chapter 11
Ultimate Factory Tour
12/22/2010
a galvanizing moment
link to BTC folder (40pics)
I can't believe I still have and found this 6" drop forged carbon steel, zinc galvanized turnbuckle among my hundreds of metal bits in the garage. Dad made it for me during a factory tour with Kathy in 1975 at Brewer Tichnor Corp (BTC), Cortland, NY where he worked for a LIFETIME. Just edited stills for the folder that will illustrate some of the industrial processes he soldiered on with as part of the industrial revolution in this country. It still operates as Cooper Industries and is one of 6 of the original members of the FIA from 1935 still operating.
The turnbuckle is typically used to tighten guy wires, with left and right hand threading. Note that mine is a blank, undrilled or threaded making it a unique antique piece with provenance greater than this same piece on eBay.
Looking back was like an archeological exploration for dinosaur bits in this industry.
Cortland's BTC begun 1889 in horse carriage business, converted to Cadillac, Ford products, Ni Mo high tension line insullator caps, chain products...
Apex Tool Group now parent company over Cooper Industries, Cooper Hand Tools, Campbell Chain, (Crescent, Luftkin, Nicholson, Plumb, etc)
BTC FORGING forging process cool hot forging video annealing process the secret for ultimate strength of metals; 2 of my turnbuckles could hold up a 3000# car
hot dip galvanizing process (as opposed to electroplate)
1/2" x 6" turnbuckle specs carbon steel turnbuckle warnings
zinc ingots alloy specs kettle production do it yourself at home process description
Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna: As drainage basin engineer at DEC, I gave water quality limits to hundreds of industrial dischargers. One of them was this facility that itself had hundreds of discharge pipes along with scores of pollutant chemicals. One chemical, zinc, had a total release of 434,148 # the year I retired 2001. Sounds like a lot but it's a huge facility and the emissions were mostly via air. There was only a small water concentration, although you will see a water quality violation in Oct 2008 (after I left).