Klarinet Archive - Posting 001063.txt from 1999/04

From: "MARY A. VINQUIST" <kenshaw@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Metal-working Lathe
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 1999 09:54:35 -0400

On the Early Clarinet list, Ron Baxter asked:

"I've been considering getting a metal lathe. =

I'd be very interested to know other people's =

preferences, opinions, about what you use =

if you do this kind of work."

I can't help with the question, but I do have a good story. =

Many years ago, I was in the West Point Band, which had two full time =

instrument repairmen. The band building was being extensively renovated,=

and =

the CO asked the chief repairman whether he needed any special equipment
for =

the new shop.

He said, "Well, it's not essential, but I could use a small metal-working=
=

lathe, say to make a trumpet valve or some other part." The CO said "Fin=
e.
=

I'll see what I can do."

The renovation was completed, but no lathe arrived, and the repairman
thought
his request had been turned down or just forgotten about.

Then, more than a year later, a concrete mixer truck pulled up to the ban=
d =

building. The driver came down to the repair shop and had the following =

conversation with the repairman:

"I'm here to pour the foundation for your lathe." =

"Huh?" =

"You ordered a metal-working lathe didn't you?"
"Oh, I remember. I thought you'd forgotten about it."
"No, it's here. But I have to pour the foundation for it. It would brea=
k =

right through the concrete slab you have now."

It turned out that the only metal-working lathe the Army had was a two-to=
n =

monster, five feet high and eight feet long, with a chuck big enough to
turn =

a telephone pole. Of course it was useless for the small work the repair=
=

shop wanted it for, but it was already on the band's official list of =

equipment and couldn't be returned without much embarrassment and
paperwork.

To install it, they had to break through the existing concrete floor slab=
, =

prepare a sub-foundation, pour the foundation, let it dry, remove a windo=
w,

maneuver the lathe in with a crane and mount it on bolts fixed in the =

foundation.

I'm sure it's still there, unused and useless, taking up about 20% of the=
=

space in the repair shop, and a prime example of the saying, "There's the=
=

right way, the wrong way and the Army way."

This is absolutely true. I was there, saw the results and got the detail=
s =

directly from the chief repairman. You can go to West Point and see it.

Ken Shaw

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