Fred H. Colvin

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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 retired and in his 70s when World War II started, but he came out of retirement in order to help with the war production effort.

Colvin was the 1942 recipient of the Worcester Reed Warner Medal. In 1944 the Stevens Institute of Technology awarded him an honorary M.E. degree for his life's work in advancing the field.

Near the end of his life, Colvin worked on a history of the American machine tool industry, but very unfortunately for historians of technology, he died before finishing.

[edit] Memoir, poetry, and labor-relations titles by Colvin

[edit] Memoir

[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.  Available online.
  • 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;[1]
  • information from Colvin's memoir Sixty Years with Men and Machines;[2] and
  • digitized images of the books themselves, available via Google Book Search.
Year Author(s) Title ± subtitle Edition number City, Publisher Digitized book link
1895 Fred H. Colvin Machine shop arithmetic 1st ed New York, Practical Publishing Company (Colvin and Cheney) [No digitized book link yet available]
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 [No digitized book link yet available]
1900 Fred H. Colvin The compound locomotive 1st ed New York, Press of Locomotive Engineering [No digitized book link yet available]
 ? Fred H. Colvin Machine shop arithmetic 2nd ed New York, Practical? Derry-Collard? [No digitized book link yet available]
1902 Fred H. Colvin Machine shop arithmetic 3rd ed New York, Practical? Derry-Collard? [No digitized book link yet available]
1902 Fred H. Colvin Turning and boring tapers 1st ed New York, Derry-Collard [No digitized book link yet available]
1903 Fred H. Colvin Threads and thread cutting 1st ed New York, Derry-Collard [No digitized book link yet available]
1903 Fred H. Colvin American compound locomotives: a practical explanation of the construction, operation and care of the compound locomotives in use on American railroads 1st ed New York, Derry-Collard; London, Locomotive Publishing Company (US-UK co-edition) Digitized book link
1904 Fred H. Colvin, Walter Lee Cheney Engineers [sic] arithmetic: a pocket book containing the foundation principles involved in making such calculations as comes [sic] into the practical work of the stationary engineer. 1st ed New York, Derry-Collard; London, Locomotive Publishing Company (US-UK co-edition) Digitized book link
 ? Fred H. Colvin Engineers’ arithmetic 2nd ed New York, ? [No digitized book link yet available]
1905 Fred H. Colvin Link motions, valve gears, and valve settings 1st ed New York, Derry-Collard [No digitized book link yet available]
 ? Fred H. Colvin Link motions, valve gears, and valve settings 2nd ed New York, Derry-Collard? Norman W. Henley? [No digitized book link yet available]
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 [No digitized book link yet available]
 ? Fred H. Colvin Machine-shop arithmetic 5th ed New York, Derry-Collard? Norman W. Henley? [No digitized book link yet available]
1905 Fred H. Colvin Practical perspective: a practical explanation of the only practical perspective (isometric)  ? New York, Derry-Collard [No digitized book link yet available]
1906 Fred H. Colvin The railroad pocket-book: a quick reference cyclopedia of railroad information 1st ed New York, Derry-Collard; London, Locomotive Publishing Company (US-UK co-edition) Digitized book link
1907 Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley Press tool kinks 1st ed New York and London, Hill Digitized book link [Note that this title page is from the first edition, third impression. It is most likely that the "McGraw-Hill […] 1908" slugs were added to the plate upon reprint. Hill had just recently become McGraw-Hill. Original pub info was Hill, 1907.]
1908 Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley Drawing room kinks 1st ed New York and London, Hill Digitized book link [Note branding overlap in these frontmatter pages between Hill and McGraw-Hill. Edition and impression numbers not noted, but most likely second or third impression. Hill had just recently become McGraw-Hill.]
1908 Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley Drill press kinks 1st ed New York and London, Hill [No digitized book link yet available]
1908 Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley Milling machine kinks 1st ed New York and London, Hill Digitized book link [Note all Hill branding. Likely first edition, first impression.]
1908 Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley Screw machine kinks 1st ed New York and London, Hill Digitized book link [Compare the branding transition on this title page! Yet another variation—here they actually spelled out "Successors to the Book Departments of the McGraw Publishing Company [&] Hill Publishing Company".]
1908 Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley Screw thread kinks 1st ed New York and London, Hill Digitized book link [Note all Hill branding. Likely first edition, first impression.]
1908 Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley Repair kinks 1st ed New York and London, Hill Digitized book link [Again, "Successors to the Book Departments of the McGraw Publishing Company [&] Hill Publishing Company".]
1908 Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley Patternmaking kinks 1st ed New York and London, Hill [No digitized book link yet available]
1908 Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley Jig and fixture kinks 1st ed New York and London, Hill Digitized book link [Again, a third impression with only McGraw-Hill slugs on the title page.]
1908 Fred H. Colvin, Frank A. Stanley Toolmakers’ kinks 1st ed New York and London, Hill Digitized book link [No impression number; only McGraw-Hill slugs on the title page.]
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 [No digitized book link yet available]
1908 Fred H. Colvin Machine shop calculations 1st ed New York and London, Hill Digitized book link
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, Frank A. Stanley Machine shop primer: an introduction to machine tools and shop appliances, with illustrations, names and definitions 1st ed New York and London, McGraw-Hill Digitized book link
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 Digitized book link
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, Walter Lee Cheney 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. Used by all classes of mechanics, apprentices, etc., etc. 7th ed New York, Norman W. Henley Digitized book link
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

[edit] References

  1. ^ U.S. Library of Congress online catalog. U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved on 2006-07-24.
  2. ^ 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 978-0-917914-86-7) and cloth (ISBN 978-0-917914-87-4).) (Foreword by Ralph Flanders.). 

[edit] External links