Coos Bay Iron works--Coos Bay Oregon

parkerdjte · May 13, 2002

I happened to catch a segment on the TV last evening on a old machine shop. The shop apparently was electrically powered but each machine ran from line shafting, lathes, shaper, shaper and milling machine. The fellow who has it is the nephew of the owner,and he talked like he wanted to make a museum out of it. More power to him! I hope he can do it.

D. Thomas · May 13, 2002

Was this a local show or network ?

Ever read Invention and Technology magazine ? I haven't seen one in years, but they used to have an article in every issue titled something like "They're still there" where they featured a company still doing business with ancient machines. Sometimes the machines are very specialized, like the Kazoo factory...largest supplier of Kazoo's in the world !

L Webb · May 14, 2002

I have a videotape put out by a Reno, Nv TV station, Channel 8 I believe, that has a segment on a company that makes truck bodies for fire apparatus somewhere in Nevada. The entire shop is lineshafted machines. I forget how many years the company has been in operation, but the descendant of the founder said something to the effect of "it works just fine, why change it."
Les

parkerdjte · May 14, 2002

The above TV bit was on a local newscast on Sunday evening. Several years ago (20+) PBS had a special called "Ben's Mill". It was about a fellow that had a wood shop run by a millpond running through a turbine and all the machinery was run by lineshaft and flatbelts. Would be fun to see that one again.
Don

J Tiers · May 15, 2002

Yeah, I saw that one. I recently had remembered it, and wondered what happened to the place.

I have nasty visions of it all having been "cleaned up" and converted to some yuppie's country place, with ferns in pots hanging from the old lineshaft brackets.

medicmike · May 15, 2002

I was recently in Coos Bay and drove by the place. Would have been nice to stop and look around.

conant · May 11, 2016

I just discovered this post. Back in the late 80s early 90s I worked over at Coos Bay Fab.
I stopped by Iron Works one day out of curiosity.
I walked through the front door and my jaw dropped. Machine shop suspended in time. Lots dust and no lights on. Nothing seemed to be running or had been for a long time.
I looked to my right and there was a large pendulum clock on the wall that I thought might have stopped as well. Before I could find out if the pendulum was still swinging my eyes were distracted to a very old gentleman setting in a chair beneath the clock. He had the old gray pin striped coveralls on and appeared asleep or.....???
Within a split second he firmly stated.....: " WE AREN'T HIRING! "
I explained I just came to look and then the story's began.
The shop in it's hey days ran 24/7 manufacturing the Coos Donkey logging winch and repair work for logging and mill equipment.
Ran off a steam engine he said.
As I recall heavy Douglas Fir flooring.
I was glad to hear it still remains preserved.

Iridium77 · May 11, 2016

conant said:
I just discovered this post. Back in the late 80s early 90s I worked over at Coos Bay Fab.
I stopped by Iron Works one day out of curiosity.
I walked through the front door and my jaw dropped. Machine shop suspended in time. Lots dust and no lights on. Nothing seemed to be running or had been for a long time.
I looked to my right and there was a large pendulum clock on the wall that I thought might have stopped as well. Before I could find out if the pendulum was still swinging my eyes were distracted to a very old gentleman setting in a chair beneath the clock. He had the old gray pin striped coveralls on and appeared asleep or.....???
Within a split second he firmly stated.....: " WE AREN'T HIRING! "
I explained I just came to look and then the story's began.
The shop in it's hey days ran 24/7 manufacturing the Coos Donkey logging winch and repair work for logging and mill equipment.
Ran off a steam engine he said.
As I recall heavy Douglas Fir flooring.
I was glad to hear it still remains preserved.

Did you happen to see if he had a planer?

CountryBoy19 · May 11, 2016

I think it's Netflix that has a show or documentary on a fully operational sawmill that is still power from the oil steam engine. It starts out showing the owner wake up at 4am or some-such and strike a match to light his oil lamp so he can go out and get the fire started for the steam engine. I cannot recall what it's called.

Although, now I'm doubting myself, maybe I saw this on here??? I've slept since then. Haha

Hex173t · May 11, 2016

There's a great youtube channel of a guy that runs a shop like this. David Richards is his name and his channel name. Wood fed boiler supplies a 5hp steam engine that drives overhead shafting to a shaper, lathe, dp, mill and more via flat belt.

conant · May 11, 2016

If anyone remembers the Netflix about the sawmill PLEASE post.
This stuff makes me drool.
If there was a planer I didn't see it.
I was distracted otherwise.

I wish there was a real time machine. I would go back and stay. Modern machine shops don't impress me as much as what used to be and was required of the trade.

conant · May 12, 2016

I googled and yes there is a planer.
Appears the shop is still operational.

neilho · May 13, 2016

For the Ben's Mill fans, the building and works is being operated by a non profit. Read more at www.bensmill.com.

And you can see excerpts from the original documentary on youtube. Ben's Mill: An Excerpt - YouTube

DanLinsch · May 13, 2016

Back to the oldest posts for a minute. I spent an evening in Coos Bay last fall, and the following day my wife and I took a walk along the waterfront on the west side of the bay, where all the commerce is (or used to be). I walked past the old shop, peered in the windows and would have paid a good admission fee just to walk around inside it to check out all the antique machinery and line shafts.

Dan L

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Coos Bay Iron works--Coos Bay Oregon

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