Interesting Article: Why Crappy Tools?

Dan_S said:
Colt!
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John Hall, the rifle project taken up at the preeminent (at the time) Harper's Ferry Armory. The rifle demonstrated interchangeability could be achieved, even though it had enough design issues (like burning the shooters finger) to keep it as a footnote in history.
 
In the US, Eli Whitney saw the potential benefit of developing "interchangeable parts" for the firearms of the United States military. In July 1801 he built ten guns, all containing the same exact parts and mechanisms, then disassembled them before the United States Congress. He placed the parts in a mixed pile and, with help, reassembled all of the firearms right in front of Congress, much like Blanc had done some years before.[7]

The Congress was captivated and ordered a standard for all United States equipment. Interchangeable parts removed problems concerning the inability to consistently produce new parts for old equipment without significant hand finishing that had plagued the era of unique firearms and equipment. If one firearm part failed, another could be ordered, and the firearm wouldn't have to be discarded. The catch was that Whitney's guns were costly and handmade by skilled workmen.

Whitney was never able to design a manufacturing process capable of producing guns with interchangeable parts. Charles Fitch credited Whitney with successfully executing a firearms contract with interchangeable parts using the American System,[5] but historians Merritt Roe Smith and Robert B. Gordon have since determined that Whitney never achieved interchangeable parts manufacturing. His family's arms company, however, did so after his death.
 
Here's another "first" for interchangeable parts:
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/a-great-day-at-brooklands/?_r=0
Sewing machines, cream separators, and bicycles were really the cutting edge of the technology to make absolutely identical parts . The guns/ armoury tradition was really more like making each part fit the parts you had instead of grabbing parts out of a bin and making an entire machine.
 
When the Chinese went to the moon, I waited to hear that pieces of the craft were falling off. When that didn't happen, I waited to hear that they were calling Houston to come and tow them back from the moon.
They most assuredly did not use the same materials and techniques they used on the piece of junk tools I've had that fell apart.
 
Obviously,the Chinese can make top quality products. They can make rockets,etc. that work fine.

India is another country that is branded with making cheap junk. However,my friend Jon(who ended up working with me),was a journeyman at the Gunsmith's Shop in Williamsburg. He met an Indian visitor who ran an establishment called the Delhi Gunhouse(or something like that). His name was Rabbish(I joked about Rabbish';s rubbish,so can recall his name). Rabbish told Jon that shops in India could make anything he wanted in as fine a quality. But,the Americans porevented it because they demanded cheap prices. Jon was having a multi purpose 18th. C. gun tool,called a "gun Hammer" made,and was having trouble with USA manufacturers making his product at an affordable price. Plus,the USA companies were CASTING the parts of the multi tool.

Jon cgreed to give Rabbish a try,and ordered HAND FORGED and filed up gun hammers from him. The cost was still quite low,though Jon was paying Rabbish a good,high price as far as India was concerned. Jon got absolutely top quality gun hammers from the Delhi Gun House for many years. He sold them for something like 3X what he was paying for them. This went on for over 20 years.

Just goes to show that what the American public is willing to pay is driving the quality of imported products. The Chinese and Indians are not sitting in caves,beating out products with rocks!

The machines that Grizzly imports are made on the best German(I think) machinery,capable of very high standards of quality. What Grizzly has made and sells is based on what Shiraz(the owner),expects he can get the American public to pay.
 
Key word is
Investors
They demand high returns on their $$$$ ! And the manufactures have to meet to their demands.
AND we love a good cheap deal:encourage:
 
I just gotta insert this for kicks and giggles... I purchased a hole saw set from Harbor Freight some time ago. Never used it! Today I needed to use it on my drill press that I need to install the intermediate pulley assembly from Grizzly in. (ROFLMAO) I assembled this into my drill and found that the supplied drill was bent. O.K. so I went to check the rest and found that the shank was warped about 45+ grand? I ran the shank in my lathe and attempted to bore out the metric out of round drill hole to 1/4" for the pilot drill.
This thing was so warped and bent, I had to resurface the saw arbor, and freshen up what was left of it. My project was only a clearance hole in the plastic housing, so no real tolerance here. It did come out better with a 1/4" bored out pilot, but still managed to cut off center a tad. (still ROFLMAO) This fine instrument of superb Chinese tooling seemed to find its way into my shop trash can.
LESSON: I'll buy one from Stanley!
toolroom
 
Opps "I'll buy one from Stanley".

I am very familiar with Stanley after they merged, bought out, took control of, however they want to spin it, Black & Decker.

Believe me China production is their friend now. So if for some reason you don't want something made from China, suggest you look else where, or at least check the Stanley country of origin.

Now I have to admit, having worked with Chinese suppliers for 10+ years and visited suppliers there a few time, they are capable of making stuff that is every bit as good as the best you can find else where.

However if a customer wants something very cheap they will make that as well. And unfortunately the only reason that they make cheap stuff, is that we..yes US, keep buying it.

But again. I am only able to do some types of machining due to the low prices that are available today that weren't possible years ago.

David
 
:rolleyes:And I could tell you guys about the crap quality of several recent 'USA made' tools I bought. And one was from Aloris.
 
What's wrong is that we are too complacent to "push back" when we are met with crap. The majority of Americans are younger and easily settle. They have no idea what quality is and wouldn't know it if they sat on it. The Chinese give us crap because they can. They are smart enough to know that if it does not sell to change to model. But the Americans still take the stuff. I am reminded of the Japanese toys. When asked if the Americans wouldn't be interested in their toys, the Japanese stated "No, our toys are to sophisticated for Americans".
 
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