If anyone who is interested in machining gets a chance they should visit Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. There is a historic machine shop located here, it is called the Armington & Sims Machine Shop & Foundry. You can see how it was done in the old days! Powered by a steam engine (I'm not sure if they still use steam power for the engine) poles run along the top of the machine shop. Belts drop down from these poles to power all the wonderful old machines. You can see some of the same names we use today on these machines, I particularly enjoyed watching an old 1908 Brown & Sharpe No. 2 make a candle stick.Another neat thing about the shop, particularly in the fall, is the layout. The machine shop is laid out like a cathedral to industry. Large windows flank a long building layout, although they aren't stained glass! During the cool fall day I visited a nice breeze blew threw and it was very comfortable and well lit, both very important for machine shops.
So if your in the Detroit area and interested in tool and die or machining then stop by Greenfield Village and see for yourself. Admission is about $35 dollars though, so you better like the other things they have there, and there's plenty to choose from!
