The Iron Age 1906-12-13: Vol 78 Iss 24

THE IRON AGE A Review of the Hardware, Iron, Machinery and Metal Trades. Published every Thursday Morning by Vol. 78: No. 24. Reading Matter Contents Alphabetical Index to Advertisers ‘‘ Classified List of Advertisers a Advertising and Subscription Rates “‘ Compression Shatt Couplings Manufactured by FORSTER PULLEY WORKS The American Mfg. Co. Ropes and Twines TATE Street, New York THE BRISTOL COMPANY Waterbury, Conn., U. a A. New York: 114 Libert Chicago; 753 Monadnoo Bag. Bristol’s Recording Instruments For Preseurr: Temperature nd Electricity. gimpie, posure. Reliable. 1 Ranges, ces, and Guar- anteed. Send for Catalog R. SAMSON SPOT CORD Alse Linep apd Italian Hemp SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. TORNBUCKLES — Branch Office, 11 Broadway, New York. Cleveland City Forge and Iron Co., - Cleveland, 0. Low | ‘Phosphorus Pig. Girard Building, Phila. Machesney Bidg., Pittab’g. Empire Bldg., New York, It will pay every Roofer to let his customers know that in the future he will use only high grade Terne Plates and only those 'having the amount of; coating’clearly marked thereon. SEE AMERICAN SHEET & TIN PLATE COMPANY’S Adv. on Page 16 New York, Thursday, December 13, 1906. David Williams Co. 14.160. Park Place, New York. 35090 'e@ Year Single Copies Remington Autoloading Rifle Big Enough tor the Biggest Game including Postage 18 Centa The penetration of the Remington Autoload- ing Rifle is shown by this cut, showing steel 5-16 of an inch cleanly penetrated by the .35 calibre bullet. Five smashing knock down blows at light- ning speed,—a solid breech and safe safety,—a rifle that meets the requirements of big game hunters List Price $30. For sale by all leading dealers. REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY, Ilion, N. Y. AGENCY SALES OFTICE 818 Broadway, New York City San Francisco, Cal. WATER TUBE Stirling Consolidated BOILERS Boiler Co., "x2573%" New YorK WE CO-OPERATE WITH THE HARDWARE MERCHANTS Our salesmen Develop Trade Turn Business to Dealers and Assist them in holding it. ‘‘Capewell’’ Horse Nails are the Best in the World Made by The Capewell Horse Nail Company Hartford, Conn. JENHINS BROS. VALVES are all made of high grade steam metal, have interchangeable parts, and full opening. Our new EXTRA HEAVY valves for high steam and hydraulic pressures are the heaviest valves of this class on the market. All valves boats our trade mark are absolutely guaranteed. rite for booklets. JENKINS BROS. New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, London “Son” Gold Rolled Stel Drawing» Stampin a celled for THE AMERICAN TUB STAMPING COMP szkE (Water and Rai! Delivery) PAGE MAGNOLIA METAL. Best Anti-Friction Metal for all Machinery Bearings i me ot Bar. ant lmltations MAGNOLIA METAL CO., Owners and Sole Manufacturers, /113-115 Bank Street, Chicago, Fischer Bldg. NEW YORK aioe. Conn. +, 4, % San Franeisco, Montreal and Pt We manufacture all Metals at competitive prices. THE IRON AGE EL THE Plume & Atwooo Mr6.Co, MANUFACTURERS({(OF ON E thing we marred SHOE BD ACC Sheet and Roll Brass eal aaee eee ae ANY ONE who can A sran WIRE meet their quality ideas the aa PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, 1 A GERMAN SILVER AND GILDING METAL, CopP- closer they are careful to stay PER RIVETS AND BURRS. by us AFTER WORK- - ae a “mw pn Pins, Brass Butt Hinges, Jack Chain, Kero- = rove it. sene Burners, Lamps, Lamp ING UP JUST ONE ad. premises, Gare istaen inthe Trimmings, &. stock, which is clean, ductile ae L oO T @) F ‘Oo U R and the right temper. 8d. Inspection rigid; pac 29 MURRAY ST., NEW YORK. ' contain perfect nails only GOODS! No splinters nor imperfect 199 LAKE ST., CHICAGO, . ; ' 4th. Packed in 2 oz, and 4 oz. ROLLING MILL: | FACTORIES : We have in mind particularly and Tb. pape 2o0z., 402., _ THOMASTON, CONN, WATERBURY, CONN, an rs, One <yggpanavitenreionsteanynenasntesnnigdiaaimbiaanaaenetns the deep drawers and stampers of packages in a carton. "All re. full weighs. Get our Tin Pil. ad Sheet Steel,—th nea hahennds Putiedie RIVER COMPANY, SCOVILL MFG. co. . . Waterbury, Conn. MANUFACTURERS OF Nickeling stock. BRASS, We don't wonder at this, because, GERMAN SILVER, th wi Rod as a Rule, it has cost them dearly Ghowte, Ba — = 2, to find out special experience Brass Shells, Cups, eee ae Buttons, Lamp «Goods. croverly henale tneis ve- AM | ||Bridgeport Deoxidized Bronze|} seecist Brass Goods to Order. quirements | & Metal Co WATERBURY, CONN. e Drrots Fo llan sbee BRIDGEPORT, CONN. NBW YORK. CHICAGO. BOSTON. Brothers Phosphor and Deoxidized Company Bronze Rent Souther Engineering (0, PITTSBURGH sain - Composition, Yellow Brass and Alumi- F % num Castings, large and small Consulting Chemists, Metallurgists and Analysts. Complete Physical Testing Laboratory Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co., Expert Testimony im Court and Patent Cases ee Arthur Rutter & Co. AND MANUFACTURERS OF 256 Broadway SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. NEW YORK Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. Small tubing in Brass, Copper, Selected Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. Steel, Aluminum, German Silver, Stove and Washboard Blanks. &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. man Silver. Copper, Brass and German Silver Wire. Brazed and Seamless Brass and Copper Tube. Mee EOE MOM ooun-ri core” 105 -109 So.Jefferson St.. Chicago. WIRE. “it’s TOUGH.” te etw le avn nes ofa) eS x h | he aaah chan Best Bronze, Babbi t Metals Brass and Aluminum CASTINGS TROLLEY, GERMAN SILVER | SIS%zt.ANopes a. Fhe Sees See > = Sa ee TELEGRAPH LINES. HENDRI CKS SRO THERS erie... BRIDGEPORT BRASS COMPANY, Postal Teiegraph B Belleville Copper eg, Se, Se Brazxicrs’ Bolt ean Sheathing gee PHOSPROR-BRONZE COPPER, ei) —GERMIGN SILVER COPrPrwER WiRE AND RIVETS. “wiser Importers and Dealers in “ha B ae THE RIVERSIDE Ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. 49 CLIFF ST., NEW Y_RK. METAL CO. RIVERSIDE. WN. J. e ee Sad eee 3 ere a Pra ee ee THE IRON AGE New York, Thursday, December 13, 1906. The Colburn 42-inch Boring Mill. The essential requirements of a vertical boring mill capable of using high speed steel under the most exacting conditions of modern shop practice are extreme rigidity throughout, ample power, exact alignment and ease and convenience of operation. These are claimed to be fea- tures of the 42-in. boring and turning mill built by the Colburn Machine Tool Company, Franklin. Pa., and shown in the accompanying illustrations. Fig. 1 shows the machine equipped with one plain swiveling head and one turret head, but it is also made with two plain swiv- eling heads. Fig. 2 is a rear view. The rams are mas- sive, the swivels and saddles large, the cross rail of box girder type generously proportioned and strongly ribbed with large arched back between the bousings, the table nished as desired. Interlocking teeth are milled in both jaw and slide of chucks to prevent any possibility of the jaws slipping when under extreme pressure. A unique safety device is provided for each head to prevent the breakage of gears in case the heads are acci- dentally allowed to run together or against the center stop. A shifter for mechanically shifting the cone pulley belt from one step of the cone to another is provided, and the driving belt may be shifted from the tight to the loose pulley on the countershaft from either side of the ma- chine. The loose pulley is slightly smaller than the tight pul- ley to take the strain from the bearings when the mill is not revolving. A narrow flange between the two pulleys allows the belt to easily mount or descend, thereby en- abling the operator to start or stop the machine with ease. Fig. 1—The Colburn 42-In. Boring and Turning Mill with One Plain Swivel Head and One Fixed heavy, the top brace deep and the housings wide faced, giving ample bearing surface for the crossrail. On a large variety of work vertical mills are replacing engine lathes for the reason that a job can be much more easily and conveniently held on a horizontal table. No effort is required to keep it there prior to the actual cut- ting, while on the face plate of a lathe the work must be clamped in place before being left. Work may be easily chucked, and better and faster work done as the drill or boring bar operates in a vertical position, and the cut- tings drop away from it with much less chance to clog the tool. Very often two heads may be used at one time and heavier cuts taken at fast speeds. The heads of this mill are operated independently of each other in all direc- tions. There are 10 changes of feed for each head, vary- ing from 0.03 to 0.7 in. horizontally, and from 0.015 to 0.35 in. in vertical or angular directions. The work capacity is for a diameter of 43 in. and a hight of 33 in. under the crossrail and 37 in. under the turret. A com- bination three or four jawed chuck or plain table is fur- rurret Head. The headstock or driving mechanism is self-contained, and is mounted within the bed of the machine entirely out of the way, but is at the same time very accessible. All of the gears run in a bath of oil. There are 10 changes of table speed in geometrical progression from 3 to 61 rev. per min: Lubrication of all the bearings throughout the machine is given special attention. The crossrail is raised or lowered by a worm and worm wheel located in dustproof cases on top of the housings. This is considered by the maker preferable to the customary method of using exposed bevel gears. A steel tiller rope carries the counterweight. This insures smoother move- ment of the heads than is possible with a chain. All gears in the driving and feeding mechanism and on the end of the crossrail are encased. The possibility of break- ing or injuring the teeth of the ram racks is reduced to a minimum, as inserted steel racks are used. The turret head mill is provided with an inclined five-sided turret, which permits the turret slide being made much thicker and stiffer than is possible with the 1590 THE straight turret. steel forgings. The tool holders are made from solid A large number of steel gears are employed through- out the mill, and all gears which are not steel are made from iron of a special composition, which the Colburn Machine Tool Company claims to be 40 per cent. stronger than the ordinary cast iron gears used on machine tools. The table is driven by a steel spur pinion, the ratio of gearing in the driving mechanism with back gears being 73 to 1. The table spindle has a large annular bearing at the top and two straight vertical bearings. The annular bearing makes it self-centering, and its own weight, as well as that of the table and the load, has a tendency to maintain its perfect alignment. A :pecial automatic lubricating device is provided, and the spindle always rides on a thin film of oil. This mill is provided with a friction brake, which is operated by a treadle placed within easy reach of the operator at the front of the machine. Acting directly upon the prime mover, all shock and jar is eliminated, and the table brought to a dead stop instantly in any desired IRON AGE December 13, 1906 boiler is made the plates are forced to lap each other and, of necessity, they are bent somewhat from their perfect curves, though the boiler as a whole is almost a com- plete circle around the outside. The cause of the Brock- ton disaster, several years ago, was that the boiler, which had a lapped seam shell, was cracked on the inside of the lap, where it was impossible for an inspector to discover the weakness without taking the plates apart, and, of course, this would be out of the question.” ; ~~. e———_—_ Tracing Cloth Now Made in America. Our readers will be interested in the fact that tracing cloth is now being manufactured in the United States. The domestic product is claimed to be equal in every respect to the imported cloth, having all the qualities a perfect tracing cloth should have. The domestic tracing cloth is made by the American Tracing Cloth Company, having its offices at 11 Broad- way, New York City, while the plant is located at Pater- son, N. J.. The cloth is sold under the name of Peerless. Fig. 2.—Rear View of the Colburn 42-In. Boring and Turning Mill. position. A thread cutting attachment for cutting all standard threads from 4 to 14 per inch, including 11%, can be attached to the right hand head. This machine may be driven by either a constant or variable speed motor without changing the construction, and the motor may be attached at any time. The net weight of the machine is 11,000 lb. The 42-in. mill is one of the seven sizes built by this company, the others being 30, 48, 53, 60 and 72 in., respectively. soe - Steam Boiler Construction.—Secretary Joseph B. Pierce of the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection & Insur- ance Company is quoted as follows in an Associated Press dispatch: “ Probably nine-tenths of the boilers in use in the United States have lapped seams, although the more modern boilers built for high pressures are equipped with triple or quadruple butt strap seams. In construct- ing a boiler of the latter pattern the bent plates are set edge to edge and the straps are riveted to the outside and then the inside, with either three or four rows of rivets on each side, making a total of six or eight rows of rivets. By this construction there is no strain on the plates, and they retain their natural curves. When a ld@pped seam The company is believed to have accomplished quite a feat in succeeding in the manufacture of tracing cloth in this country, as many have tried to do so, but have not suc- ceeded in producing a marketable article on account of un- favorable climatic conditions characteristic of this coun- try which they could not overcome. The American Tracing Cloth Company has, however, succeeded in creating the conditions necessary for the manufacture of tracing cloth by special means which they guard carefully. It was also necessary specially to design the machinery with which tracing cloth may be made here, and the company holds several strong patents on these designs. The credit of discovering the process is due to a graduate of a German university, who is very prominent in his profession, while the machinery was designed by an experienced man who has had a long and successful career in textile work. Strong financial interests are stated to be backing the company, and the managers are quite confident that their product will in time replace the imported article, when the consumer has found out that he can purchase a per- fect tracing cloth made in this country and at a cheaper price. December 13, 1906 The Armor Plate Contracts. The Annual Report of Secretary Bonaparte. WasHINGTON, D. C., December 11, 1906.—Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte, in his annual report just transmitted to the President, devotes an interesting chapter to an account of the Department’s recent negotiations with the armor plate manufacturers. In part he says: The Contracts for Armor Plate. “The Department was subjected to much criticism in the press and elsewhere by reason of its action on the bids for armor plate submitted by three corporations— the only three in the country engaged in its manufacture —in July last. Two of these companies, the Carnegie and the Bethlehem, had on several previous occasions sub- mitted identical bids for such armor, and it was generally believed, probably with reason, that an understanding or agreement existed between them to do this. “This year each company submitted an independent bid, those of the Carnegie and Bethlehem companies be- ing both considerably less than any offer either company had ever previously made, but the Midvale Company underbid both of them, so as to make its offer for the bulk of the contract $345 per ton, a lower price than has ever been paid by this Government for armor plate, and, according to the information of the Department, consider- ably less than is paid by any foreign government. I de- termined to give the Midvale Company one-half of the contract and to give one-fourth to each of the other two, provided they would reduce their bids to the figures fixed by the Midvale Company; if either of them refused to do this the Midvale Company was to get the share of the one so refusing as well as its own. A Single Source of Supply Deprecated, “In reaching this conclusion I was influenced partly by the fact that the Midvale Company was a little behind in its deliveries under previous contracts; but mainly by the probability that if no work were given to the old companies—since the Government was their only cus- tomer and they would soon complete their deliveries un- der contracts already given out—they would transform their plants for the production of armor plate and devote them to other products for which there is a commercial de- mand, thus reducing the facilities for the production of an article essential to the national defense and leaving the Government no source of supply except the Midvale Com- pany. The conditions of the Department were accepted by all three companies and the contract was thus divided. the transaction being on the whole the most favorable one of this character ever made by the Government. “The criticism to which this action of the Depart- ment was subjected seemed to rest upon a theory that it was the duty of the Department to injure and, if possi- ble, break up the business of the two older companies as a punishment for their refusal to compete against each other and alleged combination to keep up the prices of their product in the past. No discussion of the merits of such criticism seems to me needful or appropriate, but the incident may well serve to call attention to the neces- ity for furnishing the Department with some effective means of defense against such combinations among pro- ducers. When there are only two or three of the latter in the whole country and the Government is the only purchaser for their product it is obvious that combina- tions are almost inevitable, and the Department ought evidently to be given a weapon to use under such circum- stances. How to Control the Situation, “There are only two ways in which it is practicable to control such a situation; either the Goverhment must be authorized to manufacture its own armor plate or it must be permitted to buy this abroad. I recommend that both privileges be accorded to the Department. The first mentioned of them would be, however, probably ineffect- ual, since not only would the cost of establishing a Gov- ernment plant greatly exceed any difference in the price of the product which could be obtained in a single year. but the delay attendant upon the establishment of such a manufactory would be very objectionable and might in- THE IRON AGE 1591 volve expensive complications with the contractors building the ships on which the armor would be used, and finally, experience has shown that there are serious drawbacks to the permanent operation of a plant of this character by the Government. “If, however, the Secretary of the Navy were author- ized to buy armor plate abroad whenever, in the judg- ment of the President, the price at which he could obtain such armor plate in the United States was exorbitant or unreasonable, there is good reason to believe that the manufacturers would either not form a combination at all or agree upon a reasonable and moderate price. I would extend the like authority to the purchase of torpedoes, ammunition, projectiles, and in fact, all articles neces- sary to the national defense. It is evident that such arti- cles stand on a totally different footing from such as are manufactured only for private consumption. The Gov- ernment has the constitutional right, a right inherent in its sovereignty, to take, by the exercise of its power of eminent domain, any article necessary to the national defense and already in existence, upon paying for it a reasonable price. “When citizens of the United States, enjoying the protection of its laws, who are engaged in the manufac- ture of articles of this character, refuse to manufacture them for the Government unless it shall agree to pay for them an exorbitant and unreasonable price, they evidently defraud it of an opportunity to exercise its just constitu- tional powers and evade the fulfillment of their own duties as patriotic citizens. Therefore, whatever may be the general economic policy of the Government, the markets of the world ought to be open to it in dealing with the situation thus created.” A Liberal Naval Programme. In his last annual report the Secretary stated that the aggregate of our battleships and other vessels build- ing or authorized seemed sufficient to provide for any con- tingencies within the limit of probability. He has since reached a definite conclusion and referring to the pro- gramme for the increase of the navy embodied in his report he says: “ Without going into detailed explanations, which are needless and might be objectionable, it is my duty now to report to you and to the Congress that, in my judgment, circumstances have so far changed as to make provision for a moderate increase in the effective fighting strength of our navy the part of patriotic foresight at present. I recommend, therefore, that, as soon as may be practicable at this session the Congress authorize the construction of a sister ship to the one already authorized and of which the plans are now submitted; so that, by simply duplicat- ing these plans and the further detailed specifications and drawings by which they are to be supplemented, we can have two vessels of this class completed within the time which would otherwise be needed for the construction of only one.” submits the pro- Board and the In this connection the Secretary gramme recommended by the General Board on Construction, as follows: General Board: Two battleships, $20,000,000; 2 scout cruis- ers, $5,000,000 ; 4 destroyers, $3,400,000 ; 4 ship’s motor torpedo boats, $120,000; 1 river gunboat of Helena size, $600,000; 2 small gunboats, $50,000; 2 shallow draft gunboats, $160,000; 2 squadron colliers, $2,500,000; 1 ammunition vessel to carry 5000 tons dead weight, to have same spéed as squadron colliers ; approximate total, $33,080,000. Board on Construction: Two battleships, $19,000,000; 2 scout cruisers, $4,000,000; 4 destroyers, $3,200,000; 2 squadron col- liers, $4,000,000; 1 river gunboat of Helena type, $600,000; 2 shallow draft river gunboats, $200,000; total, $31,000,000. Commenting on these programmes, the Secretary says: “The two boards differ as to the size of the scout cruisers recommended, the General Board holding that vessels of this type should be considerably larger than the three scouts now building, while the Board on Construc- tion advises that we simply build two more of this class. In view of this difference of opinion between the boards and of the fact that the scout cruisers now building are in a sense experimental, and that a very much better judgment as to desirable characteristics of this class of vessels can be formed after their completion and trial, I do not recommend the authorization of any scout cruis- ers at this session of Congress.” Ww. L. C. 1502 THE IRON AGE December 13, 1906 TOOL STEEL AND ITS TREATMENT." Among modern experiments upon the chemical composition and the heat treatment of tools with relation to their cutting speeds, the experiments made by the firm of Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., the celebrated ship, cannon and machine builders of England, would seem to rank in thoroughness next to those made by Mr. White and the writer at the Bethlehem Steel Works. Or it would be more correct to say that no other published experiments have come to the writer’s attention which appear to him to have been so carefully conducted. In a paper entitled “The Development a°d Use of High Speed Tool Steel” (published in the Journal of the Lron and Steel Institute, October, 1904),7 J. M. Gledhill, man- aging director of Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., has given a brief account of these experiments. The opening para- graphs of this paper present such a concise and interest- ing historical sketch of the development of tool steel and its treatment that the writer takes the liberty of quoting from them as follows: Wootz steel fabricated in India centuries ago was crucible steel, as was also the celebrated Damascus stee] produced at the forges of Tolede. Curiously, this latter steel furnishes yet an- other proof that there is nothing new under the sun, for it fs recorded that Damascus steel contained certain percentages of tungsten, nickel, manganese, &c., some of the very elements, in fact, contained in the present modern high speed steel, so that a latent high speed steel may be said to have existed centuries ago, and all that was necessary to bring out its inherent powers would have been the heating of it in a paradoxical manner, so to speak; that is, to such a high degree of temperature as was long thought would impair or destroy the nature of such steel. When, therefore, we look back on the period for which crucible steel has been known in the world’s history, some may not un- naturally think that there has been time enough io have fully fathomed its mysteries, leaving little more to be said on the subject. It is, then, all the more remarkable that a discovery made but a few years back, and which has since revolutionized the treatment of crucible tool steel, should have remained so jong a hidden secret. A very important advance was made 30 or 40 years ago, when Mushet, or self-bardening steel, was introduced. This was the valuable invention of Robert Mushet, who after a long series of experiments, made while he-was manager of the Titanic Steel Company, succeeded in producing a tungsten steel, and its introduction was a great advancement on the cutting powers of ordinary crucible steel, and for many years Mushet steel held a foremost place among tool steels. It is now to America, however, that all honor must be given for the next great step in having set the pace and led the way in the present remarkable advancement in tool steel, and the author would here like to record that the greatest credit is due to Messrs. Taylor and White, who at the Bethlehem Steel Works of America initiated high-speed cutting, and at the exhibit of their firm in Paris, some years back, what were then considered to be astonishing results in speeds of cutting steel were publicly demonstrated. Since then still greater developments have been made by the author's firm in high-speed steels, and with in- creased experience in its manufacture, treatment and application in our workshops, results in cutting powers far beyond expecta- tion have been attained. Ordinary Tool Steel, For centuries steel weapons, knives, tools and imple- ments used in cutting metals have been made from tool steel, which in its chemical composition consists mainly of the two elements of iron and carbon—carbon to the extent of, say, from % of 1 per cent. to 1% per cent.—and the rest of the steel consists practically of iron. In addition to these two elements, however, tool ‘steel has contained in small quantities several other ingredients, among which manganese and silicon may be classified as useful elements—i. e., elements which facilitate melting and forging, and which by their presence improve the properties of the steel in its finished state. In addition to these elements very small percentages of phosphorus and sulphur are always present. These latter may be described or classified as impurities. Phosphorus is par- ticularly injurious, as it causes brittleness in the finished steel, known as cold shortness. Sulphur renders the steel difficult to work while hot, and this is known as red shortness. This too] steel, which has been in use for centuries past and which broadly speaking consists main- ly of a combination of carbon and iron, is now known as carbon tool steel or ordinary tool steel. *From “The Art of Cutting Metals,” by Fred W. Taylor, Philadelphia. 7 Also presented in The Jron Age November 3 and 10, 1904. Tools and implements made from this steel, however, are entirely too soft, as they come from the forge, for almost all cutting purposes. To prepare them for cutting they must be hardened, and this is done by heating them to temperatures in accordance with their carbon con- tents, varying between a dark and a bright cherry red, say, from 1350 degrees F. (735 degrees C.) up to 1550 degrees F. (845 degrees C.), and then, by plunging them quickly into water or other suitable bath, cooling them very rap- idly to a temperature not exceeding 392 degrees F. (200 degrees C.), or preferably to the normal temperature of the air. This operation is called hardening. When cooled suddenly in this way implements and tools made from carbon tool steel are too brittle for most cutting purposes. This quality of brittleness is removed or modified by reheating to temperatures ranging be- tween 392 degrees F. (200 degrees C.) and 600 degrees F. (315 degrees C.). The higher the tool is reheated within these ranges of temperature the softer it be- comes, and this reheating for the purpose of partially softening and at the same time toughening the tool is the operation known as tempering the tool. Difficulties in Hardening and Tempering. The two operations of hardening and tempering im- plements made from tool steel are by no means simple. They have been the subject of a vast amount of experi- menting and investigation for many years and in them- selves constitute whole trades. The chief difficulties in hardening come from three causes: A. Each ordinary tool steel, depending upon its chem- ical composition, has a particular temperature at which a radical change takes place in the condition of the car- bon which is contained in it. This temperature, known as the refining point, critical point or point of recales- cence of the steel, will be briefly referred to later in the paper. To obtain the best results in hardening the steel should be uniformly heated to slightly above this critical point. If heated below the critical point it fails to harden when plunged into water. On the other hand, the higher the temperature to which it is heated above the critical point the coarser will be the grain, with in- creased weakness and brittleness, after being plunged into water. This overheating of carbon steel tools to temperatures too high above the critical point has been in the past perhaps the most frequent cause of their failure. Hence the difficulty in judging the critical point for heating tools presents one of the most serious prob- lems in hardening. B. The second difficulty lies in not heating the tools uniformly. A lack of uniformity in heating will produce irregularity in the degree to which the tool is hardened, some portions being much harder than others after cooling also produces severe internal strains, often re- the tool, frequently devefoping into water cracks. C. The third difficulty lies in properly cooling the tool in the water or quenching medium. Uneven or irregular cooling also produces severe internal strains often re- sulting in water cracks, e The correct tempering of tools presents also many difficulties. In most cases it is desirable to temper tools or implements so that the cutting portion shall remain exceedingly hard while the body is softened, and thereby made sufficiently tough to give it the required strength. This necessary combination of toughness and hardness ealls for great skill and judgment in the reheating or softening operation known as tempering. One of the greatest advantages of modern high speed tools over the earbon tools lies in the fact that they require far less knowledge and skill in their heat treatment than was demanded by the carbon tools. This will be indicated later in the paper. Mushet or Self-Hardening Steel. Some time between 1860 and 1870 Robert Mushet of the Titanic Steel Company, in England, made the discov- ery that if a considerable amount of tungsten was added to tool steel, in combination with a larger percentage of manganese than had been before used, the presence of December 13, 1906 these two elements with carbon in the steel produced the curious effect of causing the tool to be almost as hard when cooled slowly in air from a forging heat as carbon tools when cooled in water. Because of this peculiar property the Mushet tools were called in England self- hardening tools, and later in this country air hardening tools. There are four epochs in the history of steel tools— namely, (1) Tbe carbon tool steel era; (2) self-harden- ing steel era; (3) discovery of high speed tools; (4) modern high speed tools. We give below the chemical an- alyses of four tools, which are typical of these various steps or eras, in the development of metal cutting tools: Best mod- Mushet Original ern high self- Taylor- speed. Jessop. hardening. White. 1906. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. 0 se a 5.441 8.00 18.91 Te eS eek eve 654 Raie 0.207 0.398 3.80 5.47 Ce atic aee was de ceede 1.047 0.15 1.85 0.67 Pe eee eee 0.189 1.578 0.30 0.11 OIE 8 55:48h.% 0 62 eee dow “o's ade 0.29 Ae re 0.206 1.044 0.15 0.043 3... Ae ee .0.017 0.025 Gaeeet cils s Sw side xe sac 0.017 0.030 Speed per minute in feet, cutting medium steel.... 16 26 58 to 61 99 The first of these is the analysis of perhaps the most noted brand of ordinary carbon steel, that made by Jessop & Sons of England, which is typical of the era of carbon tools. The second is the analysis of the old fashioned Mushet self-hardening steel, as experimented with by us in 1894-1895—typical of the era of self-hardening tools. The third is the analysis of the steel recommended by us in our patent No. 668270 of February 19, 1901, as being on the whole the best at the time when modern high speed tools were invented by Mr. White and the writer, mark- ing the beginning of high speed or red hardened tools. The fourth is the analysis of the best high speed tool, so far as we know, which has been developed up to the end of the summer of 1906. For many years the tool steel developed by Mushet was looked upon largely as a curiosity. Gradually, how- ever, the managers of machine shops found that by using tools made from the Mushet steel they were able to cut hard forgings and castings which were difficult to cut with the carbon tools. When this knowledge became quite general it was usual for the best machine shops to have a few Mushet tools on hand for use on specially difficult work, and their use for this purpose grew stead- ily from year to year. It was not, however, until about 1890 that there was at all a general awakening among mana- gers of machine shops as to the whole question of the cutting speeds of tools, and it may be said that practical- ly up to that time Mushet tools had not been used for the purpose of gaining an increase in cutting speed. In fact, up to the time of our experiments of 1894-1895 but few machines, if any, had had their driving speeds in- creased with a view to using the possible gain in cutting speed obtainable through Mushet or other self-hardening tools. Experiments Comparivg Mushet and Other Self-Hard- ening and Carbon Tools, It was in 1894 that we first had the opportunity to make a careful series of experiments to determine the relative cutting speeds of the Mushet and the carbon tools. We had hitherto been prevented from doing so by the fact that the Midvale Steel Works manufactured and sold tool steel, and up to the time the writer left the company’s employ it had not gone into the manufacture of self-hardening steel, and therefore would not allow us to make any experiments with it. Our experiments in 1894-1895 resulted in the following important discoveries: a. That, comparing the self-hardening steel with carbon steel, a gain in speed of 41 per cent. to 47 per cent. could be made in catting a hard forging of about the quality of tire steel; whereas a gain of nearly 90 per cent. could be made in cutting the softer qualities of metal; and b. That by using a heavy stream of water on the nose of a Mushet or other self-hardening tool a gain of about 30 per cent. could be made in the cutting speed. These experiments, then, indicated clearly that the use of Mushet steel almost exclusively for cutting ex- ceedingly hard pieces of metal was the wrong one, since THE IRON AGE 1593 an enormously greater percentage of soft metal was cut in the average machine shop than of hard metal, and the gain in cutting soft metals was 90 per cent., as against only a 45 per cent. gain for hard. It thus became evi- dent that instead of using self-hardening tools only occa- sionally for cutting extra hard pieces of metal they should be used daily throughout the shop on all ordinary work in place of the carbon steel tools. From that time on the increase in the use of self-hardening steels was so very great that at the time of our invention of the new high speed tools, probably from one-fourth to one-fifth of the roughing tools used in good machine shops had come to be made from self-hardening steel. Between 1885 and 1895 a few manufacturers of tool steel started to imitate the Mushet steel, and in the latter part of this period it was discovered that by substituting chromium for manganese in combination with tungsten a good self-hardening or air hardening tool could be made. After 1890 the competition in the manufacture of self-hardening tool steels grew much more keen, but it is a remarkable fact that the successors to Mushet in the tool steel business, even up to the time of the Taylor- White invention, probably retained one-half of the busi- ness in self-hardening tool steel throughout the world. This is an unusual record for any one firm in the manu- facture of any standard article. At the time that we discovered the beneficial results from heating chromium-tungsten tools near to the melt- ing point tools made by several makers of tool steel, con- taining largely chromium and tungsten as the self-hard- ening elements in place of the manganese and tungsten used by Mushet, had equaled in cutting speed the Mushet self-hardening tools. Up to 1894 may be called the era of carbon tools. From 1894 to 1900, when high speed cutting tools treated by the Taylor-White process were exhibited at the Paris Exhibition, may be called the era of Mushet or self-hard- ening roughing tools. From 1900 up to the present time may be called the era of high speed tools, and this has be- come so completely the case that at the present time a earbon or an untreated tungsten-manganese or tungsten- chromium roughing tool can scarcely be found in an up to date machine shop. Nature of the Invention of Modern High Speed Tools, There exists in the minds of most users of modern high speed tools a serious misapprehension, both as to the nature of their invention and also as to that prop- erty in high speed tools, which chiefly gives them their value. Perhaps at least four out of five writers upon the subject of high speed tools speak of the discovery or in- troduction of high speed too! steels as though our invention consisted in the discovery of a tool steel new in its chem- ical composition. The fact is, however, that tool steel of excellent quality for making high speed tools existed and was in common use several years before our discov- ery was made. A second misapprehension exists on the part of most people as to the nature of that property which enables the high speed tools to be run at their high speeds. Heating these tools (in a revolutionary manner) up close to their melting point is quite commonly referred to by writers on this subject as hardening the tools. In point of fact the high speed tools at their very hardest are little, if any, harder than the carbon tools, or the old fash- ioned self-hardening tools, and the quality of hardness is not that which enables them to run at very high speed. Heating chromium-tungsten tools close to the melting point does not give them a degree of hardness which is unusual in tools, but it does give them the entirely new and extraordinary property of retaining what hardness they have, even after the tool has been heated up in use through the pressure and friction of the chip until it is almost or quite red hot. This new property in high speed tools has been very appropriately named “ red hardness,” because the tool maintains its cutting edge sufficiently sharp and hard to cut steel even after its nose is red hot, and because in many cases it heats up the chip or shaving which it is cutting until the portions of the chip which are exposed to the friction of the tool become red hot. 1594 Hardness of the kind to which we have been accus- tomed in ordinary tools has but little to do with high speed tools. One of the high speed tools of the most ap- proved chemical composition was run at as high a cut- ting speed as the high speed cutting tools originally de- veloped by us. After running at its high speed two deep indentations or nicks were filed with a file made from ordinary carbon tool steel, one across the cutting edge and the other about % in. below the cutting edge, show- ing that a first-class high speed tool can be readily filed by the old carbon tool steel. As to our invention, briefly speaking, by far the most important of the several discoveries made by us and which led to the modern high speed tools, was the dis- covery that when tools made from steel old in its chem- ical composition (containing not less than % of 1 per cent. of chromium and not less than 1 per cent. of tungsten, or its equivalent) were treated in a new and completely revolutionary manner to an extraordinarily high heat (a heat so high that it would have utterly ruined ordinary tools), this treatment imparted an en- tirely new quality or property to a cutting tool—namely, the property called “red hardened ”’—and it is this new property which enables these tools to run at their high cutting speeds. General Comparison of the Ingredients of Tools, Chemically speaking, the era of carbon tool steel may be said to consist of tools containing from % to 1% per cent. of carbon in combination with a little manga- nese and silicon (used to help in melting, casting and hammering the steel), the rest of the steel being iron. The era of self-hardening tools may be said to consist of about 4 to 11 per cent. of tungsten in combination with 1% to 3% per cent. of manganese, with 14 to 2% per cent. of carbon, and to these ingredients chromium to the ex- tent of from 3-10 of 1 per cent. to almost 3 per cent. was used either as a substitute for the manganese or in addition to it. The rest of the steel consisted of iron with a small amount of silicon used for melting purposes. The era of high speed tool steel may be said to consist of tools containing % of 1 per cent. or more of chrom- ium in combination with 1 per cent. or more of tungsten, ° or its equivalent of molybdenum heated almost to the melting point. The percentages of chromium and tungsten used in high speed tools vary between extremely wide limits. The “% per cent. or more” of chromium referred to in our patent has been increased in the extreme case to the extent of 7 per cent. and the “1 per cent. or more” of tungsten has been increased in the extreme case to 26 per cent. The percentage of carbon, on the other hand, has been lowered until the better modern tool steels contain from 55-100 of 1 per cent. to about 1% per cent. as the maximum, and the manganese, silicon and other in- gredients have been reduced to quantities sufficient mere- ly for good melting. As above explained, molbydenum has been substituted for the tungsten as an equivalent or mixed with the tungsten. Our experiements, however, would indicate that this element is not as desirable as tungsten. During the year 1906 our experiments indicate that the addition of a small amount of vanadium, from 25-100 of 1 per cent. to % of 1 per cent., chemically improves the quality of high speed tools, and the best chemical composition which we know of for high speed tools is the following, recently developed by us: Tungsten, per cent., 18.91; chromium, 5.47; carbon, 0.67; manganese, 0.11; vanadium, 0.29; silicon, 0.043. Seven years have now gone by since Mr. White and the writer applied for our patents covering the Taylor- White process of making and treating tools, and it is an extraordinary fact that, so far as the writer knows, not a single improvement has been made upon the method of heat treatment for producing the high speed lathe and planer and other metal cutting tools therein described. During the summer and fall of the present year (1906) we have procured those makes of tool steel which have recently attained the highest reputation for effi- ciency in England, Germany and America, and have con- ducted a careful series of experiments with tools shaped and ground exactly alike, in cutting both steel and cast THE IRON AGE December 13, 1906 iron of uniform qualities, in order to determine both what chemical composition and what heat treatment would produce a tool of the highest cutting speed. In all cases we obtained detailed instructions from the makers of the steels, telling us just what heat treatment to give tools made from their steels, and in some cases men were sent by the manufacturers to superintend the heat treatment of their tools. In all instances we treat- ed each brand of tool steel exactly as directed and then tested the tools to determine their fastest standard cut- ting speeds. In addition to this, similar tools, in most cases the same, made from each make of tool steel, were treated in exact accordance with the method indicated in our patent No. 668,269 of February 19, 1901, as our preferred method. And without an exception the same make of tools, when treated in exact accordance with the direc- tions given in our patent, proved more uniform and ran at slightly higher cutting speeds than when treated in accordance with the directions given by the makers. This result is extraordinary, indeed we believe almost unique, in the history of an invention so fundamental and revo- lutionary in its character. Moreover, the writer must confess to the greatest surprise that, although subject to innumerable experiments throughout the entire manufac- turing world, the method of treating these tools should not have been radically improved during all these years. Since in past years there has been difficulty at times in obtaining copies of our patent from the Patent Office we will briefly recapitulate the most important directions for treating modern high speed tools: First or High Heat Treatment for High Speed Tools, After the lathe or planer tool has been forged the entire nose of the tool should be slowly and uniformly preheated to a bright cherry red, allowing plenty of time so that the heat may penetrate thoroughly to the center of the tool and thus avoid danger of cracking from too rapid heating. From tlie bright cherry red up to the melting point, on the other hand, the tool should be heated as rapidly as practicable in an intensely hot fire until the nose begins to soften. In fact, if the extreme exposed portions of the nose are slightly fused no harm will be done. In this operation also thorough and uni- form heating is necessary, and time should be given for the whole nose of the tool to arrive at a uniform tem- perature. No method or apparatus should be used for giving the tools the high heat treatment which heats only a portion of the nose of the tool. The whole end of the tool from the ‘heel to the lip surface should be uniformly heated to the same high heat. : If the fire gives a sufficiently intense heat a tool of 2 x 3 in. body can be thoroughly and properly heated in 3 min, from a bright cherry red up to the proper high heat. Without an especially designed furnace, however, it is difficult to obtain a sufficiently uniform and intense heat to treat a tool of this size in 3 min. Smaller tools require from % min. upward, according to the intensity of the fire and the size of the tool to heat from the cherry red to the high heat. The writer wishes to again emphasize the importance of an intensely hot fire. If the nose of the tool is ex- posed to the high heat for too long a time or if a fire is used which does not give an-intensely hot flame the extreme outside layers of the tool are sometimes slightly injured, probably through oxidization. Therefore, in de- signing cutting tools, where practicable, they should be forged so as to allow from 1-16 to & in. to be ground off at the first grinding. This will insure immediately a tool having the highest cutting speed. It is for this reason that in the accompanying illustrations we indicate in dotted lines above and beyond the upper part of the nose of the tool the shape to which the tool should be forged, and in heavy lines the shape to which the tool should be ground at its first grinding. Cooling High Speed Tools From the High Heat, We will refer hereafter to a certain range of tempera- tures between 1550 to 1700 degrees F., called the breaking down temperatures, and call attention to the fact that the old fashioned self-hardening tools, if, heated to with- December 13, 1906 in this range of temperatures, are seriously injured or broken down in their cutting speeds. To get the best and most uniform results with high speed tools after their high heat has been given them, as above described, they should be cooled rapidly until they are below the breaking down point, or, say, down to or below 1550 degrees F. The quality of the tool will be but little affected, whether it is cooled rapidly or slowly from this point down to the temperature of the air. After all parts of a tool from the outside to the center have reached uniform temperature below the breaking down point, therefore, it is our practice sometimes to lay it down in any part of the room or shop which is free from moisture and