Friday, September 17, 2021
Get the Most From Your Multitool
Fine Homebuilding: In 1943, Homer Stryker used the motor from a malted-milk machine to build the first oscillating electric saw. An orthopedic surgeon in Kalamazoo, Mich., Stryker was looking for a way to remove plaster casts quickly and safely. He received a patent on the saw in 1947. Why it took 50 years for this tool to reach the job site, I’ll never know.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
I really like learning about the origins of tools we use on a daily. It’s especially more interesting when the tool’s background is not related to construction or carpentry at all. I would have never guessed that the oscillating multi-tool originated in the medical field, in fact I thought the oscillating tool originated in carpentry and then was fitted to remove casts. This can go hand-in-hand with using the right tool for the right job. Sure, there would be a tool that could do the same job as the multi-tool, but the multi-tool will do that same task more efficiently and with better efficacy. Moreover, even when we think we know how to use a tool properly or know everything there is to know, there is always something more to learn; in this case the blade orientation could be changed, and the writer wasn’t aware. This makes me think about what tools that I could still learn more about.
In one of my classes the other day a professor joked offhandedly that they never make tools for theater. We are in their words,“a bastard child of other industries”. However, I think this overlap in industrial innovation can lead to greater collaboration and a push towards more revolutionary concepts. This odd and unexpected history of the multitool is a great example of this because of its complex history from the food industry to orthopedic surgery, to powertools. I think the quote, “Why it took 50 years for this tool to reach the job site, I’ll never know” is especially important. Having more cross-industry collaboration can better all of us. Large specialized companies like Fein and MultiMaster are vital to facilitating this dialogue between industries because of their resources and reach. The final anecdote in this article about learning that this specific oscillating tool had an additional function is very relatable to most of us in construction who use an abundance of tools everyday. It also draws attention to the importance of education in safety and tool functionality.
Oscillating tools provide a great deal of help and relief to home remodelers, which is interesting considering the tool originated from a milk machine part to be used in the medical field. This does demonstrate the ability for many tools commonly used today to be interchangeable between fields that are drastically different, an occurrence that I find to be very valuable. Ireton does an extensive detailing of a few features of the Multimaster that he didn’t know existed or how to use for a long time, which I found to show how complex such a simple tool could actually be. Or perhaps that issue would be alleviated by just reading the instruction manual. And although the oscillating multitool in this article is definitely discussed primarily in the context of home remodeling, (as mentioned previously) this tool definitely has an effective place of use in other industries and fields of work.
Wow, I just thought this thing was called a fine saw and was an obscure tool for some specific purpose with only one kind of blade that we occasionally use because it's just convenient. I had no idea that this was a more general purpose tool with a variety of blades and applications. And the introduction of this article that goes through the history of how the saw was invented and developed and finally marketed was very interesting. I also had no idea that this was a fairly new tool until recently. I just assumed it was something I hadn't seen before because I have only limited carpentry experience. This just goes to show you that apparently simple tools can do a lot more than it seems like they can on a first glance. Getting to know your tools is a good way to get to know your work, not just in carpentry.
I thought this was going to be about the other kind of multitool, but I really appreciated the chance to learn more about a power tool that I have used, but barely know anything about. This seems like a tool that is not going to be much of use in a scene shop. We are typically using bigger saws for more “intense” building. We do not exactly put a fine point to things. However, that is not always going to be true. I have seen shows where the designer asks for a realistic home interior setting, and all of these construction tips about medicine cabinets and baseboards could be useful to know. I don’t anticipate actually using drywall or grouting tile, but one never knows what particulars a designer will care about. I will say as a TD and carpenter, I do think I am going to feel obligated to do all home renovations myself and so will definitely be adding an oscillating multitool to my home workshop.
One of my favorite things about theatre is how we steal things from other industries and make them our own to fit what we need to do. I think this is what makes theatre so exciting. You can walk into a theatre one day and have to solve one problem and the next day you will have to do something entirely different to get your show to work. This is a huge aspect of how theatre works and how everyone has to work together, communicate, and collaborate to create one seamless experience on stage. Even if something is not marketed as a multitool, in theatre you can bet that someone has figured out how to use it for something else. By doing this the theatre industry has become one of the most innovative forces in the world. In addition, the teachers at CMU are well known in their field and have worked for years solving problems and creating theatre. We are currently being taught by the best about how to be the best and sometimes we need to remind ourselves about just how much we are going to learn over the next four years.
Tools always fascinated me and especially the ones that serve two or more purposes, like a “Multitool”. We are the ones who give a tool a purpose which means every tool has an infinity of purposes, it is up to us to adapt their use to our needs. I have always been creative with using different tools in costume design, an object small as a needle being the crucial tool. A needle is a part of a sewing machine, but a needle separate from the machine is still a tool that completes the function of a tool on its own. A needle can have many different uses in science, medicine and artistic expression. To me that is what makes the needle so special to me, its multipurpose in different fields, and its use in sewing by hand or machine. A needle may seem like a simple tool, but it has so much variety in its use that it could be considered a “multitool”, as well as in sewing, different techniques of sewing help create the desired look. However, the article succeeds to show how often the multi-purpose of a tool is not easy to recognize, but also how infinite the possibilities for a tool are.
Post a Comment