist and could custom grind any shape. Damn! That was almost 30 years ago. I'm surprised I can still remember that detail. I had an office near the tool room and I would hear that bed going in one direction, then a loud "click" when it hit the stop, and the bed would reverse and go the other direction. It got to the point where you wouldn't notice when the planar was running but you sure as hell noticed it when it stopped.
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What's the deal with the Jim's and James's? Every shop has one, and they are "the guy". 3 of the best guys I've worked with were either Jim or James.
 
Two of the machine shops I use here in town have old timers in them that I've been able to have do some work for me.

One is Special Greg, the other is Handy Jim.

In a somewhat related note I did have an employee ask me for a "huggy band" during an install last week.

.....

He was asking for a hose clamp.
 
reid.JPG
hendy.JPG

This is part of the collection I used to have. Reid surface grinder. Had a few miles on it. The Hendy lathe was originally purchased by Winchester Firearms in 1916. Didn't get it documented but the person that owns the Hendy paperwork looked it up for me. A very tight machine. To right of the lathe you can see the back side of a 21" camel back drill press. An excellsior If I remember correct. A real drilling machine. I had a Milwaukee vertical mill from 1943. Can't find pictures of those 2. I had this stuff to maintain my own tools & equipment. I do have some pics of some old clapped out punch presses.
 
Wes said:
Especially if ole boy bottom right got that wizard beard caught up in something. It’s be a life or death game of tug of war.
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You know that lathe has no e stop. He'd get tangled up and wouldn't quit flopping till his face ripped off 🤣
 
My Godfather was a machinist for RJR in Winston from 69 to 97

He would take me to their shop downtown as a kid and show me all the equipment. I have all of his tools now, and his old toolbox (I think you've seen pics @tknopp ) but unfortunately no pics. He always said everything they did was trade secret and cameras were never allowed in there.

Shame
 
CasterTroy said:
My Godfather was a machinist for RJR in Winston from 69 to 97

He would take me to their shop downtown as a kid and show me all the equipment. I have all of his tools now, and his old toolbox (I think you've seen pics @tknopp ) but unfortunately no pics. He always said everything they did was trade secret and cameras were never allowed in there.

Shame
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Is he still alive? Ask him if he knew a Harry Milam in maintenance.
 
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