CAMS Review of 22 April 99 field trip

CAMS

Chesapeake Area Metalworking Society

Review of 22 April 2000 field trip to
Tuckahoe Steam and Gas Association
near Easton, MD

Write-up provided by Jerry Tuwiner

Eleven CAMS members spent Saturday, April 22, 2000 at Tuckahoe. Jerry Tuwiner, Robert Vogel, Stu Booher, Dan Fox, Vince Iorio, Luther Dietrich, Jim Bassett (friend of Robert V. and a member of CALS in good standing), Art Lyman, Chris Helgeson, Mark Long, and Dave Welser. We thought it was a pretty good turnout!

Tuckahoe:

The morning was spent at the museum where we examined a lathe made by the F.E. Reed Company of Worcester, Massachusetts, a mill manufactured by the Pratt and Whitney Company of Hartford, Connecticut, and a drill press made by the J.E. Snyder Company of Worcester, Massachusetts.

After viewing the equipment, we strolled about the grounds making brief stops in the buildings containing early gasoline and diesel and then steam engines.

Donated equipment:

After lunch, the group drove to a garage, this side of Preston, which contained the machines that are being donated to Tuckahoe. The machines, two lathes, one having a bed 18 feet in length, a horizontal mill, and large heavy shaper, all with extensive counter shafting, as well as, many miscellaneous parts. These machines were once owned by Crocket Brothers Boat Yard located in Oxford, Maryland. About half the group returned to Tuckahoe after the visit to discuss future plans. Art suggested that the donated equipment be moved to the gas engine building and set up temporarily as a static display. Tuckahoe would like to construct a separate building, perhaps next year, adjacent to the museum to house this equipment on a permanent basis. The equipment >would then be used as a live exhibit driven by line and counter shafting. Hopefully, the equipment could also be used to make and recondition parts for other Tuckahoe activities.

The job at hand for CAMS would be to move the donated equipment to the museum. Current plans are for work to start by this weekend. Dave and Jerry are hoping to hijack Art and get some of the tackle and cribbing supplies pulled together on Friday. The task for Saturday will involve moving as many of the machines as possible. The number of machines moved in a day will depend upon the number of people that volunteer to help. Tuckahoe is accustomed to moving heavy machinery. They have, or can obtain, trucks and trailers, and have one or two individuals skilled in relocating heavy equipment. These items require skillful handling.

Current thinking involves lagging these machines to heavy timbers so that they can be winched out of the building on skids on to a rollback truck. Tuckahoe has a forklift that can lift and move these machines off a truck or trailer at Tuckahoe, and set them on the floor of the engine building.

It would seem wise to move as much equipment off the floor of the garage as possible before we attempt to move the large lathe, and the counter shafting. That lathe is located against a wall furthest from the garage door opening. Removing the counter shafting will involve unfastening it from the building and lowering it gently on to trucks or trailers.

Equipment located in the museum:

This equipment is, for the most part, disassembled. Restoration will involve taking an inventory of parts, cleaning, an assessment of repairs, if any, painting, and reassembly. Art Lyman feels that all parts are there. The machines appear to be in sound condition. They are old, and some parts may be worn. For example, Chris Helgeson noticed that the lead screw had some wear on it near the headstock. A plan was quickly formulated as to how to repair this wear. Much work on this equipment can be accomplished right in the museum or in one of the Tuckahoe shops.

Parallel Tasks:

It seems that about 6 to 10 people are needed for moving the donated equipment to the museum grounds. However, some people may prefer to work on the equipment located in the museum. Given enough people, both tasks can be worked in parallel.

Items for Discussion at the April 27, 2000, CAMS meeting:

1. How many people want to work on moving the donated equipment, the items already in the museum, or both?

2. What tasks need to be accomplished?

3. How are the machines to be cleaned and repainted?

4. What is the schedule?

5. What materials are needed?

More to come..... pictures etc. will be added to this page.