World War II Production
1941-1945
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Click on any of the images to view a larger version
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The process of Shell Casing Production
These rough forgings arrived at Acklin via New York Central Railroad from a variety of sources. It was Acklin's job to turn these into finished shell casings. 
Then, the centers of the shell casings were hollowed out.
Then the shells were turned on a lathe.
A hole was then bored into the nose of each shell.
And then the nose of each shell was tapped.
The open end of each shell was then shaped into a point.
The open end of each shell was then polished.
Then the face end of each shell was polished.
A base was then welded to the face end of each shell.
Each nearly completed shell casing was then turned on a lathe a final time. Notice the women along the back working alongside the men.
The shell casings were then subjected to rigorous testing. Here the shells are being tested for hardness using the Brinell Hardness Test.
In this picture the shells are being undergoing a number of tests in a laboratory.
After testing the shells were heat treated for protection
The shell casings were then painted. 
After coming off the paint line the shells were then packed in cardboard and shipped.
Very few parts were wasted in shell production. This photo shows Acklin employees salvaging scrap metal. 
In this photo Acklin employees are sharpening their tools.
Sometimes the stacks of shells got pretty large!
Women worked alongside the men at Acklin during the War Effort, as shown in this photo of an unidentified woman working on a lathe.
More women than men worked at Acklin during the war. Here three women are unloading the finished shells preparing them for packing.
Eye protection was mandatory for most jobs on the shell line. Here a man stands placing shells on a conveyor.
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