Wood goes to war

[yetloh]

If you have half an hour to spare, have a look at this video http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=1509 drawn to my attention by a fellow member of the Southern Fellowship of Woodworkers http://www.sfwoodworkers.co.uk/ . Fascinating.

"Wood Goes to War" shows the manufacture of the woodwork for the Enfield No 4 rifle at the furniture makers, H. Morris & Co in Scotland in 1942.
Sadly there is no sound, just the occasional caption on screen (the soundtrack would have been on a separate reel, presumably lost). Some great lunps of cast iron machinery to be seen.

Jim

 

[M P Hales]

The good old days
Draughtsmen working with pecil and paper-not a computer to be seen
Warms the heart
M

 

[AndyT]

Also discussed here https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/wood-goes-to-war-t62198.html - well worth a watch!

 

[Graham Orm]

Thanks for that, fascinating. No mention of what wood they were using, unless I missed it? Would it be walnut?

 

[Fromey]

Impressive. Not a pair of safety glasses, ear defenders, dust mask, or dust extraction. At least they put their long hair up. The "good old days".

 

[Benchwayze]

Management on one side of the table. shop-floor on the other. :lol:

Lots of missing fingers. And the guy on the cross-cut saw... One finger missing, and still crosses his hands operating the saw. It's clear why Health and Safety are so pernickety these days.

Interesting bit of video for all that. Thanks.

If memory serves me, the woodwork on the Lee Enfield was more like some kind of mahogany; which is
probably why the darned thing had such a kick. Not such good absorption of the recoil. I think I also saw them making the stubby bit of woodwork for the 'Lanchester' 'machine-gun', the one that could fire around corners.