Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-03-09
A COIL OF WIRE.
How 1t Is Made From What Ia Technically
Known as "A Rlooru


known a Bloom.
How are large cakes or lumps of
steel made into fine wire? The process
is interesting How do the steel blooms
become finely polished wire? Tho
manufacture is peculiar. The bloom.
as we follow it in the wire factory. ia
first cut into billets some twenty inches
long and four inches square. These
are brought red-hot from the furnaces
and slipped between the rolls. In
moment the billet of steel becomes a
stout, fbery serpent. A man at the
opposite side of the furnace nips it
around the neck with his tongs, and
slips its head between the next and
smaller pair of rolls, so that before the
tail of the red serpent has emerged
from between the larger rolls, the head
has been squeezed to smaller dmen.
sions in the second rolls. The same
process is repeated again after the
rod has passed through the sec.
ond roll, workmen being ready
to seize the serpent. twist his
body around and let it's head he caught
by the third roll. Thus it is passed on.
each time becoming longer and thinner.
and the billet, after passing through
eighteen rolls, becomes wire rod. As
the rod passes through the last roll it is
conveyed through a pipe three inches
in circumference. As it wriggles out
of the pipe in twisted form it is thrown
across the iron floor of the factory or
wire mill. The rolls are kept con-
stantly at work, for one rod has no
sooner passed through the first roll
than another enters it. and as the rod
grows in length one end may be pass
ing out across the floor while the other
is half dozen rolls in the rear THUS
it twists its dull-red, thread-like length
like a serpent in and out of the rolls.
often near the ankles of the wo, kmen
ready with their tongs to guide it on
ward in its devious wildIngs. When
the rod is at last spun out upon the
floor, the end is taken up and twisted
upon a reel, viii CHI rapidly winds it
into coil.
After the rods leave the "bloominc
mill they are taken to the 'wire MILL"
where they are hing around woodea
blocks, perhaps half dozen coils on
each block, which. are lowered into
huge tubs of sulphuric acid, and al
lowed to remain there until the acid
has removed the impurities from the
surface. The blocks are then raised by
pulley, and the rods are thrown upon
the floor and washed with the hose.
Having been loaded on trucks and
dried, one end of each rod is pointed by
revolving machine so as to pass into
the die which is to draw the rods into
Wire. Having been removed to the
wire blocks, the rods are then drawn
by being passed through tapering
hole in steel die.
The steel rod, having thus been
transformed into wire, is taken to the
annealing furnace, where it is annealed
and polished by secret process. The
wire, which has hitherto been of dull
brown color, is given bright polish by
the annealing. and the cleaning which
it afterward receives. Having been re.
moved to the galvanizing house the
wire is run over u series of wheels and
slides which stretch it from the floor
horizontally, and, working auto
matically, dips the wire in lime every
time it reaches the floor. In galvan-
izing the process consists of the wire
passing through solution of muriatic
acid and gravel, next through drying
furnace, and afterwards through metal
bath of zinc. The wire next passes a
"wiping box" filled with mineral wool
which is agitated by number of roll.
ers. This substance wipes off the sur
plus zinc and bestows upon the wire a
smooth surface. The long line of wire,
which now has bright, silvery APP
pearance, is then bundled up In reels
ready for the lket, each reel weigh
ing about one hundred pounds. PITS.
burgh Cor. Wheelinq Re0ister.