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NEW / OLD FROM THE VINTAGRAPH VAULTS >> FLY BOY

Highland Park: 1942

Highland Park: 1942

1942. Chrysler Corporation plant at Highland Park, Detroit. "Applying automobile production methods to machining of 40 mm. anti-aircraft gun barrels in a former automobile plant. Five cutting instruments work at the same time. Under the old single-operation methods of gunmaking, only one of these could work at one time. Automobile workers are proud of the improvement." Medium format safety negative by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size.

How things change

I have been a machinist/tool and die maker my whole life. This is how we used to do things. Now it is done with computer numerical controlled (CNC) tools. I am still in the business and own my own shop equipped with several CNC machines. People that call themselves machinists today wouldn't have a clue how to operate anything like this. This is a dying skill.

Of note... the coolant that is flowing onto the tools looks like milk. It is actually a soluble oil. Mixed with water in the right ratio served the purpose quite well back then. It had an unmistakable odor. Not at all offensive until bacteria started growing in it. Then it got quite rancid. Now the coolants are synthetic chemicals. The smell of soluble oil on a hot tool can bring back a lot of memories to me.

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