The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-06-30

A decided difference of opinion may %
noted among some o. or corr spondehit9 "a
regard to tho Grade of kill required 70 hahdle
certain machine tools or perform CERTAIN OF
erlt.ons by their use. and by personal coii'',
with shop men the same difference
opinion are found 10 exist. one ma ma
tanning that there y no adVantase $50
ever in employing anything less thhh q - ~
class machinist to handle planer' lOr III.
stance while another holds that LIS n'l ''t-
is not needed tor planer work out lnao ~,
intelligent man can IA snort lilno Ill a.
structed so that he can run piaAeI ~ W." 49,
any machiuist. aud il IS the same VIII O'i'0'
machine tools. H. -ooson for
this diHerence 0f IDEAS. and we thllA IL % W
be f0uud almost entirely IN environment ..o
There are plenty of shops M when IL payS
TO hire rood machillst5 o. run llannei9, I'll,
where 300 other k..d Of men can 90 lHS "o,.n
satisfactorily while. Ola the oluel it', 49,, ,,,,rlr
are shops iu which the character OF INC W.. n
Is such tlat machin sts are not netceo ~ l"n
p'aners. and in which moreover. no real MA
chinist OUGHT To be satisfied to run piaIer.
This difference may be due simply 10 quaint
OF work done but it should be rellel u 'i -
that 10 may be due Co other causes nO'"oiy -
The shop system employed. this system result
inc moro from the number OF machines quit
of "a certain pattern than trOmany otner cause
FOR Instance we may take the case OF IL
machine winch ]. To- be built for the first time
from drawings. and requiring good WorA-
manship upon il. Even If such machine
be simple in construction, the cheapest anu
altOgether the most satisfactory men u 40
the work upon 10 Will he good machinlsls,
any one of whom Is capable of DONG any
part at the work upon u. On the olher
hand Fl ti, same machine comes INTO Such
favor that IL Is aiterward manuiactured IN
gre1r numbers. the method Of mah9iacl ur-
me- It. Should be- and almost lneY lady viii
be. such as tDmlke it not only not necessary 10
employ machln.,t5 for all parts OF inc "vIA'
but such hat nO genuine machiust worthy
oftho name viii be content 80 work at many
of the operations involved Laying out and
drilling or boring the holes IN the hrst
machine may ae work which 1t Will pay well
TO employ good machnist for, DQt WneI
these same holes are afterwards drAed anu
bored lv lhe hundreds by means OF templates
nr hos others can do it rs we'll. and no
macLu,t wants to do IL so long as no
cam find other work 20 DO. 10 IS much
the same w th tho plauer work. mat done on
the ur-t machine will require that the man
d0iueit shall select his methods Oh gong
about H. and the cost of the work ana It's
quality vill depend upon the good Judgment
skill and experience OF the man. iuJ AFTER
ward when tine work becomes merely fePe-
titiou OFF tni..5 done hundred. of times Do
fore. re.uriu-. and. in fact. giving Little or no
opportunity or tlo exercise OF judgment on
Skill. the machiui-t is better Oh elsewhere;
and it is better Tor the employ er that lie should
bee e.st where. ,,.
I'm the shop where they are always building
flst m chimes il will always pay far the best
t,emul0v macuinists the best machlni-ts 10
be- had To do most. If not quite all the wo:k.
In shoU, where identically the same machine
is built by the hundreds or thousands ma
chiusts are not needed. except t. occupy
specia nositions-t0 direct. e. think tor
others and the, should not be content TO do
the ordinary routine work in such shop or
mandatory.
Ii cannot be said without qualification that
machiuists are needed to run paners or lathes'
or that they are notneeded for these tools, TOR
it depends upon the nature OF the Work. and
we know of mistakes thatare constantly beng
made because this fact IS not clearly recog-
nlged.
Some changes are taking place in the ma
chiulsts business. Progress is beng made
and things which were formerly done iegu-
larry by macniu.-ts are row little, ii any. ct
ter thau drudgely which they should be
above doing. it behooyes them TO recognize
this. and To- keep well abreast OF the times.