The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-03-06 00:00:00

THE SMITHY.

This is one of the most extensive portions of the establish-
ment. It comprises two large buildings thrown into one ;
and a great number of workmen are constantly employed.
There is an avenue of anvils, and the constant hammering,
the blowing of their fires, together with the dusky visages
of the athletic workmen, remind one of the description of
the abode of the Cyclops. Here, however, " bolts" are
" forged," of which neither " Jove " nor his armourer
" 'Vulcan" could have conceived any notion. All the iron-
work for the steam engines is here made, with the exception
of the very heavy paddle-shafts, which are brought in the
rough from the Mersey Forge.
THE PLANING-MACHINE ROOM.
_

In this room are valuable and elaborately-contrived ma-
chines for the planing or levelling of large plates, or other
pieces of iron or brass, so as to give them a smooth, true,
and polished surface. The article or piece to be planed is
securely fixed by screw-bolts &c., to an horizontal iron
table, perforated with holes for the insertion of the bolts
from beneath it in any required point, to suit the size or
form of the article. This table, when put in motion, travels
backwards and forwards with its load on two iron rails, or
parallel slides. Over the centre is perpendicularly fixed
what is called the " planing tool," an instrument made of
steel, somewhat in the form of a hook, with the point so
inclined as to present itself towards the surface of the metal
to he planed, as it approaches it on the table, so as, when all
is adjusted, to plough or plane it in narrow streaks or sha-
vings as it passes under it. The extremity of the tool is
about half an inch to three-quarters in breadth, and being of
a round form at the under side, and ground or bevelled on
the upper, presents a sort of point. If a plate of iron is to
be planed, the operation commences on the outer edge, and
each movement backwards and forwards of the table places
it in such a position under the tool, that another small pa-
rallel cut is made throughout its whole length. The tool, in
ordinary machines of this kind, is fixed so that it cuts only
in one direction, as the plate is drawn against its edge or
point, which is raised to allow of the backward motion of
the plate. A new patent has, however, been obtained for a
griat improvement in this respect by Mr. Whitworth, of
Manchester ' • and several of his machines are on Messrs.
Fawcett and Co.'s premises. In these, by a peculiarly
beautiful contrivance, the cutting instrument, the moment
the plate passes under it, " jumps" up a little in the box or
case to which it is attached, and instantly " turns about" in
the opposite direction, and commences cutting away, so that
both backwards and forwards the operation goes on without
loss of time. The workmen very quaintly and appropriately
call this new planing-tool " Jim Crow." A workman at-
tends to each of the machines, and when the piece to be cut
is fixed with great exactness on the moving table, by a spirit
level, he has nothing to do but to watch that it remain so,
and that the machinery work evenly and correctly. Where
a very smooth surface is required, the operation of planing
is repeated, and two plates thus finished will be so truly
level, that they will adhere together. It should be added,
that so perfect are these machines, that in addition to pla-
ning horizontally, they may be so adjusted as to plane per-
pendicularly, or at any given angle.
THE TURNING ROOMS.
In several of the rooms, both beaten and cast iron of all
possible dimensions are turned, with astonishing facility and
correctness, on what are called slide lathes. In one of these,
we saw the paddle shafts for the President under the opera-
tion. Each of these weighed, when they came from the forge,
about 10 tons, and they will be but slightly reduced in weight
by turning. In the same room large piston and other rods
were being turned. While the shaft or rod is resolved, the
cutting instrument, fixed to a slide, on which it is slowly and
evenly carried along, performs its operation with wonderful
precision, frequently cutting a large and continuous shaving
of thirty or forty feet in length (as may be), apparently as if
it were lead, and which, curling up, forms a curious and per-
fect worm or screw. From the great pressure of the tool,
one of the edges of this screw is frequently split into regular
teeth like those of a fine comb, but shorter. The tool, when
it has gone from end to end of a shaft or rod, is, by a simple
adjustment, made to travel back again, and the operation is
continned till the whole is of the required diameter, and per-
fectly bright and polished. Another interesting operation in

this department is the turning and polishing of circular pieces
of machinery, whether dished or flat. The tops or lids of the
cylinders of large engines are the principal, and some idea
may be formed of the advancement of this art, by an inspec-
tion of the cylinder tops of the "President," which are as
bright as mirrors, and are 80 inches in diameter Water
constantly dropping on the cutting tool from a small pipe is
all' the " oil" used either in planing or turning.
THE FITTING-UP SHOPS.

There are several rooms in which the " fitters-up" are em-
ployed. These finish the smaller brass and iron work of
the engines, and have turning lathes, and all manner of hand
tools. In the building of an engine, they hold the same re-
lation to the foundry and the forge, that the clock and watch
maker (properly "finisher") does to the establishment that
supplies him with his wheels and other works in the rough.
THE MODEL OR PATTERN MAKERS' ROOMS

Are extensive, and many first-rate workmen are employed,
the greatest exactness being required, otherwise the castings
would be unavailable. The timber used is almost wholly
well-seasoned deal. Many of the patterns are complicated
and beautiful, a great deal of taste being displayed in the
mouldings and other decorations, where such can be appro-
priately introduced. The models are all finished and polished
in the best possible manner.