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Gaging A Thompson - New Book


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FINAL FRONT COVER.jpg

 

 

 

A new book should be available through Amazon Kindle books this week. The book's title is:

Gaging A Thompson: Manufacturing Inspection Tools

 

By Tracie L. Hill

 

The books is 420 pp color photo soft cover book. List price is $100.00.

 

The book describes the treasure trove of inspection gages found a few years ago and explains the

intended use of each gage. This book will not be for everybody. But, is intended to educate a student

of the Thompson on just how complex the design was to manufacture.

 

If you are coming to The All Thompson Show and Shoot and are interested in a copy PM me and

I will have your copy sitting awaiting your arrival.

 

Thanks to David Albert, Tom Davis, Roger Herbst, Sutton Coffman and Paul Gromkowski for all of their time

and help on this project.

 

Tracie Hill

 

 

 

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Paladin601,

I believe you and all Thompson enthusiasts will enjoy this book. The production and inspection gages are simply amazing. And there is more!

 

Here is a link:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Gaging-Thompson-Manufacturing-Inspection-Tools/dp/B08B7G42RK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=gaging+a+Thompson&qid=1592414096&sr=8-1

 

All the gages will be on display at this years Hill family All Thompson Show & Shoot.

 

 

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Paladin601,

I believe you and all Thompson enthusiasts will enjoy this book. The production and inspection gages are simply amazing. And there is more!

 

Here is a link:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Gaging-Thompson-Manufacturing-Inspection-Tools/dp/B08B7G42RK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=gaging+a+Thompson&qid=1592414096&sr=8-1

 

All the gages will be on display at this years Hill family All Thompson Show & Shoot.

Thanks TD

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My book came in the mail this PM. This book is not for everyone but if you are a mechanical nut like me I found it very interesting. Seeing those gages at the Creek when T.D. and David first made the deal on the batch they looked in real bad shape. The next time I saw them was at the TATA show. Tracie has spent a incredible amount of time putting this book together in a interesting read.

 

Tracie thanks.

Frank

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Received my book today. I agree it is not for everybody but filled with many fascinating

photos of parts and gages. I am very happy with it and will enjoy reading it.

..BUT...the book was shipped (by Amazon) in a thin, flimsy

bubble envelope which was completely unable to protect the book - which is a soft cover -

book weighing 2 1/2 lbs. Not what I expect for a $100 book. Mine looks like it was

dropped on the corner one or more times and did not arrive in new condition. Its not

worth it to fight the battle but I would caution others not to order this book until there are

assurances that it will be shipped in a BOX so it will arrive undamaged.

 

Bob

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Bob & Frank,

I too have had trouble with the packaging from Amazon. If any of the books I buy arrived damaged, I request a call and the books are replaced. A few times I have had to take a picture of the damage and upload the pictures - easy enough to do. I always purchase 10 or more books and they are packed in a box but often without enough packing material. It is like, what are you thinking! When I get a folded cover or bent corner, I bitch. And so far it seems to have worked!

 

I am sure Tracie would pack all the books he sells directly in a box. I use a cardboard book cover when shipping but my books are not near as many pages as the Gage book.

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Received my book today. I agree it is not for everybody but filled with many fascinating

photos of parts and gages. I am very happy with it and will enjoy reading it.

..BUT...the book was shipped (by Amazon) in a thin, flimsy

bubble envelope which was completely unable to protect the book - which is a soft cover -

book weighing 2 1/2 lbs. Not what I expect for a $100 book. Mine looks like it was

dropped on the corner one or more times and did not arrive in new condition. Its not

worth it to fight the battle but I would caution others not to order this book until there are

assurances that it will be shipped in a BOX so it will arrive undamaged.

 

Bob

My guess is that by using "CNC Centers" has completely eliminated the use of Gages in the manufacturing of your receivers?

 

I was surprised that gages were even used for exterior profile radius's and the scalloped machining. Openned up a lot on early 20th century machining and manufacturing.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Yes, very interesting.

 

As an engineer (retired...), I can appreciate all that goes into the manufacture of these gauges (gages?) as well as the day to day use.

 

I think the hardest part was deciphering what each one did. Once that was figured out, and all the cleaning and photography done, it sure made a great story.

 

Thanks a lot - the effort in doing the book is very appreciated!

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I just saw the note about manufacturing receivers. I can

only speak for myself (Phila Ordnance). When we make the

receivers, once the tools are set in the machining center (which

holds 90 tools but we only use about 45 for Thompsons) the

only time we need to check or change anything is when a tool

breaks or gets dull.

We 100% inspect the barrel thread, the trigger frame rails,

and the grip mount slot, but everything else is pretty much

OK. If it's a 100% receiver of course we check the bolt pocket

and angle cuts for the bronze lock.

We have a variety of measuring and gaging tools such as

gage pins, calipers, micrometers, etc. which take the place

of the specialized gages enumerated in Tracies book.

Of course, we are not making hundreds of thousands as

they did back in the day. Today most likely a lot of checking

would be done by computerized coordinate measuring

machines, but there is often nothing better - and simple -

than GO and NO GO gages as seen in the book.

The beauty and simplicity of a GO/NO GO gage is that

it enables a barely skilled worker to accurately check a part

and not have know how to use precision measuring tools

such a micrometers, etc.

A factory during the time when the Thompsons were

made would have had a huge floor with hundreds of

simple milling machines where each machine would be

set for a specific cut on a part. Frequently the machine

would not have hand wheels but use a simple lever for

the operator to make the cut. Ten operations or cuts

might be done on ten machines with the parts passed

down the line.

In this environment the almost idiot proof gages

as found in the book would be used to quickly and

easily check the parts as they moved down the line.

 

Bob

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...

Well, just purchased my copy of the "Gaging a Thompson" book and was blown away by the number of quality pictures included. I realize this topic is somewhat old but if you haven't purchased a copy yet, and have an interest in machining, tooling, and the quality control process, this is a great book to add to your library. Found my copy on Amazon.

 

Thanks Tracie for such a great contribution to the Thompson collecting community.

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  • 3 months later...

Amazon.com has this new Thompson book by Tracie Hill (softcover edition) on sale at $41.14 with free shipping right now. Act quickly; I do not know how long the sale will last.

 

Gaging A Thompson: Manufacturing Inspection Tools: Hill, Mr Tracie Lynn: 9798646784750: Amazon.com: Books

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