Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1847-07-31
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From the Boston Courier.

ligcbjDe far turning Stdfumg.-One OF the
,,ost remark ale inventions of the age Is that OF
Mr. Thomas Blanchard, of Boston. for turning
busts in It lathe. The art of turning cylinders,
balls aud any Thing OF unli'rm circular lor'n' III
the common lathe, has long been pracllsed by
ordinary turner's ard is familiar to every body.
But the idea of turning in a lathe articles GeNm'-
ing from circular forms appears at INST h'uSn'
uTepnstcrous aud absurd. And yer precisely such
n machine has been invented for turning forms OF
various Irregular shapes, such as gun barrels ana
cun stocks smokes of wheels and shoe lasts, Wig
blocks, tackle blocks, and last. not least IN I'M
pnrtancc, busts oflhe human head! Bt9ch-heHH$
Machines for all these purposes baFe neeh iu-
vented Ivy Mr.. Blanchard, and OF the laIt'r oc'
scripton is now in full and successful operation
in Boston. "a.
The process of casting huss in mould, after
model. has long been praclsed, ana they may
he produced of lead, brass, iron, bronze OF any
other nallrallc substance, readily as pewter
spoons, or bullets, may be cast III mould bui
the idea of turning out busts from heauthul
marble hy machinery and steam power, IN any
quantities and of various sizes, and WIN tne
most perfect accuracy, after single mouti' Is
trulv astonishing, and would never have pccn
dreamed of but by creative genius Ike mat Oh
Thomas Blanchard. Imagine gentle r'au'r' d
steam engine, in rapid motion, whlrllng round
and turning out the human head ana lace ulNlns'
with nose chin, lips, forehead, eyes, ears hech;
breast and shoulders, of perfect proportion ana
accuracy " h". Wv. iii boyn .ome idea of the
l'"eIInc, ri,u ,SoI Of mention which conceived
and completed such faculty.
Huch Mohu,'I ~ an # nnv rerson will
Iut " a1t ,ti 80 soarcL he can see bust of
IKE t''v VJ1,r ror;Ii rrvnlvipg in one end of
a lathe. and at the other he will see tac Stn"G
heads of the great CXpounder, OF any u'si'u
sizes, turned out from marble, by machinery
w hen one OF ihese hta us N~s p Nv wboi
MI Ncuster' ana ne T"I "nv,.I,in,ed in as
process IL was rI"cuc' u u" 49,. ,aInrfnI in
t'lS.l,' ~ ,b ta't one VIII he might: for who
Nent!on OF the age " {" IN masnri0,ion is
can imagine sue. outiGus a. do,Its or wouId
out Of 'He qu'sIoh' ~ r. I;,y.oIf have seen
understand IT, must see !o' ;,tiIn Of any
It, and thtre II IS open u 'He '''l
respectable inquirer, rt c,,ro,,o
Busts oil Judge w oououL9, VI ,-0 ~, t,rn-
Court OF the InlteH stat's' 4aEt aiso e..
ed from me same ld'A', an" "is Iln oan
mlar win the lace o. Ihe i lam" w. i
attest the accuracy OIL t4e HN'"' - ,
equally curious nus'S ana caL'pS n"$ ;r9;,,,nns
ed after one and the same m9u'l' nv
OF any SIZES, IRON a coIossaI uuS'' ~ 't''t-''
face suitable for lady 5 brooch: NJ
Thos. blanchard was porn IN Iut'.u; 800,
achuselts, IN lfSS. lie mas hfeH .Ae Ti,I','1t CO.
of many useful things, besides tue ia'"e, ioi
turning mulltorm o,Jrcis. Ills lhEFh,ne sen' us
was early developed Al tue age Oh iLIi'.et ~; nI
invented machine Tor paFihS aPplts' WIEN
operated WELL and was much used III the village
where he then lived. .,,:u, g.
HIS next invention was that Of nIao",,i' ,, -o
making lacks. AT the age OF fourteen nc was
employed by his elder brother, WIN othel po9s'
to manufacture tacks. l he moNe OF opci"tl.n
was,-alter cutting thlh P'a'' % .;,o ror
minute PARTICLES or polnls' u su'aT.e -,
tacks, l" take up eaca one - ~ S,l ,,os
the fingers, and hold II IN vice, l'l4 c'o"
given by hammer, Tor making d hav n' 49,
This tedious process OF maklug tl;Ns iii law,
only one then known Atet Wo'Nlns az ~ ~
long, 1t required lhuch ulhe " u.s. Ia ~
actual counting, no" many taoNs N'S nnh hi
each operative, to know now ihuCh taIH .ru
earned Alter day WORK, IL was iS'", IVY
much TO so INTO tAlS comp u'auo'l' anu ,
soon invented machine 10 ascertain tue Iu'lI
Der with exactness. This consisted Simply Ua
a H'ue WAeEl iut"hS onI HHos III h. II an.
hammer finished tlcE, WuIe a s"a'' 0''' "''
nounced each thousand cohlp'e"u' .,-- =
But this counting apparatus was "'at'e' "
mere temporary eApedlehcy' 10 save Tue u,ne "
counting at night, the tackS lnaue IN G.uIsc Ti
the day. lie men conceived Tue pan l'i H he
ing tacks IN any quahttles' ny taCI'hsy 81 b
perscVetlhg LOT H'e or FIN Yeas dIuu 90 -. az az
produced machine that would make ooO tacHS
III minute: he hal only 10 place lHe IRON III d
hopper, and tachs OF more perfect snape a"J
finish OF head and point were pfoHuceu, 'Ilii nau
ever before Deeh m9uG by HaLuaI ip,"5'
ing patent lie sold The fisAt lor ?oUoo'
Soon ateIwarl he tuIh'd his atlehlloH 70
making gun-barreIs. 1t WGs at mat tiine an
irksome process "i manual lahor, 10 Piouuce
common gun-baHci' lie arI OF tufI III IuCn
an instrument was Unknown mr.. Dlahcna :II
set his wits to work to make power machihe
TO turn out whole barrel from muzzIe 10
breech. 1t was an easy process 10 urn tnc
muzzle end, but at the lower part, the hachlheiy'
by sell-acting change, was made to accom-
modate itself adroitly, to the oval and oclagonai
parts of the breech' All this was acCcompll.he,u
with great facility by steam power. Gun barrels
were thus made, not only with rapidny, DGt Of
superior finish, uniformity, and value 10 NOSE
made by manual labor, and he secured patent
for the invention This remarkable improve
ment attracting the attention OF the government,
bo ,yoc nnua ueI n m OF his machines