The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-08
A GLANCE AT THE WORKERS.
Ten Minutes Among the Men Who
Handle the Metals.

Handle the Metals.
A visitto any Of our city IS large iron manu-
factoring companies works at an early hour
of the morning, when the employees have
just begun their daily labor, will be well
compensated by the vast information to be
CLEANED while strolling through the various
departments. The large engine used to
drive the ponderous machinery has
just been started, and the noisy rumbling
OF the numerous lines of shafting has be-
gun. The smiths are charring their coal,
which process causes volumes upon vol
umes of heavy black smoke to roll from
the forges and spread itself over the entire
shop, enveloping everything in as complete
darkness as would London fog.
AS the smoke clears away, the strong and
sturdy smiths are seen standing behind the
anvils, with their long leather aprons
girded around their waists, their sleeves
rolled up above the elbows, and with keen
eye watch the piece of iron or steel which
lies buried in the red-hot Goals. Now and
then they draw it forth, and again thrust
it into the Goals until it is rendered sufi-
cintly hot to be worked and hammered
into a tool or an article of usefulness
Here in this dirty, black. uninvting hive
of industry is the starting point 10 all
manufactures, no matter what.
Here the great anchor upon which the
hope of a whole ship full Of humanity is
placed. is forged from the tough iron bar.
Here the fine and highly tempered tools
used by the many thousand artisans of our
city is worked into shape by the skllful
hand of the blacksmith, and large por-
tion of all the machinery used in the con-
structon of machine shops, steamboats,,
locomotives, cars and other things too
numerous to mention have received their
first dressing upon the anvil.
Pass from the blacksmith shop into the
foundry, and as you walk leisurely through
the gangway, you observe on either side
long rows of fine sand, that has been
"cut" over and worked up into well regu-
lated heaps. On the floors las the ground is
caled) are the molders, busily engaged tax
ing impressions of the different patterns.
rhey first lay the pattern upon blank
board, that is made to fit the evenness or
unevenness, as the case may be. Then the
drag" which is simply strong wooden
or iron frame, is placed on this board, and,
after the parting sand, riddle or seive full
of sand is shook over it, SO that the exposed
part of the mold will be very smooth.
The drag is then filled and rammed
down quite hard, when it is turned over
and the board removed, after which the
surplus sand is brushed from it, and some
parting sand sprinkled upon the exposed
half of the pattern. Upon this drag is
then placed another square box, called the
cope, which is provided with wooden bars
running crosswise for the purpose of hold
ing the sand more firmly. In it one-half of
the pattern is nodded. This being filled
with sand by the same process as the
drag" the bars are tucked and rammed
Then the cope is removed and the pattern
taken out, when after patching up the
the mold the cope is again placed upon the
drag" and the mold is ready, after clamp
; ing, to receive the molten iron that forms
r the casting. The numerous processes
e through which the castings are put are of
insufficient interest to merit description.
Having witnessed the two original pro,
cesses, in the absence of which there would
, lie no manufacturing establishments in ex-
, istence, you take look in the machinery
department. Here you see the lathes, the
principal tools used in all machine shops
, On these the turning and boring is execut-
ed, and some are large and some are small
> Some are revolving at tremendous rate OF
speed, and some are running slowly, ac-
cording to the diameter of the work. Upon
: some, long screws can be chased, Others
! again have only common gearing, suita-
| Bile for plain turning.
In this department is the skilled work
7 man. You see him using all sorts of funny
cL = ha asl af ah H.,
could not get his work exact. The man at
the plane is just planning upon it long
r casting Scrutinize him closely. He drives
wedge beneath it; now he tries his sur
face gauge upon it; now he levels it with a
spirit-level; now he squares it. 1t is right,
he clamps it down, and, after setting his
e tool in the right position, the BELTS shifted,
t and the work of planning is commenced.
You glance about and your eye rests on
f several curiously shaped machines, all
1 doing different kind of work. These are
the drilling press, the shaper, the milling
machine and the boring mill, all pieces Of
{ machinery requiring the attention of the
skillful mechanic. The different parts oi
the engines and other machinery being fin.
e ished by these tools, they are received by
! the builders and fitters who tit them t q
+ the place for which they were designed.
The men all work from drawings, and SC
+ accurately are these drawings made and
+ figured that not the slightest mistake cal
q be made, each piece, even to the mos
insignificant bolt or pivot, fitting with
exact neatness. From 7 o'clock in the
: morning until at night these hard work
S ing, Industrious men are seen ploddins
i along, and still the mechanic is snubbed by
= many who is not his equal in science OF
manners All our iron manufacturers are
: at present reaping the benefit of the boom
, orders coming i'll promptly the men have
, plenty of work and the pay is reasonable.