The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-12
STEEL MOULDED LIKE DoUoH.
Armor-PiercinE Shells Made Under High Pres-
sure ny n Brooklyn Concern.

Armor-PieFcInE Shells Made Under High Prea-
suro ny u Brooklyn Concern.
There are n number of concerns in tho United
States that are now busy making steel projcc-
tiles for Uncle Sans big rifles. but 1t is said that
In only one Of them is 1t possible to see stoel-
not what is technically known as soft steel,
e~ither-moulded like 30 much dough. That is
literally what is done in Brooklyn. Usually
such projectilcs are formed by cutting, and
are then bored out to make q chamber for the
explosive.
Both armor-picrcing and semi-armor-p piercing
shells ARE made In sizes ranging from G.pound-
es to S.inch. The raw material 10 steel. par
TALLY hardened, in round bars, from two to
about eight inches in diameter. These bars are
sawed into lengths varying for the different
sizes of shells from about four inches to eigh-
teen or twenty inches. The work of cutting up
tho steel bars is such as may be seen In any
machine shop. But the next stop Is n surprise
TO the ordinary mortal. who has always con-
ccivcd steel to be a refractory and difficult ma
tcrial to work into a given form. Entering a
great room which has q dirt floor, he sees about
him fercely hot furnaces and huge hydraulic
presses. A solid cylinder OF glowing white
metal is carefully adjusted in the die Of the
hydraulic press that performs the first opera
ton. Tho press operator pulls down a lever
with an easy movement Of one hand, and down
comes the mighty mandrel. ~eXerting a pressure
Of hundreds Of tons upon tho chunk Of hot
steel. When the mandrel is withdrawn the
piece Is automatically elected from tho die. 1t
squeezed into this shape by the great pressure
as easily as II 1t had been putty or dough. I'm
mediately IT goes to another OF Inc great presses,
where IL Is held in a die with the thicker end
up. Here when the mandrel has silently ap-
piled its force and been withdrawn. the piece
shows a deep hole punched in the centre. and
mas taken a form roughly resembling the mi
ished projectile. Without relocating. so rapio is
theproccss, the shell now goes into u third press,
Co the proper pattern. and a fourth forming
operation makes l. ready for the finishing room.
The shells are flushed and trued in lathes.
A ritiing band of copper Is welded on near the
base. Around the nose Of the full armor- pierre.
a groove is cut. This is for a soft steel cap.
WHICH is put on by the Government when the
the shell from CHANGING when it strikes obliquely
and also acts as a lubricant, enhancing Its pen
etrating power.
In the tempcring of the shells the Government
requirements are such that 1t is seemingly neccs.
shry to work for two ends that lie in exactly oppo-
site direc lions. They must be both tough and brit
tie. a certain number are selected ut random
from each lot for testing. One half OF these are
fired at an armor. plate target. and must pierce
it without receiving any damage (often they
come through with hardly a %scratchl; the Other
half hnirs are loaded d a%d , exploded Sh.i, IN "a a PIT. and I'd the here re,
to pieces. If in the first test a she'll is broken
or II .ttened or badly injured in any way, or II
III NAS ooNO'iA iNob bhO Nv bllillS lipo VIZ
shell open or rendS 1t apart, the whole lot 10 re.
jectcd. To such perfection has the work been
brought, how cver, that the company never has
any trouble in meeting the apparently paradox.
ical requirements OF the official tests.
CAUTIOUSLY enough, The four forging operations
for making a projeCtile by this process are iden-
tical with the first four operations for milking
drawn steel tubing. The company has in con
nection with its projeetilo plant a large bicycle.
tubing plant. The light, strong, cold; drawn
tubing, which is considered superior to all other
kinds; Is made from u solid chunk OF steel.
sawed of II great bar. There are the tour hot
operations on the piece, from the last of which
IL comcs in the form OF a cylinder or tube five
inches in diameter, or thereabouts, and several
feet long. with one end closed. The closed end
is then down into a tongue. After
that the tube goes into draw benches. the tongue
serving TO give n grip for the steel Jaws. and is
drawn out cold. As many as seventeen cold
operations are performed on some Of the tubing.
II being unnealed after each. 1t Is then
Strengthened and tempered.
Tho plant or this concern Is probably under
higher pressure than any other in the country.
THO power throughout Is hydraulic, and a con-
stfnt pressure of 1900 pounds 10 the square
inch is maintained over the whole system.