Fred H. Colvin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fred Herbert Colvin (1867-1965) was an American machinist, journalist, author, and editor. He wrote, co-wrote, edited, or co-edited many periodical articles, handbooks, and textbooks related to engineering, machining, and manufacturing. His autobiography, Sixty Years with Men and Machines, provides an interesting look into the decades 1880-1950, decades that could be considered the peak decades of the machine age.
Contents |
[edit] Overview of career
Over the years, Colvin worked on both Alexander Luchars's journal Machinery (of which he was chief editor from its beginning in 1894 until 1897) and John A. Hill's journal American Machinist (which he worked on from 1907 until retirement in 1937, having been co-editor for many years). He came to the Hill Publishing Company (soon to become McGraw-Hill) in 1907 to work on the American Machinist, and in the subsequent decades, besides his work on the journal, he authored or coauthored dozens of McGraw-Hill monographs, textbooks, and reference books in the field of machining. His principal coauthor was Frank A. Stanley; their first book series together was the "Hill Kink Books" series of 1908, a collection of handy, practical advice for the machinist on the shop floor. (The word "kinks" in this context was used in the sense of "tips and tricks"; that sense of the word is rather obsolescent today and merits glossing.)
From 1908 to 1945, Colvin and Stanley coedited eight editions of American Machinists' Handbook, a McGraw-Hill reference book similar to Industrial Press's Machinery's Handbook. (The latter title, still in print and regularly revised, is the one that machinists today are usually referring to when they speak imprecisely of "the machinist's handbook" or "the machinists' handbook".)
Colvin was the 1942 recipient of the Worcester Reed Warner Medal.
Near the end of his life, Colvin worked on a history of the American machine tool industry, but very unfortunately, he died before finishing.
[edit] Memoir, poetry, and labor-relations titles by Colvin
[edit] Memoir
- Colvin, Fred H. (1947). Sixty Years with Men and Machines. New York and London: McGraw-Hill. (Available as a reprint from Lindsay Publications in paperback (ISBN 0-917914-86-4) and cloth (ISBN 0-917914-87-2).
[edit] Poetry
- Colvin, Fred H. (1952). Safety valve: poems, 1st ed, New York: Exposition Press.
- Colvin, Fred H. (1965). Safety valve: poems, 2nd ed, New York: Exposition Press.
[edit] Labor-relations monographs
- Colvin, Fred H. (1919). Labor turnover, loyalty and output: a consideration of the trend of the times as shown by the results of war activities in the machine shops and elsewhere. New York and London: McGraw-Hill.
- Colvin, Fred H. (1955). The industrial triangle. Columbia, Connecticut: Columbia Graphs.
[edit] Machining monographs, textbooks, and reference books by Colvin himself, Colvin & Stanley, or Colvin & others
The following table has been compiled using information from the U.S. Library of Congress online catalog, cross-referenced with information from Colvin's memoir Sixty Years with Men and Machines.
| Year | Author(s) | Title ± subtitle | Edition number | City, Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | Fred H. Colvin | Machine shop arithmetic | 1st ed | New York, Practical Publishing Company (Colvin and Cheney) |
| 1898 | Fred H. Colvin (Ichabod Podunk) | Practical shop talks. A collection of letters on shop subjects which show by actual examples some of the existing methods of shop management and practice. | 1st ed | New York, Press of Locomotive Engineering |
| 1900 | Fred H. Colvin | The compound locomotive | 1st ed | New York, Press of Locomotive Engineering |
| ? | Fred H. Colvin | Machine shop arithmetic | 2nd ed | New York, Practical? Derry-Collard? |
| 1902 | Fred H. Colvin | Machine shop arithmetic | 3rd ed | New York, Practical? Derry-Collard? |
| 1902 | Fred H. Colvin | Turning and boring tapers | 1st ed | New York, Derry-Collard |
| 1903 | Fred H. Colvin | Threads and thread cutting | 1st ed | New York, Derry-Collard |
| 1903 | Fred H. Colvin | American compound locomotives | 1st ed | New York, Derry-Collard |
| 1904 | Fred H. Colvin | Engineers’ arithmetic | 1st ed | New York, Derry-Collard |
| ? | Fred H. Colvin | Engineers’ arithmetic | 2nd ed | New York, ? |
| 1905 | Fred H. Colvin | Link motions, valve gears, and valve settings | 1st ed | New York, Derry-Collard |
| ? | Fred H. Colvin | Link motions, valve gears, and valve settings | 2nd ed | New York, Derry-Collard? Norman W. Henley? |
| 1905 | Fred H. Colvin | Machine-shop arithmetic: a pocket book containing some of the problems of everyday shop happenings, and affording their fast and accurate solution by easy methods | 4th ed | New York, Derry-Collard |
| ? | Fred H. Colvin | Machine-shop arithmetic | 5th ed | New York, Derry-Collard? Norman W. Henley? |
| 1905 | Fred H. Colvin | Practical perspective: a practical explanation of the only practical perspective (isometric) | ? | New York, Derry-Collard |
| 1906 | Fred H. Colvin | The railroad pocket-book: a quick reference cyclopedia of railroad information | 1st ed | New York, Derry-Collard |
| ? | Fred H. Colvin | The railroad pocket-book: a quick reference cyclopedia of railroad information | 2nd ed | London: Locomotive Publishing Company |
| 1907 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Press tool kinks | 1st ed | New York and London, Hill |
| 1908 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Drawing room kinks | 1st ed | New York and London, Hill |
| 1908 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Drill press kinks | 1st ed | New York and London, Hill |
| 1908 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Milling machine kinks | 1st ed | New York and London, Hill |
| 1908 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Screw machine kinks | 1st ed | New York and London, Hill |
| 1908 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Screw thread kinks | 1st ed | New York and London, Hill |
| 1908 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Repair kinks | 1st ed | New York and London, Hill |
| 1908 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Patternmaking kinks | 1st ed | New York and London, Hill |
| 1908 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Jig and fixture kinks | 1st ed | New York and London, Hill |
| 1908 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Toolmakers’ kinks | 1st ed | New York and London, Hill |
| 1908 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | American machinists' handbook and dictionary of shop terms: a reference book of machine shop and drawing room data, methods, and definitions | 1st ed | New York and London, Hill |
| 1908 | Fred H. Colvin | Machine shop calculations | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1909 | Fred H. Colvin | Machine shop drawings: reading drawings, making shop sketches, laying out work | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1909 | Fred H. Colvin | Engine lathe work: practical suggestions which will give the young machinist or apprentice the foundation principles of engine lathe work | 1st ed | ? |
| 1910 | Fred H. Colvin | Machine shop primer | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1912 | Fred H. Colvin | Machine-shop arithmetic: shows how all shop problems are worked out and "why." Includes change gears for cutting any threads; drills, taps, shrink and force fits; metric system of measurements and threads | 6th ed | New York, Norman W. Henley |
| 1912 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | American machinist grinding book: modern machines and appliances, methods and results | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1913 | Fred H. Colvin, Lucian L. Haas | Jigs and fixtures: a reference book showing many types of jigs and fixtures in actual use, and suggestions for various cases | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1914 | Fred H. Colvin | Link motions, valve gears, and valve settings: a practical treatise which explains the mysteries of valve setting | 3rd ed | New York, Norman W. Henley |
| 1914 | Fred H. Colvin | Engineers’ arithmetic | 3rd ed | New York, Norman W. Henley |
| 1914 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | American machinists' handbook and dictionary of shop terms: a reference book of machine shop and drawing room data, methods and definitions | 2nd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1916 | Fred H. Colvin | Practical die-making: a collection from the latest information on dies and die-making, comp. | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1916 | Frank Richards, Fred H. Colvin | Practical perspective: a treatise showing just how to make all kinds of mechanical drawings in the only practical perspective (isometric) | 4th ed | New York, Norman W. Henley |
| 1917 | Fred H. Colvin, Ethan Viall | United States rifles and machine guns: a detailed account of the methods used in manufacturing the Springfield, 1903 model service rifle; also descriptions of the modified Enfield rifle and three types of machine guns | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1918 | Fred H. Colvin | Aircraft mechanics handbook: a collection of facts and suggestions from factory and flying field to assist in caring for modern aircraft | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1920 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | American machinists' handbook and dictionary of shop terms: a reference book of machine shop and drawing room data, methods and definitions | 3rd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1921 | Fred H. Colvin | The aircraft handbook | 2nd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1921 | Fred H. Colvin, K.A. Juthe | The working of steel, annealing, heat treating, and hardening of carbon and alloy steel | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1921 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Machinists' question book: a practical supplement to the American machinists' handbook, over 600 questions upon 25 important subjects | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1922 | Fred H. Colvin, K.A. Juthe | The working of steel, annealing, heat treating, and hardening of carbon and alloy steel | 2nd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1922 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Machine tools and their operation | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1926 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | American machinists' handbook and dictionary of shop terms: a reference book of machine-shop and drawing-room data, methods and definitions | 4th ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1928 | Fred H. Colvin | The aircraft handbook | 3rd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1929 | Fred H. Colvin | The aircraft handbook | 4th ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1932 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | American machinists' handbook and dictionary of shop terms: a reference book of machine shop and drawing room data, methods and definitions | 5th ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1935 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | American machinists' handbook and dictionary of shop terms, a reference book of machine shop and drawing room data, methods and definitions | 6th ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1936 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Turning and boring practice: modern machines, tools and methods used in representative plants | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1936 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Drilling and surfacing practice: drilling, reaming, tapping, planing, shaping, slotting, milling and broaching | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1937 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Grinding practice: typical machines and methods used in a wide variety of work | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1937 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Gear cutting practice: methods of producing gears for commercial use | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1938 | Fred H. Colvin, Lucian L. Haas | Jigs and fixtures: a reference book showing many types of jigs and fixtures in actual use, and suggestions for various cases | 3rd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1940 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | American machinists' handbook and dictionary of shop terms | 7th ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1941 | Fred H. Colvin | Running an engine lathe: practical suggestions which will give the young machinist or apprentice the foundation principles of engine lathe work | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1941 | Fred H. Colvin | Running a milling machine | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1941 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Running a machine shop | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1942 | Fred H. Colvin | The aircraft handbook | 5th ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1942 | Fred H. Colvin | Gauges and their use in inspection | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1943 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Turning and boring practice: modern machines, tools and methods used in representative plants, including wartime data supplement | 2nd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1943 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Grinding practice: typical machines and methods used in a wide variety of work, including Wartime data supplement | 2nd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1943 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Drilling and surfacing practice | 2nd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1943 | Fred H. Colvin | Gear cutting practice | 2nd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1943 | Fred H. Colvin | Planing, shaping and slotting | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1943 | Fred H. Colvin, Lucian L. Haas | Jigs and fixtures: a reference book showing many types of jigs and fixtures in actual use and suggestions for various cases, including Wartime data supplement | 4th ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1945 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | American machinists' handbook and dictionary of shop terms: a reference book of machine-shop and drawing-room data, methods, and definitions | 8th ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1948 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Turning and boring practice | 3rd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1948 | Fred H. Colvin, Lucian L. Haas | Jigs and fixtures: a reference book showing many types of jigs and fixtures in actual use and suggestions for various cases | 5th ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1948 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Drilling and surfacing practice: drilling, reaming, tapping, planing, shaping, slotting, milling, and broaching | 3rd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1948 | Fred H. Colvin | Starting a small machine shop | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1948 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Running a machine shop | 2nd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1950 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Grinding practice: typical machines and methods used in a wide variety of work | 3rd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1950 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | Gear cutting practice: methods of producing gears for commercial use | 3rd ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1955 | Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley | The new American machinist's handbook. Based upon earlier editions of American machinists' handbook | 1st ed | New York and London, McGraw-Hill |
| 1956 | Fred H. Colvin | The machinist dictionary: the authoritative handbook of terms, definitions, and accepted standards of the machinist craft and industry | 1st ed | New York, Simmons-Boardman |
