I was looking for a piece of steel for a project I'm working on when I came across this one. I know it's not a Cadillac piece, but it's possible that it had come from one a long time ago.
I wish that this would be a common site today as it was when my 56 was new.
Note the name on the piece. When was the last time you saw this name on something?
Rick
Used to buy steel from a recycling place with logo below (United States Steel) years ago (like 80's)
I could tell it from the Wuhan stuff, just by the way it welded and drilled.
Yeah it's related, this is what our Cadillac's were made of.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/US-Steel-Logo.svg/240px-US-Steel-Logo.svg.png)
My Grandfather, and employee of USS, sold the steel suspension cable on the Avodros Narrows Bridge in NJ/NY area in the early 1960's it was his biggest sale ever. He bought his wife a brand new 1961 Cadillac SDV, then a 1964, 1967, and so on. That is how I got interested in Cadillacs.
Ha, I took this pic while walking across the Bear Mt Bridge last year.
Jim, I can't make out the name in the picture, what does it say?
I remember that there used to be a company called Bethlehem Steel also.
Rick
Carnegie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_Steel_Company
Rick,
As soon as I saw the picture I thought hmm Kaiser that sounds familiar. Kaiser Aluminum was a supplier to the company I work for. I think for thin rolled sheet product Aluminum. I wonder if Kaiser Steel is related.
Scott
Henry J. Kaiser was a well known industrialist in WWII and for a while after. Among his accomplishments was the construction of ships (LSTs) IIRC.
He owned steel mills and much more. Kaiser Aluminum was one of his companies, all named after him.
He was also known for pink jeeps with striped canvas tops. And an air conditioned dog house.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_J._Kaiser (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_J._Kaiser)
Having spent most of my life near Pittsburgh
(the "Steel City") there are many stories to tell.
In suburb of Pittsburgh (West Mifflin) Fisher Body
had a huge stamping plant that employed 600 people.
It was right next to the US&S Irvin works, a very large
integrated mill that produced steel sheet. The Fisher
plant stamped out body panels for all GM makes from
the early 40's through 2005 when it was closed. The
Irvin Works still exists and even is being expanded.
Over 5,000 people still work there.
I grew up in a small town about 10 miles away but at
night in the 50's I could see the distant sky glow red /
orange as the huge furnaces worked 24 / 7 making steel.
Too much use of plastic and composite materials I would
guess was part of the reason this plant was closed.
Mike
Did GM ever make its own steel or any materials such as vinyl, leather and other rubber components? Or was it all from suppliers?
The reason why I ask it’s because Ford had there massive Rouge plant which made its own steel tool and die plant.
I’m not sure if this is all true or not, but supposedly Ford used better quality steel than GM vehicles did. Of course this could depend on the year make and model. Ford bodies being stronger and more durable as well.
As for older Cadillacs I’ve always found their sheet metal to be tank like and solid. Everything from the hoods, to the doors and trunk lid all seemed very sturdy.
My 64 being the perfect example. Tank like construction with high end build quality, fit n finish, that you won’t find in new plastic laced vehicles of today.
Hello all,
When I was 12 years old, my family moved to the Hawaii Kai neighborhood of Honolulu. We lived on Poipu Drive, which is one block over from Portlock Road, the street on which Henry Kaiser had his Honolulu estate. I walked past the Kaiser estate many times.
As Glen's photo attests, Kaiser's favorite color was pink. Not only was the fleet of jeeps painted pink, so were the buildings of his estate, and his fleet of catamarans.
One of America's leading industrialists, Henry J. Kaiser is associated with the Kaiser-Frazer automobile, and Kaiser Permanente Health Care, as well as steel and aluminum. A quote attributed to him states, "If your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt." He died in 1967 in Honolulu, aged 85.
The history of the steel industry in the U.S. makes for fascinating reading for me. I like the fact that the history encompasses not just metallurgy and technology, but politics, labor relations, ego and drama, spread over the decades of U.S. industrial dominance.
Although 28 years old, Richard Preston's book, "American Steel", was a good read then, and might just help you get through your COVID quarantine period with a new perspective on what the American economy can do post-COVID.
Respectfully submitted,
Christopher Winter
64Caddielacky,
Yes I just finished working on a 1965 Cadillac Fleetwood 60S with no vinyl top and only 51k miles on it. The solid feel of the doors closing and etc. is superior to my 1970 Cadillacs. It is tank like, with great fit and finish.
A few years ago I was working a job where we had to hire an outside inspector / engineer sort of person to inspect some structures and certify them to carry a load. Building was built in 1926. The inspector was amazed when he saw the beams in the building because they were all stamped with the name of the company that made them which I don't remember at this time but that turned out to be the company his grandfather worked for. He had never seen anything with that name on it before, only heard the stores or maybe seen a few photographs. The name wasn't one I had heard of before and I imagine outside of the steel industry or the local workers at that time no one else had either.
I wonder when the practice of having a brand name ended? I don't recall seeing names or logos on the steel in modern buildings. I think they do have some sort of data or id tags on them but they definitely are not the cool logos that you used to see.
Kaiser Steel has an interesting history and "off shoots"--- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser_Steel Thanks for posting... learn something everyday from you folks, and it's much appreciate, James
I think brand names and spec are printed on now and not stamped or rolled on steel now. You see a lot of foreign steel now, And they probably don't want to advertise that fact. Has anyone notice that on new car window stickers they don't list the country content % anymore.
Henry Kaiser was an amazing man. Prior to the building of the Shasta dam, Henry didn't like the quote the railroad gave him for transporting gravel to his cement plant..so he built nine miles of conveyor to bring the gravel instead. Henry was one of the first developers to open up Hawaii...he didn't like the fact that the airlines were not servicing the islands enough so he suggested to them that should change otherwise he would buy jets and start his own airline..regular flights began immediately.
Cheers,Pat
I would be curious to hear especially since it helps keep this thread on the Cadillac subject what people know about how many 'raw material' plants GM had. Like someone else mentioned Ford I know at one time Ford made at least some of their own glass. They mined it out of the river bluff caves and tunnels under their St Paul MN assembly plant. I think the plant opened in 1925 and glass was maybe in the 30's. I think they had quit doing glass there buy the 50's for one reason or another.
Personally I would love to see our country begin making steel here again. I never got why we started having it done overseas, except that it benefited some CEO'S bottom line. And they are the only ones who benefited from it.
The last time I had to buy some steel for a project, all I could get was either made in Korea or China.
And like someone else said, you can tell the difference between American steel and overseas steel.
When I began cutting that piece of Kaiser steel I could definitely tell the difference, i used twice as many cutoff wheels on it as I usually do for a piece that thick. And drilling holes in it took longer as well. It's like the steel is harder. But when I had to use the torch on it to cut out a large hole, it cut beautifully. Hardly any slag like I normally get from the overseas stuff. I wish I could have found more of it when I got this. All I got was 4 pieces, but at least I got it.
Quote from: EldovertHenry Kaiser was an amazing man. Prior to the building of the Shasta dam, Henry didn't like the quote the railroad gave him for transporting gravel to his cement plant..so he built nine miles of conveyor to bring the gravel instead. Cheers,Pat
Henry Kaiser was a get-it-done guy. When the Axis threatened to
sink all our merchant ships, he told congress he would build them
faster than they were sunk. Congress asked "How can you do that?
Rome was not built in a day.". He said "I was not in Rome.".
When I purchased the steel to construct the internal frame in the 40 foot container I was going to use to carry my Cadillac, Cadillac parts and other stuff home in 2008, the 2" x 2" RHS was branded Made in Canada, and the 3" x 3" RHS was branded Made in USA. Both lots the brands were simply painted on.
Some of the Steel RSJ's under my house is branded in relief, with a lovely large brand with the name of the brand. LANARKSHIRE STEEL COY LTD SCOTLAND British Steel, 62 inches long. That company was proud of their product, and every 48 Inches, there was the same wording. Both sides were named, with one side upside down so that then the beams were used, the name was always up the right way. When cutting the pieces, the quality was just beautiful.
Bruce. >:D
There is probably something to be said for not wanting your name on things being made today especially if its crap.
Bruce,
The project I was working on was the ball mount bracket for the winch on my car trailer. I copied the one in the picture you sent to me. It turned out great.
Rick
I hope I can mention that here.
Christopher,
In the 70s I knew the caretaker of Kaiser's guest house. I got to see it. The drapes were power, no pulling the cord, just flip the switch. There was an elevator down to the dock where his boat was.
I also saw the dog house. Bigger than most homes. The main house was occupied so off limits.