[Milsurplus] Liquid solder and xtals

[Robert Nickels]

Virgil Bottoms excellent "A History Of The Quartz Crystal Industry In 
The USA"  which appeared in  the IEEE Proceedings of the 35th Annual 
Frequency Control Symposium, pp. 3-12, 1981 can be read here:

https://ieee-uffc.org/about-us/history/uffc-s-history/a-history-of-the-quartz-crystal-industry-in-the-usa/

As is always the case with major developments, a number of companies and 
individuals contributed to the successful outcome, a complementary 
effort of the scientists who developed the process and the manufacturers 
who contributed logistics and manufacturing know-how.   We're fortunate 
that Mr. Bottoms chronicled these activities based on his personal 
experiences after joining the Quartz Crystal Section (QCS) of the Signal 
Corps in 1943, just two years after its founding.     The decision to 
move to quartz crystal frequency control had been made in 1939, but 
there was a problem:  there wasn't a crystal manufacturing industry.   
The resulting mobilization enlisted the help of "machinists, 
blacksmiths, jewelry makers, and amateur radio operators". William 
Halligan, the President of the Hallicrafters Co. was able to say just 
three years later:

“We had no trained personnel to make crystals. We had no equipment with 
which to make crystals and out of this has been created what to my mind, 
is truly a miracle of American incentive and industry.”

73, Bob W9RAN