Before there was 80/20 extruded aluminum, slotted angle iron was the ‘Erector Set’ for adults, for society. Only God knows how many structures, or parts thereof, were constructed using some form of angle iron. It’s rigidity and strength, combined with flexibility of use due to the array of holes drilled in it, make mounting and connecting a breeze.
This material as we know it today was invented in the 1930s by a Greek gentleman named Demetrius Comino. In 1947, his own company named Dexion started producing the stuff and soon after the company name became the material name through genericization.
Decades later, in 1974, Interlake purchased the company for 9.4 million British pounds. Some irony is applicable here, as what can only be called a spiritual successor to Interlake Steel – Interlake Mecalux – today makes shelving/racking their main product. And this was too the main use for Dexion many years previous. It was in this same era that Acme tools for working with Dexion start to pop up. Often confused with their long line of tools for steel banding, the Dexion stuff often confused me. Now I get it!
In the course of operating this website and conducting my dives into history I often have had the pleasure to correspond and even meet with fans of the site, and of Acme/Interlake, whether the coke plant or other divisions. It was in this way that I first met my friend Glenn in early 2024. He shared that his grandfather worked at furnace plant, and retired in the 1990s. He sent me a photo of one of his safety awards (a tape measure) which you can see on the page I have devoted to such items.
Over a year later he reached out again, stating that he had some kind of mysterious relic for me. Of course, I could not resist so I made plans, yet again, to meet a stranger in a parking lot.
Glenn came across a large amount of Dexion recently, discarded on the curb. But what caught his eye was the ACME STEEL logo stamped into it!
He told me he was needing some angle iron to repair the gate of his pickup when through some wonderful kismet he found the stuff (it worked perfect, he showed me).
He hacked off about 10″ for me (and kindly rounded the edges so I don’t slice myself to death handling the thing). It now has a permanent home amongst my many other Acme trophies. Thank you Glenn!
2 replies on “Dexion Steel”
Very strange coincidence that I happened to find that and it worked PERFECT I said “how would Pops fix this? Probably some slotted angle would work” few days later go across the street and there’s a pile sitting on the curb and then I saw the logo….that figures. It will probably outlast the rest of the truck 🤣 Thanks Pops!
Divine intervention! Send me a photo of the repair on the gate so I can add that to my post and THANK YOU for the relic!