The Home Machinist!

100 Years, and Still Kicking!

No, it's not me, but my Brown & Sharpe 1-1/2 Universal Milling Machine. In 1991, Brown & Sharpe was still in business, and they were kind enough to send me a copy of the original order for this mill: PO# 23541- 11/01/1907 - Serial # 694 - Price $750. (Around $30,000 in 2008 dollars.)

On May 1, 1908, B&S shipped this mill to Chicago for the fall opening of the newly built Lane Technical High School. The mill was installed in a room with line shaft distribution as shown below. By 1935, technology had advanced, so when this mill was moved to the new building for the school, there was no need for line shafts, so a Cullman Co. drive unit was put on top of the mill, as seen in the photo of the mill in my shop. The room this mill was in was closed in 1978, and I acquired the mill in 1979. I cleaned, repainted, and put in a single phase motor, I have used it for various projects ever since.

From olde catalogs, I estimate they made the #1-1/2 from ~ 1899 thru ~ 1917. Why One and One Half? It is bigger than the #1 and smaller than the #2, I can see no reason for it's existence, but I have one. Like other machines of that time, its top RPM is 418; some mills today run over 50,000 RPM. But, if you are in no hurry, it does the job.

Sometimes, when I turn a handle on this mill, I think of the thousands of students who touched those handles for its first 70 years, and wonder what kind of careers they went on to. Today the school celebrating its 100th, has the words "College Prep" added to its title, and only three shops, of about forty remain. I wonder, which students got the better education?

Ronald,

Thanks for the story. That is way too cool.

Wow - $750. A Model T cost about 1/2 that.

I have a Brainard mill that dates between 1888 (patent date) and 1898 (company name change). It's not set up yet, but it's neat to think of what work it did over those years.

BTW, this is the mill I got from Will Jordan (thanks again Will!). The base is still in the garage, but we're having some work done on the house starting next week and I hope to get it down into the basement during that. It will be the centerpiece of the shop.

I have lots of tools with the original owner's names on them. Someone on PM asked how to remove the names on old tools, and I said that I wouldn't, because I needed to think about those people that came before me and I hope that my work can honor their memories.

Steve

Does she still have a husband?

I'll marry her!!

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There are no problems, only solutions.
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Retired journeyman machinist and 3D CAD mechanical designer - hobbyist - grandpa

I had one of those base machines a few years back.

At some point someone had adapted a 3 phase motor to the top to power the machine base & horizontal spindle.

a Bridgeport head with a 7 B&S taper had been fixed to the round overarm.

The machine was in horrible condition as it had been used for years as a drill press only. The milling table looked like a piece of swiss cheese.

Although I never hooked power to it I hand turned it enough to tell all the gear selections still worked.

I finally Gave the BP head to someone else with the condition they haul the entire machine off.

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If it works Don't fix it....