Free 186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook:  
Get tool plans

User Tag List

Thread: Vintage work crew photos

  1. #1781
    Supporting Member desbromilow's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    801
    Thanks
    527
    Thanked 362 Times in 207 Posts

    desbromilow's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by volodar View Post
    ´Forging 14 in. shells with steam hammer at Midvale Steel and Ordnance Co., 1918´

    i see the projectile, not the shell.
    depending upon your terminology, the projectile is called a "shell" - hence the term "shelling the enemy trenches" and "shelling the beaches"... not all "cannons" use casings like pistols and rifles. The larger guns (think the Mighty Mo) use a projectile (shell), and then the propellant is loaded into the chamber in portioned lots, and the entire ensemble is initiated by a much smaller primer. There is several scenes in various movies showing how the guns in larger naval turrets are loaded.. the "bags" containing the propellant essentially rupture and disintegrate and the remnants are discharged out the muzzle with the rest of the smoke and roar as the gun is fired. It's been recently covered in Australian journalism that the powder bags for a number of field guns contained asbestos, and as such the gunnery crews were breathing asbestos as a result when they were enveloped in the smoke around the guns.

    186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook

  2. The Following User Says Thank You to desbromilow For This Useful Post:

    volodar (Aug 31, 2020)

  3. #1782
    Supporting Member jdurand's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Krasnodar Krai, Russian Federation
    Posts
    1,469
    Thanks
    127
    Thanked 769 Times in 427 Posts

    jdurand's Tools
    My mom was an inspector at Wright (Write?) Aeronautical in her younger days, approved the B-52 engines. She could and did stand up to any boss or military brass that tried to get her to pass substandard engines to "make the numbers". Very kind, nice lady until someone tried to get her to cheat at her job.

    2,000+ Tool Plans

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to jdurand For This Useful Post:

    volodar (Aug 31, 2020)

  5. #1783
    Supporting Member Scotsman Hosie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Salt Lake City, UTAH
    Posts
    359
    Thanks
    4,937
    Thanked 85 Times in 60 Posts

    Scotsman Hosie's Tools
    I believe 'shell' is the correct term for the projectile — for large ordinance like this. (Which usually carries an explosive charge, itself.)

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to Scotsman Hosie For This Useful Post:

    volodar (Aug 31, 2020)

  7. #1784
    Supporting Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Hinchinbrook QLD
    Posts
    324
    Thanks
    44
    Thanked 139 Times in 85 Posts
    As I understood it the propellant bags were made of silk, (originally), but now cotton or rayon, or other flammable material so as to be fully consumed during firing. Why would they employ a fibre that is designed to resist burning?

  8. #1785
    Supporting Member desbromilow's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    801
    Thanks
    527
    Thanked 362 Times in 207 Posts

    desbromilow's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by 12bolts View Post
    As I understood it the propellant bags were made of silk, (originally), but now cotton or rayon, or other flammable material so as to be fully consumed during firing. Why would they employ a fibre that is designed to resist burning?
    I do not know the answer to why... I asked the same question when it hit the news here. I could guess and say perhaps it was to reduce burning embers landing on the ground near the guns and starting a scrub fire, but that is just a guess on my part. I always worked on the principle that the bags were medium weight cotton or silk as well, so was quite surprised when the news stories talked about "a small amount of asbestos" being in them.

  9. #1786
    Supporting Member baja's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Posts
    258
    Thanks
    7,807
    Thanked 92 Times in 65 Posts

    baja's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by 12bolts View Post
    As I understood it the propellant bags were made of silk, (originally), but now cotton or rayon, or other flammable material so as to be fully consumed during firing. Why would they employ a fibre that is designed to resist burning?
    I went to work for a Naval Ammunition Depot after high school and during the ordnance worker training the propellant for the 16" naval guns was discussed since the components were stored there. I don`t remember what the the main bag was made of but each one had a red silk section sewed on the bottom that contained black powder which was what ignited the grains of smokeless powder in the main charge. The smokeless powder was extruded like rifle powders are although on a much larger scale, each grain being more than 2" long with longitudinal holes which controlled the burning rate.

  10. The Following User Says Thank You to baja For This Useful Post:

    volodar (Aug 31, 2020)

  11. #1787
    Supporting Member VinnieL's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    281
    Thanks
    30
    Thanked 112 Times in 85 Posts
    Thank Goodness she did! Those B-52's were beasts and I'm sure with the amount of years they have been in operation countless generations of aviators owe their lives to your mother's dedication!

  12. #1788
    Supporting Member marksbug's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    1,940
    Thanks
    776
    Thanked 383 Times in 309 Posts
    I know somebody that worked at a boeing plant. building and then later in QC. he retired early due to the make the quota **** and told to pas sub std planes ,components & work. he wont fly....i dont blame him for not flying.

  13. The Following User Says Thank You to marksbug For This Useful Post:

    volodar (Aug 31, 2020)

  14. #1789
    Supporting Member VinnieL's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    281
    Thanks
    30
    Thanked 112 Times in 85 Posts
    I have an ex-brother-in-law who worked his whole career at a Boeing plant. He spent his whole career riding a 3-wheeled bicycle around the plant picking parts for shipping. His Dad and uncle also retired from there.

  15. #1790
    Supporting Member IntheGroove's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Lake Tahoe
    Posts
    2,109
    Thanks
    197
    Thanked 949 Times in 577 Posts

    IntheGroove's Tools
    A B-52 taking off is the loudest sound I have ever heard...

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 6 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 6 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •