I spent several weeks in-training on the final assembly floor. I should mention that at that time, J&L had two major products being built in Plant #1, the various lathe models, and a line of grinders. I was assigned to the lathe line, but would become involved with grinders later on in my career.

J&L was the largest employer in town, having not only the large Plant #1, but also Plant #2, where the optical comparator was built. Across town, in what is now the State Office Building, was Plant #3, where the sheet metal fabricating took place. All machine tools needed some sort of enclosure around them, to contain any coolant spray, and to protect the operator. In the early days, these “enclosures” were not particularly strong, and sometimes they failed when a tool (or grinding wheel) failed. Today, of course, machine guards are designed with safety (and OSHA) in mind.

In the mid-sixties, J&L had a great many different lathe models, all the way from the old mechanical types (as the Fay lathe), up to early Numerical Control machines. These early “NC” machines (NCTL’s) were basically standard flat bed lathes with large appendages grafted on which contained the electronic controls. Just like early computers, these systems were not small and compact like we see today. But in the backrooms of Research and Development, there was a revolutionary lathe being designed and tested. And this lathe would become the backbone of what J&L would market in the future.

One of the big problems with the flat bed lathe, especially in high-production work, was the removal of the metal chips and windings generated during the machining process. This required constant operator attention, and cut into production (the number of work pieces that could be made in a certain time). Any lathe manufacturer who could come up with a “better way” would have an edge in marketing and sales.

The J&L solution was to “tilt” the whole slide assembly so that the chips would fall away. The whole machine base was redesigned so that the slide ways and slides were tilted (I think at a 35 degree slope from vertical). Then in the bottom of the machine base (“bed”), they placed a chip conveyor. The chips would basically drop into the conveyor, then be transported out into a hopper, where they could be trucked away. Most all production lathes worldwide are designed this way now.

Developments such as these take time; and of course machine tools were becoming more complex, and numerical control systems were to be a major part of any future lathe that J&L would develop. But J&L had shown an NC lathe at the Chicago Machine Tool Show back in 1955, so they had as much, if not more, experience as anyone in the business.

 

The company had a plan for me, I just wasn’t aware of it yet. After several weeks in the J&L Co-op department, I was reassigned up to sub-assembly. There I worked with seasoned mechanics learning the makings of headstock input shafts, clutches and shifting mechanisms, among other things. The company was sending me around to various departments, and exposing me to much. Pretty overwhelming at times, and of course you (hopefully) learn to get along with diverse personalities. Not everyone was thrilled with wet-nursing a newly graduated college student, whos hands-on experience was lacking. But I got along well with the people in sub-assembly, a vital link in the finished product. This was where the major pieces of a machine tool were created, headstocks, tailstocks, tool slides, hydraulic power units. Then these units were placed on skids and sent to final assembly.

After a stint in sub-assembly, I was moved into final assembly, where the various pieces came together. At that time, the electrical portion of the machine was grafted on. That part of the process was foreign to me, as I was trained in the mechanical arts. The final assembly mechanics where quite skeptical of me, and rightly so; I just basically stood around and did a lot of observing, trying not to mess up too bad. I remember a particular mechanic I was assigned to, a gruff old veteran who didn’t have much to say. Being new at the game, I was always wondering what I did to upset him; much later I found out that was just his demeanor. His job came after the machine was “powered up”, or operable. He placed a boring bar in the headstock spindle chuck, and bored and faced all the turret faces. I do remember one time he went off to “have a smoke”, leaving me at the machine. The boring bar was in place, but he had failed to shut the slide feed off; the set screws that held the cutting bit were high enough that they cut a perfect keyway in a turret bore. Not good. “Why didn’t you stop it?” he asked. I didn’t have an answer, I had no idea at that time on how to use the machine operators panel, which button to push? The feed was so slow, I didn’t notice it was even moving. They put me with another mechanic…………..

Not all of my trials were negative; but it was to be expected with a lack of experience. The company knew this and shifted me from job to job. They hired me as an engineer, and this background training would be invaluable in my (and the companys) future. One thing was for sure, I got my hands dirty. Being the new hire, I was “requested” to do many menial tasks, and soon learned that every job in the shop was necessary, and the people who did those jobs were equally important. Working on the assembly floor, I developed a habit of observing, asking questions, and listening to the response.

As one of my professors said, “you don’t learn by talking, only by listening.”

 

The local machine tool industry, working with the public school system, established a joint program to educate interested students in the machine tool industry. This program was usually started in the freshman year of high school. The student spent a portion of their school day in one of the shops, first observing the various machinery, and then, as they progressed, learning how to operate them. They received an established amount of pay for their services, which rose as they became more proficient. This program benefitted both the student and the local industries; the student would learn valuable skills, which could be used after graduation if the person wished to stay in town. The local shops were grooming a future workforce.

My first assignment after the requisite physical, was to report to the J&L co-op department, run by Fay Kingsbury. His “office” and work area was downstairs right next to the cafeteria. Fay’s wife, Claire, ran the cafeteria. All of this was halfway down the length of Plant #1. It was quite convenient, and more than a little distracting, as the smells from cooking were always inviting. The cafeteria always had a big following, especially during the Holidays. One of Claire Kingsburys special treats were her popcorn balls, five for a dollar. We always bought some to give to friends.

Fay had a small assortment of manual machines in his department, and there were a few guys working there from the local high school. I was somewhat familiar with the machinery, as we had a machine shop at VTC in Randolph Center. But I was not very good at any machining operation, and didn’t pretend to be. But I got by. One of our projects was the making of a soft faced hammer, using a piece of iron pipe for a handle, a short chunk of steel for a head, and brass and aluminum for the screwed in faces. I still have mine, stamped “7-1-1965”. Most of the machining required using a lathe and milling machine, various cutting tools, a knurling tool, and hand taps.

Fay Kingsbury was an early advocate of the American Precision Museum in Windsor. Back in 1965 the building was in dire need of repair, and there was a lot of work to be done. I remember going into the building with a bunch of guys to do some “clean up” work, on the top floor just below the roof. Over the years a lot of the glass in the eyebrow windows had broken or fallen in. So of course the birds had a nice cozy place to roost.

I’m not sure when the museum opened to the public, but it was a man named Edwin Battison who became involved in 1966. He became the driving force for what it is today, a first rate collection of early machine tools. Born in Windsor and working in the local shops, he eventually took a job with the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.. Upon retirement, he became involved with the museum in Windsor.

The following essays have been previously published in the Springfield Reporter under the title “Machine Tool Journal”. They represent my experiences in the local machine tool industry. Even though the writings pertain mainly to J&L,  my hope is that people from the other shops will do the same (we all have stories to tell).   My plans are to publish a new essay every week. Comments are encouraged.

 

Just out of college, I arrived in Springfield on May 17th,1965. I had been offered a job at Jones and Lamson Machine Company. My schooling was in mechanical engineering, and I was eager to “learn the trade”.There were several of us hired from Vermont Technical College, both mechanical and electrical majors. The pay was $90 a week, a good amount for the time. The pay was slightly less than the $100 a week offered by IBM in Essex Junction. My more studious classmates got those offers.

My first real job…..I was an excited (and nervous) young man, not quite 20 years old. My instructions were to report to the plant first aid office, where I would undergo a physical examination. All new hires had to be cleared by the company doctor, before the hiring process was complete. Doctor Carpenter was the company doctor, and his assistant was a nurse named Betty Butterfly (really!!). Everything went well, my only concern was the doctors hands— they were quite misshapened. Only later did I find out that the doctor had been involved with early x-ray technology, before the side effects of overexposure were known.

The company had found a place for me to stay, at least until I could aquaint myself with the area. I had a room with a Mrs. Whitcomb, on Whitcomb street. She was either a widow, or perhaps never married. I never really knew. But I soon found a more suitable place on Wall Street. But it was still just a room, without any kitchen, or way to cook meals. Eating out was expensive, and in an unfamiliar town it was not much fun.  I did not know anyone except my college classmates. So it only made sense to team up and get an apartment together, first in Cavendish, then back on Wall Street.

My hometown was in the Southwestern part of the state. In the beginning I would drive home every Friday night, and return either Sunday night or early Monday morning. There were several reasons for this. I could socialize with my high school buddies on the weekend, and mother could do my laundry (!!). This procedure would continue until I became more familiar with the Springfield area, and had formed friendships here. The drive over Bromley Mountain was exciting at times in the winter, especially when I waited until Monday morning to return. When I did return on Monday, I went right to work, not having time to go to the apartment. I still had my 1954 Mercury from college, and it served me well. Now that I had a good paying job, it was time to go car hunting……….