- Joined
- Jun 29, 2014
- Messages
- 4,060
Took the family there in May and went through the main exhibit hall. We had been rained out of a hike in that area so we zipped down to Windsor and spent a couple of hours checking this place out. The history of the building and what went on there is significant:
americanprecision.org
During our visit in May, one of the staff members informed me that "behind-the-scene" tours were available. I made an appointment to come back on Father's Day and spent another few hours there with my father. If any of you are in the Southern VT area, be sure to schedule a half day here, you will not regret it!
I was going to do a write up of each photo, but this would be a picture heavy post. Instead, here is a link to a Google photo album I created. If you have questions about the contents of the photos, be sure to comment and I'll do my best to explain what is going on in the photo.
In addition to my photo album, you can search the APM collection for images here:
And a link to their YouTube channel:
My commentary:
What I find to be the crown jewel of the museum is the John Aschauer collection of working models. The level of detail is astounding in itself, the volume of miniature working models he produced is the most difficult thing to grasp. Most of us, I dare say, would struggle to find the time to build a handful of these models in a lifetime, Mr. Aschauer managed to build the Steam Plant in 4 years starting at age 14!
There are objects owned by Thomas Edison on display - most notably a set of Jo Blocks gifted to Mr. Edison by Henry Ford.
Since the building was originally an armory - there are original lineshafts connected drill presses and the like for kids to observe, interact with handwheels and get some understanding of how the machines were operated back in the day. Lot of gunstock duplicators, rifling machines, etc.
A nice display of artifacts on the history of measurement - time, temperature, speed, distance. On display is a Brown & Sharpe master micrometer - used in the factory for inspection of smaller micrometers and measurement devices.
Lots of planers in various sizes. Surprisingly, no shapers to be found!
Others might argue that the crown jewel in the museum is the Bridgeport Milling Machine marked on the knee and saddle as Serial No. 1!
There is an education zone in the museum that has a Haas DT1 setup for CNC training and demonstrations. Next to that is a working No. 7 Fellows Gear shaper. The museum makes its own keychains for sale using the small gears coming off this machine.
Upstairs many obscure machines are in storage. The founder of the museum started his collection finding clocks, typewriters and other precision devices. He soon started purchasing or was gifted machine tools from around the region. There are several machines that would classify as "dividing" machines. Rotary, linear and logarithmic machines are in storage and would make for a great display of early ingenuity. The logarithmic machine is a piece of art in my opinion.
Many, many, working models are stored upstairs. Too many to count. Along with various old iron that we all covet and would love to have in our shops. See pictures for lots of details.
The thing my boys were most fascinated with is the hand-powered manual service elevator. Took a long explanation by John Alexander, our tour guide to walk them through how it worked. It was restored and inspected for safety and is still working today for moving parts and machines up and down the levels.
They believe they also hold the largest and most complete collection of American Machinist volumes around. Judging from the display, it is hard to dispute that claim.
Any questions just post and I'll do my best to answer!
Edit: spelling, fixing links
About - APM
More information about the American Precision Museum in Windsor, Vermont, an industrial history museum located inside a National Historic Landmark.
americanprecision.org
During our visit in May, one of the staff members informed me that "behind-the-scene" tours were available. I made an appointment to come back on Father's Day and spent another few hours there with my father. If any of you are in the Southern VT area, be sure to schedule a half day here, you will not regret it!
I was going to do a write up of each photo, but this would be a picture heavy post. Instead, here is a link to a Google photo album I created. If you have questions about the contents of the photos, be sure to comment and I'll do my best to explain what is going on in the photo.
In addition to my photo album, you can search the APM collection for images here:
Online Collections | American Precision Museum
americanprecision.pastperfectonline.com
And a link to their YouTube channel:
My commentary:
What I find to be the crown jewel of the museum is the John Aschauer collection of working models. The level of detail is astounding in itself, the volume of miniature working models he produced is the most difficult thing to grasp. Most of us, I dare say, would struggle to find the time to build a handful of these models in a lifetime, Mr. Aschauer managed to build the Steam Plant in 4 years starting at age 14!
There are objects owned by Thomas Edison on display - most notably a set of Jo Blocks gifted to Mr. Edison by Henry Ford.
Since the building was originally an armory - there are original lineshafts connected drill presses and the like for kids to observe, interact with handwheels and get some understanding of how the machines were operated back in the day. Lot of gunstock duplicators, rifling machines, etc.
A nice display of artifacts on the history of measurement - time, temperature, speed, distance. On display is a Brown & Sharpe master micrometer - used in the factory for inspection of smaller micrometers and measurement devices.
Lots of planers in various sizes. Surprisingly, no shapers to be found!
Others might argue that the crown jewel in the museum is the Bridgeport Milling Machine marked on the knee and saddle as Serial No. 1!
There is an education zone in the museum that has a Haas DT1 setup for CNC training and demonstrations. Next to that is a working No. 7 Fellows Gear shaper. The museum makes its own keychains for sale using the small gears coming off this machine.
Upstairs many obscure machines are in storage. The founder of the museum started his collection finding clocks, typewriters and other precision devices. He soon started purchasing or was gifted machine tools from around the region. There are several machines that would classify as "dividing" machines. Rotary, linear and logarithmic machines are in storage and would make for a great display of early ingenuity. The logarithmic machine is a piece of art in my opinion.
Many, many, working models are stored upstairs. Too many to count. Along with various old iron that we all covet and would love to have in our shops. See pictures for lots of details.
The thing my boys were most fascinated with is the hand-powered manual service elevator. Took a long explanation by John Alexander, our tour guide to walk them through how it worked. It was restored and inspected for safety and is still working today for moving parts and machines up and down the levels.
They believe they also hold the largest and most complete collection of American Machinist volumes around. Judging from the display, it is hard to dispute that claim.
Any questions just post and I'll do my best to answer!
Edit: spelling, fixing links
Last edited:
