the machinist’s series

My father was a machinist for Western Electric outside of Chicago before he relocated with them and moved his young family to OKC in 1958.  When dad passed in 1999, my brothers and I inherited several boxes of his tools, and late 2024, while sorting through and handling his tools, the idea formed in my head to honor him by lovingly photographing some of the very tools that he had handled. In that moment, the idea was christened... “The Machinist’s Series.”

Herewith, a sampling of some of the tools of dad’s early trade.

#1 - Divider

#2 - Divider

#5 - Detail Files and Hand-made Wooden Organizer

#9 - Square & Depth Gauge

#13 - Depth Micrometer

#6 - Detail Files

#10 - Detail File & Holder

#14 - Wire Gauge

#3 - Dividers

#7 - Detail Files

#11 - Fine Bits

#15 - Thread Gauge

#4 - Inside Caliper & Dividers

#8 - Precision Square

#12 - Test Indicator

#17 - V-Blocks