New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-15
Casting Ships of Steel
eded Hus Increase Shpbuidng Without Requiring Noleo
Steel for Their Construction
(From The Iron Age)

hull is ahoat The abutting edges OF cast
ings are bevelled TO form the '-shaPeu
grooves usual in electric welding, ana oy
means of interlocking Jugs and overhanging
ends the cast sections are drawn together 10
bring the edges into exact registration 10 De
welded electrically, with the operatives IN
some cases, for example, working from
swinging seats.
Labor and Equipment Needed
In size of castings, sections sx30 feet ana
even larger are spoken of. The grooves are
on the inside of the hull leaving the outside
of the ship without projections other than
the minute ones corresponding to the surface
of a steel casting untouched from the SAND
The only work contemplated on the outside
is the removal by chipping of the steel ms
following the use of built-up forms OF mould,
which may be used for the large castings'
Sharp projections from the inside may ne
removed to avoid injurng workman. Inc
inner skin of the vessel, to form bulkheads,
tanks and bunkers. may be composed. Mr..
Hill suggests. of rolled sheet metal welded to
the decks, beams, frames and plating. IL fol-
lows. of course, that the castings VIII nave
reinforcing ribs to secure strength to the
hull itself as we'll as to provide for satlsfac-
tory casting results.
II is estimated that about 100 men can as
semble so 900 tons of shipping in each plant
per month; this means 10,00O-ton ship, for
example about every five or six days IN eacn
one of the ten plants Three ways per plant
are suggested each with its slip, and twelve
travelling cranes for each plant. AS the sur
face of the castings will not be so smooth as
that of rolled steel. the plan would be to
coat the surface with red lead and Smooth
with liouid cement Green labor, 1t is said
with skilled foremen may be utilized Sucn
have been trained TO weld in less than three
weeks For each shipyard 2,l6O welders
could weld one hundred 5,0O0-ton ships per
month, these comprised in three shifts OF
72O men each. For these $50 welding outfits
would be necessary, taking $500 XIV.
Some Advantages Claimed for Cast Ship
The cast-steel ship is suggested as getting
an opportunity to furnish a large supply of
ships without further strainng the steel
rolling capacity of the country and that the
direct cost in well-organized shipyard found
res would be less than the cost of fabricated
ships in times of peace Emphasis is placed
on the minimum resistance to friction Of the
ships hull owing to the absence of riveted
content of cast steel is calculated to give
maximum resistance to surface corrosion.
Emphasis is also placed on the fact that the
welded joints are stronger than the average
section of the steel casting, while with riv-
eted structures the weakest points are the
riveted joints. 1t is mentioned to point out
the feasibility of the scheme that German
submarines are built of cast-steel sections.
The casting of the sections is regarded as
no great problem, being standard CONNER
cial product, nor the electric welding, being
merely the application of standard COM
mercial process on a large scale.
naval architect has recommended to the
Shipping Board that the plan be given
trial, by casting and welding several sec
tons of a ship.