There were still plenty of machinists who'd worked in line shaft shops when I started out in machining. Years, in the early Seventies, I worked for a line shaft shop doing municipal water pump work on California's Central Coast. Yeah, I'm old.
Greenfield Village is definitely one of Henry Fords better ideas. My last visit there was with my Father some years ago prior to his passing. When we walked through the old shops he told me stories of the machines in the plant where he worked, when he was younger, that were converted from belt power to electric back in the early 1900's.
One of the things I really like about it is that it's not a static museum. All the staff and volunteers have a lot of information about the area they're working in, and they're all willing to talk about it at length.
Back in my college days, long ago, a friend and I were doing some "urban exploring" in York, PA. One of the abandoned buildings we accessed was set up with the belt drive system. It was a factory of some sort, I don't recall exactly what type, but I do remember that there were also these spiral slides going from the upper floors to the lower floors, a sort of material handling system. Some of the belts also ran between floors. I think there were 3 floors, but, as I say, it was a long time ago.
This period of history has been of interest to me lately, and your videos have really hit the spot. I was wondering about the purpose of those loose discs on the line shaft, right as you began to explain them! Thanks for sharing.
back in 2010 my dad got me a Mamod stationary steam engine and some belt driven workshop tools which we put down on a wooden board to make a workshop display. right now I am in the process of making another one this time with workshop tools made by Wilesco
I have spent many a day at Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum. A former customer and friend of mine worked there and took me on a few special tours. You were asking about ideas for videos. May I suggest the old ford valve production plant in Northville, Michigan and maybe some of the lesser known small town facilities that Henry had a hand in.
You're thinking of the Village Industry sites? I think there were 19 of them, total. Some have nothing left, but a few do have pieces left. Check out the Dundee Mill video. That's one of the sites, and they still have most of the hydroelectric stuff there.
Yep, the power source was pretty much independent of the work being done. There's a place I want to get into to film that has a sawmill, a grist mill, and a machine shop, all powered by a line drive system. They started with two water turbines. Later, they added a steam engine, for when there wasn't enough water. Then added an electric motor for when there's not enough water, retiring the steam engine. The sawmill, grist mill, and machine shop don't care what's powering them.
The duster discs are a clever solution. I wonder if they cut those a certain qay to make them switch directions like they do instead of wandering to one side and getting stuck there?
As long as the rods are level, and the holes are a little bigger than the rods, they should just go back and forth. If you look, you'll see they tilt as they're going down the rod, but when it hits the end, they hit the bracket. That makes them flip the other way, so then they travel that direction.
Nice presentation, thanks..! Would very much like to hear an engineering level explanation of the Dynamometer. I imagine some kind of adjustable brake on the lower pulley, and a reading of the weight change of the rock box, and the RPM, would all lead to an answer in Horsepower. Looking forward to seeing the video someday...
I haven't really looked into that, to tell the truth. Let's see if someone else comes up with an answer here in the comments. If not, may need to add it to my video topic list.
Not sure, but I'd guess in the early carding, spinning, or textile mills. That's where lint is a HUGE problem. In machine shops, they do keep the shafts from getting rusty, but in you're working with fiber, the lint goes everywhere.
Oh, absolutely these systems could be used. The systems are really pretty simple to set up. I know Henry Ford was setting some up in his Village Industry sites (small factories) back in the 30's and 40's, run on water power.
There were still plenty of machinists who'd worked in line shaft shops when I started out in machining. Years, in the early Seventies, I worked for a line shaft shop doing municipal water pump work on California's Central Coast. Yeah, I'm old.
They still work, so if you've invested in all the machines you need that run off them, and still they do what you need, why change?
Greenfield Village is definitely one of Henry Fords better ideas. My last visit there was with my Father some years ago prior to his passing. When we walked through the old shops he told me stories of the machines in the plant where he worked, when he was younger, that were converted from belt power to electric back in the early 1900's.
One of the things I really like about it is that it's not a static museum. All the staff and volunteers have a lot of information about the area they're working in, and they're all willing to talk about it at length.
A better idea from Ford? Sounds like an old advertising campaign... B*)
Back in my college days, long ago, a friend and I were doing some "urban exploring" in York, PA. One of the abandoned buildings we accessed was set up with the belt drive system. It was a factory of some sort, I don't recall exactly what type, but I do remember that there were also these spiral slides going from the upper floors to the lower floors, a sort of material handling system. Some of the belts also ran between floors. I think there were 3 floors, but, as I say, it was a long time ago.
Everyone used to run them. Some companies replaced, or supplemented, the power with electric motors and just kept running with them.
Gotta love cone drives. It's how the trades progressed.
This period of history has been of interest to me lately, and your videos have really hit the spot. I was wondering about the purpose of those loose discs on the line shaft, right as you began to explain them! Thanks for sharing.
Great! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying them :)
Those disks going back and forth on the line shafts are called “shaft mice” 🙂
Thanks! I'd never heard the name.
back in 2010 my dad got me a Mamod stationary steam engine and some belt driven workshop tools which we put down on a wooden board to make a workshop display. right now I am in the process of making another one this time with workshop tools made by Wilesco
Are they modeled after specific engines?
I have spent many a day at Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum. A former customer and friend of mine worked there and took me on a few special tours.
You were asking about ideas for videos. May I suggest the old ford valve production plant in Northville, Michigan and maybe some of the lesser known small town facilities that Henry had a hand in.
You're thinking of the Village Industry sites? I think there were 19 of them, total. Some have nothing left, but a few do have pieces left. Check out the Dundee Mill video. That's one of the sites, and they still have most of the hydroelectric stuff there.
line shafting could be powered by a hot air or diesel engine basically anything that had a flywheel
Yep, the power source was pretty much independent of the work being done. There's a place I want to get into to film that has a sawmill, a grist mill, and a machine shop, all powered by a line drive system. They started with two water turbines. Later, they added a steam engine, for when there wasn't enough water. Then added an electric motor for when there's not enough water, retiring the steam engine. The sawmill, grist mill, and machine shop don't care what's powering them.
The duster discs are a clever solution. I wonder if they cut those a certain qay to make them switch directions like they do instead of wandering to one side and getting stuck there?
As long as the rods are level, and the holes are a little bigger than the rods, they should just go back and forth. If you look, you'll see they tilt as they're going down the rod, but when it hits the end, they hit the bracket. That makes them flip the other way, so then they travel that direction.
awesome video
Thanks!
Nice presentation, thanks..! Would very much like to hear an engineering level explanation of the Dynamometer. I imagine some kind of adjustable brake on the lower pulley, and a reading of the weight change of the rock box, and the RPM, would all lead to an answer in Horsepower. Looking forward to seeing the video someday...
I haven't really looked into that, to tell the truth. Let's see if someone else comes up with an answer here in the comments. If not, may need to add it to my video topic list.
thanks fpr potin
Never saw those anti-lint discs before. When did they first start to be used?
Not sure, but I'd guess in the early carding, spinning, or textile mills. That's where lint is a HUGE problem. In machine shops, they do keep the shafts from getting rusty, but in you're working with fiber, the lint goes everywhere.
OMG!!!!!!!!👍👍👍👍👍❤
Would this be feasible and any good nowadays, not needing to run multiple outlets for all the machines and perhaps keep the electricity bill low?
Oh, absolutely these systems could be used. The systems are really pretty simple to set up. I know Henry Ford was setting some up in his Village Industry sites (small factories) back in the 30's and 40's, run on water power.
David Richards currently operates a steam powered machine shop.
youtube.com/@davidrichards5594?si=eBKcVXR8XbT1xa6k
e