Katharine an I spent part of our day in Sheffield at Kelham Island museum, where there are extensive displays about the iron and steel industry in the city. Starting with very small scale crucible steel making through to large modern electric arc furnaces, every stage of the development of the industry seems to have been represented somewhere in the city.
This shot focuses on one of the processes used to shape steel once it had been created. It soon becomes obvious that this took place before the days of 'Health and Safety'. The machine on the left is a drop hammer, and the worker on the right is holding a red hot piece of steel with tounges, placing it under the hammer so that as the hammer falls the steel is reshaped.
The worker will move the bar backwards or forwards, or twist it so that a different part or side of the steel is struck to create a required shape. This all has to be done at speed, since the steel is cooling and becoming harder to work, and reheating it would cost both time and money. What is a seemingly simple process requires considerable skill on the part of the worker. His only concession to safety is a cloth wrapped around the tounges to protect his hands from the heat transmitted from the steel along the tounges.
This was one of several interesting recreations of scenes from the iron and steel industries to be seen in the museum. Although it showed the process, it didn't capture the heat, noise and fumes found in a real steelworks.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, the are very much appreciated.
It was quite an experience touring the museum. It had particular relevance for me, since my dad spent 30 years working in steel rolling mills, and my mum worked there during the Second World War - it was where they first met.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, the are very much appreciated.
It was quite an experience touring the museum. It had particular relevance for me, since my dad spent 30 years working in steel rolling mills, and my mum worked there during the Second World War - it was where they first met.
Ian
It is indeed, and very skilled as well!
Ian