The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-08-14

The filing shop Is located on the hill, and employ
ninety three men, larger number than are en-
this department consists Of one boring bank, one
turning lathe, two turning engines forty-fve mill
ing machines, three machines for cutting screws
one for tapping cone seats, three for drilling and
finishing cones, (the part of the lock receiving the
percussion cap,) tive for checking hammers, eleven
drill presses, one punching press, two machines for
Strengthening msrs, and two for grinding cutting
mills.
There are thirty-one men employed in the ma
chine shop, and it is here that the machinery and
the principal instruments Of the manufacture for the
other departments are made. The machinery of
this department, as well as that of all the other
shops located on the hill, is driven by double en-
CINE of thirty horse power. manufactured by Tufts,
In Boston. This engine is one of the most perfect
and beautiful ever built in the United States, and,
from its exquisitely perfect operation and high EN-
ish, is always prominent object of attraction to
all visiters. The machinery Of this department
does not vary materially from that Of all first c ass
machine shops. 1t consists of one cutting engine,
nine turning lathes, two milling machines, one ma
chine for shaving "bridles," five planning machines,
four machines for growing, pointing, saving, and
making packing for muskets, one for splitting lea
Their, one for saving lemons, one for cutting bolts,
four punching presses, three drill presses, five turn
ing engines, one Strengthening machine, and one
Sitting machine.
The most beautiful machinery in the whole es-
adjustment is that in the stocking room The ma
chinery here is operated by twenty men, and con.
ssts OF fourteen machines, which would be best de-
scrlbed by simply mentioning the work that they
perform. Into this department the stocks ,me, in
the form Of blanks. They are rough forms of gun
blocks, sawed out Of black walnut plank. They
first pass through the widely celebrated Blanchard
turning machine, which turns the form roughly in
the shape require d, and are then passed from one
machine to another, in rapid succession, receiving
every depression for the reception of the lock and
mounting, the growing for the breech pin, BARREL
and ramrod, holes for the reception of screws turn
ing, &C., until the stock is complete. All this ire
guar mortising boring, SC, is effected with the
most unerring precision, and every piece Of the
lock, and mounting, fits into its appropriate place
in the most perfect manner. The machinery here
rson t with in aOs 0p
its rhymes in beautiful measure, and sings of hui
man ingenuity and the almost unlimited control of
the human intellect over brute matter and the nat
ural forces, with eloquence which zone but cod
of humanity can listen to without emotion. The
inventor of a majority of these machines, is MIR.
Cyrus auckland, gentleman of eminent mechani-
cal genius, long connected with the armory.
The manufacture of q single musket, is effected
by four hundred different operations, and the ma
jority of the men employed, engage in only one of
the operations. A larger number were manufac-
tured last year than any year previous, and calcu
lation based upon the number turned out shows,
that throughout the year, Of 3l3 working days, of
ten hours each, musket was completed every eight
minutes and six seconds. The various parts
of the musket pass, during their manufacture,
through the hands Of inspectors, who, with their
gauges, determine the exact dimensions of every
piece, and reject every that is not exactly what
is required. Thus, hundred thousand muskets
might be taken to pieces, and thrown promiscuousy
into pile, and the whole taken up and put to-
gether again without the mis- fit Of single compo-
nent to its appropriate place Thus, too, when the
arms are in use, there is never need Of sending
them to the armory for re pairs. Hammers, SCREWS
springs, So, furnished from the armory as extras
will take the place of any damaged part, precisely
as if they were made for the arms to be repaired
The process of manufacturing the musket barrel
is one of the most important and difficult in the
whole range OF the armory operations, and one
which is guarded with multiplied tests, at every
step of its progress, from the bar to the finished
tube. The bar, which is Of the best Salisbury
and Ancrom refined iron, is FIRST cut into lengths,
weighing l03 pounds each. These are rolled into
shapes, and then the edges rolled up, Tapped upon
each other, and welded. They are then inspected,
through turning, boring, and grinding, they are
subjected to inspection at each STEP and the work
men are held responsible for the full value Of any
barrel they may spoil, at the stage in which it is
earnings; and We may say here that the same course
is adopted in ard to every component Of the mus
ket. The barrel having been reduced to the dimen
sions required for proof lby powder,) which dmen
sons are three hundredths Of inch greater ia tn,
exterior diameter of the barrel, and three hun
dredths of inch less in the diameter of the bore
than the finished barrel, leaving an ounce and /
half to be worked from each barrel in finishing; i
barrels are usually loaded and discharged at tn,
same time, in building made for this purpose
Each barrel is discharged twice, the first charg,
consisting Of oneeighteenth Of pound Of powder
one ball, and two wads, each wad Occupying three
fourths Of an inch Of the bore, and each ball weigh
ing one.ffteenth Of pound. The second charge
consists of one twetty second of pound of powder
one ball, and two wads, and each charge is well
rsmmed. These barrels are laid on a cast iron
grooved bed, and the balls are discharged into a
bank Of clay, which is occasionally washed for the
lead il contains.
The inspection of the barrels is so rigid before
they come to the proof that very few Of them burst
After proof they are again Inspected, as before, to
that there no ring bones, cinder- holes flaws,
or cracks or defects Of any kind, that will not dis
appear in the finishing.
The plumber of condemned barrels, in the last
years operations, for defec i've workmanship,
l5l, and for defective material, 1923 Ofthese,
ls3 Of the first class condemned before reach
ing the stage Of proving, and 81 OF the last In
proving, 25l were condemned for workmanship,
and 1915 for material In the whole number Of
barrels proved only l42 burst, and an instance Of
a barrel bursting ut tho second discharge, has not
been known for several years. Between this stage
and the finishing Of the barrel, IL were condemned
for workmanship, and ,537 for material Thus,
in making II, 200 muskets, only 45l barrels were
spoiled by the workmen, and the value deducted
from their earnings, while 5,323 a loss to the
government from imperfect material.
The smallest piece value Of n component Of a
musket, is one mill; the highest. 81 80.
The following is the weight of a musket, In de-
tail and total, expressed in pounds and hundre dths
Of a pound
Weight Of barrel ....................I2 q
Weight of locks and side crews..............0 II
Weight Of bayo net o ~
Weight Of musket without bayonet. ..........9.li
Weight of musket complete. .................9,s2
II will thus be seen that a complete percussion
musket weighs ten pounds, la;king eighteen hun
dredths. This weight Is less than that of the old
flint nusket.
The exact cost Of single musket, Of the num-
Der Manufactured last year, cannot be stated, the
inventory being uncompleted, but the cost in the
year le50 was 50 OSa. The cost for the last year
will be less. In ten years the cost Of manufacture
per musk.t has been reduced nearly one half, it
beirg, in 1871, Sl7 ~.
The oxquisit, order and neatness which reign
throughout the whole establishment, are always
subjects q remark to those sho visit it, and the
sst ycfa uf kvx~ II a