West Coast Machine Museum

[a smile]

I've been looking in some index catalogues for West Coast mechanical museums, but there aren't many online resources. Does anyone here know more?
I'd like to visit something more specialized focused on the field of machine tools.
It's best to have some photos to preview!
Thank you all for your support!

I like this lathe, especially the bevel design on the back, I think the only flaw is that it greatly increases the difficulty of production!

 

[francist]

Hmmm, that might be a tall order. Museums are generally influenced by their surroundings and the west coast isn’t exactly a hotbed of machine tool manufacturing.

First Nations art, absolutely the RBCM; mining, Britannia in Squamish is supposed to be good; fishing and canning, Steveston cannery on the lower Fraser; aviation, BC Aviation Museum as well as the well-renowned Boeing complex outside of Seattle; logging, yup; but machine tools not so much!

I don’t know, maybe something further south around San Francisco that would be tied into the navy yards and shipbuilding industry but again, probably just as a spin-off from the primary marine industries.

I’d be interested to hear if anyone else comes up with something….

 

[benmychree]

Only thing I know about are individual collectors, not museums, nothing with public viewing, this is the SF Bay area.

 

[a smile]

Only thing I know about are individual collectors, not museums, nothing with public viewing, this is the SF Bay area.

Can these individual collections be visited by appointment? I hope I can enter the United States soon to visit some machinery collections and have some exchanges, which is what I like. I also hope to have technical exchanges with more machinery enthusiasts. I found some mechanical related museums, but most of the collections are just original old machine tools, lacking the vitality given by some enthusiasts to restore them by hand. I like machine tools, and I especially like the tool machine of the private shop, which is endowed with the function of use, so that it is alive, far more than a simple collector's collection. Especially after the transformation of the machine tool by the senior enthusiasts, each machine tool will have some extraordinary characteristics, because I also like to transform, especially try to keep the original appearance of the change, even if there is some paint off. Especially like to see the shiny look of the oil in use. Most collections only serve the function of preservation, missing the spirit of life. Even so, I visit museums that are on public display.

 

[Nutfarmer]

Knights Foundry in Sutter Creek. All gold rush machinery.

 

[C-Bag]

From its inception the US was marked by headlong change with very little preservation after the very first breakthrough. And often in the rush the prototypes were abandoned and scraped. I can see why because inventors are always underfunded and it seems more fate or luck what will become successful.

Tools and machines are means to an end so are not appreciated for anything more than the profit they generate. So when the latest innovation comes along the old is set aside to molder in a yard and is forgotten. The major percentage are sold for scrap, some as one of our senior members does are sold to the him who at one time ran those machines. He in turn finds them a home in a hobby shop or to other businesses. I would guess there is more preservation and restoration going on in our members garages and shops than any museum I know of. Especially mid century machinery that was made and used for production during WWII. Almost every time I log on I learn of some maker I’d never heard of or see some model I’ve never seen.

I am not in any way an aficionado of machinery but I too have an appreciation for design and craftsmanship of tools and machinery of all kinds. Especially design solutions that are unusual. All my life I’ve worked around machinery of all kinds and find the principles and their applications to the specific task fascinating but I know the majority of the public could care less. I would think between browsing the threads here on H-M and visiting train museum’s along with machinery dealers would keep you busy for quite a while.

 

[Asm109]

craftsmanshipmuseum.com This museum focuses on what can be made with small machine tools. San Diego CA area.

www.agsem.com Antique Gas Engine and Steam Engine Museum. Also Northern San Diego County. Focuses on Rural farm live of late 19th and early 20th century. Has a working black smith shop with a line shaft that runs a trip hammer and a shaper. Twice a year, spring and fall they have a gathering and they fire up and run all the engines and tractors. That is the time to visit.

 

[Jimsehr]

craftsmanshipmuseum.com This museum focuses on what can be made with small machine tools. San Diego CA area.

www.agsem.com Antique Gas Engine and Steam Engine Museum. Also Northern San Diego County. Focuses on Rural farm live of late 19th and early 20th century. Has a working black smith shop with a line shaft that runs a trip hammer and a shaper. Twice a year, spring and fall they have a gathering and they fire up and run all the engines and tractors. That is the time to visit.

The craftsmanship museum has a good web site . Well worth a visit. Vista Ca.
Also a neat little museum in Norwalk Ca. Florence and Norwalk blvd . They have a working belt driven machine shop run by volunteers. It is the Hathaway private museum.

 

[matthewsx]

Maybe we should have a meet up at a members shop when you visit.

John

 

[Jimsehr]

My sister lives near the craftmanship museum in vista ca.
so when I visit her I try to see what’s new at the museum.
Jamestown ca also has a small belt driven museum in downtown
Jamestown park. If you are near it’s worth a look. Also there is Calif state railroad
Museum close by. Made a lot of movies there.