Some time ago the writer took an order to polish and nickel-plate the cylinder covers of a British battleship. Each cylinder weighed 4,000 pounds and each was 6 feet 6 inches in diameter; and considering that nickel baths are no deeper than 33 inches and polishing spindles are only 2 feet long, the proposition was a tough one - a nut which couldn't be cracked by ordinary means.

The cylinder covers arrived at the factory drawn by eight powerful horses, and even special tackle had to be devised to handle the big, unwieldy things. Every man and boy in the factory laughed at the idea of buffing and polishing them inside of a week. But the work was done on time.

A steel spindle was made, measuring 33 inches long by 1 inch in diameter, and it was fitted with a brass bow handle to be held in the left hand. The spindle had at the center a grooved pulley to receive a rubber band running from a corresponding grooved pulley overhead. On the spindle a brass handle was mounted, which could be moved to any desired position and secured by means of pins which were fitted into holes in the spindle. The spindle revolved within the brass handle on the right side, and within the bow handle on the left side, and was freely run at 2,000 revolutions per minute with perfect ease and smoothness.

Fig. 145 - A portable polishing lathe.

The pulley, like the brass handle, was adjustable and could be secured in any desired position by pins in the spindle.

The right end of the spindle was tapered and threaded to receive a polishing buff or emery wheel or other tool, which was secured thereon by a nut. This portable polishing lathe was made at small cost, and proved to be a decided success. In one short half day the cylinder cover was thoroughly buffed, and in another half day it was plated in three sections, by revolving it over the nickel bath. Then it was let down on the factory floor to be finally polished with walrus-hide buffs. One man squatted down on the floor, holding the portable polishing machine in his hands, and directing the rubber drive band running over the grooved pulley. The buff carried on the end of the spindle revolved at 2,000 per minute over the surface of the cylinder cover, making the operation like child's play, so simple was it.