[modeleng] Re: hand tacho.

Gents,

The hand tachometer I have was made by the LS Starrett company way back in 
the 1920 or 30s and I think it is still available.  It is a thin flat device 
with a half pendant shape which has a dial on it that hangs below the drive. 
The internals are apparently only a simple worm and gear arrangement and the 
drive is one of those hardened diamond shaped thingies to insert in a centre 
hole.  You have to use a watch with it to determine the RPMs of a shaft and 
the dial is friction driven so you can turn it to zero before you start 
measuring.  My father used it when he worked for Fairbanks-Morse as 
"Supervisor of Installation" for the big two stroke cycle diesels they sold 
to cotton gins, municipal power plants and ice companies.  In other words, 
you bought the engine and he came with it to make sure it was installed 
properly and the owner understood how to operate it. The engines came in 
single cylinder or up to (I think) six cylinder with everything but the 
crankcase and crankshaft being made the same way.  Each cylinder was 50 or 
maybe 60 hp so if you needed more power, you just bought more cylinders.

Jesse the Redneck machinist in Troy Tennessee

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