Rolling Mill request from a Yank

[Ric Furrer]

I don’t know how old those videos are but I can just imagine the HSE having palpitations

 

I assume that is your version of OSHA which we have here to "look out" for the working conditions. At some point having safety features prevents the use of the tool...where that point is may be up for debate.

 

Some guards are in place on these machines, but to make it fool proof (not damn fool proof as that is impossible..a damn fool can hurt himself walking to the Loo) would be interesting.

 

I have a healthy respect for my two rolling mills. A forging hammer will crush a portion of you and spit you out..a rolling mill will simply eat you and turn you into lubricant.

 

Malky...ever see a wood chipper?

 

Richard

[Kidorry]

There seems to be several shape changes to reduce the billet faster, but in my application I would prefer to do square to square as in the videos above.

 

Richard

 

In the video they are, maybe, reducing the billet from three inch square to about one and a half inch square where you do not need a dramatic reduction,but when you are going from three inch square to half inch round,then you have to give it some clout.

[Kidorry]

I assume that is your version of OSHA which we have here to "look out" for the working conditions. At some point having safety features prevents the use of the tool...where that point is may be up for debate.

 

Some guards are in place on these machines, but to make it fool proof (not damn fool proof as that is impossible..a damn fool can hurt himself walking to the Loo) would be interesting.

 

I have a healthy respect for my two rolling mills. A forging hammer will crush a portion of you and spit you out..a rolling mill will simply eat you and turn you into lubricant.

 

Malky...ever see a wood chipper?

 

Richard

 

That is true,I have seen it.Not a pretty sight.

[Ric Furrer]

That is true,I have seen it.Not a pretty sight.

 

Oh

Sorry to bring up a bad memory.

 

Richard

[Kidorry]

Oh

Sorry to bring up a bad memory.

 

Richard

Not to worry because it was a long time ago.

[rubydazzler]

Thanks for posting those vids. Although I worked in a steelworks when I first left school, it was in the office. The nearest I came to machinery was walking past the drop stamps and centre lathes. The furnace was in another building.

 

Especially the first one, it was almost like watching a ballet or something. The separate teams all perfectly orchestrated to their work, stepping in and out of scene, never missing a beat or getting in one another's way.

 

And the lack of any 'safety' clothing was very apparent, to say it was only filmed in 1998. I know men went to work wearing ordinary clothing, with the addition of a 'sweat rag/band' in the 50s but to see them so simply garbed in the late 90s, surprising!

[Kidorry]

Thanks for posting those vids. Although I worked in a steelworks when I first left school, it was in the office. The nearest I came to machinery was walking past the drop stamps and centre lathes. The furnace was in another building.

 

Especially the first one, it was almost like watching a ballet or something. The separate teams all perfectly orchestrated to their work, stepping in and out of scene, never missing a beat or getting in one another's way.

 

And the lack of any 'safety' clothing was very apparent, to say it was only filmed in 1998. I know men went to work wearing ordinary clothing, with the addition of a 'sweat rag/band' in the 50s but to see them so simply garbed in the late 90s, surprising!

 

It was too hot to wear any safety clothing and they just got in your way.We were issued with ear protectors and safety helmets.The helmets made you sweat even more and you could not hear anyone warning you if something went wrong.The companies only issued them to cover themselves with the health and safety.

[Kidorry]

When you say it was like a scene from a ballet it was even more intricate when you were working with 5 bars in the roll set up at one time.

[rubydazzler]

It was too hot to wear any safety clothing and they just got in your way.We were issued with ear protectors and safety helmets.The helmets made you sweat even more and you could not hear anyone warning you if something went wrong.The companies only issued them to cover themselves with the health and safety.

You should write all your work experiences down, or record them, Kidorry, and bequeath them to the Sheffield Archives. In years to come, the sort of work you did will be a distant memory, I'm sure.

 

One of my uncles was a real old time Sheffelder, and also worked as a hand roller. Really wish we'd got him on tape when he was talking about his life when he'd had a jar or two.

 

The stuff left by local people to the Archives is invaluable for anyone researching local history, really invaluable.

 

Sorry, for taking the thread off topic, Ric. *leaves quietly*

[Ric Furrer]

I agree...I think many who did the trades need to record their memories.

This has been done to some small, but dedicated degree here:

http://www.iarecordings.org/productions/p1.html

---where else can you see hand made files being cut?

This recording was the first time I saw such hand rolling of steel...fascinating.

 

I think..since it is living history that it should be recorded through living people talking ad demonstrating..video is perfect for this...it allows for so much more depth than the written word..I think. Especially with the hand trades.

 

 

 

I would think...ahem...SOMEONE..may be able to get some funding to do interviews of such workers.

Grace, what are your thoughts?

 

I worked at a museum while in college and one of the museums archivists was doing an ongoing interview series with all who wished to talk...this was collection of veterans of wars, but the main concept is the same.

 

"A day in the life of" sort of thing.

I would like to hear the words of a crucible steel teemer and crucible maker, but I fear those folk are long gone.

That is largely how we lose technological history..one person at a time...slowly...as new technologies come and supplant the old.

 

Richard