Billets to Blocks

PHOTOGRAPHER'S JOURNAL: Dave cuts billets into blocks according to custom specifications. Carlos moves a ceaseless stream of billets onto a gravity fed conveyor where they wait for Dave to roll the next billet onto the rollers of his saw's conveyor. He measures where to cut, positions the billet under the saw blade, and starts the saw. He stamps a number onto the edge of each block after it is cut and records the number in a computer terminal. Once stamped, the stream of copper continues as Dave piles blocks onto pallets. Each block weighs about 300 pounds and will wear its number until it is transformed.