Klarinet Archive - Posting 001064.txt from 1999/04

From: "Ed Maurey" <edsshop@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: [kl] Metal-working Lathe
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 1999 11:24:48 -0400

What a great story of military stupidity! Not only was the lathe the wrong
size but all the nonsense with the concrete was inappropriate. As a
professional machinist I can tell you you don't have to start worrying
about special foundations with a lathe that size.

Yes, yes, yes a metal working lathe is a must in an instrument repair shop.
It need have only a 10 inch swing and, maybe, a 20 inch bed. You'll need
boring bar tooling, turning tools, facing tools, various chucks, centers,
dial indicators...all kinds of stuff. More than anything else you'll need
imagination and a good textbook.

I don't pretend to know anything else other than clarinet work, but for the
clarinet, alone, you can do barrel modifications,mouthpiece modifications,
bore changes, flush band repairs and much more. You can also make special
tools when and as you need them.

Ed Maurey

From: MARY A. VINQUIST
<kenshaw@-----.com>
<klarinet@-----.org>
Subject: [kl] Metal-working Lathe
Date: Sunday, April 25, 1999 10:54 AM

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 "Fine.

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 band
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 break
right through the concrete slab you have now."

It turned out that the only metal-working lathe the Army had was a two-ton
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 window,

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

Ken Shaw

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