UNITED STATES DURING THE GREAT WAR. 43 



Assembling Area. — This factor is in square feet and is the area, usually adja- 

 cent to the fabricating- shop and ways, used for bolting up and riveting of hull parts 

 and for storage of finished steel pieces and fabricated material (sometimes called the 

 fabricated steel stores) held ready for erection. Where assembling is a part of the 

 fabricating shops, an effort has been made to separate the two classes of work. 

 This space has the important function of equalizing the supply and demand between 

 the fabricating shops and the ways. 



Mold Loft. — This factor is in square feet and represents the floor area used 

 for developing the ship's drawings and the manufacture of templets or full-sized 

 patterns by which the various plates and shapes are fabricated. 



Railroad Tracks. — This factor represents the actual lineal feet of the standard 

 gauge track used in the operation of the plant, exclusive of the connection to the 

 main line usually outside the main plant. 



Punches. — This factor represents, so far as possible to obtain from the records, 

 the number of punches used in the fabrication shops. These, with the shears, are 

 the principal tools, but, owing to the common practice of having interchangeable 

 punches and shears, the record of the number of shears, to obtain which an attempt 

 was made, was of little value, and some of the punches shown may be at times used 

 as shears. 



The following is an explanation of Outfitting Factors used in making this study : 



Machine Shop. — This factor is in square feet and is the actual floor area, in- 

 cluding balconies and second or other floors used for machine shop purposes, such 

 as making of machinery, machining of hull parts, tool repair, making of templets, 

 gauges, jigs and dies. The records show that all plants have such facilities in greater 

 or less degree. A small shop is necessary even if the heavy machinery is purchased 

 outside. Some plants manufacture all of their equipment, and some have surplus 

 capacity and manufacture for others. 



Smith Shop. — This factor is in square feet and is intended to include the black- 

 smithing work of the plant, all drop f orgings, all hammered work, f orgings for ship 

 and engine parts, repairs, manufacture of templates and machine tools. The size of 

 this shop depends largely upon how much of its machinery the plant manufactures. 

 Where very little is manufactured, this shop is often combined with the anglesmith- 

 ing. There is some conflict in the records on this account. There are also plants 

 that have surplus capacity and manufacture for others. 



Woodworking Shop. — This factor is in square feet and includes all saw-mills, 

 joiner shops, ship carpenter shops. The ship carpenters or shipwrights place block- 

 ing, scaffolding, decks, hardware, etc., and manufacture masts, booms, and spars. 

 It also includes pattern shops used for the manufacture of all wood patterns required 

 for the casting of iron, steel or brass. Many plants without foundries manufacture 

 their own patterns. This item could be subdivided into several branches, but the 

 necessary information is not available. 



Stores. — This factor is shown in square feet and represents the actual floor 

 area of buildings used for storage purposes. 



