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The art of forging

Before I head off to Tucson for the 109 mile El Tour de Tucson tomorrow, with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training, I thought I'd leave you with this picture, which incidentally won 1st place in a recent photo journalism contest in Ventura, CA, depicting one of the manufacturing units, and it's crew, where I work.

To be clear, I'm not one of those guys you see there (back in Pittsburgh, we used to call them mill hunky's) doing the back breaking, dangerous work. (As I've described it many times to others, I'm an educated mill hunky! :)

I'm the one, standing in the [distant] background (who you can't see), that tells manufacturing what temperatures the parts need to be heated to for forging, among other things.

The unit the crew is working on is a 50,000 pound hammer. Just picture an old time blacksmith making horse shoes using a hammer, then multiply that by 50,000 times, and you'll get the picture.

I think it's amazing, when you consider all the rapid advancements in technology being made today, there are still technologies around, that haven't changed much since the 19th century.

The blast furnace is another such technology. If you ever get a chance to see one in operation, I suggest you take it. You'll literally think you've been transported into the past.
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Comments

Becky said…
Have fun on your trip.
1:25 PM
Becky said…
This morning at break, the guys and I were talking about the first car we remembered and then the first car we ever owned. Rivas's first car was a Falcon and Cornwell owned a Cadillac Limousine in high school.

We'll be thinking of you tomorrow over deep fried turkey. :-)
1:28 PM
Marc said…
My first car was a 1962 Corvair. Remember those?

Rear engine, always leaked oil, and was featured in Ralph Nader's book, Unsafe at Any Speed, and changed the auto industry.

See, I was a part of history.

Yeah, I know I have to miss the Turkey, but I'd much rather be riding 109 miles. :)
10:25 PM
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