My late oldest sister used a treadle-type sewing machine until she died in 2011. She said that the machine gave her better control than an electric machine. I don't know the manufacture date of her machine, but it was stamped with a date of 1876. That may have been the patent date but it shows how well-made the machine was.
Along with sewing machines and other Industrial-age products, especially trains, came a need for lubricating oil and grease. Originally produced from whales, coarser grades were made by rendering and cooking down whale blubber, but the lightest and finest grade was Spermaceti oil from inside the head of a Sperm whale; it was favored as "sewing machine oil". The invention of petroleum-cracking processes that allowed production of lubricants from crude oil probably saved the lives of many whales, but whale oil was still blended into some grades of transmission fluid until 1973 when it was outlawed.
I have my grandmother’s sewing machine. I’m not sure where she got it or who. Yes foot pedaled. My dear friend wound and threaded the bobbin for me. She knows a lot about sewing, knitting, crochet, lace work and beading. I’ve made some replacement leather drive belts as authentic as I’ve been able from the existing installed belt and one that hasn’t been glued, which is my prototype model. I have some different hide and some hoove glues I’ve cooked up too
@@tomtheplummer7322 , I volunteer with a "Repair Cafe" group 4 times a year; we get together in a community center with tools and fix things for local residents so that broken stuff that can be made usable again doesn't simply end up in the landfill. I have repaired 3 or 4 sewing machines (none of them treadle powered) that were seized up from disuse. Usually, some heat from a hair dryer and adding fresh lubricant will get them working again. We also fix a lot of vacuum cleaners (unclogging them, installing a fresh belt and filter as needed, etc) and other small appliances, rewire table lamps that arrive with frayed cords and worn/tarnished sockets, and so on. No charge to the locals except for any parts that have to be purchased. We even have three or four women who bring their own *working* sewing machines along and do minor clothing alterations and repairs, for free.
My grandmother was a Mennonite. She wouldn't use electricity if she could get around it. She pumped that foot treadle well into the '80's and only quit because of dementia. She said the same thing about control.
@@goodun2974they also use it for something I read about the other day. Cosmetics maybe? I should have checked but yall can look it up, whatever it was it was interesting.
My wife used to sew a lot. Therefore, It fell on me to fix the sewing machine when it “doesn’t work right”. Just how the stitch was actually made has always fascinated me. Very interesting piece of machinery.
I went on a draft horse wagon ride. The sheer power of those beasts is wild. You feel it when they pull hard to make it up an incline to maintain a steady speed.
AGREED. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE EDUCATION WE ALL COULD'VE ENJOYED HAD WE THE FORTUNE OF TEACHERS LIKE 'THG'. YES, WE'VE ALL HAD GOOD AND GREAT EDUCATORS- BUT WHERE WOULD WE BE NOW WITH TEACHERS LIKE THE HISTORY GUY TO CALMLY, EASILY AND COMPLETELY INFORM US? ON MANY TOPICS WE, AT FIRST GLANCE FEEL DISINTERESTED IN. THEN ARE QUITE INTERESTED.
THANX THG, JUST THANX. @ 26 MIN. IN AND AT AGE 62+, I'VE LEARNED MORE ON HORSE POWER AND SUNGLASSES THAN DECADES OF LOVING HISTORY ON EVERY TOPIC. JUST THANK YOU.
I an American have been calling Robertson screws and screwdrivers " Robeson " screws for like 30 years.the funny part is when I've asked for them in stores they always new what I was talking about . Thanks history guy!
@The History Guy, recommending a channel if you haven’t already heard of it- The Townsends- a group of people who research what it was like to live in colonial America and attempt to recreate food, fashion, shelter, exploring the events of the time and how common people were affected. I watch it mostly for the food recipes but also the history behind it.
Yeah Townsends is a great channel I've learnt a bunch from that guy and he's always smiling, it's funny cuz he reminds me of my buddy dressed in ole time clothes hahahahaha
To clarify, plasticity refers to the ability of something to deform _permanently._ Elastic materials can stretch, but then they return to their previous state. Plastic materials can be molded into a new shape without returning to the original one. So for instance, if a bar bends elastically, then it hasn't failed yet. If it bends plastically, then it has, because it will never go back to its original shape. Despite the name, many "plastics" in use don't deform plastically well at all at room temperature. But they are plastic at higher temperatures. Also, fwiw, proteins are single molecules, not "thousands of molecules." They consist of thousands of _atoms._ All the atoms are covalently bonded to each other, so they are single molecules. They can however consist of multiple chains which are linked at only a few points, and each chain can consist of dozens of residues (amino acids bonded together), but these are just parts of a bigger molecule. In the extreme, these molecules can contain millions of atoms (or tens of billions in the case of DNA), but they are still single molecules.
My Mother and several of my aunties worked on sewing machines in a car factory for some time, My mother actually had one of the double needles go through one of her finders.
That was the most subtle dad joke I've heard in a long time. When talking a out the Miller, saying it was a turning point. Thank you for a massive grin with my morning coffee!
Thanks for putting this collection together. Excellent choices of great world changing devices and materials and the huge impact on quality of life that came along with these inventions. Cheers from the snowy land of the Robertson screw.
As a Canadian who as a child was thought "handy" and then became a tradesman, and eventually an engineer, I had early exposure to Robertson screws and screw drivers. As I came across Phillips and (ugh) flat head screws I assumed that they were earlier, inferior products of the industrial revolution. In addition to the superior anti-cam-out properties of the Robertson, the taper angle of the cavity is such that if the screw is pressed firmly onto the driver it will wedge in place and the screw will not fall off even if held vertically with the screw below the screwdriver. This is a very useful property that Phillips, Posidrive, and Torx screws do not have. As well, the Robertson screw is much less sensitive to off-angle torque due to the excellent screw-to-driver connection. As THG mentioned, the use of the Robertson screw is increasing in the US and possibly elsewhere but I have noticed that it is usually called a square-head. That is unfortunate, as Mr. Robertson's screw is superior, and worthy of his name.
As a contractor I avoid slotted screws as much as is possible sticking mainly with the Phillips head or star head screws. The star head works extremely well for high torque applications.
For many years I have been fascinated by trees that are said to have been planted by a Pacific Northwest " Johnny Appleseed" in the late 1800's. You see them around Washington State now and again, and the larger ones seem to be old and of the same vintage. The "Monkey Puzzle Tree" has an interesting history.. that deserves to be remembered. LOL. I remember in the 60's there being one outside Cashmere, Washington at a restaurant called the "Monkey Tree Restaurant".
During the early 50s Chevrolet used a design of screw heads that featured. Not a Philips, square drive they were in the shape of the marquee the Bow Tie. You can still get screwdrivers for them from specialty tool companies.
Paper manufacturing has fewer standard and often contaminated. "Plastics" (there are actually several different types and combinations of materials that are commonly referred to as "plastic") for food usage are produced to high safety standards. It would be nice if paper being sold that contacts food would be produced to the same standards as plastics, but that would greatly increase the price. Once paper is coated, for example with "wax" or other chemical coatings, it is usually no longer recyclable, where many types of "plastic" can be recycled cleanly. So... it's not as simple as "why can't we just use paper". 😂
Robertson screws are making headway into the US. Look at electrical devices, such as circuit breaker panels. Or walk down the construction fastener aisle in your local home center you will notice screws from many manufacturers, utilizing Phillips, Robertson and Torx drivers.
I watch a lot of your vids and never say thanks, you do a great job and I appreciate your take on thing and historical perspective. The Robertson screw is one of the many things that somehow got lost in Americana despite being better. Great job on everything man.
Finally got around to watching this ep… was of course, as educating & entertaining as ALL of your FANTASTIC episodes! This said, per that last segment about screw driver/screw types, I thought it was also interesting that both the Robertson (what I’d always heard referenced as simply, “square bit” or, “square drive” screws/drivers) & Philips design, is in how they were both heavily affected by the automobile industry back in the day. Just yet another nod to just how much cars’ having been invented, really truly changed the entire world, “History, that deserves to be remembered” 👍🏼👍🏼
Singer Castle is located on the St. Lawrence River in NYS. It's open to tours during the summer. I toured the Singer Castle around 2010 and the tour guide mentioned that the success of the Singer Sewing Machine Co was due to one specific company president who offered sewing machines on credit. I can't remember specifics but the sales numbers went up almost exponentially under this company president. And he is the one who built Singer Castle, even though his last name wasn't Singer! The castle is an incredible time capsule of days gone by, complete with observation ports around the living room so the staff could keep an eye on the guests and quickly send them whatever they needed without them having to ask. Singer Castle is one of the few castles that were actually lived in, in relatively recent times. Very cool tour if you can make it to Alexandria Bay NY. If you do make it there, Boldt Castle is only a short distance from Singer, and closer to the water taxi service. Love your videos, thank you so much for everything!!
Other common things from the past: classified ads in newspapers or other publications (Penny Saver, Auto Trader, Recyler) and the phone book (white pages and yellow pages). Heck, even regular ads in the newspaper was a worthwhile reason to buy a newspaper to find sales for electronics, furniture or cars.
I believe I have every style of screw driver ever invented! I restore classic cars (own over 50) and other machines. I get pretty upset trying to get the correct tool to remove a fastener, bolts included. My theory is that Snap On sponsors a contest that requires every MIT graduate to design a new tool for extracting fasteners! By the way, I’ve been able to destroy every know fastener with my huge collection of hammers, chisels, grinders and drills. If none of the above work it’s welder/torch time.
Learned in electric shop back in the late 1960's that while one horsepower is equal to 746 watts standard NEMA single & three phase AC motors use 1,000 watts per horsepower due to 4 losses ( friction, heat produced & 2 others that I long forgot). Recently looked at a 100 HP 480 Volt 3 phase AC motor marked energy efficient. Used approximately 983watts per horsepower. Thanks for another very informative vidio. IEC undersized European cheating motors often overstate their horsepower by using 746 watts as a horsepower.
The vast amount of classic Hollywood film that is still in existence is stored just a a couple miles from me in the Birmingham Caves storage facility. Vast underground complex where many things are stored and no one knows.
As an inventor for the majority of my life with only two real commercial successes behind me (hopefully more to come) I can wholeheartedly concur with Mr. Watt. And being Scottish myself I can feel the cultural pain of not being thought efficient (or in my right mind) by my own people. The Scottish have made some of the greatest inventions…and yet a society that views all inventors with suspicion.
You could have mentioned cellophane. Clear cellophane is often used to decoratively wrap fudge and candy. It is often used in high school biology classes, to demonstrate both diffusion and dialysis. You see, if you have a bag that is made out of clear cellophane, and you fill the bag with water, the exterior surface of the bag will produce a film of water, because the water inside the bag leaks out through natural microscopic holes present in the cellophane membrane.
Ah, the Robertson screw! A decade into repairing/rebuilding pianos, one built in Canada came into our shop. As this was back when Amazon was a book-seller, a slender 12” Robertson driver wasn’t just a click away. I think I found the bits in the Grainger catalog, then a few minutes with a welder, then grinder, … I love making tools (yeah, I’m a nerd; fight me 🤓 ). Thanks for the memories, THG
Thank you for the explanation and history of horsepower, though torque is what really gets gear heads excited. And then there’s the debate: is it “foot pounds” or “pound feet” when describing the torque measure?
That "pound feet" nonsense is relatively new. It was started by some ninnies who whined " but... but... people might mistake foot pounds of torque to mean foot pounds of work 😭waaaaaah, we want foot pounds of torque to be called 'pound feet' instead 😭waaaaah". In what instance will anyone mistake torque for work done? I will NEVER refer to foot pounds of torque as the asinine 'pound feet'.
The History Guy is “that” instructor that people fight over trying to get in his class. Wish he had been my history teacher, I would have learned more.
love the bit not pun intended on the screwdriver would love to see something on herbrand tools they had workings on both sides of the border as most tool companies were doing
I know their technical name is Robertson but I’ve always heard these at work referred to square drive. They’re the go to screw if you need torque. They are less dependent on the user providing constant contact force. Common enough even in the US that multi-head screwdrivers can have one Robertson type head.
Dear History Guy: Can you make an episode on the history of the microwave? Why? Can you name any other device invented in our lifetimes that has greater shaped what we eat and how we eat it, in our own kitchens or anywhere else?
Walter Hunt "the forgotten inventor" was born on a Lewis County farm in Martinsburg, New York on July 29th, 1796. Spending most of his early years in Lowville, and some time in Watertown. By 1820, he had invented a flax-spinning machine and many other smaller inventions. . Eventually Hunt left the North Country region and established a shop in New York City in 1826, where he would go on to invent the lockstitch sewing machine and the first repeating rifle, among many other useful and not so useful things. He is also known for inventing the safety pin, which he sold for $400 to help settle a $15 debt. . Hunt had the talent of invention, however lacked business savvy, and debt was always looming. Many others laid claim to Hunt's useful patents becoming barons of industry. . He died on June 8th, 1859 and is buried in Green-Wood Cemetary in Brooklyn, New York. Walter Hunt never understood in life the significance of his inventions. Many are still very much a part of our lives. The sewing machine, the fountain pen, the safety pin, the repeating rifle, and so much more!
I remember a book. Something like " 100 most brilliant minds describing the worlds best inventions" and (unless Im wrong) collectively the most common response was related to a horses saddle. This could have been in response to inventions that made the biggest impact in the world. There were about 6 that said a "Saddle horn" specifically.
I grew up in a very mechanically inclined family, I just assumed that anybody would be able to fix anything for themselves. As I got older though I realized that some people should not be allowed to own a screwdriver of any type
...those are Robertson screws...Scrulox. Patent is thanks to our Canadian🇨🇦neighbor. 🇺🇸Henry Ford found the Robertson and Phillips fasteners increased productivity on the assembly line. 👍🏻👌🏻💪😏
A lot of journalists and automakers marketing departments never understand the difference between metric and US hp. Korean and Japanese automakers in the USA got into trouble by quoting their domestic market metric hp figures as "SAE hp", and VW's US subsidiaries never understood the difference either - they'd quote the probably accurate kW figures, but then quote the European market metric hp figures as "SAE hp" without making even the basic conversion. I never understood why no-one ever called them out on that.
Nice presentation. I have hollow ground slotted screwdrivers for the last forty years for my own screws so, cam-out can't occur. Torx and Allen are two of the best designs for screw heads.
Robertson screws are used quite often in the electrical industry. Mostly because the majority of people don’t own them making it harder to tamper with.
My father played a lot of pool. He remembered playing with ivory balls a few times. They were illegal by that point but you could still find them once in a while. He said there was a big difference from modern balls at the time. The ivory balls performed much better. The english, the weight and the sound they made. He was no fan of slaughtering elephants for the ivory. He would rather there be synthetic balls than to continue killing elephants. But they don’t compare to the real thing. Couldn’t quite replicate it.
I have used the Roberts square drive screw head for years, almost exclusively. The only reason I use a Phillips is sometimes it’s all I can find. For furniture I would prefer to look old, I use the slot screw head although I pre-drill the hole.
There are two kinds of horse powers, the British one which is 550 lbs raised one foot in a second and metric one which is 75 kg one meter in a second. now had the metric been 76 kg they would have been identical within 0.05% but they had to choose 75 kg which makes a 1% difference.
Sewing machines didn't just make clothing cheaper and an industrially producible commodity, they changed the design of clothing. When all sewing had to be performed by hand, a major goal in the design of garments was to minimize seam length, as seam length was a first approximation of the cost of making a garment. With the introduction of sewing machines, seam length became less important that the complexity of the cutting of the fabric and the fabric itself in garment cost. Modern trousers have both inseams and outseams, while prior to sewing machines, they would only have had one or the other. An interesting example of the cost of seams in conspicuous consumption is what's known as the 'princess dress,' which is composed of 8 panels, while other types of dresses are made of only 4 panels. This made a 'princess dress' twice the cost of a similar 4-panel dress because it needed twice as much stitching.
There is also a method of measuring hydraulic horse power, which is compared to the wire horsepower to deeming the efficiency of the pump and motor combination.
Thank you for being a trusted channel. Spreading truth. ( without background Pavlovian noise we've been drench in, even the news now?) THANK YOU,THANK YOU!
Some of these shows talk about all the plastic garbage in the world.. there is no plastic garbage anymore.. 20 cents a bottle.. that’s why you see bums going thru trash cans at the gas station .. it’s their lively hood. Thank you State of California for starting this program way back when
There is also a Japanese version of the screw and you need a JIS screwdriver to properly fit it. You can use a Phillips screwdriver to turn it but it cams out easily. But if you use the proper screwdriver it will not cam out. So if you are working on your Japanese car it works a lot better with the correct screwdriver. I don't know how many screws I have stripped the heads of before I learned this.
Europe has pozidrive, similar but different to Philips. Think JIS often marked with a dot. Lots of people use Robertson screws with Kreg stuff, but Torx is good too.
Cool fact about the JIS screw! I can’t even think of any screws on my newer Toyota Tacoma. everything is a nut and bolt or a push fastener as far as I can think of.
Oh for us electricians the Robby is law, that's what all approved electrical fixtures use, fasteners less so since most of those come from 'Muricah, so they're typically Phillips, if we're lucky it's multi-bit and it works with flathead, Philips, and Robertson, but often hardware is only configured for flathead and Philips....
The James Watt engine in the powerhouse Museum in Sydney is not quite in it's original form. Originally it was proposed to sneakily power all the steam engines in the collection using electric motors. The steam lovers rebelled so this didn't happen. However the original engine cylinder has been sleeved to fit a much smaller piston to need less steam since it is only used for daily demonstrations.
Someone told me that margarine is one molecule away from being plastic. NO mold, fungus, insect, or animal will touch it, if put outside. That is why I won't consume it ever.
