The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-11
| .esson From War
Helps A CHI ieve
Shipbuilding Econ
omv Essential in
Struggle forW orld
Trade

.,.t.'t
-HE stress OF conflict taught us
many things worth while. and
/ some Of these are going TO help
:, co,,ntly TO wage the economic bat
~. Of peace. Electric welding IL one
:, these newly emphasized agencies.
nd II the rivetless ship becomes q
,,c, As some experts prophesy. then
~. electric arc will be the means Of
making this money and labor saving
sructure possible. ~
The riyetess ship is only partly
here at present, but day by day cleo.
NC Welding is suPplanting rivet driv-
,ug, and the scope Of this substitution
|, increasing continually. Where the
.aoption Of the new order Of Joining
,lstss and angles will end Is a matter
n pure speculation, but there are
those thoroughly versed In this rev.
o,utIonizing art who do not hesitate
% predict that it won't be a great
while before eighty per cent. Of the
rlyets now placed in a steel vessel will
h. dispensed with by reason Of the
ADOPTION OF electric welding in their
stead.
Every American wants to sec thou
sands Of our ships bound to and from
hi ports the world over. TO achieve
this we shall have to build and operate
Aose vessels SO economically that we
can compete upon reasonably close
terms with the rival mercantile craft
81 other nations. To attain these ends
We shall have to save not only dollars
hut pennies wherever 1t win be prac-
|tcable both in constructing and In re-
pairing our vessels OF trade. With
millions Of tons of shipping involved,
kn immense amount OF treasure can
be husbanded by eliminating the SER
vice Of rivets and in bringing about
the union Of contiguous steel surfaces
through the medium of the intense
heat OF the electric arc.
Stronger Than Rivets.
An imposing array OF American
Ee:hnicians have given, intimate and
prolonged study to electric welding in
tapoullding and only a short while
back the findings OF these experts
were made public. One startling rev.
ta,!on was to the effect that certain
welded joints were more than 30 per
fert stronger than those made by
Using the same materials and re-
kcrting to triple lines of rivets. Re
fnenber that every rivet requires the
punching or drilling of. At least, two
Poles in the parts to be united, and
hese holes. especially II In series, must
te brought together and aligned with
precision in order to effect a satisfac-
'ry bond when the linking rivets are
triyen. $50 ,
The same authorities tell us that
ectrlc welding when applied to the
fnlror parts Of a ship nets Q saving, In
COS; Of at least 80 per cent OF that In
lrred in riveting. while an economy
q per cent. can be counted upon
corhdently II welding is used on the
great mass Of the structure, such as
III plating. &c. To make q good
veting job the metal surfaces to be
pound must overlap one another. This
contributes materially to the strength
Of The joint, Just as does the excess Of
''o'n at the seams OF a garment. Be-
tause the electrically welded joint Is
Inherently stronger than a riveted
Che' this overlapping can be much re-
e1oeo' and, as result, between 20 and
20 per cent. less steel need go into the
Sset up OF the ship. With steel plates
sha angles at any price this economy
would be important, and with these
structural materials costing what they
20 now, and are likely to continue to
el 'or, the economic value of the new
iaohcating medium becomes all the
more significant. t
What Rivetting Costs.
According to some recent figures II
.ems that out OF the total sum of
stsVOVoO expended in building a TO-
"" ION ship substantially $4,000 Is
'-o price paid for riveting alone. Be-
,ause OF the savings in material and
.n made possible by the adoption Of
s'eru'c welding 1t Is authoritatively
.ec'afed that the building OF a 10000
D vessel can be shortened by thirty
s. S tAat the price per ton Of the
-. structure can be reduced fully
w. ana that the total outlay can be
'Sened by quite $97,5oo. This means
saving OF something more than
wi cent In initial cost; and there
- - nose who are sure that the weld
,S. 'p VIII stand up better In service
S ,+an me rtveted craft and therefore
Ing term Of years make fewer
. ."@hds upon the purses OF her own
,or upkeep and hull repairs.
--'e''r'c welding has been in prettS
.'''oh use in many industries FOL
a AL Years, but its application Z,
,a ,,U1.'dins has, until recently, beer
,1'''''ed to minor features wher,
~ ~ 10 hold under seagoing stressei
W. not invite hazard either to tn,
sv.. ,'tlnei or to the craft itself. ThiI
mar" OF binding fractured castings
o,he .'hs neighhoring parts OF steel AMI
b .s.ise promoting fabrication o.
me- repairs has been widely EN-
rnI,a. N railroad shops here in. tn
nsriand Repairs n Leshon.
n,n me Jon OF rehabllitating the Ger
bro ners' damaged by sabotage
me, ~ the art to focus and Shove,
.sc,u" "9t the melting heat OF tn,
bs..i a.I could do In marine engi