1917 naval gun bore machining - photo

[Jon]

Machining the bore of a 5" naval gun, U.S. Naval Gun Factory, Washington Navy Yard, 1917

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...e_fullsize.jpg




Previously:

Machining a space shuttle main injector in 1977 - photo

[bruce.desertrat]

I think the tool holder alone is bigger than my lathe...

[Frank S]

not sure what the man could do sitting there on the off end of the carriage unless he is conveying instructions to the operator.
those old big lathes could turn things so massive that it took 2 guys to run them 1 to watch what was going on and the other to run the controls.
I suspect for some things that big n of mine would be the same way, needing someone to watch the tool as it became close to the end of a counter bore so it can be kicked out of feed then hand fed the rest of the way, and also to relay the chip conditions
I noticed he also has a drop light or the lathe light positioned to peer down the bore

[hemmjo]

I remember when one of the gun turrets on the Battleship Iowa exploded in 1989. We no longer had the machine capacity to repair it. I suppose it was obsolete by that time, but still, even if we wanted to, we would not have been able to make repairs due to lack of resources.

[bruce.desertrat]

Not surprising, considering the last battleship the US ever made (and I think it was the Iowa) was started in early 1941. By 1989 I doubt anyone had the indutrial tooling to build another battleship.

[greyhoundollie]

Is it just my eyes or is the I.D. he is turning into that work piece is quite a bit larger than 5"?

[bruce.desertrat]

I suspect that's the breech end. Which would have a large recess bored for the breach block.

[mklotz]

Not surprising, considering the last battleship the US ever made (and I think it was the Iowa) was started in early 1941. By 1989 I doubt anyone had the indutrial tooling to build another battleship.

Iowa (BB-61) was the first of her class, after which came New Jersey (BB-62) and Missouri (BB-63) and then Wisconsin (BB-64).

BB65 was supposed to be the first of the new Montana class but the need for faster ships of the Iowa class to escort carriers led to her being commissioned as the Illinois (BB-65). She was still under construction at the end of the war and was never completed.

BB-66 was to have been the Ohio, second of the Montana class, but, like the Illinois, was redesignated as the Kentucky of the Iowa class. She too was still under construction at the end of the war and was never finished.

So, it appears that the last US battleship built was the Wisconsin.

[hemmjo]

Is it just my eyes or is the I.D. he is turning into that work piece is quite a bit larger than 5"?

The big guns on the battle ships where 16".
https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/06/s...ttleship-ever/

Interesting article in regard to disposing of shells no longer needed. Interesting business opportunity.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...leship-shells/

Same topic, interesting comments.
https://forums.gunsandammo.com/discu...tleship-shells

[jdurand]

Probably the breech. Note the smaller hole ahead of where he's boring.