Precision

[arizonian]

I know I have linked to this video before, but it deserves to be linked again.

Machine Thinking: Origins Of Precision

With that said, another video comes along on the American Precision Museum and what ultimately came to be called the American System of Manufacturing. This video is Part 1, another video (Part 2) is in the works.

Enjoy.

[Ironman]

Recently read a book on Sir Joseph Witworth and his fight to create standards for machining, and his invention of a rifled cannon. The military disliked it, not because of it's accuracy up to 10 miles, but that a commoner with dirty fingernails was pushing for it.

[digr]

The book

[arizonian]

Machine Thinking just posted another video about the INSANE PRECISION of NIST.

Enjoy.

[clive]

Originally Posted by Ironman

Recently read a book on Sir Joseph Witworth and his fight to create standards for machining, and his invention of a rifled cannon. The military disliked it, not because of it's accuracy up to 10 miles, but that a commoner with dirty fingernails was pushing for it.

That would be about right, the British military was a pretty privileged lot, if you had money and a son who wasn’t quite bright enough to inherit the family business you could buy him a commission in the army where he could go on to cause the deaths of many of his troops but at least the family fortune would be out of his reach.

[arizonian]

I had forgotten about this video by Smarter Every Day. The Witworth barrel was hexagonal. The part about Witworth starts at 3:40.

Smarter Every Day, Witworth