frenchriverland
Active Member
"The Wizard" turning one of the 43" Leffel "F" Francis runners in the rebuilt Niles Boring Machine. We finally established an age on this machine tool. It left Hamilton, Ohio on April 17th, 1871. Can you imagine anything coming out of China today being used productively after 139 years. This wonderful, old machine tool has given us the capacity to rapidly rehabilitate our Indian River HEP. With a 10 foot swing, it is one of the few machines of its capacity left in the northeast today!!! I barely saved it from the cast iron maggots!! I adore this machine. After 18 months of rebuilding and $30,000 it is like one of my children!!!! You can see our 900 KW GE/ I.P. Morris T/G set in the background. Peter and Davis were concerned that the metal chips would fly into our generator. At 92 rpm, the chips lazily fall on to the giant chuck!!!! Of course, this machine would be useless without Warren, our "Wizard". Warren spans the world of computer aided machining and hand machines. He can program a CNC planer as easily as running a 139 year old boring mill!! I am so proud of him!!!
http://frenchriverland.com/rebuilding_120_niles_boring_mill.htm
http://frenchriverland.com/rebuilding_120_niles_boring_mill.htm
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