I can prove the dates on the panel trucks, as I have a 36 deluxe, 37 60hp, and a 37 85hp 1/4 ton panels. Yep they called them 1/4 ton but they could haul 1/2 ton with out sagging newer ones do.
Who made Fords panel trucks from 1928 to 1936? Those are very large panels
That could be due to a lot of different reasons, the first three that I can think of are:
1. The bought steel that was already milled to the thickness they need from others, or others milled it thinner for them.
2. The metal on the older vehicles was thicker - the new technology of the cold roll strip mill improved on the hot roll strip mill by allowing the steel to be rolled to a thinner gauge. I believe cold rolling can impart a more uniform finish to steel also, but I am not so sure about that. I don't know the differences in the metal thickness or the thickness of the metal on the vehicles.
3. The metal was cold rolled on a smaller mill, it didn't need to be that big.
I think the facts are: (correct me anyone, I only claim 85% accuracy, but I may be wrong about that percentage, too.)
1. Large size cold roll strip milling, although an early 1900's technology, wasn't really used industrially until starting in the late 20's.
2. Ford first started making large sheet metal stampings sometime around 1936.
3. The cold roll strip mill doesn't stamp, rather it thinned the metal prior to it being stamped on another machine. Conjecture: A press of some sort stamped the sheet?
4. Ford set up their first cold roll strip mill in December, 1935.
5. Some number of letter openers were produced to commemerate the event, and were made from the first sheet milled on the new 56" cold roll strip mill.
6. Ford had vehicles with large steel panels prior to their acquisition of a cold roll strip mill.
7. Although we don't know how big the sheet was, or if other stampings were produced from it, we do know that the artifact was one of those made from the first sheet produced on Ford's first cold roll strip mill and therefore of limited production.
8. BGarrett has one of those letter openers, and it is assumed to be authentic.
Sorry BGarrett, I may have been misleading. You asked for genius's. I used to be 90% of one, but I think I have slipped to 87.5% of one. Smartest probably have other people to answer questions for them. But I really think your letter opener is cool, is probably museum worthy, and you found one of those obscure little pieces of history that help date the technology. Thanks for recognizing it's uniqueness, for bringing it to us and for not tossing it in with the other office junk.
My finger is tired now.
Chilly
PS: To an engineer the cup isn't half full or half empty. The cup is twice as big as it needs to be.
PSS: Having a mistress can be useful; your wife will think you are with your mistress, your mistress will think you are with your wife, and you can be out in your shop having some real fun.
( I may be getting a blister now. Can't tell because most of my sensory nerves are gone from my hands now. I'll know tomorrow AM.)
