Hi all,
I designed the layout, restored and installed all of the machinery in the Carriage Shop exhibit at the Ohio Historical Society. The exhibit has been running 8 hours/day, 7 days/week, since 1989.
The carriage shop is powered by a constant speed electric motor/gear reduction final drive unit, coupled to a sprocket/chain drive which powers the line shaft. The speed of the electric motor/gear reducer is calculated so that the line shaft, steam engine, and wood working equipment rotates at only one-third of its normal operating speed. I attribute the success of the exhibit running all these years to the slower speed, and the fact that I poured all new Babbitt bearings in all of the equipment, and I use synthetic oils and grease on all bearing surfaces. I inspect the carriage shop daily/weekly, and perform routine maintenance (oiling, adjustments, etc.) monthly.
The exhibit has a four foot high clear Plexiglas barrier topped with label panels around the perimeter, and motion sensors located within the interior to stop the carriage shop should anyone breach the barrier. There are also security cameras positioned so that our security staff can monitor the carriage shop during hours of operation, and they can stop the carriage shop remotely from their monitoring station if they need to. The carriage shop is started at 9am by our security staff and shut down at 5pm every day. Although the carriage shop machinery is in motion all day, the machinery is not being used or demonstrated thereby eliminating the danger of flying debris.
If anyone has any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Russell P. Arledge
Collections Facility Manager
Collections, Historic Preservation & Statewide Outreach
The Ohio Historical Society
1982 Velma Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43211-2497, USA
614.298.2051 // Fax: 614.297.2233
e-mail: mailto:[log in to unmask]
Visit our Web site: http://www.ohiohistory.org/
-----Original Message-----
From: Stockwell, Todd [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 8:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Working Machinery Exhibit Safety
The Ohio Historical Society, Columbus, Ohio, included a re-created
carriage shop as part of its permanent gallery re-installation around
fifteen+ or so years ago. I'm not sure if it is still there or not, but it
would be a similar installation to what you are proposing. I recall that
several overhead lineshaft-driven wood working machines could be set into
motion by visitors pushing buttons along the guard barrier that turned on
hidden electric motors temporarily to send power through the lineshaft
belting. The machines did not appear to do actual "work" (i.e. cut or turn
wood) and were not meant to be operated by live demonstrators, so the need
for shielding to protect observers from flying debris was minimal. I assume
some type of electronic sensor system was used to shut off the power if
someone crossed the barrier rail and entered the shop exhibit space.
The Smithsonian NMAH's long-running "Engines of Change" exhibit
includes a working 19th century metal shop that utilizes video monitors to
show the various machines in action when docents are not present to
demonstrate them (and video recordings are an alternative to consider so as
to not have to have the machines remain operational at all). The NMAH web
site indicates docent demonstrations are being given regularly
Tuesday-Saturday. This small shop is set inside a period wood frame shop
building. A barrier rail separates observers from the machines and contains
the video monitors.
The Cincinnati History Museum at Union Terminal has a re-created,
working 1910 machine shop. The machines are separated from observers by
distance and a period-looking barrier rail/fence.
Although the operating machinery is textile manufacturing equipment
rather than carriage making equipment, you may want to review the operating
machinery program at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum in the Lowell (MA)
National Historical Park. This was an ambitious project into the subject of
recreating operating historical machinery on a large scale within the NPS
system.
The Public Museum of Grand Rapids (MI) has a working wood shop
within its "Furniture City" exhibit. Docents demonstrate the various wood
working machines behind glass and metal barriers.
Amongst a variety of operating historic machine programs within
Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, the Armington & Sims machine shop
and the machine shop within the railraod roundhouse are examples of sites
with working/moving machinery including machine tools and steam engines that
have developed various ways of dealing with safety issues for both observers
and staff over many years. The Armington & Sims machine shop is especially
notable for using re-created period machine guards, which were illustrated
in machine shop text books from the later nineteenth century on, but just
weren't actually constructed and installed as frequently as in later times
when workplace safety became increasingly government regulated. A little
research into period publications will turn up a wide variety of suggested
guards that will help maintain the period look while addressing modern
safety issues rather effectively.
Another site to check out at Greenfield Village is the recently
relocated and reinterpreted two story Richart Wagon Shop. The reopened
historic shop now contains examples of partially completed wagons and
carriages and demonstrations of wood hand tools used in making and repairing
wagons and carriages.
You may also want to check out the Mifflinburg Buggy Museum,
Mifflingburg, PA, for another example of an in situ preservation of a
complete small buggy manufacturing operation that has recently added a
visitor center with exhibits explaining the parts of a buggy and how they
were made.
The machine shop at Hagley Museum is especially notable for NOT
having a barrier separating observers from the machine tools. Visitors are
asked to remain in the center of the shop floor between two discreet rows of
brass tabs nailed to the floor while docents demonstrate the various metal
working machines. The absence of visually intrusive barriers and guards
combined with period kerosene lighting makes this probably the most
authentic looking and feeling nineteenth century machine shop exhibit
re-creation in the country. Access is limited to timed groups so the
procedure of asking each group of visitors to just remain standing in the
center aisle between the rows of brass buttons on the floor works quite
well. The 1870s lineshafting is powered by a hidden modern electric motor
and the demonstrators have electronic safety devices to cut off power to the
machine tools in case of a problem.
Another alternative is to look at the superb vignettes recreating
work in small shops, includign a water-powered, wooden wheel barrow factory,
in the permanent "Made In Maine" exhibit at the Maine State Museum. In some
cases, a well-done static historical vignette can be as engaging as an
exhibit with working machines, especially if the moving machines aren't
really doing work and have to be separated from observers by modern barriers
and guards that take away the period feel.
The types of safety precautions that will be required for your
working/moving machinery will depend to some degree on whether the machines
in the reconstructed carriage shop will be meant to be fully functional
(i.e. demonstrators performing actual work - e. g. cutting wood, etc.) or
will only simulate work through movement and how much historic shop context
through a period look is to be retained versus how much the basic functions
of the machines are to be drawn out and highlighted. You'll need to develop
and implement a training program for interpreters (whether paid or
volunteers) if anyone is to be within the shop when the machines are moving.
You may also want to get your local OSHA inspector and insurance
represenative in on the project at the beginning. Their concerns can be
dealt with much better if they are identified early on.
If you need more specifics or direct contacts for further
information on the above sites you can contact me off-list.
Todd Stockwell
Curator of Agriculture, Industry & Technology
Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites
650 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2725
(317) 232-8270, fax (317)233-8268
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Caren Hauptvogel
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 2:38 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Working Machinery Exhibit Safety
Hello-
I was hoping someone might be able to help me with a question my museum is
currently grappling with. As part of a larger installation project, we are
planning to reconstruct a former carriage shop in the gallery, complete with
working machinery (i.e. belts and wheels turning, etc.) if possible. Does
anyone have or know of any exhibits that use working/ moving machinery or
parts? And if so, what sort of safety precautions are required to ensure the
safety of visitors and staff (i.e. are these working machines behind glass,
etc.). Any information on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Caren Hauptvogel, Curatorial Assistant
The Long Island Museum
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