THINKING ABOUT OLD TOOLS

JANUARY 8, 2019

I was at the Connecticut River museum a few weeks ago. It is located in Essex, CT right by the Connecticut River. The history of that area was all about shipbuilding all throughout the 18th and 19th century.  The tools of that era are on display in the museum.  What was striking about these tools was that if you know anything about the machine tool industry, you can see it's beginning in them.  

They were hand held and for specific tasks, but you could also trace some of the evolution in the design of these tools as the ships become more complex and sophisticated projects.

But also, when I look around the store, arguably, the most important hardware items are also the oldest.  The hammer, pliers, and screwdrivers are examples.  There have been created all sorts of variations and adaptations on these basic tools, but the fundamental principles still apply.  It is about the force applied in controlled ways in different directions.

You can look on hammers, pliers and screwdrivers as applying force in all three dimensons.  Hammers for the X plane, Pliers for the Y plane and screwdrivers for the Z plane. Cool.