807 Comments for Studebaker Stamping Plant

The wooden blocks were used for several reasons, First, and foremost they absorbed shock much better than concrete and when expensive castings were dropped they didn't fracture. Second, when damaged they were easy and inexpensive to replace when compared to repairs to other types of florring. Third, they were very easy to walk on and anyone who has spent his/her life in a mill that had floors like these preferred walking on them rather than concrete. Sadly, this third reason wasn't nearly as important as the first or second.

Studebaker built military trucks of a design by REO in the plant in Mishawaka Ind.where they built Wright Cyclone B-17 engines during the war.After the South Bend Automobile production ceased in 1963 the military contracts were taken over by Kiaser Corporation in the same plant.Kiasers truck and Jeep production was later bought by American Motors who continued production in the plant and others.The military division was named AM General and also made postal vehicals.AM General was spun off before the purchace of American Motors by Chrysler Corporation.They developed the military Humvee(Hummer) and I believe the proto-type was built in the truck plant although production was elswhere.I think the Humvee mil-spec is out of production and AM General no longer exists.General Motors owns the rights to produce civilian Hummers.I would speculate the engines in the photos belong to the reciever of AM General.They were probably kept around to sell to foriegn governments who purchased surplus military trucks.A few Studebaker built 6x6 were still in U.S.Army Reserve and Gard Units into the 1980s.

-is former USN-
Medical
Detatchment
United
States
Navy

The bay was so high, and heat loss was so great. Plastic sheets were hung to trap the heat closer to the floor.

This is another draw press. It is also called a toggle press. This press was in the pressroom at the south end of the building. This line of presses was called " G Line ". G1A was the number one draw, and the first press on G Line.

The hoses were used to spray drawing compound on the sheets of steel before being put into the press. Compressed air was thespraying force.

I worked at South Bend Stamping as a die maker from 73 to 99, and spent many hours working on dies in those presses. Most draw press operations required four operators.

Thanks, the windows were crank-operated just below the ceiling.

All are nice photo's. Did the ceiling have crank open skylights?

I believe the wooden blocks were used to cut viberation. The blocks were actually layed on a cement floor where something like tar was put down first then the blocks were then installed.

i saw a modern stamping press in a toyota plant,
it was AT LEAST twice the size of this one, the pieces were tossed in stamped and tossed out of the machine within 2-3 seconds, producing parts at an dizzying rate.

wouldn't it be horrific if you were looking at those and someone just popped up?
D: bri/x/ would be shat

My grandfather, uncle and my father used to work at Studebaker. It brought back long forgotten memories. I would not be able to stand in the old press. I remember dad came home early on day. He would not tell us much as to why. I later found out someone he was working with was seriously injured (killed?). Most of these presses were 2 man operations. A lot of the other workers really liked working with dad. Many new press operators were put with him since he had an excellent safety record, pre-OSHA. I could tell it got to him when someone was injured. You can not believe how dangerous these machines could be.

Wouldn't it be cool to make some sort of huge and rusty monster machine with dozens of those engines... Kind of mad max meets wild wild west.... Awesome!!! Somebody do it before oil runs out pleeeease... well, it could finally run on biodiesel, I guess. :s

The brick wave.

Signed: An American Soldier stationed in Germany.

12:52 A.M. / Tuesday / 24 / July / 2007