The a plate inside a Rizzo's box of "Jo Blocks" bears the name of their creator, C. E. Johansson, and a patent date of 1901. Johansson's tools were vital in the development of mass production. |
ENLARGEYou never know what you're going to find at a yard sale.
In fact, Liz Rizzo of Grass Valley still isn't sure how valuable some machinist's tools and a set of metal blocks are that she acquired 20 years ago for $20 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
"I liked the boxes," she said. "My intent was to get rid of the tools and keep the boxes. As far as I was concerned, it was just a couple of boxes."
She even put the tools in storage during the nine years she lived in Hawaii.
But inside one of the boxes was a note dated Dec. 30, 1926, stating that the tools and blocks were the personal property of C.E. Johansson.
Carl Edward Johansson was a Swedish machinist who developed a set of finely tooled gauge blocks that became the major source of length standardization for industry, making possible the mass production of standard parts in the 20th century.
In fact, Liz Rizzo of Grass Valley still isn't sure how valuable some machinist's tools and a set of metal blocks are that she acquired 20 years ago for $20 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
"I liked the boxes," she said. "My intent was to get rid of the tools and keep the boxes. As far as I was concerned, it was just a couple of boxes."
She even put the tools in storage during the nine years she lived in Hawaii.
But inside one of the boxes was a note dated Dec. 30, 1926, stating that the tools and blocks were the personal property of C.E. Johansson.
Carl Edward Johansson was a Swedish machinist who developed a set of finely tooled gauge blocks that became the major source of length standardization for industry, making possible the mass production of standard parts in the 20th century.
Henry Ford embraced Johansson's work to refine the precision manufacturing that made the Model A Ford the best-selling vehicle in the world.
Johansson received numerous engineering awards for his breakthrough and was hailed in the American press as "The Edison of Sweden" and "The most accurate man in the world."
Rizzo's set of "Jo Blocks," as they became known in honor of their creator, is serial No. 1 of 13 sets made by Johansson. The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., has seven sets of blocks, including sets signed by Ford and his son, Edsel.
Mark Gruether, a curator at the museum, said Johansson's work was "incredibly important" to 20th century industrial manufacturing.
"The beauty is that they are highly accurate, enabling mass production of precision parts," he said. "This is particularly important if parts are being made thousands of miles away."
While thousands of sets of the blocks were made over the years, the fact that Rizzo has a set once owned by Johansson elevates its importance, Gruether said. "It's somewhat like having a book that once belonged to Jack Kerouac."
Rizzo, who sells cars at Grass Valley Ford, offered the Jo Blocks for sale on the Web auction site eBay.com last year. She received no offers at her asking price of $55,000.
Johansson received numerous engineering awards for his breakthrough and was hailed in the American press as "The Edison of Sweden" and "The most accurate man in the world."
Rizzo's set of "Jo Blocks," as they became known in honor of their creator, is serial No. 1 of 13 sets made by Johansson. The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., has seven sets of blocks, including sets signed by Ford and his son, Edsel.
Mark Gruether, a curator at the museum, said Johansson's work was "incredibly important" to 20th century industrial manufacturing.
"The beauty is that they are highly accurate, enabling mass production of precision parts," he said. "This is particularly important if parts are being made thousands of miles away."
While thousands of sets of the blocks were made over the years, the fact that Rizzo has a set once owned by Johansson elevates its importance, Gruether said. "It's somewhat like having a book that once belonged to Jack Kerouac."
Rizzo, who sells cars at Grass Valley Ford, offered the Jo Blocks for sale on the Web auction site eBay.com last year. She received no offers at her asking price of $55,000.
She has also contacted the Christie's and Sotheby's auction houses, but said that each told her they have no expertise in industrial machinery and couldn't place a value on the blocks.
While Rizzo would like to sell the blocks, she wants to make sure they find a good home. "I want them to go to the right person or the right museum," she said.
But regardless of where the blocks end up, Rizzo said she has enjoyed the search for answers about the tools in the beautiful wood boxes. "This is a great project to research."
Liz Rizzo will display her collection of machinist's tools and Jo Blocks from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays at Grass Valley Ford, 800 S. Auburn St., Grass Valley. The tools can be viewed by appointment by calling her at
Putting 'mass'
in production
Eli Whitney is best known for his invention of the cotton gin, but he also popularized the idea of interchangeable parts in industrial manufacturing by the end of the 19th century.
While Rizzo would like to sell the blocks, she wants to make sure they find a good home. "I want them to go to the right person or the right museum," she said.
But regardless of where the blocks end up, Rizzo said she has enjoyed the search for answers about the tools in the beautiful wood boxes. "This is a great project to research."
Liz Rizzo will display her collection of machinist's tools and Jo Blocks from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays at Grass Valley Ford, 800 S. Auburn St., Grass Valley. The tools can be viewed by appointment by calling her at
Putting 'mass'
in production
Eli Whitney is best known for his invention of the cotton gin, but he also popularized the idea of interchangeable parts in industrial manufacturing by the end of the 19th century.
But there was a problem. In order to manufacture uniform parts, numerous gauges were needed to check the parts and set the calibration of measuring instruments. Making and maintaining the gauges was a significant expense.
Carl Edward Johansson, a Swedish machinist who worked for a rifle manufacturer, simplified the process in 1896. He developed a small set of gauges that could be combined to perform composite gauges.
For example, four gauges of 1 mm, 2 mm, 4 mm and 8 mm in size could be combined in several combinations for all sizes from 1 to 15 mm. The first set of measures developed by Johansson consisted of 102 gauge blocks arranged in three series.
Johansson's idea quickly became the standard in industrialized nations and was embraced enthusiastically by Henry Ford. The auto pioneer eventually purchased Johannson's company.
Johansson, who died in 1943, received numerous engineering awards for his work. In a letter he wrote in 1926, Johannson stated: "My sets of gauge blocks have become for the engineering industry what types are for the printing industry."
Source: "Methods for Standardizing and Testing Precision Gauge Blocks," by Ted Doiron.
Carl Edward Johansson, a Swedish machinist who worked for a rifle manufacturer, simplified the process in 1896. He developed a small set of gauges that could be combined to perform composite gauges.
For example, four gauges of 1 mm, 2 mm, 4 mm and 8 mm in size could be combined in several combinations for all sizes from 1 to 15 mm. The first set of measures developed by Johansson consisted of 102 gauge blocks arranged in three series.
Johansson's idea quickly became the standard in industrialized nations and was embraced enthusiastically by Henry Ford. The auto pioneer eventually purchased Johannson's company.
Johansson, who died in 1943, received numerous engineering awards for his work. In a letter he wrote in 1926, Johannson stated: "My sets of gauge blocks have become for the engineering industry what types are for the printing industry."
Source: "Methods for Standardizing and Testing Precision Gauge Blocks," by Ted Doiron.
