Short answers, pulled from the story.
John Wilkinson created the first boring machine tool in 1775. This invention changed how people made large holes in metal by allowing a single-point cutting tool to enlarge an existing hole with precision that previous methods could not match.
Engineers use materials like M2 high-speed steel or P01 carbide for boring bars because these materials provide necessary rigidity and durability during operation. The bar can be supported at one end or both ends depending on the job requirements.
Gun drilling uses multiple cutting points placed diametrically opposite each other to cancel out deflection issues that plague standard boring bars. Cutting fluid pumps under pressure through orifices near the cutting edges to produce deep holes with impressive accuracy despite length-to-diameter ratios.
Runout on three-jaw chucks typically measures between 0.001 and 0.003 inches. A four-jaw chuck allows independent adjustment of each jaw for irregular shapes but takes more time to achieve extremely low runout values.
Shallow holes allow tolerances as tight as 0.0001 inches but increase costs dramatically compared to deeper cuts. Deep holes make it difficult to control cylindricity across multiple diameters of depth even if diameter stays within 0.002 inches at any point.