For those of you out there who own or have seen machinist’s tool chests here’s a question: why do the inside http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MDxkZHBdL._AA160_.jpg" have a square mirror mounted at 45 degrees? I’ve been a machinist and owned such a chest for years, but have never been able to figure out what that thing could be used for.
Any ideas or straightish dope on this.
Machinists’ eyes are at risk of flying shavings. A mirror plus eye-wash kit is standard equipment for metal workers.
Thank you. I’ve been machining for fifteen years and have only gotten a chip in my eye once. I fished it out with a wet paper towel in the bathroom at the shop. I can now sleep at night without wondering any longer.
Plus an obvious one: if he or she senses impending face to face encounter with anyone they are attracted to and/or might want to impress, having a mirror right there comes in handy for fixing stray grease marks on their faces that might make them look dorky.
Well, when machinist toolboxes were first made, there were no shes in the shop.
**♪ Guilty! ♪
(Girly ex-machinist here)
Are you absolutely sure? And what about “he”?
For your research, I recommend “A Treatise On Milling And Milling Machines” by The Cincinnati milling Machine Co. 1951
Rosie the riveter was generations away from the start of machining. Not that that was a good thing.
Yes, but, why are they on a 45 degree angle? All the ones I notice are, anyway.
Someone’s sister or cousin might drop by, though. Or even someone’s girlfriend/wife.
You mean they aren’t orthagonally aligned, right? I assume that gives you more width and height in the reflection without using a larger mirror. But I didn’t know what they were for. I have a pretty nice one that didn’t come with a mirror, but I’ve seen one that had it at an old time machinists shop. I figured it was used to reflect light to get a better look at machined piece, bits, and the like.
Right - the corners are at top and bottom and left and right. But the mirror is in a vertical plane when the toolbox lid is all the way open and vertical.
My wag is that it just looks cool on a 45 plus you get a little more viewing area like TriPolar says.
I used to have a really nice Gerstner machinists chest. It got stolen years ago and I’ve never found a cheap enough replacement.
Gerstners seem to be a status symbol for machinists and tinkerers like myself, and old ones are selling at high prices. Yours might be up for sale on eBay right now.
It would be easy to spot, I did custom Celtic knotwork inlay on the drawers in rosewood and brass with malachite accents. It was something else, I tell you.
Well take heart from the guy who just recovered his classic Camaro. Maybe there’s a way to get the word out. Would it be worth posting a reward for you?
Anyone have access to the Gerstner Owner’s Club Newsletter, Issue III? Perhaps the answer is there, as indicated by a poster named deathwish2 on the Woodworking.com forum http://woodworking.com/forum/archive/index.php?t-8477.html& :
I thought these plots generally go with rich owner’s pretty daughter…
It’s been gone since 1992, doubt it will show up now.
