# Old Time Machine Shop



## lohring (Jun 28, 2016)

This series of videos is a look back into the past of machine shops.  The series starts with this video:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WXHNBMLZZM[/ame]

Lohring Miller


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2016)

Very nice, Lohring. I missed the line shaft era, but not by very much. When I was a kid in the 1950's there was a water turbine powered mill on the river that flowed out of the big lake where I grew up near. It was a sawmill, and it was primarily cutting white pine logs. I remember all the older boys working at the mill, and I remember being there when all the machinery was running off the line shafts. I remember Jim Brown, the mill owner telling us kids to "Stay away from them belts---They'll tear your arms right off!!!"


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## goldstar31 (Jun 30, 2016)

When we were kicked out of school with whatever scant education we had in the uncertain days of 1944, the little lathe in the woodwork room was pedal powered. There was no one left to teach us, they had died in flaming Lancaster bombers long before. In 1941, I had my one proper science lesson- before our teacher 'put on his Airforce blue' and another group of men would be ripped to shreds in lightly armoured reconnaissance after an accidental conflict with Tiger tanks. 

My little group of younger  unfortunates would go either into the coal mines or to brave the line shafting in nearby Vickers Armstrongs as apprentices. They were the brighter handful that would work like H*** during the day and study almost every night at 'night schools' and try to do written homework on 'heat engines' and tech drawing on the kitchen table at weekends.

I guess that I'm the only survivor now. Somewhere tucked away is  crumbling Goldstar days also in Airforce blue written about line shafting by none other than Lawrence Sparey. It was the basis of my first lathes, worn out flat pulley jobs that had more or less survived.

Tackling line shafting in the home workshop- the garden shed was nigh impossible and 'conversions' to vee belting was the in thing. I recall stitching belts to 'Sparey' design. The motive power was cannibalised and very prized washing machine motors which were 1440rpm and single phase. I recall that I have still one that will one day drive a Potts milling spindle that was also a Sparey feature of those days.

So there are only two of us Goldstars  left from my days , We talk lovingly about 'his ' Spitfire SL-721 which is now in loving hands of Canadian Warbirds.  Long may they both last!

Norman


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## ddmckee54 (Jun 30, 2016)

I love those videos and I've been following him for a while.  I've watched them all several times, and I patiently wait  for each new video.  Well, it may not exactly be patiently, but I at least wait for the new videos.

Don


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