an autobiography-第31部分

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the　six　equal　sides　of　the　hexagonal　nut；　as　well　as　their　precise　position　in　regard　to　the　collar　that　was　of　one　solid　piece　with　it。　　There　was　no　great　amount　of　ingenuity　required　in　contriving　this　special　tool；　or　in　adapting　it　to　the　slide…rest　of　the　lathe；　to　whose　spindle　end　the　file　or　cutter　/　was　fixed。　But　the　result　was　so　satisfactory；　both　as　regards　the　accuracy　and　rapidity　of　execution　in　comparison　with　the　usual　process　of　hand　filing；　that　Mr。　Maudslay　was　greatly　pleased　with　the　arrangement　as　well　as　with　my　zeal　in　contriving　and　executing　this　clever　little　tool。　　An　enlarged　edition　of　this　collar…nut　cutting　machine　was　soon　after　introduced　into　the　factory。

＇Image＇　　Arrangement　of　the　machine

It　was　one　of　the　specialities　that　I　adopted　in　my　own　workshop　when　I　commenced　business　for　myself；　and　it　was　eagerly　adopted　by　mechanical　engineers；　whom　we　abundantly　supplied　with　this　special　machine。　It　was　an　inestimable　advantage　to　me　to　be　so　intimately　associated　with　this　Great　Mechanic。　　He　was　so　invariably　kind；　pleasant；　and　congenial。　　He　communicated　an　infinite　number　of　what　he　humorously　called　〃Wrinkles〃　which　afterwards　proved　of　great　use　to　me。　My　working　hours　usually　terminated　at　six　in　the　evening。　　But　as　many　of　the　departments　of　the　factory　were　often　in　full　operation　during　busy　times　until　eight　o'clock；　I　went　through　them　to　observe　the　work　while　in　progress。　　On　these　occasions　I　often　met　〃the　guvnor；　as　the　workmen　called　Mr。　Maudslay。　　He　was　going　his　round　of　inspection；　and　when　there　was　any　special　work　in　hand　he　would　call　me　up　to　him　to　and　explain　point　in　connection　with　it　that　was　worthy　of　particular　notice。　　I　found　this　valuable　privilege　most　instructive；　as　I　obtained　from　the　cheif　mechanic　himself　a　full　insight　into　the　methods；　means；　and　processes　by　which　the　skilful　workman　advanced　the　various　classes　of　work。　　I　was　also　permitted　to　take　notes　and　make　rapid　sketches　of　any　object　that　specially　interested　me。　The　entire　establishment　thus　became　to　me　a　school　of　practical　engineering　of　the　most　instructive　kind。

Mr。　Maudslay　took　pleasure　in　showing　me　the　right　system　and　method　of　treating　all　manner　of　materials　employed　in　mechanical　structures。　He　showed　how　they　might　be　made　to　obey　your　will；　by　changing　them　into　the　desired　forms　with　the　least　expenditure　of　time　and　labour。　This　in　fact　is　the　true　philosophy　of　construction。　When　clear　ideas　have　been　acquired　upon　the　subject；　after　careful　observation　and　practice；　the　comparative　ease　and　certainty　with　which　complete　mastery　over　the　most　obdurate　materials　is　obtained；　opens　up　the　most　direct　road　to　the　attainment　of　commercial　as　well　as　of　professional　success。

To　be　permitted　to　stand　by　and　observe　the　systematic　way　in　which　Mr。　Maudslay　would　first　mark　or　line　out　his　work；　and　the　masterly　manner　in　which　he　would　deal　with　his　materials；　and　cause　them　to　assume　the　desired　forms；　was　a　treat　beyond　all　expression。　Every　stroke　of　the　hammer；　chisel；　or　file；　told　as　an　effective　step　towards　the　intended　result。　　It　was　a　never…to…be…forgotten　practical　lesson　in　workmanship；　in　the　most　exalted　sense　of　the　term。　In　conformity　with　his　often　repeated　maxim；　〃that　there　is　a　right　way　and　a　wrong　way　of　doing　everything；〃　he　took　the　shortest　and　most　direct　cuts　to　accomplish　his　objects。　　He　illustrated　this　by　telling　me；　in　his　own　humorous　style；　〃　When　you　want　to　go　from　London　to　Greenwich；　don't　go　round　by　Inverness。〃　　Another　of　his　droll　sayings　was　that　he　〃considered　no　man　a　thorough　mechanic　unless　he　could　cut　a　plank　with　a　gimlet；　and　bore　a　hole　with　a　saw！〃

The　grand　result　of　thoughtful　practice　is　what　we　call　experience：　it　is　the　power　or　faculty　of　seeing　clearly　before　you　begin；　what　to　avoid　and　what　to　selector　rather　what　to　do　and　what　not　to　do。　High…class　workmanship；　or　technical　knowledge；　was　in　his　hands　quite　a　science。　　Every　piece　of　work　was　made　subject　to　the　soundest　philosophical　principles；　as　applied　to　the　use　and　treatment　of　materials。　　It　was　this　that　gave　such　a　charm　of　enjoyment　to　his　dealing　with　tools　and　materials。　　He　loved　this　sort　of　work　for　its　own　sake；　far　more　than　for　its　pecuniary　results。　　At　the　same　time　he　was　not　without　regard　for　the　substantial　evidence　of　his　supremacy　in　all　that　regarded　first…class　tools；　admirable　management；　and　thorough　organisation　of　his　factory。

The　innate　love　of　truth　and　accuracy　which　distinguished　Mr。　Maudslay；　led　him　to　value　highly　that　class　of　technical　dexterity　in　engineering　workmen　which　enabled　them　to　produce　those　details　of　mechanical　structures　in　which　perfect　flat　or　true　plane　surfaces　were　required。　　This　was　an　essential　condition　for　the　effective　and　durable　performance　of　their　functions。　　Sometimes　this　was　effected　by　the　aid　of　the　turning…lathe　and　slide…rest。　　But　in　most　cases　the　object　was　attained　by　the　dexterous　use　of　the　file；　so　that　〃flat　filing〃　then　was；　as　it　still　is；　one　of　the　highest　qualities　of　the　skilled　workman。　　No　one　that　I　ever　met　with　could　go　beyond　Henry　Maudslay　himself　in　his　dexterous　use　of　the　file。　　By　a　few　masterly　strokes　he　could　produce　plane　surfaces　so　true　that　when　their　accuracy　was　tested　by　a　standard　plane　surface　of　absolute　truth；　they　were　never　found　defective；　neither　convex；　nor　concave；　nor　〃cross…winding；〃that　is；　twisted。

The　importance　of　having　such　Standard　Planes　caused　him　to　have　many　of　them　placed　on　the　benches　beside　his　workmen；　by　means　of　which　they　might　at　once　conveniently　test　their　work。　　Three　of　each　were　made　at　a　time；　so　that　by　the　mutual　rubbing　of　each　on　each　the　projecting　surfaces　were　effaced。　　When　the　surfaces　approached　very　near　to　the　true　plane；　the　still　projecting　minute　points　were　carefully　reduced　by　hard　steel　scrapers；　until　at　last　the　standard　plane　surface　was　secured。　　When　placed　over　each　other　they　would　float　upon　the　thin　stratum　of　air　between　them　until　dislodged　by　time　and　pressure。　　When　they　adhered　closely　to　each　other；　they　could　only　be　separated　by　sliding　each　off　each。　　This　art　of　producing　absolutely　plane　surfaces　is；　I　believe；　a　very　old　mechanical　〃dodge。〃　But；　as　employed　by　Maudslay's　men；　it　greatly　contributed　to　the　improvement　of　the　work　turned　out。　　It　was　used　for　the　surfaces　of　slide　valves；　or　wherever　absolute　true　plane　surfaces　were　essential　to　the　attainment　of　the　best　results；　not　only　in　the　machinery　turned　out；　but　in　educating　the　taste　of　his　men　towards　first…class　workmanship。

Maudslay's　love　of　accuracy　also　led　him　to　distrust　the　verdicts　given　by　the　employment　of　the　ordinary　callipers　and　compasses　in　determining　the　absolute　or　relative　dimensions　of　the　refined　mechanism　which　he　delighted　to　construct　with　his　own　hands。　So　much　depended　upon　the　manner　in　which　the　ordinary　measuring　instruments　were　handled　and　applied　that　they　sometimes　failed　to　give　the　required　verdict　as　to　accuracy。　　In　order；　therefore；　to　get　rid　of　all　difficulties　in　this　respect；　he　designed　and　constructed　a　very　compact　and　handy　instrument　which　he　always　had　on　his　bench　beside　his　vice。　　He　could　thus；　in　a　most　accurate　and　rapid　manner；　obtain　the　most　reliable　evidence　as　to　the　relative　dimensions；　in　length；　width；　or　diameter；　of　any　work　which　he　had　in　hand。　　In　consequence　of　the　absolute　truth　of　the　verdicts　of　the　instrument；　he　considered　it　as　a　Court　of　Final　Appeal；　and　humorously　called　it　〃The　Lord　Chancellor。〃

＇Image＇　　Maudslay's　〃Lord　Chancellor〃

This　trustworthy　〃Companion　of　the　Bench〃　consisted　of　a　very　substantial　and　inflexible　bed　or　base　of　hard　brass。　　At　one　end　of　it　was　a　perfectly　hardened　steel　surface　plate；　having　an　absolutely　true　flat　or　plane　face；　against　which　one　end　or　side　of　the　object　to　be　measured　was　placed；　whilst　a　similar　absolutely　true　plane　surface　of　hardened　steel　was　advanced　by　means　of　a　suitable　fine　thread　screw；　until　the　object　to　be　measured　was　just　delicately　in　contact　with　it。　The　object　was；　as　it　were；　between　the　jaws　of　a　vice；　but　without　any　squeezebeing　just　free；　which　could　be　easily　ascertained　by　feeling。　　These　two　absolutely　plane　surfaces；　between　which　the　object　lay；　had　their　distances　apart　easily　read　off　from　the　scale　engraved　on　the　bed　of　the　instrument；　in　inches　and　tenth　parts　of　an　inch；　while　the　disk…head　or　handle　of　the　screw　was　divided　on　its　edge　rim　into　hundredth　or　thousandth　parts；　as　these　bore　an　exact　metrical　relation　to　the　pitch　of　the　screw　that　moved　the　parallel　steel　faces　of　the　measuring　vice　（as　I　may　term　it）　nearer　or　farther　apart。

Not　only　absolute　measure　could　be　obtained　by　this　means；　but　also　the　amount　of　minute　differences　could　be　ascertained　with　a　degree　of　exactness　that　went　quite　beyond　all　the　requirements　of　engineering　mechanism；　such；　for　instance；　as　the　thousandth　part　of　an　inch！　It　might　also　have　been　divided　so　far　as　a　millionth　part　of　an　inch；　but　these　infinitesimal　fractions　have　really　nothing　to　do　with　the　effective　machinery*　　＇footnote。。。　I　may　mention　another　saying　of　Mr。　Maudslay's。　　Be