Comments by "Skip D" (@skipd9164) on "X-Machines" channel.

Graduated high school 1980 and only seen large machining in videos or books. 3yrs later going to be interviewed for a job at GE. Walked in building and noticed a bull gear for a U.S. carrier. Never thought I would be working on the big stuff but I did. Worked in GE gear plant in Lynn MASS. VTL machined 20ft and bigger bullgears and all horizontal boring mills used slotted steel floors for tables. Mostly U.S. navy reduction gearing for subs, destroyers, and carriers. Nothing was small and because of the constant fighting with the union the building is a vacant lot.
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To people that have never been in a machine shop let me tell you something. High school I was learning to be a machinist. Graduated 1980 and went to work for a once large manufacturing company. All manual machines and broken up so each type of machining was together. Building in Beverly Massachusetts was a mile long and at one time all 3 bays 3 stories high were occupied in its heyday. Company finally closed up and I went to work in a modern cnc machine shop. 82 I started and learned every thing I could. 83 went to work for GE and my final job was an Ingersoll upgraded to 7 axis CNC horz boring mill. The machining in this video in old days would of been done by multiple machines and a couple of days to final piece. 1987 I left GE and the machining trade because there was no future and manufacturing the old way would disappear. Most American manufacturing left the country and the ones that stayed were modern. It is amazing to see CNC machining and also they can inspect the work. My 7 axis were 1axis. x 40 useing floor as table +2nd axis. 15 foot rotating table beside floor that also 3rd axis. moved in and out. 4th axis. Y axis 15 ft. 5th. . Z was 12in ram with. 6th axis. 6 inch spindle and 7th axis was attachments that went on ram . This was over 40yrs ago and i forgot letter designation on some axis and my measurements are not exact but it was largest 7axis in U.S. at that time
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This is what a modern company does to win jobs. Nice clean manufacturing building and everything painted. Machinery up to date and looks like treatment of employees is great. I worked in an old school GE gear plant in Lynn MASS and now it is a vacant lot. Most of the large horz and vert boring mills were pre ww2 and manual. The union wanted the machinist in the new factory of the future to have high seniority and top pay classifications. GE built the state of the art factory an based future decisions on results. So how do you think it went. Put high seniority and high pay employees that don't need to worry about the future. Stupid grievances of small issues just to make conflicts. After 20 or more years your enthusiasm is gone. GE tore down this massive investment and no more expansion in Lynn. The union never budged on issues but if they did there was plenty of space. Could of increased employees and the future for them. Instead there is a supermarket at the torn down factory of the future location instead
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Ran a 7 axis cnc horz mill and boring machine for GE gear plant in Lynn MASS. Mid 80s my X 20ft floor table + 10ft index table that also moved in and out. Y axis 15ft Z axis 6in spindle with a 1 ft ram. 7axis was 90 degree head used to mill or drill. I don't remember the letter designation of all axis and measurements my be off on travel. GE installed this machine to be used on developing high speed reduction gearing. When I was working it was the largest 7 axis cnc horz and boring mill. After completing the rd project I left GE and the machining trade. This was when manufacturing left this country thanks to our politicians.
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Graduated from a technical high school where I became a machinist. At age 23 I interviewed at GE to operate a 4axis horz born mill. I machined gear boxes that held all the gearing and other parts. The average casings needed a crane to set them on table and were the size of a large refrigerator on its side. I expected average machine and average size parts. When i went for interview by supervisor and superintendent in the building I would work in. I entered a door beside a large garage door. The first thing I noticed was the largest vert turret lathe I had only seen in books. 2 overhead cranes were setting the largest gear I had ever seen on to VTL. I learned later it was a bull gear for a U.S. carrier. I was working in the GE gear plant in Lynn MASS and nothing was small. All HBM used the slotted steel floors as their table. We specialize in sub gearing and reduction gearing for carriers down to destroyers. At te end of 4 bays the units were assembled and tested . I won a bid for the highest paygrade with an rd classification. 15,000 union employees. The job was GE develope 3 sections that make up one propulsion for the DDG ARLEIH BURKE class destroyers. Specifically designed natural gas turbine connected to high speed reduction with hardened gears then electric propulsion. The reduction gearing case unit almost half the size of old reduction gearing and operated at higher speeds. They installed the largest 7 axis cnc horz boring mill at that time in U.S. mid 80s. The construction requirements required pillars of cement going down over a hundred ft to the solid rock. Below the machine it had 2 stories consisting of electronic devices Anand pumps and other stuff. That was 35yrs ago and i still brag about what we did. Different types of electric drives also started appearing
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@dominic6634 I held R 25 CNC horz boring mill classification and was RD classification. I decided to quit because GE didn't care about its American employees that built the company so I resigned. Luckily for me I found a better job and not in the machine industry
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@topduk on huge lathes you actually don't want to stop rotation and let part settle. We always kept very slow and only stop to measure or get inspection
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@vintageludwig if your asking me. Very few machinist have the opportunity to operate large machines. I believe operating a machine and doing it for RD project. The high speed reduction gearing is now in operation in the destroyers. Many machinist never see machines that need overhead cranes to load big parts. That's all my comment was about.
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I worked for GE gear plant in Lynn MASS in early 80s 3yrs out of high school. Every machine was huge and I couldn't believe I would work on the big boys. Every machine needed an overhead crane. All horz boring an mill used steel floor as tables. First machine I seen when i went in for interview was a huge VTL having an over 20ft bull gear for a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. Left after 5yrs to work for a utility company
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@Skinflaps_Meatslapper your mom let you out of the basement
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While in high school I was given machinist jobs for the summer months. First machine shop was in a large old shoe factory. It was now many smaller machine companies. Half of the machines still ran on the belt system. A long shaft running along the ceiling with belt going to each machine. Other section had modern machines. In my shot machinist career I operated old belt equipment to the largest 7axis CNC horz boring mill in the country. 77 to 87
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@L98fiero I agree 100%. Politicians listened to the top executives , investors, and wall street. They never worried about the workers and cities and towns. They allowed critical manufacturing such as military and other important products. If something bad happens like a major war we have no major manufacturing ability. F Y I years ago our country signed an agreement to support any company that developed in 3rd world countries. If things change like hostile leadership then the United States will financially replace cost of assets and revenue, I believe a couple of years but not sure .
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@L98fiero the same thing was said about ww2. I cannot list the country challenging property off there coast line. That country's economic structure is not sustainable. They will go after 2 little island countries that they claim are theirs. The way NATO is set up when one ally goes under attack we defend them. There are countries that want to topple us. The population is growing to fast and soon resources will be challenged. Our politicians have given away the one thing that help defeat the axis our manufacturing. I bet it will start with bio before weapons and the Democratic countries that funded that lab will be partly responsible hoping 1 government. I never thought in my lifetime I would talk like this but I believe what I am writing
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@L98fiero is your comment saying brown people what I think it means
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