The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-05-25
Big WarshIp Shells.

lne CODplele blOIy OF the maDufac-
ture of one of the big battleship pro-
jectiles has always been hard to obtain,
The Fifth-Sterling Projectile works at
Demmler, near Pittsburg, are barred to
an outsider, only representatives OF the
government and officials of the compa-
ny having access to all the departments.
Even the workmen of one department
are forbidden to enter another. Here
is the history OF the making of 10.
inch SHELF
In the casting shop molten steel is
cast in solid piece about twelve and
half inches in diameter. From the
casting shop it goes TO the forgeroolD,
where, after being reheated, it is ham,
mered down to ten and three-fourths
inches, being considerably elongated
in the process. II is then conveyed to
the machine shop and laced in spec-
tally constructed lathe. The base of
the projectile is inserted in the lathe
"chuck," and the conical end is swung
from the lathe center. A "roughingo
cut is then run over the shell, the shell
itself is pointed, and then receives q
finishing cut.
The only parts of the shell that bear
against the rifed surface of the gun is
the larger part of the conical end and
the surface of copper ring that encir-
Giles the projectile near it's base. The
copper is quite soft, go does not iniure
the riding. After the finishing cut is
given to the projectile the diameter of
the largest part of the cone is ten and
five hun dredths inches, and that of the
cylinder, which is the body of the pro-
jectile extending back from the cone, is
nine and ninety-hundredths inches.
The workmen now apply the "band
score," which is groove cut for the
reception of the soft copper band. For
10 inch proiectile the groove is II
inches wide at the bottom and quarter
inch deep. The groove is wider at the
bottom than at the top, so that the cop
per band retains its position after it
has been placed in the groove and
pounded down until the copper swells
out and fills the groove, thus taking a
fange hold on the underside.
Then the contracting score" is cut,
This presents sectionally view like
the letter V, with the letter lying on
side and the converging lines point
ing to the base of the shell. This
groove is made to permit a tool to be
TO withdraw it from the gun. The
shell is put in the cutting off machine,
where the surplus length is taken off.
The next move is the boring of a five
inch hole in the base to depth of IA
inches.
In the process of hardening the shell
is suspended, point downward, in re-
ceptacle filed with molten lead, and is
allowed to settle until the hot metal
rises above the cone base. At first the
temperature of the lead is 500 degrees,
but is increased gradually to l 300 de-
grees. The work of heating requires
four hours, when the shell is Withdrawn
from the bath and sprayed with water
to give it hard exterior. 1t is then
plunged into bath composed of secret
ingredients, and when withdrawn it is
cooled with jet of water.
The projectile goes again to the ma
chine shop, the hole in the base is wild
ened half an inch and the depth is in
creased two inches. The hole is
"threaded" few inches and a screw
plug is inserted. The grinding room is
the next destination, and here the ex-
IRENE diameter of the cone is ground
down TO ten inches exactly. After a
soft steel cap has been fitted to the tip
of the projectile, on the theory that
when the shell strikes the srmored side
of a battleship the soft steel preserves
the point of the projectile without in
terfering with its penetrating power,
the shell is finished as far as the Firth
Sterling Company is concerned. 1t is
exactly twenty.seven and one.third
inches long. After it has been re-
ceived at some United States arsenal it
is filed with an explosive compound
and is reaGy for its work of destruction.
All large projectiles, from the six
inch size up, are made as described.
The machinery at the Demmler plant
consists of twelve lathes, four boring
mills, two cutting off machines, two
tool lathes, two chasing machines, one
grinding and one centering machine.
This equipment is being REINFORCED,
as the company has enough work on
hand for the government and foreign
countries to keep the plant busy for
two New York Sun.
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