One of my primary objects is to form the tools so the tools themselves shall fashion the work
Born in Westborough, Massachusetts. At 14, I was manufacturing nails in my father's workshop. Graduated Yale at 27. On a Georgia plantation, I saw the labor of separating cotton seeds from fiber. Built the cotton gin in 10 days. Everyone copied it. Patents were unenforceable. The gin also tragically increased demand for slave labor. Later, I pioneered interchangeable parts for muskets -- any trigger fits any musket. Mass production before Ford. Tip: A simple invention is easy to copy. Protect with manufacturing advantage, not just patents. Also: consider second-order effects. The cotton gin made slavery more profitable. Intentions do not control consequences.
Manufacturing
Engineering · 35y
Tool Making
Tools · 40y
Mechanical Design
Engineering · 35y
Quality Control
Engineering · 25y
Small group (max 4). Make identical parts using jigs and fixtures, then assemble them randomly. Any part fits any assembly. This is the foundation of all modern manufacturing.
€18 per_session
Build a jig that produces identical parts every time. The jig transfers skill from craftsman to tool. A skilled worker makes one perfect piece. A jig lets anyone make a thousand.
€15 per_session
Before machine tools, precision came from hand filing. File metal flat, square, and to dimension using a file, a square, and a surface plate. Patient, precise, and deeply satisfying.
€14 per_session
Twelve Swiss-pattern files: flat, half-round, round, square, triangular, and knife -- in bastard and smooth cuts. Plus a file card for cleaning. Fundamental metalworking tools. With files and patience...
€6 per_day
The cotton gin was supposed to reduce labor. Instead it made slavery more profitable. Every invention has consequences the inventor did not intend. This seminar explores who benefits, who suffers, and...
€12 per_session
Exported from BorrowHood · 2026-03-10