The No. 2 Machine Shop
Shaping Steel
Inside this long building, workers turned forged steel into finished parts and products. Through a few basic cutting processes-including milling, drilling, turning, boring, planing-machinists shaped steel with incredible precision.
The size of the building allowed machinists to manufacture massive parts. The company was famous for supplying guns, artillery, and equipment to the U.S. Army and Navy, as well as to America's allies. Bethlehem's machinists made parts for various sectors of the energy industry, including nuclear, oil, gas, and mining.
1 Milling
A spinning cutter moves across the surface of the steel to shape it. The cutter moves in all directions to form the piece.
2 Drilling
This time, the cutter can only move up and down, removing material to make a hole.
3 Turning
This process makes cylinders with various profiles. A piece of steel spins on a lathe, while a cutter creates the specified geometry.
Erected by SteelStacks. (Marker Number 22.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce
Location. 40° 36.902′ N, 75° 21.861′ W. Marker is in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in Northampton County. Marker is on the Hoover-Mason Trestle at SteelStacks. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 711 East 1st Street, Bethlehem PA 18015, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Wartime Steel (a few steps from this marker); A Changing Landscape (a few steps from this marker); Heat Treating (a few steps from this marker); Non-Native Plants (within shouting distance of this marker); Why Did Bethlehem Close? (within shouting distance of this marker); The Flow Of Goods & Money (within shouting distance of this marker); One Of The Hardest Jobs In The World (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Legacy of Steel (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bethlehem.
Also see . . .
1. Bethlehem Steel: Forging America. (Submitted on February 24, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Bethlehem Steel Corporation. (Submitted on February 24, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Steelworkers' Archives. (Submitted on February 24, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
4. Bethlehem Steel at A Salute to Freedom
5. What is SteelStacks?. (Submitted on February 24, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 24, 2018. It was originally submitted on February 24, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 226 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 24, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.