Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades - Mechanic Yearbook (Media, PA)

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ai SENIOR CARPENTERS - ,L ' . B ac . SENIOR ENGINEERS

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above mentioned work and the hardwood Hooring put down in Mr. Pratt's house enthused the fellows consider- ably and they took a much greater interest in their work. In the latter part of our junior year we encountered the more difficult repair jobs, while practice with the architects' level gave us experience in an entirely new and different line of work. For the 1915 commencement exercise we framed a hip and valley roof. All the lengths and cuts of the hip, common and jack rafters were obtained with the steel square. Building cornices, shingling and putting on gutter poles were also encountered in building this exercise. Q The early part of our Senior year marked the beginning of one of the most important periods of our stay at VVilliamson. This period may be so classed because of the large amount of practical work we did. Mill work and con- struction work were both done on a large scale. The mill work consisted chiefly of making doors, door jambs, sash, window-frames, moldings, trim, etc. This work also gave us a great deal of practice in setting up and taking down the different molding machines. Putting on hardware introduced to us a somewhat new line of work. Although the fellows had done very little of this work previously they held up their end fairly well by consulting the notes which had been given us in our shop talks. In the last half of our Senior year, prior to entering the commercial field, WP were given a great variety of work. A window in each cottage was taken out and in its stead a doorway was built, which will open out on a fire escape. In this particular instance the fellows were given an opportunity of showing their speed and skill in fitting and hanging double doors. The making and fitting of sash, putting storm doors on the cottages, putting loft type of roof on foundry, build- ing a new set of winders in Mr. Sheerin's house and laying a new maple flooring in the auditorium were some of the other jobs done during this period. For a commencement exercise we built a section of a modern dwelling. On the outside was a porch and the inside was divided into a living room, dining room. kitchen and laundry. In the living room was a colonial open string stairway, while a colonnade stood between the dining room and living room. During our Senior year our shop notes consisted largely of estimating, blue print reading, constructional super- intendence, building code and laws, factory construction, reinforced concrete and hollow tile construction. To Mr. Collins, our very capable instructor, we all owe a debt of appreciation for his kind interest in us. ALBERT G. BENNER 26

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p Qtngineering Bepartrnent V. LeROY RUPP Assistant Director and Instructor in charge of Department of Operating Engineers. HE engineering course as given at XfVilliamson is not a collar and necktie job, but a good, straight-forward course in mechanics, plentifully sprinkled with good hard work. F rom the time the student first enters 'Williamson until he leaves, there is one central idea driven home again and again, good, honest and efficient work. The first six months of the student's course is spent in the machine shop, where he learns to chip and file accurately, and to handle lathes, drill presses, shapers and other machines. This training is given him so that he may be able to make his own repairs on broken parts of engines or machines upon which he may at some future time be working. In the lat- ter half of his Freshman year the student goes to the power plant to get his real start upon his life's work. At first he is given the minor jobs and sent out as helper with upper class rnen. ln this way he gradually familiarizes himself with the mode of procedure on different jobs as well as with the names of different tools used. , VVhen he enters his second, or Junior year, his duties and responsi- bilities increase, and the student finds himself depending more and more upon his own resources and ingenuity when encountering the more difficult jobs. This year the repair work is done almost entirely by second year men. Each week there is appointed an assistant engineer, whose duty it is to inspect daily every building on the grounds and report and have repaired any defects in the lighting, heating or water systems of the respective buildings. In this way a permanent record of all repairs, no matter how small, is kept, and if at any future time more trouble occurs in the same building the repair log, when checked up, will show whether it is new trouble or old trouble breaking out afresh. If it is the latter greater pre- cautions must be exercised when making the repair this time so as to insure a permanent job. In this year the subjects of steam from I. C. S. handbooks, and direct current electricity from Timbies 'Elements of Electricity, are taken up as shop studies. These are studied in addition to the work of the general academic course. 28