Vintage work crew photos

**Toolmaker51** · Nov 7, 2021, 12:13 PM

Removing mill shoes?
Why not, a good portion of them are sitting down...

Who commissions a shot like this?
How (why?) on earth do industrial photographers shoot such poor examples of workplace settings?
Question might be who the photo is intended for, surely not board of directors or stockholders. If it's accountants or payroll, those men are screwed!

googling "..... mill shoes" turns up more about steel toe footwear than industrial equipment...

**old_toolmaker** · Nov 7, 2021, 12:22 PM

It’s a dirty job, but somebody has to do it!

**mcthistle007** · Nov 7, 2021, 02:14 PM

Excuse me but I don't know What is "An Old Mill Shoe"? What are the workers actually doing? Just trying to understand the photo. At least it seems that there are only 2 Bosses and the The rest are Workers.

**hemmjo** · Nov 7, 2021, 04:15 PM

I am curious about what an "An Old Mill Shoe" is also.

**howder51** · Nov 11, 2021, 12:43 PM

Looks like it might be the roughing mill of a hot rolling mill or mini mill. Huge opening for mill scale and big slides to change rolls on. But I am guessing.

**Jon** · Nov 14, 2021, 12:44 PM

Mesta Machine Company Erecting Department.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...w_fullsize.jpg

**Toolmaker51** · Nov 16, 2021, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by Jon

Mesta Machine Company Erecting Department.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...w_fullsize.jpg

I could be mistaken; but photo clearly shows large key stock on the rear most shafting, which nearly confirm evidence those miter gears are grooved for shift forks. So, whatever they are building is just part of a FAR larger mechanism and more demands of alignment, assembly and overall rigging. All that complexity, imagined or not, might just serve an end user, without being infrastructure whatsoever.

**Jon** · Nov 14, 2021, 01:11 PM

Slightly more context on "mill shoes" at the source here: https://historicpittsburgh.org/islan...3.B002.F06.I18

Sometimes you'll see awkward labeling on these old photos; it probably gets inserted somewhere along the line between the photographer and the historical preservation association that is archiving the photo.