Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-09-24
AM E RICAN TIN
Pushing Itself to the Front Says an Expert.


Pirr>uruo, Sept. American tin is
pushing itself to the front, and fonn>l Iva
MIA leads the way in the manufacture OF TN
plate 1t has practically killed the TN
plate industry of Wales. The general cry
of the newspapers and manufacturers OF
England is that the industry on this side of
the water is mostly on paper, and American
manufacturers can only make an
inferior article. This is fatty con
tradicted by Welsh tin plate expert.
Chas Johns, a Wclshman. of Lawrence
vile, thoroughly verscd in the tin-plate in
dustry, having worked at it before coming
to this country, made tour OF Inspection
of the tin plate manufactures of Pennsyl-
vania the other day. When asked what he
thought of the progress being made, he
said alt is simply wonderful. II the
American manufacturers maintain the
standard of the. tin plate they are now pro-
ducing, Welsh tin-platers will have little
or nothing to do The most fully equipped
factory visited was at irondale, run by
Wallace, Baufield & Co.
when got inside this mill, thought |
was home again. 1t seemed as if had been
transported across the waters and set IN a
Welsh tin plate mandatory. OF course 1t
was on a smaller scale, but the details were
all the same. | met some of my old-time
friends there who had charge of the depart
ments In fact nearly every person en-
gagged in the factory is from Wales. The
majority had been in this country many
wears, but working at different trades. As
soon as the tin plate industry started they
jumped at the opportunity and got back at
their old business.
THE factories on this side have the roll
ing of the steel down fine. But, American
like. they trv to get as much possible out
of the rolls and as a result the quality of
the steel sheets is not what could he OBJ
tanned if they would be satisfied to get less
quantity. Many factories lack rougbing
rolls, as they do at Irondale. In using one
pair of rolls to do the roughing well as
the other work the surface obtained is not
as gool rs it might be. Notwithstanding
this. the production from an American mill
is nine boxes more in an eight-hour turn
than produced in Wales. In the old coun-
try about 80 boxes are produced on each
turn here 4j to 80 boxes are turned out.
A box of tin plate averages about los
pounds. In turning so much material the
rolls naturally get rough and impair the
surface of the sheets.
In comparing samples of American tin
plate and the Welsh production find that
the American article is in every way far
superior to the Welsh. Take what we call
the common or bright tin, it is much better
than that sent over from the old country
Durability is thing to he considered when
taking tin plate into consideration.
In Wales, two and half pounds OF
block tin are used 10 box of plates. Here
the makers use four pounds. tits the same
with the charcoal tin or finest grade. In
Wales it would be considered a wonderful
matter to put four pounds of block tin in a
box Here the manufacturers Use sI1
pounds. As the steel sheet cuts very
small figure in making good tin plate, and
| the coating has everything to do with 1t, II
can be readily seen that American tin i
much more durable than the Welsh article
There is no doubt that the Americana car
control the whole tin market if they vii
| only maintain the high standard which they
have established.
Zone feature in which the americans art
behind their Welsh friends in is the quality
of steel used in the finest grades of til
plate. Welsh makers use Bessemer stce
steel for their lower grades, but open bearti
in charcoal tin. Here Bessemer is used il
all grades. As a result the appearance o.
the American charcoal is not a. good as the
imported article. although the quality is bet
ter. The manufacturers told me that the.
have vet to receive the first complaint
Of any kind regarding their product
| A recent issue Of the Industrial World
> published in Swansea. the official organ o
the tin plate workers in Wales, is flle'
with lamentations and wailings about 'h'
gloomy condition Of the trade on the othe
side Of the water. After giving list o
the moneys received for the ''tin Plaiers
distress fund" this paper adds Ever.
tin platter must feel that to alleviate tn
great distress now prevailing prompt at
ten,ion should be paid TO the payment o
the sixpence levy imposed by the eoun
Gil
In another place the journal records tn
stoppsge of several tin plate works.