Bob,regarding the "milling"of the letters,no way.To get a 30'x6'x1/2"plt into a milling machine,can't see it.To use a portable one,if there's such a beast,I've never seen or heard of one.To mark the name today the same templates would be used,dabbed in & then a welder would follow these dabs with a small "bead"of arc welding.I'm not a very artistic person,I'm practical.To me a true artist is somebody who sets out to capture a moment in time.Like John Constable,he wanted to share with the world this beautiful scene he's been looking at for the past few hours.Today we use a camera!!!This method of identification is used around the world,in shipyards,bridges,mining,petrochemical &
structural.This is ideal if the item is to be galvanised or,in the titanic's case,painted.In a ship's case the marking was permanent for future re-painting & that is all it was for.So for my part regarding the lettering on the bow,I think we can put this issue to bed,next!!!lol.
When I started in H&W in nov 1958 there was 4 jobs to start in.paint boy(rivet counter),message boy(main office)catch boy(riveter)(only one "t"Jim)& marker boy(plater)I started as a marker boy.My payroll # (boord #) was 23359.That means there was another 23358 souls as well as I.I started an apprenticeship as a plater not long after & in 1964 left H&W for the first time to sign up with H M forces as a boilermaker.I've travelled half the globe as one of these & I've lost count of the times I went back to the "yard".I've been in perth wa for the past 24 yrs.At present I'm employed as a mine site maintenance boilermaker welder.I work 2 wks on 2 wks off, fly in fly out(FIFO),all over wa.I have just started my 2 off on sun passed.On my shift just passed I spent 2 days on a chinese ore carrier.I was never so glad to get off a boat in all my life,the rust & paint was all that was holding it in one piece.
I hope this helps all concerned.
regards.
seven degrees west!!!
dw.