The 1st photo general view shows the ‘B Mill’ Pierce press in the foreground with parts of the Pushbench on the right side.
The 2nd photo shows a more detailed view of the Pushbench and parts.
The 3rd photo shows the wooden pattern used in the production of the Pushbench steel casting.
Click on a photograph to enlarge an image.
Click here to see a YouTube film of ‘B Mill’ in action!
Click on the hyperlink to see other Notable Orders from the 1970s
If you remember designing, machining, fitting, installing, maintaining, or working with this machine please share your memories at the bottom of the page by clicking on the words Add a comment about this page.
Comments about this page
Hi John! I think the apprentice polishing the ram in the bottom photo that Chippy mentioned is possibly Martin Carter. Martin was in the same intake as me in 1969 and it certainly looks like him. I also think in the top photo the fellow inside the press at the top right looks suspiciously like John Mabbett, it’s the way he is leaning over holding his cigarette makes me think this. I know John was the stone plant king but he did work on a number of jobs in the new fitting shop from time to time. Pete.
Hi Chippy! Not sure about BW, but I understand the point about the hair! I guess failing everything else you could have had a career in the investigative services judging by your ability to pick out the details and put names to the faces! Well done once again! John B
Hi John! As with some earlier comments on another page, I seem to remember still being up in Hyd. 2 at the time this machine was being built. That doesn’t mean I don’t remember it, it’s that I very much doubt if I would have worked on it. I do recognise Ron Yardley in the first photo, can’t work out who his talking to though, any ideas Pete! To Ron’s right is Jack the painter. In the photo, to the left of the Push Bench, there is someone who looks a bit like Bill Wagner?, at least his hair style looks very much like Bill’s! Again, I can’t work out at the moment who he is talking to. Also I can’t put a name to the driver up in the cab of the 25 ton crane. In photo 2, Ray Gardner in the middle, further back and leaning over the tie rod it looks like Chris Cruse. The two people behind Chris look to be polishing a ram using a length of emery tape. Also you can see in the foreground in front of the left hand cylinder assembly a box of ‘number stamps’ on the floor, so someone must have been fitting the nuts to the ends of the rams, stamping the nuts and ram ends for identification. Chippy Aston.
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