Big machine tools - photos

**Jon** · May 31, 2019, 08:23 AM

Nice collection of photos of big machine tools; mix of historical and modern-day pics. Most of the images are too small for our High quality black-and-white photographs of large old machines and tools thread, but they're also too good to pass up.

The full collection is here: Industrial History: Big Machine Tools

More: Industrial History: Big Machine Tools

Previously: High-quality black-and-white photographs of large old machines and tools

**IntheGroove** · May 31, 2019, 05:24 PM

Love that Blanchard Grinder. On another note, A friend of mine worked at shipyard 60+ years ago and his job was to machine the pistons, 6+ feet in diameter. The lathe carriage had a seat for the operator. The engine was a six cylinder and required seven pistons as the ship would carry a spare. When he was finishing the last piston he inadvertently undercut the piston by .025. Afraid he would be in trouble, the foreman told him that if that piston was ever needed, it would probably work better than the old one...