Original film of WW2 No4 (and Pat14 Mk2) woodwork production by H Morris & Co Glasgow

[spinecracker]

Not much health & safety legislation in those days: the women with their forearms immersed in linseed oil for much of the working day.

That, and the lack of proper guards and other protective measures around the tooling machines - I was crinching and waiting to see someone to lose an eye....or a finger

In fact, I ended up counting fingers and eyes, but I don't think that a clip of good old 9-fingered, one-eyed Hamish (or Morag) would have added to the film too much...

[Peter Laidler]

I think that the mark she stamped was the normal N-49 logo as it seemed to be the usual place

[dieppe42]

As a nurse, the one thing that "struck" me was the crude body mechanics and not so great positioning of the materials....these ladies must have had some serious muscular-joint pain at the end of their shift ! Hats off to all you ladies that enable US to enjoy the work of your hands. I won't be able to pick up another Enfield without thinking of all the hand labour involved.

[Paul S.]

Absolutely fascinating. ....

I take it that they filled up the tub with wooden parts, then let the linseed oil drain out. I wonder if this may have led to differences in penetration of linseed oil as the ones on the bottom would have been immersed for longer than the ones at the top. ...

I only watched the clip, but I was particularly curious about whether they were soaked or dipped. The clip had a graphic stating that the furniture was left to soak for 24 hours. I also saw them pulling the furniture out of the vats full of linseed oil.


Too right the Health and Safety mob of today would have strokes watching how things were done back in the day.

[spinecracker]

10 minutes and 10 seconds into the film - the gentleman is missing part of his left index finger, but what do you expect when using a circular saw like that every day? I now have greater respect for those who made these rifles.

[Badger]

We received several emails from Enfield collectors who were very interested in this video, however, they indicated that for whatever reasons, they were unable to view the original Internet links provided, or they said the video wouldn't play for them. Since we utilize video hosting methods that support everything including recent HTML5, on high bandwidth connections right down to slow 56kb dial-up connections, the videos below should be viewable by almost all computers (even old ones), including on iPads, iPhones and Android phones.

The following video(s) are excerpts which have been extracted from the Videos Category (click here) of our main Knowledge Library (click here).

WOOD GOES TO WAR (1942-1943)

With thanks to member Patt14 No2 for locating this video ...

A film highlighting the work of the Glasgow furniture-making firm of H. Morris & Co. during the Second World War, producing rifles stocks and prototype bomb casings for the "bouncing bomb". Film made c. 1942 / 1943, but not "released" until after the war. Original colour positive donated to and preserved by the Imperial War Museum. Find out more about the history of Morris Furniture on their website at Morris Furniture (click here)

Credits: This film is produced as a lasting record of the part this Glasgow firm played in the second World War.

Scottish Screen Archive - Original Video

Scottish On Screen - Original Video

Shotlist: Credits (0.08); From their peacetime production of luxury furniture, H Morris & Co embark upon a war production programme. One of their first assignments - the No 4 rifle (0.56) Planning meeting (1.14); Senior executives plan the production programme Shots of the meeting continue. Craftsmen and managers discuss methods (Neil Morris, the Director, in dark suit and glasses presides) (3.01); Not only do Messrs Morris make the finished articles, but they also design and construct the machinery necessary for their production. General views of planning meeting; a number of blue prints are laid out on the table (3.46); Designing of jigs and hods requires the greatest consideration to ensure perfection in production. Shots of draughtsmen at work (4.32); A model of the factory is utilised to plan the sequence of operations. Shots of model and lines of coloured tape being used to plan layout of machines and production lines; c/u shots models of machines are rearranged to shorten the time taken for the route, represented by the tape (6.16); Accuracy in the making of jigs and tools is vital. Shots of the manufacture of jigs; various machining processes, planing and drilling etc. (7.45); Timber being transferred to the kiln for conditioning. Men in yard stacking the timber onto bogey and pushing it into the kiln (9.01); Kiln doors are opened and the treated timber is removed. Shot of pile of barrel-shaped objects outside - prototype bomb casings for "bouncing bomb" (9.31); A bogey load of timber (9.53); Timber having passed the test is conveyed to machines for cutting into suitable blanks. Shots of sawmill (10.32); And now a series of "shots" which show the intricate machinery that produces the rifle with great precision and high speed. General views of men and women workers operating various machines along the production line, drilling and shaping timber blanks into shaped rifle stocks; c/u machine shaping four stocks at once; further views machines turning and cutting stocks (18.36) c/u plate DANGER Hold stock TIGHT when centring. Aim to insert ACCURATE. Take care stock does not drop. MIND YOUR HANDS; shots of stock undergoing further refinement (21.31); As the rifle parts assume their complete profile, further delicate operations are performed. Detail inspections and finishing touches are added by master craftsmen. Tracking shot of production line [staffed by women] (20.31); c/u router; General views of the machines, men and women on production line; c/u using jig to cut complex profile into the wood; (23.01) c/u woman rubs the stock against an abrasive belt to smooth edges; man filing stock; woman scores a semi- cylindrical piece of wood, and checks the finished piece using a metal standard joint (24.14); The metal parts are finally fixed and rivetted. Shots of same (26.05); The rifles are immersed in linseed oil baths. Woman fills tank with rifle stocks (26.49); They remain immersed for 24 hours to ensure preservation. Removing stocks. (27.34); Every part and component is tested with precision gauges by Government Inspectors. Women in production line checking size and fit against metal standard shapes (29.42) man checks stocks against a replica barrel (30.10); When you consider the perfect timbering of a modern rifle and you realise the speed of production, you appreciate the great scientific skill and mechanical ingenuity ... of Messrs H Morris & Co is now devoted again to the production of luxury furniture and architectural woodwork for home and overseas trade (30.47)

To view this video, press the PLAY button, or any area in the centre of the video window. Note the other optional video controls also available on the control bar located underneath the video screen. You may use the PAUSE and other buttons to adjust your personal viewing preferences, or click on the video itself to stop and start playback. This is a silent film, so there is no sound.

Play Video (Click HERE)
WOOD GOES TO WAR (1942-1943)
Video length = 31 minutes

This smaller video is just a few minutes captured from the FULL version of the video above, showing how the linseed oil was applied.

Play Video (Click HERE)
WOOD GOES TO WAR (1942-1943)
Video length = 5 1/2 minutes

[newbieDAN]

Fascinating!

[villiers]

I found it fascinating too. Of course, these were real people (and Glaswegians into the bargain) as could be found all over the place in pre-war and wartime Britain.. Not like the `elf ´n safety, overweight etc. etc products of the post-war years.

[Mk VII]

An example of the firm's finished product

[Buccaneer]

The film pays tribute to the "craftsmen" but with a very few exceptions its the "craftswomen" doing all the work including the inspections.... It's amazing just how many operations were required to produce the finished items, thanks for sharing the film with us.