How it's made: Your cast iron lathe base
- Thread starter LVLAaron
- Start date
LVLAaron
Gold $$ Contributor
Pretty machines. I'm glad someone is still making shapers!
B Nettesheim
Gold $$ Contributor
That’s some Stone Age stuff right there
Impressive when the guy is stoking the furnace with a wheelbarrow
I wonder how they make rifle barrels?
Impressive when the guy is stoking the furnace with a wheelbarrow
I wonder how they make rifle barrels?
LVLAaron
Gold $$ Contributor
In the ground, while wearing sandals
We don't realize how good we have it until you see something like this. Just sad. Pretty amazing what they can do with the most basic of tools to work with.
Paul
Paul
The thing is, these guys get stuff done! In the time it takes them to build the mold, cast the bed, and finish it, an American company would still be getting the engineering team together and hashing out the car parking arrangements. They would then spend several months figuring out how they could build it without having to employ any skilled labor, out source all of the work, then proudly take credit for the results.
Can you imagine the stroke an OSHA inspector would have when he saw someone going up on that elevator? His head would literally explode!
Anyone who has worked at building anything has to have respect for these men who can do so much, with so little, and for pay that wouldn't get us out of bed. These are the guys who carry the rest of the country, and these days, a lot of our country, on their backs. They make the goods, they do the work, they create the value; just so some pissant in Mumbai can make money exporting it, while whining about the cost of labor. WH
Can you imagine the stroke an OSHA inspector would have when he saw someone going up on that elevator? His head would literally explode!
Anyone who has worked at building anything has to have respect for these men who can do so much, with so little, and for pay that wouldn't get us out of bed. These are the guys who carry the rest of the country, and these days, a lot of our country, on their backs. They make the goods, they do the work, they create the value; just so some pissant in Mumbai can make money exporting it, while whining about the cost of labor. WH
It used to be done that way or close to it in this country. many large (really large) gears and wheels and other things started out as castings done in the floor of a foundry.
I guess these are not so much gray cast iron as they are mystery metal. Guys carrying around and pouring pots of molten metal while wearing sandals!
I guess these are not so much gray cast iron as they are mystery metal. Guys carrying around and pouring pots of molten metal while wearing sandals!
The machine being used is a planer. The difference is on the planer the bed moves while on a shaper the tool moves on a ram. From the looks of the machine it was built in the late eighteen hundreds or early nineteen hundreds.
Pretty machines. I'm glad someone is still making shapers!
Sniperhandle
Silver $$ Contributor
Ganesh machines which are made in India might be made be these guys, But good Taiwan Machines are "Meehanite" Castings and are very modern.
Regardless, That is pretty cool how these Indians do that.
"Dhurka Dhurka"
Regardless, That is pretty cool how these Indians do that.
"Dhurka Dhurka"
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I think they may have better casting quality than my WW1 war-time production lathe. Lol
It‘s interesting to watch this type of video and look at how the guys go about it - everything is rather basic and repetitive so there’s not a lot of talking. To make it long enough to be one of the leads, they probably have to be somewhat careful or lucky.
Click Spring has really changed my view of what‘s possible using shop made tools - he would have made a good gunsmith. Lol
It‘s interesting to watch this type of video and look at how the guys go about it - everything is rather basic and repetitive so there’s not a lot of talking. To make it long enough to be one of the leads, they probably have to be somewhat careful or lucky.
Click Spring has really changed my view of what‘s possible using shop made tools - he would have made a good gunsmith. Lol
jackieschmidt
Gold $$ Contributor
How true.
these guys have all of the proper tools and fixtures to cast the base within the tolerances required. The material is cast iron, melted from previous castings.
Sure, the alloy content might not be perfect, but it apparently meets the standards required.
It all might look crude with a total lack of safety standards, but in that part of the world, human labor is cheap.
But Just because it is cheap does not mean unskilled.
By the way. The machine is a Planer, which specializes in making long straight line cuts. There is a shop in East Houston that refurbishes machine tools that have several, one over 30 foot long.
I have always been impressed by the level of precision which can be attained by these big, old machines. Often, the operator played a real part in the results.
WH
WH
Sniperhandle
Silver $$ Contributor
That planer is probably from around 1890 to early 1920's
Pretty machines. I'm glad someone is still making shapers!
"Old Steam Powered Machine Shop" Just recently restored one of them and uses it. Most of his machines were originally designed to run from ceiling mounted line shafts, That planer in India was most likely motorized later on.
Those same barefoot guys in pajamas can build AK-47s also! hehehe
I don't think my lathe was made like that though, I could be wrong.
I don't think my lathe was made like that though, I could be wrong.
paperpuncher
Gold $$ Contributor
Know what they say about shapers? They can make anything except money. That being said I sought out a shaper years ago and I still have it. A Gould and Eberhardt 14" tool room shaper. The thing checks in at over 2 tons. There is something about watching it work that is strangely satisfying even though I dont use it that often. They have sort of a cult following now and have gotten very pricey, used to be you could get one for scrap or less if you would haul it away.
Pretty machines. I'm glad someone is still making shapers!
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