English and American Tool Builders by Joseph Wickham Roe is a comprehensive historical account that delves into the lives and contributions of notable tool makers from England and America. The book offers insight into the development of tools and machinery, highlighting the innovations and advancements that shaped various industries. Overview: The book explores the significant impact of tool builders on technological progress and industrialization in both England and America. It covers the achievements of prominent individuals who played a key role in advancing tool-making techniques and machinery. Key Elements: Historical Context: Roe provides a detailed historical background, tracing the evolution of tool-making from early developments to more modern advancements. Biographical Sketches: The book features biographical sketches of influential tool builders, offering readers a glimpse into their lives, work, and contributions to the field. Technical Insights: Roe includes technical details and descriptions of various tools and machinery, providing a deep understanding of the tools’ functions and innovations. Industrial Impact: The book discusses the broader impact of these tool builders on industrial practices and the manufacturing process, illustrating how their work influenced various sectors. Illustrations and Diagrams: Enhanced by illustrations and diagrams, English and American Tool Builders offers visual context to the text, helping readers better understand the tools and techniques described. English and American Tool Builders is a valuable resource for historians, engineers, and anyone interested in the history of technology and industrial development. Joseph Wickham Roe’s detailed research and engaging narrative offer a thorough examination of the crucial role tool builders played in shaping modern industry.

Once again, Ken Cope has produced a major new reference work that broadens our range of understanding of the history of technological innovation. This is the first book to identify American lathe builders operating throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Written in the style of the author's previous groundbreaking books on the machine tool industry, this encyclopedic volume provides the collector, user, and researcher with invaluable information on over 330 lathe builders, many of whom have previously gone unrecognized by researchers. More than a thousand illustrations, taken from original catalogs and periodicals, trace the development of the American metal cutting lathe from the crude, handbuilt models of the early 19th century to the fast, powerful models introduced in the early 20th century for use with high speed steel cutting tools. Dozens of early lathe accessories, such as gear-cutting attachments, are also identified and illustrated for the first time. In addition, the book contains a glossary of terms used in describing the various lathes