AnotherofMr。Maudslay’sinventionswashismachineforpunchingboiler-plates，bywhichtheproductionofironworkofmanykindswasgreatlyfacilitated。ThisimprovementoriginatedinthecontractwhichheheldforsomeyearsforsupplyingtheRoyalNavywithironplatesforships’tanks。Theoperationsofshearingandpunchinghadbeforebeenveryimperfectlydonebyhand，withgreatexpenditureoflabour。Toimprovethestyleoftheworkandlessenthelabour，Maudslayinventedthemachinenowingeneraluse，bywhichtheholespunchedintheironplateareexactlyequidistant，andthesubsequentoperationofrivetingisgreatlyfacilitated。Oneoftheresultsoftheimprovedmethodwasthegreatsavingwhichwasatonceeffectedinthecostofpreparingtheplatestoreceivetherivets，thepriceofwhichwasreducedfromsevenshillingspertanktoninepence。Hecontinuedtodevotehimselftothelasttotheimprovementofthelathe，——inhisopinionthemaster-machine，thelifeandsoulofengine-turning，ofwhichtheplaning，screw-cutting，andothermachinesincommonuse，arebutmodifications。Inoneoftheearlylatheswhichhecontrivedandmade，themandrillwasnineinchesindiameter；itwasdrivenbywheel-gearinglikeacranemotion，andadaptedtodifferentspeeds。Someofhisfriends，onfirstlookingatit，saidhewasgoing”toofast；”buthelivedtoseeworkprojectedonsolargeascaleastoprovethathisconceptionswerejust，andthathehadmerelyanticipatedbyafewyearsthemechanicalprogressofhistime。Hislargeremovablebar-lathewasahighlyimportanttoolofthesamekind。Itwasusedtoturnsurfacesmanyfeetindiameter。Whileitcouldbeusedforboringwheels，ortheside-rodsofmarineengines，itcouldturnarollerorcylindertwiceorthreetimesthediameterofitsowncentresfromtheground-level，andindeedcoulddriveroundworkofanydiameterthatwouldcleartheroofoftheshop。Thiswasthereforeanalmostuniversaltool，capableofveryextensiveuses。Indeedmuchoftheworknowexecutedbymeansofspecialtools，suchastheplaningorslottingmachine，wasthendoneinthelathe，whichwasusedasacutter-shapingmachine，fittedwithvariousappliancesaccordingtothework。
Maudslay’sloveofaccuracyalsoledhimfromanearlyperiodtostudythesubjectofimprovedscrew-cutting。Theimportanceofthisdepartmentofmechanismcanscarcelybeoverrated，thesolidityandpermanencyofmostmechanicalstructuresmainlydependingontheemploymentofthescrew，atthesametimethatthepartscanbereadilyseparatedforrenewalorrepair。Anyonecanformanideaoftheimportanceofthescrewasanelementinmechanicalconstructionbyexaminingsayasteam-engine，andcountingthenumberofscrewsemployedinholdingittogether。Previoustothetimeatwhichthesubjectoccupiedtheattentionofourmechanic，thetoolsusedformakingscrewswereofthemostrudeandinexactkind。Thescrewswereforthemostpartcutbyhand：thesmallbyfiling，thelargerbychippingandfiling。Inconsequenceofthegreatdifficultyofmakingthem，asfewwereusedaspossible；andcotters，cotterils，orforelocks，wereemployedinstead。Screws，however，weretoacertainextentindispensable；andeachmanufacturingestablishmentmadethemaftertheirownfashion。Therewasanutterwantofuniformity。Nosystemwasobservedasto”pitch，”i。e。thenumberofthreadstotheinch，norwasanyrulefollowedastotheformofthosethreads。
Everyboltandnutwassortofspecialtyinitself，andneitherowednoradmittedofanycommunitywithitsneighbours。Tosuchanextentwasthisirregularitycarried，thatallboltsandtheircorrespondingnutshadtobemarkedasbelongingtoeachother；andanymixingofthemtogetherledtoendlesstrouble，hopelessconfusion，andenormousexpense。Indeednonebutthosewholivedinthecomparativelyearlydaysofmachine-manufacturecanformanadequateideaoftheannoyanceoccasionedbythewantofsysteminthisbranchofdetail，ordulyappreciatetheservicesrenderedbyMaudslaytomechanicalengineeringbythepracticalmeasureswhichhewasamongthefirsttointroduceforitsremedy。Inhissystemofscrew-cuttingmachinery，histapsanddies，andscrew-tacklegenerally，helaidthefoundationsofallthathassincebeendoneinthisessentialbranchofmachine-construction，inwhichhewassoablyfollowedupbyseveraloftheeminentmechanicsbroughtupinhisschool，andmoreespeciallybyJosephClementandJosephWhitworth。Oneofhisearliestself-actingscrewlathes，movedbyaguide-screwandwheelsaftertheplanfollowedbythelatterengineer，cutscrewsoflargediameterandofanyrequiredpitch。Asanillustrationofitscompletenessandaccuracy，wemaymentionthatbyitsmeansascrewfivefeetinlength，andtwoinchesindiameter，wascutwithfiftythreadstotheinch；thenuttofitontoitbeingtwelveincheslong，andcontainingsixhundredthreads。Thisscrewwasprincipallyusedfordividingscalesforastronomicalpurposes；andbyitsmeansdivisionswereproducedsominutethattheycouldnotbedetectedwithouttheaidofamagnifier。Thescrew，whichwassentforexhibitiontotheSocietyofArts，isstillcarefullypreservedamongstthespecimensofMaudslay’shandicraftattheLambethWorks，andisapieceofdelicateworkwhicheveryskilledmechanicwillthoroughlyappreciate。Yetthetoolbywhichthisfinepieceofturningwasproducedwasnotanexceptionaltool，butwasdailyemployedintheordinaryworkofthemanufactory。
Likeeverygoodworkmanwhotakesprideinhiscraft，hekepthistoolsinfirst-rateorder，clean，andtidilyarranged，sothathecouldlayhishanduponthethinghewantedatonce，withoutlossoftime。Theyarestillpreservedinthestateinwhichheleftthem，andstrikinglyillustratehisloveoforder，”nattiness，”anddexterity。Mr。Nasmythsaysofhimthatyoucouldseetheman’scharacterinwhateverworkheturnedout；andastheconnoisseurinartwillexclaimatsightofapicture，”ThatisTurner，”or”ThatisStansfield，”detectingthehandofthemasterinit，sotheexperiencedmechanician，atsightofoneofhismachinesorengines，willbeequallyreadytoexclaim，”ThatisMaudslay；”forthecharacteristicstyleofthemaster-mindisascleartotheexperiencedeyeinthecaseofthefinishedmachineasthetouchesoftheartist’spencilareinthecaseofthefinishedpicture。Everymechanicalcontrivancethatbecamethesubjectofhisstudycameforthfromhishandandmindrearranged，simplified，andmadenew，withtheimpressofhisindividualitystampeduponit。Heatoncestrippedthesubjectofallunnecessarycomplications；forhepossessedawonderfulfacultyofKNOWINGWHATTODOWITHOUT——theresultofhisclearnessofinsightintomechanicaladaptations，andtheaccurateandwell-definednotionshehadformedofthepreciseobjecttobeaccomplished。”Everymemberorseparatemachineinthesystemofblock-machinerysaysMr。Nasmyth，”isfullofMaudslay’spresence；andinthatmachinery，asconstructedbyhim，istobefoundtheparentofeveryengineeringtoolbytheaidofwhichwearenowachievingsuchgreatthingsinmechanicalconstruction。TothetoolsofwhichMaudslayfurnishedtheprototypesarewemainlyindebtedfortheperfectionofourtextilemachinery，ourlocomotives，ourmarineengines，andthevariousimplementsofart，ofagriculture，andofwar。Ifanyonewhocanenterintothedetailsofthissubjectwillbeatthepainstoanalyse，ifImaysotermit，themachineryofourmodernengineeringworkshops，hewillfindinallofthemthestrongly-markedfeaturesofMaudslay’sparentmachine，thesliderestandslidesystem——whetheritbeaplaningmachine，aslottingmachine，aslide-lathe，oranyotherofthewonderfultoolswhicharenowenablingustoaccomplishsomuchinmechanism。”
OneofthethingsinwhichMr。Maudslaytookjustpridewasintheexcellenceofhiswork。Indesigningandexecutingit，hismainobjectwastodoitinthebestpossiblestyleandfinish，altogetherirrespectiveoftheprobablepecuniaryresults。Thisheregardedinthelightofadutyhecouldnotandwouldnotevade，independentofitsbeingagoodinvestmentforsecuringafuturereputation；andthecharacterwhichhethusobtained，althoughattimespurchasedatgreatcost，eventuallyjustifiedthesoundnessofhisviews。AstheeminentMr。Penn，theheadofthegreatengineeringfirm，isaccustomedtosay，”Icannotaffordtoturnoutsecond-ratework，”soMr。Maudslayfoundbothcharacterandprofitinstrivingafterthehighestexcellenceinhisproductions。Hewasparticularevenintheminutestdetails。Thusoneofthepointsonwhichheinsisted——apparentlyatrivialmatter，butinrealityofconsiderableimportanceinmechanicalconstruction——wastheavoidanceofsharpinterioranglesinironwork，whetherwroughtorcast；forhefoundthatinsuchinterioranglescrackswereapttooriginate；andwhenthearticlewasatool，thesharpanglewaslesspleasanttothehandaswellastotheeye。Intheapplicationofhisfavouriteroundorhollowcornersystem——as，forinstance，inthecaseofthepointsofjunctionofthearmsofawheelwithitscentreandrim——heusedtoillustrateitssuperioritybyholdinguphishandandpointingouttheniceroundedhollowatthejunctionofthefingers，orbyreferringtothejunctionofthebranchestothestemofatree。