Page:Miscellaneous Papers on Mechanical Subjects.djvu/129

 then made of the required form by means of dies and a stamping press.

The ogee form given to the wooden framing of the common clock is formed by a revolving cutter of the required shape, making 7,000 revolutions per minute, over which the piece of wood is passed by hand,—the requisite pressure downwards being given at the same time.

A circular cutter fixed on a horizontal axis is also used for roughly planing the back parts of the wooden clock. Its diameter is about 18 inches, and it has four lateral projections, carrying 4 cutters, 2 gouges, and 2 chisels. These revolve round a fixed circular centre plate, of about a foot in diameter, against which the work is pressed as it is passed along. Each clock passes through about sixty different hands: more than half of the clocks manufactured are exported to England, and of these a large portion are re-exported to other markets.

And it is worthy of remark, that the superiority obtained in this particular manufacture is not owing to any local advantages; on the contrary, labour and material are more expensive than in the countries to which the exportations are made; it is to be ascribed solely to the enterprise and energy of the manufacturer, and his judicious employment of machinery.