An iron puddler (often merely puddler) was a worker in
iron
Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...
manufacturing who specialized in
puddling
A puddle is a small accumulation of liquid on a surface.
Puddle or Puddles may also refer to:
* Puddle, Cornwall, hamlet in England
* ''Puddle'' (video game)
* Puddle (M. C. Escher), a woodcut by M. C. Escher
* Weld puddle, a crucial part of th ...
, an improved process to convert
pig iron
Pig iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate good used by the iron industry in the production of steel. It is developed by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. Pig iron has a high carbon content, typically 3.8–4.7%, along with si ...
into
wrought iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.05%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4.5%), or 0.25 for low carbon "mild" steel. Wrought iron is manufactured by heating and melting high carbon cast iron in an ...
with the use of a
reverberatory furnace
A reverberatory furnace is a metallurgy, metallurgical or process Metallurgical furnace, furnace that isolates the material being processed from contact with the fuel, but not from contact with combustion gases. The term ''reverberation'' is use ...
.
Working as a two-man crew, a puddler and helper could produce around 1.5 tons of iron in a 12-hour shift. The strenuous labor, heat and fumes caused puddlers to have a short life expectancy, with most dying in their thirties. Puddling was never automated because the puddler had to sense when the balls had "come to nature" — the point when molten pig iron begins to solidify into a malleable mass, allowing for removal from the furnace and further processing.
James J. Davis, who was born in
Tredegar
Tredegar (; ) is a town and community situated on the banks of the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in the southeast of Wales. Within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial R ...
,
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, emigrated to the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, where he later became a prominent figure in government, serving as a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and as U.S. Secretary of Labor under three consecutive presidents. His book ''The Iron Puddler'', describing his early experiences as a puddler, was ghostwritten by
C. L. Edson
Charles Leroy Edson (September 6 or December 6, 1881 – December 4, 1975) was an American newspaper columnist, humorist, and poet whose work appeared in New York papers in the first decades of the 20th century. He wrote a guide to writing newspa ...
.
References
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Ironworkers