 |
| Anne Fischer commented on a MWRD post This is the steel company my dad worked for. I grew up in Brighton Park neighborhood. I thought you might find this interesting. |
 |
takomabibelot Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)Wyckoff Drawn Steel Company (Chicago, IL & Ambridge, PA)Wycoff Cold Finished Steels. Wycoff Drawn Steel Company. First National Bank Building, Pittsburgh. 3200 South Kedzie Avenue, Chicago. [1940], p. 2.
"Wyckoff began operations in 1920 at Ambridge, Pa., and in two short years found it necessary to double the original manufacturing facilities. Now, twenty years later, this plant comprises more than 10 acres of modern buildings and railroad sidings. Served by the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad--via the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Division." -- p. 4.
Page size: 95 x 178 mm. |
I don't know if this was in the Chicago or Ambridge, PA, plant or both. Normally wires are drawn. It looks like this company pulled plates of steel.
 |
| Digitally Zoomed |
"Cold finished steel bars (CFSB) are a special steel product made by drawing, turning, grinding and/or polishing hot-rolled, special quality steel bars to give them increased strength, improved machinability, straightness, a smooth finish and dimensional accuracy. They are used as a raw material for the production of a wide variety of shafts, bushings, pinions, gears, pins, fasteners and a variety of screw machine products used in farm and industrial machinery, automobiles, trucks, and industrial equipment." [THE COLD FINISHED STEEL BAR INSTITUTE]
I added a red rectangle to highlight where I think the plant was. It is interesting that it was served by the Chicago & Illinois Western Railroad.
 |
| 1929 Englewood Quadrangle @ 1:24,000 |
The land around it changed because they filled in the West Fork of the South Branch, but the building remained.
 |
| 1953 Englewood Quadrangle @ 1:24,000 |
The 1953 cartographer had missed the additions they added by 1938. In addition to the two north/south buildings we see in Anne's photo, there appear to be some more additions.
 |
| 1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP |
Hello - I hold a publication (book) called "The Art of Spark Testing" from the Wycoff Steel Company, copyright 1954 and written by metallurgical engineer Edsel E. Bishop. It was given to me to study from my father (now deceased) who was a certified spark tester at U.S Steel Gary and Fairless Works plants.
ReplyDeleteHe had a consulting job at the Fairless Works after his retirement to verify the steel skelp or 18" strip was of the correct grade prior to shipment and I was his back-up when he was ill or could not make it in. (Had to get certified from Fairless Metallurgists to do the job)
Spark-Testing is the ability or art to recognize character sparks emitted from a potable high-speed grinder on steel to get a good fast estimate of the grade of steel. It was not a substitute for the time consuming and costly chemical grade analysis.
The book indicates the Wycoff plants in Ambridge, PA, Chicago, ILL, Newark, N.J., and Putnam, CONN.
In closing, it may appear Wycoff had from time to time received mixed /lost identity steels of the wrong grade and used/wrote the book of this quick/non destructive and cost effective method of distinguishing grades of steel.
Ron Stegner - former U.S. Steel employee and consultant