The Iron Age 1918-06-27: Vol 101 Iss 26

ON AC New York, June 27, 1918 RAN 8S ME | What Are Your Costs for Renewing a Worn Bearing 2 HE next time you find it necessary to renew the bearings in one of your machines, use the table below for keeping a record of the cost. The results so disclosed will amply repay you for the effort. Tearing down Machine . . . . . .§ ? Machining new Bearing. . . .. . ? Scraping and Fitting new Bearing . . . ? Re-Assembling Machine a ee ee ee ee 2 Rou bee CO ck ee a ss 22 ? ~_ . yrerets — et oss of Productive value of machine and operator while idle “X’” Cost of bearing Metal. «2 i ? ----9 Total Cost ; ? ‘ ‘ ? JUN 29 1918 Upon the wear-resisting ability of item ‘‘X’’ hangs the fate of the whole job The instant the new bearing gives way to the grind of friction, you must again UNIY. OF ict foot the ‘Total Cost’’ of another similar Renewal. Adequate wear-resisting : quality therefore, and not ‘‘Price,’’ should be your criterion in selecting bearing metal. ‘ is Following we are pleased to give a partial list of the American concerns who invest in Non-Gran Quality. They have each proved that such invest- ment saves them hundreds of machine-hours and untold dollars annually. American Can Company Greenfield Tap & Die Corporation Royal Typewriter Co. American Ever Ready Works Hess-Bright ManufacturingCompany Solvay Process Company American Pin Company Hires Condensed Milk Company laylor Instrument Company Bigelow-Hartford Carpet Company International Paper C vompany Tonopah Placers Company Bock Bearing Company National Bolt & Nut Company Toledo Scale Company Borden’s Condensed Milk Co. National Lamp Works Union Metallic Cartridge Company Cheney Brothers National Sugar Manufacturing Co. United States Light House Service The Crown Cork & Seal Co. New England Westinghouse Co. United States Navy Department Eaton, Crane & Pike Company New Haven Screw Co. United States Post Office Department Eddystone Munitions Company New Remington Rifle Co. United States Quartermasters’ Edison Electric Storage Battery Co. North American Button Company Department Edison Lamp Works Remington Arms Company United States Ordnance Department Frost Gear & Forge Company Remington Typewriter Company United States Signal Corps The Gorham Company Rowe Galk Co. Winchester Repeating Arms Company American Bronze Corporation Berwyn . Pennsylvania PETAR ne Saouit Business Opportunities....... 344 5 WLU 2 a a _ TABLE OF CONTENT S- - - 1685 ADVERTISING INDEX - - - 384 : Buyers’ Index Section.... 365 Contract Work Section...........-- ae Clearing House Section 285 g Wanted Section enekactanen 342 Help and Situations Wanted. Professional Notices 351 revernynerey mi ' t 1 THE IRON AGE June 27, 1918 Contracts have recently been made with H. KOPPERS COMPANY for the following by-product coke plants: OVENS Jones & Laughlin Steel Company . . 300 Carnegie Steel Company. ...... 128 Fairmont By-Products Corp. ..... 110 Providence Gas Company ..... : Indiana Coke & Gas Company... . Gj yj New York, June 27, 1918 ESTABLISHED 1855 i VOL. 101: No. 26 Chemist’s Part in Speeding Up Steel Output Rapid and Efficient Preliminary Analy- ses—Importance in Making Electric Steel—The Man Behind the Chemicals —___—_____BY A. F, MACFARLAND* ———_—_—__ tory is often considered a small cog in the gigantic machinery of our steel industry, it plays a vital réle in the production of good steel, inasmuch as it controls in a large measure the chemical composition of the metal. Winning the war necessitates maximum steel production, which can be accelerated by the chemist himself in fur- nishing accurate and rapid results. It has become the very general practice in open- hearth and electric steel works to send a preliminary or bath sample to the laboratory for a rapid analysis which enables the melter to calculate the additions of alloys which are necessary to bring the steel to chemical speci- fications before tapping the heat. In the manu- facture of high-grade alloy steels where alloy scrap used in the charge, the work of the preliminary laboratory becomes a very impor- tant factor. The usual method of judging the carbon con- tent of the metal in the furnace by the appear- ance of a cast, quenched and fractured test piece is more or less compli- cated when nickel, chro- mium or other special elements are present. This difficulty is more pro- nounced when the amounts of the special ele- ments are not known. When the charge is made up of miscellaneous scrap, the melter necessarily depends upon the preliminary chemist for a knowl- edge of the chemical composition of the melted steel in order to work the heat and interpret fractures intelligently. The Man Behind the Analysis In many plants much time is unnecessarily spent in making the requisite determinations, thereby delaying the furnace and ultimately retarding pro- duction. Delaying the furnace means additional added expense in fuel or electricity, labor and ma- terial. During a recent visit to an electric steel plant a sample was sent to the chemist for the quick i LTHOUGH the steel works’ chemical labora- is Apparatus for Quick and *Metallurgist, United States Ball Bearing Co., Chicago 4 } | j | } i | Accurate in Alloy Steels determination of carbon, manganese, nickel and chromium. One hour and twenty-five minutes elapsed from the time the sample left the furnace to the time the results were returned. Forty min- utes were wasted because, with the proper arrange- ment, one man can make these determinations in from 22 to 30 minutes, depending, naturally, upon the caliber of the man in the laboratory. If it were possible to cut down the melting time of each heat by 40 minutes, what a large saving might be ac- complished in a few months with a resulting in- crease in production. It is false economy to place a “rule of thumb” man in the pre- liminary laboratory. He should have sound tech- nical training, actual analytical experience and should be sufficient- ly ingenious to work out simple devices which facilitate accuracy and speed. The chemist an- alyzing preliminary samples has consider- able responsibility, be- i cause a slight error on his part may easily re- sult in an “off analysis” heat. The melter and : the preliminary chem - ist should co-operate very closely, as the production of good steel depends upon their efforts. Determination of Nickel Arrangement of the Laboratory A suitable laboratory arrangement is of primary importance in making rapid determinations. When speed is desired, every wasted movement, such as a step across the room for a pencil which should be in one’s pocket, or filling a burette which should be already filled, cuts down the efficiency. The plan shown in one of the illustrations has worked out very satisfactorily in a small electric- furnace steel plant where preliminary determina- tions of carbon, manganese, sulphur, phosphorus, nickel and chromium were made. However, the ar- rangement must be modified to suit the class of work and the number of men working in the laboratory. It will be noted that the fume hood, carbon train, filtering sink and titration table are 1645 1646 all grouped as closely together as possible. After weighing the samples of the work all is done in the minimum floor space, thereby eliminating all un- necessary steps. Some years of actual experience in this line of work has shown the following time limits quite practical for rapid determinations without impair- ing the accuracy of the results obtained. One man performs the analysis and his time is counted from the moment he receives the drilled sample to the time the written report is ready. Minutes ee i .10 to 13 Carbon and manganese ...............-. .12 to 14 Carbon, manganese and nickel.............. : .14 to 18 Carbon, manganese, nickel and chromium. . ovsvean, 08 28 Carbon, manganese and sulphur................... 15 to 19 Carbon, manganese, suphur, phosphorus (estimated).18 to 24 Carbon, manganese, sulphur, phosphorus, nickel and I: iwc s cock eee meee ee ata Terre if If other than preliminary tests are analyzed in the laboratory, as is usually the case with small steel plants, the chemist should be notified 10 or 15 minutes before the preliminary sample is furnished, to enable him to make the requisite preparations. These preparations are of utmost importance from a speed standpoint, and will be brought out in the following outlines. The apparatus preparations, solution and pro- cedure in the case of the various elements are as follows: Carbon Apparatus:—The carbon train, oxygen tank, re- ducing valve set at about 7- lb. pressure, mercury pres- sure gage, jar containing soda lime and calcium chloride, electric tube furnace at a temperature of 1000 to 1100 deg. C. with Johnson’s clay combustion tube packed 6 in. from outlet with ignited asbestos, zinc jar, phosphoric anhydride jar, and absorption bulb. Preparations:—An absorption bulb should be weighed and attached to the end of the train, ready for service; a combustion boat should be prepared to receive the drillings ana the carbon balance should have the counterbalance and approximateiy the correct \veights on the pan. Vrocedure :—weigh a 2 gram sample of ..ne drillings and % gram of red lead, and transfer, after being weil mixed on a 2-in. watch glass, to a trough made in ig- nited silica sand contained in a clay combustion boat. The drillings should be spread evenly in the boat. Introduce the boat containing the sample into the com- bustion tube, placing it in approximately the center of the furnace. Make a tight connection at the inlet end of the tube and turn on a fairly rapid stream of oxygen. In a few seconds the steel begins to burn and the flow of gas is increased sufficiently to maintain the A 42 a ows | ‘ FUME HOOD fs [F7TFFR) ~} ee) 7 0 ‘ ene % 9 : a S \ PRELIMINARY WORK © BALANCE Room AND \ OFFICE \ CARBON TITRATION TABLE TRAIN 20-0" GENERAL LABORATORY Y Plan of a Laboratory for Quick Determinations of Prelim- inary Tests of Alloy Steels THE IRON AGE June 27, 1918 pressure previously registered by the mercury gage. After burning, which is usually completed in one and one-half minutes, decrease the rate of flow of oxygen and allow the apparatus to sweep out for 7 min. A stop watch can be used to advantage in this determina- tion. At this point detach the absorption bulb and weigh. Determine the percentage of carbon from a calculated table. Manganese Solutions :—Silver nitrate and nitric acid solution: A rr te ee ee eee 2 grams OE ~ 25 oe tek aetna Wad seme Sew e aeh Ke 500 cu. cm Ee eer ee eee Ty 2000 cu. cm Ammonium persulphate solution—20 per cent. Standard sodium arsenite solution: 1 c.c. should equal 0.10 per cent Mn on a 0.2 gram sample. The standard solution may be prepared by diluting 100 c.c. of a stock solution of sodium arsenite to one liter with water. This stock solution is made by dissolving six grams of arsenious acid and 25 grams of sodium car- bonate in one liter of water. Standardize the solution for titrating with a steel of known manganese content. Preparations:—The solvent in a flask should be placed beside the balance; the measured amount of persulphate solution should be contained in a graduate and placed near a lighted burner; a burette should be filled with sodium arsenate solution and set at zero. Procedure :—Weigh carefully a 0.20 gram sample and dissolve in 30 c.c. of silver nitrate and nitric acid solution contained in a 200 ¢.c. Erlenmeyer flask, over a Bunsen burner. After complete solution is effected, add, while boiling, 10 c.c. of the ammonium persulphate solution. Allow the color to develop and remove from the flame. Cool in running water and titrate with standard sodium arsenite solution to a pale greenish color. (The end point for chromium steels is yellow.) Nickel Apparatus:—A 40-watt lamp is placed in a box with apertures in the sides, permitting the rays of light to pass through the solution in the beaker. It is pos- sible in this manner to detect the slight turbulence which is manifest in the solution at the end point of the titration. The set up as shown in one of the illus- trations, eliminated the difficulties of titrating nickel determinations on the night shift. In fact, the end point was made so much sharper than previously that the light was never extinguished in the day. By the use of this arrangement a marked improvement was ob- tained in the accuracy of the results. Solutions:—Hydrochloric acid, sp. gr. 1.10; nitric acid, sp. gr. 1.20; ammonia, equal parts of concentrated ammonia and water; ammonia, concentrated; citric and sulphuric acid solution, 470 grams citric acid, 200 c.c. sulphuric acid concentrated, 1400 c.c. distilled water. Potassium iodide solution, 20 per cent; standard silver nitrate solution, 1 c.c. equivalent to 0.10 per cent nickel, 5.85 grams of silver nitrate dissolved in one liter of distilled water, and standard potassium cyanide solution, 1 ¢c.c. equivalent to 0.1 per cent nickel, 4.9 grams potassium cyanide and 5 grams of potassium hydroxide dissolved in one liter of distilled water. Preparations:—A 400 c.c. tall beaker containing 10 c.c. of hydrochloric acid should be placed near the sample balance, nitric acid for oxidizing should be near a lighted Bunsen burner, measured amounts of citric and sulphuric acid solution and concentrated ammonia should be placed near the cooling sink, and burettes should be filled with standard solutions and set at zero, ready for titrating. Procedure:—Treat one gram of the drillings to be analyzed with 10 ¢c.c. hydrochloric acid in a 400 c.c. tall,form beaker. Cover with a watch glass and place the beaker and its contents over a lighted Bunsen burner. When the drillings are nearly dissolved, oxi- dize by adding about 6 c.c. nitric acid. Concentrate the solution to a volume of 8 or 10 c.c. and remove from the flame. Add 75 c.c. of the citric and sulphuric acid solution down the sides of the beaker to wash down any of the solution that may be on the sides, and add, Cool the carefully, 40 c.c. of concentrated ammonia. June 27, 1918 solution by placing the beaker in a stream of running water. The solution is now ready to titrate. Run in about 2 c.c. of standard silver nitrate solu- tion. Silver chloride is precipitated. Add, drop by drop, diluted ammonia unt:l the precipitate is just dis- solved. Silver chloride is soluble in ammonia while silver iodide is very slightly soluble. Now add 2 c.c. of potassium iodide solution. Silver iodide is precipi- tated. Run in standard potassium cyanide solution until the precipitate has entirely disappeared and titrate back with standard silver nitrate solution until a very slight turbulence is noted. The total number of c.c. of potassium cyanide solution used divided by ten gives the percentage of nickel. Chromium Preparations :—A 600 c.c. tall form beaker contain- ing 30 ¢c.c. of sulphuric acid and 20 c.c. of water should be placed near the balance; 60 c.c. of nitric acid should be contained in a graduate and placed near a lighted Bunsen burner; potassium permanganate solution for oxidizing should be near the burner; a fine alundum cone filter should be fitted to a 500 c.c. suction flask contain- ing 30 c.c. of sulphuric acid and attached to a filter pump. Solutions :—Sulphuric acid, one part of concentrated acid diluted with three parts of water; nitric acid, sp. gr. 1.20; potassium permanganate, 15 grams potassium permanganate dissolved in one liter of water. Standard ferrous sulphate solution, tenth normal: 40 grams of ferrous ammonium sulphate and 100 c.c. of concentrated sulphuric acid diluted to one liter with distilled water; standard potassium permanganate solution, tenth nor- mal: 3.16 grams of potassium permangante dissolved in one liter of distilled water. Standardize against pure sodium oxalate. Procedure :—Dissolve a two gram sample in a 600 c.c. tall form beaker with 30 c.c. of sulphuric acid and 20 c.c. of water. When nearly in solution, oxidize with 60 c.c. of nitric acid and boil to expel reducing gases. Add potassium permanganate solution a little at a time until the solution turns a permanent red and a precipi- tate of manganese dioxide forms. Boil vigorously for five minutes if necessary to destroy the excess of per- manganate. Filter the hot solution through an alun- dum cone filter into a 500 c.c. suction flask containing 80 c.c. of sulphuric acid. Cool in running water and add a measured excess of standard ferrous sulphate solution until the green color no longer grows deeper. Titrate back to a faint pink with standard potassium permanganate solution. The number of c.c.’s of potas- sium permanganate solution subtracted from the num- ber of c.c.’s of ferrous sulphate solution used multiplied by the factor 0.087 gives the percentage of chromium in the steel. It is necessary to deduct a certain per- centage which is predetermined by running a chromium free steel. This blank usually amounts to about 0.04 or 0.05 per cent. Notes: For sharp end points it is necessary to maké the solution as cold as possible before titrating. All of the potassium permanganate must be con- verted by boiling to manganese dioxide before filtering. Phosphorus Solutions :—Nitric acid, 1 to 1; potassium perman- ganate, 15 grams to liter; sodium nitrite, 10 per cent solution; ammonium hydroxide, concentrated; ammo- nium molybdate solution: Dissolve 115 grams molybdic oxide, 85 per cent, in 200 c.c. water and 175 c.c. concen- trated ammonia, mixing the water and Mo03 before adding the ammonia. Dilute in separate vessel, 575 c.c. nitric acid with 1500 ¢.c. water. Add the ammonium molybdate solution, a little at a time with frequent shaking, to the diluted nitric acid. Shake well and allow to stand 24 hr. before using; sodium nitrate, 2 per cent solution for wash water; standard sodium hy- droxide solution: 1 c.c. 0.01 per cent P.; standard sulphuric acid solution: 1 cc. = 0.01 per cent P. Standardize last two solutions with a steel of known phosphorus content. THE IRON AGE CHEPAELTHH ZEEE Core ! CCC es eee eet Peer rrr Zeer % 0) 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 LI i2 13 14 15 16 L? 18 19 20 PERCENTAGE OF ELEMENT ACTUALLY PRESENT IN THE STEEL Diagram Showing Errors Caused in Analyses by the Addition of 5 Milligrams of Steel in Weighing Samples Preparations:—A 500 c.c. Erlenmeyer flask con- taining 40 c.c. of nitric acid and 40 c.c. of water should be placed near the balance. It is best to weigh this determination last on account of the fumes evolved; a lighted Bunsen burner should be ready for service; per- manganate and sodium nitrite solutions should be placed near the burner; the proper amounts of am- monium molybdate and ammonia solutions should be contained in graduates on the filtration table; a pulp filter should be ready for use; burettes should be filled and set at zero. Procedure :—Dissolve 2 grams of the drillings con- tained in a 500 c.c. Erlenmeyer flask with 40 c.c. nitric acid (1-1) and 40 c.c. water. Boil and add potassium permanganate solution till a permanent precipitate of manganese dioxide forms (about 5-10 c¢.c.). Boil to oxidize. Reduce the excess MnO, with sodium nitrite solution. Remove from hot plate and carefully add 10 ¢.c. concentrated ammonia. Swirl flask to dissolve precipitate. Add 50 c.c. clear ammonium molybdate solution, stopper flask and shake vigorously. If time is limited “estimate” phosphorus at this point. Allow to stand a sufficient time for the yellow precipitate to settle out. Filter on paper pulp, washing precipitate into filter from flask with sodium nitrate wash water. Place filter and contents in original flask with 30 c.c. water and 10 c.c. standard sodium hydroxide solution (when phosphorous is below 9.45 per cent) to dissolve the yellow precipitate. Shake to dissolve, let stand a minute, add phenolphthalian indicator and titrate back to colorless with standard sulphuric acid. Number of c.c. acid, deducted from number of c.c. alkali, divided by 200 gives percentage of phosphorous. Sulphur Solutions :—Cadmium ammonium chloride and starch solution: Cadmium chloride a sig 5 gms Ammonium hydroxide, concentrated ...100c.c Starch solution ; » Cardia aaa «ce S0E0C SI SE. vn dont andevchivonaicna ...1900 cc Starch solution: Ten grams of starch are made into a thin cream with water. Add 600-700 c.c. boiling water to the starch. Ten grams of potassium hydrox- ide are dissolved in water and added to the solution of starch. Heat to boiling and dilute to one liter; hydrochloric acid, one part of concentrated acid to one part of distilled water; standard iodine solution, one cubic centimeter should be equivalent to 0.01 per cent sulphur. Dissolve four grams of iodine and 16 grams of potassium iodide in distilled water and dilute to one liter. Standardize with steel of known sulphur con- tent. Preparations :—A 500 e.c. dry Erlenmeyer flask 1648 should be placed near the balance; 100 c.c. of cad- mium chroride solution and 50 c.c. of water should be contained in a 400 c.c. tall beaker with delivery tube; 75 c.c. of hydrochloric acid should be contained in the cylindrical separatory funnel which is clamped in the sulphur stand ready for use; a graduate containing 50 ¢c.c. of hydrochloric acid should be placed near a burette which is filled with standard iodine solution and set at zero; a lighted Bunsen burner should be ready for service. Procedure:—Weigh 5 grams of the drillings and transfer to a dry 500 c.c. Erlenmeyer flask. Fit a two hole No. 6 rubber stopper with a delivery tube and a 75 c.c. cylindrical separatory funnel into the flask, having the delivery tube touch the bottom of a 400 c.c beaker, tall form, containing 100 c.c. cadium am- monium chloride and starch solution and 50 c.c. water. Run 75 c.c. hydrochloric acid contained in the separa- tory funnel into the flask. Close stop-cock and apply gentle heat. Heat gently until all drillings are in so- lution, then boil vigorously for a few minutes to sweep out last traces of H,S. Remove beaker, which should be cool, add 50 ¢.c. hydrochloric acid and titrate im- mediately to a distinct blue with standard iodine solu- tion. After some experience the chemist will learn to systematize his work in a manner which will give the most accurate results in the least time. The ability to keep a number of determinations all going at once with no loss of time indicates a speedy and ingenious worker. The following scheme has proved efficient in determining carbon, manganese, nickel and chromium on a preliminary sample, al- though it may be necessary to somewhat modify these steps to suit different laboratories and chemists: Nickel-Chromium Preliminary:—Weigh samples; place nickel, chromium and manganese determinations over burners; burn carbon; oxidize manganese, chro- mium and nickel; cool manganese; add citric, sulphuric solution and ammonia to nickel determination and cool; add potassium permanganate to chromium de- termination; titrate manganese and nickel; filter chro- mium; cool chromium and weigh carbon; titrate chromium and report. Weighing Much valuable time is often wasted in weighing samples. Many chemists fail to consider what effect a slight error in weighing a sample will have on the results obtained. It must be remembered that relatively small amounts of the elements to be determined are present in steel. Drillings may be rapidly weighed to within 5 milligrams of the desired weight, which is in most cases sufficiently accurate for preliminary work. Suppose, for ex- ample, a steel contains 0.50 per cent carbon. The sample for combustion weighs 2.005 grams instead of 2 grams. The percentage of carbon which would be obtained, allowing for no experimental error, is 0.50125. In other words, the error caused by an addition of 5 milligrams of steel to a 2-gram sample of 0.50 per cent carbon steel will amount to an addition of 0.00125 per cent carbon to the result. As the percentage of the element being determined decreases, the error will naturally decrease, and conversely. The error which will show in the re- sults caused by an addition of 5 milligrams of steel to samples of different weights is shown in the diagram. The object in outlining these well-known methods has not been to lay down hard and fast rules which must be strictly adhered to. It has been, rather, to illustrate by actual outlined pro- cedure how practical and possible it is to perform rapid analyses efficiently. THE IRON AGE June 27, 1918 Equipment for Reclaiming Core Sand For effecting savings in the amount of core sand re- quired for foundries as well as in the quantity of binder used, freight charges, time and labor, the W. W. Sly Mfg. Co., Cleveland, is offering equipment for two different methods of reclaiming core sand. The object in both cases is the same, the separation of the burnt sand and dust from the core sand, thus enabling the reclaimed material with the addition of a small per- centage of new sand and binding material to be used again. One method is pursued in connection with light cores, such as are used in radiator columns and similar work, while the other is intended for the heavier cores employed in connection with automobile castings. It is pointed out that the first class of cores cannot be taken out of the castings whole, but by tumbling the castings in exhaust type tumbling barrels the core sand can be cheaply and quickly removed. In foun- dries doing this class of work a separator is installed on the dust main to collect the good core sand, while the dust and burnt sand pass on into the dust arrester. Where this form of reclaiming apparatus is used the exhaust fan must have sufficient pressure to lift the heavy sand into the separator, and as the velocity in this case is greater than usual, it is pointed out that faster cleaning of the work, which, of course, is an ad- vantage, is possible. The heavier cores, it is explained, are generally shaken out and are not broken to any great extent. These are fed by hand or some mechanical device through a large hollow trunnion of the core crushing mill, and a light crusher on the inside of the barrel grinds the cores. The fine material falls through the perforations of the mill shell and in turn through an automatic wire screen riddle into a hopper underneath. This equipment, it is pointed out, answers the double purpose of crushing the material and separating all the nails, wire and other foreign material from the sand. The fine material is conveyed by suction from the hopper underneath the mill into a separator, as was the case with the lighter cores. Practices in Export Business Dealings The W. J. Crouch Co., Inc., exporter of steel and steel products, 68 William Street, New York, recently received an informing letter from Thomas D. Davis (Oklahoma), United States consul at Grenoble, France. Among other things, he wrote: “While I have great admiration for the resourceful- ness and courage of our American merchants, I must, in the interest of truth, say that the English are going at the matter much more successfully in this consular district than our own exporters. They have the advan- tage of being nearer, of having certain tariff favors, but their success principally lies in their disposition to treat with the Frenchman in the French way. The English merchant uses the metric system in quoting prices, his prices are given in francs at the railway station of the purchaser. In addition to this, business relations of a lasting and intimate nature are sought to be established, credit facilities are afforded, and mu- tual trust and confidence are usually built up. Some of our American business men have treated old-estab- lished and perfectly solid firms of this district very brusquely in the matter of carrying out the formality of payment, although these firms asked no better than to pay cash for their goods.” Employers engaged in war work were urged in a statement by President Wilson June 17, to refrain, after Aug. 1, from recruiting unskilled labor in any manner except through the United States Employment Service recently organized by the Department of Labor. The statement was accompanied by a letter written June 15 by Secretary of Labor Wilson calling attention to the forming of the Employment Service. The labor forces were called upon by the President “to respond loyally as heretofore to any calls issued by this agency for voluntary enlistment in essential industry.” TO READJUST INDUSTRY Twenty Regional Organizations to Help Put All Plants on War Work For the purpose of developing new industrial re- sources to meet the war demands of the Government, and quickly to disclose additional means of increasing production, the War Industries Board has established a Resources and Conversion Section. Charles A. Otis, Cleveland, former president of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce and a member of the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, has been appointed chief of this section, as noted a few weeks ago in these columns. To carry out the plans, it has been decided to di- vide the country into 20 regional groups and to organize each region through the commercial organiza- tions within the region. The purpose of this regional system is immediately to make a careful survey of every section of the country to determine what in- dustries not now doing war work may be utilized for such work, and also to ascertain what industries al- ready engaged on work for the Government are able to take on additional contracts or increase their pro- duction of munitions and war supplies. The twenty regions determined on are shown by the accompanying map. The regional organization is intended to supplement the work of the national war service committees of the industries. Many industries are not so organized as to permit representation by a national war service com- mittee, and in the development of the regional organiza- tion it is proposed to look after the requirements of these scattered industries and to provide a means by which greater impetus can be given to increasing pro- duction in every section of the country. The advantage looked for in this is the preventing of further dislocation of labor, and the minimizing of new housing problems, unnecessary expansion of plants and freight congestion and also the providing of work for industries whose normal output already is being reduced without the possibility of their resources being employed in new directions. Some of the appointments as regional director were noted in last week’s issue. As local business associa- tion groups meet to choose their heads, announcements will be made. Meanwhile the American Society of Mechanical noted below. Engineers has entered the movement as Bridgeport Regional Industrial Commission The second or Bridgeport regional organization, un- der the recently organized Resources and Conversion Section of the War Industries Board, has held its first meeting under the auspices of the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce which was selected to initiate the move- ment. The members voted to recommend to the War Industries Board the name of Bradford D. Pierce, Jr., president Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce, as general chairman of the commission and C. E. Bilton and Wal- ter B. Lashar as alternates. Six sub-districts have been selected to cover the work in the Bridgeport region which includes Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. The chairmen named for these sub-districts are: Bridgeport, including Fairfield and Litchfield counties, C. E. Bilton, president Bridgeport Manufacturers’ Association New Haven, including New Haven and Middlesex coun- ties, Isaac M. Ullman, president New Haven Chamber of Commerce Hartford, including Hartford and Tolland counties Charles L. Taylor, chairman Manufacturers’ Committee, Con- necticut Manufacturers’ Association New London, including New London and Windham coun- ties, C. C. Peck, president New London Chamber of Com- merce Springfield, including Hampden, Hampshire and Frank lin counties, William H. Stuart, president Springfield Cham ber of Commerce Pittsfield, including Berkshire County, Pittsfield Board of Trade Allen H Bagg, president Lower Michigan Peninsula Organization of the entire lower peninsula of Mich- igan for general work under the direction of the War Industries Board has been perfected by A. A. Temple- ton, regional director. M. J. Murphy, president of the Murphy Chair Co., Detroit, will have charge of division 1, constituting Wayne, Monroe and Oakland counties; Chas. W. Haensel, Port Huron, will have charge of di- vision 2; G. T. Kirby, Saginaw, division 3; D. A. Reid, Flint, division 4; L. C. Howlett, Bay City, division 5; W. M. Comstock, Alpena, division 6; A. B. Kleise, Pe- toskey, division 7; E. N. Turner, Manistee, division 7; J. E. A. Johnson, Muskegon, division 9; Dudley E. Waters, Grand Rapids, division 10; Clarence E. Bement, Lansing, division 11; C. F. Holland, Jackson, division 12: (Continued on page 1679) 1649 Drop Forging Problems Discussed Association Meeting Last Week—Powdered Coal and Oil Fuel, Quenching, Welfare Work and Electric Furnace Heat Treating Forge Association was held at the Iroquois Hotel, Buffalo, June 19, 20 and 21. In connection with this meeting the Drop Forge Supply Association held its third annual session. The attendance was about 200, or nearly the same as at the annual meeting held in Cleveland a year ago. This was gratifying to those in charge as it had been expected that war-time conditions might have the effect of reducing the attendance. As it was, important Government work prevented the at- tendance of several members who have been active in the organization. R. T. Herdegen, Dominion Forge & Stamping Co., Walkerville, Ont., president of the association, said that in laying out the program for the meeting, they had tried to bring out matters that would show how a man can get the highest possible efficiency out of his raw material. He referred to a new form of investigation that has been taken up by the fuel administrator in Canada, who is investigating plants to see if coal and oil are being burned efficiently. Plants that are wast- ing their fuel will probably have their supply cut down unless they make needed changes. The report of E. B. Horne, Packard Motor Car Co., secretary and treas- urer, showed that the present membership represents about 80 per cent of all the forging hammers in the United States. His report also showed a balance of $1,369.10 in the treasury. [rer fifth annual convention of the American Drop Force to the Uttermost The spirit of the members of the two organizations and their attitude in respect to carrying on the war until final complete victory is won was indicated by the passing of the following resolution by both organiza- tions: “That the delegates of the American Drop Forge Association and Drop Forge Supply Association, assembled in joint convention in Buffalo, June 21, 1918, desire to record publicly their unanimous indorsement of the policy of “force to the uttermost,” announced by the President of the United States, and we hereby pledge our organizations, our energies, thoughts and efforts as our share in carrying out this policy to final success, no matter what sacrifices be involved; that no peace be concluded with the enemies of our country without victory to our arms and those of our Allies.” New Officers Owing to the increase in the organization’s work handled by the secretary-treasurer, it was decided to separate these two offices and have a salaried secretary. New officers were elected for the ensuing year as follows: President, E. J. Frost, Frost Gear & Forge Co., Jackson, Mich. Vice-president, J. F. Connelly, Champion Forge & Machine Co., Cleveland. Treasurer, E. B. Horne, Packard Motor Car Co., Detroit. Secretary, A. W. Peterson, American Drop Forger, Pittsburgh. Directors, R. T. Herdegen, Dominion Forge & * Stamping Co., Walkerville, Ont.; F. A. Ingalls, Ingalls- Shepard Forge Co., Chicago; H. D. Stoddard, Wyman & Gordon Co., Worcester, Mass.; Edgar E. Adams, Cleve- land Hardware Co., Cleveland; F. W. Trabold, J. H. Williams & Co., Brooklyn, N. Y. The Drop Ferge Supply Association reelected its officers as follows: President, H. N. Taylor, N. & G. Taylor Co., Phila- delphia. Vice-president, Charles Harmon, Jr., National Ma- chinery Co., Tiffin, Ohio. Secretary-treasurer, A. W. Wurster, Philadelphia representative Heppenstall Forge & Knife Co., Pitts- burgh. Executive committee, Homer D. Heman, Ajax Mfg. Co., Cleveland, reelected; and C. W. Heppenstall, treas- urer and general manager Heppenstall Forge & Knife Co., Pittsburgh. Guy Hagar, Lackawanna Steel Co., Buffalo, George I. Allen, Heppenstall Forge & Knife Co., and J. M. Schlendorf, Central Steel Co., were reappointed mem- bers of the entertainment committee, and other local members will be added to this committee when the place of holding the next annual meeting is decided upon. The present membership committee, of which Jules Dierckx, Keller Mechanical Engraving Co., Brooklyn, N. Y., is chairman, was reappointed. Powdered Coal The technical sessions were held Thursday afternoon, Friday morning and afternoon. The program included a number of interesting papers and talks on various practical topics associated with the drop forge industry, many of these being illustrated with lantern slides. The first paper presented was on “Powdered Fuel for Drop Forge Furnaces,” by H. D. Savage, vice-president Locomotive Pulverized Fuel Co., New York. He said that probably the greatest benefits that our country will derive from the war will be from the lessons of economy the necessities of war have forced upon our manufac- turers. There is no industry whose members as a whole are more important to the vast activities of the war than the members of the Drop Forge Association. With coal at $90 per ton in Italy and $60 per ton in France and with England unable to give more than slight assistance in supplying the necessary demands of the warring world for this commodity, with fuel oil on the verge of practical confiscation for the use of armies and navies, it is the duty of everybody to do his bit in con- serving this natural resource. Toward this end he said it was well to consider that under normal conditions coal when pulverized and burned in suspension produces heat at a much less cost than with any other known method of combustion other than natural gas, that with the great advance in the price of oil the ratio of saving is much greater in favor of coal, that the com- bustion of powdered fuel is as easily controlled as oil or natural gas, and that in metallurgical work its ad- vantages over either are numerous. The highly developed mechanically correct feeders and burners which have been thoroughly proved in ac- tual practice must not be confused, he said, with the immaturely developed apparatus of the past, the pre- mature exploitation of which has caused much of the present skepticism as to the economy and efficiency of powdered coal. However, the installation of powdered coal in any plant calls for engineering specialization, each separate installation being a distinctive engineer- ing problem. Powdered coal as now commercially de- veloped, he said, is a thoroughly practical, reliable and economical fuel for forge work. It is not practical for all existing plants but for those to which it is applicable it will produce a fuel economy of 30 to 60 per cent over oil or coal burned by other methods, will increase pro- duction and greatly minimize the human element in the regulation of combustion. Mr. Savage said that his company had installed a powdered coal plant in the shop of the Sizer Forge Co., Buffalo, and had made installations in two other forge shops. His company had placed ne installation in small 1650 June 27, 1918 shops, and he did not think that the use of powdered coal had been worked out very successfully in small shops because of the large expense involved in the in- stallation. He said that if coal is properly powdered and the equipment is properly installed very little non- combustible material would be deposited on the work or on the furnace floor. This would be in the form of dust that would be carried away without causing trouble, and slag which would form a slight scale. One great advantage of powdered coal, he said, was that any kind of coal can be used that can be procured. Coal of any quality could be burned more efficiently when pulver- ized than when not pulverized. Mr. Savage stated that the American Locomotive Co. is now using powdered coal furnaces at its Schenec- tady plant and is equipping its whole forge shop with powdered coal furnaces. These furnaces are being pro- vided with stacks and forced draft to exhaust the ashes. Dust that formerly escaped into the shop is now kept in the furnaces and carried up the stacks. A representative of the Timken-Detroit Axle Co. referred to a powdered coal burning furnace that was installed in his company’s plant, but he said that it was taken out before it was given a fair trial because the workmen objected to it. G. S. Atkins, Scranton Forge Co., said that his company is now burning powdered coal, and it has so far proved very satisfactory with the exception of improper feed from the collector to the main pipe due to improper installation. This he ex- pected to remedy. Mr. Savage declared that with the proper installation no combustible elements should escape from a powdered coal burning furnace into a forge shop. Cost Figuring of Drop Forge Dies “Cost Figuring of Drop Forge Dies” was the sub- ject of a paper by S. A. Keller, Keller Mechanical En- graving Co., Brooklyn, N. Y. Mr. Keller said that oper- ation costs were kept in other departments, but not in die departments, manufacturers generally showing an indifference to die costs. In his opinion every job should bear the burden of its die costs. The scarcity and high cost of die sinkers was another subject that should be given consideration. Machine work should be used on dies wherever possible. An account should be kept of the cost of templets, drawings, etc., independent of the die sinking. Careful record should be kept of machine operations. Various operations should be separately itemized in making estimates so that no operation is overlooked. More definite detailed instruction should be given whether work is done in the shop or outside of the shop. With the increased turnover of labor, men are not guided so much by shop traditions as in normal times, and it is important that this information be fur- nished the die sinkers. He exhibited forms used by his company, and recommended the use of forms for each set of dies and containing every possible bit of informa- tion. ; President Herdegen said that it is the practice in his shop to give blueprints and detailed information to die sinkers, and this saves the company a great deal of time and money. Welfare Work of Cleveland Hardware Co. One of the most interesting numbers on the program was the talk on “Welfare Work in Forge Shops” by Edgar E. Adams, Cleveland Hardware Co., Cleveland. This was largely the story of the welfare work con- ducted in that company’s plant under his direction, and was filled with human interest. He said that the wel- fare movement is simply one of conservation, and this connection referred to the work taken up by the Gov- ernment in building over men called to the colors and found to have physical defects. Mr. Adams described entertainingly the various welfare activities in his com- pany’s shops which employ a large percentage of for- eign-born labor, and which for years have used women employees for press work, and told how the company did not confine its welfare efforts inside the plant but went into workmen’s homes, investigating and remedying con- ditions. Much of the welfare work carried on by this THE IRON AGE 1651 company has been described in articles that have ap- peared in THE IRON AGE. Mr. Adams spoke of the development of his com- pany’s present facilities including dining rooms and lunch counters for feeding employees. This work started with a lunch counter that served only hot coffee. Lunch wagons are now taken through the forge shops, and the men eat between heats as there is no shutdown. The dinner pail has practically disappeared. Some workmen bring lunches in their pockets and supplement these with purchases from the lunch counters. The com- pany has always sold a cup of coffee for 1c. and has made a profit on it at that price. He spoke of a fore- men’s table in the dining room, and said that in his mind this was one of the important things in a forge shop, as it brought foremen together in personal con- tact. He told of the company’s plan of making work- men-stockholders of selected employees, usually men who had grown up with the company, and a certain amount of stock was set aside and sold to these men. He believed that it was a good plan to advertise one’s plant, and not take it for granted that your employees know all about it. “If you think you have a good shop, you should put it down in print, and then if you do not make good on what you claim, the men will call you to account for what you have said.” He spoke of the advantages of a library in a shop, and said that it had long been the rule of his company that no trade paper should be destroyed. The social features of the plant were worth looking after, he said, in order to offset the saloon, which is often the work- men’s club. The dining room not only serves for dining purposes, but makes a good utility room. He believed in noonday meetings, and said the company has four pianos, a Victrola and organ to entertain the working people during the noonday hour, and prominent speak- ers are engaged to talk to the employees. Former em- ployees and wives of present employees come to the plant to do Red Cross work, and among the various other social activities is an annual party for the children of employees. One of the best things his company did, he said, was to provide a special room with shower baths and lockers for the foremen. A record of home conditions of employees is very im- portant in Mr. Adams’s opinion. Within two weeks after a man is hired the company tries to find these con- ditions by a friendly visit by the visiting nurse. The company’s stores carry a stock of $17,000 and save the men from 10 to 50 per cent. Goods are sold at a profit, and the proceeds are used for the benefit of the em- ployees. Mr. Adams showed pictures of a number of flower gardens in various corners surrounding the com- pany’s plants, and said that they found it cost no more to maintain these gardens than it had to remove the refuse formerly thrown on the same spots by the work- men. Selling Forgings Through Brokers T. W. Siemon, vice-president Union Switch & Signal Co., read a short paper entitled “Should Forgings be Sold Direct or Through Brokers?” He expressed opposi- tion to the sale of forgings by brokers, and said that now in particular it is necessary for the manufacturers and consumers to get together. Manufacturers should know the requirements of their customers to succeed. If they sell through brokers they have little opportunity to get first-hand knowledge. The broker’s only interest is to get his commission. The broker has no financial interests in the company he represents, is not familiar with plant conditions, and has little knowledge of costs. If a company sells its entire product through brokers, it takes great chances. He said there might be a limited opportunity for use of brokers in selling standard steel products, but not in the case of work done from blue- prints and specifications. He believed that it was cheaper to employ salesmen. Mr. Siemon announced that the object of presenting his paper was to start something, but in this he was apparently disappointed, as no discussion developed. The electrical system in the forge shop of the Champion Machine & Forging Co., Cleveland, was de- scribed by Edward Mcllvried of that company. He 1652 said that a magnet is used for handling all steel except bundled material. A paper on “Steels for Gears” by G. A. Richardson, Midvale Steel & Ordnance Co., is printed elsewhere in this issue. Determining Oil Consumption for Forge Fires “Fuel Analysis of the Drop Forge Plant’ was the subject of an interesting paper by B. K. Read, engineer Dominion Forge & Stamping Co., Walkerville, Ont., presented at the opening of the Friday morning session. In connection with his paper Mr. Read distributed a pamphlet showing the layout of his shop and the results of various tests on the furnaces, boiler room reports, distribution of steam to all producing units, etc. A summary of his paper is as follows: Many companies especially those maintaining cen- tral stations are obtaining the most possible heat from coal, but the vast majority of manufacturers have still to improve their methods for economical burning. In the past the investment charges necessary to improve coal-burning conditions would have been so much that it was cheaper to continue to burn coal uneconomically. However, today almost any large investment will pay, as the price of fuel has increased so rapidly. The scarcity of coal and oil is also demanding the economical use of these fuels and the scarcity of labor necessitates the installing of apparatus to handle and burn fuel effi- ciently. The statement regarding the saving of coal also applies to forge furnaces which must be made to burn less oil. Means must be provided to heat more steel with less oil. His company under his supervision attacked this problem in a methodical way during tne year and obtained results in reducing fuel costs per pound of steel. The company has an oil storage capacity of 120,000 gal., approximately a month’s supply in seven storage tanks. The oil house is connected with the steam drop hammer shop by a concrete tunnel in which are located the steam and oil lines. A duplicate system of motor-