Some information about the building Watervliet Arsenal
Watervliet, New York
On Wednesday 37 December, two days after Christmas, Dave Bono, Frank Dorion, Dave Osier and Errol Groff escaped the everyday and took a day trip to the Watervilet Arsenal just north of Albany New York.
The museum is on the grounds of the Watervliet Arsenal which has been making guns for the United States Army since the War of 1812. Founded in 1813 the Arsenal still makes the cannons for the Army including the main guns for the M1A1 Abrams tank. Of course it is not possible to tour the Arsenal itself due to security precautions but the museum is open to the public.
The museum is housed in a 19th century cast iron building. When you realize that all the wall panels are of cast iron you gain a new found respect for the craftsmanship of those old time foundry men.
Most photos on this page were taken by Errol Groff and Frank Dorion contributed the rest.
Some information about the building
Architectural drawing of the building
If you like guns of any sort this is the place to visit
Cast iron carry beam 
Iron staircase
Coehorn mortars
This is my favorite exhibit at the museum. the mural, painted by John
Trumbull, son of Colonial Governor Jonathan Trumbull, shows the surrender of
British General Burgoyne at Saratoga. In the mural a canon is
depicted. Sitting in front of the mural is the very same cannon painted by
John Trumbull. Amazing.
Frank Dorion photos
Dave Osier gives close inspection to some of the exhibits
Some detail of the wall panels in the background. The Erie Canal, at one
time, ran through the grounds of the Arsenal. While in upstate New York a
visit to the town of Rome where there is an excellent re-created canal town is
worth a visit.
Four Frank Dorion photos
Siege mortar
Coehorn mortar
From apprentice to chief of the works. Quite a career
Foreman's desk in the machine shop.
Dave Bono next to a Garvin horizontal mill. That's Dave on the right
OSHA approved pedestal grinder (NOT)
This shaper uses a mechanism I had never seen before As it cycles the
handle seen in the first two photos swings left to right. Either I did not
see a nameplate on the machine I I slipped up on getting a picture of it.
Either way it is an excuse for a trip back to the museum.
Frank Dorion photo
Frank and Dave next to a VERY large lathe
Dave (L) and Dave (R)
Errol Groff and Dave Osier next to a S.B. Heavy 10 steady rest. Or maybe
not.
Limber: A two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle used to tow a field gun or a caisson.
Caisson: In a military context, caisson is a carrier of artillery ammunition. Caisson is also the French term. In British usage, it was usually called a limber.
Well, that didn't go a long way to making it clear now did it.
Back in a corner this machine can just be seen
Dave Bono admires a nice small planer. If you are a visitor to these pages
and not familiar with the terms of the trade a shaper is a machine tool where
the tool reciprocates and the work moves laterally whereas on a planer the work
reciprocates and the tool is moves in small increments laterally. Frank
Dorion photo
Shaper (Frank Dorion photo)
Frank Dorion photo
Frank Dorion photo
Thanks for visiting the web site of the New England Model Engineering Society.