Diving Deep Into History

USS Cincinnati Memorial - image courtesy of USS Submarine Cincinnati Memorial Association

Thirty years after its last undersea patrol, a Cold War-era submarine is resurfacing in America’s heartland … and Max Weiss Company is helping bring it back to life.

The nuclear-powered USS Cincinnati began prowling the world’s oceans in 1978, projecting American presence and power during a time of frequent international tension. Able to dive more than 650 feet, the fast attack submarine maintained a silent, stealthy vigil far beneath the waves.

The USS Cincinnati operated until 1996, when it was decommissioned and removed from the U.S. Naval Vessel Registry. The 360-foot-long sub was gradually dismantled.

Several key parts were saved, though, and shipped to Cincinnati in 2013. They remained ready for key roles in a vision that, 13 years later, is finally becoming reality.

“Video courtesy of FOX19 NOW, WXIX, Cincinnati, Ohio”

The USS Cincinnati Memorial is taking shape in Voice of America MetroPark in West Chester, Ohio (10 miles north of Cincinnati). Scheduled to open in May, the memorial will feature a full-size replica of the Cold War submarine – with an emphasis on educating about an era that, for nearly two generations, exists only in history books.

Wm. Lang & Sons Iron Works Company, a Cincinnati-based fabricator, was commissioned to supply metal frame pieces for the life-size replica. Long-term partners with Max Weiss Company, they asked us to form curved ribs and roof plating for the land-faring “submarine.”

The work comprised 59 pieces for the ribs, spread among seven different forming specifications. The biggest section – 34 pieces – was 18” x 6” x ½” grade A500 HSS tubing, formed to a 24-foot arc length on a 16’5” outside radius.

Bending hollow sectional structural is a tremendous challenge. The metal fights every inch of forming. Maintaining its rectangular shape, without buckling, takes patience and precision that tests even the most seasoned metal worker.

The metal bending professionals at Max Weiss Company were up to the test. Every finished piece met or exceeded Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel (AESS) requirements … now that’s saying something!

Our metal forming experts also rolled 42 pieces of 3/16” thick plate, all 47 inches wide and 10 feet long. Each was formed to a 16’5” outside radius. They’ll comprise the roof of the “sub” … without ever having to withstand the crushing pressure of being hundreds of feet deep in the ocean!

The memorial replica will incorporate the elements from the USS Cincinnati received in 2013: an emergency diesel generator, its rudder, the conning tower, and a sail plane mounted on the tower. Visitors touring the sub will follow guides explaining which compartment they’re in at any given point – areas such as the guided missile room, control center, crew mess and more.

The USS Cincinnati Memorial has other worthy goals: reflecting a sense of service to our nation, and honoring the sacrifice of those who toiled in the “silent service.” The landmark is expected to draw visitors from far and wide, generating up to $27 million in economic benefits for the Greater Cincinnati area.

One truth forever remains in the world of metal bending and forming: You do some interesting work … and don’t know what’s coming next. Max Weiss Company never expected to be part of this humbling, honorable project in south central Ohio. It makes us thankful for the freedom to do what we love, and never take it for granted.