Before I get too deep into the third part of the Measuring and Layout series, I'd like to point your attention to two very good, and very appropriate posts from the few blogs that I keep up with. It seems that everyone has measuring on the brain - an especially important topic in this "new" age of American industrial revolution - whether it's 3D printing or old school machining.
First, a well written treatise on Dial indicators by the man himself - Tom Lipton. He explains some pros and cons and useful tips for various dial and test indicators. Tom maintains the Ox Tools blog "Nothing Too Strong Ever Broke." A link can be found in my "People Doing it Well" widget on the right.
Secondly, a great article on Measuring Twice and Cutting Once by Brett and Kate McCay over at the Art of Manliness. The write up is an analog about how you can apply the ethos of the craftsman to your personal life. It is a great reflection of applying yourself to do things well - a popular theme over here too.
Back on Topic
Back to measuring and layout, part trois. I know I mentioned that we would be moving onward to the use of said measuring and layout tools, but I also mentioned a history lesson. I like history, and this is my blog. So..
I think that the history of tools, manufacturing and most things "industrial" is important to know and understand. With that said, I'm not one to force the new guy to only run the manual mill and lathe or use a hand plane until his fingers are bleeding. It does make one appreciate CNC and routers and plasma, but I also agree with free innovation, and giving a 12 year old some G code and a 3D printing bot can bring about a lot of good in a short amount of time.
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| Yes, please. |
The Humble Tape Measure
The days hour I spent looking for historical info on the tape measure didn't amount to much. Wikipedia says that the earliest forms of tape measures were marks on leather straps used by the Romans. Everything gets accredited to the Romans. Many of you have seen and probably used the folding tape measures which were around before the mechanical roll up tape. We're not interested in those as I don't know anyone that uses them for anything other than inside measurements and a straight edge. Seriously, get with the times and get an authentic vintage Alvin J. Fellows Improved Spring Measuring Tape, US Patent No. 79,965, July 14, 1868.
| Courtesy of Google Patents App. |
Mr. Fellows didn't do it first, which is where the history got very gray on me [an Englishman, James Chesterman, patented the first spring tape measure in 1829 to save his failing hoop skirt business], but he did do it first in America. His improvements are written thusly -
Being a humble man, Mr. Fellows didn't claim to invent the Internet, metal cased tape measures and detachable click springs, but he did invent this:
Despite this novel idea of a locking and retractable tape measure, the tool didn't see much use until the 1940s. The complete patent submission can be seen here.
The new Stanley PowerLock tape measures have come a long way since 1868 and incorporates many great features like a seven foot standout, Mylar coatings and more. Like I said before, don't get too bogged down on the extras here. Don't kink it the wrong way, don't pull it out too far and don't depend on it for tolerances less than half the graduated markings (i.e. 1/32 of an inch). When you need things to be more accurate, it's time to change tools.
The Speed Square
If you aren't using a square for your layout - get ready for a game changer. Relatively new, compared to the tape measure, the Swanson Speed Square was patented in 1925 by Albert J. Swanson. Let's back that up some more. I have to distinguish between patented and invented - roofing squares were around a long time before 1925, but this one was patented on that date. The first patent filing I came across for something similar was in 1898 for a Roof Framing Tool by G. C. Thompson. The late 1800s must have been a crazy time for making things accurate and precise.
| Courtesy of Google Patent App. |
A careful observer will note that something appears to be missing on this early model. The flat edge perpendicular to one of the sides (not the hypotenuse). This is the edge that allows the operator to easily make those angle marks without the need of the bevel gauge drawn in dashed lines above. G.E. Standwood got close in his 1914 attempt - the Try, Rafter, and Miter Square seen below:
| Courtesy of Google Patent App. |
Sadly, I can't seem to find the original patent filing [although US Patent No. 4742619 Marking Tool With Wear Rims by Ronald C. Swanson seems to be the new de facto standard] for the Swanson speed square that we know and love. If you stumble across it, let me know as I'd like to include it here. The Swanson is great in its simplicity, no moving parts, it's hard to knock out of square and it has five functions in one tool. Get one, get the original.
The Level
Enough about triangles called squares. Let's get level headed around here. The bubble level your grandpa had in the shed is often referred to as a spirit level - because the liquid inside the glass vial is a "spirit" such as ethanol, used for its low viscosity and surface tension. The earliest recorded instances of a level being used were the A-Frame plumb bob type used by the Egyptians. A brief US patent search reveals that this was still the norm up until the mid to late 1800s. I can't find any real "levels" besides variations on the plumb bob until this later time period when excellent examples like the one from US Patent No. 478309 proposed by T. L. Burchinal in 1892 were revealed to the world.
| Courtesy of Google Patent App. |
Mr. Burchinal's plan was to "...provide a leveling-instrument which may be used in unhandy and out-of-the-way places , and one that will take the place of plumb-bobs and similar instruments." He was on the right track, as no one wants to mess with a pesky string and weight, we want accuracy and precision!
Enter Mr. Henry Ziemann, whose patent I naturally cannot find, and his invention of the single vial adjustable spirit level in 1922. He also founded the Empire Level company which is still around today. It should be noted that he isn't the first to invent the spirit level, but supposedly the first to patent a single vial. A 1915 US Patent No. 1190229 reveals a spirit level in all of its complicated glory.
Levels have come a long way, and great reference tools can be downloaded as an App for your smartphone. Some of them will output in degrees in both the X and Y directions. Pretty cool stuff right there.
Closing Statements
That's probably enough history for this round. I don't attest to these accounts being the most accurate, but just a compilation of some quick digging in Wikipedia and Google's patent search engine. You have to be careful with that last one as I assume it auto reads the publication dates and I have found some to be nearly 100 years off (the script 9s seem to pick up as 8s quite often). Most amazing to me is the market explosion for measuring and marking tools in the late 1800s. This post is just the tip of the iceberg concerning what was invented in that fast moving time period. It's certainly an analog of today's advancements with laser measuring tools, laser levels, GPS driven earth movers and high resolution robotic triangulation. Everything is changing very fast around us, but knowing where we came from can really help you put it all into perspective.
I could go on digging into all of the tools, and would especially love to dive into the Vernier calipers history. Alas, the midnight oil has been burned and I leave it to you to pursue the histories of the other common measuring and layout tools. If you're interested, comment or email me some of the stuff you have dug up. Enjoy the week, and I'll get around to actually using these basic hand tools with some tips in the near future.
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