I never thought I would see another one of these out in the wild. I have serial 340 manufactured 33rd week of 44. My gage blocks are missing as well, the empty spots are for a 4 inch Cylinder square and a small granite deburring stone.
My dad started as an apprentice machinist in 1940. After serving in WWII he returned to his old job but the apprenticeship program had changed. Before the war apprentices spent time learning every machine the company used. Some people would then specialize on a particular machine but all of them could be shifted around as needed. After the war apprentices were trained on just one machine, and given that the company already had a reputation for retaining workers, they still had some employees who had worked there since the company was founded in the 1920s, Dad could see the possibility of being stuck operating a surface grinder for the next 20 or 30 years. He threatened to quit and was sent to night school and became a tool designer. I still have his wooden machinist’s tool box, as well as drafting board and drafting tools.
OH MY, What a wonderful set to add to your inspection and measuring tools. A couple times I had to use gauge blocks to measure a bearing seat for a 4 ft gas pipeline input coupler from a 747 Rolls Royce gas turbine. Both vertically and horizontally on a 16 ft Berthiez boring mill. I was 20 at the time and in 7TH heaven every day Almost 50 years later I still remember that shop and all the huge equipment. Right beside me was a 10 ft master service radial arm drill that had a 4n ft dia post. It could drill 8 inch holes in cast steel all day long. Oh to be young again, LOL.
I was a machinist at Caterpillar Tractor Co. back in the late 1970's at the Mount Joy Iowa plant (Davenport Ia). Darn now I have told my age. Sure brings back the memories as I had a box just like that one. . Nice truck! I watched all of the episodes of the restoration and enjoyed all. I enjoy all of your shows for that matter. Keep up the good work
It is so interesting to find those hand written notes from years ago. Especially stuff from that time in history. Imagine what Lawrence may have been working on? Great find Steve. Joe
very cool find, the craftsman inside me has always been in awe of the quality & accuracy (+ personal touches) our predecessors created w/o the aid of modern electronics.
Steve, the basic box could have been made by Gerstner. Pull out the two bottom drawers and check inside, on the bottom of the box. There may be a Gerstner stamp there, indicating the species and manufacture date of the box. Thanks for the video, and GREAT FIND! Jon
Hi Steve I have used this type off gauges, to check the flatness of carbon seals, that ride against a steel very smooth part to seal seal a fluid off from going to a other side in a part.. the optical part is put on the carbon seal and under the light to see how flat the seal is. If the line where straight is was good and if they bend you had to polish the part more to get it flat Both parts are checked is way, When is was overhauling the seal in a fuel separator for S61 helicopter.
I saw the thumbnail saying, "80 Year Old Machinist's Box," and immediately thought, "Why does Steve have Mr Pete's box?" Then I realized it was the box, not the machinist.
Very cool stuff, Steve. In a very odd coincidence, those missing gauge blocks were sent to be checked on the same day that my late parents were married in Austin, Texas a few months before my father shipped out to England for service during WWII. It is amazing how many of the tools that you and others like Keith Rucker and Keith Fenner still use were originally made to support the war effort during the 1940's.
What a find! That is some awesome industrial history right there. Also, since it is in such good condition, in the right hands, is still usable and highly accurate today. A little slower than a CMM but hey, probably a lot cheaper. And again, MUCH cooler! Hope your grandkids can use them someday.
Happy Saturday Steve, Cora, Family, and Grits! Wow what a piece of history and excellence. It amazes me to see the state of technology in past years. I can think of no more proper home than you who will use and appriciate them. Thanks for sharing! God Bless.
Great video again, i think you should of shown us the lines when the glass is put on a surface that isn't flat, it would of been nice to see the difference.
Greetings from Germany. I recently discovered your channel and I think it's really great. I am in the process of building a small workshop and am currently learning to use my milling machine and lathe. I hope someday I have a workshop like you.
OH MY ! What a wonderful piece/pieces. The quality of tools back then was second to none. I can think of no other that can appreciate and care for this set. Measuring with standards always appealed to me. The adrenalin flow when making that last cut is great. Then the result of all that careful measuring and knowing the machine doing the cutting makes for a great day behind you when heading home. Nailing the last finish cut right smack in the middle of the tolerance allowed on the print is another feel good eh. This one was short and sweet but never the less as entertaining as all your posts are. Thankx a bunch my dear friend. See you next time eh.
Wow. Thanks for posting, I've learned stuff. Heard of optical flats but never seen one. Some gauge blocks and surface plates and height gauges were in my Dad's effects but I never saw him use them and didn't know how. I'm an ecologist that messes with machinery - I learned a lot from Dad, but not that. Now I have some clues. Thanks especially for 'valuing' the do-all box and contents in the terms of the time in which it was produced, rather than today's money. I recall bidding on the gauge blocks and height gauges at dispersal auctions on Dad's behalf (far to 'excitable' to bid himself) and remember how pleased he was to get them. Best wishes from the UK.
It looks like a Gerstner box. You might find a makers mark under the fold down panel if it is and they still make replacement hard ware for all of their boxes if it is. Or you could have them replated or polish them up. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a good week to come.
Fantastic, what a superb set of instruments. Those were the days when not only equipment was precision made but presented in pleasing to the eye cases. The crackle finish was the norm. Took me straight back to teaching young students how to measure the wavelength of light and also to have applications in the science field. That was nearly 60 years ago. Also with applications in high resolution macro photography. Makes me cringe when I handle some stuff today, fresh from the injection-moulded box. Best wishes from a UK dinosaur!!.
Amazing technology. One has to be impressed by those that thought up and created these precision tools. Those long rectangular pieces with the handles are Straight Edges. Thanks very much for sharing.
Hi Steve, That is an amazing find in such great condition. We use interference lines when making flats for reflecting telescopes. Very tedious work, but rewarding when the lines are straight indicating a very flat surface. You and your family stay safe.
Great to see those old tools and how they were used. It would have been nice to see another 'not so flat' object to see the patterns the optical flats made. Keep up the great videos.
I guess you don't know what flat is until you have a master flat 🤔 It is an incredible set and I'm glad you took the time to show us. Luckily, I guess, I never had to use this kind of precision.
Really nice! The do all machines you have have are in really nice shape! The ones I have come across are not near in as good of shape! I made plywood boxes for my camping cast iron and stoves. After 25 years the cast iron and two burners stove are in just as good of shape as the day they were cleaned and oiled!
Thank you for sharing! This is an amazing set of instruments suitable for any lab or process control room. Probably the gage blocks were a smaller set than yours but a master set of which a ffacillity would have only one. All other gages would be checked against the masters. Tom Lipton must be green with envy.
Wow, really nice Steve. Glad it fell into your hands. I have a very, very similar style box that I purchased from a guy. It is full of really nice precision measuring instruments in near perfect condition, mostly Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, and Lufkin.
Steve, you should raise a bump on the steel flat by putting your finger on it and heating it up for a minute, then put the optical flat back on and look at the fringes.
Good morning Steve. Nice piece of inspection tooling history. Looks like Union Tool Chest made chest for other companies, including DoAll. DoAll was one of the first companies to make machinist/toolmaker "gauges" for use with their bandsaws and blades. They offered a complete array of inspection equipment. Very well known at the time for accuracy in the millionths. (Thank you Wikipedia)
While the tool is awesome, Cora is the real score. You have found a friend that will give their life for you. That is something you don't find but a few times in your life.
One hell of a find. Those days are long gone when those analogue tools could be made by hand. Bogles my mind the skills back then. Hopefully you'll be able to replace the missing items with a period correct set. I'm sure there's still an old boy out there that has one in the shed.
Steve, please keep that drawer square on the table. The bulk of the weight is off the table. Not to mention Cora liking to put her paws up to see what you're doing!
The optical fringes you showed are there because one edge of each flat has been raised a bit, making a wedge of space between the flat and the metal surface. On the second one the edge has been raised more. so there are more fringes (as you observed you can count them, multiply by half the wavelength to find out how much the edge of the flat has been raised. I'm not sure if what is raising one edge is a deliberate feature of each flat (a tiny bump on the rim) or just a speck of dirt you trapped there, but it seems to be rotating with the flat. It is often useful to have such a wedge. Without it the errors in the tested surface will show as a bunch of rings and other contour lines, but without the wedge, you can't tell which side of the contour is the high wide, e.g. if bull-eye rings are a bump or a hollow (or perhaps a hollow with a bump in the middle, or...). By adding a spacer deliberately under one edge you can tell which side of each contour line is the high side.
Interferometry is very interesting. One of the instruments I serviced passed particles to be sized,suspended in a liquid, past a window illuminated by coherent light (laser). As the particles were illuminated a fringe of concentric interference lines appeared around them. Analysis of the interference lines allowed the size of the particles to be determined. One client used this to measure the size of lactose powder used in pill manufacturing , another measured volcanic ash particles
When I 1st saw it in the opening shot thought it was a Gerstner(not sure of spelling) still really nice and in great condition. Lots of great tools inside. Well kept. A great find. Enjoy, stay safe, n see you next week.
I don’t think the box was built by Gerstner, I haven’t seen one where the sides and back are joined with finger joints. Gerstner box sides are usually finger jointed sides to bottom. I also see at least a few other differences like no Gerstner stamping on the latch. I think someone here said probably made by Union - I think that’s a better guess.
I never thought I would see another one of these out in the wild. I have serial 340 manufactured 33rd week of 44. My gage blocks are missing as well, the empty spots are for a 4 inch Cylinder square and a small granite deburring stone.
What an incredible score. Can’t think of a better guy to get ahold of that.
Super awesome find! ! ! I've never seen monochromatic light in combination with an optical flat, thank you for sharing, Steve!
My dad started as an apprentice machinist in 1940. After serving in WWII he returned to his old job but the apprenticeship program had changed. Before the war apprentices spent time learning every machine the company used. Some people would then specialize on a particular machine but all of them could be shifted around as needed. After the war apprentices were trained on just one machine, and given that the company already had a reputation for retaining workers, they still had some employees who had worked there since the company was founded in the 1920s, Dad could see the possibility of being stuck operating a surface grinder for the next 20 or 30 years. He threatened to quit and was sent to night school and became a tool designer. I still have his wooden machinist’s tool box, as well as drafting board and drafting tools.
Thanks Steve…Paul in Florida
We always called those square bars with the handles "master straight edges"
Steve, exceptional piece of kit! Oxtools and Professor Lipton are salivating for sure! 😁
I have never seen such parallel lines at that magnification. WOW!!!
A wonderful piece of history. Made by craftsmen, used by craftsmen, and now in the care of another craftsman. Just as it should be.
Cora is such a sweetheart. You for fortunate to have her!
OH MY, What a wonderful set to add to your inspection and measuring tools. A couple times I had to use gauge blocks to measure a bearing seat for a 4 ft gas pipeline input coupler from a 747 Rolls Royce gas turbine. Both vertically and horizontally on a 16 ft Berthiez boring mill. I was 20 at the time and in 7TH heaven every day Almost 50 years later I still remember that shop and all the huge equipment. Right beside me was a 10 ft master service radial arm drill that had a 4n ft dia post. It could drill 8 inch holes in cast steel all day long. Oh to be young again, LOL.
Bless you for taking in that dog. what a wonderful addition to your channel..Where are the tree rats? haven't seen them in a while.
Thanks!
I was a machinist at Caterpillar Tractor Co. back in the late 1970's at the Mount Joy Iowa plant (Davenport Ia). Darn now I have told my age. Sure brings back the memories as I had a box just like that one. . Nice truck! I watched all of the episodes of the restoration and enjoyed all. I enjoy all of your shows for that matter. Keep up the good work
It is so interesting to find those hand written notes from years ago. Especially stuff from that time in history. Imagine what Lawrence may have been working on?
Great find Steve.
Joe
That is fantastic and a great video. Cora the shop dog adopting you and being so obviously crazy about you always makes me smile.
Those should be in a museum
Their in a good place, but they are museum quality.
very cool find, the craftsman inside me has always been in awe of the quality & accuracy (+ personal touches) our predecessors created w/o the aid of modern electronics.
Keep up the good work awesome
Thank you for the support 🙏
Morning all from Dorset, 🇬🇧
Wonderful presentation. Love seeing some historical equipment still valid today.
Amazing old Technology there.
Steve, the basic box could have been made by Gerstner. Pull out the two bottom drawers and check inside, on the bottom of the box. There may be a Gerstner stamp there, indicating the species and manufacture date of the box. Thanks for the video, and GREAT FIND! Jon
Hi Steve I have used this type off gauges, to check the flatness of carbon seals, that ride against a steel very smooth part to seal seal a fluid off from going to a other side in a part.. the optical part is put on the carbon seal and under the light to see how flat the seal is. If the line where straight is was good and if they bend you had to polish the part more to get it flat Both parts are checked is way, When is was overhauling the seal in a fuel separator for S61 helicopter.
Absolutely stunning. What a box!!!
I saw the thumbnail saying, "80 Year Old Machinist's Box," and immediately thought, "Why does Steve have Mr Pete's box?" Then I realized it was the box, not the machinist.
😄
That's a 10 ! ! ! LOL
Very, very cool. I'd never heard of such a thing as an optical flat, let alone seen it demonstrated. Thank you.
Very cool stuff, Steve. In a very odd coincidence, those missing gauge blocks were sent to be checked on the same day that my late parents were married in Austin, Texas a few months before my father shipped out to England for service during WWII. It is amazing how many of the tools that you and others like Keith Rucker and Keith Fenner still use were originally made to support the war effort during the 1940's.
Made at the time the Allies were liberating Paris.
:) A very piece of History
Great vid. Love to see a follow-up to know what belongs in the spaces adjacent to where the gauge blocks live in the bottom drawer...
Wow ! That's an amazing find, Thanks for sharing Steve !
Karma, history meets exact right person to preserve and share it.
What a find! That is some awesome industrial history right there. Also, since it is in such good condition, in the right hands, is still usable and highly accurate today. A little slower than a CMM but hey, probably a lot cheaper. And again, MUCH cooler! Hope your grandkids can use them someday.
Happy Saturday Steve, Cora, Family, and Grits! Wow what a piece of history and excellence. It amazes me to see the state of technology in past years. I can think of no more proper home than you who will use and appriciate them. Thanks for sharing! God Bless.
Great video again, i think you should of shown us the lines when the glass is put on a surface that isn't flat, it would of been nice to see the difference.
Greetings from Germany. I recently discovered your channel and I think it's really great. I am in the process of building a small workshop and am currently learning to use my milling machine and lathe. I hope someday I have a workshop like you.
cool tools
OH MY ! What a wonderful piece/pieces. The quality of tools back then was second to none. I can think of no other that can appreciate and care for this set. Measuring with standards always appealed to me. The adrenalin flow when making that last cut is great. Then the result of all that careful measuring and knowing the machine doing the cutting makes for a great day behind you when heading home. Nailing the last finish cut right smack in the middle of the tolerance allowed on the print is another feel good eh. This one was short and sweet but never the less as entertaining as all your posts are. Thankx a bunch my dear friend. See you next time eh.
Wow. Thanks for posting, I've learned stuff. Heard of optical flats but never seen one. Some gauge blocks and surface plates and height gauges were in my Dad's effects but I never saw him use them and didn't know how. I'm an ecologist that messes with machinery - I learned a lot from Dad, but not that. Now I have some clues.
Thanks especially for 'valuing' the do-all box and contents in the terms of the time in which it was produced, rather than today's money. I recall bidding on the gauge blocks and height gauges at dispersal auctions on Dad's behalf (far to 'excitable' to bid himself) and remember how pleased he was to get them.
Best wishes from the UK.
It looks like a Gerstner box. You might find a makers mark under the fold down panel if it is and they still make replacement hard ware for all of their boxes if it is. Or you could have them replated or polish them up. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a good week to come.
Steve that is an incredible find! Not jealous....
Very cool. I can’t imagine there’s too many of those floating around.
Fantastic, what a superb set of instruments. Those were the days when not only equipment was precision made but presented in pleasing to the eye cases. The crackle finish was the norm. Took me straight back to teaching young students how to measure the wavelength of light and also to have applications in the science field. That was nearly 60 years ago. Also with applications in high resolution macro photography. Makes me cringe when I handle some stuff today, fresh from the injection-moulded box. Best wishes from a UK dinosaur!!.
You are into Tom Lipton world now!
That's some cool stuff!
Amazing technology. One has to be impressed by those that thought up and created these precision tools. Those long rectangular pieces with the handles are Straight Edges. Thanks very much for sharing.
Way special. Glad you have it!
Morning Steve 🙃 Nice find.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Steve,
That is an amazing find in such great condition. We use interference lines when making flats for reflecting telescopes. Very tedious work, but rewarding when the lines are straight indicating a very flat surface. You and your family stay safe.
Great to see those old tools and how they were used. It would have been nice to see another 'not so flat' object to see the patterns the optical flats made. Keep up the great videos.
I guess you don't know what flat is until you have a master flat 🤔 It is an incredible set and I'm glad you took the time to show us. Luckily, I guess, I never had to use this kind of precision.
Amazing find! Thanks for sharing!
Very nice Steve
I am impressed by the wood maker who crafted the boxes. My Bro. had a wooden tool box that had the same green felt liner
Really nice!
The do all machines you have have are in really nice shape!
The ones I have come across are not near in as good of shape!
I made plywood boxes for my camping cast iron and stoves. After 25 years the cast iron and two burners stove are in just as good of shape as the day they were cleaned and oiled!
Hiya Steve
Pretty cool piece of history there. Thanks for sharing.
Good to see you Tom 🙂
Pretty special indeed!
Super cool! Congratulations!
Great item Steve. Look at the bottom of the interior drawer . Possibly the makers mark or name will be found.
cool
We enjoy your videos
Thats the kind of haul you build a metrology lab around. What a great find!
Brilliant what a treasure
looking at the materials and construction, I would think Gerstner made those boxes for Do All.
Great video
Very cool! Thanks for the history lesson Steve! Really really interesting.
Thank you for sharing! This is an amazing set of instruments suitable for any lab or process control room. Probably the gage blocks were a smaller set than yours but a master set of which a ffacillity would have only one. All other gages would be checked against the masters. Tom Lipton must be green with envy.
Cool Video! Thanks
Are you able to ring a gauge block onto the master flat?
Hey Steve, that is a really cool set. Makes you wonder what they used it for. Thanks for the video!
This box looks to be exactly the same pattern I bought at a swap meet 23 years ago. Mine was made of walnut and full of tools from the 20's
Absolutely fascinating!
Wow, really nice Steve. Glad it fell into your hands. I have a very, very similar style box that I purchased from a guy. It is full of really nice precision measuring instruments in near perfect condition, mostly Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, and Lufkin.
Very cool old war time inspection tools
Good stuff
really cool
That’s a genuine real world treasure chest! Optical flats are fascinating.
Hi Steve! OMG! That box is from Minneapolis Minnesota one of my favorite places Ever! I am absolutely going to love this video! Hi to Elizabeth!❤️
So very interesting. Thanks for the education
Very cool!
Steve, you should raise a bump on the steel flat by putting your finger on it and heating it up for a minute, then put the optical flat back on and look at the fringes.
Hmm, nice gizmo, who knew.
Good morning Steve. Nice piece of inspection tooling history. Looks like Union Tool Chest made chest for other companies, including DoAll. DoAll was one of the first companies to make machinist/toolmaker "gauges" for use with their bandsaws and blades. They offered a complete array of inspection equipment. Very well known at the time for accuracy in the millionths. (Thank you Wikipedia)
learned a lot today, thanks.
While the tool is awesome, Cora is the real score. You have found a friend that will give their life for you. That is something you don't find but a few times in your life.
One hell of a find. Those days are long gone when those analogue tools could be made by hand. Bogles my mind the skills back then.
Hopefully you'll be able to replace the missing items with a period correct set. I'm sure there's still an old boy out there that has one in the shed.
Really nice find
Thank you for sharing. Very nice.👍
Amazing bit of kit
Steve, please keep that drawer square on the table. The bulk of the weight is off the table. Not to mention Cora liking to put her paws up to see what you're doing!
Excellent score. Color me jealous.
that dog couldnt be more content, love ur work steve
The optical fringes you showed are there because one edge of each flat has been raised a bit, making a wedge of space between the flat and the metal surface. On the second one the edge has been raised more. so there are more fringes (as you observed you can count them, multiply by half the wavelength to find out how much the edge of the flat has been raised.
I'm not sure if what is raising one edge is a deliberate feature of each flat (a tiny bump on the rim) or just a speck of dirt you trapped there, but it seems to be rotating with the flat.
It is often useful to have such a wedge. Without it the errors in the tested surface will show as a bunch of rings and other contour lines, but without the wedge, you can't tell which side of the contour is the high wide, e.g. if bull-eye rings are a bump or a hollow (or perhaps a hollow with a bump in the middle, or...). By adding a spacer deliberately under one edge you can tell which side of each contour line is the high side.
I can see Tom Lipton's @oxtoolco spidey-senses pinging off the meter from here! LOL. That is beautiful stuff Steve!
Interferometry is very interesting.
One of the instruments I serviced passed particles to be sized,suspended in a liquid, past a window illuminated by coherent light (laser).
As the particles were illuminated a fringe of concentric interference lines appeared around them. Analysis of the interference lines allowed the size of the particles to be determined.
One client used this to measure the size of lactose powder used in pill manufacturing , another measured volcanic ash particles
When I 1st saw it in the opening shot thought it was a Gerstner(not sure of spelling) still really nice and in great condition. Lots of great tools inside. Well kept. A great find. Enjoy, stay safe, n see you next week.
The 2 panel till was the give away.
I don’t think the box was built by Gerstner, I haven’t seen one where the sides and back are joined with finger joints. Gerstner box sides are usually finger jointed sides to bottom. I also see at least a few other differences like no Gerstner stamping on the latch.
I think someone here said probably made by Union - I think that’s a better guess.
who makes that weather station screen on the bench at the window?