- Email: [email protected]
The first issue
The First Issue by Michael Murphy, Editor
“It is quite natural that the automobile manufacturer should turn to aluminum. Driven by necessity to the use of light materials, he cannot do otherwise than to accept the inevitable
o
..n
begins one of the feature articles in Volume 1, Number 1 of The Metal Industry, published in January 1903. The Metal Industry became Metal Finishing in the 1940s. This article is a brief summary, highlighting items in that first issue.
S
BACKGROUND
You are in the early days of the 20th century. The tallest structure in the world is the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The maximum speed limit in most cities is 10 miles per hour. Of course there are not that many cars and even fewer miles of roadway, no interstates or parkways. Ride-by shootings are an ongoing problem in many western states with teenagers galloping on horseback down the street and randomly shooting at houses, stores, carriages, or whatever. (Sound familiar?) The census of 1900 is the first to use punch-card data processing, although the computer is not yet available. California is not in the top 10 states in population. Las Vegas has fewer than 100 inhabitants. About 90% of homes are without telephones and 85% do not have bathtubs. There is no television, radio, or stereo. The American flag has 45 stars. Only one in 10 adults can read or write. Marijuana, heroin, and morphine are all legally available at the counter in the corner drugstore, and Coca Cola contains cocaine but there’s no canned or bottled beer. The average worker in the U.S.A. earns about 25 cents an hour. Sugar is 4 cents per pound, coffee is 15 cents per pound, and eggs are about one cent apiece. Professionals (accountants, dentists, engineers) earn about $2,000 annually. One in five households has a domestic servant. Ninety percent of doctors have no college education. Antibiotics, insulin, and many other drugs have not yet been invented-now, back to that first issue.
country, in commerce, and in industry.” The masthead indicated that The Metal Industry Publishing Company was located at 61 Beekman St. in New York City. Three names appeared: Palmer H. Langdon, Publisher; Erwin S. Sperry, Editor; and John B. Woodward, Director. The price for single copies was 10 cents with an annual subscription rate of $1.00. SCOPE OF THE NEW PUBLICATION The scope of the new publication was clearly stated on page 2. “Metallurgy may be divided into two classes: First, the mining, dressing, and smelting of ores or their treatment up to the time that the metal is produced in the metallic state. Second, the manufacture or fabrication of the metal, after it has been reduced from the ore, into the great diversity of forms found in the arts. Various mining journals adequately represent the former class, but the latter, except in the case of iron and steel, has never been properly exploited. It is the intention of The Metal Industry, then, to enter this field. . . . Our scope is the working of the nonferrous metals and alloys; the casting and rolling, the wire drawing and tube-making, the refining and alloying, the electroplating and finishing, the stamping and spinning; and in addition we will carefully look after the interests of the dealer and manufacturer, keep him in touch with the conditions of the market, and bring to his notice new wares and product, which appear from time to time. “Trade and personal notices likewise will be published, and last, but not least, there will be published a Correspondence Department in which we shall try, as far as possible, to alleviate the sufferings of the patient founder and metal worker. All questions sent to us will be submitted to various specialists and the questioner may rest assured that the answers will represent intelligent and painstaking work. Accuracy, honesty, and integrity will be our slogan and earnest endeavor will be to render The Metal Industry a journal in which its readers may place the utmost confidence.” ANNOUNCEMENTS
THE MASTHEAD
Page one of this new periodical offered a “Greeting.” “It is with pleasure that we bring you the first number of The Metal Industry . . . it is the result of the peculiar condition of affairs, which have culminated in the present era; an era of expansion in January 2002
Several general announcements appeared on page 2 including a discussion on the purity of cyanide used in silver plating. The case for both sides in the argument regarding the benefits/detriments of potassium cyanide versus sodium cyanide for plating was outlined. It concluded with a report that states “examination of 47 37
samples of so-called potassium cyanide found on the market showed that the average amount of sodium cyanide . . . to be about 20%. One sample was all sodium cyanide . . . another contained . . .68.76% common salt (sodium chloride) . . . While for mining purposes the presence of sodium cyanide probably does no harm, in electroplating such an adulteration should not be tolerated.” FEATURE
ARTICLES
Next were four “feature” articles. The first was entitled “Spilly Brass, Its Cause and Remedy.” Spilly brass was related to improper pouring of the brass during casting. The brass should be “poured into the mold in a steady and uninterrupted stream. If the metal is poured otherwise spilled unsound castings are produced.” The discussion was to be continued in a future issue. “The Use of Aluminum in Automobiles” was the title of the second feature, which was quoted above. Following a discussion of the benefits, it was stated that “the present use of aluminum appears to be limited to the castings for gear cases, engine castings, washers, and sheet for bodies and mufflers.” Alloy composition and conditions for proper casting were then addressed. The third feature was entitled “Casting Copper in Sand.” Problems with overheating were considered. It was noted that “the demand for copper castings of high conductivity for electricity is rapidly increasing . . . ” Finally, an article on “Indian Repousse Work” was offered. Metal workers of the South of India were praised for their skills in producing shapely vessels of copper and brass. Good-quality, very high relief panels (see Fig. 1) were said to average $5 a square foot. CORRESPONDENCE
DEPARTMENT
The first question posed by a correspondent concerned the best pickle for brass sheet. The answer was direct. “A mixture of oil of vitriol and water is the common pickle used by brass manufacturers. The proportions need not be exact and one consisting of nine parts of water and one part of acid is what is generally used. Pour the acid into the water and not vice versa when making up the pickle.” For those not familiar with the term, oil of vitriol is sulfuric acid. TRADE
NEWS
A number of items regarding plant construction and goods offered for sale were reported on page 13. The Manitowoc Novelty Company from the city of the same name in Wisconsin reported that “business of their company for the season just ended has been a 38
Figure 1. Indian repouss6 copper panel for a rosewood sideboard. The central figure is Subrahmanya, third member of the Hindu trinity, riding a peacock.
record breaker in both their regular line and in advertising souvenirs.” The good business climate was confirmed by several additional reports. Announcements of new companies were noted such as, “The Model Brass Company of Kalamazoo, Mich., with a capital stock of $5,000 and The Illinois Brass Foundry Company of Chicago . . incorporated with $10,000 capital . . . ” PATENTS
U.S. Patents granted in the previous month were abstracted. The first listed was U.S. Patent 715,211 concerning a method of treating scrap metal. The patent was obtained by John M. O’Conner and assigned to the Connerite Manufacturing Company of Port Washington, Wis. It offered a “method for utilizing German silver scrap metal . . by adding a soft metal, such as lead, and . . subjecting to heat . . . to fuse . . . and then mixing with aluminum.” One of the patents (716,977) involved a “proMetal Finishing
cess of finishing aluminum, which consists in subjecting the same to the action of a solution of calcium fluoride, nitric acid, and a chromate of a metal.” In other words, a chromate conversion coating for aluminum. Patents on conversion coatings for aluminum are still frequently granted; however, they are now more likely to be of the nonchromate variety.
gw3wg -l
The Attainment of Crucible Perfection is best represented in
v
METAL PRICES
There were fully two pages of price lists for metals in various grades, shapes, and sizes. These included sheet copper, roll and sheet brass, brass and copper wire, and aluminum ingots, tubing, and sheets. Some of the metal prices cited were 48 cents per ounce for silver, $19 per ounce for platinum, and $20 per ounce for gold. Bismuth was $1.50 to $2.00 per pound. The pure aluminum ingots were 33 cents per pound in ton lots.
DIXON’S FOR MANY FOR THE
HEATS LEAST
FUEL
FOR SATISFACTION
ADVERTISEMENTS
Yes, there were advertisements. Except for the cover, which was printed in blue ink on colored stock, the publication was printed in black and white throughout, including the advertisements. The first advertisement to appear was a full page for the Huber Rotary Lithographic Press. “The pioneer in lithography from metal plates. Adaptable for both zinc and aluminum.” What is most interesting about the advertisements from this era is that they contain only street addresses. There were, of course, no web sites or E-mail, but there were also no postal zones, zip codes, or even phone numbers. Most of the advertisements had no illustrations, just text. Products being advertised included foundry equipment and supplies, melting furnaces, metals, chemicals, and finished goods. An example of an advertisement, for crucibles with a special crucible border, is shown in Figure 2. There was even an advertisement from a chemist who offered “ways to utilize many wastes, by-products, and unapplied substances, converting losses into profits.” Even in those days, handling waste products was important. o~nm
EVENTS IN 1903
The year 1903 was notable for other events than the launching of The Metal Industry. In Kitty Hawk, N.C., the Wright Brothers flew a heavier-than-air, powered craft. Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Co. The Department of Commerce and Labor was created by an Act of Congress. The first narrative feature film, The Great Train Robbery, appeared in theaters. Deutsche Gramophone Co. released its first Red Seal operatic recording. Sanka decaffeinated coffee and canned tuna fish January 2002
A postal ca’d. will bring you our treatise on crucibles, hew they are made and how to use them-
e
JOSEPHDIXONCRUCIBLECO. JERSEY
CITY,
N. J.
J333333 Figure 2. Advertisement from the January 1903 issue. The crucible border made it stand out from its neighbors.
made their first appearances. In Massachusetts the first vehicle registration plates were issued. New York State began the first systematic use of fingerprints for criminals. Oscar G. Smith founded the Norbert Plating Co. in Chicago, which is still in operation, initially refurbishing fine silver and gold trays, teapots, and antiques. After going at each other viciously for two years, the established National League and fledgling American League buried the hatchet, according to the The Sporting News, and agreed to face one another in the first World Series. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox met in a best-of-seven showdown. Jimmy Sebring hit the first World Series home run in the very first game of the series. END NOTE
I hope you enjoyed this brief look at the first issue and 1903 as much as I did in preparing it. During each month of the year 2002 additional items of interest from 100 years of publishing will be reviewed, MF 39
“It is quite natural that the automobile manufacturer should turn to aluminum. Driven by necessity to the use of light materials, he cannot do otherwise than to accept the inevitable
o
..n
begins one of the feature articles in Volume 1, Number 1 of The Metal Industry, published in January 1903. The Metal Industry became Metal Finishing in the 1940s. This article is a brief summary, highlighting items in that first issue.
S
BACKGROUND
You are in the early days of the 20th century. The tallest structure in the world is the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The maximum speed limit in most cities is 10 miles per hour. Of course there are not that many cars and even fewer miles of roadway, no interstates or parkways. Ride-by shootings are an ongoing problem in many western states with teenagers galloping on horseback down the street and randomly shooting at houses, stores, carriages, or whatever. (Sound familiar?) The census of 1900 is the first to use punch-card data processing, although the computer is not yet available. California is not in the top 10 states in population. Las Vegas has fewer than 100 inhabitants. About 90% of homes are without telephones and 85% do not have bathtubs. There is no television, radio, or stereo. The American flag has 45 stars. Only one in 10 adults can read or write. Marijuana, heroin, and morphine are all legally available at the counter in the corner drugstore, and Coca Cola contains cocaine but there’s no canned or bottled beer. The average worker in the U.S.A. earns about 25 cents an hour. Sugar is 4 cents per pound, coffee is 15 cents per pound, and eggs are about one cent apiece. Professionals (accountants, dentists, engineers) earn about $2,000 annually. One in five households has a domestic servant. Ninety percent of doctors have no college education. Antibiotics, insulin, and many other drugs have not yet been invented-now, back to that first issue.
country, in commerce, and in industry.” The masthead indicated that The Metal Industry Publishing Company was located at 61 Beekman St. in New York City. Three names appeared: Palmer H. Langdon, Publisher; Erwin S. Sperry, Editor; and John B. Woodward, Director. The price for single copies was 10 cents with an annual subscription rate of $1.00. SCOPE OF THE NEW PUBLICATION The scope of the new publication was clearly stated on page 2. “Metallurgy may be divided into two classes: First, the mining, dressing, and smelting of ores or their treatment up to the time that the metal is produced in the metallic state. Second, the manufacture or fabrication of the metal, after it has been reduced from the ore, into the great diversity of forms found in the arts. Various mining journals adequately represent the former class, but the latter, except in the case of iron and steel, has never been properly exploited. It is the intention of The Metal Industry, then, to enter this field. . . . Our scope is the working of the nonferrous metals and alloys; the casting and rolling, the wire drawing and tube-making, the refining and alloying, the electroplating and finishing, the stamping and spinning; and in addition we will carefully look after the interests of the dealer and manufacturer, keep him in touch with the conditions of the market, and bring to his notice new wares and product, which appear from time to time. “Trade and personal notices likewise will be published, and last, but not least, there will be published a Correspondence Department in which we shall try, as far as possible, to alleviate the sufferings of the patient founder and metal worker. All questions sent to us will be submitted to various specialists and the questioner may rest assured that the answers will represent intelligent and painstaking work. Accuracy, honesty, and integrity will be our slogan and earnest endeavor will be to render The Metal Industry a journal in which its readers may place the utmost confidence.” ANNOUNCEMENTS
THE MASTHEAD
Page one of this new periodical offered a “Greeting.” “It is with pleasure that we bring you the first number of The Metal Industry . . . it is the result of the peculiar condition of affairs, which have culminated in the present era; an era of expansion in January 2002
Several general announcements appeared on page 2 including a discussion on the purity of cyanide used in silver plating. The case for both sides in the argument regarding the benefits/detriments of potassium cyanide versus sodium cyanide for plating was outlined. It concluded with a report that states “examination of 47 37
samples of so-called potassium cyanide found on the market showed that the average amount of sodium cyanide . . . to be about 20%. One sample was all sodium cyanide . . . another contained . . .68.76% common salt (sodium chloride) . . . While for mining purposes the presence of sodium cyanide probably does no harm, in electroplating such an adulteration should not be tolerated.” FEATURE
ARTICLES
Next were four “feature” articles. The first was entitled “Spilly Brass, Its Cause and Remedy.” Spilly brass was related to improper pouring of the brass during casting. The brass should be “poured into the mold in a steady and uninterrupted stream. If the metal is poured otherwise spilled unsound castings are produced.” The discussion was to be continued in a future issue. “The Use of Aluminum in Automobiles” was the title of the second feature, which was quoted above. Following a discussion of the benefits, it was stated that “the present use of aluminum appears to be limited to the castings for gear cases, engine castings, washers, and sheet for bodies and mufflers.” Alloy composition and conditions for proper casting were then addressed. The third feature was entitled “Casting Copper in Sand.” Problems with overheating were considered. It was noted that “the demand for copper castings of high conductivity for electricity is rapidly increasing . . . ” Finally, an article on “Indian Repousse Work” was offered. Metal workers of the South of India were praised for their skills in producing shapely vessels of copper and brass. Good-quality, very high relief panels (see Fig. 1) were said to average $5 a square foot. CORRESPONDENCE
DEPARTMENT
The first question posed by a correspondent concerned the best pickle for brass sheet. The answer was direct. “A mixture of oil of vitriol and water is the common pickle used by brass manufacturers. The proportions need not be exact and one consisting of nine parts of water and one part of acid is what is generally used. Pour the acid into the water and not vice versa when making up the pickle.” For those not familiar with the term, oil of vitriol is sulfuric acid. TRADE
NEWS
A number of items regarding plant construction and goods offered for sale were reported on page 13. The Manitowoc Novelty Company from the city of the same name in Wisconsin reported that “business of their company for the season just ended has been a 38
Figure 1. Indian repouss6 copper panel for a rosewood sideboard. The central figure is Subrahmanya, third member of the Hindu trinity, riding a peacock.
record breaker in both their regular line and in advertising souvenirs.” The good business climate was confirmed by several additional reports. Announcements of new companies were noted such as, “The Model Brass Company of Kalamazoo, Mich., with a capital stock of $5,000 and The Illinois Brass Foundry Company of Chicago . . incorporated with $10,000 capital . . . ” PATENTS
U.S. Patents granted in the previous month were abstracted. The first listed was U.S. Patent 715,211 concerning a method of treating scrap metal. The patent was obtained by John M. O’Conner and assigned to the Connerite Manufacturing Company of Port Washington, Wis. It offered a “method for utilizing German silver scrap metal . . by adding a soft metal, such as lead, and . . subjecting to heat . . . to fuse . . . and then mixing with aluminum.” One of the patents (716,977) involved a “proMetal Finishing
cess of finishing aluminum, which consists in subjecting the same to the action of a solution of calcium fluoride, nitric acid, and a chromate of a metal.” In other words, a chromate conversion coating for aluminum. Patents on conversion coatings for aluminum are still frequently granted; however, they are now more likely to be of the nonchromate variety.
gw3wg -l
The Attainment of Crucible Perfection is best represented in
v
METAL PRICES
There were fully two pages of price lists for metals in various grades, shapes, and sizes. These included sheet copper, roll and sheet brass, brass and copper wire, and aluminum ingots, tubing, and sheets. Some of the metal prices cited were 48 cents per ounce for silver, $19 per ounce for platinum, and $20 per ounce for gold. Bismuth was $1.50 to $2.00 per pound. The pure aluminum ingots were 33 cents per pound in ton lots.
DIXON’S FOR MANY FOR THE
HEATS LEAST
FUEL
FOR SATISFACTION
ADVERTISEMENTS
Yes, there were advertisements. Except for the cover, which was printed in blue ink on colored stock, the publication was printed in black and white throughout, including the advertisements. The first advertisement to appear was a full page for the Huber Rotary Lithographic Press. “The pioneer in lithography from metal plates. Adaptable for both zinc and aluminum.” What is most interesting about the advertisements from this era is that they contain only street addresses. There were, of course, no web sites or E-mail, but there were also no postal zones, zip codes, or even phone numbers. Most of the advertisements had no illustrations, just text. Products being advertised included foundry equipment and supplies, melting furnaces, metals, chemicals, and finished goods. An example of an advertisement, for crucibles with a special crucible border, is shown in Figure 2. There was even an advertisement from a chemist who offered “ways to utilize many wastes, by-products, and unapplied substances, converting losses into profits.” Even in those days, handling waste products was important. o~nm
EVENTS IN 1903
The year 1903 was notable for other events than the launching of The Metal Industry. In Kitty Hawk, N.C., the Wright Brothers flew a heavier-than-air, powered craft. Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Co. The Department of Commerce and Labor was created by an Act of Congress. The first narrative feature film, The Great Train Robbery, appeared in theaters. Deutsche Gramophone Co. released its first Red Seal operatic recording. Sanka decaffeinated coffee and canned tuna fish January 2002
A postal ca’d. will bring you our treatise on crucibles, hew they are made and how to use them-
e
JOSEPHDIXONCRUCIBLECO. JERSEY
CITY,
N. J.
J333333 Figure 2. Advertisement from the January 1903 issue. The crucible border made it stand out from its neighbors.
made their first appearances. In Massachusetts the first vehicle registration plates were issued. New York State began the first systematic use of fingerprints for criminals. Oscar G. Smith founded the Norbert Plating Co. in Chicago, which is still in operation, initially refurbishing fine silver and gold trays, teapots, and antiques. After going at each other viciously for two years, the established National League and fledgling American League buried the hatchet, according to the The Sporting News, and agreed to face one another in the first World Series. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox met in a best-of-seven showdown. Jimmy Sebring hit the first World Series home run in the very first game of the series. END NOTE
I hope you enjoyed this brief look at the first issue and 1903 as much as I did in preparing it. During each month of the year 2002 additional items of interest from 100 years of publishing will be reviewed, MF 39