According to Barbara Bailey :
On Sun, 22 Jan 2006 22:44:16 -0800, Brooks Moses
wrote:

Barbara Bailey wrote:
On Sun, 22 Jan 2006 22:11:45 +0000, (DoN.
Nichols) wrote:

[ ... ]

O.K. How precisely is it 15/16"? Do you have a micrometer to
measure it precisely? I would expect it to be pretty precise, as it
looks to be surface ground to dimension.

Are there any markings on it other than the end markings?

DoN; is there anny possibility that it's a machinist's "masterpiece"
(in the original sense--the piece produced to prove that he'd mastered
some aspect of his training?) Do machinist apprentices still have to
do such things?

As others have answered -- I don't think so. That is designed
for use, not show, and the turned section is intended as a handle to get
it to where it would be used.

It seems possible, I suppose, but it also seems remarkably simple for
such a thing. In the simplistic shop class I took in college, our
"masterpieces" had gear teeth and threads and suchlike on them, and I'd
imagine a real machinist would have something at least as complex.

(They were really more for giving us experience with the various tools
than for illustrating mastery, though.)

- Brooks

The reason I asked is that my husband has mentioned that when he was
apprenticing at a machinist's, he had to make a 1" cube to some
incredibly fine tolerence before he was allowed to move on to the next
step. So, not a final masterpiece really, but a 'proof of competence
in this aspect' piece?

IIRC, (though I have never been an apprentice), the cube had to
be made by filing to fit a square hole -- and it had to be a precise fit
though it in all orientations. I forget whether the apprentice's master
would supply the square hole, or whether the apprentice had to make that
as well.

This item looks to have been made slightly oversized, stamped on
the end to mark it, hardened, and surface ground to final dimensions.

Is your husband still with us? If so, perhaps you could ask his
opinion on the matter.

Enjoy,
DoN.
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