These pages are from a booklet produced by The Practical Magazine in June 1874, giving a history and description of the Birkenhead Iron Works - the name by which Laird's shipyard was then known.
many thanks Yoller, most interesting reading. For those interested in the 5 dry docks, No 1 was vitualy a tidal dry dock and stayed the same even in the 1950s. The other 4 docks had strong enough pumps to pump out against the tide but No 1 only had tiny pump that just about cleared the last 6 inch of water once the tide had gone out. So if you where docking a vessel in No 1 you had to wait for the tide to go out for the vesel to sit on the centre line blocks.
Ships that pass in the night, seldom seen and soon forgoten
There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
Boiler rivets can be a lot larger than hull rivets, I'm pretty sure there were hand riveters for hulls at Lairds when I was young - and they were thrown and caught while hot!
There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
yes, Yoller i seen the same programme and thought similar, i was also told that the nickname for birkenhead being "one eyed city" was due to so many riviters loosing their eye sight whilst building the great ships and doing such a dangerous job,but i am sure the more historical people on wiki can put us right
there where stil hand riveting in the 20s and 30s in Lairds. It depended on where abouts as a ship was constructed. The assembly of the boilers would be done in one of the shops{sheds}where it was a lot cheaper to do the riveting using steam or compressed air devices. where possible out on the slipways the holder up used a compressed air ram and the riveter used a compressed air hammer. As a side note, the Cost of suppling the compressed air was deducted from the squads pay even right up till the end of peace work in the late 70s drillers and caulkers pay had a reduction for the supply of compressed air.
Ships that pass in the night, seldom seen and soon forgoten
My great grandfather was an iron turner and whisper it quietly came from Durham around about 1864. I wonder if he came to work in this place? Don't know much about him at all really.
Not a ship boiler but a steam roller one, the large horse shoe device was used to rivit up the long foundation ring rivets !. Not me in the pic i might add !.
![[Linked Image]](http://www.steamscenes.org.uk/tti/10/012_0169.jpg)
