Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1889-03-22
RUSSIA SHEET IRON.

OF sheet iron IN RUSSIA, and questions are
frequently asked the wrlteri "What are
the secrets connected with it9" "How is
it madeP" Gould admission be obtained
to Che iron works 10 the trails, where this
iron is made?" II is difficult to under.
stand why such questions should be asked
by persons versed in the literature Of iron
AMI steel, for DR.. Percy wrote a very ex.
eellent and accurate monograph on the
subject a number Of years ago.
Not having had the opportunity of per-
sonally visiting the Russian iron works in
the Urals, DR., Percy's paper was compiled
from data furnished him by persons who
had actually visited these sheet iron works.
SiucO it has been my good fortune to have
the opportunity Of seeing some of these
works in the Urals but short time ago, |
will, at the risk of telling an old story,
briefly describe the process of manufac-
ture as | saw it.
The ores used for the manufacture of this
iron are mostly from the celebrated mines
Of Malohlagodatj, and average about the
following chemical composition: Metallic
iron go per cent, silica per cent, phospho-
ruS from OILS to 006 per cent. The ore is
generally smelted into charcoal, pig iron
and converted into malleabe iron by pud-
ding or by a Freuche-Comte hearth.
Frequently, however, the malleable iron is
made directly from the ore in various
kinds of bloomerles
The blooms or billets thus obtained are
rolled into bars inches wide, Il inch
thick and thirty inches in length. These
bars are assorted, the inferior ones "piled
and le-rolled, while the others are careful
ly heated to redness and cross rolled into
sheets about 80 inches square, requiring
from eight to ten passes through the rolls
These sheets are twice again heated to
redness and rolled in sets of three each.
care being taken that every sheet before
being passed through the rolls is brushed
off with broom made of FIR, and at the
same time that powdered charcoal is deK-
trously sprinkled between the sheets. Ten
passes are thus made, and the resulting
'heets trimmed to a standard size OF Is by
IS inches. After being assorted and the
defective ones thrown out, each sheet IL
wet with water, busted With charcoal pow
der and dried. They are then made into
packets containing from so to 100 and
bound up with waste sheets.
The packets are placed one at = time
with log of wood st each of the four
sides, in = nearly air tight chamber, and
carefully annealed for FIVE or six hours.
When this has been completed the packet
is removed and hammered with a trip
hammer weighing about n ton, the area of
its striking surface being abou. by IA
inches. Il he face. Of the hammer is
made of this somewhat unusual shape in
order to secure a wayy appearance on the
surface of the packet. After the packet
has received 80 blows equally distributed
over its surface it is reheated and the ham
mering repeated IN the same manner
Some time after the frat hammering the
packet is broken and the sheets wet with
mop to harden the surface. After the sec
ond hammeung the packet Is broken. the
sheets examined to see if any of the sheets
are welded together and completely finish
ed cold sheets are placed alternately be-
tween those of the packet thus making a
large packet Of from l40 to 200 sheets. 1t
is supposed that the interposition of these
cold sheets produces the peculiar greenish
color that the finished sheets possess on
cooling.
THIS large packet is then given what is
known as the finishing or polishing liam
mering. For this purpose the trip ham
mer used has larger face than the others,
having an area about II by 81 inches.
When the hammefing has been properly
done, the packet has received 60 blows,
equally distributed, and the sheets should
have perfectly smooth, mirror like sut-
face, The packet 10 now broken before
cooling, each sheet cleaned with wet fir
broom to remove the remaining oharcoa
powder, carefully inspected, and the good
sheets stood on their edges in vertical
racks to cool. These sheets are trimmed
to regulation size, % by So inches and as
sorted into Nos. /, 2 or 8, according to
their appearance, and again assorted ac-
cording to weight, which varies from 10 to
10 pounds per sheet. The quality vanes
according to color and freedom from flaws
or spots. A irst class sheet must be with
out the slightest aaw and have peculiar
metallic gray color. and on bending num-
Der Of times with the fingers, very little or
nor scale is separated, as in the case of or
dinary sheet iron.
The peculiar property Of Russian sheet
iron is the beautiful polished coating of OK
ides ('glanz'9 which it possesses. II
there is any secret in the process it proba-
bly, lies in the trick OF giving this polish.
As far as was able to Judge, from person
al observation and conversation with the
Russian iron-masters, the excellence OF
this sheet iron appeared 10 be due to no
secret, but to variety Of conditions pecu-