WWII hand-powered lathe from Liberty Ship - photo

[mdhatter3]

It doesn't matter the angle the machine is at when running as long as it is level to the ships floor. Movement of the ship has no bearing upon the accuracy of the machine.

[Dr Stan]

It doesn't matter the angle the machine is at when running as long as it is level to the ships floor. Movement of the ship has no bearing upon the accuracy of the machine.

I can attest the movement of the ship has a great deal to do with the accuracy of a machine tool. As the ship flexes so does the MT making it difficult to impossible to hold necessary tolerances. Seems like a lot of civilians who have never put to sea want to put in their 2 cents worth. Bottom line they just flat out don't know what they are talking about.

[Jon]

Breaking news for all you civilians. That lathe is not on a sub, it's on the USS Missouri BB-63 a retired battleship berthed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

I had the wrong USS Missouri; I just changed the text from Virginia-class attack submarine to Iowa-class battleship, thanks!

Any idea what we have below? Was this the original machine shop, and the above was added in later years?

[Dr Stan]

Probably the original shop. Virtually identical to the ones on the Coral Sea & the Alabama. When you're out in the middle of "the pond" it's a little difficult to get deliveries from McMaster.

One may note the dead center in the rack of tools behind the head of the lathe.

[Frank S]

If you will notice there are more than 1 face plates 1 is hiding behind the steady rest and is much smaller in diameter probably just small enough to be used without having to pull the gap bridge and judging by the size of the drill bit it looks to be about 3 1/2 inches or more with a MT 5 or 6 shank
I have a 2 3/4 " that has the shank turned down from MT 5 to MT 4 it looks huge in my index but that thing is a lot bigger than mine.

[mklotz]

I really wish the Navy had not abandoned the ship naming conventions of WWII - states for battleships, cities for cruisers, fish for submarines, etc.. I'm particularly annoyed by the practice of naming carriers for presidents. IMO, we've never had a president who deserves to have any ship named for him. [I wouldn't mind naming barges after a few of them but that's my limit.]

The Missouri (BB63) is a particularly historic ship and its name should remain singular. The same for all the other Iowa class battleships.

The Iowa (BB61) is now permanently moored as a museum ship here in LA harbor. Unfortunately, when I toured it a few years ago, neither the machine shop or the engine room were open to the public.

It's interesting to me that all the Iowa class ships have been preserved as museums rather than being broken up. Can it be that the Navy thinks there may yet arise more situations where an offshore heavy artillery platform could be useful?

[Toolmaker51]

I really wish the Navy had not abandoned the ship naming conventions of WWII - states for battleships, cities for cruisers, fish for submarines, etc.. I'm particularly annoyed by the practice of naming carriers for presidents. IMO, we've never had a president who deserves to have any ship named for him. [I wouldn't mind naming barges after a few of them but that's my limit.]

The Missouri (BB63) is a particularly historic ship and its name should remain singular. The same for all the other Iowa class battleships.

The Iowa (BB61) is now permanently moored as a museum ship here in LA harbor. Unfortunately, when I toured it a few years ago, neither the machine shop or the engine room were open to the public.

It's interesting to me that all the Iowa class ships have been preserved as museums rather than being broken up. Can it be that the Navy thinks there may yet arise more situations where an offshore heavy artillery platform could be useful?

Some naming conventions have historical significance. However it s time to be on the road for work and a simultaneous interview enroute....so I'll continue when stationary.

[Dr Stan]

It's interesting to me that all the Iowa class ships have been preserved as museums rather than being broken up. Can it be that the Navy thinks there may yet arise more situations where an offshore heavy artillery platform could be useful?

I certainly hope not. In any case so many nations have missiles capable of taking out large ships such as carriers & battleships at a distance they are obsolete.

[mklotz]

I certainly hope not. In any case so many nations have missiles capable of taking out large ships such as carriers & battleships at a distance they are obsolete.

The Missouri was used to shell targets and launch missiles as recently as 1991 in occupied Kuwait. Anti-missile defenses become continually more sophisticated and the most recent improvements are always kept secret. Who can say where and how the next small-scale conflict will evolve?

As to the obsolete nature of carriers, I'm sure the Navy will be disappointed to learn that they spent $13 billion on the USS Gerald Ford for no good reason.

[Frank S]

I certainly hope not. In any case so many nations have missiles capable of taking out large ships such as carriers & battleships at a distance they are obsolete.

That may well be but I can think of several instances in 4 wars where members of my family were sure proud to have them sitting off shore lobbing their munitions and in the last mission their tomahawks My father in WWII & Korea 3 of my uncles in WWII, my eldest first cousin at Con Thien in March of 69 and his nephew in Kuwait in 91 Heck I would have felt more secure on a couple of short incursions in 72 & 73 had the New Jersey been on station myself
While it is true that a vessel, any vessel for that matter is a sitting duck in the water when it comes to cruse missiles or Ariel bombardment their presents represents a seance of security for ground troops especially when refitted with updated technologies.
However now it is almost possible for any tech savy teenager to create a rudimentary form of Target identification and acquisition tracking device rendering just about anything moving slower than a pleasure yacht in high winds subject to being locked on