Pictures Of the Factories

[SIGP2101]

Originally Posted by Wastoute

Thanks for the Colt photos. The lathes were more advanced for the time than I would have guessed. That second machine, I don't even recognize, maybe a key cutter or broaching machine for the frames. I am guessing (since the black and white photos don't show the color of the metals) that for the most part they used cast iron and brass for these machines since they didn't have good tool steels. Fascinating. Notice the "mill" hadn't really been introduced yet. I would imagine they needed really good tool steels to make that step. Wiki mentions an early "file mill" which was really a lathe with a "face cutter file". And that hadn't even been done in 1854.

If you hover your mouse over pics it should give you a name of each machine depicted in it. Back in those days they run many mills but not as mills as we know them in todays typical configuration. Back then mills were mostly of horizontal type mills and they would wary in sizes. Typical operation for such mill would be production of percussion musket lock plate, for example.



Also, shapers , played big role in production of various parts back then. Horizontal, vertical large and small shapers were utilised in production of many parts.