Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-02-20
TRICKS OF MACHINES.
UNACCOUNTABLE STOPS AND STARTS
WHICH PUZZLE MECHANICS.
Watches That Have Needed Only IA Little
Rcst-Thc shoemaker and His
Cranky Nachine-A Locomo-
tivc's Queer Freak.



"Therc are times. said well. known
machinist, when nearly all machines get
cranky. The trouble is often simple
one and is not infrequently owing to the
machinist not knowing his business But
that is not always the case. The very
best mechanic in the world gets hold of
nut sonnet mes that is difficult to crack A
machine, no matter of what kind. may
work perfectly for months, and then one
day something goes wrong with it. The
machinlst looks at it, examines it, perhaps
even takes it to pieces and puts it up
again, but all of no avail; the machine
remains like balky horse, which
nothing will make 20 At last the ma
chinist get, lircd and goes home, sick of
pottcring with the trouble some thing.
lie comes to work the next day, per
haps having forgotten the previous
trouble, touches Il handle here, u wheel
there, dro Il little oil in half dozen
places, turn, on the steam and oil She
goes without u murmur, as if nothing had
ever happened. NO. | cant cXI lain it
neither cou id he The only conclusion to
be drawn is that he omitted on the oc-
casion of the Ntoppagc those little ncccs.
sary uchcs of handles. turning of wheels
and droppngs of oil. Lut there are other
cases o. Il slightly different nature
anism is So delicate that it requires Il care
full inspection to find the cause OF any
trouble, said iewclcr "'The causes of
sudden stoppagc are very various, but
among the most frequent is want of oil
A drop of oil in n watch will last from
eighteen months to two wears AS "A lubri
Gator At the end of that time the works
become dry and considerable w,ar cnsues
Still watch may run five years before it
stops Ii IA watch is brought to me can
not always say instantly what is the mat
ter, though | often have to make
some statement to satisfy u lady
or an inconsidcrate man Some.
times | have had watch t. cure, and
have taken it to pieces. but do all would
| could not get it right TLen lay it on
one side and 20 to work on something
else When come back TO the watch it
is Just as likely as not that everything will
slide into place as easily AS possible. OF
course the reason of my trouble has been
y little nervousness. have been tired or
anxious. or my eyes or fingers have been.
Sometimes | have repaired a watch
and hung it on a rack for a few DAYS be-
fore returning it to lis owner in good
working order Then perhaps in two or
three DAYS he brings il back stopped
again That is sometimes a poser but in
y
and carry it round with me for a few DAYS.
Hanging "a watch on the rack. which is
perfectly still and of even temperature. is
not fair test By carving it in nv
pocket often discover the trouble. which
is generally "a very simple one.
aocwin machines are lest as pcskv an
cranky as women" said old Tom Nc
Clane one of the oldest shoemakers in
Philadelphia I've worked EN- all.
There's Mackay's machine you We heerd so
much about. | used to work at one o.
Mackays and was considered pretty
SO'u ""H'' 'HT"S"' N"o"," 'i''
.,D,',,i' l T. .JI - r '" w.. va
davs If Hopt :" sir PI'' "nnId A. Io
noJhip' with if Then il hroI,r IN my,
ihrands .n'J ,t In.t il tool, anI ,nr, ,ha';;t
n inch and - hnlf into one Of NV MINERS
"W.I romIdn't ind ont ,yhS,t , w,!t mo-