Subject: Mr. G.H. Thomas

From: Ulf Bengtsson <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 06:03:26 +0000

I am currently working on a Universal Pillar Tool - the famous design by mr. G.H. 
Thomas. The more I see from his designs the more impressed I get.

Does anybody on the net have any information on mr Thomas? 
Who was he? 
What was his background?

Ulf B

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From: kuhncw <[email-masked]>
Date: 27 Jun 1996 02:32:23 GMT

I can't say much about who George Thomas was other than he was a very 
respected model engineer in the UK, who published articles in Model 
Engineer.  He wrote two (that I know of) very fine books which I 
recommend to anyone interested in machine work.

  Dividing and Graduating    A wealth of knowlege on the subject         
              and construction of dividing equipment.

 The Model Engineers Workshop Manual

             300 pages of text, photos, and drawings covering many       
             aspects of tooling used by the model builder or hobby       
             machinist.

Both books are published by Tee Publishing, Leicestershire, England

Perhaps others can tell us more about Mr. Thomas.

Best regards,

Chuck

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From: Ulf Bengtsson <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 06:50:26 +0000

Thanks for the information Chuck. 

For those of you who are not familiar with the designs of Mr. Thomas have a look at 
http://www.fotec.co.uk/mehs/hemingway/

Here you can find another book by Mr. Thomas: Boring Tools 

Ulf B

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From: [email-masked] (Steven Malikoff)
Date: 2 Jul 1996 19:57:14 +1000

Ulf Bengtsson ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I am currently working on a Universal Pillar Tool - the famous design by mr. G.H. 
: Thomas. The more I see from his designs the more impressed I get.

: Does anybody on the net have any information on mr Thomas? 
: Who was he? 
: What was his background?

Old isues of Model Engineer should help you.  I used to look at pictures
of his tools in ME and shake my head in sheer amazement - not at the
quality of the work, which looked perfect, but rather the thing that
caught my attention all the time was the absolutely spotless equipment
machining setup photos.  Not a piece of swarf nor drop of oil anywhere.
You could have eaten your dinner off his cross-slide, I reckon!

Steve.
-- 
Steve Malikoff
[email-masked]
WW2 jeep page at http://phaedra.apana.org.au/ww2jeep.html

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From: Charles Lamont <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 3 Jul 1996 21:41:40 +0100

> Does anybody on the net have any information on mr Thomas? 

George Thomas lived at New Milton in the New Forest, which covers parts
of Hampshire and Dorset, or at least he did so in his retirement - his
various series in ME were written when he was 80ish.

He ran a variety of engineering businesses in the vicinity of
Southampton.  These included SACOL (Southern Automatics Company Ltd, I
think) which made hydraulic cylinders among other things, and HCB
(Hampshire Car Bodies) which, eventually found itself quite successful
at making fire engines.  I worked there (on pump development, mostly)
during its peak in the late 70's, after George had sold up to Angus Fire
Armour (then part of Dunlop) and retired.

About his earlier life I know nothing, but I do know he was a bloody
good mechanical engineer.
      
-- 
Charles