Certainly just the job for a micro oiler.

I though a hormone was a yell out of a brothel window ????????????

I don't know how they make the tube, but I do know a bloke who works in quality assurance*.

He says he knew someone at a British firm who were sent a little jewel box by an American firm containing 'the worlds smallest steel tube'.

He also says they sent it back with one of their own steel tubes threaded through it

Neil

A man of many talents, he also sang on the kiddy chorus of 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day".

Martin, Sounds like they may work as watch oilers!

Back in the mists of time during my motor engineering days in Doncaster, the story going around then was that a company in America sent the (long time defunct) International Harvesters a drill bit for their perusal, this drill bit was microscopic in size aparrently, but the IH boffins sent the drill back to them with hole neatly drilled down the middle!
Not sure how true it is, but I'm sure it will have happened somewhere at some time!

John

Neil,

They make bigger tube and draw it down through a series of dies.

MichaelG.

.

P.S.    Nice video, here

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 06/04/2013 19:27:26

Maybe 1963 ?

MichaelG.

Hi Bob

The "Great Exhibition" usually refers to the 1851 exhibition at the Crystal Palace. The 1951 exhibition was the Festival Of Britain. I think minature tubes are more likely to have been available in 1951 rather than 1851.

They had a large "Skylon" I think it was called – like a huge silver cigar I seem to recall. ( Pretty small beer by todays constructions I expect) I think it was an attempt at a bit of pick up for a nation in the aftermath of the war. I remember my Dad going and, much as I wanted to go too, I was deemed too young ( at the age of 6! )

Cheers

Norman

Edited By NJH on 06/04/2013 20:15:15

Martin,

For info. Here is a handy reference to Hypodermic Tube sizes.

MichaelG.

Dave Jones 1, I have read quite a lot about the Rolls Royce company, and although I had heard this and similar stories, I now understand that the American factories were very good at accurate mass production, better than we were in fact. Some aspects of Merlin design were changed to assist the manufacturing process and assembly by less-skilled workers. I hestitate to cast nasturtiums at a wonderful company, whose engineering has always been superb, but truth is better than stories.

Regards

Geoff

The difference between a RR Merlin and a Packhard Merlin, RR the oil is on the outside, Packhard, the oil is on the inside, sort of like English and Japanese motor bikes. The American engine had better oil seals, the RR engines had felt seals, I used to have a book with all the modifications that were instituted for mass production.

There was a story in ME proberbly about 20yrs ago about someone who produced a domestic sewing needle drilled lengthwise, there was a bit more to the story, but I can't remember what it was.

As a nurse I'v stuck plenty of needles in people, but I never really thought much about the method of construction. Ian S C