Amazing tolerances and quality of fit and finish in a part made so may decades ago. From a much better managed time. Thank you and the fine gentleman that was gracious enough to send you the chuck.
Thank you very much! You and your viewers are fantastic! I wish I had had more respect for history back when I was in elementary school; I've got it now and am trying to share it with kids.
Wow, I agree very impressive especially for what they had to work with. Excellent engineering. They really knew how to use the most important tool, their brain.
Better than a trip to a museum. You'd never get anyone to disassemble and reassemble a tool like this to see the inner workings or discuss the manufacturing processes needed to make the tool. Too cool, more please.
Ilike seeing old tools and machinesThank You for showing how this chuck was made and seeing the insides . It would be a good project to make a backing plate for your lathe and use this chuck to see how true it is after all the years
I find this old stuff and the mechanisms they used to be very interesting material, thanx for sharing it and taking the time to open it up and video tape it.
I am astonished how little wear this 100+ year old piece of art/tooling shows. In "the old days", people were not just taught, but simply understood, that fine tools were things to treasure and to care for...and this one has obviously been very well cared for. Nice to see and appreciate; thanks for the trip through the chronosphere! BA
I saw a 4 jaw along similar lines once. There were push-pull sleeves on each operating screw, so that they could be engaged or disengaged from the crown gear. The of course turned it into a combination chuck.
Mr. Pete, You had me at go. I think if you go back and look at the older equipment you get a good insight and understanding on what we have now. And yes, I would love to see more like this in the future!
I really like the idea of your Old Technology series. This will be good! Think of all the men who have used this chuck, and all the history which has come to pass, with this piece of machinery still the same all along.
Great video on old technologies. Being a machinist I love to see how things came about and were made. To think that this chuck was made to such close tolerances possibly before the micrometer was invented or from what I have been able to find any real accurate measuring devices. I have found that B&S started to produce micrometers in mass around 1867 but I'm sure that it took some time before they reached machine shops. I'm sure a micrometer back then would have been like when electronic computers first came out and probably as expensive for the common man back then. I remember an old-timer I met back when I was first starting out and he told me that when he was young that most measurements were done by setting the old outside calipers to a standard or a master part, so everything was done by feel. It still amazes me to see how things were made back then. Even to study how guns were made back then, the timing of a 6 gun cylinder, the cocking mechanism and how everything fit together and worked. It is really all art work. I still love to watch the old WWII films of how factories were set up and how machining was accomplished, some while they were being bombed or under combat conditions. I remember when the Smithsonian museum rebuilt a German FW190 Fighter built in 1944. They took the engine apart and sent the crank shaft to Mercedes Benz engine plant to have it checked. They sent it back in a specially built crate with a note that stated that the crank shaft was in perfect condition, right at the middle of the manufacturing tolerance and not to damage it as they could not make that shaft today with those tolerances. That crank shaft was built under the heaviest of the Ally bombing offensive, just amazing!
Stuff like this blows my mind. I saw a very large cog/gear for a water wheel from the early 1800's the other day and thought it was crazy that they were able to make things like that back then.
Hi It's quite enjoyable to see old machinery of all kinds . It is usually easy to understand and simple to work on . That's why I belong to an old engine club . It helps to be a junk collector too . Steve
Mr. Pete, Pretty amazing. I am always impressed by old machinery and tools and the incredible ingenuity those folks put into the development of each part. I hope this new series generates enough interest for you to justify continuing with it.
Great series, Being a museum guy I flinched a few times when you struck that priceless artifact. Ok old tool. We have to wear white gloves when we handle such things. Ha HA. I took drafting in junior high with a T square and triangle. Went to high school and they had those fancy drafting machines that I struggled so much with I dropped the class. In 2004 I had to learn auto-cad for work. I am self taught in it but not a master. Thanks again
This is great! I look forward to more videos like this. It also sparks my interest; I'd really like to learn more about *how* such precise tools were made, so long ago.
very neat chuck, it gave me plenty of ideas for making my own 3 jaw. I graduated from highschool in 2004, and I did take cad, but in order to get into CAD, you had to do a ton of drafting projects, drawing up the blueprints and such, so the drafting is still being used and taught in schools still. Great videos and very interested in the old technology things like this.
well i am well impressed with this chuck , being a cnc programmer/setter myself and i know how hard parts can be to make today ! and this little treasure was made in 1850's !!!!wow wow
Fascinating! Imagine the skill required to produce that in relation to the available resources. I was thinking what a pain an independent 3 jaw must have been to dial in when you moved one of the jaws and my eyes widened as all three moved. What a simple yet genius design. The tolerances are amazingly tight. Keep these coming, I'm an antique tool fan. I marvel at my Yankee ratcheting egg beater drills from the early 1900s. This thing is 50 years before them! Thanks to you and the donor for sharing this. .
Thanks for this great video....this is my language. I have a 7" chuck made by The Skinner Chuck Co also from Ct. USA. The pat'd date is March 14, 1882. The odd thing about this unusual chuck is that it has 3 independent jaws (great for setup); each jaw is reversible; there is little if any slop...they don't make them like that any more! It too has 7/16 external square tightening bolts. I use it every day.Thanks again. Steve
Hi,I'm from the uk and worked as a machinist in the gear dept at international harvesters,so I had a mini flashback watching this,although we used quite modern tooling and machinery I still have a joy of seeing what the old timers used long ago,thanks for the informative show brilliantly done cheers malc.
i agree malc ive been an engineer now since 1997 and still learning! these old engineers were proper engineers , no computers or carbide tips just hand made ground tools
Great start to a new series, I love old tools and pick them up when I can. It will be great if you post more. I have an old Skinner 4 jaw chuck that reminds me of this, the jaws come out in the middle, there are no external facing T-Slots and it uses semi recessed 7/16" square head adjustment screws. The chuck was a gift from a retiring tool maker, it looks almost unused and it just nice to look at and handle.
Thinking about it, we probably wouldn't have the chucks we know today, if Horton didn't make the one shown in this video. The scroll-chuck uses some of the technology that the Horton chuck used. This video was a real joy to watch (even though I'm 5 years too lathe).
Imagine that chuck could talk the story it would tell us. unlike today tooling they were built to last. I hope you find some other tools from way back when. Great video
I really liked this video. Back when I was a machinist, I ran a real old machine that you could actually see where it had been converted from belt powered to an electric motor. The asset tag on the thing was 1616 and I used to swear that was the year it was built, and all the ringing, clattering and knocking that thing did would make you believe it was built then. =)
I got one of these chuck's and mounted it on my heavy 10" 1945 South Ben lathe. it is mounted on the lefthand side of the spindel to help center rifle barrels up for chambering and threading. yes that means i have 2 chucks on my lathe. Love your videos they are always interesting.
Fascinating stuff ! I find it very interesting that they managed to make these sort of intricate machine parts with such tight tolerances using very basic measuring devices and water/steam power. This then would be used to manufacture other components and you would expect that any loss of accuracy would be compounded and create components that would never work but the skill of the machinist was good enough to get over these difficulties. That chuck appears to have been used up until quite recently.
Very interesting. We have a gentleman in his 70's who is a surveyor where I work. He can do whatever is required quickly and accurately with very basic tools. Much faster than the young guys with all the computers. He can draw up plans as well. And still has that handwriting skill.
Mr. Pete, please continue this series! That old chuck makes my 103-year-old South Bend lathe feel young. ;) Not long after I bought the lathe, the people at South Bend Lathe Co. pulled their record card for the lathe and told me that while it was manufactured in 1911, it wasn't sold & shipped until sometime (I forget) in the mid-'30s. I've always figured that someone at South Bend kept it in a back room for "personal" use.
Thank You Sir for this nice video. If I see such precision an mecanical cleverness. I always wonder if technology today has has moved so far away from the old days. In my living room, i have an old german clock (year 1700). The platine is made from black smith iron, even some of the gears are made from iron (steel). I wonder how they did this without modern lathes, dividing heads, milling machines even cnc. As physisicst from Germany I am always impressed about the efforts of former generations. Did you e.g. know, that there was a big bronze factory almost 5000 years ago in sothern Europe, shippin this metal to far China and India? Thanks again Michael Schaefer from Germany
Very interesting item. I like old machinery and the interesting way they built things in the past. It was not just industrial stuff back then, it was the equivalent of rocket science now. As for the old guy who won't convert to CAD I bet he did not last too long. CAD makes for a lot more product and I don't see how anyone working by hand could come close to keeping up. I was talking to a guy the other day and I told him I preferred to use a 4 jaw chuck because I could be a lot more accurate setting up a piece than a 3 jaw and he did not seem to believe me. Maybe he has been around better grade 3 jaw chucks than I have. Thanks for sharing.
Somehow I felt like this was narrated by Jimmy Stewart.... NAWWwww . Wonderful presentation MrPete, love the old way of how things were built. Surprising how modern it seems to be. Thanks! .
I noticed in the drawing, it shows the chuck with outside jaws. Very cool. I suppose you could make a backing plate for one of your lathes, but I suppose a scroll chuck would be more versatile. Thanks for sharing!
Quite, quite fascinating to watch, listen and learn. One can only imagine the effort, time and trouble building a piece like this all those years ago with I guess would be today considered primitive tools, equipment and facilities.
Good to see that you took a trip to Cody Wyoming Mr. Pete. Know I think highly of you and all that you do. You have quite a good reputation and the machining community.
Fascinating, not only built so well, but really a survivor of the trip through time. I think the jaws on that chuck are tighter than a new three jaw. It is interesting that standard threads were used on that chuck; I was reading recently that at some time early on Congress set the rules on threads here in the States. I just don't recall when exactly they did it. But it sounds like it was one of those rare times Congress got something right, otherwise many manufactures would have had propitiatory threads and what a headache that would have caused all of us that work on thing! Great video Mr. Pete, thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much for putting this video up and sharing it. It was well done and extremely interesting. It takes a tool to make another tool. And it is mind-boggling to consider what they were able to do 150 years ago and longer. I live in Wyoming and have been to the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody Wyoming many times. It is truly a world-class facility. And if anyone likes guns that is the place to go. Thanks again for posting this video. Sam
Thank you for a look into the past----- man that is a beautiful piece of machinery Makes you just want to touch it like all those who used it you have out done yourself with this one
What a beauty! I bet that ring gear was cut with a horizontal planer, the old style rigs that uses a plunging cylinder with a solid cutter that just rolls up a curl on each pass. The tapered gears will mesh tighter as the jaws come under load and remove all backlash. Very clever design, I bet you could very easily ruin the chuck by over tightening and swelling the housing. BTW, probably good idea to use heavy grease on the backside of that ring gear, chips wont get back there and you can see signs of galling from lack of grase
nukeman: truly a time capsule of bygone days. having been born in Conn. and into a family of machinist I knew right from the start that this was going to be a Conn. chuck. Bridgeport was my birthplace and my uncle had a lathe in his cellar that was several decades old when I was a lad. Anyways, I digress , the video was very well done , highly interesting and a pleasure to watch.
Mr.Pete, I know Vermont is a long way from where you are,but if you ever get to New England you should visit the American Precision Museum in Windsor.This is the birthplace of precision machining. I always find it interesting how from our modern perspective we can't seem to see that hand skill levels could be so accurate. The "Old School " methods we so lament loosing in our contemporary discussions were being lost long before the end of the twentieth century.
Terrific start to a new series Mr. Pete, I'm all in if you are willing. This was fascinating considering basic screw cutting machines were only about 50 years prior to this and likely not many of them, till ~1830 maybe. The jaw Chuck had to be one of most innovative of that era and likely added a lot to the formation of the modern railroads and smithing. Also the tolerances are amazing considering these body castings were likely turned on a faceplate then lapped in by craftsman hands. My interest in old tool technology started 40+ ago in the early days of garage sales with my Dad. I'm also real glad you brought up the drafting and where it all came from...but don't get me started on the whippers that bought a slide rule for hysterical value...would gladly trade a dead TI-85 for a Pocket Pickett, let alone the artisanship of ink on bristol board. Looking forward to what ever you bring to us...and wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season! ~PJ
Very cool indeed. I love these videos of old technology. Back when I first learned of Lindsay books I was amazed at how much of the old technology suited itself so much better to home shop machining. I think I'm a better hobby machinist because of old books and videos like these because it exposed me to methods better suited to machining without the need for the latest and greatest in machine tools. It shows that there is always a way to accomplish a task even with simple means.
More in this series, please. Well done. If I was putting that chuck back together I would have bought the three jaws into contact with each other and then introduced the ring gear. (?)
I have a chuck very similar to that made by the Oneida National Chuck Co. It has the studs more recessed although they could still bite, and reversible jaws so it can hold larger work. Mine doesn't have a ring gear in it though unless it's missing, it's a three jaw independent. I also have a 10" Oneida National 4 Jaw. They go well with my old Worcester lathe.
☆ Thank you for sharing the workmanship of your civil war era 3-jaw chuck. Considering it's age, I would have to say it's obviously seen some use, but has also been well cared for. What caught my attention was in your puzzlement about the 3 mounting holes vs. the corresponding 6 holes in the backing plate. If you look a bit closer to what you actually have, I'm sure you could figure it out on your own, but if not, perhaps I might be able to point you to it. As a retired Millwright mechanic, I've seen this more often than I can count; albeit mostly with gears, couplings and pulleys. Nevertheless, the thinking and the purpose are the same. There are 3 unthreaded holes in the backing plate to accommodate lining up the bolt threads to slide through and mate to the threaded mounting holes. However, when taking it apart, and the bolts are removed, what happens when the two parts are still "stuck" together. If you look closely at the backing plate, you will notice 3 more holes that are threaded, but they don't line up with any other holes. That's when your mounting bolts become "jacking" bolts. Screw them into the threaded backing plate holes until they make contact with the other surface. Then, and carefully, apply just a bit of tension, while tightening the bolt, then likewise to the next bolt, then the next bolt, and so on. Eventually, as the bolts keep gaining and pushing against the other surface, the two parts will easily separate at some point. I hope this was of some use. /klp😉
That is exactly how you take the rear steal wheels of my 1919 FORDSON tractor, unscrew the hold dow bolts and tighten them in adjacent holes in hub to pull off axle.
Yes I think this will be a popular series. As you talked about drafting, you sparked my memory. We had a Zepher lettering pantograph 'like' machine in school circa 1960.
Perfect timing for this video! Just yesterday I was picking up some tools I bought off Craigslist and the guy had two old shadow gauges that he is wanting to give away. Just doesn't want to just throw them away. I didn't look at them real close but they look like they were in perfect condition. I don't know how old these are but I know it is old or out dated technology. If your interested in them I can give you his contact info. Super cool guy that is a cnc machinist.
Very interesting chuck. I have a really old one myself, patented before the turn of the century (last century). It's a 3 jaw scroll chuck but each jaw is 2 pieces and has an adjustmenr mechanism very similar to that of a 4 jaw chuck so I guess it is a forerunner to the modern "adjust tru" chucks. I'll try and get the details for that one, quite and interesting piece.
Great show! I remember back in junior high school in drafting class. My lettering was not ever going to be up to what they were looking for so I changed over to those new computers.
Fascinating stuff as always! Sorta interesting minor tidbit, for an 1855 patent, copies of the initial schematics would not have been blueprints. The original blueprinting process wasn't worked out until 1861, and it took awhile to really catch on after that. A form of carbon paper did exist, as did lithography, but as I understand it, this sort of thing would have likely just been laboriously hand-copied as needed. Figured the people watching this sort of video might groove on a little supplemental history :)
I got that "groove" of renewed knowledge. If you don't think about it now and again, it takes a reminder of those things long ago learned. I lost my drafting set back in the 70's via wife running off, but I feel like that old man in a room still hand printing out sheets of draw'rings.
Amazing tolerances and quality of fit and finish in a part made so may decades ago.
From a much better managed time. Thank you and the fine gentleman that was gracious enough to send you the chuck.
Jeffrey Muntz Glad you liked it
Its like stepping back in time, I love the old machines and appreciate what skill it took back then to do what a button push does today.
its always nice seeing the old school mechanics. wish we still used some of the stuff in todays world.
Thank you very much! You and your viewers are fantastic! I wish I had had more respect for history back when I was in elementary school; I've got it now and am trying to share it with kids.
Wow, I agree very impressive especially for what they had to work with. Excellent engineering. They really knew how to use the most important tool, their brain.
Jadon Cramer Yes-thanks for watching
Better than a trip to a museum. You'd never get anyone to disassemble and reassemble a tool like this to see the inner workings or discuss the manufacturing processes needed to make the tool. Too cool, more please.
Neurotic Nation Thanks for watching
Ilike seeing old tools and machinesThank You for showing how this chuck was made and seeing the insides . It would be a good project to make a backing plate for your lathe and use this chuck to see how true it is after all the years
I find this old stuff and the mechanisms they used to be very interesting material, thanx for sharing it and taking the time to open it up and video tape it.
I am astonished how little wear this 100+ year old piece of art/tooling shows. In "the old days", people were not just taught, but simply understood, that fine tools were things to treasure and to care for...and this one has obviously been very well cared for.
Nice to see and appreciate; thanks for the trip through the chronosphere!
BA
I saw a 4 jaw along similar lines once. There were push-pull sleeves on each operating screw, so that they could be engaged or disengaged from the crown gear. The of course turned it into a combination chuck.
as a student of the machinist arts, seeing the old stuff helps me understand where we are now. it gives perspective
Old tech helps to understand the new tech. I like the idea of a series on yesteryear tech. Thanks for your time and ability to teach to others.
Mr. Pete, You had me at go. I think if you go back and look at the older equipment you get a good insight and understanding on what we have now. And yes, I would love to see more like this in the future!
I liked it. I live in CT. and I am allways supprised at how much industry was here back then, Now all we do is sell insurance.
I really like the idea of your Old Technology series. This will be good!
Think of all the men who have used this chuck, and all the history which has come to pass, with this piece of machinery still the same all along.
Love it, "The old timers" Always have the answer, learned a lot in my years from them.
Great video on old technologies. Being a machinist I love to see how things came about and were made. To think that this chuck was made to such close tolerances possibly before the micrometer was invented or from what I have been able to find any real accurate measuring devices. I have found that B&S started to produce micrometers in mass around 1867 but I'm sure that it took some time before they reached machine shops. I'm sure a micrometer back then would have been like when electronic computers first came out and probably as expensive for the common man back then. I remember an old-timer I met back when I was first starting out and he told me that when he was young that most measurements were done by setting the old outside calipers to a standard or a master part, so everything was done by feel. It still amazes me to see how things were made back then. Even to study how guns were made back then, the timing of a 6 gun cylinder, the cocking mechanism and how everything fit together and worked. It is really all art work. I still love to watch the old WWII films of how factories were set up and how machining was accomplished, some while they were being bombed or under combat conditions. I remember when the Smithsonian museum rebuilt a German FW190 Fighter built in 1944. They took the engine apart and sent the crank shaft to Mercedes Benz engine plant to have it checked. They sent it back in a specially built crate with a note that stated that the crank shaft was in perfect condition, right at the middle of the manufacturing tolerance and not to damage it as they could not make that shaft today with those tolerances. That crank shaft was built under the heaviest of the Ally bombing offensive, just amazing!
Stuff like this blows my mind. I saw a very large cog/gear for a water wheel from the early 1800's the other day and thought it was crazy that they were able to make things like that back then.
Hi It's quite enjoyable to see old machinery of all kinds . It is usually easy to understand and simple to work on .
That's why I belong to an old engine club . It helps to be a junk collector too .
Steve
Mr. Pete,
Pretty amazing. I am always impressed by old machinery and tools and the incredible ingenuity those folks put into the development of each part. I hope this new series generates enough interest for you to justify continuing with it.
Incredible how those guys invented this stuff .. awesome work .. and very nice video mr Pete love that old technology stuff..
Great series, Being a museum guy I flinched a few times when you struck that priceless artifact. Ok old tool. We have to wear white gloves when we handle such things. Ha HA. I took drafting in junior high with a T square and triangle. Went to high school and they had those fancy drafting machines that I struggled so much with I dropped the class. In 2004 I had to learn auto-cad for work. I am self taught in it but not a master. Thanks again
Loved the history and beautiful craftsmanship. Thank you!!!
This is great! I look forward to more videos like this. It also sparks my interest; I'd really like to learn more about *how* such precise tools were made, so long ago.
Thanks
Excellent video tutorial .Great jobs was done back on the old times, strong, robust and good quality materials.
Thank you, now i know better.
Andreas Christodoulou
very neat chuck, it gave me plenty of ideas for making my own 3 jaw. I graduated from highschool in 2004, and I did take cad, but in order to get into CAD, you had to do a ton of drafting projects, drawing up the blueprints and such, so the drafting is still being used and taught in schools still. Great videos and very interested in the old technology things like this.
Wonderful presentation, as usual. Thanks a lot, Mr. Pete. I look forward to more on antique machinery!
Absolutely love old technology. Keep'em coming.
Thanks
Very nice. I like the old time machinery, and this looks like a great series.
well i am well impressed with this chuck , being a cnc programmer/setter myself and i know how hard parts can be to make today ! and this little treasure was made in 1850's !!!!wow wow
Fascinating! Imagine the skill required to produce that in relation to the available resources. I was thinking what a pain an independent 3 jaw must have been to dial in when you moved one of the jaws and my eyes widened as all three moved. What a simple yet genius design. The tolerances are amazingly tight. Keep these coming, I'm an antique tool fan. I marvel at my Yankee ratcheting egg beater drills from the early 1900s. This thing is 50 years before them! Thanks to you and the donor for sharing this. .
Thanks for this great video....this is my language. I have a 7" chuck made by The Skinner Chuck Co also from Ct. USA. The pat'd date is March 14, 1882. The odd thing about this unusual chuck is that it has 3 independent jaws (great for setup); each jaw is reversible; there is little if any slop...they don't make them like that any more! It too has 7/16 external square tightening bolts. I use it every day.Thanks again. Steve
Thanks for watching. I have never seen one like yours.
That was great. Doing more of these old technology videos are very interesting to me. Thanks for your dedication.
love the old tech.. reminds me that u can make ur own tools & be just as well off as if you bought them new
Thanks for the inspiration and the knowledge shared Mrpete222. You're the best
Thanks
Hi,I'm from the uk and worked as a machinist in the gear dept at international harvesters,so I had a mini flashback watching this,although we used quite modern tooling and machinery I still have a joy of seeing what the old timers used long ago,thanks for the informative show brilliantly done cheers malc.
malcolm oxley Thanks for watching
i agree malc ive been an engineer now since 1997 and still learning! these old engineers were proper engineers , no computers or carbide tips just hand made ground tools
MickyElse proper engineers,gosh I feel old,you will probably like a guy on you tube called pooroldchap see his stuff its old gold
I love the old tech My milling machine was made around 1927. love to see more like this.
It's elegant in it's simplicity. A marvel of engineering really.
Great start to a new series, I love old tools and pick them up when I can. It will be great if you post more. I have an old Skinner 4 jaw chuck that reminds me of this, the jaws come out in the middle, there are no external facing T-Slots and it uses semi recessed 7/16" square head adjustment screws. The chuck was a gift from a retiring tool maker, it looks almost unused and it just nice to look at and handle.
Thanks-- Sounds like a nice chuck.
Thinking about it, we probably wouldn't have the chucks we know today, if Horton didn't make the one shown in this video. The scroll-chuck uses some of the technology that the Horton chuck used.
This video was a real joy to watch (even though I'm 5 years too lathe).
Thank you for watching
Old tools are so cool. I see Tubalcain making a new backing plate for this old chuck so he can demo the run out!
The guys that made this way back when did some nice machining.
Wonderful concept for a new series. Thanks for sharing.
Imagine that chuck could talk the story it would tell us. unlike today tooling they were built to last. I hope you find some other tools from way back when. Great video
I really liked this video. Back when I was a machinist, I ran a real old machine that you could actually see where it had been converted from belt powered to an electric motor. The asset tag on the thing was 1616 and I used to swear that was the year it was built, and all the ringing, clattering and knocking that thing did would make you believe it was built then. =)
I thoroughly enjoyed the video. It is great to see how things were done in the past.
I got one of these chuck's and mounted it on my heavy 10" 1945 South Ben lathe. it is mounted on the lefthand side of the spindel to help center rifle barrels up for chambering and threading. yes that means i have 2 chucks on my lathe. Love your videos they are always interesting.
Good idea. The old pipe threading machines had a similar setup for supporting long pipes.
Fascinating stuff !
I find it very interesting that they managed to make these sort of intricate machine parts with such tight tolerances using very basic measuring devices and water/steam power. This then would be used to manufacture other components and you would expect that any loss of accuracy would be compounded and create components that would never work but the skill of the machinist was good enough to get over these difficulties.
That chuck appears to have been used up until quite recently.
Ian Clarke q/3625
Great to see when usa made great tools .such a sad thing how pride is just missing in the new generation .great video keep up the good work 👍
Well said!
Very interesting. We have a gentleman in his 70's who is a surveyor where I work. He can do whatever is required quickly and accurately with very basic tools. Much faster than the young guys with all the computers. He can draw up plans as well. And still has that handwriting skill.
Seeing how things were made in the past is very interesting. I'd love to see more. Thanks for making this video Mr. Pete.
Mr. Pete, please continue this series! That old chuck makes my 103-year-old South Bend lathe feel young. ;) Not long after I bought the lathe, the people at South Bend Lathe Co. pulled their record card for the lathe and told me that while it was manufactured in 1911, it wasn't sold & shipped until sometime (I forget) in the mid-'30s. I've always figured that someone at South Bend kept it in a back room for "personal" use.
Many thanks for the adventure into the past. Great example of yesteryear.
Thanks
Thank You Sir for this nice video. If I see such precision an mecanical cleverness. I always wonder if technology today has has moved so far away from the old days. In my living room, i have an old german clock (year 1700). The platine is made from black smith iron, even some of the gears are made from iron (steel). I wonder how they did this without modern lathes, dividing heads, milling machines even cnc. As physisicst from Germany I am always impressed about the efforts of former generations. Did you e.g. know, that there was a big bronze factory almost 5000 years ago in sothern Europe, shippin this metal to far China and India?
Thanks again
Michael Schaefer from Germany
Thanks for watching. I love to read about old technology.
Looks like it belongs with my Barnes No. 5 Velocipede lathe.
Thanks for sharing! I enjoyed it immensely!
Junk Mikes World Thanks for watching
great job Mr Pete. Keep them coming.
Very interesting item. I like old machinery and the interesting way they built things in the past. It was not just industrial stuff back then, it was the equivalent of rocket science now. As for the old guy who won't convert to CAD I bet he did not last too long. CAD makes for a lot more product and I don't see how anyone working by hand could come close to keeping up. I was talking to a guy the other day and I told him I preferred to use a 4 jaw chuck because I could be a lot more accurate setting up a piece than a 3 jaw and he did not seem to believe me. Maybe he has been around better grade 3 jaw chucks than I have. Thanks for sharing.
Somehow I felt like this was narrated by Jimmy Stewart.... NAWWwww
.
Wonderful presentation MrPete, love the old way of how things were built.
Surprising how modern it seems to be.
Thanks!
.
I noticed in the drawing, it shows the chuck with outside jaws. Very cool. I suppose you could make a backing plate for one of your lathes, but I suppose a scroll chuck would be more versatile. Thanks for sharing!
Quite, quite fascinating to watch, listen and learn. One can only imagine the effort, time and trouble building a piece like this all those years ago with I guess would be today considered primitive tools, equipment and facilities.
Thank you for the video. Love to see how it was once done. You are a great mentor.
Good to see that you took a trip to Cody Wyoming Mr. Pete. Know I think highly of you and all that you do. You have quite a good reputation and the machining community.
Thanks
Fascinating, not only built so well, but really a survivor of the trip through time. I think the jaws on that chuck are tighter than a new three jaw.
It is interesting that standard threads were used on that chuck; I was reading recently that at some time early on Congress set the rules on threads here in the States. I just don't recall when exactly they did it. But it sounds like it was one of those rare times Congress got something right, otherwise many manufactures would have had propitiatory threads and what a headache that would have caused all of us that work on thing!
Great video Mr. Pete, thanks for sharing!
Enjoyed that very much! Always like your presentations and style. You're a classic Mr. Pete! Thanks for all you do.
Thank you very much for putting this video up and sharing it. It was well done and extremely interesting. It takes a tool to make another tool. And it is mind-boggling to consider what they were able to do 150 years ago and longer. I live in Wyoming and have been to the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody Wyoming many times. It is truly a world-class facility. And if anyone likes guns that is the place to go. Thanks again for posting this video. Sam
WYOMINGWOODTURNER Thanks for watching
Thank you for a look into the past----- man that is a beautiful piece of machinery
Makes you just want to touch it like all those who used it
you have out done yourself with this one
That was fantastic Mr. pete! Please keep this series going.
Thank you Mr. Pete for a very interesting video. I would love to see more old technolgy videos! Be well, Mike.
Very neat piece of history.......provokes thought. Very nice presentarion. Thanks, Sean.
What a beauty!
I bet that ring gear was cut with a horizontal planer, the old style rigs that uses a plunging cylinder with a solid cutter that just rolls up a curl on each pass.
The tapered gears will mesh tighter as the jaws come under load and remove all backlash. Very clever design, I bet you could very easily ruin the chuck by over tightening and swelling the housing.
BTW, probably good idea to use heavy grease on the backside of that ring gear, chips wont get back there and you can see signs of galling from lack of grase
nukeman: truly a time capsule of bygone days. having been born in Conn. and into a family of machinist I knew right from the start that this was going to be a Conn. chuck. Bridgeport was my birthplace and my uncle had a lathe in his cellar that was several decades old when I was a lad. Anyways, I digress , the video was very well done , highly interesting and a pleasure to watch.
Mr.Pete, I know Vermont is a long way from where you are,but if you ever get to New England you should visit the American Precision Museum in Windsor.This is the birthplace of precision machining.
I always find it interesting how from our modern perspective we can't seem to see that hand skill levels could be so accurate. The "Old School " methods we so lament loosing in our contemporary discussions were being lost long before the end of the twentieth century.
Terrific start to a new series Mr. Pete, I'm all in if you are willing. This was fascinating considering basic screw cutting machines were only about 50 years prior to this and likely not many of them, till ~1830 maybe. The jaw Chuck had to be one of most innovative of that era and likely added a lot to the formation of the modern railroads and smithing. Also the tolerances are amazing considering these body castings were likely turned on a faceplate then lapped in by craftsman hands. My interest in old tool technology started 40+ ago in the early days of garage sales with my Dad. I'm also real glad you brought up the drafting and where it all came from...but don't get me started on the whippers that bought a slide rule for hysterical value...would gladly trade a dead TI-85 for a Pocket Pickett, let alone the artisanship of ink on bristol board. Looking forward to what ever you bring to us...and wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season! ~PJ
Very cool indeed. I love these videos of old technology. Back when I first learned of Lindsay books I was amazed at how much of the old technology suited itself so much better to home shop machining. I think I'm a better hobby machinist because of old books and videos like these because it exposed me to methods better suited to machining without the need for the latest and greatest in machine tools. It shows that there is always a way to accomplish a task even with simple means.
Well done video! You have selected a brilliant theme and I can't wait for future installments. Thank you for your efforts.
More in this series, please. Well done. If I was putting that chuck back together I would have bought the three jaws into contact with each other and then introduced the ring gear. (?)
I have a chuck very similar to that made by the Oneida National Chuck Co. It has the studs more recessed although they could still bite, and reversible jaws so it can hold larger work. Mine doesn't have a ring gear in it though unless it's missing, it's a three jaw independent. I also have a 10" Oneida National 4 Jaw. They go well with my old Worcester lathe.
I especially enjoyed the running verbal annotations -thank you
☆ Thank you for sharing the workmanship of your civil war era 3-jaw chuck. Considering it's age, I would have to say it's obviously seen some use, but has also been well cared for.
What caught my attention was in your puzzlement about the 3 mounting holes vs. the corresponding 6 holes in the backing plate. If you look a bit closer to what you actually have, I'm sure you could figure it out on your own, but if not, perhaps I might be able to point you to it.
As a retired Millwright mechanic, I've seen this more often than I can count; albeit mostly with gears, couplings and pulleys. Nevertheless, the thinking and the purpose are the same. There are 3 unthreaded holes in the backing plate to accommodate lining up the bolt threads to slide through and mate to the threaded mounting holes. However, when taking it apart, and the bolts are removed, what happens when the two parts are still "stuck" together. If you look closely at the backing plate, you will notice 3 more holes that are threaded, but they don't line up with any other holes. That's when your mounting bolts become "jacking" bolts. Screw them into the threaded backing plate holes until they make contact with the other surface. Then, and carefully, apply just a bit of tension, while tightening the bolt, then likewise to the next bolt, then the next bolt, and so on. Eventually, as the bolts keep gaining and pushing against the other surface, the two parts will easily separate at some point.
I hope this was of some use. /klp😉
Good observation-you are probably right. Many auto brake drums have such jacking holes.
That is exactly how you take the rear steal wheels of my 1919 FORDSON tractor, unscrew the hold dow bolts and tighten them in adjacent holes in hub to pull off axle.
as a flame hardener one of my jobs was rebuilding chucks, we had quite a few of those.
Yes I think this will be a popular series. As you talked about drafting, you sparked my memory. We had a Zepher lettering pantograph 'like' machine in school circa 1960.
this is a great idea for a series.. i vote for continuing the 'old technology' videos
looks like the steampunk version of the Chrome logo.
Amazing quality for the age. Thanks for sharing that.
Thank you for this video. This is the exact chuck that I just bought with my old Atlas 10". But it works really good. Just does not open enough.
+Josaljo Won Great--they are nice chucks
It would have been fascinating to watch them make this piece back then. The technology they had was so basic to make such an accurate part.
Gracias por mostrar el detallado y complicado mecanismo interno de un chuck de torno...
🤙
Great, what skills pre LED lights & DRO’ s, love to see more of this technology, Binhall Farm
Perfect timing for this video! Just yesterday I was picking up some tools I bought off Craigslist and the guy had two old shadow gauges that he is wanting to give away. Just doesn't want to just throw them away. I didn't look at them real close but they look like they were in perfect condition. I don't know how old these are but I know it is old or out dated technology. If your interested in them I can give you his contact info. Super cool guy that is a cnc machinist.
Very interesting chuck. I have a really old one myself, patented before the turn of the century (last century). It's a 3 jaw scroll chuck but each jaw is 2 pieces and has an adjustmenr mechanism very similar to that of a 4 jaw chuck so I guess it is a forerunner to the modern "adjust tru" chucks. I'll try and get the details for that one, quite and interesting piece.
Need more of those videos! For sure that was great.
like this... a lot!
Your time and effort are appreciated.
Thanks, Mr. Pete.
Great show! I remember back in junior high school in drafting class. My lettering was not ever going to be up to what they were looking for so I changed over to those new computers.
I really enjoyed the new series, and would like to see more!
Great video... Looking forward for more in this series...
Well Mr Pete, I found that most interesting and by the looks of it did many others. As a new series it would be popular. Regards
Awesome piece of history there.
I do so love this history..
Please do more like this. Sometimes we have to look at where we came from to appreciate where we are
Fascinating stuff as always! Sorta interesting minor tidbit, for an 1855 patent, copies of the initial schematics would not have been blueprints. The original blueprinting process wasn't worked out until 1861, and it took awhile to really catch on after that. A form of carbon paper did exist, as did lithography, but as I understand it, this sort of thing would have likely just been laboriously hand-copied as needed. Figured the people watching this sort of video might groove on a little supplemental history :)
I got that "groove" of renewed knowledge. If you don't think about it now and again, it takes a reminder of those things long ago learned.
I lost my drafting set back in the 70's via wife running off, but I feel like that old man in a room still hand printing out sheets of draw'rings.
Anybody else think that a field trip video of the gun making machines in the museum would make an awesome video? :-D