The Iron Age 1919-01-23: Vol 103 Iss 4

TE IRON ACE New York, January 23, 1919 sisentillilinan ! pata LINHA H ANU ea | FIRE BRICK = I BAX AB 4 i> aN ; ~ - \ = [KRITPR |B) lr AY : = 4 | . 4 ‘; ; = |, ri a CLA } : = BRICK PRODUCTION = = 1909— 30,000 per day = : 1912— 65,000 « « : E 1915—125,000 « « : 5 1918—275,000 « « : Z Our Policies and sales methods are construc- : 2 tive. We believe in the future. Observe our z 2 growth in production, increased by large per- z = centages in the pre-war period. = = As our contribution to the immediate recon- = = struction programme we are now putting an 2 = additional quarter of a million dollars into Z = plant and mine betterment. = «| CRESCENT KEI PORTES COMPA : = CURWENSVILLE, PA. : 5 Te - TABLE OF CONTENTS - - - 261 ‘ADVERTISING INDEX --- 428 : Buyers’ Index Section “a 108 Contract Work Sectior ose ed9e Business Opportunitie 384 = Wanted Section ........ ; . 382 Help and Situations Ww ante a. 387 Clearing House Section i $34 = Ld Qe eommaonnvngnnnnannnsasannnneysgusesevecetenuasacnnengananyinneay TM TT Vvgsoneneueneyiomaennyioiett wean ! wuneanseityt pemenemmenl ) Err ) NTT TT LE | HH THE IRON AGE January 23, 1919 ee An Anti- Friction Metal that for three decades has been sold under the broad guarantee that it will stand more speed and wear than any other metal, or we will return the price paid for it—you to be the sole judge. Marks Lissberger & Son, Inc. eee £8 BARE CPT Ss Rw 2 eR Se There is no BEARING METAL want but what we are prepared to fill with RIGHT QUALITY AT RIGHT PRICE be , aa , of BEST PMETAL oi AIT El A000 4 iy, G, Wp Yy Uh New York, January 23, 1919 ESTABLISHED 1855 yyy VY Up puuwyyyy WH. WY yyy YY ty MOY VOL. 103: No. 4 Conversion of White Iron Into Foundry How Chinese Native Irons May Be Made Available as a Means of Relieving the Scarcity of Other Grades in That Country BY C. T. great shortage of pig iron in the Far East, because America has forbidden pig iron ex- portations. The supply of pig iron from China and Japan is not enough to meet the demand, so that the price has advanced up from 30 taels to 170 taels per ton. According to the present rate of exchange 1 tael is equal to $1.29 gold. () erest to the European war there has been a Chinese Native Iron Furnaces There are about 150 native iron blast furnaces in China capable of producing two to six tons of pig iron per furnace per day, using cold blast. These furnaces can- not produce a grade of iron HUANG* — account of the civil war, we have had to stop one of the large furnaces, and it is being repaired; there- fore we have only three furnaces running. Changing White Iron Into Foundry The smelting of the native white iron into foun- dry pig is not simply a melting process as is the remelting of foundry scrap or iron plate of good quality, but involves a process of metallurgical con- version, changing part of the combined carbon into graphitic, the removal of sulphur down to the per- missible limit and the introduction of silicon up to about 2 per cent. It requires heat to melt iron and much more heat to convert the white iron into suitable for foundry use, as the sulphur content is sometimes as high as 0.22 per cent, and the silicon as low as 0.04 per cent. Sometimes they can _ produce good basic iron, because most of them use charcoal as fuel. The only modern iron and steel plant owned by the Chinese in China is the Hanyang Iron & Steel Works. There are still some oth- ers of the modern type in China and in Japan, but the total pro- duction of them is not enough for the demand of the Eastern HE Chinese native iron smelters produce a considerable quantity of white pig iron in their 150 primitive furnaces. Con- fronted with the scarcity of imports of foundry iron, Dr. Woo, superintendent of the Hanyang Iron & Steel Works, suggested the converting in blast furnaces of this high sul- phur, low silicon iron into a suitable foundry iron, and this article discusses the problems involved and the cost. foundry. The hearth heat in the blast furnace is only sufficient for its own work, therefore it is neces- sary either to lighten the burden or .to increase the coke consump- tion for the smelting of the native white iron. The amount of heat is equivalent to one ton coke to four tons iron. After various attempts I found that our three furnaces, now rup- ning, could take up only 40 tons of native iron, equivalent to 10 per cent of the daily output, with- market. In Hanyang, our superintend- ent, Dr. Z. T. K. Woo, suggested the remelting of all the iron plates used for pave- ment in the works for the purpose of changing them into iron that could be sold at high prices. We had successfully remelted 1000 or 2000 tons of plates in our blast furnaces at the beginning of the year and realized a good profit through the increase in production. As the demand for pig iron is so great and the price so high, about 170 taels per ton at the time of writing, our superintendent suggested the buying of all the native white iron at a low price to be remelted, and converting it into a good grade iron in our furnaces. He asked the writer to make a trial of thus converting the native iron into good iron in our blast furnaces. Our works comprises four blast furnaces, two small ones and two large ones, the smaller ones rated at 100 tons each per day, and the larger ones at 250 tons each per day, but owing to shortage of transportation of coke on *Th uthor is b'ast-furnace engineer, Hanyang, China out interfering with the norma) working of the furnaces. This is governed by the relation of iron to the slag volume. It is through the medium of slag that the sulphur is partly if not all eliminated, silicon introduced and carbon changed into the graphitic form. It may be possible for the furnace to smelt a higher tonnage than 10 per cent of its own capacity by adding slag and coke to the charge, but it must not be forgotten that the slag and coke eccupy space, sacrificing furnace ca- pacity. Some of the Limitations There is another point which puts a limit upon the smelting of the native white iron up to more than 10 per cent of the furnace capacity. Uni- formity in the distribution and descent of the stock is of prime importance in the smooth operation of blast furnaces. We note that scrap iron, charged together with ore, limestone and coke into the fur- nace, descends much faster, causing a chilled hearth and the production of off-grade iron. This is be- cause of the higher specific gravity of iron com- pared with other constituents of the charge and 231 | 232 THE IRON AGE the action of differential sinking and separation re- sembles closely that of a pneumatic jig used in ore dressing. This jigging action was observed and proved to have taken place in the blowing out of one of our furnaces, as we had charged, on blowing the fur- nace out, 80 tons of limestone on top of the charge, and on racking the material out we found that the limestone came down to the hearth quicker, leaving a large layer of coke on the top, showing very clearly a distinct and separate layer of coke and limestone. This tends to support the theory that one cannot charge too much white iron into the furnace at a time because of the difference in spe- cific gravity, tending to produce a chilled hearth. Recently we experimented by adding more scrap pig than the amount permitted into one of our fur- naces and at the same time lightened the burden. The result was the chilling of the hearth and the production of bad iron, which required remelting and conversion in the furnace again. To raise the hearth heat, the furnace with a light burden has to be run with a decreased supply of blast which im- parts a higher heat to the slag, giving rise to hang- ing and other consequent irregularities. Therefore it is rather risky to smelt more than 10 per cent of the furnace capacity. Cost of the Conversion The cost of smelting white iron into foundry is as follows: Coke (1 ton of coke to 4 tons of iron) 3.211 taels NES nd bea bie 2.05 bd ea tS ; 0.055 tael a la lida y st a ale aa A te oe ; . 0.728 tael Materials ... ne ; 0.603 tael General expenses .. ack 2.164 taels a a ee ee ee 1.000 taels en RN OI es. ce ap edawnsutian see 7.761 taels This cost is only approximate, but we believe that it is fairly accurate for making estimates. It will be seen that the transportation and marketing charges are not included in the list. There is another very important point. The displacement of ore charge by the native white iron decreases the furnace capacity for smelting our ore, the iron content of which is about 60 per cent. For every 250 kg. of white iron entering into the fur- nace per charge, we have to lighten the ore burden by 100 kg., equivalent to 60 kg. Fe. The average number of charges in our three furnaces per day is 160, which means that the capacity of the fur- naces for smelting ore is reduced by 9.6 metric tons of iron as against 40 metric tons of white iron smelted in place of the ore. Relative Profits The relative profit and minimum selling price for smelting the white iron is of prime value from a commercial standpoint because the cost of produc- ing one ton of iron from the ore is much lower than that from the native iron and consequently the profit made from smelting the ore is proportionately greater. Whether it is judicious to purchase native white iron, turning it into foundry pig in the blast furnaces, hinges upon the additional profit which could be gained from this transaction without low- ering the profit which could be gained from the smelting of the ore on account of the displacement of the furnace capacity. The problem, due to the difference of the first cost prices, is dependent on the condition that the profit made from smelting 40 tons native iron per day should be greater than that lost through dis- placement of furnace capacity of 9.6 tons of iron from ore smelting. To solve this problem it is necessary to determine the minimum selling’ price of January 23, 1919 the iron at which no profit can be made and this is really the keynote of the whole solution. Let K minimum selling price at which the profit made from smelting native iron is balanced by the loss of furnace capacity for ore smelting. X cost price of native iron ex-Hanyang furnace. A smelting cost per ton of native iron at Han- yang furnace. 40 tons of native iron that could be smelted per day. 9.6 tons of iron from ore smelting but lost by dis- placement through the smelting of 40 tons of native iron. |K (A X) 140 — 9.6(K — 20) 0 (no profit), so long as the smelting price is above the value of K the deal in native iron will be profitable. The price of native iron varies from 50 taels to 95 taels per ton. If we assume the cost price of native iron per ton as 50 taels, then X 50 taels, price per ton ex-Hanyang furnace. A 7.8 taels, cost of smelting per ton of white iron. K minimum selling price. [(K — (7.8 50) 140 — 9.6(K — 20) 0 40K — 312 — 2000 — 9.6K + 192 0 30.4K 2120 2120 30.4 The price of foundry iron is 170 taels per ton, therefore, by smelting 1 ton native iron we can get a profit of 100.23 taels. 69.77 taels There are about 500,000 tons of native iron in China. If this can be converted into good foundry pig, there will be a profit of about 50 million taels. The question then is, how many tons of white iron can be converted in a day into foundry pig so as to make a quick profit. From the above, we note that one furnace can handle only 10 per cent of its own capacity which puts a limit upon the “quick profit.” It may be possible to smelt the white iron in a separate furnace mixing it with the proper proportion of slag and coke and a little maganese ore. The native pig iron has to be broken to proper size before entering into the furnace. By doing so we avoid to a certain extent the separation of native iron from other constituents due to jigging action. The original size of the native pig is in the form of a brick 10 x 8 x 1 in. By using this method I believe a 100-ton furnace can handle 300 to 400 tons white iron a day easily, using hot blast. Will Abandon Electric Welding Training WASHINGTON, Jan. 21.—H. A. Horner, head of the Electric Welding Branch Education and Training Sec- tion, has announced that the Fleet Corporation has de- cided to abandon all electric welding training for ship- builders and that the various training centers at Schenectady, Brooklyn, Cleveland, San Francisco and Philadelphia have been closed. The San Francisco and Philadelphia projects were conducted solely by the Fleet Corporation. The other three were established in conjunction and co-operation with manufacturers of welding apparatus—the General Electric Co, at Schenectady; the Quasi-Arc Weldtrode Co., Brooklyn, and the Lincoln Electric Co., Cleveland. “The splendid efforts of these manufacturers in working with the corporation to further the develop- ment of electric welding has brought about immediate results, and doubtless could the arrangement have been continued, notable developments in the application of electric welding to shipbuilding could have been re- ported,” says Mr. Horner’s announcement. The Gen- eral Electric Co. spent considerable money, both in the training center maintained at Schenectady and in in- dependent research work conducted by the company itself. It is understood that this company spent as much money on these investigations and study of elec- tric welding as the Fleet Corporation did to maintain its Electric Welding Committee.” PE a Steel Castings on the Pacifie Coast Growth of the Industry Due to the War— Good Steel Made Without Pig Iron— Overcoming Manufacturing Difficulties castings on the Pacific Coast is one of the note- worthy effects of the European war, and was dis- cussed by J. D. Fenstermacher of the Columbia Steel Co., San Francisco, Cal., before the Milwaukee conven- tion of the American Foundrymen’s Association in October, 1918, in a paper “Making Steel Castings on the Pacific Coast.” Since the beginning of the conflict, the growth of the steel casting industry has been remarkable, not only ‘ great development in the manufacture of steel from a technical but from a commercial point of view. Incidentally, the great mineral resources of the Western states have also been developed. The state of Cali- fornia in particular is playing an important part by furnishing materials that are vitally essential to the steel industry of our country. Steel castings are manu- factured in the states of Washington, Oregon and Cali- fornia, using the crucible, the converter, and the electric, basic and open-hearth furnaces. Geographical Disadvantages Primarily our geographical location has placed us all in a position which has been more or less disad- vantageous to the healthy growth of our business. However, from day to day, we are becoming more con- fident because conditions are changing rapidly and in directions that are beneficial to us. I am unable to pre- dict miracles until great manufacturing plants that will create demands for steel castings such as are in the East are established in our territory. We have no gigantic establishments for building locomotives, cars, rolling- mill machinery, machine tools and many other products. However, we are gradually entering this field, and to- day we are building locomotives, cars and machinery, not, it is true, on a scale compared with the East, but to an extent commensurate with our demands, brought about by conditions with which you are all familiar. Prior to the outbreak of the European war the steel founders on the Pacific Coast encountered innumerable manufacturing difficulties. Conditions are different from those that prevail in the Middle West and on the Atlantic Coast. In order to be successful it requires con- siderable experience, and one must be thoroughly famil- iar with the peculiar operations which are therefore customarily carried on in the Pacific Coast territory. The making of steel castings in this territory is not a recent accomplishment. Some were made in 1885 in San Francisco; of course not on a large scale but of a fair quality. The companies that made them have long ago gone into other lines of manufacture, possibly be- cause the demand for this product was not large enough to warrant continuation on a commercial basis. The oldest and largest company on the Pacific Coast in continuous operation is the Columbia Steel Co. of San Francisco. My connection with this company dat- ing from my arrival in California over five years ago will enable me to outline its development. During that period I have participated in the struggles incidental to the commercial operation of an open-hearth steel foundry in a pioneer territory. Some of the problems mentioned will no doubt apply to all of the other steel foundries on the Western coast. In 1909 the Columbia Steel Co. was organized and took over for operation the converter steel foundry which had been started in 1902 by the Columbia Engi- neering Works in Portland, Ore. This was the only active steel foundry in the Northwest at that time. In the same year ground was broken for the location of a new plant at Pittsburg, Contra Costa county, Cal., within fifty miles of San Francisco. The plant site is on the New York slough of the San Joaquin River, which with the Sacramento River, empties into the waters of Suisun Bay a short distance away. These are the two largest rivers in the state of California, flow- ing from the south and north respectively, both navi- gable to a certain. extent by vessels of moderate draft. The company maintains two docks on the New York slough. There are also three other lines of transporta- tion, the Southern Pacific, the Santa Fe and the Oakland, Antioch & Eastern railroads, the last named being elec- trically operated. Steel Made Without Pig Iron From experience gleaned in the operation of the Portland plant it was decided to build a plant in Cali- fornia with facilities which would enable the cOmpany to produce large castings commercially as well as eco- nomically. A vital problem was confronted—the use Plant of Columbia Steel Co. at Pittsburg, Cal 233 234 THE IRON AGE of pig iron. No satisfactory material of this nature being produced west of the Rocky Mountains, it was necessary to transport it from Eastern sources. The cost of bringing the iron from the east is a fact well worth considering. The installation of a basic open hearth furnace was decided upon. This.furnace was to make steel suitable for castings, the melting charge consisting of all scrap material, eliminating the use of pig iron. The practice proved itself a success and to this day is still in vogue. The entire plant was erected under the persona! supervision of S. T. Wellman, the well-known engineer. In this connection he was assisted by D. H. Botchford, the present general manager of the company, who also supervised the initial manufacturing operations. Molds were made for the first heat which was tapped and poured successfully on Nov. 23, 1910. Overcoming Manufacturing Difficulties I will endeavor to point out some of the manufactur- ing difficulties experienced primarily by our isolation from the so-called centers of production, also, giving January 23, 1919 mining factor in our manufacturing costs. I understand that certain grades of this material have been located in nearby states. This would lessen transportation costs and difficulties somewhat. Suitably trained mechanics have always been scarce The importation of this class of labor from the East has not only been expensive but has proved unsatis- factory. The only solution of this problem is for the manufacturers to train their own help. In some places this has been done to a certain extent, but all of the foundrymen on the Coast cannot do so. The absence of stable and multiple work has a great effect on our manufacturing costs. The reason for this has been explained in the foregoing. It is very essential, therefore, that the jobbing shop must be pro- vided with mechanics that have a wide’ experience in all kinds of work, and flask equipment must be varied and flexibile. It may also be necessary to use con- siderable wooden flask equipment according to thé nature of the work, and the community in which the shop is located. The melting stock used at the present time in the One Piece Bucket Idler for Gold Dredge as briefly as possible a description of what has been done to overcome some of these difficulties and the mate- rial results achieved. Manufacturers of steel castings are confronted with a necessity for three vital things—scrap, sand and ex- perienced mechanics. The question of scrap is being given serious consideration in the far West, not only by steel foundrymen but by the rolling mills which con- sume more of this material from the foundries. The present demand for scrap exceeds the production. Pig iron is being produced in very small quantities on the Pacific Coast and this production is not sufficient to off- set the rapidly diminishing quantity of scrap. However, steps are being taken to produce suitable pig iron local- ly on a large scale. This will be the solution of this vital question. California has considerable ore deposits, but coking coal has always been a drawback. Never- theless, there are favorable indications as to the nearby source for the quantity production of suitable coke, and I hope the time is not far off when the Pacific Coast will be producing enough pig iron for its own con- sumption. Sand from Illinois Next in importance is silica sand. This material is nearly all transported from Illinois. Local sands, in cluding beach sands, have been used, but they are not nearly so satisfactory as the natural Eastern stand- ards. The transportation of Eastern sand is a deter- basic furnace at the Columbia plant is obtained locally from railroads, mines, smelters, gold-dredges, oil fields and shipyards. Scrap brake shoes are considered good material, but are not always obtainable. Clean steel turnings are used in small quantities. The melting is done by oil fuel exclusively. This material is delivered by barges to the company’s dock and pumped into stor- age tanks. Facilities are such that delivery can also be made by tank cars, if emergencies demand. Either steam or air is used for atomizing. Analysis of Raw Materials The magnetite iron ore, limestone, dolomite and cal- cined magnesite are all secured from nearby sources. The following typical analyses herewith will show the quality of these materials. MAGNETITE— Per Cent I ett ple ala ales Bae 2 adee ele ac dreiiow acai atela 4.0 an EN Es did Wn 6 4-0'O Kiv'd bake Aes fi de Oke eS 90.0 LIMESTONE— Ee Re a ee ee ea ae — Iron and alumina Se ID. 4 cbc. as Meee vada wekae) 99.5 DOLOMITE— Dh Shh. os Wh be wh ee dedan bhach bh ekeebeaeee 0.2 Iron and alumina . és v'eeohre where . ie CS: QP WOUIOR oss ce 6 eaeke sn cee stews 55.7 Magnesium carbonate i‘Nadb wana See MAGNESITR- Silica ae : ; ‘ ae © aan Wenn ae re er cr eee rr re 5.0 Lime : ; in 1.0 Magnesia . 88.0 ee I Oo DERE TT rrr January 23, 1919 Standard ferromanganese and ferrochrome are pro- duced by nearby electric smelters. Fifty per cent ferro- silicon, nickel, vanadium and other alloys are obtained from Eastern manufacturers. Magnesite and chrome brick are also transported from regular Eastern sources. The freight charges on all this material has its influence on operating costs, which causes the foun- drymen considerable concern. Quality of the Steel In order to convey an intelligent idea of the quality of steel for castings, to meet any recognized specifica- tions, made from the basic all-scrap charged furnace, the following chemical and ‘physical characteristics are given as representing castings made for the Govern- ment: Table of Analyses and Tests of Basic Open-Hearth Steel Castings s Analysis os B®: € - q@ #€ S32 € =& F as S$ S. es Smog € & B BE ae 4 =o =o = a. = = 3 a CE . Qe ae MEMS Oo L Rh as AG > Ss oo Per Cent je 2) 4 BJ — dA ——_ cx 47 35,000 70,000 31 54 0.26 0.30 0.029 0.015 0.59 5S 33,000 64.000 $2 60 0.20 0.36 0.030 0.015 - 0.55 66 34,500 68,500 30 56 0.25 0.32 06.038 0.018 0.62 79 33,600 67,200 32 58 0.25 0.28 0.038 0.019 0.63 93 32,000 62,000 35 68 0.21 0.34 0.040 0.013 0.68 95 36,000 66,400 30 60 0.23 0.33 0.039 0.018 0.74 96 32,500 63,000 33 60 0.23 0.33 0.039 0.018 0.74 100 33,000 66,000 31 56 0.22 0.34 0.026 0.015 0.57. 125 38,500 75,500 25 50 0.28 0.30 0.040 0.015 0.53 146 33,600 64,800 28 60 0.24 0.31 0.029 0.014 0.58 150 32,000 60,800 35 63 0.18 0.32 0.026 0.013 0.62 154 55,000 94,500 25 54 0.30 0.25 0.028 0.013 0:53¢ 160 31,000 60,500 36 64 0.19 0.33 0.031 0.018 0.58 *Nickel, 2.70 per cent. Acid Open-Hearth Furnace In 1916 increased demands for tonnage were great enough to warrant additional melting facilities. It was decided to install an acid open-hearth furnace. One of medium size was considered necessary in order to pro- duce metal in fair quantities during periods that the basic furnace was shut-down for major repairs. These repairs are more frequent for this furnace than the average basic furnace that uses scrap and pig iron. THE IRON AGE 235 However, in spite of the severe service imposed by melt- ing all scrap, an average of 370 heats has been pro- duced. The last run was the best ever made, when 411 heats were turned out before it was necessary to rebuild the furnace. The acid furnace was built to melt the foundry scrap produced by the basic furnace. Chemical character- istics of this scrap are given in the foregoing table showing material made for castings by the basic fur- nace. About 90 to 92 per cent of this scrap is used, the balance being made up of standard low-phosphorus pig iron. When the furnace is used for making heats to pour medium and small castings, the heats average about four tons each. This furnace has been operated continuously since last summer, and to date over 1000 heats have been melted. Analyses of the steel made by this process for castings for the Government are as follows: Table of Analyses and Tests of Acid Open-Hearth Steel Castings Analysis o43 of = - a OP a rs =o oo s& 2& = S = ch + 5 wn an 6" Se = ° = 13 bo 7 Oo & @ be oN oe & = = o6 es ‘ =o =o =, oO = a Hs jo ~ mm ae BE Mo ~ th TN ey acs > Sa Af Per Cent a a i Cc ean aumemeein — —— 560 36.000 70,000 31 51 .28-0.30 0.041 0.035 0.57 564 31,500 61,000 32 56 0.21 °.0.24 0.043 0.035 0.66 571 31,500 60,500 30 50 0.20 0.33 0.043 0.039 0.48 582 35,000 69,000 29 52 0.28 06.28 0.044 0.036 0.61 642 32,000 65,000 2 51 0.21 0.381 0.034 0.036 0.70 707 36,500 70.500 2 52 0.28 0.36 0.034 0.027 0.65 710 36,000 68,300 27 53 0.27 0.27 0.040 0.029 0.57 730 46©40,000 76,500 27 46 0.31 0.30 0.034 0.016 0.67 738 32,500 62,000 28 53 0.21 0.26 0.036 0.033 0.56 741 41.000 78,500 26 49 0.35 0.29 0.038 0.024 0.73 752 37,000 72,500 30 57 0.30 0.33 0.044 0.041 0.64 758 50,000 91.000 23 48 0.43 0.30 06.039 0.040 06.59 All the steel foundries on the Pacific Coast are called upon to produce a great variety of castings up to the limit of their melting capacity, but the Columbia Steel Co., being the largest manufacturer west of the Rocky Mountains, is called upon to make some very large cast- ings. However, recently this company has had inquiries for castings beyond its present melting capacity. Inas- much as this situation has developed, the management has authorized the installation of another basic furnace. This will give the Pittsburgh plant three furnaces. National Foreign Trade Council The National Foreign Trade Council will hold its sixth national foreign trade convention at the Con- gress Hotel, Chicago, on Thursday, Friday and Satur- day, April 24, 25 and 26. The formal call will be issued shortly by the chairman of the council, James A. Farrell, president, United States Steel Corporation. The convention in April will deal with Foreign Trade as a Factor in Stabilizing American Industry— problems involving the conversion of war industries to the needs of peace; development of our foreign trade to provide employment for our soldiers, sailors and war workers, and the formation of a definite policy dealing with the future of our new shipping. The procedure of the convention will be along the lines that have proved so successful in the past: gen- eral sessions with prepared papers by the leading au- thorities, followed by discussion; group sessions, con- sisting mainly of discussion, in which the special in- terests of different types of business are treated; in- dividual conferences with Government representatives and trade advisers. “The Journal of American Steel Treaters Society” of Chicago has appeared and promises to contain valu- able information, particularly for steel metallurgists. The chairman of the publication committee is A: F. MacFarland, metallurgist, U. S. Ball Bearing Mfg. Co., Chicago. It is to be a monthly issue representing the activities of the American Steel Treaters Society of Chicago, of which T. E. Baker, production engi- neer, Miehle Printing Press & Mfg. Co., Chicago, is president, and A. G. Henry, metallurgist, Illinois Tool Works, Chicago, is secretary-treasurer. Market for American Products WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.—Cardenas with a popula- tion of 32,000 inhabitants, is rated as one of the chief industrial centers of Cuba, and offers a favorable market for the sale of American iron and steel products, such as rails, plates, bars, angles, and gal- vanized sheeting, says a report to the Department of Commerce made by Consular Assistant George A. Makinson at Cardenas. Three large machine shops and foundries located there employ approximately 500 skilled mechanics. These concerns specialize in the manufacture of boilers, tanks, conveyors, and other ma- chinery used in the various sugar mills scattered throughout this consular district. There is also a re- cently established factory devoted to the construction of freight cars and similar railroad equipment. The United Railways of Habana (Ltd.) maintains an im- portant repair shop and construction staff in this city and uses considerable steel for bridges and new track- age. Purchases for this undertaking are made through the company’s chief purchasing agent, located in Habana. That manufacturers may well take a page from the labor unions’ book on organization, is the opinion of F. W. Hutchings, vice-president Charcoal Iron Co. of America, in an article on business readjustment in the Detroit Saturday Night. “If he lives to see the day when his own organizations,” he writes, “are as effec- tively amalgamated in one central effort as those of his employees, he will have reason to congratulate himself. If he continues in his present disintegrated form dis- aster is certain to be his, and he wi!l have none to blame but himself.” 236 THE IRON Soldering Iron for Cans Several months ago a large biscuit manufacturer was pressed to meet the Government’s schedule of hard bread which he was supplying. The difficulty lay, not in producing the bread, but in soldering the tin con- tainers. This hard bread is packed in small square tin cans, and in order to expedite the soldering of the tops, 150 standard soldering irons were mounted in a horizontal position with a large steel square crosshead or clamp on the threaded stud at the end of the iron body, and under this a piece of bar copper placed ver- tically at the end of the iron. The cans were soldered by placing them against this piece of copper bar. So much heat was dissipated between the heating ele- ments and the point of contact with the can that speed could not be maintained. To overcome this the body of the iron was wrapped with as- bestos, which in- creased the tem- perature at the tip but shortened the life of the iron. They were returned in such quantity to the manufacturer, the Cutler - Hammer Mfg. Co., Milwau- kee, for repairs that it was de- cided to investi- gate the condi- Can Soldering Iron Designed for Rapid uons under which Production the irons were being used. The result was the special can soldering iron shown in the accompanying illustration. The iron consists of a pair of heating units which are insulated with mica and then covered by a steel jacket pressed into close contact with the mica by hydraulic pressure. The heating units are placed on either side of a piece of bar copper and gripped be- tween two iron plates forming a clamp. A suitable bracket for mounting the iron vertically is provided. The copper bar is from 1 in. to 1% in. wide and from 1% in. to % in. thick. The two heating units work in- dependently of each other, and in case of a burn-out may be renewed separately. The units are known as type H units. For the can soldering appliance a modi- fied construction is used to provide the proper protec- tion against the fumes of the soldering flux. The flat copper bar conducts the heat rapidly from the two flat heating units with a consequent small loss of heat. The Cuttler-Hammer Co. state that tests have shown that this new iron, rated at 200 to 225 watts. is capable of doing as much work per hour as a 400-watt standard soldering iron. The iron is designed for mount- ing on the bench, but it is possible to furnish a special handle to permit of its use as a hand tool if desired. Increased Cost of Making Iron Matthew Addy Co.’s market report for Jan. 18 says in part: “The iron trade is ‘struggling with the problem of readjustment. And incidentally it is making no per- ceptible progress. The main difficulty appears to be with the question of costs. An extensive maker of engines and boilers tells us that never before has he had as many inquiries-as at present. The inquirers are expecting apparently to be able to buy more cheaply than was the case a few months ago, but with all labor and most raw materials as high as ever, the prices necessarily quoted are the war prices. It is the cost of producing things that is the main factor. For ex- ample, the furnace in the South that long had the reputation of making iron at a cost lower than any other furnace in the Union, and that back in 1895 sold iron at $5 a ton and survived, made iron in 1914 at $8 a ton. Their president the other day told us that his cost of making iron had gone up to $27 a ton.” AGE January 23, 1919 Combination Plate Punching, Trimming and Shearing Machine A combination multiple punching, trimming and shearing machine has recently been developed by the Long & Allistatter Co., Hamilton, Ohio. A cycle of operations is performed on a plate or sheet by this machine, which, it is claimed, would otherwise require three distinct machines, or at least three separate tool settings, if done on an ordinary punching machine. The tool equipment is composed of individual ad- justable punch and die holders for the punching opera- tion a back upper and lower shear for the cutting-off operation, and a pair of side trimming shears, one set on each end of the tool holders. The back shearing arrangement is to be used only as a separate operation. That is, when the main slide or ram, that controls the punching operation and the side trimming operation is performing its functions, the back shear arrangement is inoperative, or idle. Upon completing the punching and trimming. of the sides of the plates to the width desired, the punch gags are pulled out of operation, or ungagged, and a rear shearing device is thrown into engagement. Then upon engaging the clutch with the master gear the end of the plate is sheared off exactly to length. A safety device or lock is built into the machine, thus making it impossible for both the punch slide and the shear slide to function at the same time, which would result in spoiling a plate. The stripping of the punches from the plate is done by means of an automatic stripper that has a direct The Cycle of Operations on This Plate Punching, Trimming and Shearing Machine Are Set in Motion and Stopped Auto- matically A safety lock prevents the punch slide and shear slide from functioning simultaneous]? vertical movement so that no side action or creeping motion is imparted to the plate. All of the tools are clamped in position by T-head bolts that are readily accessible, requiring little effort on the part of the tool setter. The machine is pro- vided with gag controllers that’can be grouped in any series desired. One interesting feature of the sliding mechanism is that it is balanced by air pressure, which the manu- facturer claims after experiments. to be a most effi- cient counterbalance for this type of machine. It works more successfully and economically in conjunction with a spacing table, with hand or automatic feed. Tuesday noon luncheons have been established as one of the features of activity of the Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia. A speaker is arranged for each luncheon on topics of interest to the engineer. The Training Department—Past and Future The Crippling of One Plant For Another— Real and Pretended Interest In Workmen — Some Training Plans For the Common Good BY JOHN C. SPENCE When the United States declared war against Ger- many in April, 1917, it was realized that the number of workers in industrial establishments was wholly inadequate for shop production on the necessary scale. In spite of the fact that we had been overwhelmed with orders for supplies of all kinds for the Allies for the three years preceding, we had done practically nothing as a nation to produce operators on a com- prehensive plan. The common practice from August, 1914, on, was to go out and get your neighbor’s workers away from him by hook or by crook, and mostly by crook. We have fairly satisfactory evidence that before we de- clared war, some employment managers went so far as to make bargains with labor agitators at so much a head for each worker of certain types driven to ob- tain employment in sundry factories outside of his own community because of strikes brought on by the aid and suggestion of the agitators. This was an extreme and, I am glad to say, a rare method. The method used by very many, was to send a representative to establish himself at a hotel in a busy community, to study local conditions as to wages and hours and to advertise for certain specified types of workers at rates that would attain his object. Most of us have been guilty of either this method or the similar though less public but more efficient one of sending a man, one who knows his business, to a community and using no advertising whatever, except the passing of the word from one workman to his fellows. A smart man can by this method, if backed by a large concern, absolutely skin a small community of all its best workers. I know this to be so because I have done it and could easily do it again. Probably all factory executives know that this method of obtaining help was harmful to even the tem- porarily successful shop. The injured shop certainly knew it was. Inoculation with the Germ of Travel Within a short time almost all workers were inocu- lated with the germ of travel. Labor turnover became enormous. One executive told me of hiring 1000 people per week to maintain a force of 5000 in a shell shop. It became a frequent practice in some communities for common labor to stipulate that it be paid every night instead of by the week, thus freeing the work- er from the trouble of going out to the plant after his money on pay day if he happened to pick up an- other job. Employment managers held expensive and unsatis- factory conventions where saintly individuals told how they had obtained thousands of new employees with- out injury to their neighbors by means of this nostrum or that; by group insurance, by all kinds of bonuses, by speechmaking, backclapping, and handshaking, and by making it a point daily to ask John or Jim “How are the wife and kids to-day?” These things are all fine when they come from the heart instead of the head. I believe in them. I know that they were common practice before the days of these conventions and will be long after them. But those of us who knew exactly what was going on, realized that either the speakers were theoretical men whose integrity we did not question or else they were men too busy with affairs of management to have learned the exact details of how the job was being done. Too many of us had a community conscience in labor questions, a conscience created by social contact with executive neighbors, and one we did not have to- 237 ward the man outside of our own town. In the end, however, the effect was the same whether we hurt our immediate neighbor or a remote labor competitor. We were all trying to put six pieces in seven places and each of us wanted all six for himself. The Renewed Start in Training the Unskilled There began to be glimmerings of intelligence after a time. Certain executives concluded that someone must start a movement of training the unskilled into skilled or semi-skilled workers. The scheme, of course, is an old one and dates vack to the founding of in- dustry in America, but, because we had had a suf- ficient supply of labor tor many years, even the long- term apprentice system had practically gone. Those who attempted to revive the scheme of train- ing realized that it was more or less of a philanthropic effort, as unless practically all took hold of it an addi- tion to the supply of workers would be of small conse- quence. However, someone had to make the start hoping that, if the plan was worth while, others would see the light. In 1915 the Norton Grinding Co. started a tra‘ning department because of the drain on Worcester’s skilled help caused by the vast increase in munition work, tool work, etc., in that and neighboring towns. We found that the regular foreman in charge of production did not have the necessary time to give to the breaking in of green help or of help that had obtained only a par- tial training at other shops. We believed it would pay to have a separate training department for all be- ginners where they would remain long enough to learn the rudiments of machine-shop practice. We do not pretend to turn out, by means of this department, skilled machinists, although in the cases of those who have shown a natural gift for mechanics, it has been a wonderful revelation to see with what rapidity they have learned. Our training department is in a gallery of one of our mills and is 23 ft. wide by 264 ft. long, an area of 6072 sq. ft. It has a tool crib operated under the same system as those in the regular production depart- ments, and washrooms and toilets separate from the rest of the plant. This department is now capable of turning out 300 to 400 workers per year of a degree of skill above the average available at our employment department before the armistice. Keeping in Touch with the Learners The general opinion in the shop is that the depart- ment is a good scheme. The shop foremen have orders not to hire any unskilled help to be used as producers without first consulting with the supervisor of train- ing. The supervisor is furnished with a list of all new employees so that he can check this item and get into immediaate touch with new men who may have come in under a misunderstanding concern‘ng their ability as workmen and who might make good if given further training. This assures the learners in the training depart- ment of obtaining the opportunities to get into the shop and at the same time, does not prevent the fore- man from getting anyone into training in whom he is interested. When an opening in the shop pre- sents itself, the supervisor selects from the school the person he thinks will best fill the place. The length of time the worker has spent in training has practi- cally no bearing in the case. Some workers, in a few days, due to natural intelligence and ability, or due to the fact that-their judgment has been matured by Se a —————— aE 238 THE IRON AGE years of experience in mechanical work, are better fitted to take shop jobs as operators than are other men not so fortunate. Men are not born equal; they are in this country simply born with equal rights. After a worker leaves the training department and takes a job in the shop, the supervisor still continues to keep in touch with him for several weeks. This often saves workers from discouragement due to strange surroundings and the feeling of incompetence we all have when in contact with a bewildering propo- sition. Our work consists in making high grade grind- ing machinery. We have all of the machinery in use in any machine shop or automobile plant. Hence our problem is similar to that of a great many firms. Classroom Instruction Beginners, in groups, are given classroom instruc- tion, at the very start, in the reading of a steel rule, the setting of outside and inside calipers, and the reading of a micrometer caliper. The process of addi- tion and subtraction of mixed numbers is done directly on the steel rule. No attention is paid to any frac- tional part of an inch other than those found on the rule itself. Decimals are taught directly on the micrometer ‘caliper. Blueprints are used to check up each pupil and to see that he understands the progressive steps of the teaching. On these blueprints blank spaces are left wherein he must put the dimensions obtained from measuring small models. These prints also serve as an introduction to blueprint reading. In connection with these blueprints it might be worth while to state that this scheme can be used to good advantage in the teach- ing of a variety of subjects. In the classroom the beginner is told what the shop expects of him regarding starting and stopping work on scheduled time, the care of shop property, atten- tion to work, and the rights of his neighbor. Also, on the other hand, he is told what he may expect of the shop if he is earnest in his endeavors, and has the right attitude toward his work. Instruction in Registering Time, Getting Tools, Etc. From the classroom the beginner goes directly to the time-clerk, who gives instructions on registering time when starting and completing a job, and the cor- rect job-card to use. He explains how every minute of the day must be correctly accounted for in detail on the job-cards and the total on the payroll card; that the payroll card is a bill to the company for services rendered, and the job-card is an itemized statement of work performed. An assistant instructor, detailed for this work, next takes the beginner to the tool-crib and secures the necessary brass tool-checks and kit of tools. He explains our system of getting job-tools from the crib, and the giving of the numbered brass check as security for the loan of the tool. A locker is then assigned to him in the washroom; he is shown where the subhospital is located; he is shown the central storeroom and the manner in which supplies are obtained with a formal requisition, and is then introduced to the instructor under whom he is going to work for the first few days. Preliminary Machine Instruction The introductory machine instruction is entirely oral. We find that we must repeat most of this in- struction again from time to time as the operator be- comes more familiar with the machine and senses the reasons for the instruction. Dangerous places on the machine are pointed out and instruction is given on the right way to perform the work so as not to get injured. All oil holes are in- dicated, one at a time, and the beginner puts oil in each hole as he is shown and wipes off all surplus oil with a piece of waste. He is then shown how to start and stop the machine. The functions of the principal handles that operate the different units of the machine are demonstrated and the operator is required to move any handle indicated and to observe the result. The operator is then taken out into the shop and January 23, 1919 machines similar to the one he is about tq begin to operate are shown to him and the operations being per- formed are called to his attention. In this talk the technical terms of the operations ..nd tools are used. On returning to the training department the be- ginner is assigned to a machine in the department with an operator who has been on the machine for a few days. The beginner is told to ask questions freely of this operator. Questions that the older operator can- not answer he, in turn asks the instructor. We find this arrangement to be to the advantage of the begin- ner, the older operator, and the instructor, because the beginner gets acquainted at the start and feels at once like a member of the organization, and not like an out- sider; the older operator learns by teaching; and the instructor has another angle from which to judge the capabilities of the older operator. At the end of two hours the beginner is taken from the machine of the older operator and assigned to a machine of his own. The instructor then begins teach- ing, with careful attention to detail, the first elemental operation of that particular machine. Instruction on Machine Tools The instructor puts a tool-bit into a toolholder and shows the correct amount of tension to give the binder screw. He hands the toolholder, toolbit, and wrench to the beginner and asks him to tighten the bit into place. He explains that too strong a pressure on the bit causes it to break in pieces, and too light a pressure permits it to slip under a cutting strain. He puts the toolholder into the toolpost and explains how to adjust the tool to the correct height, tightens the toolpost binderscrew, and points out the right wrench to use. The instructor then takes a piece of work in the rough, and shows how to fasten on the driving dog. He brings the footstock of the lathe into its correct posi- tion and binds it securely with the proper wrench, and puts oil on the footstock center point. He places the piece of work against the headstock center point, with the driver engaged in the slot in the faceplate and in- structs the operator in bringing the footstock center point up to the center hole without marring the edge of the center hole. He shows the wa