Steel, Mono Monday 402

In 1740, Benjamin Huntsman developed the crucible technique for steel manufacture, at his workshop in the district of Handsworth in Sheffield. This technique, preceding that of the Bessemer process patented in the 19th C had an enormous impact on the quantity and quality of steel production and hence led to the ability to create these massive steel buckets and earthmoving equipment that are so prevalent today.

It’s a tenuous link to the MonoMonday challenge hosted by Laurie54 (thank you Laurie) which is “something invented in the 18th century”. To be fair Bessemer is the person most associated with the steel making process although records show that various cultures were making steel hundreds of years before Mr Huntsman.

In other news, all the remaining potatoes were dug today, some successfully, others less so having being speared when lifted. We’ll use those first. Some nice large spuds which will make good jacket potatoes. Potatoes keep you warm three times, when planted, harvested and eaten.

We walked this afternoon, passing by this equipment which had been used to help fill in and repair a sink hole on a nearby road. We’ve had a few of these in the area where underground water hollows out soil beneath tarmac until it collapses.