 |
| John Abbott posted |
Stephen A. Morse, an enterprising mechanic, developed a new and better way to drill a hole when he invented the twist drill. With a new patent and a stockholder investment of $30,000, he opened the Morse Twist Drill and Machine Company in New Bedford Massachusetts in 1864. [About]The company web site tells you where their warehouses are, but not where the products are manufactured. Probably because all of the manufacturing is now done overseas.
Stephen Morse developed the idea of creating a twisted drill consisting of two parallel spiral grooves with a straight cutting edge. Prior to this, drills were made from a flat piece that was pointed and sharp. He began manufacturing drills in October of 1861 with a small shop. His original patent, No. 38119, is dated April 7, 1863. [A New Bedford Sunday Standard-Times 1964 article from DavisTownMuseum]The company bought several other companies during the 1800s including the Rockford Twist Drill and Patent Company in 1885. [DavisTownMuseum]
 |
| DavisTownMuseum |
The New Bedford Whaling Museum has a Flickr album of 17 photos.
The New Bedford plant closed in 1990. From a peak of 1000 workers, 400 were still working when the doors were closed. [SouthCoastToday] Evidently the land is still vacant because it is contaminated. [iavi.rti] I did find a big vacant lot in south central New Bedford, but it doesn't have the little building shown in the contamination report.
 |
| John Abbott posted Morse Twist Drill Company Shop Photo's Colin Frechette Would this be a insert cutter or soldered inserts? I know a little bit about carbide history but not really when it really started showing up in the mainstream of the Machine World? Randall Thompson When High Speed Steel was first developed, there were insert cutters made which used ground HSS inserts installed with screws. This of course predated carbide. After carbide was developed, for many years it was all silver brazed, and a long period of time passed before screw installed carbide inserts were developed. I believe the cutters in this picture are HSS inserts. |
 |
| Bob Gaston commented on Colin's comment on John's posting http://www.kennametal.com/en/about-us/history.html |
 |
| John Abbott posted Morse Twist Drill Company Shop Photo's |
 |
| John Abbott posted Morse Twist Drill Company Shop Photo's
Douglas Kephart That is one hell of a ceiling truss, presumably to support the planers on the top floor (in separate post). [photo above]
|
 |
| John Abbott posted |
 |
| John Abbott posted |
Nice Blog!Thanks for sharing these blog with us...
ReplyDeleteMining Drilling Bits manufacturers | SVE Drilling Tools Pvt. Ltd.
I have 1865 pipe tap
ReplyDeleteMe too! Well mine is 1866 LOL 1 inch R
Deletedad and a bunch of family worked there for many years till the doors closed...sad day for all
ReplyDeleteWhat years? I ask because my Grandfather Thornton MacKay ran the company until his death in 1956.
Delete
ReplyDeleteWonderful blog! keep sharing these types of information. I also have much more information for the users who want drill machines at lowest price in India or search for drill machine lowest price in India. Thank you so much for the useful information.
My name is James Thornton MacKay. Named for my grandfather Thornton Wood MacKay who owned and ran Morse for a while. It was purchased by my great grandfather Simon MacKay who with some other Scottish industrialists Owned and operated Union Twist Drill in Athol Mass as well as SW Card manufacturing in Mansfield Mass. Also Butterfield tap and die up on the Derby Line.
ReplyDelete