Working Machine Shop

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The Working Machine Shop is a partnership with the River Valley Technical Center in Springfield, Vermont that began in 2008 with seed funding from the Vermont Department of Labor internship program. Christopher Gray, a talented teacher and trained machinist, oversees the Mechanical Design and Innovation program at RVTC. Each year, we work with Chris to recruit, hire, train, and support high school student interns who do demonstrations for visitors on historic machines from the museum’s education collection and computerized educational training machines on loan from RVTC. Our interns staff the WMS for six weeks during July and August. Adult volunteers fill in especially during the busy fall season when the interns are back at high school or in college. In 2011, Heidenhain gave the shop a huge new asset - a Bridgeport milling machine, outfitted with a new Acu-Rite numerical digital readout system. Please contact the museum if you are interested in learning more.

Please click on the thumbnails below to see the full-sized image with description.

Machine Shop Slider

2008: Bryce and Ben::Bryce and Ben are both now in college at engineering school.
2008: Bryce and Ben::Bryce and Ben wrote a program to stamp a gear. Our program encourages students to be creative and take initiative to enhance our visitors' experiences.
2008: Ben and Visitors::Interns convey their passion for machines when interacting with the public. Working alongside the museum staff, they learn work readiness skills too.
Cherie at the turret lathe::Cherie has a family connection to the machine tool industry. Photo by Al Goldberg
2009 Interns::Interns Ben, Newell and Zander with friend. Newell and Zander moved on to college studying engineering.
2011::Danny and Chris with interns Nate and Molly. Danny Vitullo, a CNC Product Specialist, traveled to the museum from the Heidenhain headquarters in Schaumburg, IL in July 2011.
2011 Training::Danny (left) spent a week here setting up the new machine and training the interns, staff and volunteers to use it.
Nate and Jacob::The Bridgeport mill is typically used for toolmaking, prototyping, and low volume milling rather than production work. Ideal for demonstrations - it can be operated both manually and using the digital readout system, that can provide the precise location of the cutting tool relative to the work.
Nate at Fellows gear shaper::The success of the Fellows Gear Shaper company in Springfield, Vermont was intertwined with the rise of the automobile industry. This Fellows 7-type was made in 1942.
Jacob::Jacob demonstrates on the turret lathe.
Turret Lathe Detail::

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