Chapter XXXIV: Section 1754: applies to all branches of the service, in Washington, D (25)

This job-shop worker is, therefore, commonly both an outside and an inside worker. He must know how to place on buildings all the roofing, skylights, gutters, down spouts, cornices, metal ceilings, etc., needed in the construction. He installs air ducts for hot-air furnaces and for ventilating systems. He may be called on for a variety of repairs on sheet metal--to line tanks with lead, copper, or zinc, and to make and attach guards for machinery. The material for this work is bought in the form of sheets of various sizes, and the workman spends a large part of his time in the shop cutting up his material and working it into the required form.

Extreme accuracy of measurement is seldom necessary, and not much attention is paid to finish since much of the work is immediately painted.

In the building of ships there is a great variety of sheet-metal work done. Heavier gauge metal is used than on most architectural work and the joints are more often required to be oil and water tight.

In the automobile and motor truck industry many men are employed in the making and assembling of bodies, fenders, tanks, and radiators. Much of the formed work is drawn to shape in large presses, the finished shapes being assembled by hand.

Large factories now produce most of the kitchen utensils and stamped sheet-metal ware. This ware is coated with enamel or japan, or plated with nickel. Tin plate is still used, but sheet aluminum and enameled steel ware are fast taking its place. The manufacture of metal containers for canned fruits, meats and fish, oils, and sirups is an important industry. Very few machines for any purpose could dispense with sheet-metal parts without increasing the weight or the cost. In building construction the use of sheet metal is increasing, and when properly protected with paint it is both durable and inexpensive. Sheet metal is taking the place of wood for lath, sash, and trim for fireproof construction in large office buildings. It is used, also, in the manufacture of metal furniture for schools and offices.

TOOLS AND MACHINES.

Tools and machines used by sheet metal workers include the following:

Hand tools.--Hammers, punches, chisels, hand snips or shears, rivet sets, rule, soldering outfit, and a variety of stakes of different shapes and sizes.

Hand and power machines.--Turning, burring, forming, setting, grooving, double seaming, beading, wiring, and folding machines, circular, rotary and squaring shears, cornice brake, and presses for drawing hollow ware.

REQUIREMENTS.

Shopwork in sheet metal does not require men of great strength or quickness of movement. The machines are operated with the right hand and the stock supported with the left. To be of value to the shop a man should know something about pattern drafting, but many workmen are unable to lay out new work, and must work from old patterns or depend on the foreman for help. A sheet-metal worker needs fairly good eyesight, two hands with strong fingers, and on construction work a clear head and good use of his limbs. Requirements for outside work are quite different from those for inside work in the shop.

HOURS AND WAGES.

Hours of labor average about nine a day, but in Government work the standard is eight hours.

Wages range from 45 to 85 cents per hour, but will average about 65 cents, with 68 cents as the union scale on Government work.

FUTURE OF THE EMPLOYMENT.

There seems to be no reason for doubting that this occupation will remain a very stable one. After the war it may be difficult to absorb into industry all the men who have been trained as sheet-metal workers for shipbuilding, but it is certain that the normal requirements of the building trades, the automobile industry, and airplane construction will take many men.

REEDUCATION.

No single course of instruction will fit all cases. If a man can shift from general outside and inside work to inside work exclusively, it will be possible for him to learn the drafting of patterns to great advantage to himself and to the shop. Skill in soldering may also be acquired by practice and will increase the man’s earning capacity. Competent foremen are very much in demand, and they should be trained in drafting and in estimating the cost of construction.

This ability to estimate costs on job work can be attained by special training and would make a disabled man more independent of his handicap.

For the disabled man any course which provides only the theory will fail absolutely in making a man useful to the average employer. It will be necessary to locate the man in a selected situation where his handicap will count for the least and then train him to overcome entirely the handicap. If the school can help with this training the man should go to school, but in a majority of cases it will be necessary for the shop to provide the training, supplemented by evening courses or correspondence-school work. The latter would be quite satisfactory in pattern-drafting and cost-estimating courses.

PLAN No. 922. FACTORY WORKERS

Factory production of articles made of sheetmetal implies that machines will be used where possible. Parts will be stamped out with dies and hollow ware drawn to shape in large presses. The hand operations, as a rule, will be confined to riveting, soldering, and assembling parts.

Where disabled men can qualify it will not be difficult to place them on machines or at hand operations. While the pay will be lower than in the outdoor branch of the trade, work will be steadier and less dependent on weather conditions. Men with a variety of disabilities can find places. Training will be given on the job by foremen. Previous experience in any branch of sheet-metal work will be of value, and since the machines are largely automatic, only a short period of training will be required.

The position of foreman of a department is worth striving for, and the qualities which will help a man to overcome handicaps will also help him to get a foreman’s position, in which he will be largely independent of physical disabilities.

PLAN No. 923. MACHINISTS AND MACHINE OPERATORS

Previous training and experience in some of these metal-working employments will greatly help you if you elect to take up some related line of work. With a little training to overcome your handicap, you may be able to resume your old employment or one in which your previous training and experience will count.

MACHINES OPERATED

Machinists work with the following machines:

Metal turning.--Speed lathes; screw-cutting lathes; engine lathes; turret lathes; shaft and wheel lathes; automatic lathes.

Planing.--Planers; slotters; shapers; gear planers.

Milling.--Hand-feed millers; plain and universal milling machines; planer type millers; special milling and hobbing machines.

Drilling and boring.--Sensitive drills; vertical drilling machines; radial drills; multiple drills; horizontal and vertical boring machines, and boring mills.

Grinding.--Rough, wet, and dry grinders; tool grinders; cylindrical and special shaping grinders; planer type grinders; disk grinders.

Machines for special operations.--Bolt and nut machines; automatic screw machines; broaching machines; cutting-off saws; profiling machines; chasing and engraving machines; rifling machines.

SHOP CONDITIONS

The machinist and machine operator work sometimes in a room crowded with machines, and frequently under artificial light, but usually in a room with plenty of air properly heated. Most of the machines are safeguarded, but there is always danger of accident from moving trucks, flying particles of metal, and sometimes from unprotected belts, gears, and shafting. State laws and inspection may be counted on to reduce this danger materially. Most well-organized shops have announced safety rules to promote the health of the men and to reduce the number of accidents.

Hours of labor average from eight to nine a day. There is a tendency toward a standard eight-hour day, which is already established in Government work. There is usually an increase in the hourly rate for overtime work. Many shops pay according to a piecework rate or premium plan. The trade is fairly well organized, especially in job and railroad shops.

EQUIPMENT OF THE WORKER

It is common practice for a machinist to provide himself with a kit of tools useful in his work. This outfit usually includes steel scales, inside and outside calipers, hammer, surface gauge, punches, and an indefinite collection of other tools of less importance. All classes of workmen, in fact, depend more or less on the shop tool room, and men beginning their employment often have nothing but a steel scale.

OPPORTUNITY FOR PROMOTION

A highly skilled general machinist who can handle men has an excellent opportunity to become a foreman, and workers who understand the technique of their trade may fairly expect to advance rapidly in wages and position. Men who can figure costs and devise economies in production especially are in demand.

FUTURE OF THE TRADE

The war has very greatly increased production in machine shops. The manufacture of guns and munitions and the demands of the shipbuilding industry for tools and machinery for ships have multiplied the demand for men many times. While there must be a readjustment after the war, it is certain that the manufacture of standard products will be very greatly in arrears, and since all industry, including agriculture, transportation, and the arts, depend on the machine shops for their product, there will be a continued demand for trained men.

Wages

Where machinists or machine operators receive wages at an hourly rate this rate approximates the Government scale in railroad shops, which is 68 cents an hour. In shops where the piecework or premium plan prevails, the amount earned by employees varies. It is safe to say that most men employed at any branch of the trade get more than $4 a day in wages.

MUSCULAR STRAIN

A machinist is commonly expected to do some lifting, varying from very light weights to more than 100 pounds. Operators of large machines doing heavy work are often provided with air hoists or jib cranes or with chain hoists to help serve their machines. Probably the operator of a machine working on medium weight parts on lathes or grinding machines may have the maximum of physical strain, due to the quality production expected of him.

YOUR DISABILITY

It would be foolish to make many general statements as to the effect of the loss of various members on the future of a man who desires to be a machinist or a machine operator. So much depends on the will power of the man and on the exercise of wisdom and foresight in selecting a line of work. Talk it over with the placement officer.

A study of the rehabilitation in industry of those injured in industrial accidents shows that most men have been taken back to work after such injuries as the loss of fingers, thumbs, one eye, or similar accidents. Others with more serious injuries have often been taken on again and provided with jobs, perhaps as watchmen or gate tenders, without any reeducation. They accepted their job, lived up their industrial insurance, and were down and out industrially. This should not happen to the man injured in industry, and must not happen to you, because there is a better way which will keep you in a good wage-earning occupation and make you independent.

It will be necessary, of course, for you to take account, not only of your physical condition and of the requirements of the trade, but also of your previous experience, your resources, and your aptitudes.

PLAN No. 924. BENCH HANDS

KIND OF WORK DONE

In the construction of machinery, including the repair of worn and broken parts, there are many operations which can not conveniently be done on machines. This work is done by hand at a bench, fitted with a vise for holding the work. The work done consists of chipping and filling to remove metal, the laying out of centers, circular arcs, lines and limits for the operator, and a variety of operations which require the use of hand tools.

Examples of this work are:

Fitting piston rings to grooves and to standard test gauges.

Filing machined parts to provide smooth surfaces, and to remove burrs.

Laying out and marking parts for drilling and other operations. Much of this work is necessary in making special jigs and fixtures to increase quantity production.

TOOLS

The bench hand uses a variety of files, marking punches, light and heavy hammers, cold chisels, measuring tools and gauges, and often uses hand or power machines, such as bench drills, hand taps and dies.

HOURS, WAGES, AND CONDITIONS OF WORK

The hours of labor are as a minimum forty-eight a week, and will average between fifty-one and fifty-four. Wages are generally according to the scale paid to machinists and are subject to overtime, piecework, and premium rate changes. For instance, the wage scale in railroad shops is now 68 cents per hour and in shipyards 72 cents. Other shops seldom pay as much, but the union scale is from 50 cents to 75 cents an hour in sections where large shops predominate.

The health of the worker is not apt to be impaired by his work, as the muscular strain is not severe, and the sanitary conditions of shops are not generally unfavorable.

The importance of the bench worker in the metal-working industry is decreasing with the increased use of automatic machines, jigs, and fixtures which do away with laying out, and with improvements in molding and casting. All repair work in railroad, automobile, and other shops, however, require much handwork at the bench.

HANDICAPS

Filing, chipping, hammering, etc., may be done by men provided with an artificial hand or arm. The training required before a man can become accustomed to this substitute will take some time, since the bench worker is required to use a variety of tools, and the output of work will depend on the skill of the worker in handling these tools.

Previous experience in the employment will go a long way toward starting a man in the trade again. The use of hand tools is relatively less complicated than that of machine tools, and previous experience should provide the man with the essential knowledge of processes.

Reeducation for any line of bench work should take all possible advantage of previous experience. Many of the things done by the bench hand can be taught in a school in short courses, but experience at the bench on productive work may be obtained at the same time. If the school is provided with satisfactory benches of the proper height and with standard vises, the course may require no longer than from three to six months, allowing for instruction in the reading of blue prints, the use of tools, and for getting accustomed to the work again.

PLAN No. 925. ASSEMBLERS AND ERECTORS

The parts which go to make up the finished machines come from the shop and after inspection are ready to be put together. Men who work at a bench in the assembling room or on the erecting floor fasten these parts together.

ASSEMBLING WORK

Examples of heavy work are found in the assembling of locomotives, stationary and marine engines, mining and pumping machinery, printing presses, rolling mills, and sugar machinery; of medium work in the assembling of gas and gasoline engines, farm machinery, automobiles, and trucks; of light work in the assembling of sewing machines, shoe machinery, cream separators, and typewriters.

Machinists who assemble medium and light machinery receive the parts from the stock room after they have been inspected for accuracy and finish, and bolt them together. Frequently mechanical means are used to carry the parts to the assembler, who bolts them in place on the frame of the machine. This is common in automobile factories.

From the assembling room the machines go to be tested or to be painted and prepared for shipment.

In contract work in job shops the routine described is not usually followed, and the work is performed by all-around men who take the place of the assemblers.

ERECTING WORK

Machinists who work as erectors usually fit the parts together, bolt them solidly, then test the machine for alignment. Shafting is fitted to bearings and sliding surfaces brought into contact by scraping with steel scrapers. Oil grooves are cut in bearing surfaces and all accessory parts fitted. Then in most cases the machine is taken down for shipment, and after reaching its destination is erected again on permanent foundations. Traveling machinists are frequently sent out from the shop to do this work in the field.

TOOLS

Assemblers and erectors use a variety of wrenches, hammers, and other tools. They are often provided with cranes and hoists for all heavy lifting. In the field they may have to devise special means of moving heavy machinery.

HOURS, WAGES, AND CONDITIONS OF WORK

The hours and wages of labor are the same as for the machine operators and bench men, the hours ranging from forty-eight to fifty-four a week.

The position of the assembler or erector is very important. There is no possibility of his being displaced by the introduction of machinery. The increase of production will demand more men, but it is fair to say that there are very many men who are qualified to fill the lower grades of work in this occupation. Only through experience and training on the job can men learn to be competent machinist erectors. These men hold responsible positions in industry and there is a constant demand for competent men.

HANDICAPS

The workman in this branch of the trade must be active and have physical strength, good eyesight, and considerable skill in the use of hand tools. He should know something about machine-tool processes, and may find it necessary to operate machines on occasion. Any handicap must be considered from the point of view of the man and the job he expects to take. If the man has had experience in the given line of work and wants to reenter it, he will be a very good judge of his own ability.

Nearly every disabled man who has previous experience in a machine shop will find it possible to use this experience to advantage.

Handicapped men who are preparing to enter this occupation may be trained in special classes in the factory where the work is done. A group of ten or twelve such men may be taken to a large factory and trained for special jobs under the instruction of a practical teacher.

PLAN No. 926. THE PRACTICE OF OPTOMETRY AND THE TRAINING IT REQUIRES

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The material of this monograph was compiled by S. Reid Warren, editor of The Keystone Magazine of Optometry, assisted by several successful practicing optometrists, to whom acknowledgment is gratefully accorded. The monograph has been prepared under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance.

It is an indisputable fact that the efficiency of the American troops during the late war was greater than that of any other army. One factor which contributed largely to their success is apt to be overlooked by the casual observer, but excited comment wherever our troops were thickest in the fray: _Our men were properly glassed_.

You, for whom this monograph is written, well know how thoroughly and systematically your eyes were examined. Perhaps you do not know that the actual testing of your eyes and the adoption of proper glasses whenever necessary to bring vision up to normal was done in a number of camps by optometrists.

What an important part glasses played in the success of our Army and Navy is a chapter yet to be written.

Now that the conflict is over it is fitting to call attention to the opportunity of entering a profession which has contributed so much to the winning of the war. And as optometry is a comparatively strange word to those not personally concerned with the profession, an explanation of its meaning had best preface this monograph.

WHAT IS AN OPTOMETRIST?

An optometrist examines eyes for the detection and correction of _visual_ or _muscular_ defects not requiring medical attention. He uses no drugs; he does not treat _diseases_ of the eye, nor does he practice surgery. To one not familiar with optical sciences it may be difficult to comprehend, then, what the work of the optometrist includes. Comparison of his work with two better known and somewhat related vocations--that of the oculist and that of the optician--will perhaps be the quickest method of explaining the practice of optometry.

First, let it be understood that the human eye may be considered as a refracting and focusing mechanism, similar to a camera, as well as an organ subject to diseases like any other part of our body.

An _oculist_ (a physician who specializes on the eye) deals both with refraction and muscular deficiencies, and with pathological or diseased conditions.

An _optometrist_, on the other hand, specializes on the functions of the eye as a refracting and focusing apparatus.

An _optician_ grinds the lenses and puts together the necessary fittings to form the eyeglasses prescribed by the oculist or the optometrist.

TYPE OF MAN REQUIRED

The serious nature of the optometrist’s work--the care of human vision--makes it imperative that only men of good moral character and high ideals be admitted to the practice of optometry. An optometrist should be more interested in helping his patient than in making money; he should be tactful, and not only professionally competent, but of the type of personality that inspires confidence. He should realize that the completion of his course of technical instruction and the receipt of a license to practice merely mark matriculation in a postgraduate course stretching out to the end of his days of practice. He should not enter the profession of optometry unless willing to continue the study of never-ending developments in this science and practice.

LENGTH OF PREPARATORY TRAINING

As the optometrist takes up little in medical studies, his technical training requires a briefer time than that of the physician or oculist. The optometrist, of course, must be able to recognize the symptoms of eye diseases, but does not attempt to remedy them; he refers such cases to a physician.

In view of the lesser scope of the work of the optometrist his course of technical training covers only two to four years, as against four to seven years for medical education.

The practice of optometry is regulated by law in 41 States, and in Hawaii, Philippine Islands, Porto Rico, and Alaska. These laws usually require a general education equivalent to two years of high school instruction and (before admission to examination for a license) completion of a course in a school of optometry having an approved two-year course, in addition to one year of practical service in an optometrist’s office.

The laws of the different States vary considerably as to these requirements, and the prospective optometrist should inform himself as to the provisions of the law in the State in which he expects to practice. A few optometry laws have reciprocity clauses, making it permissible for licensees of one State to practice in another.

Most of the schools have two-year courses--some longer. One of the universities--Ohio State--has an optometry course laid out over a period of four years. The course at Columbia University is planned to cover two years. In a number of instances it has been covered in one year by students who were exceptionally well prepared. The studies in optical subjects can be counted toward a B. S. degree, for which four years are required, as is usual. Besides these universities, a number of schools of optometry in various parts of the country have two to three year courses. A list of such schools and their addresses may be obtained from the Federal Board for Vocational Education.

THE OPTOMETRIST’S WORK

The word “optometry” is made up of two Greek words: optos, visible and metron, a measure, meaning the measurement of the visual powers. Examination for detection of visual deficiencies includes tests by the use of charts and of certain precise measuring instruments. For example: One instrument permits inspection of the interior of the eye; another, measurement of the curvature of the cornea; still another, the field of vision. With the data obtained by the intelligent use of all these instruments the optometrist can determine the nature of the lenses required to correct any refractive errors found.

Formerly glasses were given merely as an aid to vision, now they are prescribed for the relief of strain and its resultant symptoms, such as headache, etc. They are also supplied for efficiency and protection purposes to factory employees, for some workmen without glasses will exhibit as much eye fatigue in 5 hours as others will in 10; and employers are now recognizing this to their own advantage.

Thus the field of usefulness and profit for optometrists is ever enlarging.

INDOOR WORK--PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

An optometrist confines his practice to office work, there being no traveling or outdoor activity. If desired, his office may be established in his own home. As the work is all indoors, there is no great physical strain. While sound health and normal strength are always desirable, robustness is not a first requirement of this vocation; nor is possession of all the members essential. A man who has lost a hand, an arm, a leg, or even both legs could successfully practice the profession of optometry, if properly fitted with artificial equipment. It is also quite possible for a man with one eye to practice optometry. To a determined man this would not prove an insurmountable obstacle, though he might be at a disadvantage because some patients might think he could not do his work as well. This is, of course, unreasonable, but should be considered. Several instances are known to the writer of successful optometrists who have lost the sight of one eye through cataract or other cause.

A Colorado woman who has been practicing optometry for a number of years sums up some of the advantages of this profession in the following words:

“There are fewer objectionable features, and more to commend the practice of optometry than in any other profession or semiprofession. No midnight calls, as in the case of the physician, no direct contact, as in osteopathy, or chiropractic; no proximity to offensive breath, as in dentistry. Variety and fascination attach to the work, besides the joy that comes with doing something that relieves suffering and is beneficial to humanity. The time required for preparation and getting established is somewhat less than for other professions; the expense incurred more moderate.”

THE DEMAND FOR OPTOMETRISTS

No man taking up the study of optometry need fear a lack of opportunity when his course is completed. There is a scarcity of optometrists all over this broad land, and in thousands of optometrists’ offices to-day opportunities are open for assistants. As such, an optometrist can develop a following, and eventually start for himself. Moreover, the call of young men to the defence of their country cut down the number of students in this, as in all other vocations; hence the number of graduates from the optometric schools and colleges is insufficient to meet the demand.

Another advantage in following this vocation is the fact that the profession is still in the formative stage. For this reason there are unusual opportunities for progressive, studious, conscientious men of the professional type.

The hours of work, which are regular, are of course determined by the individual practitioner; the man who has established his own office can make his hours to suit his own convenience. If he is employed by another optometrist, he will find the hours are not as long as in many other callings.

SCOPE OF A COURSE IN OPTOMETRY

The curriculum of the course in applied optics in one of our leading universities will give a comprehensive survey of the branches of scientific knowledge forming the science of optometry. The following subjects are included in this course: Chemistry, anatomy, physics, physiology, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, bacteriology, optics, psychology, drawing, pathology, and English composition. Under theoretical and applied optics are of course grouped the chief subjects bearing upon the science and practice of optometry. The mathematical studies are necessary as a foundation for an understanding of the optical science.

While the university course, in its cultural as well as technical development, is desirable, still, as in other professions and callings, success and service are not dependent upon the completion of such a course. But general education, culture and personality developed therefrom are all potent factors in success in any profession, and should be acquired from one source or another before or during technical training.

POSSIBLE INCOME

As in other professions, it usually requires a few years to build up a practice, but few men who have started under proper conditions and with fair qualifications have failed to achieve success. An income of $1,500 or $2,000 yearly is common, and many optometrists earn incomes of from $5,000 to $10,000. As an employee of another optometrist, a practitioner can earn from $30 to $50 a week, and even more.

Optometry is not a means of earning a living with ease nor a haven for the indolent, but it does offer a reasonable competency without unusual sacrifice or hardship.

PLAN No. 927. THE FACTORY WOODWORKING TRADES

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This monograph was prepared by Eugene C. Graham, special agent for the Federal Board for Vocational Education, under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Division of Research. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance.

The trades of the planing-mill operator, of the cabinetmaker, and the finisher are the outgrowth of the trades of the village carpenter and painter.

Woodworking factory products are innumerable, and a choice of occupation can be made so that you will find the work interesting, if you have any liking for the trades at all.

In these trades the worker leads an active life and he is not generally exposed to severe weather conditions. The work is not usually heavy, and practically all of the men employed work indoors.

The industries are bound together by the use of common materials and machines and related operations, while their products, as noted below, cover a wide range; many of the operations are similar, whether the product is furniture, interior finish, boxes and crates, truck bodies, or musical instruments.

PLAN No. 928. CLASSES OF WORKERS AND WHAT THEY DO

Workers in these trades may be grouped as in the following tabulation:

==============================+=======================================
Classes of workers. | What the men do.
------------------------------+---------------------------------------
Yardmen }
Dry kiln men }
Lumber inspectors }Prepare raw material and keep machines
Swing-saw men }and tools in order.
Planer and resaw men }
Filers }
Millwrights }
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Machine operators }
Off-bearers }Operate machines and prepare stock for
Gluers }assembling.
Carvers }
Turners }
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cabinetmakers }
Chair makers }
Frame, sash, and door makers }Assemble prepared pieces of stock into
Interior wood finishers }built-up products.
Assemblers }
Box, crate, and basket makers }
Toy makers }
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Men who apply stain and filler}
Rubbers }
Varnishers }Apply finishing materials and prepare
French polishers }the product for sale.
Upholsterers }
Packing-room employees }
------------------------------+---------------------------------------
Foremen |Direct labor.
------------------------------+---------------------------------------

Many employees in woodworking establishments are common laborers, some of whom have learned to do the simpler operations by watching other men at work. They may finally learn to run machines. Boys who are taken on as off-bearers get into positions as machine operators in this way.

Other men of a somewhat higher grade, operate machines, work at the bench assembling parts, and in the finishing room apply the finishing materials.

There are certain special occupations which require more skill, such as hand and machine carving, wood turning, and saw filing, for which men must be trained through a kind of apprenticeship, which may take several months or years.

In these occupations workmen move about easily from one factory to another, or shift from one machine to another. Many men move about constantly, and seem to have little difficulty in fitting in wherever they go.

The operator of woodworking machines is commonly required to look after the oiling of his machine, to change knives, saws, and cutter heads when they become dull or when the work requires it, and to adjust the machine properly so that it will do good work at a fast rate.

SOME PRODUCTS OF THESE TRADES

Factory woodworkers are employed in many industries in which the men carry on one or more of the lines of work specified above. Of these industries the principal products are the following:

_Products of Woodworking Industries_

========================+=============================================
In planing mills. |Stair material; sash; doors; blinds, interior
|finish for homes, stores, and offices;
|built-in furniture parts; cabinets; cases;
|mantels; bar, store, and hotel fixtures.
------------------------+---------------------------------------------
In vehicle, truck, and |Wagons; buggies; auto bodies; truck bodies;
body factories. |poles and shafts; baby carriages.
------------------------+---------------------------------------------
In furniture factories. |Tables; chairs; bedroom, office, and library
|furniture; kitchen cabinets; case goods;
|specialty furniture; school furniture;
|billiard and pool tables.
------------------------+---------------------------------------------
In box, crate, and |Boxes; crates; splint baskets; patent
basket factories. |carriers; fruit and berry boxes.
------------------------+---------------------------------------------
Special products. |Airplane parts; agricultural implements;
|cane, reed, and fiber goods; trunks; wooden
|canoes and boats; coffins; musical
|instruments; toys; games, etc.
------------------------+---------------------------------------------

PLAN No. 929. THE PLANING MILL INDUSTRY

Much of the work formerly done by carpenters in the shop is now done to order in planing mills. This branch of the woodworking industry supplies lumber and building material at retail, and builds store and office fixtures, interior woodwork for dwelling houses, and a variety of special work which requires the use of machinery.

Planing mill employees usually are able to do a variety of hand and machine work and usually receive therefrom somewhat higher wages than do factory workers. They rank with outside carpenters as mechanics, and the trade is organized as a branch of the carpenters and joiners national organization. Opportunities for advancement in this industry are greater than in other related woodworking occupations, but there is some irregularity in employment, since the prosperity of the trade depends on local building operations.

PLAN No. 930. VEHICLE MANUFACTURING

Buggies, wagons, and auto and truck bodies are built in special shops. These have separate departments for wheel making, body making, and other processes, and often buy their stock partly finished.

PLAN No. 931. OTHER MANUFACTURING

Musical instruments, such as pianos, organs, phonographs, and violins, are built in special factories, but the same processes are used here that are employed in the other woodworking occupations.

Toys, games, gymnasium equipment, special wood products are made to a large extent by machine operations. The men employed are mostly machine hands, and women and boys do much of the assembling and finishing.

Box, crate, barrel, and basket making are low-grade woodworking occupations. Much of the work done is rough and unfinished, and is turned out in large quantities. Women and boys are employed and machines are used as much as possible.

DEMAND FOR LABOR INCREASING AND STEADY

The field of the factory woodworker is growing. Much of the woodwork formerly performed on the job is now done in whole or in part in the factory. Growth of population and higher standards of living have increased the demands made upon woodworking factories for all sorts of furniture and equipment. The greater cost of metal furniture limits its use somewhat. Woodworking is less seasonal than many other lines of employment, and a disabled man may choose one of the woodworking trades in the assurance that he will be permanently employed at all seasons of the year.

SAFETY AND HYGIENE

Safety devices have reduced greatly the accident risk. Except for dust and fumes, now largely eliminated by means of exhaust fans, the working conditions are good. Fumes of paints, varnishes, and of their solvents are of course detrimental to health, if no precautions are taken to remove the fumes or to provide for adequate ventilation, and even under favorable conditions, it is only fair to say that a person who is inclined to tuberculosis should avoid the finishing trade.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Hours will average 54 a week. Wages have increased about 10 per cent in the past two years, and there has been some tendency to shorten hours.

The wages received by box makers vary from 15 cents to a maximum of 40 cents an hour. Crate and basket makers, many of whom are women and boys, receive less. Cabinetmakers get from 20 cents to 75 cents an hour, according to the skill required. As a rule in the planing mills, where the men are organized, wages are higher, but these are offset by the fact that the planing-mill operators do not have as steady employment.

Men in this occupation are employed quite regularly and do not move about much. In planing mills and to some extent in other factories, men remain year after year at the same bench, and there are many old men who have worked at the trade for 50 years. They are quite certain of steady employment at a living wage. But there is not much opportunity for advancement and independence unless the workman can become an owner of stock in the factory.

PLAN No. 932. SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISABLED MEN

In this field there are positions which will appeal to men with certain sorts of disabilities. Some of these occupations require a knowledge of materials and processes and the ability to direct men, but demand little in the way of mechanical training. Among these may be mentioned the following:

Foreman of cabinetmakers and assemblers.

Foreman of shipping room.

Yard foreman, in charge of dry kiln and yard.

Cost estimator for planing-mill.

Salesman for factory-made products.

Furniture designer and detailer.

Other occupations which require more mechanical ability and which pay better wages than straight factory work may be mentioned also. These include:

Foreman of the filing room (saw filing, knife and cutter grinding, etc.).

Factory millwright.

Foreman of the mill room or machine room.

Operator of Linderman machine or of automatic turning machines.

Practically all of the above special positions may be obtained only by men who have had previous training and experience before becoming disabled. These positions will be attractive to such men because they offer better wages and do not require so much manual labor.

PLAN No. 933. QUALIFYING AS A TEACHER

There is a demand for teachers of woodwork and drawing in the schools. If a disabled man with previous experience in the trade has had a high-school education and wants to become an instructor he may find it more profitable to do so than to go back into the trade. His injuries may not prevent the simple movements necessary in demonstrating to a boy or to another man the principles involved in the use of the tools.

But it must be understood that both teaching ability and a knowledge of the trade are necessary for success. A man who already possesses one or the other will be far on his way, the school undertaking to provide for his deficiencies in one or the other line. But rarely can the school, in the limited period at its disposal, undertake both to develop teaching ability and to give a practical knowledge of the trade.

WHAT OTHER DISABLED MEN HAVE DONE BY TRAINING

Many examples might be cited of disabled men who have retrained for some line of woodworking. For example, a common laborer who became afflicted with chronic bronchitis and emphysema, took a three months’ course in cabinetmaking and now has a good position as a cabinetmaker. A farmer, who had suffered partial loss of function of his left hand through a gunshot wound, studied cabinetmaking and is now employed in this work by a motor company. A commercial traveler, whose right leg was rendered lame by a shrapnel wound, became a teacher of manual training at a good salary, by taking a teacher’s course.

Other disabled soldiers who had a knowledge of some woodworking trade secured promotion through special courses. Their wounds brought them an opportunity of which they took advantage. A wood machinist, for example, whose hearing was seriously impaired in the service, took a course in lumber estimating and specification work in lumber yards, and now has a position in that field. A cabinetmaker, who suffered deformity of his left forearm, studied drafting and building construction, and secured a position, where his training counts, with a large sash and door company. A cabinetmaker, whose left leg was greatly weakened by a gunshot wound, obtained a position as instructor in manual training by taking a teacher’s course in this subject.

PLAN No. 934. MACHINE OPERATING

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

The machine operator needs no personal equipment of tools, and most workmen carry only a folding pocket rule and a pencil. He operates a variety of machines, of which the principal ones are listed below:

======================+===============================================
Saws. |Swing saws; single and double cut-off saws;
|hand and power feed ripsaws; variety of
|universal saws; band scroll saws; horizontal
|and vertical band resaws; grooving saws; jig
|saws.
----------------------+-----------------------------------------------
Planers. |Single and double surfacers; hand and power
|feed jointers; continuous power feed jointers;
|Linder machines; stockers, or two and four side
|molders.
----------------------+-----------------------------------------------
Sanders. |Belt sanders; drum sanders; disk sanders; edge
|sanders; spindle sanders.
----------------------+-----------------------------------------------
Lathes. |Spindle lathes; Blanchard lathes; special
|automatic forming lathes.
----------------------+-----------------------------------------------
Boring and mortising |Single and multiple spindle boring machines;
machines. |foot lever mortisers; hollow chisel mortisers;
|chain mortisers.
----------------------+-----------------------------------------------
Shapers and profilers.|Single and double spindle shapers; routing and
|profiling machines; spindle carvers.
----------------------+-----------------------------------------------
Special machines. |Embossing machines; bending machines; dowel
|machines; dovetailing machines.
----------------------+-----------------------------------------------

PLAN No. 935. DISABILITIES FOR MACHINE OPERATING

Such disabilities as slight deafness, blindness in one eye, hernia, or minor troubles of the heart, liver, kidneys, or digestion will not bar a man who can turn out fair work. Injuries to the fingers, hands, and arms have always been common in the woodworking industry and many of the best men have been disabled more than once. Some men have to change machines on account of injuries but not many lose out entirely.

The loss of an arm or a leg would require intelligent placement on a particular machine. Some machines, including spindle carvers and some types of belt sanders, may be operated by men while sitting down. A great many machines require but little movement from a standing position, and could be operated by a man with one injured limb after some training.

There is usually considerable dust in the air of a machine room, and this dust may be injurious to men with tuberculosis. Furthermore, men who are quite deaf or whose sight is not good, and who are certain to find it hard to handle material quite rapidly with safety to themselves and others, should avoid the machine room.

OVERCOMING HANDICAPS

In order to become accustomed to disabilities men will be trained in schools or shops to use injured members and thus to overcome the natural disinclination to use such members freely. Each man in training will change from one machine to another until he finds his place. Special training on machines will be offered in schools where, under a practical instructor, a man may try himself out.

The operator will be taught in school to take care of his machine and remove dull cutters, knives, and saws. If he can be trained to set the knives and cutters in an automatic machine his future employment at good wages is assured. There is at present a strong demand for men who can operate automatic machines and set them up for a variety of work.

Employers may be willing to substitute automatic or power feed machines for other types, at least where this may be done to the great advantage of the employer himself, as in the case of wood turning. A disabled man operating a modern automatic lathe can turn out a quantity of perfect work quite as easily as any other workman.

Unlike the machinist the machine woodworker does not often work from blue prints. He needs only to learn to understand a stock bill stating the dimensions of the finished parts in plain figures, and is not concerned about the destination of these parts. All routing from machine to machine is looked after by the foreman.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AN ASSET

Previous experience and training will often provide the man who is trying to come back with certain useful information about machine processes, adjustments, and lubrication. For instance, a carpenter who is incapacitated for climbing or for outside work, or a sawmill hand who requires indoor employment because of his injury may easily fit in as a machine operator.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Machine operators work about nine hours a day. They receive in wages from 25 cents to 50 cents an hour. The man who cuts up good lumber with a swing saw may receive more than the average because he must know how to avoid wasting expensive material. His good judgment is his capital.

The machine woodworker often moves from one factory to another, but he is usually in demand and may count on steady employment without much regard to the season.

RE-EDUCATION FOR MACHINE OPERATING

No apprenticeship is usually considered necessary for machine operators. A try-out period of a few weeks will decide whether a man is likely to make good or not. A short period of training in a school where a variety of different machines is provided will help a man to get a real insight into his prospective occupation.

The training required is usually obtained in the factory, but disabled men can shorten the period of training necessary in their case considerably by taking a short course in a well-equipped school under an instructor who is a practical woodworker. The course taken will be planned to prepare the pupil for a definite occupation. An agreement may be made with a prospective employer before the course is undertaken, so as to provide opportunity for overcoming any handicap in a definite way.

The same results may be secured by short tryout courses in the factory itself and in most cases this will appeal both to the man himself and to the employer. But in order to guarantee an adequate course of training the factory must be required to make definite preparations to train disabled men under an agreement as to the instructor, the length of the course, and the subject matter of the instruction.

PLAN No. 936. CABINETMAKERS

THE OCCUPATION

The work of the cabinetmaker, and of such other allied occupations as chair makers, assemblers, and box makers, is to use hand tools, and sometimes certain machines, in putting together furniture, interior woodwork, or manufactured articles of wood. In some factories he actually builds furniture or a completed product. In others he performs a few operations and passes the work on.

Men who assemble furniture must apply glue to the joints, nail and screw parts together where necessary, and see that the finished product is clean, square, and solidly built. They use a variety of hand tools and sometimes take material to machines for certain operations. They are expected to leave surfaces well scraped and sanded. In all high class work they must show considerable skill in construction and knowledge of design. What tools are used will depend on the line of work. They are usually the property of the workman and are kept in order by him. They include the usual outfit of hammers, squares, saws, rules, shaves, chisels, bits, levels, planes, rasps, etc.

The trade of the cabinetmaker may not appeal to more than a few disabled men from each community. Men who have worked at the trade and who already know something about it will naturally wish to stay in it if they can.

Cabinetmakers are found in nearly every town or city. Planing mills and box factories are very common. Furniture factories are scattered throughout Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, New York, and North Carolina more generally than in other States.

HANDICAPS

Since the cabinetmaker must be a skillful user of hand tools, any injury which prevents him from using his hands and arms easily will interfere with his success, but, as he does not need to move about much in the factory, foot and leg injuries need not constitute serious handicaps. He may have some lifting to do, and must be active in order to turn out a sufficient quantity of work.

Partial deafness, blindness in one eye, or minor diseases of the heart, lungs, kidneys, or digestive organs need not disqualify a man if he can handle tools and work without undue fatigue.

Loss of an entire arm, or severe injuries to both hands, or blindness, or diseases which cause considerable bodily weakness would generally constitute serious handicaps.

SCHOOL AND SHOP TRAINING

Cabinetmaking is the kind of training which most manual-training schools are best equipped. Successful schools are not hard to find, and men who are trying to overcome handicaps may find it easy to get a start through this school training. The cabinetmaker should learn:

(a) How to use hand tools.

(b) How to operate a few machines.

(c) How to read a stock bill and to work to dimensions.

(d) About glue, grain of wood, cabinet hardware, finishing material, etc.

(e) How to make and read a simple drawing.

Many good schools will provide the equipment and give instruction in the subjects mentioned.

If the disabled man arranges for a combination of shop and school training in which he will have the benefit of practical instruction for half of each day, and will spend the remainder of the day in some factory, he will, after perhaps six months’ schooling and training, be able to maintain himself at the trade.

Any other division of time as seems wise may be made. For instance, the first three months of training may be full-time work in the school and the next three months half-time in the shop and factory.

PLAN No. 937. FINISHING

The men who apply stain, filler, varnish, and other finishes properly belong in a class by themselves in the woodworking trades. Many of these men can do all of the operations necessary in finishing a piece of woodwork. The same ability and skill is possessed by men in the painters’ trade, but some of the processes are different, and the occupation may be considered separately.

The finisher of wood products may use any of the following materials; Oil stains, acid stains, water stains, liquid and paste fillers, putty, linseed oil, shellac and shellac, substitutes, varnish, paint, enamel, lacquer, wax, and prepared polish.

These materials are applied by dipping, brushing on with a brush or cloth or spraying on with an air brush or spraying machine. Excess material is removed by wiping with cloths, cotton waste, or vegetable fiber. Varnish is rubbed down to an even surface with pumice stone and water, or with sandpaper and steel wool. Drying ovens or hot rooms are often used to hasten the processes.

The air brush is a spraying machine which atomizes the liquid finish and spreads it on a surface quickly and evenly. The machine consists of a tank, an air hose, and nozzles which spray the material in a fine mist. Various materials, such as varnish, shellac, and stain, may be applied with this machine.

Men who apply filler, stain, and putty need very little training. Their skill consists in doing the work rapidly without waste of material. The same may be said of men who use rubbing machines or hand blocks in rubbing down varnish.

A somewhat higher degree of skill must be possessed by the varnisher, whether he works with a common brush or an air brush. The brush hand must have considerable experience and know how to avoid brush marks, bubbles, and other evidences of poor work. The operator of the air brush acquires his skill by practice; experience with the common varnish brush is valuable but not altogether necessary. The same processes are used in finishing metal surfaces, and there is a demand for men in the automobile factories for experienced finishers.

A disabled man might find an opportunity here if he could do about the same kinds of work as the common laborer. If his previous training and experience had given him a knowledge of the use of different finishes, he could adapt himself to the use of the air brush quite easily even if he had only one working arm and hand. A good eye to judge the condition of surfaces is essential.

While training in a school is possible it is less necessary than in some skilled occupations where more tools are used and where a greater knowledge of processes is required. The handicaps which would interfere with success would be poor eyesight and the loss of both hands or arms. Experience in the employment itself would provide the best sort of training for a man who wants to re-enter the trade. A painter who is disqualified for outdoor work and for climbing could qualify for this work.

Men who have had one arm fitted with a working hook could handle furniture in the process of dipping, and could apply and remove the excess of stain and filler. With factory training they could advance to brush hands and varnishers without great difficulty, if the opportunity offered.

To handle a common brush or an air brush and to operate a rubbing machine requires one good hand, but disabilities of the feet and lower limbs can be overcome.

Men receive from 25 cents to 60 cents or more an hour, according to the work done and the skill required. The hours are usually the 54 hours a week of most factory trades.