Benson Polytechnic High School - BluePrint Yearbook (Portland, OR)

Page 31 text:

The POLY TE CH , 29 just been completed for the shop, as well as a large gas engine pattern, the same being designed by the drawing de- partment. The cabinet makers have completed a number of tables for the drawing room. Also, a knockdown table for the Red Cross. Among other work for the gov- ernment is a frame which is to be used in the hospitals for the wounded soldiers. It is to be used above the bed and will be adjustable to a beam which goes across the room, and from this, cords are let down to the patient so as to hold his disabled limbs in a comfortable position. The evening school this year was a great success. There were many stu- dents enrolled, some being middle-aged men. Some very good work was done. There were a number of cedar chests and reading lamps completed. Before Christmas the shop was doing a great deal of work in making Christmas gifts, such as nut bowls, which were turned on the lathes. These bowls were gener- ally made of yacca and could be sold for a good price. A number of piano lamps were made of mahogany, there was a large number of cedar chests made of Tennessee red cedar. A tool room, a new addition to the shop, made it much easier for the night school students to be handled as in the day checking system now in use. The night school enrollment was very large, and was directed by Mr. Benson and Mr. Milne. THE TOOLMAKERS' ASSOCIATION The Tool Room The Toolmakers' Association of Ben- son Tech tends to keep the students together after leaving the schoolg by en- abling them to keep in touch with each other. and, especially, the school, allow- ing them to know what is taking place, and how it is progressing. Each month a meeting of the active members of the Toolmakers' Association is held. and a committee of two is elected for the purpose of attending to any busi- ness or settling any disputes which might arise. These would, most likely, be mat- ters pertaining to discipline. or to the co-operation which we are striving to sustain. A foreman, whose duty it is to superintend the running of the depart- ment, is appointed by the instructor each week. The students also serve as in- shop, thus en- spectors in the machine abling them to learn the duties of an in- spector and an executive. The students of the quite as active socially. was arranged for Saturday evening, May 25th, and was enjoyed by all. Many in- teresting and enjoyable trips have been planned for the future, one of which is a trip to and up Mt. Hood. The associa- tion is planning a great reunion which will probably take place about 1920. tool room are A boating party

Page 30 text:

28 The POLY TECH furnace. In the balcony the charging door of the cupola is in one corner and the core baking oven is in the opposite. Next to the core oven is the core bench, where all core work is done and by the cupola bench moulding work is done. Mr. Wahlgren, the instructor, takes the boys out on excursions occasionally to visit other shops so the students may get an idea of what is expected of them in the outside world. It is educational and interesting, for the boys compare their methods of doing work with that of the men and correct their mistakes and learn more. The foremen of the foundries are very kind to their young successors and explain every detail to them, which the boys appreciate very much. Up to date there has been a dozen anvil block casts turned out for the blacksmith shop and many exercise blades for the machine shop. Probably the largest undertaking was the casting of a rotor for the Vernon Grammar school. It consisted of many metals as iron, aluminum, brass, bronze and lead, and it was a total success. In this cast- ing nothing but the best material was used. The Library The library, in the center of the ad- ministration building, is a large, well- lighted and attractive room. Students are scheduled there for their vacant pe- riods, and go from the shops and draw- ing rooms to do special reference work and study. Very helpful material is also found in the library in connection with the dis- cussions and debates in the English de- partment of the school. From time to time, classes are instructed in the use of the library by the librarian, Miss Kath- erine Kiemle, who was formerly in the technical department of the Central li- brary. The books are mainly technical, such as Machinery's Encyclopedia, Kent's Mechanical Engineer's Handbook, Ma- chinery's Handbook, Hawkins' Electrical Guide, Foster's Electrical Engineer's Pocketbook, Kidder's Building Construc- tion and Superintendence, Dyke's Auto- mobile Encyclopedia, Page's Modern Gasoline Automobile, Crowe's Forge- craft, and Palrner's Foundry Practice. The leading technical, as well as a number of popular magazines, are re- ceived. The list for 1917-1918 follows: American Architect, American Machin- ist, Architecture, -Automobile Dealer and Repairer, Century, Current Opinion, Do- mestic Engineering, Electrical Review, Electrical World, Foundry, Independent, Iron Trade Review, Literary Digest, Metal Worker, Machinery, Motor Age, Motor World, National Geographic Mag- azine, Plumbers' Trade Journal, Popular Mechanics, Shipbuilder and World's VVork. There are also books of travel, fiction, biography, science, history and literature, which are circulated among the students. The Woodworking Department The pattern shop, being one of the youngest in point of organization, has only a few major students, but that does not stay them from turning out a full share of work. In this shop, we have made many patterns for the schools and other city work. The patterns go from this shop to the foundry and from there to the machine shop. It is not always fully un- derstood that the pattern shop is the be- ginning of many lines of mechanical work. This shop now being on a much larger scale, the accommodations are greatly improved and the enrollment of techni- cal students is very much increased, these and the pattern makers are under one departmental head. The pattern makers have been doing work for some outside companies, such as a globe valve which requires a great deal of care and attention. Other work recently turned out is a pattern for the trench bomb to be used by the govern- ment. Sanding machine patterns have

Page 32 text:

30 The POLY TECH 7, THE STOCK ROOM The Stock Room The stock room is located in the center of the building, and is headquarters for practically all work, and the materials that are used in the school. All the goods received by the school is listed in the stock books, and all finished work leaves thru the stock room. This makes it possible to keep a close account of all work in the school as well as the finished work. It would seem as though there is much unnecessary red tape connected with the stock room, but when it is considered that all work turned out by the school is used for some practical purpose, making this a veritable manufacturing plant as well as a training school. No stock is given out to the students without a written stock order for the ma- terial, and the order is valid unless there has been a shop order issued from the stock room for the job the material is to be used for. The principal of the school must Oli. these orders. therefore giving him knowledge of all work circulating thru the school, also eliminating waste and keeping a written account of this work. There have been over four hundred practical jobs turned out since the new school has been occupied by the different departments, besides the required exer- cises that have been finished by the stu- dents. The stock room is one of the most modern and best equipped it is possible to find. The stock consists of materials used in all the trades taught at the school, and each is a complete line of stock for every shop. The present stock of goods is valued at a very good price, as only the best ma- terial is used for production in the shops. The stock room has also been the head- quarters for the XVar Savings Stamp sales, and registration quarters for the lloys' NVorking Reserve. The present stock room is a great im- provement over the old method of han- dling the stock in the respective shops and is greatly appreciated by the students.