The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-19
Grtniua telegraph
MoNpAY, pEcEMpgR 10. lse4.
MACHINE TooL-mAKERs.


termed machine tools, we shall find that they
owe their birth 10 the patent lock- When Bra
NAB, at the latter end Of the last century, turned
his attention to the improvement Of the tunbler
lock, he found that the most skilled haud-labor
ofthe day was incapable Of turning out the pre-
else and beautifully executed work needed aud
even If It had, the expense would have beea so
great as 10 preclude its becoming an article of
general sale. In order % accomplish his task.
10 was necessary TO invent special iOJls, many OF
which were OF "a sclf-aciing character, and all
possessing a deIicacy OF Application and an
accuracy and speed Of working which left far
behind the efforts Of the most cunning hand.
From the workshop Of this ingenious engineer
Il may be said that the mechanical greatness OF
England took its rise lie it WA, who fD tered
the lntl mt skill Of the young smith, Henry Mauds-
lay, and strengthened the passion Of joseph
Clements Tor accuracy of work. Giving, as We
must do, BAmah the credit Of being the first
great tuO-makCr, vet we feel that it was % Horny
haudslay we owe the merit Of raising q race Of
machnsts-for the term toJl-maler is, we think
TOO lnsguihCant-whO have M lde England famous
among nations We shall De better able To ap-
preciato the merit Of the master, BUmah and
bis man, Maudslny, when we remember what
William Fairbairn has said, that when he
began life, az the commencement Of the present
century, the human hand performed all the work
that was done. And how IL was performed we
have the testimony Of Watt who experienced the
greatest difficulty in getting work executed,
where an almost mathematical accuracy was
utluhUAtls IL WIS II mercy Tor mankind tl NJ he
was able TO finish the first working model of his
steam-onginc, so utterly impossible was it 10 get
the steamc cylinder turned with any approach TO
truth.
Henry Maudslay, when a smith in the Arsenal
at WOolwich, was invited by Bramah, who had
heard of his ability, 20 enter his service The
youth, for he wa, only eighteen at the time
adopted very characteristic method Of giving
his new master a taste of his skill. Pointing 10
wOrn.out old vice in the workshop he asked if
the fact Of his being able to renew il 10 the course
OF the afternoon would be considered his diploma
OF proficiency; this being agreed upon, he imme-
diatey set to work. before the appointed time
the vice was as good as new, and he gained az
once frst-rate position in the shOD
. Whilst ajourneyman with Bramah he invented
tne famous shde-rest, the prolific parent of
whole race OF labor saving machines Of the pre-
sent day-the slOtting-maChine, the blaming.
machine, and many others, all tracing their pa
rentage TO this simple COntriyauce. Before its
invention, the tuming-lathe depended for the
accuracy Of its work entirely upon the muscles of
the workman. II, in turning cylinder, for in
stance, the tool no one moment cut deeper than at
another, by reason Of the workman bearing more
heavily upon il, the whole work had to be gone
over again. The slide-rest, by substituting a
fixed tool for one guided by the human hand AT
once abolished the possibility of these iuaccura-
cies, and inaugurated the reign of that mathe-
matical truth in workmanship without which
great machinery cannot work
After Maudsay left Bramah, he set up little
shop OF his own, first in Wells street. then in
Margaret street, Cayendish square, where he was
found out by the elder Brunei, aud empoved TO
construct the famous block machinery at present
IN use in Portsmouth DOckyard. His power of
generailzng from few hints was strongly eX-
empllhed in the intercourse between the young
inventor and this rising young maChinist. Bru-
mel, with thatfear all inventors have of disclosing
Their designs prcmGturey TO others, was in the
habit OF taking drawings of fragments OF the pro-
posed machinery TO Maudslay for kis inspection
without mentioning the real nature of the work
me- wished accomplished.
At the third visit, however, Brunei was sur
prised TO hear the young man say :-"Ah, now | |
see what You are thinking OF, You wanpnaChinery
for making ships blocks" These machines
which were the first abor-saviDg works set up in !
our public establishments, at once evinced the !
enormous amount of productive mower the |
country had acquired.
There is scarcely a contrivauce in use among |
modem machinists which cannot find its origin
in this series of engines, for they number forty
four, at work nearly sixty years ago and ne
present in excellent condition and in fail employ
These machines, with the aid of ten men, do the
work that formerly occupied one hundred, and
moreover, they do il infinitely better. The only |
wonder TO us is that the vast superOrity of these
machine-tools having been thus tested at so early
date, their use did not more rapidly increase; |
but there arc pauses for some unaccouutable |
reason, in all revolutions, and it was full thirty |
years from the date of this invention before tile /
full tide Of labor-saying appliances began to be |
felt.
The pnnch by which thick plates Of iron are
pierced for riveting was another Of his inventions
by which great accuracy is gained and an /
immense amount of labor is saved.
When Maudslay left Margaret street, in 1910, |
be removed to the site Of an old riding school in I
lambeth Marsh, and there founded, together |
with his partner, Mr.. Field. the word-aAous |
establishment Of Maudsay & Field. Mr. |
Smiles has remarked, with great truth, that !
the shop of Maudslay & Field gave a stamp 10
the workmen who abored in it, Just as the |
Universities Of Oxford and Cambridge give their
peculiar impress to their respective students-an |
impress which never leaves them. Like Mr.. |
Penn, the great marine engine-maker, Msudslly |
could not afford 10 turn out anything but first |
rate work = and this accuracy and perfection Of |
hnish has been passed on to other shops by |
means OF the Nasmyths and the WhitWOrths, |
who learned their art under him.
In short Maudsley was 20 his "hands" under |
him what DR.. Arnold was to his boys a presiding |
spirit whose teaching made q lasting impression |
upon all those with whom he came in contact |
II was his habit to enter his workshops when the .
men were absent, and carefully 90 note every .
mans work whilst in progress at the bench. He |
used 70 make his remarks with piece of chalk; |
sometimes in terms OF appreciation, but some
times sharply and tersey, il reproof we're needed
W No. the men returned to the shop, the re lding
the masters eye was thus set plainly before
hem and caused no small excitement
Inc example he set of exquisite work made n
lasting Impression, and IN the history of manu-
tEctute there is nothing an Engshman shou d be
prouder Of than The character Of the machinery it
produces. Those who carefully inspected the
maCLlntry department Of the late International |
Exhibition could not help being struck by the .
beauty, accuracy, and soIdity Of the English .
workmanship, when compared with the iimsiness
and want OF finish of the French and Belgian |
productions. We may bG thought fanciful, but |
70 us there is something awe-inspirng in the |
Inc liable regularty of vast machine OF English
Woi N and there is jrl expression Of Cdlmuess ia
IT'S irresistible action which reminds us Of the
presence OF some fate look down the hold of the
G'eat Eastern, good reader, no her engines when
hne Is IN motion, aud yOu will doubtless feel the
fulI iorce OF what we say.-O OHce-a- Week.
THE sIEAM-HAMMRR-JAMRs EAsMYTH.
James Nasmyth, the Thor of the nresent age