The Iron Age 1926-09-02: Vol 118 Iss 10

Oe ogi 2 «1998 t. You will find on the orange- bordered; page a handy summary of the week’s news. eee E RK, N. , ™ SEPTEMBER 2, 1926 Single Copy, 25 Cents published Week NEW YORI class matter June 18, 1879, at Post Office Six Dollars a Year in U. 8. Vol. 118, No. 10 at New York under the Act of March 3, 1879 Canada $8.50; Foreign $12 PITT AUNEOEUSNESOOORDEDEOEOEODCEDEOEOUOSOSUOUEESOGNOUGHOLORGEOUEOROSONEORON OREO HOE DEOROROROOUROEONOEOSUSLOLOUOUSSOOOHORONONOEOCOEOOCOOSOGOOROEOESOOEECUGEOEOEOREGEDSGNDORSODTEORORESERH SHOE RORAEERENTY+ svonneeernnense —aaee : BLOOMING MILL in the WORLD 54” 2-HIGH REVERSING BLOOMING MILL This recently completed mill _is not only the largest blooming ™ mill in the world, but has incor- porated in its design the latest improvements in blooming mill practice, including several exclu- sive “UNITED” features to in- sure continuous operation and minimum loss of time for ad- justment and roll changing. “UNITED” equipment insures you the benefit of our long and wide experience. Finished weight of parts shown ! about 800 tons. | \ eae UNITED ENGINEERING (ieee _& FOUNDRY CO. . PITTSBURGH, PA. ¥ ie a JEN a Patented and Patents Applied For. BUILDERS OF COMPLETE MACHINERY EQUIPMENT FOR JRON, STEEL AND TUBE WORKS LARGEST ROLL MAKERS'IN THE WORLD; MAKERS OF THE LARGEST ROLLS” THE IRON AGE HE power of Niagara depends upon the water from above—the water must be in the right place to serve its purpose. So it is with all other things in life— the right person at the right time, the right material on hand when needed. In fact that is the reason the Ryerson Company has spent a large amount of cap- Place ital and labor in building up a chain of Steel Service plants throughout the coun- try—store houses of steel where every manufacturer and builder may secure just the steel he needs on a mo- ment’s notice. If your order comes to Ryerson your material will be at the right place at the right time. Josep T. Rverson & SON tc ESTABLISHED 1642 PLANTS: CHICAGO ST. LOUIS DETROIT NEW YORK MILWAUKEE CINCINNATI BUFFALO BOSTON REPRESENTATION IN: DENVER LOUISVILLE SAN FRANCISCO JERSEY CITY MINNEAPOLIS TULSA HOUSTON ‘ ant LOS ANGELES NEWARK September 2, 1926 “= 26 = alls sid at THE IRON AGE New York, September 2, 1926 ESTABLISHED 1855 Oven Lining, Chromium Plated, Inside and Out various articles fabricated of iron and steel are multiplying daily. Recent application of this metal to commercial practice has effected savings in many industries totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. Particularly advantageous has been the chromium coating on rubber-tire molds. At the plant of an east- ern tire manufacturer the current practice of tire mak- ing demands the cleaning of the tire molds after curing approximately 100 tires. Until recently, soap solution or soapstone was used regularly to prevent the tires from sticking in the molds and to preclude blemishing of the finished tires. The soapstone, sprinkled from a filtering bag, built up deposits on the tire-mold walls. The deposits resulted after a certain time in making less pronounced the definition of the tread characters and the size and name lettering, so that the deposited skin finally had to be removed from the mold. Another difficulty was the aggregation on the sur- face of the mold of sulphide of iron, which is produced by the reaction of sulphur from the rubber mix upon the iron of the surface of the mold. Its presence is indicated readily when hydrochloric acid, as a rinse or pickle, comes in contact with the black lining of the molds. Adoption of chromium plated molds has eliminated the need of soapstone, and has shown that chromium as a surfacing for the inside of automobile tire molds prevents the formation of the troublesome skin pre- viously mentioned, thereby saving tire manufacturers considerable money. Under the old system tire molds are cleaned by burning away the rubber deposits with an oxy-acety- lene flame, and by mechanically removing the residue by means of steel wool or scratch brushes. Steel or cast iron molds cost from $90 to $600, depending on their size and design. On an average, approximately 10 per cent of the molds are idle for the cleaning op- | ee of chromium as a protective coating for *Chemical Engineer, Metals Protection Corporation, In- dianapolis. 599 Plating with Chromium for Wear Many Uses Outlined in Which Long Life Follows Use—Re- sistance to Heat-Oxida- tion Notable BY C. H. HUMPHRIES* VOL. 118, No. 10 Chromium-Plated Coin Lock-Box eration, which is neither short nor easy. It is obvious that a tire plant having 6000 to 8000 tire molds as part of its equipment would have considerable invest- ment idle, with 10 per cent of the molds out of pro- duction during the cleaning period. Only a relatively small outlay is required for equip- ment sufficient to process with chromium all ®f the molds in use as well as the new ones. Furthermore, the actual cost of chromium plating is inconsiderable. The maintenance cost for each mold when processed, as compared with the cost of the frequent cleaning otherwise necessary, represents a saving of from $25 to $100, according to the composition of the mixture, the condition of the cure, etc. In this particular field there are many other uses for chromium plating, be- cause tire molds make up but one class of many molds utilized for fabricating rubber articles. Reflector Linings for Long Life Another interesting application of deposited chro- mium coating is as a lining for reflectors. The present method of lining calls for silver plating direct, or silver plating over nickel and then buffing to a high, lustrous finish. Though silver has a high light reflec- tive value, its service is not permanent because of discoloration, chiefly through the formation of black sulphide of silver. Thin silver mirrors are scratched easily and their reflective value is lessened. Chromium, on the other hand, can be deposited on a highly finished reflector surface in a condition of high luster, which does not require buffing. It neither tarnishes nor discolors, and is so hard when deposited in the right physical condi- tion that it does not s¢ratch when cleaned, even if ashes or soot are on its surface. A comparison of the silver lined mirrors or re- flectors with those which have been chromium coated reveals that the former has a slightly higher initial luminous value, approximately 95 per cent as against 90 per cent for the latter. This is due to selectivity, because of the color of a buffed chromium surface. THE IRON AGE August 26, 19°° W c ting & Power nd anapolis proposed Weyman en pe ae ranch plant contemplates equipment William R. Ittner, Board of Education Building, St. Louis architect The Cabinet Burner Co., 435 Massachusetts Avenu: napolis, has been incorporated to manufacture oil bur for domestic use. The company will make all cast iron ts own plant and other parts will be bought in the Pacific Coast San FRANCISCO, Aug. 2 HE Pioneer Rubber Mills, Pittsburg, Cal., are hav plans drawn for a new one-story plant, 110 x 250 ft at close to $100,000, including machinery. Benjamir McDougall, 353 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, is ar tect The Santa Barbara School District, Santa Barbara, C has plans under way for manual training shops at the loca! high school, estimated to cost $130,000, with equipment. W H. Weeks, Ray Building, Oakland, Cal., is architect The Ford Motor Co., Detroit, has engaged Albert Kal Marquette Building, architect, to prepare plans for its p posed new plant at Long Beach, Cal., where a tract of land recently was acquired The works will be devoted t ~ sembling, and will consist of one-story units totaling alx 300,000 sq. ft. i J. Edwin Johnson, Vale, Ore., and associates have application for permission to appropriate waters from middle fork of the Malheur River, a tributary of the Sna River, in Harney County, for a proposed hydroelectric power project, estimated to cost about $400,000, with transmissior The State Highway Commission, Sacramento, Cal. w proceed with the construction of a new repair and mai! ce shop, with pumping plant and other service buildings for highway motor trucks and equipment at Bishop, Inyo Fisher Body, Inc., Oakland, Cal., manufacturer of au- bile bodies, has awarded a general contract to the Din- widdie Construction Co., Crocker Building, San Franc'sco for a new two-story addition, estimated to cost $40,000, with equipment T. Ronneberg, Crocker Building, is architect The W. H. Worden Co., San Francisco, has been appointed representative for the McMyler-Interstate Co., Cleveland, manufacturer of locomotive and crawling cranes, power shovels, clamshell buckets and special handling equipment will handle the company’s products in California, Arizona nd Nevada. The Hofius Steel & Equipment Co., Seattle, has been made its distributer in Washington, Oregon and Idal Canada TORONTO, ONT., Aug. 23. HILE demand for machine tools fell off dur- Wi. the first couple of weeks of this month, the market is by no means dull, and sales so far this month exceed those of a year ago. Canadian builders and dealers are preparing exhibits for the Canadian National Exhibition which opens Aug 28, and it is expected that these showings will give impetus to the demand. is considerable building under way in this country with regard to new plants and additions and as many of these are now nearing the stage where equipment will shortly be required, dealers ‘king for general improvement in the demand ols of a diversified nature. Canadian builders ools and machinery are being asked to bid on equipment required for plants and Government railroads and works in other British Dominions, which will stimulate exports of equipment. The current tool demand is chiefly for single tools on replacement account. Second-hand and _ rebuilt toois are also moving fairly well and a strong de- mand is reported for small tools. The Dominion Alloy Steel Corporation, Sarnia, Ont., '5 preparing to increase its output and will install consider- ble new equipment. The company purposes to bring its itput of galvanized sheets up to 1000 tons per month, and the present time is operating two shifts per day of 12-hr. each. W. B. Boyd, president, says it has sufficient orders to enable it to continue capacity operations for three or four months The Crown Reserve Mining Co., Larder Lake, Ont., is ideavoring to raise $400,000 for the purpose of carrying out further development and to build a mill there. August 26, 1926 THE IRON AGE 597 The Niagara Wire Weaving Co., Niagara Falls, Ont., f a hydroelectric power development on the | 1 River. build an addition 110 x 120 ft., which will be equipped near Sevilla, to develop an ultimat apacity of 4.000 hp anufacture wire cloth screen 270 in. in width for the The American Consulate, Madrid, Sp Charles H. Cur mills of Canada. gl l attaché, has i egarding the The Johnson Wire Works, Dagenais Street, Montreal, has taken out a permit for a $25,000 addition to its The Toronto Steam Bath Co., Ltd., Toronto, Ont., has : : ed work on the erection of « plant at Peter and Rich Lake Superior Corporation | Streets to cost $30,000. The | superior tion Sault St Marie, Ont The Central Spring Co., Oshawa, Ont., has started work rm ee a at showed distinct Gmprovement addition to its plant and will purchase additional np ; _ en: -_ a from operations ; 3 iDbsidiary ? “ ‘ miing the goma Central arma —s : Huds I R : a ‘ is igainast The Dominion Construction Co., Ltd., $17 Keefer Build eo ee e, d al e eub g, Montreal, Que., has been awarded general contract for aid . d ae rentals construction of the main dam, tunnel and power house nie ; inted connection with power development to be carried out by to $1.248.9 ‘ T . e & St. John Power Co., at Grand Falls, N. B., to cost ities : g 00,000. aie Remeaing e1é . . a: : Bids are being received by the Noranda Mines & Cop ‘ ' is ys h § 26 ‘ pr per Corporation, Ltd., Keefer Building, Montreal, Que., fo viou eal } } . “ d ‘ erection of a smelter at Rouyn, Que., to cost $1,000,00' era mproven d Le The Canadian Radiators, Ltd., Hamilton, Ont., have a t tonnag cle the fig ‘ e with quired the Monarch tractor building at Brantford, Ont those f the year as f ‘ where it will begin at once to manufacture radiators ' parts Some improvements and additional machinery will Tor e installed in the plant. : ‘ ' ee 74 The Dominion Truck Equipment Co., South Street, Kit oO mp. rted 63,93 6,144 chener, Ont., will build a factory to cost $10,000 and will l esto! rod ' 1.024 oon be in the market for equipment. ~oKe produced 64 5,19 Pig iro? produced ive 54 Western Canada a . A : " ; ) ‘ ‘ The Canadian Westinghouse Co., Winnipeg, Man., w 1 . ea . —_ - build a two-story addition to its plant = . Due rean aals ' nt The Western Steel Products Co., Calgary, Alta., has con : Na ts, especially y ate snd ne er ne pleted an addition to its plant and is installing equipment ‘ the net erating s f $2324 ‘ via hanged to double the present capacity of its plant : + onerati: profit of $293.14 The ‘ { ke for The United States Horseshoe Co., Erie, Pa has pur domest purposes Ir ‘ f anthracite ul has been devel chased the plant of the Canadian Western Steel Corpora ped Canad ind ‘ mpany s screening d shipping tion at Medicine Hat, Alta., and it is also stated that the faciliti ire being extended to take advantag fr this mar company is contemplating buying the Radcliffe Rolling Mills I luct 1926 a nt $8,792,660 and will remove the equipment of the latter works to ompared with $7,468,510 i , The value f orders on Medicine Hat so as to enlarge the plant there for iron roll nd at June ast W $1,628, 64 made up oke, rails, ing purposes. @ ir ind tions for small n The Port Alberni Marine Railway & Machine Co., N naimo, B. C., which was destroyed by fire a short time ag has rebuilt its plant on the old site and has installed new , y machinery. Financial Items a , ‘ pene Fireproofing ‘ Youngs nd jart fter depré ' d al ‘ ‘ e for eferred dividends, but before Federal taxes Foreign were $295,609, equivalent to $3.62 per share on the 81,740 f ato« TI firet quarter earnings were bp Federal Government of Mexico, Mexico City, has aj : : . e~ ines lee uote proved plans for harbor improvements at the Port ; , Mazatlan, west coast of Mexico, estimated to « t < ‘ > $3,000,000 The project will include modern wharves and 7 300-ft. steel and concrete pier, to be provided with hoisting The \ . Mou « fron Corporatior Sharps ville Pas, conveying and other mechanical cargo-handling machiner eclared a divider f 5% per cent t ver arrearages The American Consulate, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, J. Winsor ! ts preferred stoch ddit to the regular quarterly vice-consul, has information regarding the project lividend of 1% The J. G. White Engineering Corporation, 43 Exchang: Place, New York, is establishing an engineering camp on the i a ees Rio Manta, near Xicotencatl, State of Tamaulipas, Mexic to begin work on a large irrigation and power proje Branch Office Representatives of =~ for which a contract recently was secured from the Mexicar TI I Z Federal Government. It is purposed to irrigate and recia! ne iron Age id about 25,000 acres of land, with ultimate development see: ° s close to four times this area. Editorial 4 The Société des Tramways Smyrne-Gueueztepe, Smyrna Chicago, Otle Bidg ..R. A. Fiske & Turkey, is arrangin for the immediate erection fa new Pittebergh, Park Buliding G. ¥. Tegan " ‘ . ad as aragatch The station wi Cleveland, 1362 Hanna Buliding ¥. L. Prentiss power plant in the vicinity of ae ch * " wll iS Guesteenth. Seent Mattenes Ment Bias Denham Stance be equipped for an initial output of 9000 AP., ana meu Boston, Park Square Bidg Gerard Fraasar capacity of 30,000 hp. The American Consulate, Smyrna Washington, Investment Bidg L. W. Mo@ett : " sation regarding thé Francisco, 320 et 8 Samuel W. Honaker, consul, has information regarding San Francisco, 320 Market St Charlies Downes project. 5 cnstia iid Advertising The Michelin Tire Co., Stoke-on-sren' Es! » name with headquarters at = Chicago, Otis Bidg ox yr. 8. Wayne with the company of the same nam ; nd © Pitesburgh, Park Bidg W. B. BRobinses Milltown, N. J., has work under way on & new “ a | Cleveland, 1362 Hansa Bidg Emerson Findley rubber goods manufacturing plant at Stoke-on-Tret - Cincinnati, Firet National Bank Midg D. G. Gardner : ai iia 50 ith equipment Arie Boston, Park Square Bidg ae Hu. &. Barr sorte ost in excess of $150,000 wi : an 7 abv Bs of Stoke-on-Trent has preliminary plans A angy Bm pager " se. Lundberg Crt) ove , — 6 ee Buffalo, Ellicott Sq a6 . Herman * . > ‘pal electric power § under way for an extension in the municip ; k sing Detroit, 7338 Woodward Ave Peirce Lewis Station to develop an increase of about 19,000 kw se Hartford, Conn., P. O. Box 81 D. ©. Warres stear t rating unit; @ considerable portion of the New Jersey, Hotel Regent, Newark, \. 4 W. C. Sweeteer Steam-turbo gene on at the new Michelin mill > New York, 230 West Thirty-ninth &t., output will be used for service W. ©. Sweeteer, Chester H. Ober © The Sevillana de Electricidad, Sevilla, Spain. has ae = San Francisco, 320 Market St.......... ..W. A. Douglass « <« Tan O60 oO . 00.000 3 r for an increase in capital from about $5,700,000 to $ : (40.000.000 to 50,000,000 pesetas), and has plans under way io ARIES SO OS ih SR Ra ER LRT OT TC a a om erm | = Cabal pCa atin vend tie: apap taatag iene ncaa missin, at ema © Ae Cn mao ene a 598 THE IRON Povevervevsosnvenneesseveevoees pre vressneee Automatic Screw-Driving Machine. Meta Saw & M r ‘ : I r Street, Springfield, Mass Loose ges describing machine to driv bot r nd 1 hine screws. It is attached to ng ws I for this purpose Punching and Shearing Machines.—Henry Pels & Co., vi t j 2 Y Catalog devoted to shearing machines with include long I shov tion splitting shears and triple-combined punch, shear, bar, rs i shears with bending attach- te bar Many of the models for portable usé All units are ttractive istrated ind dimension are given. Worm Reduction Gears.—De Laval Steam Turbine Co Trenton, N. J Bulletin describing mpany’s worm reduction gear with pressure ng system A sectional t gear type l pump and other Automatic Lathes. Automat Machine Co., Inc Windsor, Vt I t f t pages, describing the com- pan} tutor t i ble n sizes of % ‘ 2 and I J t t r re numerous and in- 4 chart of the reg hange gears and t g pee é le The catalog is omprehen- 8! arranged to fa nd reference Fluid Meters.—< hrar Corporatior Seventeenth St t Allegheny Avenue Philadelphia Monthly is g } le ted to a description of n iding pipe flow meters for steam Ww t gE V ters eifhing meters a. nm ( I information is f g igT s istrations and ta Malleable Iron. \r I Malleable Castings Asso- Un Trust g, Cleveland. An attrac- t prepa! I et f 2 pags giving a compre- he ‘ f tl gir development, valuable propertis t inufacture and uses of certified malleable iro Hot Water Storage.—< hrane Corporation, Seven- teenth Street i Allegheny Avenue, Philadelphia sul- ‘etin devoted to information on the storage of hot water in nnectior vith exhaust steam heaters Various ar rangements of different types of heaters are shown and aiso ! K-ups for installation in paper mills, bleacheries, laur t neries and similar establishments An other leaflet is devoted a description of the company’s deaerating heater designed to prevent corrosion of boilers in steam plants Foundry Specialties.—Chicago Mfg. & Distributing oF {010 Wells Street, Chicago. Annual catalog with drief ds riptions of bag-holders, foundry floor boards, 3 portal derriclh upset forgings, hammers, wrought iron, sheet metal work skimmers, trucks, wood- worl ind ratchet wrenche Electrical Relays.—R er-Smit cr 2 Broadway, Ne ’ } ‘ description with fu é } company type SR relays, desig dt ipersede it 1 Imperial typs The new lin ‘ reverse current, overload, underload and clost I t rel Over oltage, under-voltage and tims y t re ivs re dealt with Loading Machines. W « ter Mfe. ¢ 4500-4560 Cort land Street Cc} b Cats g No 45, describing the < I M d f hand broken ore and ré ir I I itio ur given and full sp icat ns < I Centrifugal Pumps. i Stear Turbine (¢ Ir s J I p t de ribir the I pa ' ig: I | is at Ul Fa I int P 1! rik st { I I ‘ eve ind Diagrams ana tal f pe f tions furt h wide information about the unit vhicl re equi i to deliver from 20,000,000 tK l er 4d gainst heads varying f1 R6§ t Spiral Riveted Pipe. American Spiral Pipe Wor Cr Ls I istrated f ler announcing with descr tive part lars that the mpany’s spiral riveted pips now mad th copper bearing steel The Bacharach Industrial Instrument Co., 7000 Ber nett Street, Pittsburgh, has begun the publication of ; monthly bulletin dealing with industrial instrument and the history of their development August 26, 1926 AGE EMMRAEUOUAYLDLLLLONL {4444 UUACASRBBADOLLGALGLE VOU (TOMA GP SUAUE2T00 C0 AUGER THE LAST WORD (Contributed by the Reader Service Department of t/ Iron Age Publishing Co.) When a man is past the half-century mark, that clim up to the seventh tee is a little hard on the wind. § the question F. Wellington Jenkins, the well-know: manufacturer of motors, put to John G. Alexander, wh makes stoves, came in staccato: “For a long time I’ve wanted to ask you about your labor turn-over How do you keep it so low?” John G.’s eyes began to glisten with the light that appears in the optics of a new father when you inquire after the health of his first- born. Away went his cigar; he laid down his mid-mashie, and mo- tioned F. Wellington to sit down Then he began. on the bench. “T can tell you in exactly seven words. We have a well-conducted employees’ magazine. Of course, we pay good wages, but no more than anyone else in our line. And we try to make the plant a pleasant place to work in; but the outstanding factor has been the magazine. “It’s my baby, nine years old now. The whole thing doesn’t cost us more than two thousand dollars a year, but it has proved so valuable to us that we wouldn’t stop it if it cost ten times that. “However, I don’t want you to get the impression that I believe anybody can cut his labor turn-over simply by starting up a plant paper. Some that I’ve seen don’t do a bit of good, and I know of more than one case where they have actually done harm. The thing has to be done right, and if you are interested I’ll tell you in two minutes what our experience has been in getting out a paper that helps make a man stick to us when he knows he might make a little more somewhere else.” Without waiting for a reply he continued: “Make it a genuine plant newspaper. Fill it full of personal items. Nothing is so interesting to anyone as seeing his own name in print. Johnny Brown won't miss a word of the item about Bill Jones’ buying a new flivver, while your column and a half on the glorious future of your company will go by the board unread. Cut the sermons down to the minimum. “And by all means exercise a rigid censorship over the news, especially the personals, for some people have an indelicate sense of humor. In our organiza- tion we require the editor to submit the personal items to the foremen of the various departments before print- ing. In that way we steer clear of anything that might engender bad feeling. “In a nutshell, the secret of a successful employees’ magazine lies in making it interesting to the man In the shop, for whom it is issued, rather than loading 1t with material aimed to please the boys in the front office, for whom it is not issued.” So saying, John G. swung his trusty iron, and away sailed the ball, slicing toward the rough, as usual. Lee mt ne | - PERRIS ONAL PAR | ad I- wondered, when the C. Atkins & Co.’s new Webster explains that it is the Probably derived from the same root as “carve.” The little publication is distinctive and invites reading. Though the editor’s name 15 omitted, I suspect it is Tom Carroll, Atkins’s likable advertising manager. A. HD. “What is a ‘kerf’ anyway?” first copy of The Saw Kerf, E. magazine, arrived. channel cut by a saw. THE IRON ACE New York, September 2, 1926 ESTABLISHED 1855 for Oven Lining, Chromium = Plated, Inside and Out BY C. SES of chromium as a protective coating for various articles fabricated of iron and steel are multiplying daily. Recent application of this metal to commercial practice has effected savings in many industries totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. Particularly advantageous has been the chromium coating on rubber-tire molds. At the plant of an east- ern tire manufacturer the current practice of tire mak- ing demands the cleaning of the tire molds after curing approximately 100 tires. Until recently, soap solution or soapstone was used regularly to prevent the tires from sticking in the molds and to preclude blemishing of the finished tires. The soapstone, sprinkled from a filtering bag, built up deposits on the tire-mold walls. The deposits resulted after a certain time in making less pronounced the definition of the tread characters and the size and name lettering, so that the deposited skin finally had to be removed from the mold. Another difficulty was the aggregation on the sur- face of the mold of sulphide of iron, which is produced by the reaction of sulphur from the rubber mix upon the iron of the surface of the mold. Its presence 's indicated readily when hydrochloric acid, as 4 rinse or pickle, comes in contact with the black lining of the molds. Adoption of chromium plated molds has eliminated the need of soapstone, and has shown that chromium as a surfacing for the inside of automobile tire molds prevents the formation of the troublesome skin pre- viously mentioned, thereby saving tire manufacturers considerable money. Under the old system tire molds are cleaned burning away the rubber deposits with an oxy-acety- lene flame, and by mechanically removing the residue by means of steel wool or scratch brushes. Steel or cast iron molds cost from $90 to $600, depending Ay their size and design. On an average, aes 10 per cent of the molds are idle for the cleaning op- Metals Protection Corporation, In- "y *Chemical Engineer, dianapolis. - 599 Plating with Chromium Many Uses Outlined in Which Long Life Follows Use—Re- sistance to Heat-Oxida- tion Notable ms VOL. 118, No. 10 Wear Chromium-Plated Coin Lock-Bozx HUMPHRIES* eration, which is neither short nor easy. It is obvious that a tire plant having 6000 to 8000 tire molds as part of its equipment would have considerable Mvest- ment idle, with 10 per cent of the molds out of pro- duction during the cleaning period. Only a relatively small outlay is required for equip- ment sufficient to process with chromium all of the molds in use as well as the new ones. Furthermore, the actual cost of chromium plating is inconsiderable. The maintenance cost for each mold when processed, as compared with the cost of the frequent cleaning otherwise necessary, represents a saving of from $25 to $100, according to the composition of the mixture, the condition of the cure, ete. In this particular field there are many other uses for chromium plating, be- cause tire molds make up but one class of many molds utilized for fabricating rubber articles. Reflector Linings for Long Life Another interesting application of deposited chro- mium coating is as a lining for reflectors. The present method of lining calls for silver plating direct, or silver plating over nickel and then buffing to a high, lustrous finish. Though silver has a high light reflec- tive value, its service is not permanent because of discoloration, chiefly through the formation of black sulphide of silver. Thin silver mirrors are scratched easily and their reflective value is lessened. Chromium, on the other hand, can be deposited on a highly finished reflector surface in a condition of high luster, which does not require buffing. It neither tarnishes nor discolors, and is so hard when deposited in the right physical condi- tion that it does not scratch when cleaned, even if ashes or soot are on its surface. A comparison of the silver lined mirrors or re- flectors with those which have been chromium coated reveals that the former has a slightly higher initial luminous value, approximately 95 per cent as against 90 per cent for the latter. This is due to selectivity, because of the color of a buffed chromium surface. hatin ohio oo Ameen we Le ett at A are RE RO AE OR A ip Ne Orme Sem Ge oe Renee vette Se ee ee TRS ACE AE EE ALL OE LO, ATE That cy we te ep mine ote 600 THE IRON AGE After a few weeks of exposure, however, the ratio of reflective value is changed, with chromium standing at 75 per cent and silver at 40 to 60 per cent. The average locomotive reflector has over 1 oz. and sometimes up to 3 oz. of silver deposited as a mirror, which must be replaced almost yearly. Therefore, sub- stitution of a permanent reflective surface, such as chromium, is desirable from the standpoint both of st and of efficiency. The average time for depositing hromium mirror is less than that for depositing a ver mirror. Plumbing Fixtures for Hard Wear Application of chromium coverings to plumbing fixtures has proved practical. The shoddy appearance of bathroom fixtures from which the nickel coating has worn is offensive to the eye. It is caused by abrasion on the used parts, such, for example, as on the handles the faucets. When chromium is substituted for nickel the color resembles platinum, because of its bluish tint. Because of the difference in hardness, the chromium treated surface will outlast the nickel ap- preciably. Standard nickel plating can be cut through with little effort during the buffing operation, but thin- ner coats of chromium withstand efforts to cut through hem even with sharper buffing compositions and big- ger and faster buffing wheels. Nickel plating is only fairly continuous, in that it has a number of capillaries per unit of surface, At bottom of the capillaries moisture, carbon dioxide neo 1 ammonia cause local action which produces ver- digris or a disagreeable green film on the surface of the fixtures, which in time causes the nickel to lift off. Chromium, on the other hand, has few pores and is inique in preventing the formation of this troublesome growth. Therefore, the use of chromium in the plumb- ing geld has effected material savings and has en- hanced the beauty of fixtures. A practical example is the employment of chromium as a coating for auto- natic coin boxes in wash rooms and toilets. Among other products using chromium as a pro- tective cover are automobile lamp bodies, automobile bumpers, hardware, surgical instruments, door kick plates, serving trays, office and stair railings, chan- delier and wall fixtures, precision tools, and various kinds of novelties. The list includes articles for which the top coat is considered not only a finish, but also a protection against corroding media. lt can be aug- mented greatly when cases of protection against spe- cially destructive evils are included. Heat-Oxidation Well Resisted Resistance to oxidation from heat is a valuable prop- erty of chromium. As a protector for oven linings it is effective to a marked degree. There is no raising Chromium-Plated Golf Clubs, Rubber Impreg- nating Roll and Circu- lar Tube Mandrel September 2, 1926 or checking of the coat and no discoloration or ti) below 350 deg. C. (660 deg. Fahr.). Even for prot, tion against scaling at higher temperatures it is factory, as it does not oxidize readily under 1100 deg C. (2000 deg. Fahr.). Valve stems of internal com)ys. tion engines and steel pyrometer tubes covered with chromium can be heated and cooled repeatedly wit! scaling, and under extreme conditions stand up w: Processing with chromium the individual exhaust ports of airplanes affords a real test. Without a pro- tective coating they show red rust and, although the, operate at a red heat, when covered with chromium the only effect is a brown or blue tinting, with chipping or scaling. Common electric irons or sad irons remain smoot! after a coating of chromium. In fact, there is less tendency for the starch to stick. Even special artick such as the heating units used for the permanent waving of women’s hair, have been protected agai: oxidation by heat by means of chromium plating. Hardness to Resist Wear Chromium deposits are extremely hard. The hard ness can be controlled and varied between 60 and 85 on the scleroscope. The hardness of the coats give: protection to surfaces in which resistance to abrasio! or wear is an important factor. A film of chromiu: less than 0.0003 in. thick increases about six times the number of prints which can be taken from a copper electrotype. This resistance to wear makes possible the elimina- tion of some hardening operations on steel wearing parts. On crankshafts and cams in internal combus- tion engines the chromium coat gives sufficiently long life to make it unnecessary to harden to the glass hard and consequently to the embrittling point. Early in 1923 the writer chromium-processed some golf clubs which were distributed for test purposes by a well-known sporting goods manufacturer. They have been used under severe conditions, but the scratches from sand traps and gravel are slight. They have not rusted and have not lost their original luster. Obviously it is impossible to relate all of the appli- cations of chromium. Its resistance to fruit juices and all common acids, except hydrochloric and sulphuric, has made its use on fruit juice concentrators, tomat« kettles and concentration coils almost imperative. Acetic and citric acids, found in so many food products, show no action on chromium-treated linings. Alloys of chromium with cobalt are still more re- sistant, and parallel the properties of the alloy Stellite. Work with this alloy dates back seven years and the promises of its performance in certain fields exceed those of pure chromium. Both Sides Lose in Coal Strike American Engineer Finds British Situation Full of Menace to European Industry—Overproduction Has Brought Problems That Are Far From Solution BY JOHN CALDER T is interesting twelve years after the outbreak of the Great War and nearly eight years after its conclusion for an American on the spot, who has bserved Great Britain for half a century, to compare former and present status of its mining industry nd its miners. Coal, not debts, is the great European ssue of the moment, and an analysis of Britain’s con- litions and their origin illustrates the general economic juestion. Coal mining in England is a basic industry which, nuch more than with us, exerts an influence with the eople at large out of all proportion to its actual dimen- sions and the number and deserts of the people engaged in it. As with us, also, it exacts from all other indus- tries a toll out of keeping with its contribution. As mining is alleged to be in England the best illustration of “what the worker wants,” it is well to analyze his laim and to set forth the facts as well as the fancies; for they greatly concern Americans when we too are nvited to substitute “wishful thinking” for rigid analysis of actual situations. Here it is, then, in brief as abstracted from docu- ments certified by the British Government and not dis- puted by official labor in that land. High Percentage to Wages Before the war an analysis of British coal mining howed that 75 per cent of the product went in wages, } per cent in salaries and 22 per cent in profit, interest, rents, royalties and advertising. The figures for all ‘ther industries are 58 per cent in wages, 10 per cent in salaries and 32 per cent in profit, interest, rents, royalties and advertising. The outstanding feature of in exhaustive examination of all aspects of British mining today and many years ago is the enormous progress in every respect except the return to capital. In spite of the deeper and more fiery character of the British mines as a whole, compared with ours, there sEU0s4N¢TURTRREDEEDEONUH scan is extraordinarily good inspection, working safety, dis- cipline and accident record. In every other respect there has been marked progress and, however poorly it may contrast with American wage ideals and actual- ities, the bulk of English labor in coal mining today is better paid than in most of her other great indus- tries. The economic crisis in Britain's coal export trade is a sad fact, but it is not a sin, and it is not helped in the least by the passionate conviction of bad thinking about it which is encountered on both sides of the Atlantic. “Cost of Living” the Arbiter In brief, the British miner, of whom there are too many today, wants to eat his cake and also to have it, and his argument is constantly “cost of living.” Well, is “cost of living” a satisfactory method of regulating wages? After 44 years in industry, 17 in Great Britain and 27 managing important American plants, my answer is unhesitatingly, “It is not”; and for these reasons: 1. The worker seeks an ever-improving stand- ard of living. 2. To fix a normal “cost of living” which is fair to all wage earners is practically impossible. It is invariably done only for small privileged minor- ities; whereas the actual standard of living varies greatly both with the size of the family and the character of its members. 3. The method of “fixing” wages must always be relative to the amount of available wealth, else it is only a subject of “wishful thinking.” The “available wealth” is itself a variable quantity. It was heavily reduced in Great Britain by the war and in 1926 it is not sufficient to maintain the general standard of living as in 1913. This is a regrettable fact—not a burning outrage against labor or an insult to heroes, Poa a ue R. CALDER has spent the past summer visiting the leading countries of Europe and has had many contacts with manufacturers, workmen and men in public life, in his study of industrial conditions. the readers The present article is the first of siz specially written for of THE IRON AGE, all giving well authenticated facts in @ situation that is of the highest concern to the United States, see.ng that the war debt settlement has swallowed up every other international question. A later article will discuss the general industrial situation in Great Britain; another will deal with the British iron and steel trade and with shipbuilding; a fourth will be devoted to Germany, a fifth to France and Italy, and a sizth to “The League of Nations and Its International Labor Office.” Mr. Calder’s British tour is in part the revisiting of his training ground in industry, as he had his start in a steel works in Scot'and and was an honor graduate of the Royal Technical College. M of the Remington Typewriter Co. reputation in labo tions of Swift & Co. policies and made a marked success 0 : men and executives, and of per , 7 } consultant. Hi Capital’s Duty to the Wage Earner” has attracted wide attention consultant. His book “ in the past two years. 601 PU Af RNa | LAMENT NUNRRN NERS AIT TETIEED I r management and was called to with over 100 plants. we, f employee representation, of the organization and educa- sonnel services. For 20 years he managed well-known American plants, including those and the Cad Uac Motor Car Co. He acquired a national be the first manager of industrial rela- There, during several years, he developed He is now in practice as a OE AR CE IDLE me MN Dw | AN Ene co ee ap-ectmaaepeesnenlls-remtesier ee re mone larceny et pcs es =i Naat a: I EET Ne LENE LIT ON a, A NN I te et nee lat ~s eos e eens - Ee Oe et 2h meat nrnn eaten y or pa ene nfm et Ra ee arene a 602 THE IRON AGE 4. Higher wages tend to higher prices if effi- ciency is not improved, not to speak of the re- duc bi n of effort which has actually obtained in British mines. Traveling the Vicious Circle In view of these considerations, “Where do we go from here?” Plainly, to those who have eyes to see, the 1s circle of reduced output, higher wages, higher prices, inflated employment lists has affected all British industries since the war, but 11 mining particularly it must lead to bankruptcy employment if persisted in, even though the ex- port trade in coal were in a healthier condition. I saw m Silesia—or rather coal dust—that cost $10 a ton and was almost worthless, in use in a steel plant where only a few weeks ago the best of British coal at a ton was obtainable; and the Manchester ship canal was lined with ships of all nations bringing in similar high-priced rubbish at ransom prices. Taxing the whole nation will not save a situation which has no economic warrant. “Living wage” and “cost of living” have done duty long enough as political war-cries (on both sides of the Atlantic). That is all they have done except to furnish much misunderstand- ng and ill will. To raise the standard of living in Great Britain, the amount of wealth produced must be raised as a whole by an increased output of marketable goods and What Wage Can the Industry Stand? ibility of the industry to pay—not the cost of liv- ing—must govern, and the willingness to pay all that the industry can afford, which characterizes so many American employers, must obtain with the mine oper- ators of Great Britain if the necessary production is to be forthcoming. In the face of this what are the tactics of the con- tending parties in the coal dispute? Let us look at them in retrospect. In 1920, nearly two years after the Armistice, we find Frank Hodges, secretary of the Miners’ Federation, saying, “We are going to create a first-class economic crisis which will reduce the British nation to chaos.” He did his best, but the British public absolutely refused to be stampeded into chaos. So did the American public ten months ago prove to shocked mining operators and workers alike that a six months’ anthracite coal strike had no terrors for them. When the British coal strike of 1920 was all over and the heavy damage duly assessed, Mr. Hodges announced, “The Miners’ Federation is saved but the loss to our people is beyond recovery”; and the president of the federation, Herbert Smith, said, “The price paid has been the poverty and starvation of our members and the misery of millions of their fellow-countrymen.” The Government’s Secretary of Mines testified on Dec. 12, 1922, in the House of Commons, that $200,000,- 000 had been spent by the taxpayers to keep the mining industry on its feet and that the 13 weeks mining strike of 1921 had cost the mines alone $50,000,000. Since the national settlement of July 1, 1921, the British miners’ wages are regulated, not as before, in accordance with the selling price of coal, but in pro- portion to the difference between the selling price and the cost of production. The relative shares are now fixed at 85 per cent to labor and 15 per cent to capital. That is, out of every 24 cents left after all expenses except wages have been met, the British miner gets 20 cents and is also guaranteed a minimum wage at the expense of the mine owner. Latterly, by reason of the losses of the operators in a period of severe restriction of export demand for coal, Parliament has thrown this load on the taxpayers—chiefly all other workers—who furnished nearly $100,000,000 for this purpose between September 2, 1925 Nov. 1, 1925,.and May 1, 1926, and who have calle: halt in what is an absurd economic situation. Nothing Settled, Bitterness Widespread The miners, out of loyalty to an eloquent, unsel: but unreliable leader, have been headed into a la: that has no turning. They have gradually perceiv. this and their more conservative and more experienced leaders have looked on in consternation while the fe: eration’s funds have been disappearing to no purpose. The native stubbornness of the miners has weakened seriously. A national settlement is no longer possible, for local arrangements for returning to work are a daily occurrence. The general mining strike is over The reign of a slogan is past. But nothing has been settled and bitterness is widespread. The miners are largely accepting terms less favorable than obtainable 110 days ago when they closed the mines. The psychology of the ruling mine employers is equally menacing. They have steadily resisted all of the main recommendations of the Royal Commission, which were: (1) Abolition of private ownership of the mineral, (2) Amalgamation of existing mining and distributive agencies, (3) Shutting down of non-eco- nomic units, (4) Combination of mines and related fue! industries, (5) Effective research in new ways of win- ning and utilizing coal. The Conservative administration, seeing that the miners’ leaders were headed steadily for destruction, declined all appeals to put legal pressure on the em- ployers, and the danger is that the latter, whose chief errors have been economic blindness, intense self- assurance, and the enjoyment of a complete and osten- tatious independence—not found in the rest of Europe— may act so as to raise a new animus among their men. Both Sides Have Lost The fact is that both sides have lost. The miners alone in four and a half years of strikes have for- feited enough wages to purchase every mine in Great Britain, and lack of confidence in each other has in- flicted irreparable injury upon industries in Britain depending upon fuel. Before the strike ended by attrition foreign coal suppliers were hedging their greatly reduced stocks and demanding long-term Brit- ish contracts as the price for further supplies. In some cases they got them and in others various coal substitutes of external origin were permanently adopted. The failure of the British strike, however, has not done anything to solve the coal problem. No one who travels Belgium, Germany and other Continental fuel- producing lands today can be deceived about that. Even were there perfect peace and maximum coal pro- duction in all the countries concerned, the coal problem, which is essentially one of reckless overproduction, would only be intensified. Coal Problem Involves All Producing Nations The problem is international. All nations with such mineral resources developed have been steadily over- producing coal, coke and lignite for years, and they had built up a surplus by June, 1925, of nearly 70,000,- 00 tons. To this Russia alone, to the astonishment of the industry, added another 2,000,000 tons by Febru- ary, 1926. It had been anticipated that the total world demand for coal would reach 1,500,000,000 tons by 1924, but the actual demand was met with less than our-fifths of the existing equipment and that by no means efficiently operated in many cases. Lignite, hvdroelectric, gasoline and oil powers are steadily en- croaching on the prospects of coal winners and coal exporters, and some international understanding about the regulation of coal production is the only remedy. No country has greater unstabilizing potentiality September 2, 1926 than the United States. In 1920 our country exported 48,500,000 tons of coal; in 1925 only 15,000,000. But if it worked its present capacity steadily for twelve months each year, it would have an annual surplus of 200,000,000 tons. An increase in American coal exports is therefore a foregone conclusion, and yet even a 5 per cent increase in such exports upsets Euro- pean markets. “Coal War” a Grave Menace Concluding, let us note that the grave national political and financial crises today in the five great coal-trading European states which I have just visited have provoked a “coal war” as real and as merciless as physical conflict and as international in its reper- cussions. To this war five countries of great poten- tiality in coal resources are just beginning to add their strength, viz., Canada, Japan, India, South Africa and Russia. And still other lands with large coal resources have hardly entered the exporting field. When they do they will only add to the present troubles. Until the nations concerned apply themselves to coopera- tive regulation of coal production no agreement be- tween operators and miners in any one country will guarantee continued satisfaction and stability in their industry. Sir Richard Redmayne—once a miner him- self and the Nestor of British mining experts—ex- presses a truth increasingly apparent to close students of the problem, English and foreign, when he says: “All coal is too dear. The cheaper a commodity is, the more of it is used.” Nevertheless, there seems to me to be a definite limit to the world’s coal demand beyond which low prices cannot stimulate consumption, and in this situa- National Wealth and Income A report by the Federal Trade Commission entitled “National Wealth and Income” has been published as Senate Document No. 126 in 381 pages and may be obtained at 50c. from the superintendent of documents, Government Printing Office, Washington. In the gen- eral survey, which covers 1922, the total wealth of the country is estimated at about 353 billions. The na- tional income for 1922 was given as 62 billions and for 1923 as 70 billions. Of the total wealth, 230 billions was assigned to real estate and 128 billions to “tangible personalty or movables.” Of the real estate 122 billions represents land value and 108 billions improvements. Manufacturing Values One of the most interesting sections of the publica- tion is that devoted to the values created by the man- ufacturing industry. These created values for a num- ber of years, together with the corresponding figures for “iron and steel and their products” are given in the table, in millions of dollars. lue Created by Manufacturing — (Millions) Year Total Iron and Steel Per Cent 1918 19,344 $4,038 ao. 1919 992097 3,952 . : 1920 28,486 7,071 +8 1921 14,168 2,163 166 1922 19,167 a Oe 227 1923 24,172 5,499 22 Not only does this table show a drop of more than 50 per cent from 1920 to 1921, but it shows also nt the iron and steel industry as a whole was —. — r hit by that depression than was the case with in ‘ x in general. Thus the dr