After that I would go to the job shop machine shop next to my shop that mostly turned out short run productions to runs of a few thousand pieces and spend a day cutting. First time I asked him about tolerances I asked him if five tenths or so was good enough. He replied that was a bit rough. It took me a second or two to realize that I meant .0001" and he meant .10"
The tightest tolerances I ever held was with a handheld tool. The size had to be gaged. To get the necks that consistent I had to hold that danged tool in my hand for fourteen hours to turn the necks of 28 pieces of brass. Once it got warm it had to stay warm. Everything else was done one handed that day. However, that brass sprang back to proper size, never any neck sizing needed and lasted the life of a custom barrel even loaded more than a little warmish. It also let me shoot under the world record for five 5 shot groups at 100 yards in the hotly contested 10.5 pound benchrest class. I wasn't the only one to unofficially better the record but my good friend and master bullet maker Jef Fowler set the record when it counted and held it for over a decade!
Want to see over a hundred super anal OCD people in one place? Go to a major benchrest match. It was fun though, and I can't imagine a greater bunch of guys and gals!
Hu