Two unidentified workers guide a ship's propeller on a crane at Columbia Steel Casting Company. Another worker is visible operating the crane from a booth in the upper portion of the photograph.
An employee using a swing frame grinder on a stern frame casting in the cleaning room at the Columbia Steel Casting Company foundry. Caption from bottom of negative reads, “Center section in cleaning room. Pouring weight 50,000 pounds.”
An employee using an electric swing frame grinder to clean skeg off a ship frame casting at Columbia Steel Casting Company. The caption at the bottom of the image reads, “Skeg being cleaned.”
An employee uses a prybar to remove the slag after an acetylene cutting torch has cut the riser steel-cast component at Columbia Steel Casting Company.
Two employees work on cleaning a casting at Columbia Steel Casting Company. One employee uses a cutting torch to remove rigging, and another uses a bar to hand chip off sand.
Two employees work on stern frame of ship at Columbia Steel Casting Company. One employee uses a cutting torch to remove a riser and one uses a pneumatic chipping gun.
This series contains photographs of steelworkers and equipment detailing the steel casting process used for making large steel components for Liberty Ships constructed in Portland (Or.) area shipyards during World War II.
Supplemental descriptive information contributed in 2019 by Chris Horn, Facilities Director for Columbia Steel.
Employees at Columbia Steel Casting Company working to close a mold by placing the cope (top half of the mold) onto the drag (bottom half) of the mold.