Show us your war time production machine tools

[NCjeeper]

1942 G&E 16" Industrial Universal shaper.

1943 DoAll ML-16 bandsaw.

 

[projectnut]

As mentioned earlier "wartime" machines covers a broad area. I have several machines in the shop that were produced during "wartime" periods. Some were built for private industries supporting the war effort, and some were built for the military. The oldest is a 1916 Seneca Falls lathe. It was built in 1916 for a company that was supplying vending machines to military bases in WWI.

The next 2 are from the WWII era. The AMMCO shaper came out of the Badger Army Ammunition Depot in Baraboo Wisconsin. The US Machine Tools horizontal mill came from the Oscar Mayer plant in Madison Wisconsin. Oscar had huge contracts supplying the military both in the US and overseas. Even Rosie the Riveter used one in a poster for wartime production.

The last one is a Black Diamond drill grinder. It was made in 1974 as part of a military contract during the Vietnam War. It spent most of it's life unused in a National Guard Equipment Repair Depot warehouse. For some reason they bought the 3 phase machine even though they had no 3 phase power in the repair depot.

 

[Braeden P]

I also have a 1975 Rockwell 18 inch drill press it has a 1/32 to 1/2 inch albrecht chuck it was my great grandfathers.

 

[kb58]

... The oldest is a 1916 Seneca Falls lathe. It was built in 1916 for a company that was supplying vending machines to military bases in WWI.

Huh, I never gave any thought to how old vending machines might be, and wonder what ones from back then were like. I'd wager that even back then, you'd see people beating on the front of them, trying to get their snack to drop...

Boy that's a slippery slope, searching on "oldest vending machines". Here's one from Britain in the 1920s - and yes, I'm now off-topic!

 

[DiscoDan]

My P&W 3C horizontal hand mill.

 

[Braeden P]

wow yours has a tag I dont think my lathe was used for production but instead one of parts because it has no tag and very little wear on the ways

 

[Weldingrod1]

This drill press came with a glued in, typewritten memo that said parts delivery may be affected by the war production board... It was rated to drill a 3" hole in steel using a #5 Morse taper! It got a new life as an oilfield plug milling test rig. Somewhere I have a photo of me sitting on the table, but darned if I can find it! One of the fun/wacky features on it was the two rotating oil drippers; one spun on top of a jack shaft and the other orbited around the splined shaft. You had to be careful not to fill them up too much or they would sling oil out the fill fitting. They were about 8' off the floor, so you had to have a ladder handy every morning you ran it.
My first lathe was actually build on D-day...

 

[Janderso]

My Diamond horizontal mill was finished on December 28, 1944, 2 days after Patton's 4th Armored linked up with the 101st ending the siege of Bastogne. The Clausing is almost 20 years younger so made during a different war.

View attachment 364122
View attachment 364123

I have a pre-war (1932) Rivet lathe with US Navy Markings which could have still been in use by WW2.

View attachment 364124

View attachment 364126

Aaron,
I haven't been to your shop. The Rivett is sweet!
The horizontal mill is perfect for a hobby shop!
And of course I love your Clausing.
Awesome tools man!

 

[Janderso]

Here's one from Britain in the 1920s - and yes, I'm now off-topic!

That's perfectly acceptable. That's a neat pic.

 

[Janderso]

My first lathe was actually build on D-day...

So was war time production compromised in any way?
Did they let up on QC?
Lots of machines were made during the WW2 years. Many were probably made in factories with female employees.
I know they let the finishes slide but I'm not so sure about quality and tolerances.
Anyone have any ideas on this subject?