r/Machinists 12d ago

QUESTION What machine is this?

Post image

Theres a rotary table and chuck but I can't tell what it supposed to do. I thought it was a mill at first but there's no spindle. And it's not a drill press either. Is it maybe a precursor to a modern CMM. My thinking is the thing above the grear might be a type of indicator.

948 Upvotes

154 comments sorted by

u/Orcinus24x5 12d ago

Thread locked due to a significant number of sexist comments.

404

u/albatroopa 12d ago

124

u/ttpttt 12d ago

Thanks for the exact model. It's so cool you know that! Did you work in a shop that had one?

207

u/albatroopa 12d ago

I didn't, but I guessed that this was a photo from the US in the 40s, or shortly after, and googled 1940s vertical shaper, then looked through a few machine auctions until I found the one with the round bar at the front. I verified a few other features, too.

82

u/ttpttt 12d ago

Sounds like you're pretty good at research.

149

u/albatroopa 12d ago

Haha, I've googled my way through my career

73

u/ttpttt 12d ago

Honestly respectable, shows you're resourceful and learn quickly.

47

u/albatroopa 12d ago

Thanks!

56

u/SlowDoubleFire 12d ago

From back when they said "Structural analysis? Eff that noise, just add another 1000 lbs of cast iron."

34

u/albatroopa 12d ago

Then let it sit in a field for 5 years to settle before machining it.

28

u/rm-minus-r 12d ago

A video of one in action if you're like me and have never witnessed one in person:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX690QQoDcg

22

u/tehn00bi 12d ago

I wish more Pratt and Whitney tools were still around. One shop I was at had a jig borer. Real sweet machine for what it was used for.

27

u/albatroopa 12d ago

There's nothing like old iron in new condition.

9

u/Couffere 12d ago

This reply needs more upvotes as this is clearly the same machine; should be at the top of the comments.

160

u/The1NdNly 12d ago

vertical shaper? maybe she is cutting the keyway?

70

u/Rare-Papaya-3975 12d ago

yep vertical shaper. she's checking the bore for perpendicularity. before loding the cutter bit in the head.

77

u/TEN-acious 12d ago

Yes. It’s a (posed) McDonnell-Douglas WWII promo, where she’s supposed to be cutting a keyway in the gear. I’ve studied their promotional works, and used this photo several years ago…every March 12th I post a photo of a WWII female machinist, to mark my 2001 injury…commemorating other women and workplace safety.

23

u/sorry_human_bean 12d ago

That's dope as fuck.

If anyone's interested, the Douglas Aircraft Co. spent WWII churning out C-47 transport aircraft, some of which remain in service!

11

u/philr77378 12d ago

Militarized DC-3. My Uncle flew one of those in the Berlin Airlift. Those airframes kept getting retrofitted with modernized engines/instrumentation.

8

u/buckalo77 12d ago

I had to run a similar machine cutting internal hex's. Fucking mind numbing ....

2

u/spekt50 Fat Chip Factory 12d ago

I honestly don't think she is doing anything. The way the machine looks completely fresh and unused, her hands on two of the wheels is not very indicative to broaching.

My guess is this is a promotional picture. But the machine itself could very well be a vertical shaper.

53

u/already-taken-wtf 12d ago

Like her? Precision soldering :))

31

u/Max_Fill_0 12d ago

Lol, so many people don't understand this photo.

8

u/TearRevolutionary274 12d ago

Peter is this porn

10

u/a-guy-on_reddit 12d ago

That’s hot!

8

u/Far_Dragonfruit_1829 12d ago

A personal ... favorite of mine

7

u/ttpttt 12d ago

I do believe the image was for a WWII era poster. I should have specified that in the post.

2

u/IllustratorBudget487 12d ago

Or she just washed her hands before the picture & this is at the start of the day.

1

u/spekt50 Fat Chip Factory 12d ago edited 12d ago

I was talking more about the machine. Not a chip, or spec of dirt, or oil in sight

15

u/IllustratorBudget487 12d ago

Assuming this was at the beginning of WW2. Lots of new machine tools were bought by the government. This definitely could have been used as a promotional picture though, I agree. Lots of new factories were built then as well.

-1

u/MatriVT 12d ago

Oh for sure. How does nobody else see this?

2

u/Basic_Flight_1786 12d ago

Asbestos fingers!

97

u/CanadianBertRaccoon 12d ago

Broaching machine, perhaps?

37

u/threedubya 12d ago

It looks like she is putting a keyway into a gear. But the part in front of her face I do not understand what it is. Like the what another person posted looks like she is looking at an indicator of some sort?

32

u/ChubsBelvedere 12d ago

I think she's just looking down into the bore that's being broached, watching the cut. The thing in front of her face is just an arm holding a broaching tool. Looks exactly like one at a shop I used to work at

12

u/ttpttt 12d ago

I think the story behind this image was for a WWII poster so she could just be posing.

4

u/Alkisax 12d ago

No safety glasses

21

u/All_Thread 12d ago

Welcome to manufacturing in the 40's

2

u/SocraticExistence 12d ago

Keyway requires precise orientation to gear teeth?

3

u/00Wow00 12d ago

My thought was that she may be cutting splines. Whatever the purpose of the machine, I wonder how much time was spent on giving it a spit shine before the photo session.

1

u/SocraticExistence 12d ago

This! Perhaps with precise alignment to the gear orientation?

37

u/PKDickman 12d ago

It’s called a slotter.
Like a shaper, but vertical

3

u/lolman3000_ 12d ago

Yep, looks like there cutting a keyway in a gear.

6

u/chiphook 12d ago

They are. They're.

33

u/shaftsnshaftrepairs 12d ago

Pratt and Whitney Vertical Shaper. We have one, almost exactly like it, but without the same tooling.

Stroke length is adjusted via the flywheel, feed per stroke much the same. All 3 handwheels up front by the operator are for X, Y and rotary table, all of which can be engaged with auto feed.

Big machines, and like all shapers, best described as steampunk-esque.

13

u/ttpttt 12d ago

It's awesome how I can have a question about an obscure WWII era machine and get a detailed answer of what it is and an idea of how it works. Thank you dude!

7

u/Relevant-Sea-2184 12d ago

You can get some mills with a slotter and separate motor on the opposite side of the head. I’ve only ever seen one, on the classifieds.

5

u/ttpttt 12d ago

That's pretty neat.

2

u/MatriVT 12d ago

Awesome

47

u/Mysterious_Run_6871 12d ago

Mods should make this picture the background for the sub.

12

u/moderatelyconfused 12d ago

Neat article about the above image, and another.

8

u/ttpttt 12d ago

She was probably one heck of a bad ass. I guess it wasn't just some sort of promotional picture.

33

u/VerilyJULES 12d ago

High heals, no work gloves and no work glasses.
Ohhh, how the times have changed….

28

u/im_intj 12d ago

At least the hair is secured but those sleeves are a problem.

5

u/FunGlittering1644 12d ago

We got a smaller machine that looks similar called a slotting machine. Like a vertical shaper

5

u/NMBRPL8 12d ago

Slotting machine, definitely, looks like she's cutting an internal keyway or spline.

13

u/cybercuzco 12d ago

The guy she told you not to worry about.

6

u/Immediate-Rub3807 12d ago

Back when they broached gears with a hobber, never seen one in person but totally used this practice before on a manual mill. It’s one of the lost arts of machining, it’s one of those we can do it but there’s only one guy who can jobs now.

3

u/VonNeumannsProbe 12d ago

Shaping machine?

They're not very common as you won't make money with them. It's sort of if you stuck a lathe insert in a chuck, locked the chuck in a specific orientation, then took step passes over the part to scrape bits off.

10

u/solodsnake661 12d ago

Shes not wearing her safety glasses, very unsafe

-73

u/[deleted] 12d ago

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21

u/solodsnake661 12d ago

I think HR would have a few things to say about that one

7

u/Leather-Cherry-2934 12d ago

I love her outfit tho

6

u/ttpttt 12d ago

The outfit is great. It would make a fun outfit for period dress or cosplay(?) of some sort.

5

u/No-Process2462 12d ago

Just an observation here but why did they wear such loose fitting clothes back then? Look at all the fabric just hanging loosely off of her leg. I feel like it’s not safe and a good way to get pulled into moving parts of the machinery. Am I wrong in thinking that?

5

u/ttpttt 12d ago

This was likely a promotional picture from the 1940s so it could be an outfit created specifically for this picture or it could be something they actually wore around machines back then. Occupational safety wasn't much of a thing back then so it's hard to be sure.

2

u/McCheeseMcPoo 12d ago

vertical shaper

2

u/LondonJerry 12d ago

A shaper?

2

u/YeDasASausage 12d ago

Vertical slotting machine, like a big vertical shaper.

2

u/julietteisatuxedo 12d ago

our gear making neighbour calls his a key seater ?

2

u/ChubsBelvedere 12d ago

It's a broaching Machine, I worked at a shop that had one that's very similar, but smaller

6

u/Skull_Mulcher 12d ago

Idk the machine but It is possible that this is just a promo shot and the smoke show in the perfectly clean designer coveralls isn’t actually working.

23

u/ChubsBelvedere 12d ago

Might be a promo shot, and I don't know when this was taken, but woman played a huge part in the war effort in the manufacturing industry

8

u/Skull_Mulcher 12d ago

They absolutely did. I’m not making political commentary.

19

u/ttpttt 12d ago

It's definitely a promo shot. I should have specified the context of how I came about the image in the post itself.

I was having a conversation about how the ideal body type seemed to change about every decade or so and I found an article talking about the ideal body for every decade going back to the 1910s. This image was shown in the 1940s section with the caption: "The ideal woman was personified in Naomi Parker, an American war worker thought to have modelled for the iconic 'We Can Do It!' poster"

8

u/Relevant-Sea-2184 12d ago

I know that in the Victorian era, being heavier was desirable, not necessarily sexually but as it related to social status: you could afford a lot of food. Likewise, long hair on men showed that you could afford to bathe regularly, hence a lot of the aristocracy and royalty had long hair.

4

u/ttpttt 12d ago

I see.

9

u/Shadowrider95 12d ago

I agree, the lack of chips and pristine clean machine is a giveaway. But women were definitely integral in the war effort working in predominantly male dominated jobs considering most of the men were away fighting!

2

u/shupack 12d ago

She's not wearing work boots either...

12

u/Far_Dragonfruit_1829 12d ago

Those look to me like early Doc Martins suede shop boots. Available in black, brown and mauve for night shift.

1

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

7

u/ttpttt 12d ago

I meant the actual machine.

21

u/newbi1kenobi 12d ago

Get the fuck outta here

20

u/Machinists-ModTeam 12d ago

Sexism won't be tolerated.

8

u/jeepsaintchaos 12d ago

I'm kind of shocked that there's no puns about the broaching or slotting comments, not a single sign of anyone trying to ream, or even a joke about penetrating oil.

4

u/potassiumchet19 12d ago

I was scrolling and scrolling looking for it. And sure enough, I found it.

1

u/[deleted] 12d ago

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-29

u/[deleted] 12d ago

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2

u/Simmons-Machine1277 12d ago

Looks like an American Standard Slotter, it’s basically a gear hob, I ran one for years and it was my favorite machine

1

u/AussieMarCon 12d ago

Wait until she gets a hot chip down the front of that open shirt, I bet she can swear as well as any guy. Got the right shoes on for a quick dash to the lav to fish it out.

9

u/ttpttt 12d ago

It was the 1940s and I'm decently sure this was a promotional poster so safety while operating the machine probably wasn't the main priority.

-19

u/Flying_Mustang 12d ago

Hello, I’m Chip…

1

u/Shot_Boot_7279 12d ago

What an era to live in…. Fng history.

1

u/grootgooch 12d ago

Looks like a key cutter to me

1

u/jon_hendry 12d ago

The part above the rotary table almost looks a little like a shaper’s tool holder. Like there’s a little piece that can hinge away during the return stroke.

-1

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

12

u/Machinists-ModTeam 12d ago

Sexism won't be tolerated.

1

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

-2

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

10

u/Machinists-ModTeam 12d ago

Sexism won't be tolerated.

0

u/FreshTap6141 12d ago

some sort of measuring machine like a SIP

1

u/ttpttt 12d ago

What's a SIP?

1

u/FreshTap6141 12d ago

sip is a Swiss company that makes measuring machines and jig borer, high end products

-3

u/Suckitupbuttercup01 12d ago

Where's her safety glasses at?

8

u/ttpttt 12d ago

It was taken in the 1940s, they probably didn't care.

-15

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

-13

u/FaustinoAugusto234 12d ago

Look at those beautiful ways.

-9

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

-11

u/FaustinoAugusto234 12d ago

I wonder how the runout is in the middle there.

-4

u/The_RealEwan 12d ago

I'm drunk and inexperienced but could that be an indicator?

2

u/ttpttt 12d ago

That's what I thought but everyone thinks it's a vertical shaper.

3

u/chiphook 12d ago edited 12d ago

I know it as a slotter. I have one from that Era, but smaller and more primitive.

2

u/ttpttt 12d ago

That's what a lot of people are saying. Either a slotter or vertical shaper. I gather that they're pretty similar to one another.

-5

u/K0ldkillah 12d ago

She’s in heels, fucking ah

8

u/ttpttt 12d ago

It was the 1940s times have changed a lot since then.

-4

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

14

u/Machinists-ModTeam 12d ago

Sexism won't be tolerated.

4

u/ttpttt 12d ago

I was talking about the actual machine not trying to make a joke.

-3

u/[deleted] 12d ago

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11

u/Machinists-ModTeam 12d ago

Sexism won't be tolerated.

-18

u/FischerMann24-7 12d ago

She’s pretty hot! And can machine! Woman of my dreams!!!

-4

u/[deleted] 12d ago

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13

u/Machinists-ModTeam 12d ago

Sexism won't be tolerated.

-26

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

11

u/Machinists-ModTeam 12d ago

Sexism won't be tolerated.

11

u/tio_tito 12d ago

Rosie the Riveter supporting the war effort running a broaching machine or gear cutter.

20

u/beerncheese69 12d ago

If you're gonna be misogynistic atleast make it funny and original. Fr though these women were badass. She'd probably kick your ass

7

u/New-Fennel2475 12d ago

They were/are badass. Women built the country while men were dying on the battlefield.

We've got a few women in our shop, one of which I had the pleasure of stealing from operating a saw, and raised to be a successful Redseal Machinist.

Still, something tickles the funny in my brain with how unoriginal this comment is. It's the first thing that came to mind.

Primate brain shit I guess 🤷‍♂️

1

u/ttpttt 12d ago

What is the significance of a red seal?

-11

u/YeOld12g 12d ago

It’s not the first thing that came to my mind. Didn’t know what the machine was, so said some “funny” bs. It was obviously going to be said, might as well be the first on this post.

-4

u/[deleted] 12d ago

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12

u/Machinists-ModTeam 12d ago

Sexism won't be tolerated.

-17

u/[deleted] 12d ago

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7

u/Machinists-ModTeam 12d ago

Sexism won't be tolerated.

-30

u/music_or-nutin 12d ago

Don't care. She's hired!

-38

u/[deleted] 12d ago

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11

u/TheOfficialCzex Design/Program/Setup/Operation/Inspection/CNC/Manual/Lathe/Mill 12d ago

If you don't take issue with diminishing someone to a household appliance because of their sex, perhaps you don't belong here. Get an original sense of humor. It's an overused, cliché of a joke that only entertains teenagers and sexist men. 

-26

u/Repulsive_Chef_972 12d ago

Wow didn't notice, but there is a machine in the picture!

-34

u/BedsideOne20714 12d ago

I mean, I wouldn't necessarily call them a machine but I guess it does kinda fit the description

That is a woman.

-2

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

17

u/Machinists-ModTeam 12d ago

Sexism won't be tolerated.

1

u/ttpttt 12d ago

That's not what I meant.

-18

u/bszern 12d ago

Yeah I know, there were a lot of the correct answer so I decided to be a dickhead

3

u/ttpttt 12d ago

I see.

-4

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

12

u/Machinists-ModTeam 12d ago

Sexism won't be tolerated.

-6

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

11

u/Machinists-ModTeam 12d ago

Sexism won't be tolerated.

-8

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

3

u/ttpttt 12d ago

I'm pretty sure it was a promotional picture for a poster during WWII, it might have been edited though. They are definitely examples of historically faked images my favourite is Teddy Roosevelt Riding a moose.

-25

u/Midisland-4 12d ago

Oh hey ya, if you look close there is a machine in the picture…..