USS New Jersy Machine shop

[Tin Falcon]

Came across this link http://ussnewjersey.com/rect_37-1.htm
It has several nice photos of the machine shop taken by a volunteer on the USS New Jersey that also maintains this private web site. The shop is beautifully restored and kept museum clean . The shop is apparenly used by qualified volunteers to make repair and retoration parts for the ship. I had the plesure ov visiting the ship and machine shop spring of 04. Drool!!!!

[Wirecutter]

Truly a thing of beauty! A little cramped, and waaay too clean to be believable, but very nice.

OTOH, it must be nice to be able to "two-step" from machine to machine.

It's a working shop? There must be some happy people working there - and clean, too.

[wierdscience]

And people wonder why I want to buy an aircraft carrier when I hit the power ball

I would kill for that Bullard VTL!

[Tin Falcon]

Is it a working shop?? Yes the day I was there I was told the shop is used by museum saff mostly volunteers to make Items for the ship. There were signs reminding folk to clean the machines ater use, As I recall there were a few very few small brass chips on some of the machines. But yes it is kept very clean. Any body with machining /welding skills want a part time job?? (no I am Not realy soliciting. No afiliation Yada Yada) no pay but look at the working enviroment!! And the TOYS!! you can play with!!
jim

[old_dave]

It's a beautiful shop, Jim, on a beautiful ship. Thank you very much for these pictures. I forget, where is USS New Jersey now? That's relatively recent Bridgeport, with the Bridgeport name on the ram a plastic plaque rather than cast in. My 1983 Bpt is like that. Wonder if this machine was installed when she was reactivated in the early 1980's.
David

[Tin Falcon]

Dave:
The New Jersey is at the water front in Camden across from the Philadelphia Navy Yard where she was built and demiliterised (sp)more info at http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/index.cfm
If memory serves me I think she was last commisioned in 1983 so the bridgeportwas likely installed then.
jim

[Nutter]

I like that Lodge and Shippley. Too bad they don't make lathes like that any more.

[Michael Az]

Brings back menories. I was a machinery repairman on board the USS Northampton, heavy cruiser 1966 - 1968. Our shop wasn't that big but we had four lathes and a bridgeport. Almost all of our work was rebuilding pumps. You can't imagine how many water pumps are on a big ship. All the pump shafts we made from monel, tough stuff.
Michael

[chief]

wirecutter,
The place has to be kept clean and neat, the last thing you need is a piece of stock
rolling across the floor and catching you in the ankles.
When I was on the Midway, the deck in the machine shop was bare steel that looked like chrome,everyday we had to run a buffer across
it and swab it down with diesel fuel.

[RobertLC]

Upstairs in my house isn't that clean!!! Jeeeezh!!

[dvideo]

A good reason to go to NJ. When my kids were small, I took them to explore the Texas. There was an amazing amount of the ship open - and it really made a strong impact on them. In two weeks, it is off with the Scouts to the Lexington for a weekend stay. You can get an AMAZING number of Scouts on board, too. Another worthwhile thing.

--jr