You probably remember John Ratzenberger from “Cheers,” the popular 1980s sitcom in which the actor played bumbling mail carrier Cliff Clavin. But these days, Ratzenberger works for the Travel Channel, crisscrossing the country for its “Made in America” show. The show recently profiled the L.S. Starrett Co. , a precision measuring tools and equipment manufacturer based in Athol, Mass., for an episode scheduled to air this month.

“Made in America” celebrates uniquely American products. Ratzenberger chose Starrett because of the company's 125-year history—according to the company, it's the country's last full-line precision tool operation.

Ratzenberger (a former carpenter who still owns a Starrett square) and his production crew spent a day filming at Starrett. The actor even tried his hand at tool making.

“I've always thought of machinists as artists. When you're working with tolerances of one ten–thousandth of an inch, if you make a mistake on that piece, you have to throw it away. Leonardo da Vinci could paint over his mistakes and everyone knows who he is. It's my job to make the world aware that these are true artists,” Ratzenberger said.

The episode featuring Starrett is scheduled to air Jan. 9 at 9 p.m. EST. For more information, check your local listings or visit http://travel.discovery.com.

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