A Learning Experience...

[ViggoG]

Dwight & Wes,
I feel that each of the statements were most likely correct.
Much progress was made, between 1927 & 1939, in mass production techniques and many tooling operations were probably combined to simplify the number of tool changes and set ups.
The two of which probably consumed as much as 60% of the handeling and machining on each part.
Also this period saw the introduction of High Speed Tool Steel and the phasing out of the High Carbon Tool Steel at an increase of 300% in cutting speeds. Along with the introduction of Roller Bearing Equipped Machines. With Direct Gear Drive Replacing the overhead line shaft.
This latter allowed the more efficient placement of individual machines and mixing of types to create a more efficient production system.
Hence the drastic reduction in overall time of production per part.
I am grateful that I was entering into the machine tool industry at about this latter time and was given the opportunity to develope my skills on machines of each era greatly improving my skills on all types of machines.
I was also fortunate to have been in research and carried my assignment through the entire machining process using any and all types of machines over time. (In most shop environments the machinests were assigned to a single machine or type thereof becoming single machine oriented specialists).
I was one lucky guy all around.
Viggo