My boss in the drafting pool was George Julien. He had a wife and a daughter who were pretty much at home. George was the breadwinner. Sitting near him was the Manager of Standards, Ray Hastings, whose job it was to keep the Standards Book “up to date”. This was quite a volume, probably three inches thick, as it contained all the standard items that were used by the company in all its assemblies. By standard items I mean the hardware, fasteners, and company made pieces that could be used on the product line. Ray had an assistant to help him keep this book current. There were always new pages coming out, and because each department in the company had a copy, the assistant was forever moving (there were probably a hundred books scattered around the buildings).

Another item that was vitally important, especially for newcomers, was the J&L Drafting Manual. This book contained what every engineer / detailer should know, beginning with the basics (how to print and dimension legibly), to information on hydraulics, pneumatics, sheet metal, castings, forgings, etc. It was meant to briefly describe the various disiplines  that had to be mastered if a person was to become successful as an engineer.

This manual was also the responsibility of the Standards Department.

At that time we had an in-house fluid power engineer, whos job it was to assist anyone with a hydraulic or pneumatic question, or to even design circuitry. There were periodic classes given to engineering personnel to help educate them. The drafting Manual had a chapter showing what symbols should be used on diagrams for various valves and other devices. The use of hydraulics was important in the machine tool industry, as it provided point-of-operation power with a remote reservoir and pump.

Many of the major parts of the J&L machinery were castings. It was, of course, very important to design these items properly. The Drafting Manual had some general guidelines concerning types of iron, wall thicknesses, etc. But the best way to learn was to look at some past drawings for guidance, and to talk to some of the older engineers. We had another Ace-in -the Hole in this arena- Lucas Pattern Company. They made most of the patterns for us, and were just up Bridge Street, a short walk (the building is now gone, having collapsed from heavy snow a few years ago). Ralph Lucas gave classes at his place for us budding engineers, showing us how to design the castings so he could create the wooden patterns in the most economical way. How to choose the correct wall thicknesses so the molten iron would flow properly, and fill the mold. How to design radii, again for proper flow. Any new casting drawing (we called them “pattern drawings), would be reviewed by him and his suggestions were always welcome. A win-win situation, he could make the pattern the most economical way,  and we would get a solid casting. Ralph is gone now, but I will never forget his handshake- ouch!!