Compiled
&edited
by
dson
With a new Foreword by DONA 2. MEILACH Covers every aspect of working with iron and steel: . All the blacksmithing processes,including soldering, welding, brazing, forging, and tempering l All types of smithing equipment, including tools, forges, and anvils l How to work on chains, knives, sleds, wagons, horseshoes, wagons, and many other items l A valuable source book for antiqnes. ,,
,,,,~
A COLLECTIOK OF ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED SKILLED WORKAIEK TO THE COLUMNS AND
AT DIFFERENT TIhlES OF “THE BLACKSMITH
WHEELWRIGHT” ASD COVERING NEARI.Y THE WHOLE RANGE OF BLACKSMITHING FROM THE SIMPLEST JOB, OF WORK TO SOME OF THE iMOST COMPLEX FO”.GINGS.
Compiled and Edited by
M.
T.
RICHARDSON,
ILLUSTRATED.
FOUR VQLUIMES IN ONE, ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN SEPARATE VOLUMES IN 1889,1890,AND 1891.
/
WI-FH A FOREWORD BY D;ONA Z. MEILACH.
WEATHERVANE
ROOKS, NEW YORK
I
BY
,,~, ‘,~, -::: ,_ ;,,:r ‘>:,,, :,i _,
.,
‘,‘,,
Special Material Copyright @ MCMLXXVIII by Crown Publishers, Inc. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 77-94507 All righn reserved. This edition is published by Weathervane Books, a division of Imprint Society, Inc., distributed by Crown Publishers, Inc. defgh WE+&THERVANE 1978
FOREWORD. “Old” is not necessarily outdated. ‘Wew” is not necessarily better. These statements underscore the reasonsfor reprinting Practical Blacksmithing. The techniques and tools illustrated and their application to the handmade object are as valuable to the modern blacksmi
vi
FOREWORD.
end of a banister, the base for an avant-garde table, or a personalized weather vane. No matter what the form, the approach and the techniques have not changed appreciably from those of Richardson’s era; perhaps the bellows is now activated by electricit!; rather than a foot pump or hand crank, and the composition of available metals differ-Richardson and his peers were able to secure wrought iron while today the blacksmith has a variety of different steels to use. The four original volumes that have been combined unabridged into this single new volume are offered as a basic resource for the modern blacksmith. It will lead him to a discovery of old tools that may no longer be in existence, to learn how they were shaped and why. It w~ill help him recreate such tools, especially tongs, hammers and chisels, for his own further forays into smithing. The collector of old tools will welcome the information and find it an invaluable aid for identifying items found at flea markets, farm sales,and in antique shops. Practical Blacksmithing-with its emphasis on technique and craftsmanship, its homey style, its glimpses into the distant and recent past of this ancient craft-will excite the historian and nostalgia enthusiast. It will help bring the new blacksmithing activity into a sharper focus and a brighter future. DONAZMEILACH
1978
VOLUME
:,, ,, 1:; ,,
I.
CONTENTS PREFACE,
.
.
INTRODUCTION,
.
.
xv
. CHAPTER
I.
ANCIENT AND MODERNHAMmRS,
.
CHAPTER Alucma
TOOLS,
xi
.
.
1
II.
.
CHAPTER
2s
III.
CHIMNEYS,FOG&S,FIRES,SHOPPLANS,WORK Bmcm, CHAPTER Awns
AND Awn
TOOLS,
.
BLACKS~MITH’S TOOLS,
.
.
33
.
99
IV.
.
CHAPTER
ETC.,
.
.
V. .
131
PREFACE. Although there are numerous legendat~y accounts of the important position occupi~ed by the blacksmith, and the ho.nors accorded’him even at a period as remote in the world’s history as the time of King Solomon, strange to relate there is no single work in the language devoted solely to the practice of the blacksmith’s art. Occasional chapters on the subject may be found, however, in mechanical books, as well While fragmentary as brief essays in encyclopedias. allusions to this important trade have from time to time appeared in newspapers and magazines, no one has ever attempted anything like an exhaustive ‘This work on the subject ; perhaps none is possible. paucity of literature concerni~ng a branch of the mechanic arts, without which other trades would cease to exist from lack of proper tools, cannot be attributed to a want of intelligence on the part of the disciples of Vulcan. It is perfectly safe to assert, that in this respect blacksmiths can hold their own with mechanics in any other branch of industry. From their ranks have sprung many distinguished men. Among the number may be mentioned Elihti
~-
xii
PREFACE.
Burritt, known far and wide as the “ learned blacksmith.” The Rev. Robt. Colyer, pastor of the leading Unitarian Church in New York City, started in life as a blacksmith, and while laboring at the forge, began the studies which have since made him famous. Exactly why no attempt has ever been mnle to write a book on blacksmithing, it would be dimcult to explain. It is not contended that in the following pages anything like a complete consideration of the subject will be undertaken. For the most part the matter has been taken from the columns of T/‘le Blacbaith nnd W~ee&+-Lt, to which it was contributed by practical men from all parts of the American continent. The BLac&zith nnd Whedwright, it may be observed, is at present the only journal in the world which makes the art of blacksmithing an essential feature. In the nature of things, the most that can be done by the editor and compiler of these fragmentary articles, is to group the different subjects together and present them with as much system as possible. The editor does not hold himseif responsible for which each the subject matter, or the treatment There topic receives at the hands of its author. may be, sometimes, a better way of doing a job of work than the one described herein, but it is believed that the average blacksmith may obtain much information from these pages, even if oc-
-
\ PREFACE.
. . x111
casionally some of the methods given are inferior to those with which he is familiar; The editor has endeavored, so far as possible, to preserve the exact language of each contributor. While a skillful blacksmith of extended experience, with a turn for literature, might be able to write a book arranged more systematically, and possibly treating of more subjects, certain it is that no one up to the present time has ever made the attempt, and it is doubtful if such a work would contain the same variety of practical information that will be found in these pages, formed of contributions from hundreds of able workmen scattered over a wide area. THE
EDITOR.
INTRODUCTION. Some time since, Mr. G. H. Birch read a ,~paper before the British Architectural Association entitled: I‘ The Art of the Blacksmith.” The essential portions of this admirab!e essay are reproduced here as a fitting introduction to this volume: “ It is not the intention of the present paper to endeavor to trace the actual working of iron from primeval times, from those remote ages when the ever-busy and inventive mind of man first conceived the idea of separating the metal from the ore, and impressing upon the shapeless mass those forms of offense or defense, or of domestic use, which occasion required or fancy dictated. “ Legends, both sacred and profane, point retrospectively, the former to a Tubal Cain, and the latter to four successive ages of gold and silver, brass and iron. Inquiry stops on the very edge of that vague and dim horizon of countless ages, nor would it be profitable to unravel myths or legends, or to indulge in speculation upon a subject so unfathomable. Abundant evidence is forthcoming not only of its use in the weapons, utensils and .tools of
_-..
xvi
INTRODUCTION.
remote times, but also of its use in decorative art ; unfortunateiy, unlike bronze, which can resist the destructive influence of climate and moisture, ironwhether in the more tempered form of steel or in its own original state-readily oxidizes, and leaves little trace of its actual substance behind, so that relics of very great antiquity are but few and far between: It remains for oiir age to call in science, and protect by a lately discovered process the works ~of art in this metal, and to transmit them uninjured to future ages. In the RETROSPECTIVE
HISTORY
OF
THE
BLACKSMITH’S
AR’”
no period was richer in inventive fancy thank that England, period of the so-called Middle Ages. France, Italy, and more especialiy Germany, vied with each other in producing wonders of art. The anvil and the hammer were ever at work, and the glow of the forge with its stream of upward sparks seemed to impart. Pismetheus-like, life and energy to the inert mass of metal submitted to its fierce heat. Nowhere at any period were the technicalities of iron so thoroughly understood, and under the stalwart arm of the smith brought to such perfection, both of form and workmanship, as in Europe during this period of the Middle Ages. The common articles of domestic use shared the influence of art alike with the more costly work destined for the service of religion ; the homely
xvii
INTRODUCTION.
gridiron and pot-hook could compare with the elaborate hinge of the church door or the grille which screened the tomb or chapel. The very nail head was a thing of beauty. Of articles for domestic use of a very early period handed down to our times we have but few specimens, and this can easily be accounted for. The ordinary wear and tear and frequent change of proprietorship and fashion, in addition to the intrinsic value of the metal, contributed to their dis“ New lamps for old ones,” is a ceaseappearance. less, unchanging cry from age to age. In ecclesiastical metal-work, of course, the specimens are more numerous and n-ore perfectly preserved ; their connection with the sacred edifices which they adorned and strengthened proved their salvation. IRON
TO
PROTECT
TFE
HUMAN
FORM.
Without going very minutely into the subject of arms and armor, it is absolutely necessary to refer briefly to the use of iron in that most ,important element, in the protection of the human form, before the introduction of more deadly weapons in the art of slaying rendered such protection useless. In the Homeric age such coverings seem to have been of the most elaborate and highly wrought character, for, although Achilles may be purely a hypothetical personage, Homer, in describing his armor, probably only described such as was actually in use
. .. xv111
INTRODUCTION.
in his own day, and may have slightly enriched it From the paintings on with his own poetic fancy. vases we know that sometimes rings of metal were used, sewn on to a tunic of leather. They may have been bronze, but there is also every reason to believe .that they were sometimes made of iron. Polybius asserts that the Roman soldiers wore chainmail, which is sometimes described a!i “ modli ‘,:rica catena,” and we find innumerable instances on sculptured slabs of this use, and in London, among some Roman remains discovered in Eastcheap and Moor Lane, actual specimens df this ringed armor occurred, in which the rings did not interlace as in later specimens, but were welded together at the edge. From this time there is authentic evidence of its constant use. The Anglo-Saxons wore it, as it is frequently described in manuscripts of this period. Later on, the Bayeux tapestry represents it beyond the shadow of a doubt, both in the manner as before described and also in scales overlapping one another ; while the helmet of a conical shape, with a straight bar in front to protect the nose, is also very accurately figured. What we call CHAIN-MAIL
proper did not appear before Stephen’s reign, and its introduction followed closely after the first Crusade, and was doubtless derived from the East, where the art of working in metals had long been
--
-II INTRODUCTION.
xix
known and practised: The very term “mail ” means hammered, and from Stephen’s time until~ that of Edward III. it was universally used ; but long before the last mentioned period many improvements, suggestrd by a practical experience, had Little by modified the complete coat of chain-mail. little small pla,tes of iron fastened by straps and buckles to the chain-mail, to give additional saiety to exposed portions of the person, gradually changed the ,appearance, and developed at last into complete plate armor, such as is familiar to us by the many monumental brasses and effigies still extant ; the chain-mail being on1.y used as a sort of fringe to the helmet, covering tile neck, and as an apron, until even this disappeared, although it was near the end of the sixteenth ce~ntury-so far as Europe is concerned--before the chain-mail finally vanished. After this date armor became more elaborately decorated by other processes besides those of the armorer’s or smith’s inventive genius. Damascening, gilding and painting were extensively employed, and more especially engraving or chasing ; and the collections at the Tower-and more particularly the rich collection formed by her Imperia! Majesty, the ex-Empress of the French, at Pierrefonds, now at the Hotel des Invalides-show us to what a wonderful extent this ornamentation of armor could be carried. The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries still gave employment to the smith, until the utter in-
--.-,
-
xx
INTRODUCTION.
ability of such a protection against the deadly bullet, rendered its further use ridi:ulous, and in these days it only appears in England in the modified form of a cuirass in the showy but splendid uniform of the Horse and Life Guards or occasionally in the Lord Mayor’s show, when the knights of old are represented by circus supernumeraries, as unlike these ancient prototypes as the tin armor in which they are uncomfortably encased resembles the ancient. With the armor the weapons used by its wearers have been handed down to our time, and magnificent specimens they are of an art which, although it may not be entirely dead amomg us in these days, is certainly dormant so far as this branch of it is concerned. The massive sword of the early medizeval period, which depended on its own intrinsic weight and admirably tempered edge rather than on its ornamentation ; the maces, battle-axes, halberds and partisans, show a gradual increase of beauty and finish in their workmanship. The sword and dagger hilts became more and more elaborate, especially in Germany, where the blade of the sword is often of most eccentric form and pattern, as if it was intended more tostrike terror by its appearance fhan by its actual application. Many of the ancient sword-hilts preserved in England, at the Mu&e d’Artillerie in Paris, and at Madrid, Vienna, Dresden and Turin, are of the
/
xxi
INTRODUCTION.
most marvelous beauty and workmanship that it is possible to conceive, more particularly those of the sixteenth century. Italy and France vied with each other in prc?ucing these art treasures of the. craft of the smith ; Milan, Turin and Toledo were the principal seats of industry, and in Augsburg, in Germany, there lived~ and died generations of men who were perfect masters in this art of the smith. The decadence with regard to the weapon war a::, marked as that of the armor; the handle of c-he sword became more and more enriched with the productions of the goldsmith’s and lapi.dary’s art until th,e swords became rather fitted to dangle as gilded appendages against the embroidered cloaks or :.he silken stockings of the courtier, than to clang i;vith martial sound against the steel-encased limb of the warrior. It would be beyond the limits.of the present paper to enumerate the many examples of ancient work in WEAPONS
AND
ARMOR
ccntained in the public museums :f Europe, and also in private collections. Armor is only mentioned here to give an idea of the extent to which the art of working in iron was carried, of the perfection it attained, and how thoroughly the capabilities of metal were understood, noting well that tEc casting of the metal into molds was scarcely ever oractised, that it was entirely the work of the hammer and
xxii
INTRODUCTION.
the anvil, that the different pieces were welded and riveted by manual labor of the smith, and then subsequently finished in the same manner by the various processes of engraving, chasing and punching. The next division of the subject is the use of IRON
IN
ECCLESIASTICAL
ART,
and this comprises hinges of doors, locks and fastenings, screens, railings and vases. We have already seen to what perfection it could be brought in defending man against his feilow man ; its nobler employment in the service of his Maker remains to be considered. The church door first engages our attention, the framing of the door requiring additional strength beyond the ordinary mortising, dovetailing and tenoning of the wood, and this additional strength was imparted by the use of iron, and so completely was this attained that we have only to turn to numerous examples, still existing, to prove the manner in which it was done and the form it took. The hinge was usually constructed in the following manner: a strong hook was built into the wall with forked ends well built into the rnasonry ; on this hook was hung the hinge, which, for the convenience of the illustration, we will consider as simply, a plain strap or flat bar of wrought-iron, its ornamentation being a matter of after consideration ; this strap had at one end a hollow tube or ring of metal which fitted on to the hook, allowing the
... INTRODUCTION.
xx111
hinge to turn ; the strap on the outside of the door was longer than the one on the inside, with sufficient space between the two to allow for the framing of the door and its outside planking, and the back and front straps were united by bolts, nails or rivets, which passed through the thickness of the wood, and firmly secured all, the form of the opening in the masonry preventing, when once the door was firmly fastened by a lock or bolt, its being forced up from the hooks on which it hung. Allusion has been made to the planking, which invariably covered the framing ; beside the security of the strap this planking was also fastened to the frame by nail heads and scrolls of metal, sometimes covering the whole of the outside of the doorwith very beautiful designs; in most cases the scrolls started from the plain strap, but sometimes they were separate. This was the usual construction, irrespective of century, which prevailed in England. On the Continent, especially in Italy, at Verona and Rome, and at other places, the exteriors of doors were entirely covered with A survival of the ancient classic plaques of bronze. times, that of Saint Zeno, Verona, is one of the most remarkable, and is probably of Eastern work. Although of bronze, and beyond the limits of, the present paper, allusion is made to it in consequence of the ornamentation and nail heads, reminding one of some of the earliest specimens of Norman or twelfth-century metal in England and France.
.
xxiv
INTRODUCTION.
It would be difficult earliest SPECIMEN
to decide which is really the
OF
AN
IRON
HINGE
Barfreston Church, in Kent, has in this country. some early iron work on the doors, and the Cathedrals of Durham and Ripon and St. Albans. It would be hazardous to say that this last-mentioned specimen is absolutely Norman ; although generally accounted such, it is more probably twelfth-century. It occurs on the door leading from the south transept into the “ Slype,” the said door having two elaborate scroll hinges, more quaint than beautiful, the scrolls being closely set, and the foliage very stiff, the edge of the leaves being cut into a continuous chevron with a stiff curl at the termination ; the main part of the band or strap, before it branches out into the scrolls and foliage, being indented with a deep line in the center. From this the section slopes on each side, on which are engraved deeply a zigzag pattern whose pointmeet forms a sort of lozenge, the sections of the scrolls and foliage being flat and engraved with a single chevron. The whole of the hinge is studded with small quartrefoil-headed nails at regular distances. On the band from which the foliage springs there is a peculiarly-formed raised projection like an animal’s head, slightly resembling a grille at Westminster Abbey, to which re’ference will be made : the hinge is either a rude copy of a
INTRODUCTION.
xxv
thirteenth-century one, or it may be a prototype of the-later and richer work of the next era. On the door of Durham Cathedral nave there is a very fine specimen of a KNOCKER,
called the 1‘sanctuary ” knocker, of a lion or cat looking with erect ears, and surrounded by a stiff conventional mane, from which the head projects considerably ; and from the mouth, which is well garnished with sharp teeth, depends a ring, the upper part of which is flattened, and at the junction of the circular and flat part on each side is the head of an animal, from whose open mouth the flat part pro. ceeds. It is a wonderfully sPirited composition with an immense deal of character about it, the deep lines proceeding from the nose to the two corners of ~:the mouth reminding one of some of the Assyrian work. The eyes project and are pierced; it is supposed that they were filled at the back with some vitreous paste, but of this there is no proof, This grim knocker played a very important part in early times, for Durham Cathedral possessed the privilege of 6‘ sanctuary ” and many a poor hunted fugitive must have frantically seized the knocker. and woke the echoes of. Durham’s holy shade, and brought by its startling summons the two Benedictine monks who kept watch and ward by day and night in the chambersabove the porch, and at once admitted him
xxvi
INTRODUCTION.
into the sacred precinct, and, taking down the hurried tale in the presence of witnesses, passed him to the chambers kept ready prepared in the western towers, where for the space of thirty-nine days he was safe from pursuit, and was bound to be helped beyond seas, out of the reach of danger. The peculiarity attached to this Durham knocker must be the excuse for this digression. Examples of this sort of knockers, although not necessarily ‘I sanctuary ” ones, are by no means uncommon. Beautiful examples exist at the collegiate church of St. Elizabeth, Marburg, at the cathedral of Erfurt, in Germany, and at the church of St. The Erfurt Julian, Brionde, in Auvergne, France. example is just as grim a monster as the Durham one; the mane in each case is very similar, but it has the additional attraction of the figure of a man between its formidable teeth, the head and fore part of the body, with uplifted arms, projecting from the mouth ; but the ring is plain, and it has an additional twisted cable rim encircling the mane. Farringdon Church, Berks, possesses a very beautiful specimen of early metal-work in the hinges on one of its doors, very much richer in detail than the St. Albans example, a photograph of which is shown. Roughly speaking, there are two hinges of not quite similar design, with floriated scrolls and a very rich band or strap between them, floriated at each end, and at the apex a curious perpendicular bar terminat-
INTRODUCTION.
xxvii
ing at the lower end in the head of an animal, and at the upper with scrolls fitting to the shape of the arch ; the whole of the hinges, bands and scrolls are thickly studded with nails and grotesque heads and beaten ornaments. The church has been restored ; the stone carving, which is of thirteenth-century character, is entirely modern, and therefore misleading, and must not be taken as the date of the door with its metal work. At Staplehurst Church, Kent, there was formerly on one of the doors a very characteristic Norman hinge, of a very early type ; but this church has also undergone restoration, and a friend, to whom we are indebted for the photograph of the Farringdon example, states that this hinge was not there at his last visit; but in general form it resembles one-at Edstaston Church, Shropshire, which retains its original hinges on the north and south doors of the nave. There are many other examples scattered about England, but all these Norman or twelfth-century hinges follow more or less the same idea-a broad strap terminating iri scrolls, and whose end next the stonework is intersected by another broad strap forming nearly two-thirds of a circle, with scrolls at the ends ; and between the two hinges by which the door is actually hung, there is one or more flat bands, also floriated, the iron-work protecting the whole surface of the woodwork, but not so completely as in the next era.
... xxv111
INTIt0DUCTI0N.
In France the work was, like the architecture, a Foliage was more extensively little more advanced. used, the scrolls generally finished with a wellmolded leaf or rosette ; but the form of the scrolls is still stiff and lacks the graceful flow of the thirteenth century. Some of the best specimens are preserved at the cathedrals of Angers, Le Puy, Noyeau, Paris, and many others, especially at the Abbey of St. Denis. DOOR
WORK.
In addition to the metal-work on the doors, in many of the large churches in France of the twelfth century, the large wheel windows are filled with ornamental iron grilles. Noyeau has a noted example. These grilles were more particularly used when there was no tracery, the ramifications of the iron-work almost supplying the want of it. Viollet Knissoz?ze gives a very le Due in his Dicfiomtni~e beautiiul example of this. The grilles referred to are not the iron frames in which the twelfth and thirteenth century stained glass is contained, as at Canterbury, Bourges and Chartres, and in innumerable other instances, but were designed especially to fill these large circular openings, and the effect is very beautiful. The next era .dtiring which the smith’s art seems to have arrived at a culminating point is the thirteenth century. We have an immense number of examples, nor have we to go far to find them ; they are as well
INTRODUCTIC~Y.
xxix
represented in England ,IS on the Continent. The idea is much the same as in the preceding century, only the scrolls are easier in the;r curves, the foliations more general, and the wood-work almost enIn the cloisters of St. George’s tirely covered. Chapel, Windsor, is a nearly perfect example ; the door occurs in Henry 111.‘~ work, some very beautiful wall arcading still remaining in juxtaposition. The door itself is of more recent date, probably Edward IV.‘s time, but the iron-work has belonged to al-r.earlier door. It can scarcely be ca!led a hinge; it is more correctly a covering of metal-work, and although mutilated in parts, the design is exceedingly beautiful. Each leaf of the door has three pointed ovals, known technically as ‘the “vesica” shape ; these are intersected in the center perpendicularly by a bar of iron; and from this and the vesicze spring very beautiful curves, I;;ling up the whole interstices. The sides and arched top have an outer continuing line of iron, from which spring little buds of foliage at intervals ; the lower vesicze are now imperfect, having one-third cut off, and the top continuing line on the left is wanting. Between the first and second panels are two circular discs with rings for handles, seemingly of later date; the intersecting bar is not continuous, but terminates close to the point of each oval, with an embossed rosette, thickly studded with small nails to attach it to the wood-work, and with heads, bosses and leaves at intervals.
xxx
INTRODUCTION.
At York Minster there are splendid specimens of metal work on two cope chests ; these chests are of the shape of a quadrant of a circle, so as to obviate folding the cope, often stiff with gold embroidery. The lids open in the center more than once, and the hinges with their scrolls cover the whole surface ; the design and execution of the work being similar to the previous example. At Chester Cathedral there is an upright vestment press in the sacristy, opening in three divisions of one subdivision ; but in this case., as at Windsor, the iron-work is more as a protection than as a hinge, for the hinges are separate, being only small straps of metal and not connected with the scrolls. The design is irregular, the center division having a perpendicular line from which spring five scrolls on each side, with floriated ends; the left-hand division has one bold scroll in three curves, and the right-hand division. opens in two subdivisions, each having a horizontal bar in the center, with scrolls springing from each side, but reversed, the lower being the boldest ; the center and right have continuing lines This on each side, but none at the top or bottom. example at Chester Cathedral is a very beautiful one, and not so much known as it should be, or deserves. At Ripon Cathedral there is also another vestment press, but the hinges are plain strap hinges with a stiff conventional series of curves on each side, more curious, perhaps, than beautiful, The handle is a
INTRODUCTION.
xxxi
simple circular disc, with punched holes round the Ripon outer circumference, and a drop ring handle. Cathedral possesses also some very good hinges on the south door of the choir, which may be twelfth century, but if not, are certainly thirteenth century, and they have no back straps. Eaton Bray Church presents, on the south door, a Here the very fine specimen of early metal-work. door is again covered with the scrolls diverging from three strap hinges reaching quite across the door, the apex of the arched head being also filled with scroll work ; portions of the bands are also ornamented with engraved work ; the leaves and rosettes are punched. The ring and plate are perfect, This specimen is in a very good state of preservation, only some of the scrolls at the bottom being imperfect. In the same church is another hinge of more simple character, but of a very quaint design, and possessing the peculiarity of being alike on both the inner and outer sides of the door. In the Cathedral Close at Norwich there are the remains of a beautiful specimen of iron work covering one of the doors, but it is in a sadly mutilated condition, the tipper hinge being the only one perfect; this has an outer iron band following the outline of the door, though only one portion remains, and between the two hinges is a horizontal bar starting from a central raised boss from which hangs the handle, the ends of the bar being floriated. The examples enumerated here are only a few
xxxii
INTRODUCTION.
among many, adetailed description becoming monotonous, for they all more or less follow one general arrangement. The French examples differ slightly in treatment, btit there the strap is rather broader and does not branch out into scrolls until it reaches more than half across the door; the scrolls are shorter and the foliage richer than in the English examples, and the scrolls do not bear the same proportion to the strap. A very good hinge is still to be seen on the north door of Rouen Cathedral, Portes de Calendriers, and at Noyon Cathedral, on the Goor of the staircase leading to the treasury. But hinges were not the only things upon which the smith of the Middle Ages exerted his skill and ingenuity. The grilles which protected the tombs in the interior of churches and the opening in screens demanded alike the exercise of both, and at Westminster Abbey there is still preserved and replaced in situ, after having been for many years thrown by on one side among useless lumber, a specimen which any age or any clime might justly be proud of. Around the shrine of Edward the Confessor repose many of his successors, and this chapel and shrine was exceedingly rich in costly gifts. si,lver, gold and jewels being there in great abun dance. Originally the or,ly entrance to the chapel was through the doors in the screen forming the reredos of the high altar, and though considerably elevated above the level of the p~avement of the surrounding aisle, it was not sufficiectly secure to
.-
INTRODUCTION.
.. . xxx111
protect its precious contents, and there must have been some screen or railing. At the close of the thirteenth century the only royal tomb beside: that of the royal founder, Henry III., was that of his daughter-in-law, Eleanor of Castile. Henry’s tomb was of a good height, but Eleanor’s was not so lofty, and there was the dread of the robbers making free with the offerings to the shrine, as they had done only a short time previoas!p with the treasure which the king had amassed for his Scotch wars, and which was stolen from the treasury in the cloisters hard by. A grille of beautiful workmanship was accordingly placed on the north side of the tomb toward the aisle, the top of the grille being finished with a formidable row of spikes, or “chevaux de frise,” as we now term them, completely guarding the chapel on that side. The framewor,k of forged bars projects from the tomb in a curve, and on the front of these bars is riveted some exquisite sciollwork. It is difficult to describe in detail this art treasure--a photograph only could do it justice; the wonderful energy and beauty and minute variety thrown .into the little heads of animals, which hold the transverse bars in their mouths,and the beauty of the leaves and rosettes, scarcely two of which are ‘alike, are things which must be seen to be appreciated. On the score of anything very beautiful attributed to foreigners, this iron work, like the beautiful effigy of the queen whose tomb it guards, has been attributed to French
xxxiv
INTRODUCTION.
or Italian influence ; arid the English Torell, who molded and cast the bronze effigy, has been Italianized into Torelli, a name which he never bore in his lifetime. With regard to its being French, France has now nothing existing resembling it in the slightest degree ; while the work in the cloister at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, before referred to, does resemble it slightly in some points. A very beautiful grille exists at Canterbury Cathedral, screening St. Anselm’s Chapel from the south aisle and the tomb of Archbishop Meopham. This grille does remind one of Italian or foreign work, but there is every reason to believe it to be English; its great characteristic is its extreme lightness, for it is formed of a series of double scrolls, only $ inch wide by s inch in thickness, 7% in. high and 3yi in. broad, placed back to back and fastened together and to the continuous scrolls by small fillets or ribands of iron wound round ; these being fixed into iron frames, 6 ft. 6 in. high by about 2 ft. IO in. broad. This extreme lightness makes it resemble :he foreign examples. THE
EFFECT
OF
THE
GREAT
LONDON
FIRE
ON
THE
ART.
There is one particular phase of the smith’s art in England which deserves more than a~passing notice. The great impetus given to the industrial arts by the universal re-building after the great fire of London exerdised a considerable influeace on the art of the
INTRUOUCTION.
XXXV
smith, and there is the peculiarity attaching to the revival that the productions are essentially English and are unlike the contemporary work on the Continent, preserving an individuality perfectly marked and distinct. One might almost call it a “ school ” and it lasted for nearly a hundred years. St. Paul’s Cathedral, which was commenced in 1675 and the choir so far completed that it was opened for service in 1697, possesses some of the finest specimens of this date in the grilles and gates inclosing the choir, and although one is bound to confess that it was to a foreign and not to a native artist that theseare due, yet in many particulars they resemble genuine English work. One has but to compare these gates with others of the same date in France to directly see the immense difference between them, as in the inclosures of the choir of the Abbey church of St. Ouen, at Rouen, and at the cathedral at Amiens The artist’s name was Tijau . or Tijou, for the orthography is doubtful. In addition to these large gates, the original positions of which have been altered since the rearrangement of the cathedral, there are several smaller grilles in some of the openings and escutcheons to some of the internal gates with the arms of the Dean and Chapter very beautifully worked into the design. The whole of the ironwork at St. Paul’s deserves a close inspection. The outer railings, which are part-
sssvi
INTROI)UCTION.
ly cast, are of Susse,s iron and were made at Lamberhurst. RIost of the city churches have very good ironwork, especially in the sword rests and communion rails, some of the finest of the former being at Allhallows Barking, St. Andrew Undershaft, and St. Mary at Hill, and the latter at St. Mary, Woolmoth. The altars of some of these city churches are marble slabs supported on a frame of wrought iron. work. In the church of St. Michael, Queenhythe, now destroyed, there was a very curious iron bracket, with pulley and chain for the font cover, a,nd some wrought-iron hat rails. Though the hinges and locks of these churches are n>t remarkable, many of the vanes are c&ious. St. Lawrence Jewry has a gridiron in allusion to the martyrdom of the saint. St. Mildred, Poultry, and St. Michael, Queenh) the, both destroyed, bore ships in full sail ; St. Peter’s, Cornhill, the cross keys ; St. Mary-le-Bone has a flying dragon; and St. Antholin, Budge Row, had a very fine vane surmounted by a crown. The destruction of this church and spire, one of the most beautiful in the city, will ever be a lasting disgrace to those who In the church of St. Dionis Backbrought it about. church, at the west end, supporting the organ gallery, stood square columns of open work of wrought iron, and with very nicely wrought caps, but the church has also been destroyed, and the pillars probably sold for old iron. Some of the brass chandeliers, where
=
INTRODUCTION.
xxxvii
they had not been made away with, to be replaced by gas standards or brackets, are suspended by ironwork more or less ornamented and gilded, a good specimen having existed at the church of St. Catherine Cree, and there is still one remaining at St. Saviour’s, Southwark. At St. Alban’s, Wood street, a curious hour-glass is preserved in a wrought-iron frame, a relic of Puritan times ; and though hourglasses and their stands are not uncommon, it is a comparative rarity when found in a church of the date of St. Alban’s, Wood street. The smith also found plenty of occupation in, making railings and gates for public bodies and for private houses, and wrought-iron handrails to staircases. One of the most beautiful specimens of the art of the seventeenth century is to be seen in a pair of gates at the end of a passage or hall in the building occupied by the managers and trustees of the Bridewell Hospital, Bridge street, Blackfriars ; the wrought leaves and scrolls are very rich, being designed for internal work, and date from very soon after the fire of London. The honorable and learned societies of Gray’s Inn, and the Inner Temple have fine scroll entrance-gates to their respective gardens, and scattered about in the suburbs at Clapham. Chelsea, Fulham, Stoke Newington, Stratford-by-Bow and Hampstead are fine entrance gates, whose designs are doubtless very familiar, since there is scarcely an old brick mansion
-.
... XXXVlll
INTRODUCTION.
with red-tiled roof and dormer windows and walled garden that does not possess them. There is considerable beauty about these gates ; notably in the way in which the upright standards are alternated with panels of scroll-work, and the upper part enriched with scrolls and leaves and’the initials of the owner or his arms worked in, some of this work indeed being very delicate and refined, especially with But the chief glory of the regard to the foliage. English school of this date is the wonderful work upon the gates, now preserved at Kensington Museum, formerly adorning the gardens at Hampton Court Palace, and the work of Huntmgdon Shaw. These are far superior to the gates in St. Paul’s Cathedral, for the latter are a little too architectural in their treatment, Corinthian pilasters being freely introduced, while these Hampton Court ones are free from any approach to architectural forms in iron and rely for effect solely upon the bold curves and sweeps of the scrolls, the richness of the acanthus-like foliage and the delicacy of the center medallions. The wreaths, which are suspended from the top, are wonderfully modeled, some of the flowers introduced being almost as delicate as the natural ones they represent, or rather re,produce in iron ; one medallion in particular, being truly exquisite. At the top of each of the gates are some fine masks, in some cases surrounded by foliage, and each gate is different in design, although they resemble one
INTRODUCTION.
xxxix
South Kensington Muanother in generai form. seum possesses six of these gates-one with a rose, another with the rose of England surrounded by small buds and leaves, a thistle ; this last one is superbly modeied. the peculiarity and bend of the leaf Another has the harp being accurately rendered. of Ireland, but with strings rent and broken, emblematic of the present state of that unhappy country ; and three have the initials of William of Orange and Mary Stuart. If William’s name in these days may not be quite so popular as it once was, and if he did but little for the country over which he was called to govern by a dominant party, at least he was the means of calling into existence these exquisite works of art, which hold tteir own against any foreign production, and place the smith, Huntingdon Shaw, foremost among those who, working with stalwart arm, with anvil and hammer, were able to throw life and energy into the dull mass of metal before them’. In the staircase of a house in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, at No. 35, there is awonderful specimen of a wroughtiron staircase. At present this wrought work terminates at the first floor, but there is evidence of it having been continued to the second floor, a panel having been once sold at Christy’s for 11;40which purported to have come from No. 35 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and had been removed in consequence of exThe rail is comtensive alterations in the interior. posed of separate standards, with scrolls and leaves,
XL
INTRODUCTION.
until it reaches the landing, which sweeps round a circular well-hole ; round this the standards cease, and are replaced by an extraordinarily fine panel, in which one can recognize the same hand as in HampThere is the same wonderfully ton Court gates. modeled mask with foiiage proceeding from it, the same sort of wreath depending ill advance of the other work, the rich aca.nthus foliage partly masking the boldly designed scrolls beneath, betraying the hand of Huntingdon Shaw c,; his school. The date would also fit, for this h ~:scZ .jnd the next are traditionally supposed to ha:r,r :; : 7 designed by Christopher Wren for the Soli .* ‘L :I :~d Attorney-Generals about I 695-96, the date “, :.:!e ~fiampton Court work. The center oval medallion of this panel has unfortunately gone, and is replaced by some initiais in cast iron ; but it probably contained some of those beautifu!ly lnodeled bunches of flowers which appear on the Hampton Court gates.
CHAPTER ANCIENT
AND
MODERN
I. HAMMERS.
A trite proverb and one quite frequently quoted in modern mechanical literature is, ‘* By the hammer and hand all the arts do stand.” These few words sum up a great deal of informa-
ELBVATION.
FIG.
SECTION.
I-A
TAPPING
HAMMER
OF STONE.
tion concerning elementary mechanics. If we examine some of the more elaborate arts‘of modern times, or give attention to pursuits in which complicated mechanism is employed, we may at first be impressed that however correct this expression tiay
RI.ACKSMI’I’I-IING.
2
have been in the past, it is not applicable to the present dayi But if we pursue our investigations far enough, and trace the progress of the industry under% consideration, whatever may be its nature
END ELEVATION.
SIDE ELEVATION.
SECTION. FIG.
Z-PERFORATED
HAMMER
HEAD
OF STONE.
back to its origin, we find sooner or later that both hammer and hand have had everything to do with establishing and maintaining it. If we investigate textile fabrics, for instance, we find they are the
RLACKiSMITHING.
3
In the construction of the products of looms. looms the hammer was used to a certain extent, but back of them there were other machines of varying degrees of excellence, in which the hammer played a still more important part, until finally we reach a point where the hammer and hand laid the very foundation of the industry. :t would be necessary to go back to this point in order to start anew in case by some unaccountable means our present equipment of machinery should be blotted out of existence. The wonderful mechanism of modern shoe factories, for another example, has superseded the cobbler’s hammer, but on the other hand the hammer and hand by slow degrees through various stages produced the machinery upon which we at present depend for our footwear. And so it is in whatever direction we turn, The hammer in the hands of man is discovered to be at the bottom of all the arts and trades, if we but go back From an inquiry of far enough in our investigation. this kind the dignity .and importance of the smith’s While others besides him art is at once apparent. use hammers, it is to the smith that they all must go for their hammers. The smith, among all mechanics, enjoys the distinction of producing his OWlI tools. A consideration ‘of hammers, therefore, both ancient and modern, becomes a matter of special interest to blacksmiths of the present day as well as to artisans generally.
4
I!I,.~CKShlITIIING.
The prototype of the hammer is found in the clinched fist, a tool or weapon, as determined by circumstances and conditions, that man early learned to use, and which through all the generaThe fist, contions he has found extremely useful. sidered as a hammer, is one of the three tools for by external use with ’ which man is provided nature, the other two being a compound vise, and a scratching or scraping tool, both of which are also in the hand. From using the hand as a hammer our early inventors must have derived the idea of artificial hammers, tools which should be serviceable where the fist was insufficient. From noting the action of the muscles of the hand the first idea of a vise must have been obtained, while by si,milar reasoning all our scraping and scratching tools, our planes and files, our rasps, and, perhaps, also some of our edged tools, were first suggested by the finger nails. Upon a substance softer than itself the fist can deal an appreciable blow, but upon a substance harder than itself the reaction transfers the blow to the flesh and the blood of nature’s hammer, much to the discomfort of the one using it. Aft&- a few experiments of this kind, it is reasonable to suppose that the primitive man conceived the idea of reinAt the forcing the hand by some hard substance. outset he probably grasped a rounded stone, and this made quite a serviceable tool for the !imited purposes of the time. His arm became the handle,
BLACKShIITHIXG.
5
while his fingers were the means of attaching the hammer to the handle. Among the relics of the past, coming from ages of which there is no written history, and in time long preceding the known use of metals, are certain rounded~ stones, shaped, it is supposed, by the action of the water, and of such a form as to fit the hand. These stones are known to antiquarians by the name of “ mauls,” and were, undoubtedly, the hammers of our prehistoric ancestors. Certain variations in this form of hammer are also found. For that tapping action which in our minor wants is often more requisite than blows, a stone specially prepared for this somewhat delicate operation was employed, an i!!ustration of which is shown in Fig. I. A stone of this kind would, of course, be much lighter than the “ maul ” already described. The tapping hammer, a name appropriate to the device, was held between the finger and the thtimb, the cavities at the sides being for the convenience of holding it. The original from which the engraving was made bears evidence of use, and shows traces of having been employed against a sharp surface. The “ maul ” could not have been a very satisfactory tool even for the work it was specially calculated to perform, and the desire for something To hold a stone better must have been early felt. in the hollow of the hand and to strike an object with it so that the reaction of the blow should be
6
BLACKSMITklING.
mainly met by the muscular reaction of the back of the hand and the thinnest section of the wrist is not only fatiguing, but is liable to injure the delicate network of muscles found in these parts. It may have been from considerations of this sort that the double-ended mauls also found in the stone age These were held by the hand graspwere devised. ing the middle of the tool, and were undoubtedly a great improvement over the round mauls. Experience, however, soon suggested that in even this form there was much wanting. It still lacked energy to overcome reactions, the ofice which the wooden handle so successfully performs. Experiments were, therefore, early made in the direction of a more suitable handle than the unassisted arm and of a proper connection between the hammer and the handle. The first attempts were doubtless in the use of withes, by which handles were attached to such of the double-ended mauls as may have seemed suitable for the purpose. This means of fastening the handle is seen to the present day among half-civilized nations, and in some cases is even practised by blacksmiths to whom are available other and more modern means. Evidences of a still further advance are, however, found at almost the same period, for in the geological records of the stone age are met double mauls with holes through their centers for the insertion of a handle In some instances these holes are found coned, and
BLACKSMITIIING.
a
are almost as well adapted for the reception of hammer handles as the best tools of modern times. An illustration of one of these primitive tools is presented in Fig. 2. From this it will be seen that the advance toward a perfect hammer in the earliest periods was important as well as rapid. -All the preliminary experimenting to the development of a perfect tool was done by men who lived and worked before history commenced to be written. What remained to be done by the fraternity was entirely in the direction of more suitable material, and in the adaptation of form to meet special requirements. While principles were thus clearly established at an early day, very slow progress seems to have been made in applying them and in perfecting the hammer of the mod~ern artisan. Between the “ maul” of the savage of the stone age and a “ Maydole” hammer, what a gulf! From the “ tapping hammer” of stone, illustrated in Fig. I, to a jeweler’s hammer of the present day, what a change ! Between the double-faced perforated stone hammer, shown in Fig. 2, and the power forging hammers of modern practice, what a series of experiments, what a record of progress, what a host of inventors ! In whatever directivn we turn and from whatever standpoint we view the hammer there are clustered around it facts and legends, historical notes and mechanical principies, to the consideration of some of which a portion of our space may be well devoted.
8
BLACKShIITHIiXG.
To trace the origin of the hammer, commencing with i&s prototype, the human fist, and advancing step by step through the stone age, where fragments of rocks were made to do roughly the work that better tools afterwards performed, and so down the ages until the finished hammer of the present day is reached, would read like a romance. Like a pleasing story it would, perhaps, be of very little practical value, however entertaining the narrative might be, and, therefore, we shall not follow the development of the hammer too minutely. We desire to interest our rczders, but we also hope to do more than simpl~y amuse them. The hammer has been justly called the king It has been sung by poets, and made of tools. scenes by some the central figure of graphic Sir Walter Scott of the world’s most noted writers. has turned it to good account in some of his stories. The poet of modern history, however, is yet to come ; but when his day appear’s there wiii be much of suggestive incident from which he can fashion his song. Some of the most beautiful and delicate works that has ever been produced by the hand of man has been wrought by the hammer, and the skillful hammerman is’ well worthy of admiration. The fabled hammer of Thor is scarcely an exaggeration of the giant tools in actual use to-day in scores of iron works, and it would appear that the mythology makers of ancient times really saw visions of the coming ages,
BLACKShiITIIING.
9
when they wove the wonderful stories that were a part of the religion of our ancestors. We are very apt to look upon the hammer as a rude instrument. We overlook the scientific principles involved in its construction and use, and pay too little attention to the materials of which. it is fashioned and the forms in which it is made. We frequently look upon it merely as an adjunct to other tools, and forget that it is entitled to consideration as a sole independent ,and final tool. In some handicrafts, and these, too, involving a high class of finished work-the hammer is the only tool employed. That great artistic skill in the use of the hammer as a finishing tool can be acquired is manifest from the many beautiful specimens of rd$vzrss~! work to be seen in silversmiths’ shops. The details of the ornamentation are not only minute, but they so harmonize as to give elegance and expression to the whole, exclusive of the form of the articles themselves. A glance into the art stores in any of the cities will reveal specimens of hammered work of this sort, or of duplications of them, made by electroplating or by stamping with dies. The excellence, and, consequently, the value of these copies depends upon the closeness of imitationto the original ; and as they are for the most part very clever specimens in this particular, they serve as illustrations in point almost as well as the originals. Those of our readers who are interested in the capabilities and possibili-
BLACKSMITHING.
IO
ties of the hammer will bt: interested in an examinaThey are nation of some of these pieces of work. mostly of brass and copper. and in both originals and copies the tool marks are faithfully preserved. The esteem in which they are held may be judged from the statement that a piece of work of this kind about half the size of one of these pages sometimes fetches as much as $25, while shields of a larger size frequently sell for three and four times this sum. Choice originals are cherished in museums and are beyond the reach of money to buy. Other examples of hammer work might be mentioned, for example, the ancient wrought-iron gates, hinges and panels, representations of which are frequently met The suits of mail, and choice armor, in art books. most of which the ancient warriors were wont to clothe themselves in, are also examples in point. As marvelous as these examples of ancient work may seem, we think there are modern applications af the hammer that are quite as wonderful. THE *
-x
HAMMER.*
*
The hammer is generally known as a rude instrument, but as a matter of fact it is in some of its uses a very refined one, requiring great care and skill in its use. * * * Time forbids that I should refer to more than a The carpenter’s few prominent forms of hammers. l [From a lecture delivered delphii. J
before the Franklin Institute, by Joshua Rose, M. E. I Phlla-
B,LACKSMITHING.
II
mallet has a large rectangular head, because, as his tools are held in wooden handles, he must not use a hard substance to drive them with, or he will split the handles. Wood being light, he must have a large head to the mallet in order to give it weight enough. THE
STONE-MASON’S
The stone-mason
FIG.
S-AN
ILLUSTRATION
MALLET.
uses a wooden
OF THE THE
PROCESS
mallet, because
OF S’I’KE’L‘CHING
WITH
HAMMER.
it delivers just the kind of dull blow that is required. His mallet head is made circular, because his tools are steel, and have no wooden handles, and he is able to ‘use the whole circumference, and thus prevent the tools from wearing holes in the wooden
D1,..\CliShlIT1II1\‘C.
I2
mallet face. The handles of both these mallets are short, because they will strike a sufficiently powerfu! blow without being used at a great leverage. 011 the other hand, the stone-breaker’s hammers have long handles, to avoid the necessity of stooping. The pattern-maker’s hammer is long and slender; long, that it may reach down into recesses and cavities in the work, and slender, because, being long, it has weight enough without being stout. Now, take the blacksmith’s sledge, and we find the handle nearer to the pene, or narrow end, than it is to the broad-faced end, while the pavior’s sledge has the handle in the middle of its length. If we seek the reason for these differences, it will readily occur to us that the blacksmith’s helper or striker delivers most of his blows in a vertical direction, and uses mainly the face and not the pene of the hammer, and by hav-, ing the eye, and therefore the handle, nearest to the pene end, the face end naturally hangs downward, because, as held by the handle, the face end is the heaviest, and, as a result, he needs to make but The little, if any effort, to keep the face downward. pavior’s work, however, lies near the ground, and he uses both faces, his hammer not requiring a pene. Hence the handle is placed central, balancing both faces equally. THE
MACHINIST’S
HAMMER.
The machinist’s hammer is also madeheavi~er on the face than on the pene end, so that the face which he
RLACKSMITIIING.
*3
uses the most will hang downward without any special effort to keep it so. His chipping hammer, which he also uses for general purposes, weighs in the heaviest kinds I 3A pounds, and the handle should be 15 inches long. He wields it for heavy chipping, with all the force he can command, obeying the law that it is velocity rather than weight that gives penetration. ‘1 hus, supposing a hamnler weighing loo pounds is tra\-cling at a vel,ocity uf ten feet per second, and the power stored up in it is 1,000 footpounds. Another hammer, weighing one pound and traveling 1,000 feet per second, would also have stored up in it 1,000 foot-pounds. Hence the power is equal in the two, but the effects of their blows would be quite different. If they both struck a block of iron we should find that the effects of the quick moving hammer would sink deeper, but would spread out less sidewise, giving it a penetrating quality; while the slow-moving one would affect the iron over a wider area and sink less deeply. To cite an important operation in which this principle must be recognized : Suppose we have a wheel upon a shaft, and that the key is firmly locked between the two. In driving it out we know that, if we take a heavy hammer and strike slow, moving blows we shall spread the end of the key riveting it up and making it more difficult to drive out ; so we take a hammer having less weight and move it quicker.
14
BLACKSMITHlNG. USES
OF
THE
HAMMER.
In whatever form we find the hammer, it is used for three purposes only, namely, to crush, to drive and to stretch. And the most interesting of these operations are stretching and driving. The goldbeater, the blacksmith, the sawmaker, the plate straightener and the machinist, as well as many others, employ the hammer to stretch ; while the carpenter, the machinist, and others too numerous Among the to mention, use the hammer to drive. stretching operations there are many quite interestHere in Fig. 3, for example, .is a piece of ing ones. iron, two inches wide, and an inch thick, bent to the shape of the letter U. This piece of wire is, you obs.ert-e, too short to fit between the jaws, and I will n~~~~:5end the piece and close the jaws by simply ham;r.G;ig the outside of the curved end with a The proof that the blows have bent tack hammer. the piece is evident, because the piece of wire now fits tightly instead of being loose, as before the hammering. The principle i&olvecl in this operation is that the blows have stretched the outer surface, or outside curve, making it longer and forcing If we perform a similar operation the jaws together. upon a straight piece of metal, the side receiving the blows will actually rise up, becoming convex and making the other side concave, giving’ us the seeming anomaly of the metal, moving in the opposite direction to that in which the blows tend to
BLACKSMITHING,
I.5
force it. This process is termed pening, because, usually, the pene of the hammer is used to perform it. It is sometimes resorted to in order to straighten the frame-work of machines, and even to refit work that has worn loose. STRAIGHTENING
PLATES
AND
SAWS.
Straightening thin metal plates and saws form very interesting examples of the stretching process, Some and are considered very skillful operations. few years ago I was called upon to explain the principles involved in this kind of straightening, and having no knowledge of the subject, I visited a large saw factory to inquire about it. I was introduced to one of the most skillful workmen, and the object of my visit was rnade known to him. He informed me that it was purely a matter of skill, and ~that it’ was impossible to explain it. “ I will show you how it is done,” said he, and taking up a hand-saw blade, he began bending it back and forth with his hands, placing them about eight inches apart upon the blade. “ What do you do that for ?” I asked. “ To find out where it is bent,” he replied. * * + 9 xI spent two hours watching this man and questioning him, but I left him about as much in the dark as ever. Then I visited a large safe-making factory, know-
16
BLACKSMITHING.
ing that the plates for safes required to be very nicely straightened. The foreman seemed very willing to help me, and took me to the best straightener in the shop, who duly brought a plate for a safe door and straightened it for me. Then he brought another, and as soon as he stood it on edge and began to sight it with his eye, I asked him why he did that. “ Because the shadows on the plate disclose the high and the low patches.” “ In what way ? ” I asked. “ Well, the low p&tches throw shadows,” he replied, and the conversation continued about as follows : I‘ When you have thus found a low place, what do you do ? ” “ I hammer it out.” I sighted the plate and made a chalk mark inclosing the low spot, and he laid the plate upon the anvil and struck it several blows. “ Why did you strike the plate in that particular spot ? ” I asked. “ Because that is where I must hit it to straighten it.” “ Who told you that this particular spot was the one to be hammered ?” “ Oh ! I learned ~some years ago.” “ But there must be some reason in selecting that spot, and that is what I wanted to find out.” “ Yes, I suppose there is a reason for it, but if it
BLACKSMITHING.
17
had been a different kind of hollow place I wouldn’t have hit it there at all.” LLWhy not ? ” I‘ Because I should have had to hit it somewhere else.” And so it went on, until finally I got some pieces of twisted plate, one with a bulge on one edge, another with a bulge in the middle, and he straightened But still the them while I kept up my questions. mystery remained, nor did I seem any nearer to a solution ; so I abandoned the attempt. About six months after this I met by chance, an Eastern plate Straightener, and on relating this experience to him he offered to go into the shop and explain the maiier. We went, and taking up a plate one-eighth inch thick, two feet wide and four long, he laid one end on an anvil and held up the other with his left hand, while with his right hand he bent or rather sprung the plate sup and down, remarking as he did so : “ Now you just watch the middle of this plate, and you will see as I swing it the middle moves most, and the part that moves most is a loose place. The metal round about it is too short and is under too much tension. Now, if I hatimer this loose place, I shall stretch it and make it wide, so I hammer the places round about it that move the least, stretching~ 1hem so that they will pull the loose place out. Now, with a very little practice you could take out
-
It:
B 1,AC I< S hf IT H I K d.
a loose place as well as I can, but when it comes to a thick plate the case is more difficult, because you cannot bend the piate to find the tight and loose places, so you stand it on edge, and between you and the window, the light and shades show the high and low patches just as a landscape shows hills and valleys.” I selected several examples of twisted and crooked
FIG.
4--THE
LONG
CROSS-FACE
HAMMER.
plates and he straightened them for me, explaining the reasons for each step in the process, and as this forms one. of the most interesting operations performed, by the hammer, I may as well speak somewhat ins detai! of hammers, the way they are used, and the considerations governing their application to the work. Fig. 4 represents what is called the long crossI
*9
L%~C~CS~IITHING.
face hammer, used for the first part of the process, which is called the smithing. The face that is parallel to the handle is the long one, and the other These faces are at a right angle is the cross-face. one to the other, so that 4thout changing his position the operator may strike blows that will be lengthways in one direction, as at A, in Fig. 5, and by turning the other face toward the work he may strike a second series standing as at 23. Now, suppose we had a straight plate and delivered these two series of blows upon it, and it is bent to the
~~~
FIG.
S-SHOWING
HOW
TiIE
CROSS-FACE
TWO
HAMMER
OP&RATES
IN
DIRECTIONS.
shape shown in Fig. 6, there being a straight wave at A, and a seam all across the plate at U, but rounded in its length, so that the plate will be highest in the middle, or at C. If we turn the plate over and repeat the blows against the same places, it will become flat again. FORM
OF
HAMMER
FOR
STRAIGHTENING
SAWS.
To go a little deeper into the requirements of the shape of this hammer, for straightening saws, I may
-
BLACKSRIITlIIhTG.
20
say that both faces are made alike, being rounded across the width and slightly rounded in the length, the amount of this rounding in either direction being important, because if the hammer leave:+ indentations, or what are technically &led “chops,” they will appear after the saw has been ground up, even though the marks themselves are ground out, because in the grinding the hard skin of the plate is removed, and it goes back to a certain and minute extent toward its original shape. This it will do more in the spaces between the hammer blows than it will where the blows actually fell, giving the surface a slightly waved appearance.
FIG. 6-ANOTHER
ILLUSTRATlON
OF THE
STRAIGHTENING
PROCESS.
The amount of roundness across the face regulates the widths, and the amount of roundness in the face length regulates the length of th.e hammer marks under any given force of blow. As the thicker the plate the more forcible the blow, therefore the larger dimensions of the hammer mark. * 1c -I+ This long cross-face is used again after the saws have been ground up, but the faces are made
BI~.ACKShlITIIING.
21
more neatly flat, so that the marks will not sink so deeply, it being borne in mind, however, that in no case must they form distinct indentations or “ chops.” In Fig. 7 we have the twist hammer, used for precisely the same straightening purposes as the cr, ssface, but on long and heavy plates and for the following reasons : When the operator is straightening a short saw
FIG.
7-~ THE
TWIST
HAMMER.
he can stand close to the spot he is hammering, and the arm using the hammer may be well bent at the elbow, which enables him to see the work plainly, and does not interfere with the use of the hammer, while the shape of the smithing hammer enables him to bend his elbow and still deliver the blows But when a length-ways, in the required direction. long and heavy plate is to be straightened, the
,BLACKShIITHING.
22
end not on the anvil must be supported with the left hand, and it stands so far away from the anvil that he could not bend his elbow and still reach the anvil. With the twist hammer, however, he can reach his arm out straight forward to the anvil, to reach the work there, while still holding up the other end, which he could not do if his elbow was bent. By turning the twist hammer over he can
FIG.
S-THE
DOG-HEAD
HAMMER.
vary the direction of the blow, the same as with the long cross-face. * * * Both of these hammers are used only to straighten the plates, and not to reguiate their tension, for you must understand that a plate may be flat and still have in it unequal strains ; that is to say, there may exist in different locations internal strains that are not strong enough to bend the plate out of truth, as it is,
BLACKShlITHING.
23
but which will tend to do so if the slightest influence is exerted in their favor, as will be the case when the saw is put to work. When a plate is in this condition it is said to have unequal tension, and it is essential to its proper use that this be remedied. The existence of unequal tension is discovered by bending the plate with the hands, as has been already mentioned, and it is remedied by the tise of the dog-head hammer, shown in Fig. 8, whose face r
FIG.
g---SHOWING
I
THE AND
DIFFERENCE
DOG-HEAD
IN
HAMMER
THE
EFFECTS
OF
TWIST
BLOWS.
is rounded so that the effects of its blow will extend equally all arobnd the spot struck. It will readily be understood that the effects of the blow delivered by the smithing, or by the twist hammer, will be distributed as in Fig. 7, at A 23,. while those of the dog-head will be distributed as in Fig. s;, at C, gradually diminishing as they pass outward from the spot struck ; hence the dog-head exerts the more equaliiing effect. USE
Now,
while
OF
THE
the
DOG-HEAD
dog-head
HAMMER.
is used
entirely
for
a4
UL.ACKSMITLIING.
regulating the tension, it may also be used for the same purposes as either the long cross-face, or the twist hammer, because the smith operates to equalize the tension at the same time that he is taking down the lumps ; hence he changes from one hammer to the other in an instant, and if after regulating the tension with the dog-head he should happen to require to do some smithing, before regulating the tension in another, he would go right on with the doghead and do the intermediate smithing without changing to the smithing hammer. Or, in some cases, he may use the long cross-face to produce a similar effect to that of the dog-head, by letting the blows cross each other, thus distributing the hammer’s effects more equally than if the blows all lay in one direction.
CHAPTER ANCIENT
II. TOOLS.
A paper that was recently read before a scientific association in England, gives interesting particulars about tools used by the artisans who worked on the ancient buildings of Egypt, and other moribund civilizations. The subject proved specially valuable in showing how skilled artisans performed their work 4,000 years ago. The great structures whose ruins are scattered all over’ North Africa and Asia Minor, demonstrate that great artisan and engineer. ing skill must have been exercised in their construction, but when parties interested in mechanical manipulations tried to find out something about the ancient methods of doing work, they were always answered by vague platitudes about lost arts and stupendous mechanical powers which had passed into oblivion. A veil of mystery has always been found a convenient covering for a subject that was not understood. The average literary traveler who helped to make us the tons of books that have been written about Oriental ruins, had not the penetration or the trained skill to reason fram the character and marks
26
BLACKSMITHING.
on work what kind of a tool was employed in fashioning it. A trained mechanic, Flanders Petrie, happened round Egypt lately, and his common-sense observations and deductions have elucidated many of the mysteries that hung round the tools and methods of ancient workmen. From a careful collection of half finished articles with the tool marks fresh upon them -and in that dry climate there seems to be no decay in a period of four thousand years-he proves very conclusively that, the hard diorite, basalt and granite, were cut with jewel-pointed tools used in the form of straight and circular saws, solid and tubular drills and graving tools, while the softer stones were picked and brought to true planes by face-plates. That circular saws were used the proof is quite conclusive, for the recurring cut circular marks are as distinctly seen on these imperishable stones as are the saw marks from a newly cut pine plank. This proof of the existence of ancient circular saws is curious, for that form of saw is popularly believed to be of quite modern invention. That another device, supposed to be of recent origin, was in common use among Pharaoh’s workmen is proved by the same authority. We have met several mechanics who asserted that they made the first face-plate that was ever used in a machine shop, and we have read of several other persons who made the same claims, all within this century. Now this practical antiquary
BLACKSMITHING.
27
has gone to Egypt and reported that he found the ochre marks on stones made by face-plates that were used by these old-time workmen to bring the surfaces true. As steel was not in use in those days the cutting points for tools must have been made of diamond or other hard amorphous stone set in a metallic base. The varied forms of specimens of work done, show that the principal cutting tools used were long straight saws, circular disc saws, solid drills, tubular drills, hand grainers and lathe cutters, all of these being made one the principle of jewel points, while metallic picks, hammers and chisel~s were applied where suitable. Many of the tools must have possessed intense rigidity and durability, for fragments of work were shown where the cutting was done very rapidly, one tool sinking into hard granite one-tenth inch at each revolution. A curiosity in the manner of constructing tubular drills might be worthy of the attention of modern makers of mining machinery. The Egyptians not only set cutting jewels round the edge of the drill tube, as in modern crown drills, but they set them in the sides of the tube, both inside and outside. By this means the hole was continually reamed larger by the tool, and the cone turned down smaller as the cutting ,~proceeded, giving the means. of withdrawing the tool more readily. As indications on the work prove that great pres-~
28
BLACKShlITHING.
sure must have been required to keep the tools cutting the deep grooves they made at every sweep, the inference is that tools which could stand the hard service they were subjected to, must have been marvelously well made.
AN AFRICAN
In describing
his African
FIG.
IO-AN
AFRICAN
FORGE.
journey
up the
Cam-
FORGE.
eroons River from Bell Town to Budiman, Mr. H. H. Johnston refers to a small smithy, visited at the latter town, in which he came across a curious-looking forge. Many varieties of African forges had
29
BLACKSMITHING.
been noted by him, but this differed markedly from any he had seen. Ordinarily, he says, the bellows are made of leather-usually a goat’s skin, but in this case they are ingeniously manufactured from A man sits the broad, pliable leaves of the banana. astride on the sloping, wooden block behind the bellows, and works up and down their upright handles,
FIG.
I I-A
PRIMITIVE
LATHE.
thus driving a current of air through the hollow cone of wood and the double barreled iron pipes (fitted with a stone muzzle) into~ the furnace, which is a glowing mass of charcoal, between two huge slabs of stone. Fig. IO is an illustration of this remarkable specimen of the African smith’s ingenuity.
30
ANCIENT
Bt,\CI<SMLTI~IING
AND
MODERN WORK MEN.
AND
WORK-
Forging is a subject of interest to all smiths. Excellent work was made in the olden days, when stamps, dies and trip hammers were unknown.
FIG. 12-A
LATHE
XOW
IN ACTUAL
USE IS .\SIA.
I saw some examples of ancient forging in the exhibition of 185 I,, made in I 700, that were simply They were beautiful, both in design and execution. a pair of gates in the scroll and running vein class of design. The leaves were beautifully marked and not a weld was to be seen. Now I am not one of
-
BLACKShIfTHINC;.
31
those who think we cannot produce such work nowadays, for I feel sure we can if we could spare the time and, stand the cost, but undoubtedly blacksmithing as an art has not advanced in modern t~imes, and in this respect the blacksmiths are in good company, as was shown in the ancient Japanese bronze vases (in the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia), which brought such marvelous prices. Some of the turned works of the last century were simply elegant, and in this connection I send you Figure I I is that two sketches of ancient lathes. from which the lathe took its name. A simple wood frame, Sand S, carried a tail stock, B, and center screw, C, carrying the work, W. The motion was obtained from a lathe L (from which the word t&e comesj, X is a cord attached to L, wound once around the work and attached to the treadle, T. I3 epressing T caused the lathe L to descend to L while the work rotated forward. On releasing the pressure on T the lathe rotates the work backward so that cutting occurs on the downward motion of T only. But what A very ancient device you may think. do you think of Fig. I 2, a lathe actually in use to-day in Asia, and work from which was exhibited at the Vienna exhibition. Of this lathe, .London Engineer&g said : “ Among the exhibits were wood glasses, bottles, vases, etc., made by the Hercules, the remnants of
32
BLACKSMITIIING.
an old Asiatic nation which had settled at the time of the general migration of nations in the remotest parts of Galicia, in the dense forests of the Carpathian Mountains. Their lathe (Fig. 12) has been employed by them from time immemorial.” We must certainly give them credit for producing any work at all on such a lathe ; but are they not a little thick-headed to use such a lathe when they can get, down East, lathes for almost nothing; and if they know enough of the outside barbarian world to exhibit at an exhibition, they surely must have heard of the Yankee lathe.--& F. F.
.--
CHAPTER CHIMNEYS,
III.
FORGES, FIRES, WORK BENCHES,
A
PLAN
OF
A
BLACKSMITH
SHOP ETC.
PLANS,
SHOP.
The plan on page 34 shows the arrangement I keep all my tools and stock of my shop. around the sides of the shop so as to have more room in the center. I do all my work, repairing, iron, or wood work on the one floor, shown in Fig. 13. My forge is two feet four inches high,and .four feet square ; it is made of brick and stone. My chimney has a I z-inch’flue, which gives me plenty of draught. My tuyere-iron is set four inches below the surface of the forge ; this arrangement gives me a good bed o coal towork on. My vise bench is two feet wide and seven feet long ; it has a drawer in it for taps and eyes. My wood-work bench is two and a half feet wide and eight feet long. The blower takes up a space of four I can work it with a lever or feet ten inches; The drill occupies two by two feet. The crank. tool-rack is built around the forge, so that it does not The occupy much room and is handy to get at.
34
BT.ACKSRII.THlNG.
forge is hollow underneath, which allows me to dump the-fire and get the ashes out of a hole left fol the purpose. I use a blower in preference to the
FIG. 13 --PLAN
OF A BLACKSMITH
SHOP.
old-fashioned bellows, and consider it far superior in every way. In the illustration, A denotes the anvil; B, is a
BLACKSMITHING.
35
vise bench for iron work ; XX, are tool racks for taps, dies and other small tools; C, is a large front door ; D, is an upright drill ; E, is a tire bender ; G, is a grindstone ; H, is a back door, and my tire stone is directly opposite. so I can step to it easily with a light tire from the forge ; 1, is my blower; V, is a vise for iron work ; T, is a tire upsetter ; M, is an iron rack; S, a pair of stairs; W, is my wood-working bench ; R, is a rack for bits and chisels ; S, is a wheel horse for repairing wheels ; ,F, is the forge ; and near it is a rack for tongues and swedges. The round spot at the corner of the forge is a tub. I have a small back attached to my anvil block for holding the tools I use while at work on any particular job.--& J. J. B. AN
IMPROVED
FORGE.
My hood for smoky chimneys, shown in a previous communication, is a good one, generally speaking, but there are some kinds of work that will not go between this hoed and the bottom of the hearth, and, to get over this difficulty I have devised the arrangement shown in the accompanying illustration, Fig. 14. I derived the leading idea from a forge in Dundee, but in making mine I deviated from this pattern to suit myself. The great secret in having a good fire is to have a good draft, and to have a good draft it must be built after scientific principles. First, a vacuum must be made so large that when your fire is
BLACKSMITHING.
36
built, the blaze immediately burns the air, thereby forming a draft which acts after the balloon principle, The chimney should be having an upward tendency. Now, for the forge: at least sixteen feet in height.
FIG.
X4-AN
IMPROVED
FORGE.
I tore the old one away clear down to the floor, and built a new one with brick, making it on the side four feet and two inches (that is, from the back part of the chimney), three feet and six inches in width and two
BLACKSMITHING.
37
I placed my tuyere feet and eight inches in height. four inches lower than the surface of the hearth, leaving a fire-box nearly semi-circular in shape, about fourteen inches across the longest way and ten inches the other way. I then finished the hearth, making it I then put a as level as I could conveniently. straight-edge on the face of the chimney four inches from each corner, marked it, and cut all of the front away for the distance of four feet and six inches, leaving the heavy sides undisturbed. I then commenced laying brick on the surface. beginning at the edge of the chimney; the front part of the extension chimney was allowed to come within three inches of I laid three courses of brick the hole in the tuyere. and~lcft directly over the tuyereanopeningfour inches bjr eight inches=-this is large enough for a draft opening. I then completed the chimney up as high as I had the old chimney, drawing ,in at the top, and the job was complete, and a better drawing forge cannot be found. The noise it makes in drawing, reminds one of the distant rumbling of a cyclone. Now I would. like to say just a little in reference It is manufactured to the tuyere I am using. by J. W. Cogswell, and I think it is the finest working tuyere 1 ever had the pleasure of using. It is made on the rotary principle, the top turning one quarter around. It suits almost any kind of work. By opening the draft .a large fire can be obtained and by closing it you have a light one.
-.
38
BLAcKsMITHING.
You can have a long blast lengthwise, crosswise, or at any angle, and for welding light or heavy work, I can say the Cogswell tuyere is hard to beat. (Fi g. IA), A, shows the position In the illustration of the tuyere three inches from the face of the chimney. G, is the F, is the face of the chimney. B, is the draft rod. C, upper section of the hearth. is the rod that lengthens or shortens the blast. E, ~7 D, constitute the new part of the chimney. I, is the old chimney. H, is the draft, which is four inches
FIG.
,+-THE
FORGE-STAND.
by eight inches in the clear, and is six inches above the hearth. J, is ihe cinder box--By L. S. R. A
SIMPLE
The illustration herewith at which inay be performed cult forgings.
FORGE.
shows a simple forge some of the most diffi-
39
BLACKS~IITIIING.
The forge-stand, as shown in the illustration, is square in shape, but may be ~made round or any other shape to suit. A, Fig. 15, is the tuyere. The size of the forge must be made to suit the work. One that wol.!!? answer for average purposes should be about twenty-four inches square, and about twenty or twenty-two inches high, and detached
FIG. 16-THE
SMOKE-STACK
AND
BONNET.
from the walls so as to allow of getting all around it. Fig. 16 shows the smoke-stack and bonnet. A, is the bonnet ; B, the smoke-stack; C, is a dotted line showing the next joint of pipe as telescoped. D D, are chains running over the pulleys,EE, which F F, are’counterare secured to the wall or ceiling.
40
BLACKSMITHING.
weights, which balance lowered to accommodate CURING
A
the bonnet when raised or the work in hand.--& I. D. SMOKY
CHIMNEY.
I had a chimney in which the draught was bad, and it may be of interest to many to learn how I remeI did so by making a hood of died the trouble. boiler iron. I first cut the hood to the shape shown in Fig. 17
FIG.
I,-THE
HOOD,
of the accompanying engraving. The distance from A to C is two feet, and from A to B the distance is four feet, eight inches. From C tc 23 it is two feet, five inches. I then cut away all projecting parts of the chimney, and next.bent the hood to fit the chimney as closely as possib!e. I tE,en put the hood up
41
BLACKSMITHING.
where I wanted it to be, that was about fifteen inches above the tuyere iron, and marked out the outline of the chimney, I then removed all the bricks inside the mark and riveted two straps, each eight inches long, on the hood at the points A and B. I also punched a hole at the top at C. I next drove a twenty-penny spike through the hole C to the middle of the chimney, being careful to set the nail in the mortar between the bricks. I then nailed the straps to the chimney and taking a strong wire drew D A
B FIG.
18-THE
CINDER
CATCH.
the slack at A and B so that it fitted snugly. I next plastered it around the edge and gave it two coats of whitewash. The job was then finished and it is the best arrangement for a smoky chimney I have ever seen. I have a very good cinder catch, also made of boiler iron, in the form shown in Fig, 18 of the illW trations. it was made by taking a piece eight inches wide and long enough to reach across on the inside of the chimney, and bending the piece as shown in the.sketch. The catch should fit in tightly.
Fig. rg represents the chimney tached.-By L. S. R. A
~LACK~ii\lITIi’S
with the hood at-
CHI~INEY.
The illustration, Fig. 20, shows my method of chimney so that it will draw making a blacksmit!l’s
FIG.
19--SHOWIVG
TUE
HOOD
ATTACHED
TO THE
CHIMNEY.
I know what it is to have a smoky chimney. well. I had my chimney torn down and built up again four times in two years. The last time it was built I think
BLACKSMITHING.
43
I struck on the right plan. The forge is built of The space B, stone. I use a bottom blast tuyere. in the illustration, is left open to receive the handle of the valve, and to allow the escape of the ashes. The front of the chimney, F, is built straight or perpendicular from the hearth, H. C denotes the open-
. FIG.
20-A
BLACKSMITH’S
CHIMNEY
THAT
WILL
NOT,SMOKE.
ing for the smoke. The distance from H to C is abou~t four inches, or the thickness of two bricks. Let me say here that the mouths of most all flues are too high up from the fire, and this allows. the smoke to spread before it reaches the draught. The fire should be built as close to the flue as possible, and
44
BLACKSMITHING.
the the I for
top of the chimney should be a little larger than throat. think this is the handiest flue that can be, built general blacksmithing.--Ry J. M. B. ANOTHER
As there are a great
FIG.
21-A
BLACKSMITH’S
CHIMNEY.
many who do not know
CHIMNEY
THAT
WILL
how
DRAW.
to build a chimney that will draw well, I send you a sketch, Fig. 2 I, of a chimney that I have been
BLACKSMITHING.
45
using for fifteen years and that has given me perfect satisfaction. It is made of brick or stone and is joined to the ROOF-_-___ -.-___
,:, >,,’
,,
FIG.
22-ANOTHER
BLACKSMITH’S
CHIMNEY
THAT
WILL
DRAW.
hearth, the latter being six bricks below the jamb. The round hole in the bottom side is the bellows hole, and the square hole in the end of the jamb is
46
DLACKSNITHING.
very convenient for small tools, etc. The hearth and jamb can be built in size and height to suit the builder.-+ J. K. STILL
The illustration
FIG. Q-STILL
my method that it will
ANOTHER
CHIMNEY.
on page 45, Fig.
ANOTHER
CHIMNEY
THAT
WILL
22,
represents
NOT SMOKE.
of building a blacksmith’s chimney so The draw well and will not smoke.,
47
l3I.~\CKShfI’~HING.
original chimney from which this sketch is taken has been in use in my shop for four years, and is as free from soot and cinders as it was the first day it was is due to the fact used. Its peculiar construction that the mason who built it made a mistake of eight inches in locating the forge, and, therefore, he had to give the chimn~ey a jog of eight inches to get it out at the place intended for it. In making one it is best to run it out three feet, and if on the side run two feet above the comb.--& J. S. H. ANOTHER
FORM
OF
CHIMNEY.
My way of building a blacksmith’s chimney, and one that will take up the smoke and soot, is shown in the accompanying engraving, Fig. 23. It will be seen that there are five bricks across the base up to a height of five bricks, then a gradual taper to four bricks, arid then two bricks and a half by one and a half. The flue or smoke.hole is ten inches in diameter. This chimney will draw.-By G. C. C. AN
AKKAXSAS
FORGE.
The accompanying sketch, Fig. 24, with brief description, will give a good idea of the forge I use. The shell of the forge is a section of iron smokestack, four feet in diameter, fi!led in with sand and brick. I use a water tuyere, and find it the best I ever tried. I usea blower in place of a bellows, and
BLACKSMITHING.
48
could not be hired to return to the bellows. My forge is at least six feet from any wall. The water keg rests on a bracket fastened to the wall, and, as shown in the illustration, the pipes extend downward and along the ground tothe forge, and then beyond it. The pipes have caps on the ends. I use an angle valve, as shown,
FIG.
*a--AN
ARKANSAS
FORGE.
for shutting off wateifrom the pipes. A rack for tongs A stationary is fastened to the back of the forge. pipe extends from a few feet above the forge
BLACKSMITHING.
49
through the roof. A smaller pipe with a hood on the lower end extends up into the large pipe, and this is suspended by weights so as to be raised or lowered at will.---& E. C. SETTING
A
TUYERE.
Dropping into a small smithy on the west side of New York City, a short time ago, I found the
A
B ’
FIG.
ZS-SHOWING
THE
,
FORGE
’
’
AND
’
BACK
’ I
WALL.
proprietor much perplexed. He was trying to raise a welding heat on the center bar of a phaeton dash which had dog-ears or projections on each side. A dozen attempts were made while I looked on, and all
50
BI.t\CKSMII‘HlNC~.
‘I 1’11have to send this job out to my were failures. Then I suggested that neighbor,” said the smith. there was no necessity of doing so. The trouble was owing to the fact that the tuyere was about eight inches out from the back wall of the forge and the dog-ears on the dash projected about fourteen inches. \1rith the old-fashioned back blast, the smith could have banked out a blow-hole with wet coal the whole Iength of his forge, and thus have accomplished his weld in short order, but there would have been more or less waste of coai. His tuyere was a bottom-blast one, and to him there was apparently no way out of the difficulty. I asked the privileg-e of trying my hand at the job My first trick was to and was given permission. locate the objectionable brick and remove it. Then one of the dogears of the dash could enter. I raised the heat, made the weld, and suggested to my friend that a handful of cement would repair the breach. Since then it has occurred to me that a short chapter on setting tuyeres would not be amiss, and I now present my ideas in type and illustrated. In Fig. 25, A represents a section of the back wall cf a brick forge ; 13 is the working side ; C, the face; D, the top; I;, the center of the tuyere ; 0, the rod hole of the tuyere ; and E, the ash pit. Measuring from A and B, t!ie center of the tuyere is as shown by the line drawn, n and N; the distance should not be less than eighteen
,:,:: :::,, l,‘,,: ,,,,,
51
BLACKSMITHING.
inches or more. The distance will be sufficient for most of the work that is done by the average wagon or carriage smith. Set the tuyere top from four inches to six inches below the level of the forge. The heavier the irons to be manipulated the deeper must the top of the tuyere be set. In building a ne-w forge it is a wise precaution to build a recess in the back of the forge or forge wall as deep as the construction of the chimney will allow. If the wall be sixteen inches thick let the recess be
FIG.
26.-SHOWING
HOW
?‘HE
RECESS~ IS MADE.
not less than eight inches deep and twenty-four inches high and at least twenty-four inches or more wide; then, with the tuyeres set eighteen or more inches out, the most intricate forging can be handled with care. The sparks and ashes which a&end part of the way and then return, settle in the recess and thins keep the fire clean and clear. Fig. 26 shows the manner of constructing the recess, A ,A being the back wall, and B the recess.--By I. D,
BLACKSMITHISG.
52 A Prize
Essay
MODERN
writtea
for
VILLAGE
CARRIAGE-SHOP.
3%~’ C’~~ringc-B,cilde~~’ Kafioaal WETHEXHOLD, of Xeudiw, Pa.
Association
by WM.
W.
In building a carriage shop, room, light and ventilation are the three great points to attain, and the builder who does attain these points and at the same time has everything convenient will have a perfect shop. -In selecting a site I have taken a corner lot and have arranged my plans to run back to the tenfoot alle),, using my full length of plot and getting ft. light from three sides. Size of lot, 110x65 (Height of stories : first, I z ft.; second and third, 10 ft. For size and arrangement of room, see floor plan.) The office is fronting the main street, adjoining the wareroom, and is fitted with desks for clerks and a fire and burglar-proof safe, a table at side window at which to take the time of the hands in going to and from work, a letter-press, a stationary wash stand, shelves, speaking tubes to the different departments, and a private desk for the use of the proprietor. Th ere is a door leading to the wareroom, one to the stock room, and is convenient to The the elevator and stairway leading upstairs. walls are plastered and kalsomined. The wareroom The e!eadjoins the office, facing the main street. vator opens into it, and there are sliding doors connecting it with the wood shop. The walls and ceilings are covered with cypress wainscoting, two inches wide, plowed and grooved, and finished in oil, and the windows have inside shutters.
-
‘3OO’Id
.LLsXId 3H.L
d0
dOHS OOOM
FS
‘3NIH.JIbUSX3Vl8
‘NV’Id--‘LZ
’31s
54
RtACKSMfTHING.
The stock room is next to the office, and is fitted with shelves and racks for proper storing and acThere is a door to the elevator counting of stock. and a stairway leading upstairs ; also a door to the yard for the unloading of goods without interfering with the workmen. Th e upper half of the partitions are ash with glass to admit light. The elevator is next to the stock room and is so arranged that the work of the smith shop can be put on and hoisted without going outside in unpleasant weather. The wood shop is at the rear of the main building, adjoining the smith shop, and is fitted with five benches. It is next to the elevator and has a stairway leading to the second floor. The second floor is used entirely for the paint department. Going from the wood shop we get into the paint room, which has a paint bendh with mill and stone to mix c&x-s, etc. Shelves are arranged for the prcper keeping of cups and brushes. There iS also a vise bench in this room, with tools, bolts, screws, oil, washers, etc., for the taking apart and putting together of work. There are two spaces with cement floor, one for gears and the other for bodies. The elevator and stairway are in this room. The front of the second floor is partitioned off for varnish rooms. I have used the front so as to be removed from the smith and wood departments as far as possible. The windows are double and the ceilings and walls finished These with cypress the same as the wareroom. rooms have inside shutters a!so.
1IIACI<SMITHING.
55
The trimmer room is on the third floor back, and is fitted with benches for three men. The floor p!ans will show position of shelves, closets and sewing machine. I have a small room connected with the trimming room to be used entirely for the stuffing of cushions, etc. It is of great help in keeping the trimming room and all the work clean. The third floor, front, is intended for the storage of bodies in stock, ironed and in the rou:;h, and for a wareroom for second-hand work after it is rebuilt. Here, also, I have shelves for all cushions, carpets, curtains, etc., belonging to any job which is .being rebuilt and repainted. In case of my painters being crowded with work, I can have all new bodies brought upstairs and taken ahead in paint, thus giving them more room on the second floor. The smith shop I have placed in an annex, so as to remove all dirt and dust as much as possible from the main building. It is made to run four fires. The windows on the side are placed high to prevent looking into~ the next yard, but the large The front and back windows allow plenty of light. second floor of this annex will be used for storage of lumber, wheels, wheel stock, shafts, etc., for the wood-workers ; the door in the yard can be used to unload lumber, and I have also one of the rear windows arranged with a roller by which to take in lumber. The trap door in the floor can be used toslide lumber down into the wood shop, as it is on a line
56
BLACKSMITHING.
with the sliding doors connecting the wood and smith departments. I have arranged a heater in the cellar of the smith shop, and will heat the whole shop with steam generated by it. It will work automatically, and will require attention only twice daily except in extremely cold weather, when more attention will bc needed. To stock a shop of this kind completely at once would be a very difficult matter. I should proceed as follows : 1 would order 5,000 feet of lumber, assorted into 500 feet I”,- and -&inch poplar surfaced on both sides ; 2,000 feet i-inch poplar, surfaced on both sides ; feet ash, 12 to ,T inch ; 500 feet ash, s-inch ; 1,000 1,000 feet hickory, ,l$ to 2 inch. I would order wheel stock for 25 sets of wheels, as follows: 5 sets for g-inch tire, IO sets for +&inch tire, 5 sets for S-inch tire, and 5 sets for $-i-inch tire ; 2 dozen pair shafts, 2 dozen pair drop perches, wood screws, nails, glue, etc.; 25 sets of axles to suit wheel stock ; 25 sets of springs, bolts and clips in assorted sizes, and paints and varnishes. Bows and trimming goods I would not order at once, as I would now open up shop, and try to book a few orders, and see what quality of work was wanted to suit my new customers. I believe that in ordering a little sparingly at first I could do better in the end by watching the run of my trade, as I could then change my stock, if necessary, without any’loss.
BLACKSMITHING.
BcmYYARNlSH
FIG.
28.-PLAN
OF TRE
SECOND
GEAR YPlRNlSH
FLOOR.
58
BLACKSMITIIING.
The floor plans of the shops are shown in the accompanying illustrations, in which Fig. 27 represents the frst floor, Fig. 28 the second floor, and Fig. 29 the third i-loo!-. The drawings are on the scale of 24 feet to the inch. BEST
ROOF
FOR
A ULACKSMITH
SHOP.
In answer to your correspondents, G. H. & Son, who inquire about the best roof for a b!acksmith shop, let me say that I prefer a corrugated sheet-iron roof, made of the best galvanized Number 20 iron, fastened down with copper wires wrapped around the Nails will work out with the changes in the rafters. weather.--3’ j. I3. H.. HOLLOW
FIRE
VS.
OPEN
FIRE.
For welding steel to iron J always use an open fire, or I should say for the last ten years have done so. Formerly I used a hollow fire, but as I became more experienced in welding dies I bycame convinced that a hollow fire was not the beit or cheapest for that purpose. I have seen a great deal of work welded in a hollow fire, and have seen much of it burnt and rendered In welding a steel plate to an entirely worthless. iron one, I want my iron much hottei than I can burninK the steel. get it in a hollow fire without As a hollow fire heats almost as fast at the top as it does at the bottom, it will be seen that in order to
,,,,
?,?, ,,i, ,:, .‘,: !., :;g
YARD
FIG. 29.--PLAN
OF THE
THI’RD
FLOOR.
r
60
BLACKSMITHiNG.
get a welding heat on the iron J~OUare pretty sure to get the steel too hot, and if you do not get a welding heat on the iron of course the steel will not weld. It may seem to be welded a great many times when it is only stuck in one or two places, and if it is not thoroughly welded it is sure to start off when it is being hardened or used. I ha& not used a hollow fire for several years for welding steel to iron, for many reasons, among which I may mention the following : First, because it takes more time, and, of course, is more expensive ; and second, because I cannot do the work as well. My way of building a fire is this : I put on plenty of coal to make a fire of sufficient size for the work I have to do, and with respect to this part of the operation each man must be his own judge. I build up the sides of my fire pretty well, and let the middle burn out; then I fill the middle with good hard coke, arid my fire is ready. Then I put in my work and cover it with small pieces of coke, and give the fire a slow blast, increasing it as the heat comes up. In this way I can bring my heat up from the bottom, getting a good welding heat on my iron when the top of the steel is at an ordinary working heat. In this kind ofa fire you can see your heat better than you can in a hollow fire and tell when your steel is at the right heat. It is claimed that there are several ways to tell when the heat is right other than by looking at your iron, but I am satisfied to trust to my eyes to
61
BLACKSMITHING.
inform me when the proper -By G. B. J. A POINT
ABOUT
result has been reached.
BLACKSMITHS
FIRES.
A common trouble in country blacksmith shops is the going-out of the fire while the smith is doing work away from it. This annoyance can be prevented by keeping at hand a box containing sawdust. When the fire seems to be out, throw a handful of sawdust on the coals and a good blaze will This may seem a small matter, but quickly follow. there are many who will find my suggestion a useful one.-& D. P. TO
KEEP
A BLACKSMITH’S
FIRE
IN
A SMALL
COMPASS.
If clay or mortar soon burn out, mix them with strong salt brine and the trouble will be avoidedwhen an intense heat is required use fine coal wet with brine. Use a thin coating on top and around the fire. Salt and sand mixed and thrown on top of the fire also serves a good purpose. BLACKSMITH’S
FIRE
FORGE.
With reference to the manner of managing a blacksmith’s fire so as to accomplish the best results, It is 2 feet 6 I will describe the forge I am using. inches high ; the bed is 3 feet IO inches long ‘and 3 feet wide, and in construction is a box. The ,Iegs are made of 4x4 stuff. The tuyere is placed 5 inches I use a common bellows, size 32 below ‘the surface.
62
BLACKSMITHING.
With this forge I have no di!?icu!ty in inches. welding a 2~4~11 axle or facing a lo-pound sledgehammer. The chimney is an inverted funnel, and is made of sheet-iron. At the bottom it is 2 feet 5 It joins a p-inch pipe at the inches in diameter. top.--By H. B. CEMENTING
A
FIRE-PLACE
To ce.nent a fire-place so that the cinders will not stick, I use old axes instead of bricks. I put the polls of the axes out at the front of the breast of the i use from I 2 to 15 axes in one forge, putting forge. two axes below the pipe and two on each side, and as many above as are needed. I use what is called yellow clay for mortar, putting a handful of salt in the clay, and then beating it thoroughly so that there will be no lumps in the mortar. I put the axes and mortar in as I would bricks and mortar. The fire-place is left deep enough to have a bed of dust in the bottom. A fire-place fixed in this way will last for twelve months. The cinders are lifted while hot, -By F. M. G. CEMENTING
A SMITH’S
FIRE.
My way of cementing a blacksmith’s the cinders will not stick is as follows : I patent fire-pot. I have used this fire-pot and it is as good now as it was the day I shop. There is no sticking of cinders,
fire so that use Power’s nine years, put it in my and no ce-
“63
BLACKSMITHING.
in two places, and prevent it from moving on a single point of contact on each jaw as a pivot. It follows from this that all tongs should first meet the work at the point as in Fig. 149, and spring down
FIG.
[email protected]
SHAPE.
to meet it at the back end as the tongs tighten upon the work, and it follows also that the thickness of the jaws should always be well tapered, and not parallel, as many unthinking men are apt to make them. -By J. R. BLACKSMITHS’
TOOLS.
[,+i’rizeEssay.1
In the accomp:mying iilustrations of blacksmiths’ tools, No. I, in Fig. 150, represents a stay that goes Thk from the axle to the perch in buggy gear. pieces A and B are made from 7-16-inch round No. 2, in Fig. 150, is the iron and C is I-Z inch. bottom tool used in forming the offset, and No. 3, Fig, 150, is the top tool. To make the stay, cut off two pieces of 7-16-inch round Lowmoor iron of the length required for A and 23, No: I, Fig. 150, cutting B about 3 inches
164
BLACKSMITIIINC.
longer than it is to be when finished. Then cut a piece of r-2-inch iron for C, Fig. 150. Next heat the ends of A and C, upset and weld, leaving it a little larger than 1-2 inch at the weld. Next heat B at the end and double it back about 2 1-2 inches, weld and upset a little to make up for loss in welding. Now c
FIG. 150.
draw out as shown in A, Fig. I 5 I, bend as in Fig. I 52, and insert the fuller at A. ‘Then heat the end A, Fig. 152, and with a thin splitting chisel split and scarf.. Then place it one the bar marked A and C, Fig. 153, put it in the fire, take a nice welding heat,
165
BLACKSMITHING.
and with a light hammer weld, it lightly working in the corners of the scarf. Then return it immediately to the fire, get a good soft heat, and place it in the tool No. 2, Fig. 150, with the tool No. 3, Fig. 150, on
FIG.
Is’.-SHOWING
HOW
THE
PIECE
IS DRAWN
OUT.
top. Let the helper give it three or four sharp blows and the job is finished. If there should be any surplus stock it will be squeezed out between ‘the tools
FIG.
152.-SHOWING
HOW
THE
PIECE
IS BENT.
and can be easily removed with a sharp chisel. The reader will notice that there is a box. in the tool No. 2, Fig. 150, which serves to bring No. 3 in
FIG.
I53.-SHOWING
HOW
THE PIECES ARE JOINED MAKING AN OFFSRT.
AND
WELDED
IN
the right place every time. If the tools are made properly the job will look like a drop-forging without any sign of a weld. Two offsets for gears can be
166
BLACKSMlTHliVG.
made in this way in fifteen minutes by any good mechanic. The prongs No. 4, Fig. 150, is a bending crotch. A and B are made oval, and B is adjustable to any size needed. This tool is made of cast steel throughout. To make it take a piece of cast steel I 1.2 inches square, fuller and draw down the end to fit the square ho!e of the anvil, then flatten the top and split; next bend Cat right angle to A, and finish to 7-8 inch square. Then draw our. A to about an inch oval
FIG.
,54.-THE
CLIP
USED
ON THE FIG.
TIRE-SETTER
MARKED
NO,
5, IN
150.
on the angle, fuller and draw out the end B, cut off and’ punch the square hole, and work up the socket to 7-8 inch square, and it is ready for use. Then make a top wrench as shown at No. 57, Fig. I like to have two top wrenches, one for light 182. and one for heavy work. NO. 5, Fig. 150, is a home-made tire upsetter, but I do not claim that it is equal to some others now on the market. Still it will be found convenient in many shops where they do not have any.
‘67
BLACKS~IITHING.
To make it, take a piece of iron I x :! inches and II. inches long, take a heat in the center, weld on a square piec’e t’o fit the square hole in the anvil, and bend to suit large sized tire. Next make two clips, one for each end, and shape it asin Fig. 154. These clips are made from I 3-4 x 3-4 inches iron. Drill two holes in each, one below to fasten the: clip to the main plate, and one on the top end for the pinching or set screw, making the top holes 9-16 inch, and the bottom one, 5-8 inch, as a screw t!xead must be cut in the top for a 5-S-inch set screw. Now make four set
FIG.
155.-SHOWINGsTHE
METHOD OF USING FIG. 150.
THE
TIRE+ZETTE&
NO.
5,
screws, 5-8 inch full. The upper two should be made of steei or have steel points and be sharpened like a center punch. Now place the two clips on the ends of the main piece marked for holes. Drill two 9-16 inch holes and make a screw thread for 5-8 inch screws, put the screws in and cut the ends off the bottom screws level. with the main plate and it is ready for use. To use it, set the screws to fit the tire, heat to a in Fig. 155. Then soft heat and bend as shown
a68
BLACKSMITHING.
place it in the upset, and let your helper tighten one of the set screws while you tighten the other, and In this way then hammer downy with two hammers. a tire can be easily upset 3-8 inch at a heat. No. 6, Fig. 150, is a very useful implement for cleaning of! plow shares or for reducing surplus stock which cannot be removed conveniently otherwise. The cutting face is made of blister steel and
FIG.
156.
the back is of iron welded together. The length is three feet, exclusive of the handle, and the width is r 1-2 x 3-4 inches. The teeth are cut hot and like a To cut them take a sharp wide mill saw’s teeth. chisel, commence at the front, cut one tooth, then place your chisel back of the tooth and slide it forward until it comes against’ the first tooth. This will make your gauge for the second tooth, and you
-
BLACKSMITHING.
I69
go on in this way until the teeth are all cut. TO temper the tool, heat it for its full length to a blood heat, cool, then cover with oil and pass it backward and forward through the fire until the oil burns off. It can then be straightened if it hassprung. The front handle that ‘stands up at right angles to the other part of the tool is screwed in. When the tool becomes dull, it can be softened and sharpened by a half-round file. No. 7, Fig. 156, Is a home-made rasp, made of solid cast steel I x-2 x 3-4 inches and 2 feet long (without tang). It has three cutting faces, two sides, and /.cJ
C
1, A 41 FIG.
x57.-SHOWING
HOW THE TOOL MARKED DRAWN AND FULLERED.
NO.
8, IN
I FIG.
156, IS
one edge; the cutting edge is swaged round, which makes it very convenient for rasping around collars or similar places; the square edge is left smooth, which makes a good safety edge. It is double cut, similar to the ordinary blacksmith file. It has to be cut hot, and in cutting the second side it will be necIt essary to place it on the end ,of a wooden block. will be found very useful for hot rasping large step pads, or reducing stock on difficult work. No. 8, Fig. x56, is made of I 3-8 inches square machinery steel. To make it, draw it down as at A,
XT0
HLACKSXIITHIXG.
Fig. 157, to fit the square hole in the anvil, then fuller in; work out the corner at C, draw out and leave the corner at D, and form the foot as at E. Then bend at C and fuller’ out the corner as at A, Fiz. 157, bend D, Fig. 157, as shown at 13, Fig. INS, and it will be ready for use. Ii will be found very handy in making wrenches and different kind of clips, staffing, dash irons, etc. In many cases it will be preferred to the little anvil at No. 22, Fig. 156, being much firmer on account of
FIG.
158~SHOWING
HOW
‘I’WE PIECE SHOWN AND FULLERED.
IN
FIG.
157
IS BENT
the extra leg. At C, Fig. 158, it is I 3-8 inches wide, and 7-8 inch deep, and at B, I 1-4 x 3-8 inch. Thelength of the face is 7 inches. No. 9, Fig. 150, is a collection of fullers ranging from I I-Z inches to 3-16 inch. The top ones are made of cast steel. Some of the bottom ones are made of iron, and faced with steel, but lately I have made them altogether of machinery steel, which is less trouble to make and answers the purpose very well. I do not think any further description of them
BtACKSMITHING.
f7f
is necessary, as any blacksmith can see how they are made by a glance at the illustrations. No. IO, Fig. 150, is a tool for cutting offround iroi;. In using it place the bottom swage in the anvil with the long end of the face toward the, helper so as to be flush with the front of the anvil. Then place the iron that is to be cut off in the bottom swage, and
FIG.
I59.-SHOWING
THR
METHOD OF USING NO. IO, IN FIG. r50,
THE
TOOL
MARKKD
AT
put the top tool on; let the helper give it a sharp blow and off it goes. Iron from 5-16 inchto 5-8 inch can be cut off thus with one blow. This tool should be The recess should be made.to made of cast steel. fit A-4-inch iron and so deep that the points will rest against the front of the swage and to prevent the tool and ihe swage from cutting each other.
172
HLACKSMITHfNG.
In Fig. 159 a tool of this kind is shown with the iron in position ready to cut. A is the top tool, B is the bottom swage, and C is the round iron to be cut off. In No. 12, Fig. x50, are sh own two ha.rdies for
FIG.
I60.-SHOWING
THE
BOTTOM
OF
THE
SWAGE
NO.
15.
FIG.
156.
cutting iron. The reader will notice that there is a hole in one of them. I use this hole in bending rings from 7-16 inch round to 1.4 inch. The iron is
FIG.
161.-A
FRENCH
CLIP.
cut off to the desired length, one end is placed in the hole of the hardy, and on the other end I put a suitable heading tool. I then describe a circle around the hardy and the ring is made without heating it.
J 73
HLACI(SMITIiING.
No. 13, Fig. I 50, is a diamond-shaped fuller. It is made the same as those shown at No. 9, with the exception that the face is diamond shape. It is very useful in heavy work in working out cornersand will often save considerable filing. Its shape tends to raise the corners, or make it full. No. 14, Fig. 156, is a number of fine chisels. The first is a hollow or gouge chisel and is very convenient where you want to cut anything circular or ho!low. The second is the ordinary hot chisel for cut-
FIG.
:52.-SHOWING
A TOOL
USED
IN
MAKING
A FRENCH
CLIP.
ting off hot iron. The third is a thin splitting chisel and should be rou;Ided on the side tcwa~rd you, which gives a rounding finish to the cut whic!l is a great deal better where you wish to, bend the branches.’ The fourth is a paring chisel, and is very useful often in trimming where the swell on both sides would be inconvenient. The fifth is an ordinary chisel for cutting cold iron, and should have a stronger edge than any of the others.
-
l3LACI<SMITlIIXG.
174
No. I 5, Fig. I 56, is a top and bottom collar swage. The top tool is about the same as any ordinary collar swage, b’ut the bottom tool differs from any other I have ever seen. In the first place it will be noticed that there is a band around it, projecting above it fully one inch and cut out at each end. This band insures that the top tool will come in the right place every time. In the ordinary collar swage, I have always found more or less trouble in keeping the bottom tool perfectly clean from scales so as to
FIG.
153.-A
TOOL
USED
IN
MAKING
FRENCH
CLIPS.
make a sharp coliar.* To avoid this difficulty I have a hole frvni the bottom of the collar down through the shank so that the scales work out as fast as made, and now I find the collar comes out clean and sharp every time. To make this tool, forge the swage as usual, with a steel face, then commence at the bottom of the shank and drill a 3-8 inch hole to within Drill the rest of the way with 1-2 inch of, the face. a drill about r-8 inch. The place where the drill comes through is just where the large part of the
‘75
BLACKShlITHING.
Then prepare it for the collar, collar should be. then place the top tool exactly over it, mark around and cut so as to have both alike; then put on your band and finish up, and you will have a tool that will give satisfaction.
FIG.
16@--SHOWING
A METHOD OF USI~NG FRENCH CLIPS.
AN OLD
ANVIL
IN
MAKING
In Fig. 160, the bottom block is shown before the band is put on. A is the face of the tool, B, the part used to form the collar, C is the shank, and the dots, D D, indicate the hole for the escape of the dirt or scales.
FIG.
Ib,S.-SHOWING
HOW
THE IRON IS FULLERED FRENCH CLIP.
IN
MAKING
A
No. 16, Fig. I 56, represents a V-chisel which is convenient for trimming out corners, and is, especially useful in making French clips; it saves filing and time as well.
BLACKSMITIIING.
176
Fig. 161 represents a French clip, and Figs. 162, 163, and 164, and Nos; 17 and 18 in Fig. 156, are tools for making such a clip. No. I 7 has no shank, but is intended to be used in a cast iron block being held in position by a key so as to be perfectly solid. An
FIG.
166.-SHOWING
FRENCH CLIP READY TO TOOL 28, FIG. 156.
FULLER
DOWN
WITH
old anvil can be made to answer the same purpose by cutting out a recess as shown in A, Fig. 164. To make the clip shown in Fig. 161 proceed as follows: Take iron of the proper size and extra quality, place it in the large oval bottom tool and with the
FIG.
16’J.-SHOWING
EYE~MADE
WITH
TOOL
NO. 26, FIG.
160.
recess fuller shown in Fig. 162. Then place the iron in the bottom tool, as shown at No. 36, Fig. I 15, and flatten out as shown by the dotted lines Fig. 165. The iron will then look as in Fig. 166. Then place it in the tool, No I 7, Fig. I 56, fuller down and trim up, finally using the tool No. 18, Fig. 156, and the
177
BLACKS%IITIIING.
tool shown in Fig. 163, to finish on, and the clip will then be in the shape shown in Fig. 161. No. 19, Fig. 150, represents one-half of a tool used. 6
FIG.
168:4H0WxNG
METHOD
OF USING
TOOL
NO.
26, FIG.
156.
It is used in in welding drop steps on body loops. the vise. It is recessed out to fit shank. of step, and
FIG.
I6g.-SHOWING
A TOOL
FOR
MAKING
HARROW
TEETH.
the top is rounded so as to leave it strong where it is welded to the loop.
BLACKSMITIIINC;.
178
No. 20, Fig. 150, is one-half of a vise tool intended to be used in forming co!lars for seat wings, etc. No. 21, Fig. 156, is a tool for making clips, Nos. 23, 24 and 25 are the ordinary clip tools. Nos. 24 and 25
FIG.I70.-SHOWING
HOW
THE
HARROW
TOOTH
IS
BENT.
are set back so as to be convenient for draw-jacks or work of that description. No. 22, Fig. 156, is a small anvil intended to be
FIG.
ITI,--SPECIMEN
OFTHRWORK Flc;.
DONE
175.
RYTiiRTooL
No.
32,
used on a larger one. It will be found very useful in light work, such as welding small bends or socket and working up small eyes.Nos. 26 and 27, Fig. 156, are used in making eyes
‘79
BLACKSMITHING.
like those in the ends of top joints, as shown in Fig. 167, and for working up clevis ends. It is very convenient for the latter purpose, because it enables the smith to make a good square corner without straining Fig. 168 shows the iron, and so prevent.s splitting.
FIG.
172.-SPECIMEN
OF
THE
WORK
DONE
FIG.175.
WITH
THE
TOOL
NO.
33.
method of using tools No. 26 and 27. A is the bridge of the tool, B the eye and C the pin, while D is the part which is held in the hand. The slot E allows the part D to be raised or lowered
FIG.
ITS.-SPECIMEN
OF
THE
WORK FIG.
DONE
175.
WITH
THE
TOOL
NV.
34.
while hammering on B. In making this tool I use machinery steel. I draw down for the shank, split, fuller out and then dress up. No, 28, Fig. I 56, is a tool for forming heads for body
I
180
BLACKSMITHING.
loops. It is recessed to the shape of the top of the body loop. It will be found very convenient, and insures getting all the heads of the same shape. I place the hezd in the tool in punching, which forces the tool full in every part. To provide for the shank the front of the tool is a little higher around the head than at the oval part.
FIG. I74.-SECTIONALVIEWOF THE TOOLNO. 35. FIG. 1,s. No. 29, Fig. 156, represents a tool for making harrow teeth similar to the ducks foot that is thought agood deal of in some parts of the country. Fig. 169 will perhaps give a better idea of the tooi, and Fig. 17owill show howthetooth is bent.
FIG.‘75. No. 30, Fig. 175, represents a crooked fuller for use in difficult places, such as gridiron steps, for which it is almost indispensable. No. 31, Fig. I 75, shows an anvil tool used in welding ‘up oval gridiron steps.
BLACKSMITHING.
181
No. 32, Fig. 175, is the bottom tool of a cross swage. The same tool is also shown in No. 27, Fig. 156. Fig. 171 represents some of the work done with this tool.
FIG.
176.--THE
BOTTOM
TOOL
SHOWN
IN
NO.
38. FIG.
178.
No. 33: Fig. 175, is the bottom tool of a T-swage. The same tool is shown in No. 28, Fig. 156. It is used a good deal for ironing iron dickey seats, as is
FIG.
1)‘7.-SHOWING
A SLEDGE
FOR
HEAVY
WORK.
also No. 32, Fig. 175, when a double rail is used. Fig. 172 is a specimen of the work done by this tool. No. 34, Fig. 175, is a tool for making corner irons
I82
BLACKSMITIIING.
for seats which have rounded surfaces on the inside One of the grooves is and flat on the outside. swedged on both sides of the point or apex of the tool. The other groove is flat on the other side from the one shown in the cut. I use this groove when I wish to make an iron with a foot for only one screw. No. 35, Fig. 175, is a tool for making horseshoes similar to the Juniata pattern, excepting that the crease is set back so that the center of the shoe projects above the nail heads, thus insuring a good grip
FIG.
178.
of theground. Fig. 174 is a sectional view of the tool. It is made deeper at one end than at the other so that different weights of shoes can be made with it. No. 36 is another punch clip tool. N o. 37 is a group of top and bottom oval swages. They range from 1-2 inch to I 1-4 inches, there being I think they 1-8 inch difference between each tool. shouid range up to 2 inches, but at present I am out of top tools. The,latter are of cast steel which I find to For the bottom tools I give the best satisfaction.
f31~.4CKS%~iITHI~G.
183
use iron faced with steel. To make them, I take a piece of square Lowmoor iron, a trifle larger than the square hole in the anvil, reduce it to proper size, cut off about three-fourths of an inch above the part reduced and forin it to a head with thin edges. I then
FIG.
179,
take a piece of common iron of suitable and jump-weld a shank on it, then take ter steel of suitable size, take separate on. then cut off level with the back of
size for the top a piece of blisheats and weid the anvil, fuller
I84
BLACKSMITHING.
in the recess and finish up. In finishing up I am careful to have the center a little fuller than the ends, as if it is left perfectly straight it will cut the iron at the ends and in working there is always a tendency for the center to lower.
No. 38, Fig. 178, represents a group of swages for round iron sizes, being 5-16, ,J-P~7-16, 1-2, 9-16, 5-8, 3-4, 7-8, I, I 1-8, I 1-4, I I-Z, I 3-4, and 2 inches. The bottom tool at the extreme right has four recesses,
FIG.18X,-SHOWING
A FAULTY METHOD CROTCHES.
OF SPLITTING
OUT
5-16, 3-8, 7-16, and 1-2 inch, and is made as shown in Fig.1 76. The readerwill notice that the backedge projects over the anvil and slants, which makes it very convenient for swaging different kinds of clips and by having the swage short it is rendered very conveni-
BLACKSMITHING.
185
ent also for cutting off surplus ends as shown at No. IO, Fig. ISO, but for doing this work the top swage only is used. The swage next to the one on the extreme right at No. 38, Fig. I 78. has three recesses, I do not have top tools for the 3-16, 1-4, 5-t6-inch. 3-16 or r-q-inch size but I find them useful in mak-
FIG. 182.
ing small half round ircn. They are made in the same way as the oval tools. I mark the sizes of the top and the bottom tools. No. 39, Fig. i 79, is a small riveting hammer with a round pein or pane of about 3-8-inch diameter. I
186
BLACKSMITHING.
think this kind of hammer is best for riveting purposes, as it spreads the rivet every way alike. No. 40, Fig. 179, is another riveting hammer. It is a cross pane which for some purposes is better than the round pane. No. 41, Fig. 179, is a light hand hammer, commonly called a bench-hammer, with a globular pane.
FIG.
183.
It is very useful for chipping with a cold chisel, and for light work at the anvil, such as welding dashes, etc. It weighs one’pound. It No. 42, Fig. I 79* is the ordinary hand hammer. weighs I 3-4 pounds. No. 43, Fig. 1.79, is a l~or:~r.shoe hammer, very
BLACKBMITHING.
187
short and compact, being two-faced, one end being Its weight slightly globular to answer for concaving. is I 3-4 pounds. No. 44, Fig. 179, is a heavy hand hammer similar to Nos. 41 and 42. It weighs about 2 1-2 pounds. No. 45, Fig. 179, is a large cross pane hammer made very plainly. It is useful in straightening heavy, irons, and also for the helper as a backing hammer on light fullers. No. 49, Fig. I 79, is an ordinary sledge hammer in which the eye is near the center.
FIG.
I&$.-SHOWING
A RIGHT
HAND
JAW
FOR TONGS.
No, 50, Fig. I 79, is a horseshoe sledge, but it should be rather shorter and more compact than it appears in the illustration. Fig. 177 represents another sledge. Tt will be noticed that the eye is nearer the top of the sledge, and I think this is an improvement for heavy work where the smith wants to swing overhead. The first No 51, Fig. 180, is a group of punches. two on the left hand side are oval or eye punches. The oval stand on the corner of the square so as to have the handle in the ~most convenient position, and
188
BLAc:KSMITHING.
are used for punchin, rr eyes, or where the smith ivishes to swell out in ‘order to strengthen by punching an . oval hole first and then drivirg a round pin in afterwards. They can be used to good advantage in splitting out crotches, as there is less danger of cold sheets than when the smith cuts right up with the chisel as shown in Fig. 181. The next two in the illustration are square punches, and the next four are round punches of different sizes. No. 52, Fig. 180, is a bob punch. It has a face It is similar to a countersink only more roundmg.
FIG.
X85.-SHOWING
HOW THE JAWS ARE MADE TO FIT
OF THE ROUND
TONGS IRON.
NO. 46,
FIG.
179.
useful to press a cavity in a flat piece of iron where a jump-weld is to be made, as in welding shanks to bottom swages, also for T welds. No. 53, Fig. 180, is~ a side-set hammer which is very handy for working up an inside corner or any place where you have to weld two irons in the shape of angle iron, or on thelandside of a plowshare. N o. 54, Fig. 180, represents two set hammers, one being I inch and the other I 1-2 inches square. They
BLACICSMITHING.
189
are very useful in making many kinds of clips, and numerous other jobs. No. 55, Fig. 180, also represents two set hammers similar in make but with the eyes punched from different sides. They are useful in plow work and are often used as flat hammer, where there is not room enough for the ordinary flat hammer. No. 56, Fig. 180, represents two flat hammers, the smaller having a face 2 1-4 inches square, while the larger is 2 1-2 inches. This tool is to the blacksmith what the plane is to the woodworker. It is what we generally calculate to finish all flat surfaces with.
FIG.
I86.-SHOWING
TONG
JAWS
MADE IRON.
FOR
HOLDING
LONG
SQUARE
We now come to the tongs, and.just the same as with everything else, there is a right and a wrong way to make them as tongs are right and left-handed. The accompanying illustration, Fig. 184, represents a right hand jaw. It is not often that a pair of left hand tongs are made, and, as a rule, if 2 smith does such a thing by mistake in a shop where there are many working, it produces so much merriment that
BLACKSMITHING.
190
he scarcely ever forgets it, yet I have seen a man of several years’ experience do such a thing. No. 70, Fig, 183, is a pair of pick ups. They should be kept in a staple in front of anvil block, or else hung convenient on the ,side of tool bench. They are used by the helper to pick up pins or any-
FIG.
187.-TOOL
USED
IN
MAKING KEEPERS SEATS.
FOR
DEMAREST
WAGON
thing eise. They will- easily catch anything from 2 inches downward. No. 67, No. 69, Fig. 183, is a pair of side tongs, Fig. 182, is another pair of the same kind, but larger, There which qe very useful for holding flat iron.
FIG.
X88.-KEEPER
MADE
WITH
THE
TOOL
SHOWN
IN
FIG.
187.
is a sort of talk turned on one jaw to prevent the iron slipping sideways. No. 62, Fig. 182, is a pair of snipe bills, which are very handy for small bands, sockets or eyes. One of the jaws is round and the other is square, and a fuller mark is made up the center, which 1 think is
19’
HLACI;SMITIIING.
better than making both roun -1, as it fits both the out~i‘hey are drawn quite side and inside of band. ‘I ilt back .:nds answer for a pair small at the point. of clip tongs to draw on ci:p L:rrs with. No. 48, Fig. I 79, is a paii~ c~i ;XO!~OW jaw tongs which Every blackare very useful for holding round iron. smith should be provided with three or four pair ranging from 3-4 inch upward. I always fuller up the center of my ordinary tongs so that they will
B
FIG.
18g.--TOOL
USED
IN
MAKING
CLIPS.
hold small round iron well. They will hold flat iron all the better for it, No. 60, Fig. 182, is a cupping tool. It is hollowed out with a countersunk drill and is very useful for finishing off nuts or the top of square-headed bolts. Four sizes of these make a very good set, but the largest one should have a handle. No. 58, Fig. 182, is a horseshoe stamp which is to common to require any description. I like it to be holNo. 59, Fig. 182, is a creaser,
BLACKSMITHING.
I92
lowed slightly on the inside face, as I think it follows the round of the shoe better. No. 64, Fig. 182, represents a pair of horseshoe tongs. The jaws are short and round so as not to projec~t far inside of the shoe and be in the way of the horn of anvil, and at the same time to allow the smith te shift the position of the tongs without lai?g their grip. No. 68, Fig. 182, is a pair of clip tongs which are indispensable in welding up whiffletree clips. The
FIG.
II)o.-CLIP
MADE
BY THE
TOOL
SHOWN
IN FIG.
189.
outside jaw is rounding, while the inside or short jaw is concaved to fit outside of the clip. No. 71, Fig. 183, is a pair of coulter tongs. One of the jaws turns down on each side of the coulter shank which makes the tool very convenient for holding. No. 65, Fig. 182, are similar tongs which are very useful for holding square iron. No. 46, Fig. 179, is a pair of tongs for holding large round iron. They are very convenient for holding large bolts as the smith can let the
BLACKSMITHING.
‘93
head project back of the jaws. They are similar to to the :ongs shown in No. 69, Fig. I 83, excepting that both jaws a.re hollowed to fit the round iron as shown in Fig. 185. Fig. 186 represents a pair of tongs for holding long square iron. Fig. 187 represents a very simple and handy tool for making keepers for Demarest wagon seats. I usualiy make them of T-S-inch band iron.. To make them I place a piece of I-z-inch round iron on the anvil, lay the band iron across it, then place the top
FIG.
IOr.-
SHOWING
HOW
THE
CLIP
IS BENT
BY THE
MANDRIL.
tool, Fig. 187, strike two or three blows, and the job is done as shown in Fig. 188. Fig. 189 shows a tool for making clips of round iron as illustrated in Fig. 190. This tool will save a great deal of time and do good work. The clips are used largely in some shops ,for clipping on springs, etc. The tool is intended to be used in the vise and has a projecting part, as shown at A, to rest on the vise. It is intended for three different sizes of clips, I 1-4,
BLAC:I<S~IITIIING.
I94
and I 3-4 inches. To make it take a piece of r-inch square iron, fuller along the center with a 3-8 inch fuller the length of jaw. Then use the set hammer on the lower side and reduce to 3-4 inch thick; then use the side set hammer to true up; plunge and form the joint as at U, taper down for handles and weld on a piece of 5-8.inch round iron so as to make a handle one foot long. The jaw i:; 9 After inches long, measuring from the bolt hole. both jaws are made put in the bolt C, clamp firmly together and drill six holes the size and width of your clips. Be careful not to drill any larger as the ciips require to be held firmly. If a little small they I
1-2
FIG.
Ig?.-SECTIONAL
VIEW
%F A SIDE FIG. 189.
OFTHE
TOOL
SHOWN
IN
can easily be opened a little on the sides with a round file. Then with a rounding chisel cut the corners as shown at D. D, D, and smooth out with the end of the file and it is ready for use. To make the clip, cut off the desired length of iron and Screw ends, bend on a clip mandril as s!lown at Fig. 191, then place in the tool, grip firmly in the hand, give a few sharp blows on the top with a suitable swage and you have a clip similar to that shown in Fig. I 90, Fig, I 92 is a sectional view of the tool.--& AMATEUR,
BLACI<SRIITHING.
ABOUT
195
1IAMhZERS.
Nearly every one has noticed the name of David Maydole stamped upon hammers. David Maydole made hammers the study of his lifetime, and after many years of thoughtful and Iaborious experiment he had actually produced an article to which, with all his knowledge and experience, he could suggest no improvements. Let me tell you how he came to think of making Forty years ago he lived in a small vilhammers. lage of the State of New York; no railroad yet, and He was even the Erie Canal many miles distant. the village blacksmith, his establishment consisting He was of himself and a boy to blow the bellows. Sometimes a good deal troubled with his hammers. the heads would fly off. If the metal was too soft the hammer would spread out and wear away; if it was too hard it would split. At that time blacksmiths made their own hammers, and he knew very little about mixing ores so as to produce the toughest iron. But he was particularly troubled with the hammer getting off the handle-a mishap which One could be dangerous as well as inconvenient. hammer Chad an iron rod running ‘down through the handle with a nut screwed on at the end. Another was wholly composed of ircln, the head and handle being a!1 one piece. The;e were various other devices, some of which were exceedingly clumsy and awkward. At last he hit upon an improvement
196
~I.AC:KS?IITHI~G.
which led to his being able to put a hammer upon a He hand!e in such a way that it would stay there. made what is called an adze-handled hammer, the head being attached to the handle after the,manner of an adze. The improvement consists in merely making a Zanrger l’zole for the handle to go into, by which device it has a much firmer hold of the head, and can easily be made extremely tight. Each hammer is hammered out of a piece of iron, and is tempered over a slow charcoal fire, under the inspection of an experienced man. He looks as though he were cooking his hammers on a charcoal furnace, and he watches them, until the process is complete, as a cook watches mutton chops. ,The neighborhood in which David Maydole lived would scarcely have required a half-dozen new hammers in a year, but one day six carpenters came to work on a new church, and one of these men left his hammer at home and came to David Maydole’s blacksmith shop to get one made. The carpenter was delighted with it, and when the other five carpenters saw it, they came to the shop the next day and ordered five more hammers made. They did not understand all the blacksmith’s notions about tempering and mixing the metals, bu.t they saw at a glance that the head and handle were so united that there never was likely to be any divorce between them. To a carpenter building a wooden house, the
=
197
BLACKSMITHING.
removal of that one defect was a great boon. A dealer in tools in New York City saw one of these hammers, and then David Maydole’s fortune was made, for he immediately ordered aii the hammers the blacksmith could make. In a few years he made so many hammers that he employed a hundred and fifty men.-From “ Cuptnins ofhdustry,"by jAMES PARTON. DRESSING
UP OR FACINGHAMMERS,
REPAIRING
BITS
OR
DRILLS.
Good tools are among the most essentia! things about a blacksmith shop. You need a good fire, a good anvil, and also a good hammer. You may have fire, anvil, and all your other tools in good shape, but if your hammer is rough and broken you cannot do good work, nor do so much in a day. I think that every man who calls himself a good blacksmith should be capable of dressing his hammer. But for the benefit of those who are just beginning the trade I will give my way of doing this job. In the first place I open the middle of my fire and fill it up with charcoal, using the mineral coal only as a backer. Heat only the face you wish to dress as by so doing you will not change the shape or disturb the eye. Upset on the face and draw down on the sides. If the face is brqken very badly it may be necessary to trim off a little, but by upsetting and drawing down several times you can get quite a
-
198
BLACKSQITHIXG.
After you large break out without much trimming. have completed the forging it is a good plan to put the hammer in the dust of the forge and let it anneal; and then it can be leveled with a file and ground off smooth. To temper it, heat only the part you wish to harden, to a good red, dip and hold under water until cold. Then have a thick ring (an old ax collar will do) that the face of the hammer will go through while the sides will come in contact with the ring, heat the ring hot and place it over the hammer, turn the ring slowly so as to keep the heat even on all sides at once, draw until it shows a little color, then try with a fine sharp file, and when you can make the file take hold it has drawn enough. There are so many gracles of steel and different temperatues of’heat and water The that you cannot always rely on the colors. middle of the face shouid be left as hard as you can keep it, for if you let the heat from the eye part run down and draw the face, it will be too soft and setIf the tle, leaving the outside circle the highest. tool is double-faced do all your forging and finishing Then after you have tempered before you temper. the largest face, wind a wet cloth around it and keep it cold while you are heating the other face. I think that round sides with the outside edge rounded in a little, stand better than the square or octagon. Get a good handle and put it in so that it will stay.
BL.t\CKSMITHING.
199
Every one who does repairing breaks a good many bits, especially small ones. They usually break at the end of the twist, leaving the shank long enough to make another bit by flattening about an inch of the end and twist once around. Then hammer down the edge, file a diamond point leaving the cutting part a little Ia-ger than the seat of the bit, temper and you have a drill as good as new. Drilis can be made in the same way.-By F. P. HARRIMAN. HAMMERS
AND
HANDLES.
Almost every blacksmith has a different style of hammer or handle, and every one thinks that his One wants a heavy way of making them is right. hammer and another a light hammer, for the same kind of work. One wants a long hammer and another wants a short one. One wants his hammer to stand out and another likes his to stand in. One wants a long handle and another prefers a short handle. One wants his handle to spring and another does not. And so it goes on in that way all through the country. Everyone will tell you that his way is the best, and will explain why it is the best. NOW, my opin ion in regard to the above is that they are all in I make all my hammers almost every case right. and handles, and think they are the right kind, simply because they suit me and I can do the work required with them satisfactorily.
BLACKSMITHING.
200
I do not claim that there is any ~z$t way to make But, of course, there is a a blgcksmith’s hammer, certain line that you cannot pass without going to extremes. For instance, if you should make a hammer a foot long, with a handle ten inches long, that would be out of ~11 proportion, and would not be convenient to work with, and it could not be said by anyone that it was right. But supposing one man makes an ordinary hammer with a long pane, another makes one with a short pane; each one will claim that his hammer is righ: and that he could not duo his work as well with another. Now, how shall we determine which hammer is the nearest right? I should say both are right, for as long as they can do the work required, and they are satisfied with their hammers, that is all that is r\ecessary.--By G. B. J. A HAMMER
THAT
DOES
NOT
MARK
IRON.
I was in a country blacksmith’s shop the other day, and while talking with the boss I noticed a workman who :vas trying to get the kink out of an axle spindle with a hammer and swage. Every *‘lick” made it worse and filled it with hammer marks. I offered to show him how to make a hammer that would do the job properly. The offer was accepted, and this is the way the hammer was made. I first called for about four or five pounds of old
RLACKSMITHINC.
201
lead. This was furnished, and I then took a piece of three-quarter-inch round iron about fifteen inches long and upset the end, as shown in A, Fig.-194 of the accompanying illustrations, to about I I&inch and tapered it to B, a length of 2 inches. This left I nex’. the.~~-handle portion C about I 2 inches long. _~
FIG.
I93.-SHOWING
THE
HAMMER-HEAD.
got a box full of yellow mould, formed a circle in it of about two inches in diameter and placed the handle at the center. With a piece of sheet-iron I made a ladle, melted the lead and,poured it into the impromptu mould. After a wait of twenty minutes I lifted my hammer out of the sand, A FIG.
IgJ.-SHOWING
THE
HANDLE.
dressed it up with a hand-hammer and then the job was finished. In Fig. 193 D is the hammer, and E is the place occupied by the handle. Fig. 195 illustrates a simpler method of making the t.ool. A hole is made in the sand as at D, and the handle is stuck in at E,
--
BI~.ACI~.‘;MITf~II?:C.
202
then the lead is heated and poured in. These hammers mill not mark the iron.--By IROX DOCTOR. AN
I>ll’ROVED
TUYERE.
When I first began to work at the forge, nearly fifty years ago, the old bull’s-eye tuyere was the best in use, but soft coke (or “ breese ” as it was called, being the refuse of the rolling mill furnaces), coming into use disposed of the bull’s-eye, so the For more water tuyere was invented as a necessity. than thirty years I heard its gurgling waters, always looking upon it as an evil to be tolerated because it Fancy all your fires started could not be avoided. on Monday morning in the winter, tem,perature below zero, water just getting warm and then find-
FIG.
195.~SHOWING
A SIMPLER
XETHOD
OF MAKING
THE
TOOL.
ing pipesall bursted, new ones to be fitted, corners to be bent in one of the forges at the risk of spoiling a tuy~ere for want of water in it, customers waiting, foreman swearing, men freezing and shop literally upside down. Next came the tank and tuyere in one, a good improvement ; also the ~a1 back made of wet ‘I slack,” but owing to its extravagant use of fuel not to be tolerated. Then came the bottom blast. I
BLACKSMITHIKG.
203
do not know when or where its first originated (invent or a I‘ crank,” no doubt). As I was determined to do without a water tuyere, if possible, I tried most of the fancy “ turn ‘ems and twist ‘ems ” in the market, patented and otherwise, and all of them spread the fire too much for economy, in fact, some of them made a series of fires all over the hearth-the tuyere getting hot and clinging to the “ clinker” with a matrimonial tie __-----_------
FIG.
196.~-IMPROVED
TOPor Forve.
TUYERE,
AS MADE
BY “ IRON
JACK.”
never to be divorced until one or both of them was deadly cold-making me hot, too, both in body and temper. I then got the tuyere craze and schemed all sorts of “ jimcracks,” if possible,~ worse than the others, until at last I concluded that moving blast orifices in tuyeres at the bottom of a forge fire were out of place, worse rhan useless, the poker being ~11’ sufficient; and to keep the tuyere sufficiently cool to prevent the clinker from clinging, it only wanted a
204
BLACKSMITHING.
lump of iron big enough where the fire could not touch it to keep the part cool where it did touch. Coming across an old cannon-ball, which, I suppose, had been used to knock down the walls of Petersburg during the war, ancl big enough it was, for the matter of that, to knock clown the walls of-well, I won’t say where-it being about nine inches in diameter and weighing upward of one hundred pounds, ! said to myself, “ Here is my tuyere.” So I bored a hole in one side and screwed a piece of 3-inch wrought iron pipe into it, tiren giving it aquarter turn on the face plate I bored a z I-Z inch hole at I then drilled three right angles and into the other. 3-4 inch holes in the other side and chiseled them into a mouth for the blast 2 I-Z inches by 3-4 inch, which is a good size for the fan blast for regular I prefer a flat hole to a round one for the work. bottom blast, as it does not allow so large a cinder to f;lll through when the blast is off. After putting a trap door at the bottom to empty the tuyere I fixed it on the hearth 6 inches below the level of the top of the hearth, making a fine brick basin, as shown in section in the accompanying engraving. The success of this tuyere is complete, the blast coming straight out of the mouth like shot from a gun, making the fire very intense at ‘the proper place (not spreading all over the hearth), which economizes the fuel as far as possible consistent with the work to be done, and the mass of metal always
BLACIIShIITHING.
205
keeps the tuyere cool and cakes the clinker so as to make it easy tolift out of the fire with the poker, no matter how long or how heavily it is worked. Should anyone feel disposed to try it he will be more than pleased. The forge and anvil should be both on a level to permit the crane to operate easily without trouble.-& IRON JACK. HOME-MADE
BLOWER.
I commenced business without tools and without any other resources than my own strong right arm. After getting an anvil I experienced the need of a Those which were for sale were high priced, blower. and nothing but the cash in hand would buy one. In order tb do the best possible under the circumstances, I took a good look at one in a store, by which I obtained the principle on which it was operated, and then went home and commenced work upon one upon my own account.’ I made it of wood, and succeeded so well as to make something by which a sort of a fire could be started. When~ it was inmotion, however, my neighbors thought I was running a threshing It could be heard of a still morning nearmachine. ly a mile away. After using this.for a short time, I concluded ,I would try to make a better one, and now I will tell J’OU how I set about it. I took three pieces of white pine plank, 12 by 14 inches andI 1-2 inches thick, I dressed and glued them together crosswise, in,,order to obtain the greatest ,z:
206
BLACKSMITIIING.
I took the piece to a jig-saw, possible strength. and had a circle, perfectly true, taken out of the I then closed this hole center, 8 inches in diameter. by placing a half-inch poplar board on each side, the same size as the large block. These thin pieces I screwed down tight with eight screws on each board. Removing one of them I got the center of the edge of the hole on the inside of the one that remained, and by reversing the operation, got the center upon the opposite one. From this measurement I cut a hole 4 inches in diameter through each of these thin pieces, which was to serve to let the air into the
E FIG.
I97.-GENERAL
SHAPE OF THE PADDLfiS NAME’S ” BLOWER.
OK
FANS
LN “NO
bl ower; by placing the boards back in their original position the holes would be in the center of the hole cut in the large block. I next took two pieces of iron 1-2 by I 1-4 inches and driiled a’ 5-I6-inch hole through them in the middle. 3 took a piece of @-inch steelrod and made two thumbscrews of it; cut threads ,~upon them to work tightly in the holes in the irons. I made them very pointed and chilled them very hard. Next I took a piece of J-S-inch steel rod and
BLACKSMITHING.
207
cut it the right length to fit between the points of the two thumb-screws, and with the center punch I made a small puncture in the center of the ends of this rod to receive the pointed ends of the thumbscrews, above described. Next I drilled two holes
I FIG.
[email protected]
I
OF SIDE IRONS HOLDING IN “ NO NAME’S” BLOWER.
~I‘HF. AXLE
OF FAN
in this shaft, one about I 1-2 inches from one end, and the other about 2 inches from the pulley end. On the long end I placed a deal! -cott~on spindle pulley, and I 1-4 inches in diameter and
2
:$$ 0
1%in.
B FIG.
I99.-PATTERN
OF FANS,
TO BE MADE
B
OF GALVANIZED
IRON.
1-4 of an inch thick, having a groove in its surface for a small round bolt, such as is frequently used on sewing machines. I next took a piece of sheet iron, heavy gauge, and cut some paddles or fans 4 by 8
208
BLACKSMITHING.
inches, in shape as indicated by Fig. 197, accompany ing sketch. I riveted these fans to shaft and bent them up, thus forming four paddles, located at equal distances apart. The fan was now done, except putting together. I screwed fast the straight
FIG.
ZOO.-CENTER-PIECE
TO WHICH
pieces of iron that held care that the screw came hole, in order that the turned- the box over and
FANS
ARE
ATTACHED.
the thumb-screws and took exactly in the center of the fan should turn freely. I placed the fan in the hole,
BLACKSMITHING.
209
with two pivots together, and then fastened in position the other piece of iron, which was iiIade in the shape shown in Fig. 198 of the sketches. I exercised great care that it also should come exactly in the center and at the same time he in such a position as not to come in contact with the bolt. I todk care also that the face hung ,perfectly true in the center and then screwed down the second board. I
FIG.
201.-SIDE
PLATES,
BETWEEN
WHICH
FANS
ARE
FASTENED.
next made a hole in the end of the box 3 inches in diameter, making it to intersect with the hole in the box at the upper part. I took care that it should be smooth and clean. I made a frame of 2 by 3 hard wood in such a way as to mount the blower in a convenient position near my forge. A driving-wheel grooved on the fan to accommodate a bolt of the
IILACKSMITHING.
2x0
kind above described, and operated with a crank, is fastened to two standards at the front of the frame, iVIy fan, constructed thus affording motive power. in this manner, has now been in use over two years, It and is in perfect condition at the present time. gives all the blast that I require, and runs noiselessly. ---By No NME. I
i FIG.
202.-CROSS
HOXE-MADE
SECTION
FAN
FOR
THROUGH
COMPLETED
A BLACKSMITH’S
FAN.
FORGE.
I think anyone with ordinary mechanical skill, by following the directions whi.ch I shall attempt to present, will have no difficulty in building a fan which will perform satisfactcrily. First cut twelve piece of galvanized iron to the shape and dimensions shown in Fig. 199. These
BLACKSMITHING.
211
should be about 1-16 of an inch thick. Four square studs about three-quarters of an inch long, are left on the edges of each plate. The distance from A to A is 3 1-2 inches, from B to B, 4 1-2 inches, and from C to C, 4 1-2 inches. Putich two full quarterinch holes in each piece. Make a middle piece of
_*--------.-\‘\ ,/A’ I’ ‘\\\\ / \ ( ,2 (py& \ is-g 1 1’ .’ ,I’ I __-’ J) I’ /’ /’ I’ /’ /’ ,/ /’ FIG.
203.-SIDE
ELEVATION
OF COMPLETED
FAN.
metal like Fig. 200, which should be about five inches m diameter, and seven-eighths or an inch thick. This can be made of brass, zmc, or iron. Drill two holes in each arm to match the holes in plates shown in Fig. 199. Then put two of these plates on each arm, with quarter-inch bolts as is
212
BLACASMITI-IING.
shown at A in Fig. 200. Then cut two circular plates after the pattern shown in Fig. 201. These are to be dished as shown in Fig. 202, in order to fit the middle of the fan nicely. Have them quite as large as the middle of the fan. In the center of these plates are draught holes, B, through which the
FIG.
204.-LONGITUDINAL
SECTION
THROUGH
COMPLETED
FAN.
air will enter the fan. These are to be four inches in diameter. Each plate has twelve long narrow holes punched in it as shown in Fig. 201, and a strong zinc washer is soldered upon it. This plate is now forced on to the side of the fan. The studs will
BLACKSMITHING.
213
of course project through this plate rather more than half an inch. By taking a chisel or screw driver, and putting it between the studs or lugs, one part can be turned one way and the other the other, as in Fig. 201, and the plates will be fast. A good bit of solder should then be run over the whole, as shown by the dotted lines at F in Fig. 201. The next thing is to take two of pieces I 1-4 inch plank, They and cut them to the shape shown in Fig. 203. should be grooved as shown by the dotted line about one and one fourth inches from the edge. This portion is to form the box for the fan. Fig.
FIG.
205.--SPINDLE
AND
PULLEY
FOR
DRIVING
THE
FAN.
204 shows the fan put together, but with one side Now a sheet of iron 3-32 and one plate removed. of an inch thick, and say five inches wide, must be bent to the shape of the groove shown by the dotPut this into the grooves ted line in Fig. 203. between the two wooden sides? and bolt all together The bolts should with quarter-inch bolts and nuts. be put in four inches apart all around. Zinc bearings four inches wide should be used, and the whole made to fit firmly to a one-inch board about twelve inches wide. Turn a wooden pulley, about three
BLACKSMITHING.
2’4
inches in diameter, with a convex face, something The spindle of this like that shown in Fig. 205. pulley should be three-fourths of an inch in diameter, and eighteen inches long. The outlet at the mouth of the fan is four inches square. The nozzle in the fire can bemade two inches, or any desired size.---@ K. MINERS’
TOOLS
AND
SMITH
WORK.
When I was on Ballarat Diggings from I 852 to ‘59 there were sledge hammers in use for various purposes; thus in my shop I had sledge hammers for the ordinary strikers, which weighed say, 14 lbs. each, and as a sort of corps de reserve, one of 28 lbs.; and as a good striker was not always to the fore, I usually wielded a hand hammer myself of 4 lbs. for sharpening the miners’ picks, for which I received when a “rush” was on, 2s. per point, never less than IS. 6d. per point, 2s. 6rd. for steeling, and 5s. for laying and steeling; also I got 10s. for making an ordinary Cornish hammer-headed driving pick. I think that the weight I stated would be about the average for striking the heads of jumpers for quartz reef, and what we termed cement, which might be likened to masses of stone, imbedded in a slaggy sort of glass; but as those engaged in the search for the precious metal were representatives of, say, every country, calling and want of calling upon this sublunary sphere, so were the tools and the “ shooting irons” which came to me for repair.
BLACKSMITHING
215
I was renowned for tempering the miners’ gear. I think that about I in 500 smiths is fit to be trusted to manfacture any tool from cast steel without overheating same. I have not been brought up a blacksmith, being more in the line of a fitterof the knotstick species, and I have not yet met with a blacksmith that I would trust to forge me any kind of tools for lathe, etc. Now, please to bear in mind that this does not apply to men who make a specialty of toolmaking but only to the ordinary general men of the shops. A dull red in a dusty place is not enough for the welfare of cast steel, but this entails a lot of additional hammering, which tells upon a man’s wrist in an unpleasant manner. At same heat I dip drills or jumpers steadily into ordinary water not containing any sort of quack medicines therein. A proper smith’s hand hammer always has a comparatively small rounded pane, the pane for drawingout purposes being upon the sledge ban-mer, but I employed out on the Diggings for all-round jobs a German, who probably could make anything complete with hammers alone, from an elbow for stovepipes to figures and foliage, and he spoke of having alongside the anvil in Germany, say some fifty different sorts and weights of hammers. To stop the ring of an anvil. Let the spike, which ought to be in the block to keep the anvil in si&, fit the hole in it tight, and let the adjacent iron of the anvil’s bottom bed upon said block, and its
216
BLACKSMITHING.
vibration will be stopped once for all. The reason why we don’t have more articles upon smithwork is undoubtedly because, in the bulk, English smiths are uneducated, and like all such, grudge to afford any information upon that or any other subject, and they abound in quasi nostrums for accomplishing many things. With regard to making a weld, one of your correspondents says : “ Dip each piece in sand,” etc. Now, there are many varieties of sand, such as that about here, which is deficient in the matter of silica, which I opine is the material which, by melting at the necessary heat just previous to the melting of the iron, forms a coating of glass over the iron, and so prevents its oxidation during its heating and transit to ,the anvil; therefore, I find it better to collect the bottoms out of a grindstone trough, taking care that’ no debris of zinc, copper, lead, tinoranything abounding in sulphur, be used upon said stone; and he has omitted to mention that an important factor in a sound weld is that, at the instant of taking the two pieces to the aqvil, the operator, or operators, should strike each piece gently, behind the heated part, upon the anvil, in order to knock off all impedimenta; with lightning rapidity, place one upon the other, tap gently upon the “ center ” of the weld, and quickly close up the two thin ends, but bearing in mind to work from the center to the outside An amateur will find that a serious difficulty will
.--
BLACKSMITHING.
217
be encountered when he tries to hold anything, more When learning how especially cast steel, in a tongs. to turn the work upon its side, be sure to turn so that the “ back” of the hand is uppermost? or a bad striker will be likely by lowering his back hand to plant a lot of the hot slag into the palm of your hand, or you may accomplish this by bad striking upon your own account. When hitting a job upon the anvil, do not strike in various places, as a rule, unless when necessary to place the work over a particular part, as the edge or on the beak. Keep your hammer going up and down, as if it were in guides, drawing the work back or forward as required. There is an art in making and keeping up the It depends very much upon the fuel used. If fire. a heavy welding heat be required, we must take two or more shovels of wet slack (after, of course, lighting up) and tamp this down gently with the shovel, so that it forms an arched oven, as if were, and poke a hole or holes to run in the bar or plural. If we observe a blue or greenish tinge in the flames, we will probably consider as to the advisability of shoveling off “all” the fire and beginning again, as sulphur is in the ascendant. Sulphur would cause the white-hot iron to run Mine is a portable forge, and by away in drops. drawing out the plug at theback in the air-pipe when knocking off for a spell, this not only allows the entrance of air to keep fire alight, but prevents the lia-
-
218
liI.ACI<S:\lITHI~G.
bility there is to blowing up a bellows, if fresh coal is put on, and immediately after, more especially if it be wet slaTk, the blowing be stopped, as in this event the large quantity of gas generated finds its way into the said elbow s, and when the culprit next draws down the handle, he mixes it with the air, and a violent esplosioh is the result, as well as probably the splitting of the inside middle board. This is the reason why the nozzle of an ordinary bellows ought not to be jammed into the tuyere; but there should be, say, I 4 inch clear space around its end. A steady continuous blast is far more efficacious than short jerky forcing. The putting of salt or anything else in the water for tempering is bosh. When a smith applies to me for a job, I always set him-if in want of one-to make his hammer and a pair of tongs. 1Vhen an ama.teur can make a tongs that does not open when it ought to shst he will know a thing or two anent forging, andwhen a smith can make a good cast-steel Ihammer, it is tolerably certain that he is up to the hammer, and if he doesn’t want to met it too often, deserves taking on. As to the silent language, it would never do if one Lad to say to a striker, “Will you be kind enough to hit so land so?” therefore if we want the striker, we We smg on the hand hammer; he is all attention. .ivhip out the bar and gently tickie it together whilst in a melting mood; next, we tap it in an inviting
BLACKSMITHING.
219
manner upon the spot where he ought to strike it, which, as beforestated, should, as arule, be in the cenAt Grst both strike alternately, ter of the anvil. but as the reducing effect of the sledge becomes evident, we, the smith, judiciously intersperse our blows upon the jobs by taps upon the anvil, always shifting our irons; bu’t unless we touch a certain spot with our hammer he is to keep on striking in the middle, and when we require him to knock off we bring down our hammer in such a way that it in a sense rings upon the anvil.--En&S Meclianic and World of S~zkce. THE
HACK
SAW.
Probably no tool devised for’ the use of iron workers in recent years can be employed to greater
-
u FIG.
206.~--SHOWING
THE
HACK
SAW.
advantage by a blacksmith than a hack saw. In many shops it has almost supplanted the cold chisel, as it can be used in nearly all cases where the 1,atter tool comes in play, and does its work more ex-
BLACKSMITHING.
220
peditiously. It will cut iron almost as rapidly as an ordinary saw cuts wood. Its cheapness brings it within the range of every mechanic having iron to cut. The engraving, Fig. 206, gives a correct idea of its appearance. ADJUSTABLE
TONGS.
I lately came across about as handy a blacksmith’s tool as one could wish to find. It was an adjustable pair of tongs that will hold tight enough for any light work. Th e jaw, J, Fig. 207, is provided with a slot, S, and the rivet is carried at that end in a
FIG.
207.-ADJUSTABLE
TONGS,
AS
DESCRIBED
BY
“ NEW
YORKER.”
tongue, A, that passes through a lug, B, and is fastened by a key, AZ9 so that it can be set with the hand I have found it hammer and without any wrench. an exceilent tool, and am sure that anybody that NEW YORKER. makes one will be pleased with it.-& TONGS
FOR
MAKING
SPRING
CLIPS,
SLEIGH
JACKS,
ETC.
I send you a sketch, Fig. 208, of a pair of tongs for making sleigh jacks, spring clips, staples, etc. A is ti clip to be bent as at B, Fig. 209. The pair of
BL4CKSMITHIPUG.
221
tongs has in jaw, C, Fig. 2 IO, a hole for the stem, the width of the jaw, D, being that required between the jaws of the clip. If both jaws have holes through
FIG. FIG.
210.
208.
them and are of different widths two can be bent on one pair of tongs.--By
END
OF
VOLUME
I.
sizes of clips R. R. M.
INDEX. Fire, to keep in small compass. 61 Flatter ....................... 153 Flatter, round edge ........... 154 Forge. asimple ............. .?? Forge, African ................ Forge, a” Arkansas ........... 47 Forge, blacksmiths ............ 61 Forge, improved ........... 35, $ Forge (portable), home-made . . Forging fifth wheel ............ 112 cork for bending ............. 155 French clips .................. 175 ....... BENCH for smoothing. 71 Fuller for offset work ........ 156 Bench, handy.. . . . . . . . . 76 Fuller, the bottom .......... 152 Bench (tool). improved.. . .69, 77. 80 F”&x: the top. .............. I52 Blacksmiths’ art. history of. . . viii Blacksmiths’ coal.. . . . _ . . . . . . 63 HACK WV .................... 2r9 Blacksmith shop, plan of. .33, 65, 72 Hammers.. . 183, 195. 197. 199. mo Blacksmiths’ tools.. . . . . . 131. 163-194 Hammers. ancient and modern I Blower, home-made... . . . . . . . . 205 Hammer. ball “ane ........... 137 Hammer; dog Lead.. . . . . . . . . ii CALIPERS, double. :. . . . . . . . . . . 138 Hammer for straightening 19 I - swm Caliper, r;ingle. ............. 139 Hammer head of stone ........ 2 C&S. tools for sharpening .... 116 Hemmer, machinist’s .......... 12 Czziage shop, a modern village 52 Hammer, the ................ IO Carriage shop, plan of ........ 84 Hammer, the cross-face ....... I8 Chain mail .................. x Hammer, the set ............ 150 Chimney, blacksmith...42. 44.46. 47 Hammer, the twist ........... 21 Chimney (smoky), to cure ..... 40 Hammer, uses of ............. Chisel, the cold ............... r47 Harrow teeth tool ............ rs” Chisel, the hot ............. 146 Harrow tooth, to bend ........ 175 Chisel, the gouge ............. 147 Chisel, the square ............ 148 IRON work, artistic ........... Xx Clips for fifth wheels, to forge. 112 ............ 29 Clips, tool for making ......... 19r ~$1,H,“;,p$!$~~& ........... 3o Coal for blacksmiths .......... 63 Cone, the anvil. ............. .’ ‘54 MALLET, the stone mason’s .... II 158 DIVIDERS. ................... r4o Mandrel f”* ““ts. ............ ANVIL. Anvils, Anvil, Anvils, Anvils, Anvil,
for French clips... . . . . . how made .. .. . . putting a horn 0”. sharp orround edges... to dress... . . . . . . . . . tofaste” to a block..114, 120, IZI, Anvil, to forge.. . . . . . . . . . . . Anvil, to mend... . . . . . . . . . . . Armor.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Art of the blacksmith... ..... . .
EYES for tool handles ......... FIRE, hollow I%F.open ........ Fire-place. to cement ........ Fire,pointsabout ............
I75 99 113 110 106 115, I23 I28 ‘!7 1X Vii
r3r 58 62 61
PLAN of blacksmith’s shop . . 33,65 Punches. ................... 184 Punch, eye .................. ‘49 ‘Punch for anvils, to make ..... 126 Punch, round ................ I48
Punch, the bob ............... Punch, the square ........... Punch, to make ............. ~00~
for blacksmith’s
149 ‘49 125
shop, _
5s
SADDLE, for forked pieces. ... Saw (hack). .................. Saws, to straighten. ........... Shop, care of ................. Sledge, straight pane .......... Square,T ....................
159 219 15 74 141 141
.I&-162 Swages ................... ..... Swage, bottom or anvil. 15’ Swage, nut. ................. I57 I jT Swage, the bottom ............ r55 Swage, the coilar ............. 15~ Swage, the side ............... 15~ Cwage. the top ............... 124 Swedge, self-acting ........... ,183. 185, 186, 187, TONGS....... Tongs, adjustable .............. Tongs and tools ............... Tongs (bent bit), for round iron Tongs, box ................... Tongs flat .................. Tongs for bending iron on the edge ......................... Tongs for bolts ............... Tongs for bolt work ......... Tongs,for different sizes ...... ,Tongs flat ................... Tongs for Aatwise bending .... Tongs for hoofs ..............
189 22” 137 144 142 142
Tongs for round work ........ Tongs for sharpening chisels ... Tongs, hollow bit ............. Tongs improper shape ........ Tongs for irregular work ...... Tongs, pick up ........... ,142, Tongs, pincer ................ Tongs, proper bow of jaws .... Tongs, proper shape ......... Tongs, proper shape of jaws ... Tongs, proper shape of, for special work. .............. Tongs, round bit ............. Tongs with bent bit ........... Tongs with box piece ......... Tongs with crooked bits ....... Tools, ancient. ............... Tool bench. improved ........ Tool for bending flat pieces .... Tools for blacksmiths ......... Tool for cupping ............ Tool for harrow teeth ......... ‘Tool for heading ............ Tool for making bolts ........ Tool for making clips.. ....... Tools for miners ............ Tool fornutheads...: ......... Tool handles, eyes for ........ Tool, the foot ................ Tuyere ...................... Tuyere, improved ............ Tuyere, to set ................
160 146 $43 2: 162 144 161 163 If% I59 143 I44 142 I45 2 156 131 150 I77 158 15-J 191 214 158 131 I53 202 82 49
145 146 151 XII, 144 WEAPONS and armor .......... 80 I43 Work bench, convenient ...... 144 Work and workmen, ancient and modern .... , .............. 30 162
1 VOLUME
II.
,, ,,,, ,,,,
-1
CONTENTS.
PREFACE,
.
.
.
.
CHAPTER IRoN
AND
STEEL,
.
.
.
.
CHAPTER
.
.
.
,I
BND DRILLING,
.
.
.
.
59
,
.
.
.
78
.
.
.
109
.
*
.
137
.
.
153
.
VII.
MISCELLANEOVSTOOLS-CONTINUED,
.
CHAPTER .
.
VI.
CHAPTER
BLACES?~‘,TEP’ BEEARS,
3
V.
CFIAPTER
MISCELLANEOUSTOOLS,
.
IV.
CHAPTER
FUUERING AND SWAGING,
*
.
.
.
.
.
III.
CHAPTER ~?RILLS
1
I
II.
.
BOLT AXD RIVET CLIPPERS, .
.
I.
CHAPTER
CHISELS,
.
.
.
.
114
VIII. .
CHAPTER
~XMERYWHEELS AXD GRINDSTONES,
.
.
239
a
IX.
.
.
.
.
545
PREFACE. 1n~Vo~. I. the editor of this work gave a brief account of the early history of blacksmithing, so far as ~known, and described a few ancient and many modern tools. Numerous plans of shops were given with ~best methods of building chimneys and constructing forges. This volume opens .with a brief treatise on the early history of iron and steel. Artisric iron work is then considered, and the tests employed to show the strength of iron are given. It was the original intention to compress all the material relating ~to tools in VOL. I., but this was found to be impracticable without largely increasing the size ,of the volume, and possibly the price as well. It was deemed best therefore .to devote so much of VOL. II., as might be necessary, to the fur
2
PREFACE.
ther consideration of tools, and the reader will doubtiess agree with us that the space has not been wasted. Vol. III. will be devoted mainly to the consideration of jobs of work. THE EDITOR.
CHAPTF.R IRON THEIR
ANTIQUITY
AND. AND
I.
STEEL. GREAT
USEFULNESS.
All mechanics, irrespective of the trades which they fol!ow, have so much to do with iron in its various forms, either by working it or by using tools and instruments in the construction of which it forms an important part, that a brief consideration of the material, both retrospective and present, cannot fail to be of interest. To trace the development of iron from its earliest known exi:tence to the present, and to glance at its use as a material of construction, that, unlike all others can rarely be dispensed with in favor of a substitute equally desirable, cannot fail to be of the greatest interest. In the description of the’ building of Solomon’s Temple there is no specific statement that iron was employed, although by inference it is understood that this material must have been used in the tools of the workmen, tc for no other purpose. It is not to be forgotten tl ‘_the record says there was neither hammer nor .:~re, nor tool of iron heard in the
4
BLACKSMITHING.
house while it was being built. A plausible construction to place upon this assertion is that the parts were fashioned and fitted together at distant places, and were joined noiselessly in completing This view of the case serves to point the structure. out the excellence of the skill of that day, for, however great the care that is exercised at the present time by mechanics, few buildings are put up in which the sound of tools in the shaping of the various parts, after they have been sent to the building for putting up, might be dispensed with. King David, it is said, had in his collection of materials “iron in abundance for the doors of the gates and for the joinings.” Other allusions to iron are to be found in the Old Testament Scriptures. Some passages are of figurative character, where iron is the emb!em of hardness, strength and power. Others are descriptive, and indicate its uses in those early times. The manufacture of iron existed in India from very remote antiquity, though carried on in a very primitive manner. Vast accumulations of slag and cinder are found spread over large areas in various districts, and the manufacture of iron is still carried on with iittle change from the ancient process. In one of the temples near Delhi there is a wroughtiron pillar sixty feet in length, which dates as far back as the fourth century of the present era. It is only of late years that the production of a shaft of these
-
BLACKSMITHING.
5
dimensions has been possible to the present race of iron-workers. The extent to which iron was employed by the ancient Egyptians is a problem difficult of solution. When the enormous labor expended upon the masonry and sculpture in the hardest granite, and the beautiful surfale and high finish generally displayed in the architectural works of that country are considered, it seems difficult to imagine that tools inferior to the hardest steel could have produced the result, yet the evidence is exceedingly slight that anything of the kind was employed. Bronze is some times found in ancient tombs in that country in a variety of forms, but iron is almost entirely wanting. Iron mines have been discovered in Upper Egypt, and the remains of iron-works have been found recently near Mount Sinai. An iron plate was found in one of the pyramids, and a sickle in one of the tombs at Thebes. The use of iron by the Romans was of comparaThe fine specular iron of tively late introduction. the Isle of Eiba had been smelted by the Etruscans from an early date, but it does not seem to have been extensively used in Italy. It was not until the time of the second Punic War that the Romans, extending their conquests beyond their narrow original seat, obtained supplies of iron and steel from Spain, and discarded their bronze weapons for the harder and keener metal. Iron was little used by any
6
BLACKSMITHING.
of the ancient nations in building construction. ‘Whtn Virgil describes the splendors of Dido’s rising tit!-, no mencion is made of iron in any form. Stone, with the addition of bronze for plating, are the materials especially alluded to. In the New Testament mention is made of an iron gate which would seem to indicate that at that period iron had been brought into use in many forms, more, however, in the way of machinery, armory and weapons, than in building construction. For all constructive purposes bronze was gradually superseded by iron, and during the middle ages was worked with great skill and success. Iron employed at this period was not made by the process of fusion and puddling, but was obtained direct fror:ll the ore by roasting with charcoal and working it under the hammer. The metal thus obtained was of excellent quality, and such examples as have come down to us indicate that it was very skilfully manipulated. Armor and weapons attained a high degree of efficiency, and were finished with great taste. There are very few specimens remaining in anything like perfection of the mediaeval smith’s work. Enough fragments, however, are in existence to indicate the extreme beauty of the workmanship of this age. The rich and graceful curves of the work done at this time, together with their lightness and strength, show wha-t capabilities exist in iron when freely treated in accordance with its nature. Prob-.
BLACKSMITHING.
7
ably the grills or screens and the gates of the middle ages exhibited the art of the smith in its greatest perfection. Nothing that has been made in modern times is equal to the specimens which remain of that period. The wonder arises that, with such simple means as were at the command of the mechanics and artists of that day, such wonderful effects could be produced. During the Romanesque period iron does not seem to have been employed, even in carpentry or At the end of the twelfth century iron masonry. cramps were employed at the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris, to connect the stones of the cobbled The oxidation of these cramps in the corners. course of time had the effect of fracturing the stones. Experience in this practice does not seem to have taught wisdom, for, even at the present day, the mistake of using iron in similar positions has frequently led to like results. We owe,to Germany the discovery of the process by which fusible iron could be smelted from the ore. It probably arose from the gradual improvement of the blowing apparatus, by which the old blast bloomeries were transformed into blast furnaces. Cast iron was unknown prior to the middle of the sixteenth century. About 1550 the German system, above alluded to, was introduced into England, where there already existed great facilities in the enormous quantity of scoriz accumulated about the
8
BLACKSMITHING.
ancient bloomeries and in the abundance of timber for- fuel. Progress in ‘the art was so rapid that castiron ordnance was an article of export from England early in the seventeenth century. As the art of casting made progress, the art of the smith declined. Th,: cheapness of cast iron and the facility with which it could be manipulated, led to its extensive use in every department of life. In 1735, the problem of smelting iron with pit coal was successfully solved, but it was not until within a very recent period that the advantages of iron on any great scale developed themselves. Down to the commencement of the present century the casting of iron pipe was so difficult and costly an operation, that in schemes for the supply of water to towns, wooden pipes were adopted for the mains. In 1777 the first experiment was made with iron as a material in bridge building. At present scarcely a bridge of any importance is constructed 6f other material. Having thus glanced hastily at the progress of manufacture and the use of iron from the earliest historical periods to the present time, the inquiry comes up, what is to be its influence in the future? That it will contribute materially to aid man’s power over the elements of nature is certain, but the moral results which are likely to follow lie beyond our All true designs arise out of construction. province. Every style which has. attained any eminence owes
RLACKS~~ITHING.
9
its effect to the adoption of its essential parts as sources of beauty rather than an attempt to conceal them. The use of iron in any construction or design is a source of power and effect, put into the hands ot the architect for good or for evil. The Strength of Wrought
Iron and Steel.
There is something very interesting, but not altogether as yet understood, in the behavior and strength of iron and steel when loaded. It is all very well to institute certain tests to find the number of pounds it requires to break a piece having a sectional area of one square inch, and from this pronounce what is the strength of the iron ; because, with our present knowledge and appliances, it is all we can do, and a test of some kind is of course imperative. It is a curious fact, however, that the strength of a piece of iron or steel varies according to the manner in which the load is applied, If the metal receives its load suddenly, it will break under a less weight than if the load comes on slowly and gradually increases ; and the difference is not a minute one either, for it is as great as 20 per cent under the two extremes of conditions. One of the most eminent constructing engineers in this country stated not long since, in reply to a question, that he would makeas much as 20 per cent difference in the strength of two beams to receive the same load, one to have
IO
BLACKSMITHING.
the load suddenly, and the other to have it gradually applied. From this it is a fair and reasonable deduction that if the load, when applied, caused vibration, the beam would require still greaterdimensions to be of equal strength, because vibrations are simply minute movements, and, in the case of horizontal beams, on moving downward increase the pressure of the load. 4 short time since some experiments were made to ascertain the strength of iron and steel wire, two specimens of each size of wire being used, one just as the iron came from the mill and the other an annealed specimen. The wires were suspended vertically, and a certain weight, as say IO lbs., was hung on them. Then in some cases a $lb. weight per day was added, in others I lb. per day, in yet others the weights were increased as fast as they could be put on, and in every instance it was found that the breaking strains increased according as the time between the increases of weight was made longer, the amount varying from IO to 20 per cent. The failure of the boiler plates of elicited some interthe English steamship Ltiadiu esting facts and strange opinions upon the behavior The facts concerning these of low-grade steel. plates are given below. The boiler was 14 feet 3 inches diameter by 16 feet long. The plates were 3A-inch thick, lap-jointed and treble riveted. The plates were all punched, then slightly heated
-
BLACI<SMITHING.
II
and bent to shape, afterwards put together, and the rivet holes reamed out to size. While under this treatment one of the plates fell out of the slings on to an iron plate and was cracked right across the rivet holes. Naturally this gave some anxiety, but after the plates were all in the boiler itself, they cracked across the rivet holes in nearly all directions; that is, many of them did. Investigation was immediately set up, chemically and mechanically, when it appeared, as nearly as could be ascertained, that although the stock was good of which the plates were made, it had not been thoroughly worked under the hammer before rolling. Dr. Siemens, the inventor of ~the process which bears his name, asserts that annealing plates, either before or after working (punching), is of no advantage ; tending, if anything, to injure rather than benefit the materials. Many practical men, however, hold views in opposition to Dr. Siemens on this question.-& JOSHUA ROSE. The Rotting and Crystallization
of Iron.
I noticed an article lately, in which an iron worker, who claims an experience of fifty years in his trade, says that iron rots as well as crystallizes under strain and jar. The latter part~of this statement is correct in degree only. The springs of vehicles
I2
BLACKSMITHING.
deteriorate by use and excessive strain, but not to the extent which the writer of the article I refer to represrnts, as the springs of thousands of old vehicles will attest, in which not a leaf is broken, although the remainder of the gear is worn out. And although iron may be crystalline in the fracture it does not lose its tensile strength to any great extent, unless under a very great strain or jar, as in the case of quartz-mill stamp stems, which are lifted and dropped about once a second, are run night and day, including Sundays, and even then will stand several years of this ,hard usage before breaking. The danger of iron losing its tensile strength is greatly exaggerated in the article in question. If it were not so people would be afraid to go over and under the Brooklyn bridge. The statement that iron rots is absolutely untrue, and if the cfowbars referred to in the article mentioned would not weld readily, and had a bad smell when heated, the odor was from the sulphur and phosphorus which the iron contained, and which was present in the iron when it was made, like much of the first iron in early attempts at iron making by using stone coal. The iron did not absorb, it could not have absorbed sulphur and phosphorus from age or exposure to the atmosphere. The art of iron making has progressed in spite of all statements to the contrary, and iron is made smelted with stone coal, which is as good as the best
--
BLACKSMITHING.
I3
Swedish charcoal iron, and even better for some purposes, and the iron makers manufactm-e any grade of iron to suit price or purpose. When iron, by reason of long-continued strain or jar, breaks, showing a crystalline fracture, 1% chemical constituents are still the same as when it was made, and when heated and welded it will resume its fibrous appearance and its original toughness, as I know fro.?: rn..ULh practical experience in welding broken stamp stems and heavy iron axles. Rolling mills were invented about a hundred years ago, but if the practical wiseacre is in favor of the old system of laboriously pounding out a bar of iron filled with hammer marks by the trip hammer, why that settles the rolling mills of course.-@ R. R. Steei and Iron.
I have been turning in my mind some of the generally accepted theories about iron and steel, and wondering when the general public will drop the notion that the main distinguishing feat.ure between the two is that one,, will harden and the other will not. Does a piece harden ? It is steel. Is it found impossible to harden another piece? It is iron. Many people go no further than this in deciding the character of pieces under examination, and still
14
BLACKSMITIIING.
there is steel that will not harden which is almost equal to tool steel. Growing out of these wide differences between different steels and irons there is a continuous discussion and much misconception as to real facts. That a piece of Swedes iron of irregular structure, with minute seams, sand ‘streaks and impurities,, should contain sufficient carbon to harden Nor would hardly make it valuable for edge tools. would a, piece of cast-steel of the~most unexceptionable structure be of any great value for the San-2 use, in a commercial sense, if the necessary carbon were lacking. How often is heard the very positive assertion in regard to certain articles which should be made of steel and hardened, “ They are nothing but iron,” and quite recently there has a.ppeared in trade journals an article on cutlery, in which it is charged that “ table knives are made of iron, on account of the greater facility with which iron can be worked.” That cast-iron shears and scissors with chilled edges, ‘and cast-iron hammers and hatchets sandwiched in with malleable iron and steel castings, to take the place of instruments which are generally supposed to be forged from steel and hardened and tempered in the regular way, are to be found on the market is true, but when it comes to goods which are made in the regular way, we need not believe that wrought iron is used to any great extent where steel should be. That a tool is soft does not prove
BLACKSMITHING.
‘5
that it might not have been hardened to be one of the best of its kind. That a tool proves to be as brittle as glass, breaking at the very beginning of service, does not prove that the steel of which it was made was of poor quality, for, properly treated, it might have been hardened to be of the very best. In this matter of deciding as to the merits of steel there is too much of jumping a; conclusions, and so the self-constituted judges are continuallycaiied upon No decision would be to reverse their decisions. considered TV be in order on a matter of law until the evidence was all in, and not till the evidence was iaid before a judge and jury wou!d they be asked to render No more can a man expect to decide offa decision. hand the character of steel, for what may be attributed to poor quality may be due to bad condition caused by unfair treatment, while to know what would have been fair treatment one must know the quality of steel. Much stress is put upon the fact that only certain brands of imported steel are used by scme American manufacturers, who tell us ,that a’they can depe~nd upon it every time-well, nearly every time,” and that “they don’t have to be so particular about heating it. 1.f it is heated a little too hot it won’t crack, but will stand to do something. They like a little lee-way.” These men seem to think that it is just that particular brand of steel which possesses the qualities of safety of which they think so much, and we hear them say, --Is steel does this and
-
I5
BI,ACliSMITHING.
that, but you cannot do it with -----Is steel, it would fly all in pieces treated the same way.” How is it? Does anybody who has studied upon the subject a little, suppose that when a particular grade of steel of any brand has been found to be right for a certain use, while the first bar used of some other brand without reference to the grade has proved to be apparently of no value, that that settles it, or that ground is furnished for saying that the steel from one manufacturer &ows certain characteristics which the other does not ? Then, after a certain grade of any brand of steel has been settled upon as right, it will not do to condemn too broadly steel of another brand, which with she same treatment accorded to the fa,vorite steel fails, for it is quite likely that, with the different treatment which this grade of the new brand requires, it m.ight prove equally as good as the “ long-tried and only trusted steel,” or, if not of the right grade, a grade could be furnished of the new brand fully as good as the best of the old brand, while it is reasonably certain that had a change of grade without change of brand been made the result would have been much the same. Too much weight is put upon a name, . and we hear steel-workers lauding the especiaiiy good qualities of this or that steei ar.d condemning the bad qualities of o’thers, when the fact is that both the words of praise and blame apply to the grades of steel and their treatment and
.
BLACKSMITHING.
‘7
condition, not to the fact tha,t this or that was made in Pittsburg or Sheffield. The steel maker, whether he will or not, must, and does, make a variety of grades-tempers-of steel ; and upon a judicious and honest selection of the right temper for any particular use, and upon just the treatment requiredespecially in hardening-hang the desired results. “ Jessup steel doesn’t do this,‘: says one of its admirers, but a grade of Jessup’s can be had which will, without doubt. Said an enthusiastic admirer of a “special” brand of imported steel to the writer : “ That steel stands to do what no American steel will do at all; on this work-tools from iz have sfood~ to work five bnd even six hours without grinding.” A few months later this same man said, in speaking of the same work: “ The result in using tools made from the pieces of iimerican steel which you sent by mail weri: simply wonderful ; some of them stood to work without grinding two entire days of ten hours !” With steel of proper temper from reliable makers, there are possibilities of which many men who look upon stee! as steel simply, and who judge its quality in advance by the brand it bears, have never dreamed ; and of those who pride themselves on be-, ing thoroughly American, and still persist in using English steel, what can be thought, except that they have not carefully investigated to learn the merits
18
nLACliS.hfITI~ING.
of American steel ? For it is well known that for every difficult job done with English steel ,there is
Fig. r-Wrought
the equal GOODYEAR,
Iron Balustrade
done daily in the
by M. Baudrit.
with American
Age ~/Steed.
a”
of Paris.
steel.-S.
W.
RI.ACI<SXITHING.
‘9
Modern French and English Wrought Attention
possibilities
Fig. z-Wrought
ironwork.
has been ca1lt.d at different times to the in wrought &:I work in the art line,
Iron Railing
by Ratcliff
& Tyler,
of Birmingham.
and examples of work have occasionally been presented showing what~ has been done and may be
--
20
BLACKSMITHING.
Figs. I and 2 show two very done in this direction. handsome designs, Fig. I being a specimen of wrought ironwork from the establishment of M. Baudrit, of Paris. It is original in design and admirable in execution. There is a charming variety in the work, characteristic of the high productions of The lower portion is solid, as the French artists. foundation of the terminal post of a balustrade should be, but it lies on the stairs naturally and The upright piilar and hand-rail are elegantly. sufficiently massive, while the decorative portion has all the light elegance of a flower. In this country our designers are wont to draw work of this kind for execution in cast iron, and SO accustomed have we become to casting all ornamental work of a similar character that our blacksmiths scarcely know what it is possible to accomplish with the hammer and anvil. Fig. 2 is not less striking, and is an example of work in good taste for a similar purpose to that shown in the first instance. It is as unlike it, however, in character and execution as the two nations from which these two pieces of work come. Fig. 2 represents a continuous balustrade executed by Messrs. Ratcliff &Tyler, of Birming ham. An oval in the center .is very happily arranged panel fashion between the scroll work which serves The design is neither too the purpose of pilasters. ornamental nor is it poor. The connecting links of the work, including the attachments to the stairs, are
21
BLACiSMITIIING.
~~~~ct~v~. This pattern aiso, if made in very likely be executed in cast lose all those peculiar character. r It attractive, and, as at present, an example of true art workmanship. nical ingenuity of our smiths is univerb.at in artistic taste and in the rnamental work they are .very f other nati-s. setttiaag Steel
an
ma.
y read some things in relation to the are so much at variiron and steel, w
the subject, ict what the show to mechanics
e~~er~e~ces of many everyday acts, 224to prompt me to uffcr some testimony.
~.~~~~~~~~~~~ of Iron,” for under nmy be ~~~~1~~~ in a trade j~~,~r~~~of
wession
of iron ;
22
inure
BLACKSWTBINC.
I
inches long to form it. Yet the of the screw blank headed is just one inch. . . . Now, it has been proved by experialerts with shorter bits of wire that less than fives of an inch of the extra eight-sixteenths is to form the screw head. What becomes ofing more than three-sixteenths of an inch E an original I 1-2 inches that make the screw lank? There can be but one answer riven upon itself, . . . so that I r-16 inches of wire are compressed into sevenof an inch in length without increasing the of the wire.” atly contradicts the assertions of scientific after making many exhaustents, concluded that co!d working of iron ering, rolling, drawing, pressdo not increase the specific setti:~g. t in the many careful experainstaking of men, the ost accurate measureo the unquestionable tests of there has been uniformly a misconreal facts, and that experiments made nk piece of wire-possibly with a re heading, and again measuring duced by heading the same roven fact, that ordinary cold steel more dense? tlaarl
1-2
i-inch
etc.,
ravity,
BI.ACK.ShfITHING.
23
Where does the iron go, then? It goes to round up the contour of the die in which the blank is headed, that entire part of the block constituting the body, and to fill the die for the entire length of the body of the blank, through the upsetting process, to a foxiness which in solid dies defies the efforts of any best of carefully hardened and tempered steel s, from best of steel, to push out of the dies eading rivets and screw blanks, making the uestion of what steel to use for “punching out in ding,” one of the most important cong a screw-blank or rivet, the first effect y the longitudinal pressure applied is to e of wire for its entire length. The inution in length will produce an exactly proportionate increase in diameter up to the point when the e so tightly as to transfer the most of ing effect of the continued pressure to that e not encircled by the die, and then eading, which begins by increasing roportionately decreasing length, the a measure held bycontact with the die unch from lateral expansion. As the re continues, it assumes first a pear shape, simply the not necessarily written law under which r pressure yield in the dirt. ,Jon of the ~~s~s~a~c~,and soon a shoulder is formed, which, ct with the face of the die, or bottom
24
ISL.\CKS~IITIIING.
of c~~~~t~rs~~~k,dependin g upon the shape of die, the direct or entire resistance to the pressure applied has no Longer to be supplied by th ; body of the wire as But still, as the pear-shaped bulb is gradua: first. ally pressed out of that shape into the shape required in the completed Llank or rivet. a time will come when a ~ort~~fl of the superfluous metal back of the e blank, or representing the center of the hc~ad, can escape more easily in the direction of the pressure, thereby still further increasing the diameter e body of the blank, than to escape altogether in a lateral direction under the immense pressure reard the completion of the heading process. ut increasing the diameter of the wire,” it would not be possible, in any commercial sense, to do anything of the kind. Did the writer o stated as a fact that this was the rule realize the i&y of the statement which he virtually hat over 17% per cent of the wire enody of the blank described by him lost. if. as he says, the diameter remains unsome carefully conducted experiments sprove the truth of the assertion, which ten made, that cold swaging did increase the +y of steel, but which was denied by g learned by actual experiment that ng did not, felt sure that the effect ~w~~~~~ would be the same as that of other
BLACKSMITHING.
25
methods. My experiments were made with pieces of steel rod, each two feet in length, by reducing them by cold smaging until they were nearly tight feet long, and, having first carefully measured the’ original length and diameter, the increased length and decreased diameter was to show by measurement whether the specific gravity had been increased by swaging. I have not the figures at hand, but they showed on my side ; still, when I presented them to my opponents, they met me with the statement that ‘I there was too little difference to talk about, and, if my measurement had been absolutely correct, I had established nothing further than to appear to show the exception, which proved the rule. Cold working did not increase density; this was a well-known principle.” Well, it was not much. The fraction of an inch which showed the difference in length of pieces from what they should have been, had the specific gravity remained unchanged, was represented by a figure in the third or fourth place in decimals, not much like the 0.1875= 3-16 of an inch, which the writer from whom we have quoted would have us believe was lost from I 54 inches in length, when it is considered that in my experiments there were pieces sixtyfour times as long in which lost metal might hide, and still not more than the one-hundredth part as much had hidden in the eight feet as is claimed for 1% inches. Some facts are hard to swallow unless dressed up
26
BLACKSMITHING.
to appear reasonable. “ Upsetting iron,” as applied to heading, cannot be easily upset by anybody who will take the time to compare diameters and specific gravity of wire before heading with those of headed blanks. “ Upsetting steel ” is spoken of by some persons, whose information on the subject of steel working is very extensive, as one of the most’ pernicious of practices, and, by the way the subject is treated, one might suppose that they fully believed that steel was made up of fibres, which must be always worked in one direction. Steel is of a crystalline nature-not fibrous-and such of it as will be ruined by upsetting within reasonable limits, the operation being performed intelligently, is not good, sound steel. Pursuing the subject of heading, I can testify that in the days when our grandfathers worked steel I made heading dies of two inches diameter by upsetting I%-inch octagon steel, which stood to do as much work as any that I could ma.ke from steel of other shape and size Of hundreds which were made in this way, I do not remember that seams or cracks If the resulted from upsetting in a single instance. steel was sound, and the work in upsetting was SO distributed as to affect all parts of the mass alike, why should they ? As to upsetting cold chisels, strips of sheet-steel, iron, or pieces of steel of any shape which are SO slender as to double up like straws from the power
BLACKSMITMING.
27
of the blow, there are not enough blacksmiths wasting time and injuring steel in that way to call for any protest. Steel is hammered with a view to improve it many times, in th’ese latter days, in a manner so much like that in vogue with the “ old chaps” that it is a wonder that so many of them have ceased from labor without ever having been told that they had l‘ monkeyed ” steel. ‘Well, if the devil has only ‘got those smiths who hammered cold steel, there are not many smiths in his ranks yet. Heating steel as hot as it will bear and working it while hot, with injunctions not to try to draw cold steel, never to upset, may be construed to mean: hot as is best for steel, no hotter ; not cold. but continue hammering till the grain of the steel is well closed up and finer for hammering at a low heat than it could possibly be made if the hammering was all done while the steel was hotter. It don’t seem that everybody does write in the papers against heating steel too hot, and nobody can come to the conclusion that half the trouble is caused by too little heat, if his experience and opportunities for observation have been the same as mine. What a difference it makes where a chap, old or young. stands to look at a thing. But I am off the track. Upsetting steel is the question. The screw blanks which were headed in the upset dies were threaded with rotary cutters. These cutters may be described as a section of a worm gear, the shape of tooth being that of the space between threads on a
28
RLACKSMITIIING.
wood screw, and the cutter having a rotary motion in keeping with the rotary motion of the screw and with its own longitudinal motion as it traversed the length of the screw which it cut. The b st of steel, accordin:: to our best judgment, was used for thuscutters, but running through many of the best brands, from “ Jessup’s” to “ Hobson’s Choice Extra Best,” these cutters did not stand as it seemed they ought to do. I was anxious to try 3 high grade of a certain brand, of which I could get none of the right size till it could be imported (this was in the I hid some days of the old chaps-grandfathers). one-half of an inch or five.eighths of an inch round ; the cutters were to finish round, over three-fourths of an inch diameter. I could not wait, so I made some cutters by upsetting the steel which I had. These cutters stood to do five times the work of the cutters I had been using ; and, willing to “let well enough alone,” I continued using the same size of steel and upsetting. I once had for my job the lathe work on the hook for the Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine. As it came to me it was nothing more nor less than a round-headed steel bolt, made in just the same way that a blacksmith would make any solid headbolt, by drawing a body to pass through the heading tool and upsetting the head. After this lapse of timethirty years-I can hardly be expected to remember the character of each particular hook, but I do not
BLACKSMITIIING.
29
remember that one of them was unsound as a result of upsetting. If steel gets too much work in one part and not ,enough in another, in any;direction, hot or cold, it is likely to get broken LIP. Upsetting need not take all the blame. How much difference in fracture does anyone suppose will be found between breaking a bar of steel crosswise and breaking a piece of the same length of the width of the bar the other way of the grain? Cut two pieces of steel, each two inches long, from a two-inch square bar and draw one of them down to one inch square, or eight inches long in the direction of the length ; draw the other piece to the same size and length by upsetting at every other blow, or drawing crosswise. Who believes that the tool made from this last piece will be inferior to the one made the right sway of the grain ? Some bars of steel, and steel for some uses, can be improved by the work which they can get on a smith’s anvil. Some bars of steel, and steel for some uses, will be injured by the same treatment. When it is necessary or desirable to use the center of a bar of steel, and it is found to be in a coarse condition by reason of having been brought to shape and size by blows disproportioned to its cross-section, there is, perhaps, no better way of improving the grain at and near the center of the bar than to upset, and alternate the upsetting with work from the outside of the bar. Upsetting is not a cheap, easy or desirable thing to
/ 30
BLACKSMITHING.
do,, and is not likely to be resorted to often except a when necessity compels ; but I see no use in making a bugbear out of it, when, if properly done, there is no harm in it, and in some cases actual good is done by it. It does not at least break up the center of the bar, as b!ows at right angles with its axis often do ; and, after seeing, as I have, thousands of good cutters made by upsetting. for uses requiring the utmost soundness and best condition of steel, I do not like to see the process tabooed without saying a word in its favor.-S. W. GOODYEAR, in T/le American MaChilzid.
Heating Steel in the Blacksmith’s
Fire.
In heating steel, two faults are especially to be guarded against. First, over-heating ; secondly, unequal heating of the parts to be operated eon (whether by forging or tempering). Referring to the first, many blacksmiths do not recognize that steel is burned unless it falls to pieces under the hammer blows, whereas that condition is only an advanced stage of the condition designated as &U-E& This is the secret of their partial failure, or, that is to say, of the inferiority of their work. Others recognize that from the time a piece of steel is over/zeatea’, to its arrival at the stage commonly recognized as &mt, a constant deterioration is taking place. In the practice of some, this excessive heating may be carried to so small a degree as not to be dis-
BLACKSbIITIIING.
31
cernible, except the tool be placed in the hands of an operator whose superior knowledge or skill enables him to put it to a maximum of duty, less skillful manipulators being satisfied with a less amount of duty. But in the case of stone-cutting tools especially, and of iron cutting tools when placed in the hands of very rapid and expert workmen, the least overheating of the tool will diminish its cutting value as well as its endurance. A piece of steel that is burnt sufficiently to break under the forging hammer, or to be as weak as cast iron, will show, on fracture, a coarse, sparkling, granulated structure, and this is the test by which working mechanics, generally, But it is judge whether steel is burned or not. totally inadequate as a test to determine whether the steel has not suffered to some extent from overheating. Indeed, although the grain becomes granulated and coarse in proportion as it is overheated, yet it may be so little overheated as to make no visibZe dzjference z’lt the grain of the fmctzbre. aZthozdgh very PZaizCy PerceptibZe in the working of the tool, zjI @aced ilt the had of a thorouqh/y good wor&man.
When the results obtained are inferior, it is usual to place the blame on the steel, but in the case of well-known brands of steel, the fault lies, in ninetynine cases in a hundred, in over-heating, either for the forging or for the tempering. In determining from the duty required of it,
.
32
BLACKSMITI~IING.
whether a tool comes up to the highest standard of excellence, the best practice must be taken as that standard. Thus, if it is a metal cutting tool, as, say, a lathe tool, let the depth of cut be that which will reduce, at one cut, say, a four-inch wrought-iron shaft down to 354 inch diameter, the lathe making, say, 16 revolutions, while the tool travels an inch, making from 25 to 30 revolutions per minute. r these conditions, which are vastly in excess of uty usually assigned in books to lathe tools, the tool should carry the cut at least four feet along the shaft ~~it~o~t requiring griizding. If the tool is for stone work, let it be tested by the most expert and expeditious workman. These instructions are necessary because of the great difference in the quantity of the work turned out in the usual may and that turned out by very expert workmen. At what particular degree of temperature steel b~~~~s to suffer from overheating cannot be defined, because it varies with the quality of the steel. The er degree of heat sufficient to render the steel to forge properly and not deteriorate in the fire is usually given as a c/te~y rett, but this is 00 vague for entirely successful manipulain practice, covers a wide range of temperature. The formation of scale is a much better en the scales form and fall off of themselves, the steel, in fine grades of cast steel, is over-
BLACKSMITNING.
33
heated, and has suffered to some extent, though the common grades of spring or machine steel may permit sufic;ent heat to have the scale fall off without the steel being worked.. As a rule, the heat for tempering should be less than that for forging, and should not exceed a blood red. There are special kinds of steel, however, as, for example, chrome ich require peculiar heating, and in using them strict attention should be paid to all instructions given by the manufacturers. Steel should be heated for forging as quickly as compatible with securing an even degree of heat al! thrqugh the part to be forged, and heated as little If this is not done the edges as possible elsewhere. or thin parts become heated first, and the forging blows unduly stretch. the hottest parts, while the cooler parts refuse to compress ; hence a,sort of teartakes place, instead of the metal moving ng uniformly. The steel should’ be turned over and over in the fire, and taken frequently from the fire, not only to nst overheating, but because it will cool the tend to keep the heat uniform. may be given a full blast until the steel begins to assume redness at the edges or in rts, when the blast must be reduced. n part is heating too rapidly it may through t!ie fire into the cooler coals or taken out and cooled in the air or in water,
34
BLACKSMITHING.
but this latter should be avoided as much as possible. When the steel is properly heated, it should be forged as quickly as possible. Every second of time is of the utmost importance. There must be no hesitation or examining while the steel is red-hot, nor should it be hamtiered after it has lost its redness. There is, it is true, a common impression that by lightly hammering steei while black-hot it becomes impacted, but this only serves to make the steel more brittle, without increasing its hardness when hardened. If the tool has a narrow edge, as in the case of a mill pick or a chisel, the first hammer blows should be given on those edges, forging them down at first narrower than required, because forging the flat sides will spread the edges out again. These edges should never be forged at a low heat ; indeed, not at the lowest degree of red heat, or the steel at the outer edge is liable to become partly crushed. What is known as jumping or upsetting-that is, forging the steel endways of the grain should be because it damages the steel. k steel loses its temrxrature, the blows should be delivered lighter, especially upon the edges of the steel. The hammer blows for drawing out should have a slight lateral motion in the direction in which the steel is to be drawn, so that the hammer face, while
BLACKSMITHING.
35
meeting the work surface, fair and level, shall also draw the metal in the lateral direction in which the face of the hammer is moving at the moment of impact.-& JOSHUA ROSE, M.E. Testing Iron and Steel. The English admiralty and “ Lloyds”’ surveyor’s tests for iron and steel are as follows : Two strips are to be taken from each thickness of plate used for the internal parts of a boiler. Onehalf cf these strips are to be bent cold over a bar,
Fig. S-Clamping in a Steam Hammer for the Purpose of Bending.
the diameter of which is equal to twice the thickness of the plate. The other half of the strips are to be heated to a cherry red and cooled in water, and, when cold, bent over a bar with a diameter equal to three times the thickness of the plate-the angle to
BLACKSMITHING. menting
or~~lt~iiilg~~
up
0~: the
63
~i;ie~ ;s necessary,
aiid
llie
saving in my coal-bill for one month amounts to more than the cost of the fire-pot.---&) J. McL. BLACKSMITH
COAL.
Though little is said regarding the coal used in a blacksmith shop the subject is one well worthy the attention of all interested in the ivorking of iron. The three coals in use are charcoa1, anthracite and bituminous. For all purposes charcoal is the best, but its drawbacks are such as to curtail its use. These are the cost and the time needed to secure the proper combustion. Except in extreme cases, it is not likely to come in use again, and the blacksmith must therefore depend upon the mineral coals. Bituminous coal possesses more of the essentials requisite than the anthracite? but the quality is an important matter. Some is more gaseous than others; then, too, there is the oily coal, and that charged with an excess of sulphur ; in others there is a great deal of earthy matter. All these faults exist, and they do much toward retarding the work of the blacksmith if they are not guarded against. It is not many years ago when all blacksmith coal was imported, but the Cumberland coal of this country is without doubt the best that can be procured. It is remarkably free from earthy matter, ignites quickly and gives a powerful heat. Anthracite “ dust,” as the fine siftings are designated, works well if the blast
BLACKSMITKING.
64
is aii right, but, no matter how fine it is, it does not run together and make the close fire of the Cumberland. It also contains greater quantities of sulphur, Coke has which operates to the injury of the iron.
SIZE OF SHOP
FIG.
SO.-PLAN
OF
SHOP
CONTRIBUTED
BY
“D.
F. H.”
been used to a good advantage where the fire-bed is large and the blast strong, but it does not lie close, and unless the blast is kept up it smoulders and fouls.
BLACKSMITHIi’iG. PI.AN
65
OF A SHOP.
I inciose you a sketch, Fig. 30, of my shop, which I think a very good one for a country place. The forge is a home-made article of tank iron, 354 feet in diameter, the bed being filled with brick and sand. The bellows are hung overhead, and are connected with the forge by a tin tube. A place is made in front for coal. I have a fire alarm that I am intending to connect with the house, about 30 feet away. -By D. F. H. PLAN
OF SMITH
SHOP
IN
A NEW
YORK
CITY
CARRIAGE
FACTORY.
Fig. 31 makes the arrangement of forges, anvils, benches, etc., quite plain. The style of forge used in this shop is shown in Fig. 32. It consists essentially of an oblong iron pan, a hole in the bottom of which communicates with the tuyere, contained in the box-like appendage clearly shown in the engraving. The entire structure is supported on four legs, made in the shape of angle iron. A long, narrow compartment at the end of the forge contains fuel, while a second compartment of about the same shape and size conta~ins water, thus putting it in a much more desirable position and in more convenient shape for use than the old tub so common in country shops. Attached to the outside of the water-trough is a small, square bench, to
BLACKSMITHING.
FIG.
31.~sbum
SHOP
IN
A NEW
YGRK
CARRIAGE
FACTORY,
67
BLACKSMITHING.
which is fastened an ordinary machinist’s vise, as may be seen by the engraving. This forge possesses important advantages over the common brick forge. It occupies considerably less space, without lessening the capacity for work.
FIG.
32.~-IMPROVED
STYLE
OF
FORGE.
Its construction admits of the shop being kept clean around it, which alone is a feature of sufficient importance to warrant its introduction. Its probable cdst is about the same as that of a brick forge. The fact that it is portable, however, gives it a claim for It is asserted by preference in this particular.
68
BLAC~~S~~IT~~~~~~~.
those who have used this forge, and who have also worked at the common brick forge, that it will save its own cost in a single year, in convenience over the The position of the water-trough is an imlatter. It is true that a water-trough of portant feature. similar construction and arrangement might be attached to a brick forge, but not with the same facility. The character of the material, brick, would necessitate a thick surrounding wall, which would render the arrangement at once somewhat awkward in appearance, and in comparison with the iron forge quite inconvenient. A rack for supporting the ends of bars of iron in the process of heating is so arranged as to swing clear, under the forge, and yet to be ready whenever required. The brace or leg shown in the engraving is long enough to support this rack in any position that may be required. The tool bench employed in this shop consists of a heavy wooden frame, proportioned somewhat to the load it is to carry and the use that is to be made of it. See Fig. 33. A shelf in the lower part, located but a few inches above the floor, is used as a receptacle for odd tools, bits of iroil, and the general accumulation to be met with around any blacksmith’s fire. The sides on the upper part are carried several inches above the top and are surmounted by an iron guard, which extends outward and is continued threequarters of the way around the bench, thus forming
69
BLACKSMITHING.
an opening through which the handles of the various By referring to Fig. 32 all t~ools may be dropped. these particulars will. be made clear. The top of the bench is also perforated Ly two slots and by sundry odd holes, into which tools are
FIG.
33.-IMPHGVED
TOOL
BENCH.
dropped. A small guard extends across the front of the bench, on a level with the top; answering a similar purpose. To aid those who may wish to construct a similar bench a top view is shown in Fig, 34, and another one of the side or end as shown in Fig. 35, upon each
BLACKSMITIIING.
70
of which dimensions are given in such a way as to enable any one to work from them if desired.
FIG.
34.-TOP
FIG.
35.~END
VIEW
VIEW
OF
OF
WORK
BENCH.
WORK
BENCH.
_-
71
BLACKSMITHING.
Fig. 36 shows a style of smoothing-plate or smoothing bench in use in this shop, which, it is claimed, answers a very satisfactory purpose, and would constitute amost useful adjunct for any blacksmith’sshop. A heavy wooden frame suppqrts a cast-iron plate, ,a
FIG.
36.-SMOOTHING
BENCH.
section of which is shown in Fig. 37, and which is something like an inch and ahalf or two inches thick. This plate is made quite smooth on its upper surface. For straightening up various light irons used in
FIG.
37.-SECTIONAL
VIEW
OF
SMOOTKING
PLATE.
wagon and carriage .work, it serves a useful purpose. Fig. 38 shows an adjustable trestle used for supA screw in the center porting the ends of vehicles.
BLACKSMITHING.
72
raises the upper bar to any desired height, while the guides at the s,ide, by means of holes in them, and pins to fit, give it stability at whatever height. it is The upper bar is padded to prevent scratchplaced. ing. The entire construction is light y~et strong. A
PLAN
OF
A
BLACKSMITH
I find the arrangements
FIG.
38.-ADJUSTABLE
SHOP.
of the shop I am about to
TRESTLE;
describe very convenient, and, with the aid of the illustration, Fig. 39, they can be very easily understood. B is the floor for plow A denotes the shdeing floor. C is the machine and wagon floor. D is the work. front door, which opens outwardly. E is a side
73
BLACKSMITHfNG.
I
F
T T
B
FIG.
39.-PLAN
OF
“J.
E.
M.‘?,”
BLACKSMITH
SHOP.
i4
BLACl<SMITHING.
door that slides. F is another sliding door. 15 i%a double forge. HH are No. I Root blowers. 1 is a vise post. J is a bolt cutter. K is a drill. L are iron shears that will cut r-inch square iron. Mis the vise bevel. NN are tool benches. 00 are anvils. P is a mandrel. Q is the swedge block. RR are windows. S is an erecting bench. TT are VVVVV are pins for vises. U is the chimney. iron. X is the tire sprinkler. In the west gable there are two windows, and in the east gable one. The platform in front of the shop is 12 x 24 feet. That on the south side is 12 x 12 feet. Both are of 2 inch plank. The sides of the shop are 9 feet high. The roof is onethird pitch. Th e sh op is 24 feet wide and 44 feet long. The forges are open underneath, and the blowers tznat set T%‘i.4,, uk UL-l tL,, LkILtIt are connected with the tuyere by gas-pipe passing through the base of the chimney. A good hand w;‘l earn for me a dollar a day more with these blowers than with tLe best 36-inch bellows I ever owned.--By J. E. 31. CARE
OF
THE
SHOP.
To do good work one must have good tools, as it is impossible for a smith to forge his work smooth unless his tools are in good order. It is likewise necessary for him to have good coal; but with a
BLACKSMITHING.
7.5
shop conveniently arranged, and with perfect tools and the best of coal, there is much which depends upon the way in which they are used that determines the character of work and the relative economy with which work is performed. There is no other branch of carriage makmg that requires so much skill as that of the smith. This is because he has no patterns, like the wood-workman, and is under the necessity of shaping all irons by his eye. A smith hzs more to endure than any other mechanic, for if there is anything wrong about~a job the smith is sure to get the blame, whether it be his fault or not. The strength and durabiiity of a buggy, for example, depends principally upon the blacksmith. If smiths would go to work and wash their windows, clean out behind their bellows, pick up their scrap that lies promiscuously about the shop, gather up the bolts, etc., they wo&i be surprised at the change that it woui2 make, not only in the general appearance of their shop, but also in the ease and convenience of doing work. One great disadvan,tage under which most smiths labor is the lack of light. Frequently blacksmith shops are stuck down in a basement or in some remote corner of a building. It is a fact, whether it be disregarded or not, that it is easier to do good work in a clean, welllighted shop than in one which is disty and dark. A word about economy in work, for the benefit of the younger men in the trade especially. Don’t throw away a bolt or clip because a nut strips; but go to _.$
1
BLACKSMITHING.
76 work and bolts that scrap are attention
tap out a new one and fit a new nut. Old are sound and that are often thrown in the just as good for repairs as new. Careful to these points will make a material differ-
FIG.
40.-A
HANDY
WORK
BENCH.
ence in the expenses of the shop in the course of time.-& B. P. A
HANDY
WORK
BENCH.
The plan of a work bench shown in Fig. 40 shows a very handy arrangement for tools. The legs and top are of hard-wood. Birch is very good. The ends, back and open space in the bottom are boarded up on the inside. The height of the legs is 2 feet IO inches, length of body 4 feet 4 inches,
77
BLACKSMITHlNG.
width of end I foot ; inches. The tops can project at the ends to suit your taste. Three drawers, 5 3-4 x I I inches, are on the left side. On the right there are three 5 3-4 x I I inches and two a 1-4 x I I inches. The middle drawer is 2 1-4 x 7 1-2 inches. I hinged a strip up and down the ends, so two padlocks would lock all the drawers except the middle one. Bolt the vise in the center of the bench, and it will be found
FIG.
,$I.-PERSPECTIVE
VIEW
OF
Such a bench very convenient. over ten dollars.--By H. A. S. BLACKSMITH’S
TOOL
TOOL
ought
BENCH.
not to cost
BENCH.
Inclosed I send drawings of a tool bench, such as is used by me, which I think handy in all respects,
78
BLACKS~III‘HIiXG,
The bench was made originally from an old box that had been lying around our shop for some time. Fig. 42 shows how the box has been adapted to the purpose. The size of the box was 2 feet 8 inches square, and
P-------FIG.
42.-SIDE
FIG. 43.-PROFILE
VIEW
VIEW
OF
2’s BENCH,
OF BRACKET.
? SHOWING
DI,MENSIONS.
FIG.44.-TOP
VIEW
OF BENCH.
19 inches high. Four posts or legs were attached, as indicated in Fig. 41. One board was~taken off from the end of the box, and out of it ‘was made the shelf
79
BLACKSMITHING.
shown in perspective, in Fig. 41. This left the opening into the box below the shelf. In -the box I keep my punches, heading tools, etc.; on the shelf I keep cold chisels, gouges, punches and pins. Below the box on the right-hand side I have placed a drawer in which I keep papers, slate pencils, chalk and new files. This is provided with a lock not shown in the sketch. Fig. 42 of the accompanying sketches represents a side view of the bench, and also shows the f
la FIG. 45.~IRONS FRAME
BY WHICH
IS FASTENED THE BENCH.
THE TO
FIG. 46.-THE
IRON FRAME EXTENDING AROUND TOP OF BENCH.
shelf A in profile. The different dimensions are indicated in figures upon this sketch. Fig. 43 shows a profile of the iron which forms the brackets that support the shelf. Fig. 44 is a top view of the bench. AA represent the front where the bottom swedges are placed. BBR shows the position of the handle swedges. Fig. 45 presents, the shape of the two irons which hold the frame shown in Fig. 46 to the bench,
80
BLACKSMITI4ING.
a general view of which is also afforded by Fig. 41. Fig. 46 represents an iron frame which goes entirely around the bench, and serves as a rack for tools. It The two irons shown is made of 5-8 inch oval iron. In fasin Fig.45 are made of 7-16 x 3-16 steel tire. tening these two irons to the frame, the hooks come on the underside, so as to bring the frame level with the bench.-By Now AND THEN. A CONVENIENT
WORK-BENCH.
The dimensions of the work bench shown in sketch, Fig. 47, are, length 16 feet, width 32 inches,
FIG.
47.--A
WORK-BENCH
DKSIGNED
BY “ I,. S. T.”
It contains sixteen to height about the usual. twenty drawers and twelve to sixteen boxes that and are six inches extend through its length These boxes are for iron bars square or larger. such as 1-4, 5-16, 3-8, 7-16, 1-2, 9-16, 5-8, 7-8, round,
81
BLACKSMITHING.
and other light irons. The drawers may be used for horseshoes, nuts, washers, etc., etc.--By L. S. T. HOME-MADE
PORTABLE
I made asmall portable
FIG,
&---HOME-MADE
FORGE.
forge a i;hort time since, as
PORTABLE
FORGE.
shown in sketch, Fig. 48. In size it is two feet square and three feet high ; it is niade entirely irf ,Mtitid ; the bellows are round and are sixteen and a hx!f inches in size. I covered them wit’ri the best shec;:skin I
j
82
BLACKSMITHING.
The bed of the forge-consists of a box could get. It is supported by corner posts, all six inches deep. Through the center of the as shown in the sketch. bottom is a hole six inches in diameter for the tuyere ; this is three inches in outside diameter and The bed is lined with brick is six inches high. and clay. I find by use that it does not heat through. The bellows are blown up two half circles with straps from a board running across the bottom, all of which will be better understood by reference to the sketch. In addition to protecting the bed by brick and clay, the tuyere is set through a piece of sheet iron doubled and properly secured in place. The hood which surmounts the forge was made out of old sheet iron, and has been found sufficient for the purpose. The connection between the tuyere and the bellows is a tin pipe.-By S. S. IMPROVED
BLACKSMITH’S
TUYERE.
Perhaps it would not come amiss if I gave you a sketch of a tuyere I am using and have had in use for twenty-five years. It works entirely satisfactory up For example, it will anto a certain size of work. swerfor the lightest work, and weld up to about a fourinch bar, andis made complete, or the castings only are furnished by the Pratt & %Vhitney Company, of Hartford, Conn., who are using it in their own shops. It consists, as will be seen from the accompanying sketch, Fig. 4g1 o.f a wind-box A, supported on brick-
83
BLACKSMITHING.
work which, forms an ash-pit G ,beneath it. To th~is box is bolted the wind-pipe B, and at its bottom is the slide E. In an orifice at the top of A is a triangular and oval breaker D, connected to a rod operated by the handle C. Thi.s rod is protected from the filling, which is placed between the brick-work and the shell F of the forge, by being encased in an iron
FIG.
49.-SHOWS
POSITION
“J.
T.
B.‘S”
TUYERE
ON
THE
FORGE.
pipeI. The blast passes up around the triangular ,oval piece D. The operation is as follows : When D is rotated, it breaks up the slag gathered about the wind passage or ball in taking a heat, and it falls At any time after a heat the into the box below. slide E may be pulled out, letting the slag and dirt fall into the ash-pit beneath. A sectional view is seen in Fig. 50. It is a great advantage to be able to clear the fire while a heat is on without disturbing
BLACKSMITHING.
84
the heat. You will see that there is nothing to get out of order, and as a matter of fact the tuyere will last fifteen years or more. The top of the wind-box is two inches thick and the sides $ inch thick ; it weighs altogether about sixty pounds.--By J. T. B. THI? Prize Essay written
SHOP
OF HILL
& DILL.
for the Carriage Builder’s
National
Association.
The carriage shop that produces one hundred new vehicles annually, without steam or power machin-
FIG. 50 IS A SECTIONAL
VIEW
THROUGH
SLAG
BREAKER
D.
ery, has joined the “Society of the CbsoIe,te,” but the shop of about that capacity without power, which makes repairing its chief dependence, and builds enough new vehicles to keep the shop open and the help at work through seasons when repairing is dull seems to have or ought to have a place in thelndustrial economy of mankind. To such an establishment Messrs. Hill & Dill have pinned their indus-
T.
BLACKSMITMING.
85
trial faith and their sign-board. They cater to the wants of those who desire special vehicles out of the They build extra wide carusual line of ;ale work, riages for fat people, giv e extra head and leg-room to tall people, and wekome the butcher, the baker, and the coal money-maker, when they come to order business vehicles with special features. Even the cranky doctor, minister or school superintendent, who thinks he has invenfed a vehicle which will revolutionize the business, is not frowned upon. He will probably want a good sensible Goddard to ride in after he gets through fooling with inventions. To thoroughly know the establishment, we must Mr. Hill, the capitalist of the firm, know the firm. Heisa was formerly in the livery-stable business. solid-built, shrewd, tidy-looking, affable business man. He has a large knowledge of carriages as a buyer a.nd u.ser, and paid repair bills for many years. He knows a good horse, a good carriage and a good customer at sight, and knows how to use them so as to get the.most out of them. Mr. Dill is some ten years younger than his part. net-, tall and bony, hair rather long and trousers rather short. The corners of his mouth point up ward, and he looks as though he was on the point of laughing out loud, bnt no one ever caught him in the act. He talks but little, and is endowed with excellent judgment and numerous offspring. He
86
BLACKSMITH:NC.
was formerly a body-maker, but degenerated or developed into a foreman of a repair shop. He takes I
FIG.
I
SI.-PLAN
OF
THE
BASEMENT
OF
HILL
& DILL’S
SHOP.
AAA, Closets. BBB, Benches. CCC, Forges. DD. Bolts. E, Bender. F, Bolt-cutter.
G, Sink.
H, Water-closet.~
BLACKSMITHINC.
87
the world at its best and makes the hest of his mishaps ; if he falls down he manages to fall forward, Both and rise just a little ahead of where he fell. he and his partner are liberally endowed with the instinct that leads to accumulation, as evidenced by Mr. Hill’s snug bank account and numerous blocks of real estate which he owns; and a visit to Mr. Dill’s attic and cellar would cc,nvince the most sceptical that he also “ lays up ” everything for which he has no present use. The first floor of the shop is,level with the sidewalk and the grade is such that at 60 feet from the corner there is a full-size window (24 lights, 8 5 IO in.,) the bottom of which is 3 ft. above the basement The floor, which is I I ft. 8 in. below the first floor. lot is 64 ft. on hlain st. and IJO ft. on Glen st. The shop is 54x IOO ft. It is built of brick, three stories high above the basement, and has a tlat gravThe upper’ story is IO ft. high between eled roof. the joists, the other stories and basement are IO ft. 6 in. between joists. The floor joists are all 12 in. apart to centers, 2 x 12 in; timber for the upper floor and 2 x 14 in. for the other floors except the basement, which will be explained further on. The outer walls are 16 in. thick up to the upper floor and ~2 There are two brick partitions, as in. above that. shown in the plans, 12 in. thick, one running across the shop, the other from the front to the cross partition. These run to the upper floor but not above it.
BLACKSMITHING.
88
The top story is all one room, except the elevator. It is unfinished and has the necessary posts to sup-
FIG.
C,2.--PLAN
OF
THE
FIRST
FLOOR.
AA, Closets, BBB, Benches. C, Rack.
BLACKSMITI~iING.
89
port the roof. It is used entirely for storage. The three lower floors have gas fixtures in such positions as convenience has indicated. Having described the building in a general way, we will now consider the different departments, beginning with the basement. The blacksmith shop in the east end of the basement is 40 x 41 ft., entirely above ground, and lighted on three sides by thirteen full-size windows and glass in the upper panels of the outside door. Four forges are located as shown in Fig. 51 of the accompanying cuts. The bellows are hung overhead, and the chimneys are set out from the wall enough to admit of the wind pipe going through the back of the chimney. This brings the front of the forges 6 ft. from the wall. The flues are 8 x 20 in., and the chimneys are curved back and into the wall near the top of the room. The tool benches are of the usual sort, except that at the side farthest from the anvil there is a double slot for swages, so that the top and bottom tools can be kept in pairs together. The anvils are wrought-iron. There is a smith’s and a finisher’svise for each fire, attached to the benches in convenient places. The tire-upsetter is bolted to the southeast post. A horizontal drilling machine for tires, and an upright one for other purposes, bolt cutter, tire bender, two bolt clippers, two axle seats, and numerous wrenches are among the tools of the smith shop. There is a good-sized drawer under each bench for taps and
90
BI.ACKSMITHING.
dies and other small tools, two cases of drawers for bolts and clips (located as shown on plan) and also Another convenience, and part of the “furniture.” one not usually found in a smith shop, is a set of differential pulley-blocks. They are very handy on repair work. If a heavy vehicle comes in with a spring or axle broken it can be run under one of the several rings overhead and easily raised and the broWith them one man can raise ken part removed. I :ooo Ibs., and they cost $ I 3.~0. Coat closets are provided here, as in all the other workrooms except the A clock, broom and grindstone are varnish rooms. also found here. The floor is z-inch chestnut plank laid on joists bedded in concrete. (It is the same in the wheel jobber’s room.) The remainder of the basement has a concrete floor. The northwest part of the basement is.used as a blacksmith store-room, and occasion~ally an old wagon findstits way in there. The coal-bin, rack for bar iron and tire steel, box for old scraps, place for old tire, etc., all find accommodations here. The wheel-jobber’s .room on this floor is fitted up He is required with special reference to his work. to do all the wheel work, examine and draft all wheels, old and new, before they are ironed, set the boxes, fix spring bars and axle heads, etc. He is provided with wheel horses, hub boring machines, a press for setting boxes, two adjustable spoke augers, One of these he is excutting from $ to I$ inches,
BLACKSMITRING.
91
petted to use exclusively on new spokes, the other for old work. He is supplied with bits of a!1 sizes from 3 to 1%inch to be kept and used exclusively for boring rims. He has also a dozen wood handBy having screws and a dozen iron screw clamps. a jobber near the smith shop it savesta good deal of travel to the wood shop and back. The shop is heated by steam, an.d as no steam is used for power a low-pressure IS-horse power heating boiler does the business. It is located in the basement, as It is 6 ft. z in. high, 3 ft. 9 in. shown on the plan. wide and 8 ft. 4 in. long outside of bricks, and cost It is supplied with about $500 ready for piping. water from the elevator tank on the upper floor, and, as the steam returns to the boiler after passing through the building, but little water is used. The radiating surface consists simply of coils of pipe placed against the walls in convenient places in the rooms it. is desired to heat. On the north side of the boiler, 4 in. from the floor, is our steam box for use in bending. It is a galvanized sheet-iron cylindrical affair, 8 ft. long x I ft. diameter, with the open end toward the wheel jobber. The other end is 4 It is supplied inches lower and has a drip outlet. with steam from the boiler. It is a simple, inexpensive contrivance, but as most of the hent stock is bought ready for use, it answers the purpose very well. Besides the boiler and coal bin, this part of the basement has a bin for shavings and waste wood,
BLACKSMITHING.
92 and the remainder poses.
is used for general storage pur-
.
FIG.
53~PLAN
A, Sink. B, Water-closet.
OF
THE
SECOND
C, Wardrobe.
FLOOR.
I), Paints,bench.
BLACKSMITHING.
93
The elevator occupies the position (as shown on plan) near the center of the building at the intersection of the two brick partition walls, which make two sides of the elevator shaft strong and fire-proof. The other two sides are brick, 12 in. thick from the foundation in the basement to the upper floor, and The elevator walls are con8 in. thick above that. tinued 2 ft. 5 in. above the roof, and ,provided with The shaft openings on all four sides for ventilation. The elevais covered with a metal frame skylight. tor and shaft (or, rather room), serve several purposes : First, in its legitimate and more important work of raising and lowering carriages and stock from floor to floor ; second, as a ventilating shaft ; It is a hydraulic teleand, third, as a wash room. scope elevator, run by water from the street main which passes the premises to supply the neighboring We are fortunate in being located city with water. on a street which ha,s what is known as the high service main; with a pressure of 125 lbs. to the inch. 75 lbs. wiil run it satisfactorily with 2,000 lbs. load, but not so fast. There is a tank on the upper floor to hold the exhaust water, which is forced up by the descent of the elevator. It is then carried in pipes By using for use in different parts of the building. the exhaust water for other purposes, the cost of The doorways running the elevator is quite small. are arched; the doors are made of light lumber tinned on the inside, hung on hinges (opening out-
94
BLACKSMITHING.
They close by a spring and fasten ward, of course). by a catch which cannot be released from the outside except by pressing a short lever, which,’ for purposes of safety, is placed in an unusual place near the floor. At each floor above the basement, there is a light hatch covered with tin sanding on its edge, so hung with hinges that by releasing it (which can be done from the outside) it will fall and cover the hatchway, thus cutting off draft in case of fire. The car or platform of the elevator is made of spruce lumber, and the floor is z-inch plank, laid crosswise with I-inch spaces between the planks. The floor of the shaft in the basement is concrete, concave, with an outlet near the center (the plunger is in the center) connected with the sewer and provided with a stench trap. With the elevator thus arranged, we have a wash room on every floor, and, on the first and second floors, doors opening on opposite sides The elevator shaft also serves give plenty of light. a good purpose as a ventilator, ventilation being assisted by the elevator passing up and down. The shaft is 15 x 9 ft. The show-room is in the north front corner (see Fig. 52). It is 56 x 24 ft., and has two plate-glass windows at the northwest corner. It is sheathed with good pine sheathing and Fainted like the varnish rooms, a very light drab. This room, like the office and varnish rooms, has drab window curtains of the same, shade as the paint. The furniture of this
BLACKSMITHlNG.
95
department consists chiefly of a display horse. A few harnesses ares kept for sale, and a team is kept hitched up continually. The office is in the south front corner ; it is 8 x I 7 It is ft., has two windows, and lights in the door. finished the same as the show room, but is varnished It is warmed by steam. from the instead of painted. boiler and has an ornamental radiator. It has a wash bowl connected with the water pipes and the sewer. It is finished with a desk, safe, four chairs (no lounge-none of that business done in this shop), There an umbrella stand and a couple of spittoons. are two closets in this room, one (the smaller) for coats, etc. The other has three drawers, and the This closet is for back numremainder in shelves. bers of the trade journals, drawings of vehicles it is desired to preserve, etc. The wood shop is in the northeast corner of the It is 40 x 25 ft., and has four benches, first floor. as shown on the plan. There is also a’sm~aller bench at the northeast corner of the room on which there is a saw-filing clamp and saw set. The only stove It is a sheet-iron on the premises is in this room. drum stove with a lid on top, but no door except the ash door at the ,bottom. Its principal business is It has a strong, smooth piece of warping panels; horizontal pipe with a parallel rod, $ in. iron, under which one edge of the panel may be placed while passing it around the pipe. The other furniture of
96
BLACKSMITHING.
this room consists in part of a clock and a broom, grindstone, two body-makers’ trestles, four horses, four dozen wood hand-screws, one dozen each 4, 5 and 6 in. iron screw clamps, and four long clamps to reach from side to side of bodies. The trimming room occupies the southeast corner of the first floor. It is 23 x 25 ft., and has a bench runtiing the whole length of the east side. It is large enough to accommodate three trimmers and a man to do general work, such as oiling straps, polishing plated work, helping hang up work, fitting axle washers, shaft rubbers, etc. His bench is on the north side and has a vise on it. The sewing machine is on the opposite side. There is a closet for cloth and other stock under the stairs leading to the second floor. The small room (stock room on plan) is fitted up with shelving, and part is used for trimming stock, the rest for other materials, such as varnish and color cans, sandpaper, files, etc. The paint shop occupies the entire second floor (see Fig. 53), and in case of necessity the room back of the office on the first floor can be used for such heavy Jobs as are to be done without unhanging. The room at the northeast corner is the general work-room, and contains paint bench, where paints are mixed, paint mill, press for squeezing colors out of the cans, water boses for paint brushes, coat cl&ets, etc., but there is no corner or place in this room nor on the floor suitable for a collection of paint
_.
BLACKSMITHING.
97
rags, worn sand.paper and .discarded tins. A sheetmetal can holding about a bushel is provided for this debris, and it is expected that it wiil be emptied each day. The room is shezithed overhead with g-in. m~ltched sheathing, as are also the partition waiis. The outer brick walls are. bare. The two rooms at the west end (front) are varnish rooms. Both are finished alike, sheathed with :-in. matched pine on all sides and overhead, and painted two coats very light drab with enough varnish in the second coat to give it an eggshell gloss. Each room has a ventilating flue in the wall. The furniture of these rooms consists simply of the necessary trestle, etc., on which to place the work while varnishing, cup stands and brush keepers. There is also a thermometer in each of these rooms. On the north side between the varnish room and the work room is a room into which work can be put when it is necessary to empty the varnish rooms before the work is dry enough to hang up. When not needed for this purpose it can be used for varnishing running parts or for storage; The small this room is also sheathed and painted. room at the east end is for sandpapering and all very dirty work. The workroom is 40 x 23 ft., the vs;inish rooms 25 x 24 ft. and 25 x 26 ft. respectively. The lumber shed is 20 x 40 ft. It stands at the northeast corner bf the lot. The posts are 18 ft. high. The roof is graveled and has just slope enough to carry the water off. It has four compart-
9%
BLACKSMITIII:N~.
ments on the ground, 9 ft. high, for heavy plank, and It is boarded has lofts above for lighter lumber. with matched boards, and has ample openings for air at the top and bottom of each story. The west side of the lower portion is entireiy open, and the doors to the loft above may be left open when desirable. South of this shed is a place for a fire and a stone on which to set heavy tires. The water for cooling this is brought from the smith shop by means of a rubber hose.-By WARREN HOWARD.
CHA1;‘TER RNVSLS
AND
ANVIL
IV. TCWLS.
_. HOW AIYVILS ARE MADE.“‘ “So the carpenter er,couragef1 the goldsmith, anti he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the a!Gl.”
This is the first and only mention of the anvil But it is of more remote origin found in the Bible. even than the prophet Isaiah, as we read of Vulcan forging the thunderbolts of Jupiter, and he nust, of course, have had an anvil of some s’ort !<;I rhat style of blxksmithing ; probably, however, nothing better than a convenient boulder. The anvil and the anchor are two of the oldest implements known, and for thousands of years about the only ones that have not changed in general form. The modern id wulcan ” now has a hardened steel face provided with the necessary holes for his swedges, which with the round projection at the other end terminating in a point, called the “horn,” is sufficient for every kind of work. * This article on the history, description, and manufacture of anvils will undoubtedly be found of biterest to our readers. We have taken some pains to inform ourselves on this subject in consequence of some unfavorable comments which were made on an article on the same topic which appeared in the columns of 2% BCa&smsmiGand WlweZw~z~hf a few years ago.-EDITOR.
100
BI.ACKSMITHING.
Except those made in the United Stat-:s,, every manufacturer of anvils has a body of wrought iron under the steel face. The horn also is simply of wrought iron. LVith slight modification, the method of making these has not changed for hundreds of years. The body is roughly shaped out under tilt hammers. In the better grades this is in one piece, and called “ patent,” while in the German and most Eng lish works the four corners and the horn are ‘I jumped” on in separate pieces. Though called “wrought” this is of the lowest grade of iron, adopted both on account of cheapness, and because the subsequent process of welding the steel face to it is easier than with the more refined of these materials. For the same reason only the lower grades of steel steel, are -viz., “ shear ” steel, or even “ blister” used for the face, cast steel never being used CA-I account of the greater uncertainty of a perfect weld under the hammer to a large mass of wrought iron. The common grade of English anvils and all those of German make weld the steel on in two or three pieces according to the size of the anvil ; the best English brand, however, of late years, has the face in a single piece of shear steel. For this the wrought iron mass is brought to a welding heat, as also the steel plate, the welding of which begins at one end. Four strikers swinging heavy sledge hammers to-
-
BLACKSMITHING.
IO1
gether, do this welding in portiqns of about five inches of its length at a time, and this process is continued Ly successive heatings until the whole length of the face is finished. The cutter hole and the small round hole in the tail are then punched out, the iron horn rounded off, and the whole dressed up into its finished shape at a By long years of experience at subsequent heating. this work a symmetricai, good-looking job is made. Any inequalities or imperfections in the face are taken out by grinding crosswise on a large stone, and the anvil is then ready for the final process of hardening. This i: done by reheating the upper portion to a red heat, and a stream of water is let down upon it under a ten-foot head. The temper will be more or less uniform according to the quality of the steel which has been used, and the greater or less care in the heating at the previous stages. The soft spots so much complained of by blacksmiths are due to these inequalities of the material and workmanship. The thickness of the steel use’d varies from threeeighths to three-quarters of an inch, according to the size of the anvil. The whole process is almost entirely one of manual labor and judgment. Extreme care must be used not to burn some portions of the steel during the resulting in cracked faces and welding operation, crumbling edges, which the blacksmith frequently
I02
BLACKSMITHING.
finds to his sorrow developed in his anvil, apparently of the best when neiv. A perfectly we!ded, wrought iron anvil has a clear LA “ring” when struck; otherwise it is a pretty good sign that there is somewhere an imperfection. From the nature of the operation as above described, it is evident that the size of such an anvil must be limited. They vary in weight from one hundred to five hundred pounds; the !argest ever made being one exhibited at the Philadelphia Centennial, which weighed 960 pounds. There are no wrought iron anvils made in the United States. As it is almost entirely a question of skilled manual labor, and as there has never been any but a nominal duty imposed (it is the same as on spikes, nuts, and washers), all the wrought anvils used in this country are imported from Europe. in 1847, the iate Mr. Mark Fisher, believing in the possibility of welding cast steei to a high grade of cast iron, which had up to that time been unknown, discovered a’perfect and successful process by which the two metals could be weided together in any desired dimensions. [The largest anvil in the world was made by the Fisher Eagle Anvii Works for the Centennial Exposition in 1876. Its weight was 1,6oolbs.] The value of this process for anvils was apparent, as there could thus be obtained a perfect working surface of the best quality of cast steel, capable of hard and uniform temper on a body which from its
BI,ACKSMITHIYG.
*o3
crystalline and inflexible structure would never settle or get out of shape in use -one of the defects liable to occur by continued hammering in anvi!s with a fibrous wrought iron body under the steel. It also enabled a steel working surface to be applied to the horn, which previously had be,en only oft plain iron. The first manufacture of these anvils in this country began under his patent in 1847, and though requiring many years to perfect and ests.blish this new and essentially American anvil, it is now recognized as a better article than the old-fashioned imported kind, over one-half of the anvils used in this country, it is said, being made by this process, and so certain and successful is it that they are the only ones in the market fu!ly warrante,l against breakage, settling of the face, or failure in any respect. It is need!ess to say that ordinary cast iron would not answer for a tool subject to such severe usage as an anvil. The metal employed must have a strength equal to that in gun castings, a certain elasticity to stand the strain of high heating and sudden cooling of the tempering process, and perfectly sound in all parts, Though many so-called “cast ” anvils have from time to time come upon the market, only one concern in the country, and that the original one operating under the Fisher patents, has continued to produce anvils with all the qualities described as
--
104
BLACKSMPTHING.
necessary in these tools. The mode of manufacture is naturally quite different from that of wrought iron anvils. The steel used is one piece for the face, of best tool cast steel. The anvil is cast bottom side up, having this steel, as also the steel horn, placed in the ‘(drag” or lower part of the mold. Before filling it with the metal, which is not only to form the body of the anvil, but also to effect in its passage the perfect welding required, the steel face and horn are heated to a bright color, and every part of their exposed surface is covered by the molten metal. After the necessary annealing this rough anvil is removed, trimmed, planed true, and put into its finished shape, the cutter-holes made exact, and it’is then ready,for the hardening and tempering process. This last is the crucial test, for both iron and steel must be heated to a high point and then suddeniy plunged into the cold hardening liquid. Should there be any spot between the two metals not perfectly welded, the steel will separate, or the whole anvil will crack and fly into pieces; so that if it passes this stage successfuhy it IS reasonably sure to be perfect, and therefore the makers can safeiy give a full warranty to the purchaser. Recent improvements have added much to the By extending the steel value of this make of anvil. part of the horn down into the body, all danger of
BLACKSMITHING.
105
breakage of the horn where it joins the main part is prevented. Also both edges of the steel face are made of double thickness, which prevents crumbling or splitting off of those places most exposed to severe usage, so common with the old-fashioned anvils. Two peculiarities distinguish the American from the foreign anvil. They are more solid from the crystalline structure of the body, and therefore do not bounce back the hammer or sledge, thus retaining all the effect of the blows in the piece worked on, and the steel face always retains its original true surface for the same reason. Also there is very little is sometimes 6‘ ring ” in them, and this peculiarity urged as an objection by those accustomed to the wri~!L:g’ht iron anvils. Nearly every metal trade has its special form of anvil, and differing from that of theeblacksmith-such as saw, axe, razor, silversmith, coppersmith, shovel, hoe, plough, and many others, which are simple ~blocks of iron with steel faces, made by one or the other of the two above-described distinct and opposite methods and materials. The annual importations of anvils from England and Germany into the United States exceeds one and a half million pounds. The price of all anvils is. now less than one-L@ that of former. times, when we were compelled to obtain our entire supply from foreign manufacturers
106
BLACKSMITIIING.
anil importers, and before the discovery of the process above referred to made American competition possible.-& “ EXPERT.” DRESSING
ANVILS.
The expression, “ I wish my anvil was dressed,” can be heard every few weeks in very many blacksmith shops. The work which the smith has to do oftentimes requires some little thought in the makeup of the anvil in which it is deficient, hence a considerable hammering of the ircln is required to obtain the shape wanted. I have no’ticed that nearly ali the new anvils I have seen are wrong in the design of the face. The corners of both sides toward the horn, half way the length of the face, should be ; rounded to the radius of about one-quarter of an 7 inch. This prevents the cutting of small fillets which are often- required in iron work for strength, and enables the smith to get his work near the anvil without danger of cutting the fillet;. This is a source of comfort in many cases. It is also more agreeable to scarf iron on a round corner ’ because it does not 9l brea!c it, as a sharp cut the scarf and cause it 1~0 corner does. To dress an old anvil requires some knowledge. It is necessary to know how to go about it. In the first place, if the shop is provided with a crane it will be found useful in the work to be done. The tools required to handle an anvil are two bars of 1%
BLACKSMITHING.
107
inch iron, one of them six or eight feet long and the other five feet long, according to the size and weight. The length of the bars can be chosen for the work The carrying according to the smith’s judgment. bars are pointed to fit the holes in the anvil under These holes tE- heel and horn and also the bottom. afford the most convenient way of holding an anvil either in forging it or dressing it. The construction of the fire is a most important feature of the work in hand. Throw away the fine burnt coal that is around the fire, and build the fire large enough with good, fine soft coal. Do not be afraid of using too much coal, because in rebuilding the fire there will be \Vhen plenty c;f coke, which will be found useful. the fire has obtained a good bottom, place the anvil face nearest the horn on the fire, thus heating parts Next put some fine cut pine of the face at a time. wood alongside the anvil, about 3 inches high and 8 or IO inches long, and cover it all over with soft coal. When the wood burns out there will be a hollow space around the part that is being heated, which will allow free circulations of heat and flame. By this plan it will also be possible to see into thr work through the openings made in front through Through these ,the crust of the coke or fire cover. openings ofi either side the operator can feed the fire~with broken coke as it burns away. If the top burns through, recover the burnt. parts with fine Do not let soft coal in time so that it will not fall.
-
-
108
__-
fiI.CI<S~~ITIIIYG.
the coke touch the face underneath, because it hinders the proper heating. When the anvil is hot enoi;;h, place it on the floor or block, 3s may be deemed best, and then let two men work up the sides together at the part heated with their hammers. This brings up the metal to build out the corners hi?, and also to level the roundness of the face. Smooth every part heated with the flatter or hammers as much as possible, because this lessens the work of grinding the face. 2;; a square in order to see that the work is level. Heat again along the face and 5nish. When it comes to the heel, have a square pin to drift the hole out, so that it will not be necessary to alter the tongs of the bottom tools employed in it. Round off the corners for about eight inches on each side of the horn. Further out let the corners be sharp. If a piece is broken off the corners, make a wedge of tough toe-talk steel, amply large enough to fill the space. Have a clean fire and pienty of coke to bank up with. Heat the broken 1Jart and raise up the edges with a fuller, rounded to about the size of a silver dollar, 96 of an inch thick; then, when hot enough to work, sink the chisel in far enough for the purpose and drive the steel wedge in the opening thus formed. Then heat until raft enough to work and fill up the space. Sprinkle the iron with cherry heat welding compound in such a manner that it will get between the iron and steel. Heat slowly with
BJACKS~lITIIJKG.
109
plenty of c!ean coke and flux with compound. If the heat is good there will be ‘no difficulty in morking with hand hammers. Cut off the waste on the side with a sharp chisel. If the horn wants setting up a iittle, it may be next taken in hand, as there will be sufficient coke to cover it. Do not let the point of the horn set above the level of the face, because it interferes with straightening along the iron. To heat tb.e anvil for hardening, place supports under the carrying bars when they are in the anvil. This prevents t!~;e anvil settling in the fire. Keep the coal from, the face. Build with fine kindling wood all along the sides and heel. Cover with soft coal, n?t too wet, then blow up. When .the wood is burncdup, open a hole through the back and front of the fire for circulation. When the anvil is red hot on the face it is ready to harden. Lower it in a box of water until there is about three inches over the face. A piece of chain with hooks to it, passing aroui;.,.:i the ho;.nand undernt th the heel, the point dropped through :Je hole top ::vent the chain slipping, a long bar passec through the chain loop, will be sufficient to keep the operators far enough from the steam to prevent dan:.rer from scalding. A stream of water from hose L:, the upturned face of the anvil will quickly cool it, or pails of water speedily used from Anvils are usuan extra supply bar&l will answer. ally hardened, not tempered. The grinding can be done with a travel emery wheel, or the anvil rnz~ be
II0
?T,ACKSMITHING.
hung with a rope or chain in front of the breast of a stone driven by machinery. Taken thus, it may be passed to and fro across the stone, and twisted and turned without the least inconvenience from its weight.-By C. S. SHARP
OR ROUND
EDGES
FOR ANVILS.
li Would an anvil of any make be more convenient if both edges of its face were to be rounded for one. third or one-half its length ?”
,,,,,
,‘.’ ,,
FIG.
54.~SHOWING
THE
EDGES.
It is not my desire at this time to discuss the relative merits of different makes of anvils. What I would like to know is whether, in any anvil, there is any reason for having the edges that are represented by the lines a b and c oJ, in Fig. 54 of the accompanying illustration, sharp instead of rounded to a curve of a quarter of an inch or more radius? I believe that it is impossible to forge an interior angle sharp and have the forging round. It does not matter how small the work, nor how insignificant
-
III
BL.4CKS~IITI~IING.
the shoulder that is formed by the re-entering angle, if sharp in the corner, the structure elf the iron at that point is destroyed and the forging weakened. The weakness may not at first be apparent, the forging may look well enough, for it is only in exaggerated cases that the crack or “ cut” is actually Now, if it be a fact that sharp inside corners found. in the work cannot be made safely, what possible use can there be for sharp outside edges on the anvil ? True, I have seen blacksmiths cut off excess of stock
FIG.
55.-PARTIAL
SECTIONAL
VIEW
OF
ANVIL
SHOWING
ROUNDED
EDGES.
over the edge of the anvil when their hardy was duller than the anvil ; but who will defend them in such an operation ? For my own part, I am satisF.zd not only that the sharp edges are useless, bui: that they are also destructive of good work. I cannot account for their existence except as a relic of :X time when the princiI want ples of forging were but .littie understood. both edges of my anvil rounded, not simply for a part of their length, but for their whole length. To
I12
BLACKShIITIIING.
my mind the ideal anvil of I 30 pou;~ds is one having its edges from n to b and from G to d, Fig. 54, rounded to a curve ot’ three-eighths of an inch radius (as at X, Fig. 55, which is a partial section enlarged on the line a, b, Fi.g. 54), and its edges from b to c and from n’ to f rounded to a curve of three-sixteenths or onequarter of .&II inch radius. The edge from e to f can be sharp to s.:ktisfy the unconverted.-& X. DEVICE
FOR FA:XLITATING FIFTH
THE
FORGING
OF
CLIPS
FOR
WlIEELS.
About fourteen years ago I was engaged in the manufacture of fifth wheels on a small scale, and having to devise appliances and often to extemporize means to more effectualIy facilitate matters, among other “ kinks ” l introduced the following, which has given me a good return for the trifling change it makes in the usual method of using the “ass” of the anvil. It,is well known that in the ordinary style of working this part of the anvil soon becomes imperfect or depressed, as shown at D in the accompanying illustration, Fig. 56. My plan is to drill immediately below the steei face, and about two inches from the front end of the anvil face, three 3/qinch holes, thus forming a round angled triangular hole, C, through the anvil. On removing the core left, I have a conveniently shaped hole that’will accommodate almost any size clip, and enable me to swage it very true, quick and perfect, with less effort
?
B?
113
,(:KS\IITHING.
to retain it square, i. :,‘!I is required by the old plan. I have not seen this idea put into practice anywhere else, .although, having been otherwise engaged for the last twelve years, it may have been used by othzrs The hole does not weaken without my knowledge. the anvil enough to injure it, and I was surprised at 6
FIG.
56.-DEVICE
FOR
FACILITATING FIFTZ
D
T:iE
FORGING
OF
CLIPS
FOR
WHEELS.
the durability of this portion of the face after two years’ constant use on four or five anvils. They were as good anvils as we could get.--By W. D. PUTTING
A
HORN
.ON
AN
ANVIL.
I have put three horns on broken anvils, and I have worked on one of these anvils for fourteen years. lLiy method of doing the job is as follows : I first cut the mortise, cutting in straight about three-quarters of an inch, then cut out the corners ; of course it has to be done cold. Commence well down
-_
~--
---
7-p
BLACKSMITHING.
114
below the steel, then lay out the tenon on the horn, heat it and cut witi a thin chisel, fit tight, and drive together with a sled,ge. If there are any open places between the anvil and horn, drive in thin wedge:, as Cut off very close, and take the hard as possible. fuller and head the iron over them, and then put in the die and head that in. If it gets a iittle loose after a while, take the fuller and head it again. It has always taken me about a day to do this job. In the
FIG.
54.-PUTTIhG
A HORN
ON AN
ANVIL
accompanying illustration, of doing it. A represents the horn, and C is the die after the horn is driven to FASTENING
AN
ANVIL
BY THE
METHO
OF
“C.
H.”
Fig. 57, is shown my way the dove-tail mortise, B is used to fill up the mortise its place.-Sy C. H. TO
THE
I-IOCK.
A simple and effective way to fasten an anvil to a block is to make a square iron plug to fit tightly the hole in the bottom of anvil, and a similar hole in
I ‘I
BLACKSMITHING.
“5
center of block. Then you can have the block just the size of the anvil and no fixings in the way, or even in sight.--By WILL TOD. FASTENING
ANVILS.
Concerning the proper method of fastening anvils in position, I would say that it only requires to flatten each corner of the anvil. Drill a half-inch hole and pass a half-inch square-headed bolt, ten inches long, down through the hole into the block, with the nut so By fasarranged as to receive the end of the. bolt. tening the anvil in this way there will be no obstructions whatever. I am not able to send a drawing of this means of fastening an anvil, but think every practical smith will readily understand it from the description.--By J. W. F. HOLDING
AN
ANVIL
TO
THti
BLOCK.
To fasten an anvil to the block, I use a chain It is passed of the proper length with an eye bolt. over the anvil, and the eye is then screwed into the block on the front. and back. The eye bolt is then passed through the eye in When the block and screwed down until it is tight. fixed in this manner an anvil cannot move. The device is so simple that it is not much work to make it, --By H. N. P.
BLA~K:iMITIIING,
116 SHARPENING
CALKS-A
AND
OTHER
DEVICE WORK
ON
FOR THE
HOLDING
SHOE
ANVIL.
In all places where the roads are icy, it pays those who use horses to have steel talks in the heels as
FIG.
#-DEVICE
FOR
HOLDING
WORK
ON
THE
ANVIL.
well as in the toes of their shoes. In different pIaces where I have worked various methods have been employed to obtain a self-sharpening and durable talk. The best plan I have ever tried is to split the heeltalks with a thin chisel, and insert a piece of steel (old sickle sections are good) previously cut to the
BLACKSMITHING.
1’7
proper size ; then weld solid, draw sharp, and temper hard. It used to require a helper to hold the shoe with tongs on the anvil, or it would jump off in splitting the heels ; but I have studied out a contrivance that I think may be of’use to all brother smiths who think my way worth adopting. I will try to explain it, with the aid of the accompanying illustration, Fig. 58, in which C is a foot lever hung in the center by two staples on a right-angle iron, D, which is sharpened at each end, one end being driven into the anvilblock, B, and the other into the floor. To this foottreadle is bolted or riveted a strap with an eye connected to the rod E, which latter has eyes on both ends, and is connected with FF, which is in one piece of 5-8 round iron, flattened where it comes on the anvil face. Before being bent, F is Passed through two eyes which are fastened to the front of the anvil-block with screw-bolts, When a man has no helper, this device is often useful in holding other kinds of work on the anvil for punching, etc., and saves one man’s time. When there is no such work to be done, it can be taken off and laid aside.--By C. H. W. MENDING
AN
ANVIL.
I will try to describe a job that was done lately in the shop I am working in. The base of a wrought-iron anvil had been broken off as shown in Fig. 59. Not wishing to throw the
BLACKSMITHING.
118
anvil away, the boss told us to try to repair it, and we did it in the following manner : We first looped a piece of I s-inch iron around the end of the anvil, with a flat spot just above the loop on which to catch a hook so as to enable us to handle it better. We next put what I call a binder of 5-8
FIG.
.jcj.-THE
ANVIL
AND
THE
PIECE
USED
IN
MENDING
IT.
.
round iron around the beak iron to prevent the porter bar from slipping off. Next we got out a piece of iron something the shape of the piece A, in Fig. 59, with a bar welded on the side for handling. This piece was about as wide as the body of the anvil. We then put the anvil in the fire to prepare it for welding, which was done by cutting away the uneven
119
BLACKSMITIIING.
,? i
places and scoring it with a chisel. We then put the anvil in the fire for a weld, building the fire up especially for it. The piece to be welded on was
PIECE
WAS
WELDEDONAND
SHAPED.
brolight to a heat in a separate tire. When all was ready the anvil was carried out of the fire by the aid of a bar of iron run through the loop, and turned
FIG.
61.-THE
ANVlL
AS
MENDED.
into position by the use of the hook and the flat spot on the bar. The piece was then welded on and put into shape with a big, fuller, which left the job as seen in Fig. 60. The side was then scored and the
BLACKSMtTHING.
120
anvil put back into the fire for a side heat while the It was brought to a heat by the piece B was made. time the anvil was hot, and then they were brought out and welded and put into shape like the end piece. The other side was then put through the 3ame process, and the whole touched up with fuller and
FIG.
62~METHOD
OF
HOLDING
AN
ANVIL
IN
POSITION.
flatter, which left the job, in good shape as shown in Fig. 61, and as good as new.-By APPRENTICE. FASTENING
AN
ANVIL
IN
POSITION.
I enclose you a drawing which shows a method for fastening an anvil down to the block that may be The fastening of interest to some of your readers. irons consist of two @-inch round rods or clips that are bent around the anvil and block, as shown by A A in Fig. 62. At X there is a piece of i-g-inch
-
121
BLACKSMITHfNG.
square iron run through the block. Four holes are drilled in this piece, the square iron through which the clips A A pass and into which they are fastened with nuts. The threads on the rods should be one inch longer on each end than they are needed, so that in case the anvil ever becomes loose it will be possible to draw it down by means of the nuts. Fig. 63 of the sketches shows the details of the parts. I think this fastening is one of the best that I have ever seen, and it is easy to make. It keeps
FIG.
63.-DETAILS
OF
DEVICE
SHOWN
IN
FIG.62.
the block from being split and driven full of spikes, I have never seen a better plan for holding an anvil than this.--By H. R. H. FASTENING
AN ANVIL
IN
POSITION. c,
I enclose some rough sketches setting forth my In the first ideas of the fastenings for an anvil. place I do not have my anvil block any larger than the anvil base. I use braces as shown in the engrav-
BLACK.S~IIT~IIX:G.
122
ing, Fig. 64. The strap is made of I g by N-inch iron Each end has a piece of g-inch bent and flatways. round iron welded or. to it. Referring to the letters in the engraving, A represents the strap going around the foot of the anvil to receive B. On each
FIG.
64.--”
J. T.
B.‘S ”
METHOD
OF
FASTENING
AN
ANVIL.
side of the block on which the anvil rests a notch is Referring to “ H. R. H.‘s” plan cut to receive B. (see page 120), I would say that to me it appears that his fastenings would not amount to much unless With this I think their size was greatly increased.
,
BLACRSMITHING.
123
there is at least four times as much work to cut a square hole quite through the block as there is to have notches cut one on each side as indicated in my sketch.--lSy J. T. B. FASTENING
ANVILS
IN POSITION.
I enclose a sketch, Fig.6si representing .my own plan for holding an anvil in position. It serves the pur-
FIG
65.--”
M.
R.
R.'s"
?dETHOD
OF
FASTENING
AN ANVIL.
pose well and is easily applied. The drawing SO clearly shows the idea that very little explanation is By means of mortises in the sides of the necessary. block, nuts are inserted, into which bolts are screwed, as shown in the sketch. The short pieces, against which the heads of the bolts rest, are shaped in such
124
BLACKSMITHING.
a manner as to be driven by their outer ends into the biock, thus holding them securely in place, and acting as a leverage in connection with the bolt for holding t:.;: anvil more securely. The depth at which the mortises in the sides of the bloc,ks is made should be far enough from the top to give sufficient strength for clamping the anvil solidly in position. The braces at the side of the foot of the anvil need
FIG.
66.~-SELF-ACTING
SWEDGE
DESIGNED
BY “E.
M. R.”
not project more than 1-2 or 3-4 of an inch from the Bolts 1-2 inch in diameter, or larger, should anvil. be used, according to the weight of the anvil to be held. A SELF-ACTING
SWEDGE.
I send herewith a representation, Fig. 66, of a selfacting swedge for rounding up small work on the anvil without a striker or help. It sets into the anvil like an ordinary swedge, and the blacksmith strikes
-
RLACKSMITHING.
125
with his hand-hammer on i.op. It is made of iron, with a steel spring, which should be I to I I-Z inches wide by 1-4 inch thick.--By E. M. B. MAKING
A PUNCH.
I send a sketch, Fig. 67, of a punch which I made for my own use and find a very convenient tool. It can be constructed so as to punch to the center of any sheet. The part 0, shown in the illustration, is dove-
FIG.
67.~-PUNCH
MADE
BY
“EL
s."
tailed, so that any size of die can be used, The punch is made of 3-4 or 7-8 inch square steel, with the point forged to the required size and with a small center The machine to ca.tch the center mark of the work. is made to lie on the anvil, and part A is welded on In using it, the to fit the square hole in the anvil. punch is placed in the center mark of the work, by hand, and the work is held firmly while the helper gives a good solid blow with the sledge. I have
126
BLACKSMITHING.
used one for four years. It will punch 7-x6-inch round and square holes through 1-4 and 5-16-&h plow stee!.--B’ H. S. MAKING
AN ANVIL
PUNCH.
I will try to describe an anvil punch that I made in my shop at an expense of two doilars only. I have a set of six, the sizes being 1-4, 3-8, 1-2, 5-8, 3-4 and I in., and I think every blacksmith should have a set of them. With the 1-4 in. and 3-8 in. size I can punch cold iron up to 5-16 in. thickness. With the 1-2, 5-8, 3-4, and I in. sizes I can punch 3-8 in. iron cold. I can punch steel saw blades as easily as band irons, and as the punch is used in the square hole in the anvil like any other anvil tool it does not take long to change from one size of punch to another. The tool is made as follows : I take a piece of Swedish iron 1% in. x 3A in. and IO inches long, upset it a little on one end, then take a piece of good steel and cut off a square piece I % in. x 1% in. and weld it firmly on the large end of the iron. Then I take a hand punch and punch a hole in the center of the steel, making the hole a little larger than that which the punch is to cut when finished. The punch should be driven from the iron side to make the hole largest on the bottom, so that the punchings will drop out. I then heat the other end, cut it half off I$ in. from the end, bend it over and weld it well, then take a square punch and punch and work out a 3-4 in: hole which must be perfectly
-
BLACKSMITHING.
‘27
true. The punch will then look as in Fig. 68. Then I take an iron the same size as the square hole in my
FIG.
68.-4130~1~~
THE
PIECE
AFTER
WELDING,
SHAPING
AND
PUNCHING.
anvil, and weld it on the bottom side of the punch 2% in. from the round hole in the punch, which is now
FIG.
PIECE
6g:-SaOWING
READY
FOR
FILING,
DRESSING
AND
BENDING.
like Fig. 69, and is ready to be filed off and dressed. Then I take a piece of 3-4 in. square cast steel, cut off %.
FIG.
TO.-THE
TOP
DIE
OF
THE
PUNCH.
6 inches, draw it down and file one end so as to fit the I make the top round hole in the die of the punch.
128
BLACKSMITHING.
die of the 1-4 in. punch 5-16 in. long on the round part. For larger punches the dies should be larger. Fig. 70 represents the top die when finished. I then heat the punch, bend it so that the two holes will be in a line, fit in the top die and make sure that it goes perfectly true into the hole. Let it cool slowly, and when it is
FIG.
71.--THE
ANVIL
PUNCH
COMPLETED.
cool see that the face of the bottom die is all right, Temper and that the die works straight and easily. as you would for any tool intended to cut iron. Fig. 71 represents the punch when finished.--By N. C. M. FORGING A STEEL ANVIL.
I would like to say a few words about forging cast steel anvils. Fig. 72 of the en,graving annexed shows
BLACKSMITHING.
129
the steel split and ready for the fullering. In Fig. 73 it is seen fullered and formirg the outline of an an-
F:G.
72.-SHOWING
THE
PIECE
SPLIT
AND
vil. The ends, when fullered will form the face and bottom.
FIG.
73.-SHOWING
THE
STEEL
OUTLINE
FULLERED OF
AN
READY
FOR
FULLERING.
to the proper shape, In doing this it must
AND
FORMED
INTO
THE
ANVIL.
be fullered on four sides and at the bottom, drawn to the thickness proper for a face. After
and it is
BL.\CKSMITlIING.
130
fullered it is brought back intoaplace. and trimmed to length, as indicated in the dotted lines of the right The steel Fig. 73. Fig. 74 shows the job completed. should be chosen to correspond with the size of the
FIG.
7,+.-SHOWING
THE
FINISHED
ANVIL,
I don’t think this method I have deanvil desired. scribed would answer for a hundred-pound anvil, but it is convenient in making one from five to twenty pounds.-@ C. E.
CHAPTER BLACKSMITHS’
V. TQOLS.
In this connection, tongs, hammers (not mentioned elsewhere) and various other tools commonly used by blacksmiths, will be illustrated and described. THE PROPER SHAPE OF EYES FOR TOOL-HANDLES.
To properly
fasten
a handle
in a tool is not SO A
0 FIGS.75
AND~~.--CORRECT
SHAPEOF
EYE FORTOOL-HANDLE.
simple as it appears, and that is the reason that we SO often see them improperly handled, as is evidenced I have a chippingby their so easily coming loose. hammer that I once used for two consecutive years It has been in intermitwhen working at the’vise,
132
BLACKSMITHING.
tent use for some ten years since, and its handle shows no signs of coming loose, for the simple reason that it was properly put in in the first place. The correct shape for an eye to receive a toolhandle is shown in Figs. 75 and 76, which are sectional views. A is the top and B the bottom of the tool. Two sides of the hole, it will be observed in Fig. 7~~.are rounded out from the center towards each end. The other two sides are parallel from. the top to the center, as shown in Fig. 76, while the bottom half of the hole is rounded out as before. The
FIG. 77.-TOP
VIEW.
FiG. 78.-BOTTOM
VIEW.
shape &us obtained may be clearly understood from Fig. 77, which is a view of the top, or face .‘T, and Fig. 78, which is a view of the bottom, or face B. The handle is fitted a driving fit to the eye, and is shaped as shown in Figs. 79 and 80, which are side and edge views. From C to D, the handle fills the eye, but from D to E it fills the eye~kngthways only of the oval. A saw-slot, to receive a wedge, is cut in the handle, as shown in Fig. 80. The wedge is best made of soft wood, which will compress and conform itself to the shape of the slot. To drive the handle
133
BLACKSMITKING.
into the eye, preparatory to wedging it permanently, it should be placed in the eye, held vertically, with the tool head hanging downward, and the upper end struck with a mallet or hammer, which is better than resting the tool-head on a block. The wedge should be made longer than will fill the slot, so that its upper end may project tiell, and the protruding part, which
FIG. 7g.-SHAPE
OF HANDLE. ANOTHER
FIG. SO.-SHAPE VIEW.
OF HANDLE.
may ~split or bulge in the driving, may be cut off after the wedge is driven home. The wedge should be driven first with a mallet and finally with a hammer. After a very few blows on the wedge, the tool should be suspended by the handle. and the end of the latter struck to keep the handle firmly home in the eye. This is necessary, because
734
BLACKS3IITI-IIh’G.
driving the wedge in is apt to drive the handle partly out of the eye. The width of the wedge should equal the full length of the oval at the top of the eye, so that one wedge will spread the handle out to completely fill the eye, as shown in Fig. S I. Metal wedges are not so good as wooden ones, because they have less elasticity and do not so readily conform to the shape of the sawslot, for which reason they are more apt to come loose. The taper on the wedge should be regulated
FIG. 8I.-SHAPE
OF W&DGE.
to suit the amount of taper in the eye, while the thickness of the wedge should be sufficiently in excess of the width of the saw-cut, added to the taper in the eye, to avoid all danger of the end of the wedge meeting the bottom of the saw-slot. By this method the tool. handle is locked to the tool eye by being spread at each end of the same. If the top end of the tool eye were rounded out both ways of the oval, two wedges would be required to spread the handle end to fit the eye, one wedge stand-
‘3.5
BLACKSMITHING.
In this case one ing at a right angle to the other. wedge must be of wood and one of metal, the one standing across the width of the oval usually being the metal one. The thin edge of the metal, wedge is by some twisted, as shown by Fig. 82, which causes
FIG. 82.-SHAPE
OF METAL
WEDGE.
the wedge to become somewhat locked when driven in. In fitting the handle, care must be taken that its oval is made to stand true with the oval on the tool eye. Especially .is this necessary in the case of a hammer. Suppose, for example, that in Fig.
FIG. 83.-FITTING
THE
HANDLE.
83 the length of the oval of the handle lies in the plane A B, while that of the eye lies in the plane C D; then the face of the hammer wili meet the work on one side, and thehammer will wear on one side, as shown in the figure at E. If, however, the eye is
136
BLACKSMITHING.
not true in the hammer, the handle must be fitted true to the body of the hammer; that is to say, to the line CD. The reason for this is that the hand naturally grasps the handle in such a manner that the length of the oval of the handle lies in the plane of the line of motion when striking a blow, and it is obvious that to strike a fair blow the length of the hammer should also stand in the plane of motion. The handle should also stand at a right angle to
FIG.84.-HANDLEATRIGHT
ANGLETOPLANEOF MER HEAD.
LENGTHOF
HAM-
the plane of the length of the hammer head, viewed from the side elevation, as shown in Fig. 84, in which the dotted line is the plane of the hammer’s length, while R represents a line at a right angle to A, and should, therefore, represent the axial line of the hammer handle. But suppose the handle stood as denoted by the dotted line C, then the face of the hammer would wear to one side, as shown in the fig: ure at D.-&JOSHUA ROSE, M.E.
BLACKSMITHING.
I37
BLACKSMITHS’ TONGS AND TOOLS. [P&r Con*~r*iliorr Esra;,.]
My knowledge of tools is confined to the class known as the machine blacksmith’s tools. But these may be of interest to the horseshoer and carriage ironer, and their tools may interest the machine blacksmith. The !ist of too!s \vouid not be complete unless the smith’s hand hammer was mentioned, and as a rule the smith takes great pride in it. These ham-
FIG. 85.--THE
BALL
PANE
HAMMER.
mers are of the class known as the ball pane, as shownin Fig. 85 of the accompar,ying, illustrations. The weight of the hammer is according to the taste of the Oman who uses it, but the average weight is about 2 lbs.~ 4 ozs. Fig. 86 represents a pair of double calipers, one side of which is used for taking the width and the other side for the thickness when working a piece of iron. Fig. 87 is a pair of single calipers for general use and needs non explanation. Fig. 88 is a pair of common dividers which are used
BLACI~SMITIIING.
I$3
for describing the circles on pieces that need to be cut round, and they can be used as a gauge ip welding up pieces to a given length. Fig. 89 is a Tsquare, which is as useful a tool as ever got into a shop for squaring up work with. The short leg can be dropped into a hole while squaring the face with the T, or it can be used for a handle whi!e using the
FIG.
86~THE
DOUBLE
CALIPERS.
back to square up flat pieces. These tools should belong to every smith and be his private property. The ordinary 2-ft. square which every smith ought to be provided with isusually supplied by the owner of the shop. A good 2-ft. brass rule is somet@ng that every smith ought to have. Opinions differ as regards the fire and anvil of the machine smith. But a neat outfit is a portable forge
BLACKSMfTHfNG.
I39
made for general work, and a 3oo-lb. Eagle anvil with all the sharp corners ground off, and rnade a little more rounding next to the beak iron than on the other end. The sledges usually found to be most convenient are the straight pane pattern, Fig. 90, of 8 lbs., I 2 lbs., and 16 lbs. weight, the I a-lb. sledge being for general use, and the others for light or heavy work as occasion demands. In addition to these, each fire usually has what is
FIG. ST.--THE
SINGLE
CALIPERS.
called a backing hammer, which is of ,the same style as the smith’s hammer, but weighing only 3% lbs. This is used to assist the smith in backing up a piece of irpn when scarfing for welding, and for finishing up work where the sledges are too heavy. Tongs rank among one of the most important Fig. 91 represents things in a blacksmith’s outfit. the pick-up tongs, which are especially the helper’s
140
BLACKSMITIIING.
tongs and are used to pick up tools and small pieces generally. Fig. 92 represents a pair of ordinary flat tongs for holding flat iron, and they need little explanation. Fig. 93 represents a pair of box tongs for holding square or flat iron, the lip on each side preventing the iron from slipping around. Figs. 94 and 95
FIG. g&--THE
DIVIDERS.
show a pair of tongs, one pair of which can be made to fit several sizes by making the box piece tomfit the size of iron to be used. Fig. 94 shows the pieces apart, and Fig. 95 shows how they are used. Fig. 96 represents a pairof round bit tongs for holding round iron. Fig. 97 shows a pair of hollow bits for
BL~\CKSMITHlNG.
.~~
141
holding round iron, and for pieces having a larger end than the body, such as bolts, etc. Fig. 98 represents a pair of square, ho!!ow bits that answer the same purpose as the bits shown in Fig. 97, except that the square bits will hold square or round iron.
,
FIG. +-THE
T-SQUARE.
Fig. 99 represents a pair of flat tongs large pieces, the diamond-shaped crease making them haridy for holding large square or round iron. Fig. IOO shows a
FIG. P.-THE
STRAIGHT
PANE
for holding in the bits pieces of pair of pin-
SLEDGE.
Holding work cer tongs, useful for many purposes. that has a round piece raised off the main body, they
BLACI<SI\IITHING.
142
can be made still more useful by cutting out the tops of the bits, as shown in the figure. Fig. ,101 shbws tongs for holding work where the iron is bent flatwise. The tongs shown in Fig. 102 are useful, for they can be made to suit any size. Those shown
FIG. 91.-THE
FIG. 92.-THE
FIG.
93.-THE
FIG. 94.-TONGS
FIG.
9$-SHOWING
HOW
TBE
PICK-UP
TONGS.
FLAT
TONGS.
BOX
TONGS.
WITH
TONGS
BOX
AND
PI
BOX
PIECES
ARE USED.
in Fig. 103 are for work that cannot be held in an ordinary pair of flat tongs on account of the bits not being long enough. The bits are bent at right angles, so that the work will pass by the joints. Fig.
I3LACI<ShfITHING.
‘43
104 shows a pair of the same style of tongs with the
bits bent to hold round iron.
FIG.
g6.-ROUND-BIT
TOKGS.
Another style of crooked-bit tongs is shown in Fig. 105, in which the bits are bent down instead of
FIG.
9’1.~HOLLOW-BIT
TONGS.
sidewise as in Fig. 103. They are useful for handling rings of flat iron and for holdiog flat iron while
FIG.
g8.-TONGS
WITH
SQUARE,
HOLLOW
BITS.
bending flatways. For holding work while the iron is being bent on eige, the tongs shown in Fig. 106
FIG.
w--FLAP
TONGS
FOR
HOLDING.
LARGE
PIECES.
are good, the lip bent on one of the bits preventing the iron from pulling out of the tongs. Fig. 107 represents a pair of tongs for holding chisels while
BLACKSMITHIXG.
I44
sharpening them, or for holding any such tools while they are being repaired. For making bolts out of round iron the -tongs as shown in Fig. 108 will beat
FIG.
FIG.
FIG.
IOI.-TONGS
IO%-TONGS
FIG.
FIG.
IO&-TONGS
FOR
ICO.
PINCER
TONGS.
FOR
BENDING
IRON
HOLDING
I03.-TONGS
WITH
BENT
PIECES
WITH
BITS
OF DIFFERENT
BENT
FOR
F
SIZES.
BITS.
HOLDING
ROUND
IRON.
any I ever saw. They have the ordinary hollow bit, with a piece cut outs of each bit crosswise to hold the round iron in upsetting. The swell in the bits allows the head to be taken in while straightening the other
BLACKSMITHING.
I45
end. All of the foregoing named tongs can be made of-any size, large or small; and the smith shop that has all of these different shapes is pretty well equipped. Next in importance are the chisels, punches and Fig. tog represents the ordinary tools for the anvil. hot chisel, or hot-set, as it is known in some localities. The ordinary cold chisel is shown in Fig. I IO. The
FIG.
IO+CROOKED-BIT
TONGS.
hardy for the anvil is so well known as to need no ilThe gouge chisel, as shown in Fig. I I I, lustration. is for cutting off round corners at one operation. It can be ground inside or out, thus making an inside or outside tool. The round punch shown in Fig. I I 2
FIG.
Id-TONGS
USED
IN
BENDING
IRON
ON
THE
EDGE.
needs no explanation of its uses, but it can be used for a gouge, where a good stiff one’ is required, by In some work a square chisel grinding it off bevel. comes very handy; one made as shown in Fig. I 13 is very good. The square punch shown in Fig. 1~14 can also be ground bevel and used for a square or corner chisel. The long or eye punch is shown in Fig. I 15. For countersinking holes and such work
BLACIISMITHING.
146
the bob punch or countersink, as shown in Fig. I 16, is about what is needed, while for cupping or round-
SED
1N SHARPENING
CHISELS.
ing off the heads of bolts and nuts, and for similar work, the cupping tool as shown in Fig. I 17 is used.
FIG.
Id--TONGS
USED
IN
MAKING
BOLTS
OF ROUND
IRON.
A tool of this kind comes handy many a time if made to fit the hardy hole. For setting down work and getting into smal1
FIG.
109.-THE
HOT
CHISEL.
places in which the latter cannot be used we have the set hammer shown in Fig. 118. It is made with square edges, and when made with the edges
BLACKSMITHING.
147
rounded off it is called a round-edge set hammer. These hammers are also made with the face cut off at an angle, in order to get down into corners and
FIG.
IIO.-THE
COLD
CHISEL.
to settle work down very square. Fig. I 19 represents the ordinary top swage for rounding up work, and Fig. 120 shows the bottom swage. Every
FIG.
I I I.--THE
GOUGE
CHISEL.
smith knows the value of A goad set of swages. They can be made long, that is, the full width of the anvil, or they can be made very short: the short ones
148
BLACKSMITHING.
take the name of necking swages. Fig. I 21 represents a side swage, the eye being punched in opposite from the ordinary swage. These are used for
FIG.
112.-
~-TtiE
ROUND
PUNCH.
rounding off the ends of flat pieces, being handier than the ordinary swage. Fig. 122 shows an anvi1
FIG. I I &--THE
SQUARE
CHISEL.
side swage or bottom swage, a swage being made on the end to overhang the edge of the anvil, so that bent pieces that need to be swaged can be dropped over the edge of the anvil and swaged up without much trouble,
BLAC!~~V~ITIIING.
FIG. 1 X4.--I HE
FIG. II+THE
FIG. I 16.-THE
‘49
SQUARE
LONG OR
ROB PUNCH
PUNCH.
EYE PUNCH.
OR COUNTERSINK.
FIG.
II’/.-THE
FIG.
I I&-THE
FIG. I I$-THE
CUPPING
TOOL.
SET HAMMER.
TOP SWAGE.
BtAC!<5MITIIING.
151
The top and bottom fullers shown in Figs. 123 and 124 are familiar to every smith. The horn on the bottom fuller is to prevent t‘he piece to be fullered
TOM
FIG.
FIG. I22.-THE
x21.-THE
ANVIL
SWAGE.
SIDB SWAGE.
SIDE
OR BOTTObl
SWAG%
from being knocked off the tool at every blow of the striker’s sledge. For smoothing up work the smith has the flatter, Fig. 125, which takes out the lumps.
1s
BLACKShiITHiNG.
and uneven places and gives the work a finished appearance. Sometimes a piece is so bent that a flatter cannot
BIG.
,, “, ‘: ,;:, ‘: i ,, ,,, .,,,,
I23.-THE
TOP FULLER.
be used, and the smith then falls back on his foot tool, shown in Fig. 126. The foot goes in on the work, and the head outside. A glance at the sketch
,,,,, ,_, ,,
FIG. I~~.-TAE
BOTTOM FULLER.
will show how useful it can be in almost any smith’s shop. It sometimes happens that it is necessary to leave round corners ‘on a piece of work, and in finishing it up the ordinary flatter would mark it and spoil its
BLACIiSMITHING.
‘55
hooks on the end of long rods, one fork being used to press against and the other to bend the hook around. represents a tool for bending Fig. ISI flat pieces at right angles and making T-pieces.
FIG. 12$X-THE
COLLAR
SWAGE.
The smith drops the iron in the slot, and he can bend or twist it any way he likes. Sometimes work needs fullering, but is so offset ‘,’ ~,,~:: y;, ‘,~ ,,, ,,,, ,, ~,,,,,_, ,,
~~, ,,,i,
~,
FIG, 130.--A
FORK USED
IN BENDING,
that one end rests on the anvil and the other towers away above the fuller. The smith then uses the fuller shown in Fig. 132, the outside edge of the ~fuller being brought flush with the side of the anvil, thus enabling the smith to drop his work down
156
BLACKSMITHiI\TG.
the side of the anvil and proceed as with an ordinary fuller. In most machine blacksmith shops they have more or less bolts and nuts to make. Fig. 133 represents
FIG.
131.--A
TOOL
FOR
AT
BE
PIECES
AND
MAKING
T PIECES.
the ordinary nut swage used for swaging nuts or finishing up the heads of hexagon bolts. Fig. 134 shows a better tool for making bolts. Only one-half
FIG.I32.-AFULLERPOROFFSETWORK.
is sunk hexagon, the other half being the ordinary bottom round swage, so, that in making a bolt as it is turned around in the swage the shank of the bolt is brought central with the head. Smiths who
BLACKSMITHINC.
I53
appearance. The smith then makes use of the roundedge flatter shown in Fig. 127. This tool is also useful in bending flat iron, the round edge preventing galling.
FIG.
125.-THE
FLATTER.
The smith sometimes ,has a lot of small rings to make, or to work out holes which are too small for the beak iron. For such work a’small cone to fit the
FIG.
I26.-THE
FOOT
TOOL.
‘anvil, as shown in Fig. 128, is very useful. Or he may have some collars to weld on round iron, and after making one or two he wishes he had a quicker
BLACKSMITHING.
‘54
way and one that would make them all look alike. He bethinks himself of the collar swages he heard that “ Tramp Blacksmith ” talk about, so he makes.-
FIG.
I27.--THE
ROUND-EDGE
FLATTER.
a pair of collar swages as shown in Fig. I 29. Only the bottom swage is shown, as the impression in the top is like the bottom. After making three or four pieces he “ gets the hang ” of the tools, and the work goes merrily on, each piece looking like the other.
FIG.
128.-THE
ANVIL
CONE.
He sometimes has to make bends in his work, and then the fork shown in Fig. 130 comes in very handy. I have seen this tool used for making
BLACKSMITHING.
‘57
have trouble in getting the head of the bolt central with the shank, will, by using this tool, be able to The. tool shown in Fig. 13~5ha> make a good bolt. grooves cut in until they meet at the bottom, so that many different-sized heads or nuts can be made
FIG. 1337-A
NUT
SWAGE.
in it, the small ones going far down and the larger ones filling it up. In Fig. 136 is shown the ordinary heading tool. Fig. 137 represents a nut mandrel in
FIG. 134.-A
TOOL FOR MAKING
BOLTS.
which the shank is made smaller than the body part, in order to drive it through the nut. Fig. J 38 shows a bridge or saddle used for drawing out forked pieces, making open-end -wrenches and similar work. I have not attempted to describe the hand punches,
BLACKSMITHING.
158
but, as is known, hand punches, round, flat and hexagonal, are very useful i,n the smith’s shop. Pins for
FIG.
135-A
TOOL
FOR
MAKING
HEADS
OR
NUTS
OF
VARIOUS
SIZES
driving through holes tomexpand them are so well known to all smiths that I do not deem it necessary to
FIG.
x36.--THE
HEADING
TOOL.
The tools that I take up space in describing them. have attempted to describe are in everyday use, and
FIG.
137.--A NUT
MANDREL.
I think they form altogether machine blacksmith shop.-& PROPERSHAPE
a good outfit WARDLEV
for a
LANE.
FOR, BLACKSMITHS'TONGS.
The proper shape for blacksmiths’ tongs depends upon whether they are to beused upon work of a
BLACliShlITIIING.
‘59
uniform size and shape or upon general work. In the first case the tongs may be formed to exactly
FIG.
I38.--SADDLE
USED
FOR
DRAWING
OUT
FORKED
PIECES.
In the second case they must suit the special work. be formed to suit as wide a range of work as convenient. Suppose, for example, the tongs are for use on a
FIG.
I39.--PROPER
SHAPE
OF TONGS
FOR
SPECIAL
WORK.
Then they special size and shape of metal only. should be formed as in Fig. 139, the jaws gripping the work evenly all along, and being straight along
FIG.
I/+X-IMPROPER
SHAPE.
The ends A B are curved so the gripping surface. that the ring C shall not siide back and come off. It will readily be perceived,~however, that if these tongs
160
BLACKSMITHING.
were put upon a piece of work of greater thickness, they would grip it at the inner end only, as in Fig. 140, and it would be impossible to hold the work steady. The end of the work, W, would act as a pivot, and It is better, the part on the anvil would move about.
FIG.
[email protected]
SHAPE
OF JAWS
FOR
GENERAL
USE.
therefore, for general work, to form the jaws as shown in Fig. 141, putting the work sufficiently within the jaws to meet them at the curve in the jaw, when the By putting the work end B also grips the work. more or less within the tongs, according to its thickness, contact at the end of the work as at A, and at
FIG.
I42.-SHAPE FOR ROUND
OF TONG WORK.
JAWS
FIG. TONG
I43.-SHAPE JAWS FOR
OF SQUARE ROUND WORK.
the point of the tongs as at 23, may be secured in one pair of tongs over a wider range of thickness of work than would otherwise be the case. This applies to tongs for round or other work equally as well as to flat or square work.
161
BLACKSMITHING.
For round work, the curve in the tong jaws should always be less than that of the work, as shown in the end view, Fig. 142, in which W represents the work or if round work be held in sgzlare tongs, it should
FIG.
[email protected]
BOW
OF JAWS.
touch the sides of the square as shown in Fig. 143, and in all cases there should be a little spring to the jaws of the tongs, to cause them to conform some-
FIG.
I45.-PROPER
SHAPE
FOR
BOLTS.
what to the shape of the iron. This not only causes the tongs to hold the work firmer, but it also increases the range of the capacity of the tongs. Thus
FIG.
146.~SHAPE
FOR
IRREGULAR
SHAPED
WORK.
in the shape of tongs shown in Fig, 144, the bow of the jaws would give them a certain amount of spring, AL ulat would enable them to conform to the shape of the work more readily than those shown in Fig. 139,
i62
BIACKSRfITIIIN~;.
while at the same time it affords room for a protecFor short and headed work, such tion head or lug. as bolts, the form shown in Fig. 145 is the best, the thickness at the points always being reduced to give some elasticity, and in this case to envelope less of the length of the hit also.
FIG.
147.-HOOP
TONGS.
For holding awkward shaped work containing an eye, the form shown in Fig. 146 is best, the taper in this case running both ways, as shown, to give inThe same rule also applies to the creased elasticity: hoop tongs shown in Fig. 147. Perhaps the best example of the advantage of hav-
FIG.
148.
-PICK-UP
TONGS.
inga certain amount of spring, orgz&, in the jaws of tongs is shown in thepick.+ tongs in Fig. 148, the curves giving the jaws so much elasticity that the points at A will first grip the work, and as the tongs are tightened the curves at B will, from the spring of the jaws, also come in contact, thus gripping the work
,,
36
BLACKSMITHING.
which they bend without fracture to be noted by the Lloyds’ circular on steel tests states that surveyor. strips cut from the plate or beam are to be heated to a low cherry red, and cooled in water at 82O Fah. The pieces thus treated must stand bending double to a curve equal to not more than three times the thickness of the plate tested. This is pretty se-
Fag.b--Bending under a Steam Hammer over a Hollow Anvil and by meansof a Round Bar.
vere treatment, and a plate containing a high enough percentage of carbon to cause any tempering is very unlikely to successfully stand the ordeal. LPoyds’ test is a copy of the Admiralty test, and in the Admiralty circular it is stated that the strips are one and a half inches wide, cut in a planing ne with the sharp edges taken off. One and alf inches will generally be found a convenient
BLACKSMITHING.
37
width for the samples, and the length may be from six to ten in&e;, according to the thickness of the plate. If possible, the strips, and indeed all specimens for any kind of experimenting, should be planed from the plates, instead of being sheared or punched off. When, however, it is necessary to shear or punch, the pieces should be cut large and
Fig. &-Bending Still Further by meansof a SteamHammer.
down to the desired size, so as to remove d edges. Strips with rounded edges will er without breaking than similar strips with edges, the round edges preventing the appearance of the small initial cracks which generally exes when bars with sharp edges are bent any considerable Angie. In a homoous paternal like steel these initial cracks are
38
BLACKSMITHING.
very apt to extend and cause sudden fracture, hence the advantage of slightly rounding the corners of bending specimens. In heating the sampie for tempering it is better to use a plate or bar furnace than a smith’s fire, and care should be taken to prevent unequal il.eating or burning. Any number of pieces ma; i~:‘zplaced together in a suitable furnace, and whey a proper
Fig. 6-A SimpleContrivanceby which a Common PunchingMachine may be convertedinto a Testing Apparatus.
heat plunged into a vessel containing water at the required temperature. When quite cold the specimens may be bent at the steam-hammer, or otherwise, and the results noted. The operation of bending may be performed in many different ways; perhaps the best plan, in the absence of any special apparatus for the purpose, is to employ the ordinary smithy steam-hammer. About half the length of the
BLACKSMITHING.
39
specimen is placed upon the anvil, and the hammerhead pressed firmly down upon it, as in Fig. 3. The exposed half may then be bent down by repeated blows from a fore-hammer, and if this is done with an ordinary amount of care it is quite possible to avoid producing a sharp corner. An improvement upon this is to place a cress on the anvil, as shown at Fig. 4. The sample is laid upon the cress, and a round bar, of a diameter to produce the required curve, is pressed down upon it by the hammer-head. The further bending of the pieces thus treated is accomplished by placing them endwise upon the anvil-block, as shown in Fig. 5. If the hammer is heavy enough to do it, the samples should be closed down by simple pressure, without any striking. Fig. 6. is a sketch of a simple contrivance, by means of which a common punching machine may be converted temporarily into an efficient test-bending apparatus. The punch and bolster are removed, and the stepped cast-iron block, A, fixed in place of the bolster. When a sample is placed endwise upon one of the lower steps of the block A, the descending stroke of the machine will bend the specimen sufficiently to allow of its being advanced to the next higher step, while the machine is at the top of its stroke. The next descent will effect still further bending, and so on till the desired curvature is attained. It would seem an easy matter, and well worth attention, to design some form of
t~~A~KS~flTl~~~N~.
4t
this can generally be steel p!ates, when the thickness does not, of course, stand treatment. Lloyds’
anytest
ig. G-4 Pieceof Plate Folded CloseTogether.
mast-slates $ inch thick, requires the plates through an angle of 30“ with the grain, oss the grain ; the plates to be bent over e corner of which should be rounded with
The
Treatment
of
Steels.
k it possible that some ideas of mine on the f the treatment of steel may be of interest, Q not make these remarks for the purpose of attacking any opinions that have been advanced on this matter by others. y purpose is simply to call attention to some rtant facts which appear to have been unknown or overlooked by the advocates of certain methods of treating steel. First, let me say that I have no faith in the idea
42
BLACKSMITHING.
that the operator can be guided correctly by color in the tempering or hardening of steel. If the word steels is used instead of steel, and if the teacher in the mysteries of hardening and tempering is thoroughly familiar with the character of each particular steel-and their name is legion, with the exact heat at which each would harden to the best advantage, and the precise color at which the temper should be draw&--this would not be enough to justify him in laying down the color or any other specific rule. He should also be able to make millions of pupils see a color exactly alike, use the same kind of fuel, work in the same light and remember the precise heat and color necessary for each particular steel, Then, and not till then, he may speak of specific rules. Is it asked what can be done if no specific method will apply ? The reply is, that with so great a variety of steels and such a variety of grades of the same steels, with such a variety of treatments required for pieces of different sizes of precisely the same steel, we must look for successful hardening and tempering to the intelligence and powers of observation and comparison to be found among those who do this most important part of tool-making. These rules will, however, apply in every case. Try to learn the lowest heat at which each particular steel will harden sufficiently to do the work for which it is intended, and never exceed that heat, Harden at a heat which calls for no drawing down
BLACKSMITHING.
43
Hardened at the to a blue to remove brittleness. proper heat, steel is stronger without drawing the temper than it is before hardening. Whenever hardened steel snaps off like glass at a little tap, and shows a grain as coarse, or coarser than it showed before hardening, don’t say “ It is too hard,” but say “ It was too hot.” Steel is hardened by heating to the proper heat and cooling suddenly. Good results can never be obtained by heating steel too hot for sudden cooling, and then cooling in some mixture or compound which w,ill cool the overhedted steel Overheating steel does mischief more gradually. which cooling gradually only partially removes. Many a man who hardens in some mixture or compound to prevent cracks or distortion, may learn that at a lower heat he may use a bath of cold water with equal safety and better results.--By S. W. G. Hints
About
the
Treatment
of Steel.
A practical worker in steel gives the following hints in reference to the treatment of tool steel. He says: “ Bosses of machine and other shops where considerable steel is used would be astonished could they see the amount of loss to them in broken taps, dies, reamers, drills and other tools accumulated in one year. I do not mean to say that tools can be made and hardened that will not break, but I do say fully one-third, especially taps, are broken by being improperly tempered. * * * Thousands of
44
BLACKSMITIIING.
dollars are lost in waste of steel and loss of time by men who try to do what they have never learned. “ First of all, never heat steel in any fire, except a charcoal fire, or a lead bath, which gives it a uniRainform heat (I mean steel tools of any kind). water is the best water for hardening, as it contains Water less lime than either well or river water. should never be very cold for hardening tools; as the sudden contraction of the steel will cause it to crack, more especially in cutting dies, where there are sharp corners. ‘I To insure thorough hardness, salt should be added to the water until the same becomes quite brackish. The salt will cause the water to take hold of the steel and cool it off gradually.‘ I find rock or fish salt to be the best, though table salt will answer. The salt is also beneficial to the carbon in steel. “ For removing scale from steel when put into,water, ivory black should be used, putting it on the steel whiie it is heating, and letting it remain till the steel goes into the water. “ In tempering taps, reamers, twist drills and other like tools, great care should be taken to put them in the water in a perpendicular line, and slowly, not allowing them to remain stationary in the water, as there is danger of there being a water crack at the water line. “ A good way to draw the temper is to heat a collar, or any suitable iron with a hole in the center,
BLACKSMITHIi’iG.
45
and draw the tool backward and forward through it until the right temper is obtained, which will be uniform.” On the Working
of Steel.
Allow me to express a few thoughts in regard to the degree of heat steel can be worked for edge tools. And in doing so I shall no doubt differ with many ; but what of that ? If we all had one way of doing work what would be the use of giving “OUY met/zod” for doing anything? Some tell us that steel should never be heated above a cherry-red, others say it should not be hot enough to scale, and many suppose if heated to a white heat the steel is burnt Now if all this be true, how and utterly worthless. in the world could an edge tool ever be made, and of what practical use would they be when they zpleye made ? Can steel be put into an axe or any other tool without heating the steel above a cherry-red heat? If so, I would like to have some one tell me how, as I have never learned that part of the trade. I do not believe that iron or steel can be welded at a cherry heat. My experience in the working of steel during the past fifteen years has been mostly confined to the axe business. I have made and repaired during this time, several hundreds of axes, and the work has given My experience in the matunparalleled satisfaction.
-
46
BLACKSMITHING.
ter has convinced me that the degree of heat steel should be worked depends very much upon circumstances. For instance, if I am going to fix over an axe, and wish to reduce the steel to one-half or threefourths of its present thickness, I have no fears of any bad results if the steel is brought to a white heat to commence with. But when nearly to the required thickness, I am careful not to heat above a cherry-red. And when the last or finishing touch is given by the hammer it is at a low heat, when but a faint red is discernible. I never finish forging an edge tool of any kind at a cherry-red heat. The iinishing should be done at as low a heat as to refine the steel, and leave it bright and glossy. In heating to temper, the greatest care should be observed that an even cherry wood heat is obtained. I do not deny that injury may occur by overheating. This every smi!h knows to be true; but I CEOclaim that it can be remedied, and the fine grain of the steel restored when the nature of the work will admit of a suitable amount of forging. When it will not, I never heat above a cherry-red.--By W. H. B. Hardening
Steel.
On the subject of the hardkning of steel I will say that salt water is not more liable tocrack steel in the hardening process than is fresh water. In fact, clear
T
BLACKShfITlIING.
47
and pure water is the best thing that can be used in making steel hard. The best mode of annealing heavy blocks of crucible cast-steel is to heat the block to a uniform red heat, and as soon as you have obtained this heat place the steel in a cast-iron or sheet-iron box, made as shown in Fig. 9, of the accompanying illustrations. This box is filled with common lime and wood ashes, equal parts of each. In placing the steel In the box
Fig. g-Sbowing the Box us;f$F;Idning . . .
Steelby the Method of
try to keep about 4 or. 5 inches of lime below the steel, then put 4 or j inches on top of the steel, close up the box’and let it remain there to cool off slowly, which mill require from 24 to 48 hours. Generally crucible cast-steel will anneal best at a low red heat, if treated as described. The only secrets in annealing steel, that I know of, are tQ exclude air from the steel as much as possible, while it is annealing, and to avoid overheating.
48
BI.ACI<SXIITIIING.
For hardening drop hammer dies, I would suggest the use of the water tub, shown in Fig. IO. In the illustration, A is the water supply pipe, which, as shown by the dotted lines, runs down to the bottom of the tub and over to its center, where the pipe is bent up, as shown at D. At x, x. z, x there are four holes, which represent waste pipes that carry off ali the water that comes above their level. This water passes on down through to the main waste pipe 0 at
Fig. to-Showing the Water Tub.
E. The cut-off shown is used when cleaning the tub or box. To harden a heavy die proceed as follows: Get a uniform bright red heat on the steel, then place it in the ivater tub with the face of the die in the water, the steel being supported in the tub by the two hangers, FI;; as shown in Fig. IO. C indicates the water’s edge and depth, and shows the position of the die in the water. Before placing the die on
BLACKSMITHING.
49
the hangers be sure to have the two hangers in their proper places, have the water in the supply pipe, A, turned on with full force, and be sure that the die is placed directly over the middle of the supply pipe at D. We will say the die R, in Fig. IO, is IO x 5 x 6 inches; a bulk of steel like this will heat much water, and therefore while the supply pipe furnishes cold water, the waste pipes, x, x, x, X, carry off all the hot or warm water as fast as the steel heats it. In Fig. I I I give a side view of the die on the ,,hanger, F, F, showing the ends that hook over the
~~~i$ Fig. tr-Side View of the Die.
sides of the tub. The cut also shows how the die is placed at an angle in the water. B indicates the portion of the die out of the water line, and A represents the part in the water. It is not necessary to keep the dies moving during the hardeniq process, but keep the-water moving, and there will be no trouble, The best way to harden trimming dies is to always examine thoroughly the die before you dip it, and turn it while dipping so that all the thick or heavy parts enter the water first.
BLACKSMITHING.
5Q
The best mode of hardening punches is to harden them first in cold water, and then draw the temper
Fig. It-The
Furnacefor Heating and Drawing Temper.
to suit the work they are intended for. While the anging in the tub, as in Fig. IO, it would arm to utilize a tin cup in pouring water on
,*
BLACKSMITMING.
51
the bottom of the die, which is out of the water. I have seen hundreds of blocks of steel hardened this way with the best of success. I never have the temper drawn for drop hammer dies. The harder you can get them the better. In Fig. 12 I show a furnace for heating and drawing temper.. This furnace is 3 feet 6 inches wide and 4 feet 4 inches long. At E it is 2 es from the ground to the top of the te B. From plate B to the under side
Fig.
13-Sbowiog
the Crate-Box,Blast-Pipeand Grate.
s 16 inches in height. A is the grate, n, C is the door, and X is the coke is the best fuel I know of ace except charcoal. In using the coke re, close the door and get the coke red,
52
BLACKSMITHING.
then put in the steel that is to be annealed or In heating you can gain much by reghardened. Fig. 13 shows the grate ulating the damper X. At D, D, the box hasbox used in the furnace. two hooks, which hold up the box door. This door is fastened to the other side of the box with two hinges. At A is a blast pipe hole to which the point of pipe B is bolted. C is part of the grate used. Three pieces of this kind are used to make the full grate. This is done to allow the use of
Fig. q-The Plate for Holding the Grate-Box.
two blank grates and one open grate when a small fire is desired, or you can use two open grates and one blank, or all three may be open grates, just as your work requires. Fig. 14 shows the plate in which the grate box is hung when in use. This plate is bolted to two iron bars in the furnace, and on this place the brick work is laid. The chimney can be used on the side, end or middle. I prefer it in the center, as shown in the illustration, The
BLACKSMITHING.
53
plate, Z?, of the furnace is cast-iron I 1-4 inches thick, IO inches wide, and the length is the same as the width of the furnace. The best steel I can get for drop and trimming dies is made at the I think Crescent Steel Works, Pittsburgh, Pa. the illustrations fully explain themselves without any further description--@ H. R. H. To Select Good Tool Steel. One way is to break a bar of steel and observe the grain, which should be fine and present a silvery look, The best with sometimes an exfoliated appearance. test of steel is to make a cold chisel from the bar to be tested, and, when carefully tempered, try it upon wrought iron, a piece of old wagon-tire, for instance. The blows given will pretty correctly tell its tenacity If it proves tough a.nd capability of holding temper. and serviceable take this temper as a guide, and Inferior steel is temper your steel in like manner. easily broken, and the fracture presents a dull, even appearance, which might be appropriately termed a lifeless look.--By W. B. H. Different
Kinds of Steel.
Blister steel is made by causing the carbon of charcoal to penetrate iron in a heated state. German steel is blister steel rolled down into bars. Sheet
BLACKShlITHINrJ.
55
It depends upon the character of the iron, and upon how the hammering is done. As between hot working, and the finishing blows “ of cold hammering,” i. e., hammering at black heat-not cold-there are two reasons why the effect so strongly deprecated is produced. First, the iron is less yielding in this semi-cold state and so would not be affected clear through, or as nearly through, by the same blows it received when hot. Second, the blows during the cold hammering are light compared witL what were used when the heat was greater. T&ET, if the best condition of the mass is considered, v. e have the heaviest blows when least force is nee ed and the lightest blows when to move the mass th heaviest are needed, and so, while the &‘requisite finish and fine surface ” result from the cold hammering there is an evil effect produced, not from the hammering per se, but, from the fact that only the surface being affected to any considerable extent, the desirable homogeniety of condition is destroyed and unequal strains are set up which can only be relieved by annealing. Quoting again, “ Uy subjecting wrought-iron to the most violent hammering or compression at a low temperature, and then submitting the iron work so treated to the simple process of heating red hot and slow cooling, we enhance its tenacity, or shock susm&ties at least twenty times.”
5
BLACKSMITIIING.
out questioning the accuracy of this it not fair to ask if cold working is done affect the entire mass acted upon clear tting all parts as nexly as possible in the tion would there not be grenter “ tenacity ustaining qualities” w)it/Zoz~t subsequent rking of both wrought iron and steel, s had to do with, and opportunity for ~bse~v~~g the effect of reduction as great as from 25 er cent. to 75 per cent. often from drawn wire, not after drawing, and without heating or angafter such cold working, millions of these e been bent, flattened, riveted and otherin a way to test their tenacity, without had the “ tenacity rethe contrary greatly inr tensile, torsional, or showed great increase in these: ich increase would, in a great red hot and slaw coolconsideration, the term sed only, this would not written, but, as the terms “ swaging” and were used, the door was opened. erence ? It is immense in its effect, d swaging, bcws and hammcr-
BLACKSMITIIINC.
57
ering implies working between two plain allows some parts of the metal acted on to escape from the compressive effect of the ore easily than other parts, hence unequal Swaging implies the use of dies, arcs of the metal acted upon up to ive, and so produce an h the mass. Again, comreduces effects peculiar kes place in a gradual, through shock and vioust why there is so marked a difference, it is because the parts composing the mass ore time are able to arrange themselves what they do under the sudden effect iction of changing parts uent heat, or any other of many s lie back of what strikes the averSCas a phenomena, a paradox, will probfor some time to come. operly done, however, ngth tested in any way bending, twisting, pulling, etc., is an high carbon percentbeen reduced by cold elongated more than knots and drawn up ossible in the case of
IS 58
Rl,ACKSiiITIIING.
a string. That this could be done when the fact is taken into consideration that the wire had been coldworked---drawn since acnealing-and was conseat condition so deprecated in the article the subsequent cold-working-swaging -taking place without annealing or heating after the rawing, and the knots being tied after the swaging no heating or annealing, should settle the quese extent at least, whether cold-working destructive agent which some believe it .---&I S. W. GOODYEAR.
CHAPTER ET AND RIVET
II. CLIPPERS.
olt and Rivet Clipper. ts and rivets wit a cold chisel is ncrt very ~~~ve~~e~t in a shop where only one man is - for instance, a blacksmith shop in a small bolt and rivet clippers are now t many blacksmiths cannot afford t or ten dollars for a bolt clipper, and so ome one to hold a hammer or bar on one ile the smith cuts from the other
Fig. rq--ShcaEogRowthe Knife k madefor IbEt and Rivet Clipper.
isel, and now and then hits his the bolt flies in his eye or in the an that holds the bar. Then very often goes through a window, and beh with their job the smith is very ears ago I made a good and cheap shown in the accompanying il-
a
e
e piece ll<
The jaws, F, When you press ead commences ade in half a ’ E. H. WEIIRY.
BLACKSMITHING.
63
the other sketches represent details of construction. For the parts shown in Fig. 2 I take a pieceof spring steel 2% inches wide by x inch thick and flatten out
Fig. r-The
Bolt Clippercomplete.
out 2% inches wide at B. That will leave the art 3-16 of an inch thick. Punch holes as shown at
Fig. m--
ion of Bolt Clipper. Elevation,SectionalView and Det& of ‘* D. H. E.‘s” Bolt Clipper.
e a small piece of steel as indicated cut and place it on the end. Take
that position. That ing out. The square ade large enough to
BLACKSMITHING.
64
pass it over the nuts. The part shown in Fig. 20 is made of cast-steel and sharpened in the parts shaded as shown at U. The construction of the guard is It is to be bent at the dotted &own in Fig. 22. lines, giving it the shape indicated by Fig. 23. It is then ready to clinch into the holes provided for it as shown in A and B of Fig. 2 I. The bolt uniting the two parts should be made of cast-steel 5-16 inch in The entire length of the tool should be diameter. 15 inches. Made of these dimensions leverage
&!3
43
E
0
Fig. n--Shows how the Guard is Constructed.
enough will be afforded inches in diameter.--By A New
F 0
Fig. q--Shows Shapeof Guard.
to clip bolts 3-16 to D. H. E. Bolt
5-16
Clipper.
I enclose a sketch, Fig. 24, of a bolt clipper which is a handy tool and unlike any I have seen in other shops. The handles are of wood, and are about two feet long. The band or clamp prevents the twisting of the knives to one side when they close on the bolt. The plate shown in the sketch is duplicated on the other side. This arrangement enables me to get a leverage near the hinge or heel.
BLACKSMITHING.
65
This tool can be used for bolts ranging in size from the smallest up to half inch.-+ R. D. C: A Handy
Bolt Cutter.
I enclose sketches of a bolt cutter of myown make, which I will describe as well as I can. I think the tooi may be of some benefit to some of my brother
Fig. 24-A New Bolt Clipperas madeby “ R. D. C.”
smiths. It saves labor and is easily made. To make it I first take a bar of iron T-&inch square and cut off two pieces, each two feet long, for the levers A
Fig. 25-A Handy Bolt Cutter. The Bow.
and B shown in the engravings, Figs. 25 and 26. In making the lever A. I first square up the end where the hole, G, is made. I then punch, six inches below
66
RtACKSMITtttNG .
the hole G, another hole, I, to receive the bow C. The lever B is of the same length as A and has on the upper end at G a coupling made the same as a joint on a buggy top brace. This coupling connects the lever B and bow C. The hole in the coupling G
DD
Fig. z&The Bolt Cutter
as
completed.
ale shown at H, Fig. 27, are one inch apart from center to center. I next take a piece of steel are to make the bow. I first stave it up to put the ear on i: the corlpling 6, then I put an eye in it to fit in t long holes &Q\%J~
vent the edges of the knives from er. The jaws must be open about an inch when thelevers are straight. e ~Mtti~g is done, not by pressing the er but by pMlljng them apart. it all bolts from Y-inch down.-& a Bolt Clipper. olt clipper which. in my opinion, patent ones in the market. In
--snowing the PieceF Bent.
the long handle r piece, C is the
foe the Hinge.
ives E the purchase urchase lever in
ned to the Handle.
shown ready to ent, C is a key
BLACKSMITHING.
69
for fastening the piece F on the piece E or the main lever. It is also used to keep the knives apart. H, in Fig. 27, is the spring used to open the jaws. The piece shown in Fig. 30 is one of those that form the hinge, one goes on one side and one on the other, being fastened together with two rivets. Fig. 31 shows how the knives are put on the handle.-By C. N. S. Tool
for Cutting
Rivets.
I send you sketches of a pair of cut-nippers, Figs. ~2 and 33. They are adapted to cutting bolts and rivets up to :,$-inch in diameter. The jaws do not
Fig. 32-l‘ 0. F. F.‘s ” Rivet Cutter.
project, so as to cut long wire, and whatever is cut must be inserted end-ways. When finished the tool is IO inches long, and weighs 14 ounces. [The por-
70
BLACKSMITHING.
tions represented in the engravings are full size, the handles being broken at the points indicated, to save space. The plate E is represented partially broken away in Fig. 33, so as to show clearly the method of construction.--En.] A is the fixed jaw ore leg, having a pivoted jaw, B. A lever, D, is pivoted to B, at C. Two plates, E, on each side of the
Fig. j3-Another View of “ 0. F. F.‘s *’ Rivet Cutter.
jaws, are pivoted to A, at F, and to 0, at G; D is moved outwards, a rivet, at R, put in, and D is closed, cutting off the rivet, the operation being obvious. The plate, E, must be 1-3 of an inch thick, and riveted to A and D, on both sides, with at least 3-16 rivets, as the strain is very great. -If well made and carefully used, one of these cut-nippers will last a
BLACKSMITHING.
71
long time. I have used one seven years, and it is in good condition yet, though I have averaged to iron fifty sleighs a year, and they have done all the cutting, besides all my other work, where they could be used.-& 0. F. F. Rivet Cutter.
I have~a tool which will cut a rivet or bolt one-half inch in diameter very easily. It is very handy and useful in cutting points of bolts, in ironing wagons,
Fig. 34-Showing Rivet Cutter Closed.
buggies, etc. in my sketch, Fig. 34 represents the tool nearly closed. The part marked A is one shear or knife, which is a piece of steel (best) welded on
Fig. 35-Sectional View of Rivet Cutter showingEdgesof Shears.
the iron frame or body, and beveled from the opposite side so as to make an edge. The part marked B, is the main or sliding shear, made of the best steel. It also has a beveled edge the same as A.
72
BI.ACKSMlTHING.
C is a plate, and there is one on each side so as to hold the shear or knife, B, to its place. These plates can be fastened on either with rivets or small bolts. as desired. D is the main frame or body of the tool, which is iron. Fig. 35 is a top view with a portion of the outer jaw removed, showing the points or edges of shears or knives, A and B, and the method of securing the plates referred to.- -B’ CYRUS G. LITTLE.
Tools for Making
Rivets-Pipe
Tongs.
I send you a sketch, Fig. 30, of a handy rivet-making tool. The hole at A is just deep enough to make
Fig.
36-Rivet-making Tool.
the required length of rivet; the wire is cut off long enough to make the body and head, and is riveted
ULACIiSMITHING.
with a bitton rivet set; the lower part bowed as you see and naturally holds little open. The vise jaws grip at CC, 0, resting on top of the vise jaws:
73
of the tool is the two jaws a the two flanges, as the vise is
Fig. 37 Best form of Pipe Tongs.
opened or shut the jaws of the tool open and release or close and grip the rivet. I also send you a sketch, Fig. 37, of! I think, the best form of pipe tongs. The jaw B points to jaw A. Moving A in the direction of armcauses pipe C to be very firmly gripped.-B’ “ SOUTHERN BLACKSMITH.” A Tool for Making
Rivets.
The accompanying illustration, Fig. 38, represents a tool which is very convenient for making the rivets that are used to fasten the brass on the plow share and the bar, and also the frog when wooden stock plows are made. The tool will make rivets of two lengths, namely, I%-inch and I-inch. I used 3-Sinch round Norway iron for rivets because it is the only kind fit for that purpose. Rivets made of common iron will always break if they are put in hot.
BLACIC3MITIlINC.
74
e tool as I would an ordinary heading t am careful to get the ends A B, high ere the holes are. ‘-‘he end A is for the I %-inch rivets and the other end is for the I-inch rivets; A is made two inches high, and B is an inch f high. The ends are laid with steel on the I then take a @nch bit the size of the n used and bore holes at C and D, so that
B Fig.
38-A Tod designedby *IL. G.” ior making Rivets.
t half an inch more to come through the en bore through the rest of the way with it at E and I? This is to facilitate the e rivets after they are made. The low for a head. out with a small tool they will
ly bolts of ler ones. It is as follows : e a ~~~~te~~~~ of tin. For the jaws, which A A ill he Rd’Cl~li,~ yin il~~str~ti~~,
~-I_
~t,A~~S~tt~tt~~~.
7.5
iece of bar iron, 3-S x 3 inches, cutabout IO inches long. then forming to the pattern and welding on a cutting edge. The hole B is in diameter. The holes C C and D ter. The distance from the hole C is 5 inches, from C C to D it is 1% inches, C to C is Y>& inches. The handles G G of iron 5-S x I $ inches and are j. #ined at D.
Fig. 39---B& Clippermadeby ‘I W. It.”
A, are joined to t f3 handles at c c. arts of the handles, G G. are of wood, e feet long, with ferrules onthe ends. The the handles, measuring from 61, is is 2 inches in diameter, round the outside. I rivets should be of
76
BLACliSMITl~ING.
Row to Make a Bolt and Rivet Cutter. I have made a bolt and rivet cutter that works idly, and will tell how it is made. Take a piece of square iron, twenty-four inches long, for the bottom piece. In the end weld a piece of tool steel for a cutter This should be 3-4 inch In the bottom so as to have solid steel cutters. en inches from the end, punch a hole at punch and round ‘down from above the hole. The other jaw is made from the same kind of iron
Fig. qr-Showing C. V. Marsh’sBolt and Rivet Cutter complete.
The upper with steel welded on the end for cutter. le can be made from round or square iron whichever is handiest. The spring can be made from any piece of old spring, and is put on with two small rivets. The end piece can be made from 3-4inch stake iron. It is in one piece and bent so as to fit argued the lower jaw. Fig. 41 shows the cutter comlete and will give a good idea as to how it is made. ink that some of the boys will find this cutter
BLACKSMITHING.
77
very useful. It is powerful and will cut easily small bolts and pieces of iron. It is also, as will be seen by the engraving, simple in construction and not difficult for any smith to make.-+y C. V. MARSH.
CHAPTER
III.
CHISELS. The Chisel and Chisel-Shaped Tools. The subject upon which I have been invited by the Franklin Institute to speak this evening is that isel and chisel-shaped tools, and the object arks will be similar to that I had in view in a former lecture, namely, to demonstrate, as far ossible in a talk of this kind, that in skillful ft the very foundation lies in a knowledge th,at may be obtained altogether independent of any st day I entered the machine-shop I was mmer and a cold chisel wherewith to chip s level. I had looked forward to my entry into the shop with a great deal of pleascart and mind were set upon becoming The idea of being able to cut e metal to my will, and form it.into the masave mankind the exercise of d such a charm for me that it An apprentice of some two years’ standing was to show me how to isel, which he did as follows : ” You hold
very often in his earning an honest les of this kind are, I believe, of most of us, and the absence of an ut if we go deeper I am pe,rt is more in the want workshop. ve said, saved me from n I have, in the course
cm to a5k for em-
--
I :;.~iw
BLACKSMITHING.
83
What could I then have answered except that I thought so, hoped so, and meant to try’ my best. But suppose I was again a boy, and again found myself at the shop door, having previously taken enough intcrcst in mechanics to have remembered the principles I had already been taught, I could take a pencil and a piece of paper and answer him~ thus : “ I can only say, sir, that I have prepared myself somewhat for a trade f’ here, for example, in Figs. 42
Fig. 46-Chisels for Brassand Steel.
and 43, are shown the shapes in which flat chisels are made. The difference between the two is, that the cutting edge should be parallel with the flats on the chisel, and as Fig. 42 has the widest flat, it is easier to tell with it when the cutting edge and the flat are parallel, therefore the broad flat is the best guide in holding the chisel level with the surface to be chipped. Either of these chisels is of a proper width for wrought iron or steel because chisels used on
84
BLACKSMITHING.
these metals take all the power to drive that can be given with a hammer of the usual proportions for heavy chipping, which is, weight of hammer, I 3-4 lbs.; length of hammer handle, 13 inches ; the hand!e ;G be held at its end and swinging back about vertically over the shoulder. If I use so narrow a chisel on cast iron or brass, and give full force hammer blows, it will break out the metal instead of cutting it, and the break may
Fig. 4pChisel for Fine Cuts.
come below the depth I want to chip and leave ugly So for these metals the chisel must be cavities. made broader, as in Fig. 44, so that the force of theblow will be spread over a greater length of chisel edge, and the edge will not move forward SO much at each blow, therefore it will not break the metal out. Another advantage is that the broader the chisel the easier it is to hold its edge fair with the work
BLACKSMITHING.
85
surface and make smooth chipping. The chiselpoint I must make as thin as possible, the thickness shown in my sketches being suitable for new chisels.
Fig. 48-Improperly Ground Chisel.
In grinding the two facets to form the chisel, I must be careful to avoid grinding them rounded as shown at- A in the magnified chisel ends in Fig. 45, the
*, Fig. 49 -Magnified View of the Chisel Shown in Fig. 48.
way being to grind them flat as at B. I must make the angle of these two facets as acute as I can, b ecause the chisel -will then cut easier.
proper
Fig. 53, spacing these grooves a t than the width of the flat chisng its corners. I must shape the isel as at A and B, and not as at etause I want to be able to move lpide it in a straight line, and the
BLACKSMITHING.
89
ut from G to the point it must be beveled altering the height of the chisel head I can pth of the cut. mouthed chisel, Fig. 55, must be beveled in the same way, so that when I use it to cut out a corner, as at L in Fig. 53, I can move the ratn
90
BLACKSMITNtNG.
to cut out the corners of very deep holes, I can evel it at M and thus bring its point X central to the corner X less liable to break, which is But as the bevel necessitates the chisel being leaned over as at 3, it could, in deep holes, not be kept to ust omit the bevel at M, and make that t as at .R R in Fig. $5.
e the side Y IV
BLACKSMITHING.
9’
unless, indeed, the superintendent heard me through out of mere curiosity, for it certainly would, as things now are, be a curiosity for a boy to have any idea of the principle involved in using tools before he had them actually placed in his hands-unless, indeed, it be the surgeon’s tools. There is an old saying that an ounce of practice I:: worth a pound of theory, but this sounds to me very much like saying that weshould do a thing first and find out how it ought to be done afterwards. Yet I should not care to patronize a you.ng dentist or a young surgeon who was pursuing his profession in this way. I may, however, illustrate to you some of the ints I have explained by adding to the pound of ory I have advanced an ounce of practice. Here, for example, I have to take a chip off a piece of wrought-iron, and, as it is a heavy chip, I stand well ~~~~ from the vise, as an old hand would do, instead to it, as would be natural in an uninstructed mner. In the one case you will observe that the y is lithe and supple, having a slight motion in - n with the hammer, while in the other it isconed, and not oaly feels but looks awkward. If, w, I wish to take a light chip, I must stand nearer work, so that I can watch the chisel’s action its depth of cut level. In both cases I push forward to its cut and hold it as steadilyas
ove it at each blow in this way, e so accurately mainn a piece of brass, and ws have broken it out, for the ext we will take a
3
er to enable the
m a new cut
it becomes a planing knife ; or we may a carpenter’s hand plane, and by pushing ecomes a plane blade. In each ly a wedge whose end is made more o as to make it as sharp as possible, re~a~~~ng strength enough to sever the ply this wedge, there
w thecow
Ch
~c~~~~jca~ prirxiples that we employ it as a han
BLACKSMITlIING.
95
admit the wedge and therefore becomes the chip, cutting, or shaving. In Fig. 60, for example, we enter’s chisel oilerating at A and B to cut out a recess or mortise, and it is seen that so long as the face of the chisel that is next to the work
Fig. @-The
Oil Groove Chisel.
th the straight surface of the work f cut will be equal, or, in other words, tion of the chisel is that of the chisel ainst the work. At C and D is a e one instance, the straight, and in
96
BLACKSMITHING.
the other, the beveled face toward the work surface. In both cases the cut would gradually deepen be- ’ cause the lower surface of the chisel is not parallel to the face of the work. If now we consider the extreme cutting edge of
Fig. ST--TheDiamond Point Chiselfor ShallowWork.
chisel or wedge-shaped tools it will readily occur that but for the metal behind this fine edge the shaving or cutting would come off in a straight ribbon and
BKACKSMITHING.
97
that the bend or curl that the cutting assumes increases with the angle of the face of the wedge that e cutting, shaving or chip. I map, for example, take a piece of lead and with a pen-knife held as at A, Fig. 61, cut off a curl bent
Fig:g3-The Diamond Point Chisel for Deep Work.
to a large curve, but if I hold the same knife as at B it wili cause ibe shaving to curl up more. Now it has taken some power to effect this extra bending or curling, and it is therefore desirable to avoid it as
.
BLACKSMITHING.
102
“The sticking don’t amount to much nor does the grinding,” is the answer. It amounts to some unnecessary sticking that makes it very difficult to a!ter the ang!e of the chisel if it is going too deep or not deep enough, and so it is an impe iment to smooth, even chipping. The amounts to some unnecessary grinding, and ore, the chisel thus shaped is more difficult to forge, very Iittle more difficult I grant, but more cult all the same. aven’t you seen men tug at a chisel to get it out
-k, 0 Fig. &--A Better Shape for Cold Chisels.
Haven’t you seen them hit it sidea hammer to loosen it in the sides of the ~v~~ld do very well for a keyway in a bore, tside work it is also faulty because it is too ; hence Fig. 65 is, for outside work, being stiffer and therefore less
-..
BLACKSMITHING.
‘03
All these I think are plain and well grounded points, and So to settle a discussion on them I was blindfolded and given three cape chisels, two like Fig. 65, and one like Fig. 64, and in a dozen trials at chipping told each time I was given the one like Fig. 64. I claim that the shape makes a tangible I could tell by the chipping, for it was a difference. piece of machine steel I was chipping, and the corners of Fig. 64 sodn began to round and the chisel to wedge. As to the Aat chisel; haven’t you often seen it hol!ow along the cutting edge, and isn’t that more likely to break and more liable to stick than one a little rounding ? There is one more point that I will mention, and that is a habit many have of pulling the flat chisel ha& from &p cut after elvery blow. I have seen some good workmen do it, and I am not disposed to find particular fault with it, but I think it is unnecessary, at least I see no end that it accomplishes. I like the chisel to lie steadily under a little hand pressure against the cut so that I can feel that the lower face of the chisel rests fairly and evenly upon the bottom face ~(as it must do to chip straight), and having got it at the proper angle to the work, I like to carry the cut clear across without moving it once. It is a kind of machine chipping that reminds one of Rowell’s running, on, on, on; it goes without a Now a word about using the hammer, not falter.
104
BLACKSMITHING.
that there is much to discuss about it, but simply to round off the subject. The old style was a I 3-4 lb. hammer with handle 15 inches long, and this is all right for the man who does chipping enough to keep his muscles well hardened and can swing his hammer ten hours a day without feeling it next day, but it is better to get broke in with a, I r-4 lb. hammer. I had at one time a I 3-4 lb. hammer and a I 1-4 (or a little heavier than that) hammer, and was well broke in at chipping, having had about a year at getting out work with hammer, chisel and file; the I 3-4 hammer broke and I took to the smaller one; I found that I could not do as much work with it and it began to tell on my hands, because I could use the lighter hammer quicker, and in doing this I naturally gripped it tighter and it told on me, indeed it would sometimes be a minute before I could straighten my fingers out after releasing the hammer ; of course the handle was a little less in diameter, and that had something to do with it, but not all, because my left hand, gripping the chisel; which I always did firt:lly, never tired, nor did the fingers stiffen, though the diameter of the chisel was smaller than the small hammer handle. The palm of my hand would, with the small hammer, get red and feel nervous and twitchy, while it would not do so with the heavy one. Did you ever notice what different styles there are in using a chipping hammer, how much more the
ing for a man thou-
How to Make Cold C e to say about cold chisels is from In the first place we do 1 experience. est quality of cast steel, and the kind we et is very inferior to what we used to have in
a
I @P--
arks are Ground
1.
out.
aut the
Sk Bar
Be. It will driil from the smallest to the out any ~at~~cr of red&g the bit.
reat fault in articles
of this kind, as e work table, 1; about 6
IIY
an
can
stan
ut in a new nut whenever the
E
~~~,“~C~~~~Y~Y~~~~~
tat in a washer for tak. feed screw c&u-. I o much easier. work to drive with-
came along that
I
f 14
BLACKSAIITAING.
floor and ceili,ng. The fulcrum lever is pivoted at C, and has a feeding weight at the opposite end. The lifting lever is pivoted at 0, and has, at F, a link connected to the end of the fulcrum lever. At E is an iron plate for the drill brace to rest against, and G is a handle to operate the lifting lever. The work is rested in a movable, or it may be a fixed
Fig. ~.p--TbtiDevice Invented by *‘ Blacksmith’s” ht,,n.
he one in question, however, is made movy pulling the handle, G, the fulcrum lever and the drill brace or ratchet brace may be sition on the work. When G is released pulls down the fulcrum lev& to feed the If the weight is too heavy the pressure may be relieved by pulling upon G, or by
BLACKSMITHING.
I’5
moving the work further from the posts A, the pressure becomes less, because the leverage of the weight is less. This device has one fault, which is that as the fulcrum lever descends in the arc of a circle, as indicated by H, it may, in deep holes, become necessary to move the upper end of the brace to drill the The. fulcrum lever may hole straight in the work.
Fig. 75-Simple Drill Press,as Made by Will Tad.
be raised or lowered for different heights of’work by shifting the pin C higher, there being holes at A, at This device may be a intervals, for that purpose. very old one. It is certainly good for the purpose, however, and very desirable for use where there is no power drill-machine. I would not be without it for many times its cost.--Uy BLACKSMITH.
116
BLACKSMIfHING. A Simple
Drill
Press.
I send, as shown in the accompanying engraving, Fig. 75, a rig which is simple and also avoids the I‘ arc” direction which has been complained of. A common iron bench screw is inserted in a 4 x 4 scantling, mortised, over the bench, into upright posts. The cut explains itself. The screw (two feet long) may be had for $1.00, or the smith may make one
Fig. 76-A Small Drill, as Made by ‘I C. W. D.”
himself, having a hand wheel. takes no room.--By WILL TOD. Making
a Small
This arrangement Drill.
A very serviceable drill may be made by welding the socket of a shoemaker’s awl into a @-inch rod, 5 inches long, with a countersink at the upper end forming a cup to hold lubricating oil and in which
BLACKS?I~ITHING.
117
In the conical center of the feed screw can work. the engraving, Fig. .76, A represents the screw and B the spindle. Bore a hole through a blockof wood to receive the center of the spindle and put the spindle in a two-centered lathe. Move it with a “ dog ” and a turn pulley like a common thread spool. The drill is run with a bow C, holding all in a vise. Tempered awl blades make good drill bits.--By C. W. D. To Drill
a Chilled
Mold-Board.
If you want to drill a hole or file a notch in a stove plate or ploughshare, or other piece of cast-iron, lay it on the fire level until it is cherry red, and then with tongs lay a bit of brimstone on the spot you wish to soften, the piece of brimstone being a trifle less in diameter than the hole you need. Leave the iron on the fire until cold enough to handle and it will yield to your tools.--By D. T. Holding
Long
Bars in Drilling.
A good method of holding long bars of iron, such as sled shoes, so that the holes can be drilled in them easily by one person, is as follows : Take a strong )$-inch cord or rope and fasten it to the ceiling about five, six or seven feet from the drilling machine, then fasten a pound nut on the end of the rope and let it reach nearly to the floor. W’hen you wish to drill iron, wrap the rope around the iron once at
___
fl
~~.A~~~Ml~~I~~.
u want and you will find that you will You can drive a nail so as out of the way when not in use.--by
Drilling Glass.
Stick a piece of stiff clay or putty on the part ere you wish to make the hole. Make a hole in the putty the size you want the hole, reaching to Into this hole pour a little the glass, of course. molten lead, when, unless it is very thick glass, the piece will immediately drop out. Straightening
Shafts or Screws-A Remedy for Dull and Squeaking Drills.
Every machinist who has ever attempted to straighten a polished shaft or screw knows the difficulty of marking the point of untruth when the work is revolved on the centers of a lathe, By procuring a piece of copper pointed on one end and of a shape suitable to fill the tool post, and allowing it to touch the work as it turns, a red mark will be left, even on a brightly polished surface, and this will furnish the desired guide for correction, and at the same time if a short piece of octagon steel about 1% inches diameter is allowed to partly lie beside the tool post in its T slot, the straightening bar used may be fulcrumed on this with the copper tool still remaining
-
B~AC~S~ITHr~G.
1x9
If a piece ost, thus expediting tlte work. er is screwed or riveted to the end of the straightening, no injury will result to its contact therewith. and machinists who use twist drills, bly been bothered when drilling moderately bard steel by the squeaking and slow cutting of the drili caused by the rapid dulling of its edges. To remedy this, first sharpen the drill, then procure a small piece of tool steel, say 4 inches long, half an inch wide, and 3-16 to s of an inch thick, and, after rounding and tempering one end, place the offending drill in a vise, between a pair of copper clamps, gripping it so that the cutting points will be well Then by holding the tempered point of supported. the tool I have described, against the lips of the drill and striking lightly with a hammer on the opposite end, the lips will be upset so that a good clearance will be secured, and the results will be satisfactory if the operation has been carefully done. This upsetting will, of course, slightly enlarge the diameter of the drill, but in most cases this will do no harm.-& J. F. Ross. A Chinese Drill.
Some time ago I read an account of the high quality of Chinese steel. I t!:ink there must be some mistake about it. During five years’ residence in China, I often examined and remarked the inferior
eir drills, gravers, etc., and I think their 11imported from England, as I know their er iron is. They have an ingenious arrangement for ~~i~~i~g, which is remarkably rapid. As shown
Fig. 77-A ChineseDrill as Devibed bY Will Tod.
in the accompanying engraving, Fig. 77, the drill is fixed in an upright bamboo, which is lveighted by a stone (not unlike an old grindstone), at top. It is attached by strings from the top to a handpiece which slides up and down t!le lower end of the rod.
BLACKSMITHING.
I21
When the rod is revolved and the hand piece held still, the strings wind on the rod and raise the hand piece, and the machine is “wound up.” To start drilling, press the hand piece down the rod till the
Fig. 78-A Drill and Countersink,as Made by C. H. Preble.
strings become unwound by the rod revolving; lighten the pressure and the momentum will wind the machine up the reverse way, when pressure is again resumed.-B’ WILL TOD. A Drill and Countersink
Combined.
I enclose sketch, Fig. 78, of a tool made by myself last Summer, and which may be of some in-
I22
BLACKSMITHING.
terest to carriage-smiths and blacksmiths who do tiring. It is a drill and countersink combined, for use on buggy tires. It can also be applied to drilling and countersinking sleigh and sled shoes. It makes quite: a saving in time by removing the necessity for using a drill and a countersink separately. It is made so that when the drill part begins to go through the tire, the countersink begins to cut, and when the work is countersunk to the proper depth it is stopped by a shoulder on the tool. Any blacksmith can make this tool in a very short time, and after using one he will never go back to the old method.--By C. H. PREBLE. A Handy
Drill.
I have a drill made by myself that is simple, strong, and very effective. Any blacksmith can make it in the following manner: Take a two-inch rod df iron long enough to reach from the bench to the shop loft, then take two bars of iron, 1% by 5-8 inches, and turn good solid eyes
Fig. 7g-Showing the Bars with Eyes Turned in them.
on them, as shown in Fig. 79 of the illustration. The pieces should be about three feet long. Then shape them as shown in Fig. So, the top and bottom pieces
-
BLACKSMITHING.
123
being twisted to fit the shaft. Then take a drill brace made as shown in Fig. 81. The top part, of brace
Fig. So-The Bars Bent.
works as a ratchet. TLe four eyes on the shaft have set screws to hold them in position. The pieces .._
ROOF TlMPFr.
Fig. SI-The Drill Completed.
shown in Figs. 80 and 81 can, by means of the set screws, be easily adjusted to the work to be drilled,
124
BLACKSMITHING.
and will take in larger work than most drills. The drill stock works the same as a ratchet drill. The bottom side of the top cap should be slotted so as to hold the drill stock in place. The thread on the drill can be made four inches long or longer as desired. The threads should be cut very coarse so that they will not wear out too soon. Fig. 81 shows the drill completed. This drill can be used to good advantage on steam
A Fig. 82-A
Home-Made Drill, showing How the Shank H is Formed and the End A Upset.
boilers and other machinery that cannot be brought into the shop.--By J. W. J. A Home-Made
Drill.
i make a drill brace as follows: I take a round rod of iron, size I g inches, shape it as shown in Fig. 82 of the accompanying illustration, upset it at A, and make it about 1% inches square
BLACKSMITHING.
125
I then punch a hole in this end about the there. same as if for an old-fashioned bit brace, to receive the drill shank. I then take a flat piece of iron about a foot long, and draw the ends shown iti Fig. 83at B, B. I next take a large nut or a plug of G Fig. 8pShowing the Flat PieceReady for Welding.
iron ~sinch square, and weld it on the flat I then punch piece at C, making it 2 inches thick. or drill a hole large enough to take in the shank Ii, shown in Fig. 82, and cut a very coarse thread to prevent it from wearing loose. I next weld the ends
Fig. S+-Showing the Pieceof Scantling Used.
B, B, together, and the brace is then ready to be put together as shown in Fig. 85. I next take a piece of scantling 4x4, cut a mortise in one end as shown in Fig.,84, and bore a half-inch hole at R, and fasten
“\~ BLACKSMITHING.
126 this scantling
over a joist
directly
over the
of
Fig.85-Showing the Joist,Vise Bench,and Drill. the vise bench.
I put a steel pla.te on the lower
BLACKSMITHING.
127
end of the ,piece shown in Fig; 84, and “‘dot ” it well to keep the drill from slipping off. In Fig. 85 the braces is shown completed, L being the joist and S the vise bench. This is a handy and cheap w~ay to make a drill, and answers well in a small shop where room is scarce. This make of drill works on the same princ,iple as the ratchet drill, and can be adapted
Fig. 86-A Stone Drill as Made by W. 0. West.
-4s the drill cuts itself to heavy or light drilling. loose it can be tightened by turning the ratchet D. It is the best home-made drill I know of.--& J. Mr. J. Making
,and Tempering
Stone
Drills.
My method of sharpening and tempering stone drills may be of interest to some fellow craftsmen. First, in making a drill do not draw down the steel, but cut off each side and then upset back to widen
128
BLACKSMITHING.
the bit, making strong or light to suit the hardness or softness of the stone to be drilled. Next place the drill in the vise and trim off as shown in the accompanying cut, Fig. 86, then lay it down until cool, and then file and temper. Draw the temper twice to a deep blue and you will then hat,fe a tool that will drill without cornering a hole,’ and one
Fig. 87-Form of Drill for Smooth,Straight, or Round Hole.
that will also stand much better drill,--By W. 0. WEST. Some
Hints
About
than an ordinary
Drills.
To drill a smooth, straight and round hole with a flat drill let the diameter, as at C, in Fig. 87, be
BLACKSMITMING.
129
enough larger than the shank A to allow the cuttings to pass freely and parallel, to steady the drill in the hole. Let the bevel at E and F be, for iron and
Fig. 88-Form of Drill to Cut Freely in Wrought Iron or Steel.
steel, just enough to clear well, and for crass, give To make a drill cut freely on more bevel, as at Br.
Fig. Sg-Showing centerof rotation at H.
wrought iron or steel. give it a lip by setting the cutting-edges forward as in Fig. 88.
BLACKSMITIIING.
130
To make a drill drive easily, first be sure that it Suppose, for runs true and that it is ground true, example that the center of rotation of the drill shown in Fig. 89 is at H, and the cutting edges be ground
Fig. go--Shows Drill Ground too Much on One Side. as shown. Then Ewili cut a certain-sized hoIe, and Fwill simply act to enlarge it, so that the rate of feed can only be sufficient for one cutting-edge instead of for two. If the drill be ground to oneside,
Fig.
91 -Showing
another Improper Way of Grinding.
as in Fig. 90-H being the center the cutting will be done by the edge of feed must again be only one-half if both edges acted as cutting-edges. Another secret in making a drill
of rotation-all F, and the rate what it could be cut easily is to
BLACKSMITHISG.
131
keep the point t&, so that it shall not cut a flat place at the bottom of the cone, as shown in Fig. 91 at 0, which increases the force necessary to feed the drill. Drills for brass work should have the cutting edges form a more acute angle one to the other than drills for the fibrous metals, such as steel or iron. Oil should be supplied to a drill when used on wrought iron, steel, or copper, but the drill should run dry on cast iron, brass and the soft metals, such
I
3 9lfO \2.A
Fig. gz-Showing how to Mark a Pieceof Work to be Drilled.
as babbitt metal, tin, lead, etc.; but very hard steel is easier cut dry than with oil. For all ordinary work, a drill should be tempered to a bright purple, but for extra hard metal a brown temper may be used. To drill a hole very true to locatian, mark it as in Fig. 92, the outer circle being of the diameter of the hole to be drilled, and the smaller one simply serving as a guide to show if the drill is started true. Both circles should be defined .>by small center-punch marks, as shown, as the oil and cuttings would obscure a simple line.
132
BLACKSMITHING. Drifts and Driftings.
The drift is a useful too!, once extensively employed, which has been pushed aside by improved machinery. Sti!!, as many a country shop is unsupplied with a slotting machine, the drift may often be used with advantage yet. Indeed no other hand too! will cut with precision a small angular hole where there is no thoroughfare ; and even where the tools
,;I
A
Fig. q)-Sho,n ing the SimplestForm of Drift.
can pass through, if the metal be thick or there be a number of holes to cut, the drift will be more economical than the file. The simplest form of a drift is a steel plug, as shown in Fig. 93 of the accompanying illustrations. This is used to dress out a square hole, especially one with no thoroughfare. It is driven into the hole,
BLACKSMITHING.
‘33
the edge A cutting a chip as it descends. The tinderside slopes back slightly from the cutting face to allow room for chips when the hole does .not go through the metal. To take a second cut, a thin strip of brass or steel, such as shown in Fig, 94, is inserted behind the drift before driving it again, and further cuts are taken by
Fig. 944howing the Strip usedin making a SecondCut.
backing up the drift with similar strips until the hole is cut to gauge. The commonest form of drift is made of a tapered bar of steel, around which teeth-about eight 10 the inch-are cut with a file, as in Fig. 95. It will readily be seen how a round hole is squared, or a square whole enlarged by driving such a drift through it. The teeth will cut better if filed somewhat diagonally. The too! being very hard, must be fairly struck
,,,,, 134
BLACKSMITHING.
or it will be liable to break at one of the notches. A round hole can be converted into a hexagonal one in a similar way by means of a six-sided drift, more quickly and much more exactly than by filing. To square a round ho!e with no thoroughfare, in a
Fig. qs-Showing the CommonestForm of Drift.
box wrench for instance, it bottom, say with a D bit. is inserted as backing. and gradually fed to the work of the hole is cut square.
i; first made flat 01) the Then a half round plug a flat drift driven in and by strips of brass till half The half round plug is
1!I
BLACKSMITRING.
13~5
then withdrawn, the drift faced the other way, and the other half of the hole cut, suitable backing being A half round drift, cutting on its flat face, inserted.
Fig. $-Showing a Drift used for making Round Holes Oval.
could be used foi* this job, instead of the flat one, bk.t would not be so ,easily backed up and directed. ~I-Ialf round drifts, cutting on the round face as shown in Fig. 96, are used to make rotund holes 01 al, in hatimer eyes for instance. They are backed up first by a half round plug and then fed to the work by slips of brass or steel, In this instance, however, the half round plug must have a shoulder, as shown in Fig. 97, to keep it from slipping through the hole.
136
BLACKSMITIJING.
These are but the simplest
styles
of drifting,
but
Fig. 9725howing trow the Shoulderis made on the Plug.
they show that the drift can be used to cut almost any shape of hole.----By WILL TOD.
CHAPTER FUJELERING
V.
AND SWAGING.
The Principles
of Fuilering.
I should like to say a few words which will, I think, be of interest members of our trade if not to Suppose, then, that we take a bar of
Fig. 98-A
about swaging, to the younger the older ones. iron, such as B,
Bar in which a Square Recess is being Forged,
in Fig. 98, and forge on it a square recess. The bar will get a certain amount longer, and, in the neighborhood of the recess, a certain amount wider also. just what the amount would be under any given condition is amatter concerningwhich J am not aware,
--
138
BLACI~S~~ITI~ING.
but it would, doubtless, vary with the shape and size of the blr, and perhaps also with its degree of temperature I should suppo:;c that the greater the heat the more the metal WL:::ii: spread sideways and the less the bar would elongate;, but I may be wrong in this view. This is a matter of more importance to blacksmiths than at first sight ap;>ears. Suppose, for example, a blacksmith is given .a pair of dies to make
Fig. 99-A
Round Fuller Substitute.
drop forgings with; in seiecting the best size and shape of bar, the question at once arises as to how much the bar will spread in each direction under the action of the blous. To take a specific case, suppose we require to forge in a die some blocks of iron that must measure +# inch by I& inch, and be, say, four inches long, there being enough taper on them to permit some
BLACKShIITHINTC.
139
their easy extraction from the die ; now, what would be the best si2e of iron to use, and how far should it be placed in the die ? Would it be better to. cut off the pieces, lay them in the die, and let the blows spread them out, or to take a bar, place it a certain distance over the die and depend upon ,the elongation of the bar to fill the die? One could, of course, make an experiment for any
Fig. xc--Spreading
a Bar.
given job, but it seems to me there could be got from experiments a rule upon the spreading of iron under compressive blows that would be of great usefulness. If, instead of a square fuller, we take a round one, as in Fig gg, A and C representing top and bottom fullers, and 13 the bar, the effect is to imcrease the
140
l~I~AC1CSMITHING.
elongation of the bar and diminish it;,spread across the width. If we require to spread the bar as much as possible and increase its width, we turn the fuller around, as ---a ,/i / --------i I’ I-----_____ L’ Fig. IOI -The end of a Bar to be Forged as shown by the Dotted Lines.
in Fig. IOO, causing the spreading to occur, as denoted by the dotted lines. Suppose it were required to forge the end of the bar in Figi IOI to the shape denoted by the dotted lines, the first operation would be to fuller, as at A, Fig.~ 102. Then the fuller would be applied as
Fig. loz-The
First Operation.
in Fig. 103, being slanted! as shown, to drive the metal outwards, as denoted by the arrows. Thus the fuller is shown to require considerable judgment in its use, and to be one of the most useful blacksmith tools.
BLACKSMITHING.
141
If we were to follow the plan of the scientific men, we could very easily claim that a flatter is simply a fuller, on the ground (as the scientists state with reference to gear wheels and racks) that if we suppose
Fig. ro3-The
Fuller Applied to drive the Metal Outward.
the radiu; of a fu!ler curve to be infinite in length, then a portion of its circumference may be represented by a straight line ; hence, a flatter becomes a fuller whose radius ,is of infinite length.-By R. J. About
Swages.
The old method of forging a swage was to take a piece of the best quality band iron and roll it up to make the body of the swage, and then weld a face of shear or double shear steel on it, the finished tool ap pearing as in Fig. 103%. This forms a good and
BLACKSMITHING.
142
durable tool, possessing two advantages : First, that a chisel-rod can be used as a handle, instead of requiring to have an eye punched and a trimmed or turned handle ; and secondly, that when the head is
Fig. IO&--O!d
worn down a the tool need In modern are employed
Method of Forging a Swage.
new one can readily be welded on, and not be thrown away. practice, however, solid steel swages which, on account of the cheapness of
Fig. xoq-Semi-circular
Top Swage for Round Work.
steel and the cheapness of productio~n when made as at present in quantities, obGates to a great extent the necessity for a blacksmith to forge his own tools. A swage for round work may be semicircular, as in Fig. 104, which repres,ents a top swage only, or V,
-
BLACKSMITHING.
‘43
shaped, as in Fig. 105, which shows a top and bottom swage. There is, however, this difference between the two. That shown in Fig. 104 makes a neater and more truly circularjob, but is more apt to draw the work hollow than that shown in Fig. 105. The reason of this is that the impact of Fig. 104 is on two sides only, tending to crush the work to an ‘oval instead of clo-ing it to the center, while that shown in Fig. 105 compresses the work on four
Fig. Iog-V-shaped
Top and Bottom Swage.
When sides, and prevents its bulging~ sideways. iron is compressed on both sides, and liberty is given it to move sideways, the fibers are apt to work one process past the other, and a sort of disintegrating sets in, so that, if the forging be carried to excess on these two sides, without being carried on on the two But sides at right angles, the iron will finally split. if the compression is carried on on four equidistant sides, the forging may be carried to an indefinite ex-
‘44
BLACKSMITIIING.
tent without separating the fibers, or “ hammering hollow,” as it is termed. For these reasons, the form shown in Fig. 104 is used to finish work, and, indeed, is used exclusively on small work; wbi’ on large work, under steam-hammers, the form shown in Fig. rag is used to rough out the work, and that in It is obvious that heavier Fig. 104 to finish with. blows may be used without injury to the iron, while
Fig. Io6-Shows
a Spring Gage for Light Work.
the form shown in Fig. 105 is used, the shape of the working face*only being, of course, referred to. On very light work, whea the hand-hammer only is used, a spring swage, such as shown in Fig. 106, is often used because the top swage guides itself, and the operator, holding the work in one hand and the hand-hammer in the other, is enabled to use the swage without the aid of a helper.
BLACKSMITHING.
145
Another method of guiding a small swage is shown in Fig. 107, in which the bottom swage is shown to contain a recess to guide the top one by inclosing its outside surfaces. The holes of circular or round swages are always made of larger circle than the diameter of the work, so that the hole between the two swages, when placed together, wii! be an ova!. This is necessary to
h
Fig. Iop-Recessed Swage. prevent the swage hollow from wedging upon the work, and it becomes obvious that in ccnsequence of this form the hollow of the swage must not envelop In practice it usually envelops half the diameter. one-third, or, in,large work, still less. In collar-swages, .,“uch as shown in Figs. 106 and 107, the recess for the collar is (to prevent the work from
146
BLACKSMITHING.
wedging in the recess) made narrower at the bottom than at the top, so that the work may easily be revolved by hand and easily removed from the swage, Swage-blocks, such as shown in Fig. 108, should have the holes passing through them, as at A, a true circle or square, as the case may be, and parallel for the full !ength of the hole. But the recesses, B, should be oval, as in the case of hand-swages. Swage-
Fig. Io&Swage. Blockfor GeneralWork. slots, such as sh,own at C, should, for parallel work, be parallel in their lengths, but taper in their depths, being nai-rowest at the bottoms of the recesses or slots. Swages for steam-hammers should have flanges on two opposite sides, as shown in Fig. 109, in which B is an anvil block, .Y a block swage, and S a handswage, and this flange should pass below and envelop the angle block so as to prevent the swage from
--
BLACKSMITHING.
.-
147
moving the anvil-block when the work is pushed through the swage ; and it follows that the flauges should be on the sides of the swag-e wEere the swagehole emerges, or in other words, the length of the flanges should be at a right angle to the working curved face of the swage. The handle, r-i, of the hand-swage should be below the level of the striking face, S, so that the hammer-face shall, in no case
Fig. 109--Form of Swage for .CteamHammers.
strike it, which would cause it to vibrate and sting, or perhaps injure the operator’s hands. If the position of the steam hammer or other causes renders it necessary, on account of the length of the-work, to have the length of the swage-block run at a right angle to the hammer (as in the case of long work done under a trip-hammer, where the parts of the machine under the helm would be in the way of the work). then the flange must fit the sides instead of the front of the anvil-block, as shown in Fig. I IO. For small work intended to be neatly fin-
. ..-
BLACKSMITHING.
148
ished under a trip-hammer, hinged stamps, finishing tools or dies are often used. Suppose, for example, it be required to forge pieces such as shown in Fig. I I I ; then, after being roughed out, they may be neatly and cleanly finished to size and shape in a pair of hinged dies, such as shown in Fig. 112. The
Fig. I Io-Another
Form of
age for Steam Hammers.
curves in the dies. however, require tcj be of larger radius than those of the work, so that they may not jam the work and prevent it being revolved in the dies. But the depth of the recess in the dies is made correct for the diameter of the dies, so that when ;he faces of the two halves of the die meet the work will
Fig. I I I-Specimen
of Forging.
be of correct diameter. To free the dies ol ihe oxidized scale falling from the forging, 2 supply of wat~?r is necessary, otherwise the scale would drive into the work-surface, making it both rough and hard to cut. Sometimes, instead of the pivoted joint, P,
BLACKSMITHING.
‘49
Fig. .I I 2, the ends are composed of a spring similar to that shown in Fig. 106, which enables the flat
Fig. I x&-Hinged
Dies for Forging Fig. I I I.
faces of the dies to approach each other more nearly parahel one to the other. Rules for Swaging.
To make a good jump weld it requires good judgment on the part of the smith in getting the two pieces fullered properly before welding. Many smiths
Fig. I IS-Correct method of Fullering or Swaging.
do not think or use good judgment when making a’ weld of this kind. To make a jump weld for a
‘50
BLACKSMTTHING.
shank, carria,ge-step, or for any other purpose, proceed as in Fig. I 13. Fuller at C, upset the shank
Fig. I I.+-Incorrect
Method.
A, as at the projecting parts, X, X. The shank, A, at X, X, is the important point to take notice of when
Fig. I I j-Correct
Way of Finishing.
making the weld. Always let the shank, A, extend over the fullered part, C, as at X, X. This will give
Fig. I I64ncorrect
Way of Finishing.
you a good chance in using the fuller when welding so as to get the scarfs, X, X, solid to the part B.
.--
BLACKSMITHING.
‘5’
Never fuller the part C, or forge the part A, as is shown in Fig. 114. I’f you do, you will not get a solid weld. To make a neat as well as a strong jtib, finish as is shown at P, P, in Fig. I 15. Never finish as is shown at H, H, in Fig. I 16. A wield made as at H, H, in Fig. I 16, is not asstrong as if made as shown in Fig. I IS.----By Now AND THEN. A Stand for a Swage-Block. A blacksmith of my acquaintance once abused the swage-block because he stubbed his toes against it.
Fig. I 17~-Stand for a Swage-Block.
I wan;; to tell him and others how to save their toes and the swage-block> too. Let him make a stand for it with four legs, like Figs. Fig. I I 7 shows the I 17 and I 18, shown herewith.
BLACKSMITHING.
I 5.2
block, e,f; lying f?at, resting on the ledge shown by the dotted line, a, 6. The dotted lines,g, L, show how the block would stand when upright in the stirrup,
Fig. I IS-Shorting
the Side of the Block when Upright.
c, d. Fig. I 18~shows the side of upright.-By WILL Too.
the
block
when
II CHAPTER MISCELLANEOUS The Principles
VI. TOOLS.
on which Edge Tools Operate.
All cutting and piercing edge-tools operate on the principle of the wedge. A brad-awl furnishes an example which all can readily understand. The cutting edge of the awl severs the fibres of wood as the instrument enters, and the particles are compressed into a smaller com+s, in the same manner as when a piece of wood is separated by a wedge. A chisel is a wedge in one sense ; and an ax, drawing knife, or jack-knife is also a wedge. When a keen-edged razor is made to clip a hair or to remove a man’s beard, it operates on the principle of the wedge. Every intelligent mechanic understands that when a wedge is dressed out smoothly, it may bedriven in with much less force than if its surface were left jagged and rough. The same idea holds good with respect to edge-tools. If the cutting edge be ground and whet to as fine an edge as may be practicable with a fine-gritted whet-stone, and if the surface
‘54
BLACKShlITHING.
back of the cutting edge beground smoothand true, and polished neatly, so that one can discern the color of his eyes by means of the polished surface, the toe1 will enter whatever is to be cut by the application of much less force than if the surfaces were left as rough as they usually are when the tool leaves the grindstone. All edge-tools, such as ax.es, chisels and planes, that are operated with acrushz’nginstead of a &zwilzg stroke, should be polished neatly clear to the cutting edge, to facilitate their entrance into the substance to be cut. Hints on the Care of Tools.
The following hints on the best means of keeping tools in good condition cannot fail to be useful : WOODEN PART&-The wooden parts of tools, such as the stocks of planes and handles of chisels, are often made to have a nice appearance by French polishing; but this adds nothing to their durability. A much better plan is to let them soak in linseed oil for a week, and rub them with a cloth for a few min. utes every day for a week or two. This produces a beautiful surface, and at the same time exerts a solidifying and preservative action on the wood. IRON PARTS.--RUSK preven%e.s.-The foIlowing receipts are recommended for preventing rust on iron and steel surfaces : I. Caoutchouc oil is said to have proved efficient
BLACKSMITHING.
I55
in preventing rust, and to have been adopted by the German army. It only requires to be spread with a piece of f.Jannel in a very thin layer over the metallic surface, and allowed to dry up. Such a coating will afford isecurity against all atmospheric influencei, and w’ill not show any cracks under the microscope after a year’s standing. To remove it, the article has simply to be treated with caoutchouc oil again, and wa~shed after 12 to 24 hours. 2. A solution of india rubber in benzine has been used for yearsas a coating for steel, iron, and lead, and has been found a simple means of keeping them from oxidizing. It can be easily applied with a brush, land is as ,easily rubbed off. It should be made about the consistency of cream. 3. All steel articles can be perfectly preserved from rust by putting a lump of freshly-burnt lime in the drawer or case Tn which they are kept. If the things are to be moved (as a gun in its case, for instance), put the lime in a muslin bag. This is especially valuable for specimens of iron when fractured, for in a moderately dry place the lime will not want any renewing for many years, as it is capable of absorbing a large quantity of moisture. Articles in use should be placed in a box nearly filled with thoroughly pulverized slaked lime. Before using them, rub well with a woolen cloth. 4. The following mixture forms an excellent brown coating for protecting iron and steel from
‘56
BLACIiSMITHING.
rust : Dissolve 2 parts crystallized iron chloride, 2 antimony chloride, and I tannin, in water, and apply with sponge or rag, and let dry. Then another coat of the paint is applied, and again another, if necessary, until the color becomes as dark as desired. When dry it is washed with water, allowed to dry again, and the surface polished with boiled linseed oil. The antimony chloride must be as nearly neutral as possible. 5. To keep tools from rusting, take s oz. camphor, dissolve in I lb. melted lard ; take off the scum and mix in as much fine black lead (graphite) as will give it an iron color. Clean the tools, and smear with the mixture. After 24 hours, rub clean with a soft linen cloth. The tools will keep clean for months under ordinary circumstances. 6; Put I quart fresh slaked lime: ;h lb. washing soda, 5 lb. soft soap in a bucket; add sufficient water to cover the articles ; put in the tools as~soon as possible after use, and wipe them up next morning, or let them remain until wanted. 7. Soft soap, with half its weight of pearlash ; one ounce of mixture in about I gallon boiling water. This is in every-day use in most engineers’ shops in the drip-cans used for turning long articles bright in wrought iron and steel. The work, though constantly moist, does not rust, and bright nuts are immersed in it for days till wanted, and retain their polish.
BLACKSMITIIING.
'57
Names of Tools and their Pronunciation,
Pane, Pene, Peen, which is correct? Pane is the correct word for the small end of a hammer head, Pene or Peen being corruptions. As soon as you leave without any necessity or reason the correct word Pane, you enter a discussion as to whether Pene
Fig. I Ig-Shows
various Styles of Wrenches.
or Peen shall be substituted, with some advocates and custom in favor of both. If custom is to decide the matter, Pane will have it all its own way, because, of the English speaking people of the earth, there are, say, thirty-six millions in England, four millions
-
158
BLACKSMITHING.
in the West Indies, six or seven millions in Australia with the Cape of Good Hope and other English colonies to count in, who all use the original and correct word Pane, besides Canada and the United States ; the former having a majority, in favor of Pane from their population being largely English, Scotch, etc., and the latter having some of its greatest authorities, Pane-ites and therefore uncorrupted. Don’t let us, as Tennyson says, “ Think the rustic cackle of your burg, The murmur of the world.”
Peen may be used in all parts of the country where ‘I Old Fogy” has been, but it is not used where I have been and that is in Great Britain, the West Indies, South American English-speaking countries, as Guiana, and not in some parts of the United States ; or rather by some mechanics in the TJnited States. The fact is these corruptions are creeping in and creating dire confusion in many cases. For example : A lathe-work carrier or driver has now got to be called a “ dog ” in the United States. This is wrong, because if the word carrier is used as in other English-speaking countries, the thing is distinct, there being no other tool or8 appliance to a lathe that is called a carrier. But if the word used is “ dog ” we do not know whether it means a dog to drive work between the centers of the lathe, or a dog to hold the work to a face-plate, the latter being the original and proper “ dog.”
-
BLACKSMITIIING.
‘59
Again, in all other English-speaking countries, a key that fits on the top and bottom is a “key,” while one that fits on the sides is a “feather.” Now a good many in the United States are caliing the latter a ‘1 key,” hence, with the abandonment of the word “ feather,” a man finding in a contract that a piece of work is to be held by a key, don’t know whether to let ‘it fit on the top or bottom or on the sides, and it happens that some mechanics won’t have a feather when a key can be used, while others won’t have a key at any price. Let us see what has come of adopting other corruptions in the United States, and I ask the reader the following questions : If I ask a boy to fetch me a three-quarter wrench, is he not as much justified in bringing me one to fit a three-quarter inch -__^.-L-. * tap a3 a tb,‘ef-qun~ ~cf iildi iiUt ~W~WiCh i How is he to know wSether a solid wrench, hexagon wrench or a square wrench is meant ? In other English-speaking countries, an instrument for rotating the heads of tools, and having a square hole to receive such heads, is a wrench. Thus a three-quarter wrench is a wrench that will fit a three-quarter tap. A “ wrench ” that spans the side of a nut, and is open at the end, is termed a “ spanner.” There can be no mistake about it, it is a spanner or a thing that spans. Now, suppose the ‘(wrench” goes on the end of the nut head, you call it a box wrench, because its . hole is enclosed on all sides but one, and It boxes in
160
BLACKSMITIIING.
the bolt head. Thus the term wrench is properly applied to those tools in which the head of the work is enveloped on all sides by the tool (but not of course, at the end or ends). For example, in Fig. I 19, A is a spanner, B a box wrench, E a double (handled) and D a single wrench, and from these simple elements a name can be given to any form of wrench that’will indicate its form and use. Thus, F.g. 120 will be a pin spanner, so that if a boy who did not know the tools was sent to pick out any required tool from its name he
Fig. 120-A
Pin Spanner.
would be able to do so if given the simple definiThese definitions are the old tions I have named. ones more used among the English-speaking people than “ monkey wrench,” which indicates a cross between a monkey and a wrench. NO, no, don’t let the errors of a minority influence US simply because we happen to be in a place or town where that minority is prominent, and if we are to make an American Ianguage let it be an American improvement, having system and reason in its
BLACKSMITHING.
161
composition. A man need not say p-e-n-e,pnze, because the majority of those around his locality were Irishmen and would pronounce it that way whether you spell it pane, pene, or peen. A man need not spell h-a-m-m-e-r and pronounce it /tonznzer because the majority of those in the place he is in are Scotchmen. And we need not alter pane to pene or peen promiscuously because a majority of those around us do so, they being in a minority of those speaking our language, especially since pene or peen does not sixnify the thing named any plainer than pane, which cn~zbe found in the dictionary, while the former tabz’f be found there. We have got now to some Americanisms in prcnunciation that are all wrong, and that some of our school-teachers will insist on, thus : d-a u-n-t-e-d is pronounced by a majority of Americans somewhat as darnted, instead of more like dawnted : now, if daun, in daunted, is pronounced darn, please pronounce d, a, u in daughter and it becomes “darter.” I shrink from making other comparisons as, for example, if au spells ah or ar, pronounce c-a-u.g-h-t. We are the most correct English-speaking nation in the world, and let us remain so, making our alterations and additions improvements, and not merely meaningless idioms.- By HAMMER AND TONGS. NOTE.-This writer talks learnedly, but nevertheless he is condemned by the very authority which he cites (and correctly too) in support of his pronun-
-.
IO2
IILACKSMITHING.
Unabridged Pane. Webster’s gives the a14 in &~zzted the sound of a.in farther so that the word (our contributor to the contrary notwithstanding), should be pronounced as though s?elled DLWZ~&.--ED. ciaric,, II of the word
Tongs for Bolt-Making.
I send a sketch of a pair of tongs suitable for makThe jaws are eight inches and the reins ing bolts. A glance at the engraving, Fig. ten inches long.
f---.
IO IN.
Fig. IZ:-Tongs
-**SW.&-“-.
SIN. ““’
Designed by “ Southern Blacksmith.”
it is iioi necessary to open the hands to catch the head on any size of bolt. These tongs should be made very light. The trouble with all nail grabs is that the rivet is put too near the prongs, and when you try to get nails out of the bottom of a keg the reins catch in the top and the tongs can’t open far enough.-By SOUTHERN BLACKSMITH. i2 i,
will
show
that
Home-Made
Fan for Blacksmith’s
Use.
TO construct a home-made hand blower proceed as follows : Make two side pieces of suitable boards of the shape shown in Fig 122 of the accompanying sketches. Make a narrow groove in the line marked
-
BLACKSMITHING.
163
A. Procure a strip of sheet-iron of the width the blower is desired to be, and bend it to correspond
Fig. izz-Side
Elevation of :: E. H. W.‘s ” Biower.
Then the two sides are to be with the groove. clasped upon the sheet-iron, with small bolts. This
Fig. xq-Manner
of Attaching the Fans to the Shaft of Blower.
164
BLACKSMITHING.
will form the blower case. The small circle shown in the center of Fig. 122, incloses a portion to be cut out for the admission of the current of air. The shaft is made by taking a block of wood large enough to make a pulley about ISA inches in diameter, the
L
Fig. I2q-Cross-section
Thm
-I
h Blower, showin g: Bearings for Shaft.
length of the block being from bearing to bear&g of shaft. Bore a central longitudinal hole $-inch~ ,in diameter in the block, turn a plug to fit the hole. Put the plug in place an~d place all on the lathe and turn, leaving~the part where fans are to be attached about I 2-5 inches in diameter. Square this part and fasten the fans thereto, as shown in Fig. 123.
BLACKSMITHING.
165
Constructed as there shown they are intended to revolve from left to right. On removing the block from the lathe the wooden plug is withdrawn and a rod of half-inch iron is put in, projecting at each end an inch and a quarter for journals. The bearings for the shaft are simply blocks of wood screwed to the sides of the case, with holes bored to
Fig. Izp-GeneraI View of Blower, in connection with Forge.
fit the shaft as shown in Fig. I 24. The dimensions of my blower are as follows : Case, 9 inches in diameter inside of sheet-iron; width of case, 3 inches; central opening, to admit air, 3 inches in diameter ;, pulley, 134 inches in diameter. The fans are of pine, one-quarter inch.thick at the base, diminishing in
166
BLACKSMITHING.
thickness to one-eighth inch at the point. Fig. 125 shows my portable forge, upon w~hich the above deThe frame is made of fourscribed fan is employed. foot pine fence pickets. The fire-pot is an old soap kettle partly filled with ashes to prevent the bottom from getting too hot.--By E. H. W. Making a Pair of Pinchers.
The subject of my remarks is one of the simplest yet most useful tools in the shop, a pair of pinchers. Fully one-half of my brother smiths will say, “ Who
Fig. x&-Shows
Method of Forging.
doesn’t know all about pinchers ?” From the appearance.of two-thirds of those I see in use, I am convinced that if the makers knew all about them, then they siighted their work when they made them. To
BLACKSMITHING.
“67
make a neat and strong pair of pinchers, forge out of good cast steel such a shape as is shown in Fig. 126, and then bend to shape, as in the dotted lines. When one-half of the forging is done, forge the other jaw
Fig. 1z7--Showing the Pinchers Finished.
in same way, and make sure that they have plenty of play before riveting them together. Then fit and temper, and you will have a strong neat tool, as shown in Fig. 127. Fig. I 28 represents the style of
Fig. 128--3lowing
a Faulty Method of Making Pinchers.
pinchers generally made. They are awkward ‘and weak looking, and work about as they look. The cutting edge is el?tirely too far from the rivet.-& J. 0. H.
168
BI..4CKS~IITIIIXG.
A Handy Tool for Holding
Iron and Turning
Nuts.
Fig. 129 represents a small tool I use in my shop and find very han~3.y to ho!d round iron and turn nuts, etc., in hard IJ~SXS. Wheelwrightsand carriage painters, as well as blacksmiths, will find it a very
Fig. lzg-Tool
for Holding Iron and Turning Nuts.
,,~ ,,‘Z:
convenient tool. is made the same filed on the inside ers on the end of
It is of steel and is quite light. It as a pair of tongs, having teeth of the jaws and having clasp pullthe handles.-& L. F. F.
A Handy Tool to Hold Countersunk
Bolts.
A handy tool to hold countersunk bolts in plows, etc., is made as follows : I take a piece of iron, say $d-inch square and ten inches long, as shown in Fig. 130, and punch a slotted hole four inches from the pointed end. The hole should be 3A x % inch. I then take a piece of iron 3A-inch square and make a slotted hole in this at one end and a tenon in the
BLACICSMITEIING.
169
other, as shown at L! in Fig. I 3 I. I next punch a g-inch hole in the slotted end, and then take a piece of iron Sk inch x s inch and 6 inches long, and draw one end out to G inch and. turn a hook on it, as shown in Fig. 132. I then punch two or threeholes in the other end, take a piece of steel 3A inch x g*
inch, draw it to a point like a cold chisel ; then take the piece shown in Fig. 13, split the end, and put in the small pointed piece I have just mentioned, and weld and temper. I then put all my pieces together in the following manner: After heating the tenon end of the piece A in Fi g. I 3 I to a good heat, I place A
Fig. 131-Tuo
additional parts of the Tool.
it in my vise and place on the piece shown in Fig. 130, letting the tenon of the piece A go through the piece shown in Fig. 130, and while it is hot rivet or head it over.snugly and tightly. If this is done right, the tenon and slotted hole in A will point the sameway. I then take the piece B shown in Fig. 131, and place
BLACKSMITHING.
tp
it in the slot of A and join the two pieces with a loose rivet, as shown in Fig. 132, so that the piece can be moved about to suit different kinds of work. I next place the pointed end of the bolt holder against the bolt head and give the other end a tap with the ham-
Fig. Isz-..The
Parts united and Tool complete.
mer ; then hook the piece shown in Fig. 1.31over the plow bar and bear down on the cutter end with my knee, while with my wrench I take off the top. A ring may be welded in the end to use in hanging the tool up.--By c. w. c. Making
The
a Pair of Clinching
Tongs.
following is my way of making clinching tongs : I take a piece of 5-X square steel and forge it out the same as ! would for common tongs, making the jaws $ inch wide by 3-8 inch thick, one jaw r g inches long and the other 2% inches in length. I then draw out the short jaw to IO inches and draw the long one to 12 inches. I then turn the long jaw back as shown at A in’ Fig. 133 of the accompanying engravings, and shape the short jaw as in Fig. 134. I next take the g-inch fuller and notch the inside of
l31.ACKSMITIIINC.
t7*
the short jaw as shown at B in Fig. 134. I then put notches in the long jaw at A, and next drill a 5-16-
Fig. tj+The
Long Jaw.
inch rivet hole as in other tongs and take a 5 t6-inch bolt with a long thread and screw one nut on the
Fig. I 34-The
Short Jaw.
bolt down far enough to receive both jaws and another nut. I then temper the curved jaw at A
Fig. ry+The
Tongs Complete.
until a good file ca? just cut it. I next put in the bolt and bend the reins as shown in Fig. 135. The
172
RLACKSAIITHING.
object of bending at C is to prevent the jaws from pinching your fingers if they slip off a clinch. I have a pair of tongs made in this way that I have used for the last five years.--& J. N. B. Tongs for Holding
Slip Lays.
The accompanying illustration, Fig. I 36, represents a pair of tongs for holding right and left hand slip lays while sharpening and pointing, and making new lays. This tool does away with the clamping or riveting of the steel and bar before taking a welding heat, because it holds the two parts together better
Fig. I 36-Tongs
for Holding Slip Lays.
than any clamp or rivet. The double T, or head A, is forged from Swedish iron. The handle, B, is welded to the head in the center, as shown in the illcstration, and works between the forked handle C. D pushes against the end of the lays bar (right or left as the case may be), and that draws the top T ,up tight, and as it is bent in the same angle as’s plow lay, but little power of grip is needed to hold the tongs to their place while sharpening or pointing.
BLACKSMITBING.
* 73
They clamp up so tight that often you have to tap them on the end of the handles to release the lay. Both handles have Ijd-inch holes through them and I use x-inch bolts fir pins in them to hold them together after they have been adjusted to fit the lay Any good blacksmith can make these tongs and will certainly find them v&y useful.-By A. 0. K.
CHAPTER
VII.
MISCELLANEOUS
TOOLS.
CONTINUED.
Mending
a Vise.
I will make a few remarks about the vise, a tool which blacksmiths use every day. Some smiths believe that when the threads or screws are worn out, it is necessary to buy a new vise. But this is an error; for the old vise can be mended so as to be as good as a new one. The job is done as follows: First cut the old vise screw off, where the screw stops, or about two inches from the collar of the large end, then weld on a new piece of round iron and turn threads on it the same as if for a new vise screw. To get them in line these threads should be done with a lathe. It is better to have the screws taper slightly. The next thing in order will be to get the screw threads in the box. First, take a drill and turn the old threads out, smoothly and true. Care must be taken to have a space of at least 3-16 of an inch all round the screw when it is placed in the threadless box. Then take a long piece of Swedish iron just thick enough to be bent in the screw, and about 3.16, or a fraction under, than the depth of the threads on the screws. Bend this flat iron from one end of
BLACKSMITHING.
I75
the screw to the other, then make another piece of iron that will fit in the screws that the first piece of iron left after it was bent. This second piece we find will be as thick as the screws on the vise screw, and as wide as the first piece extends above the screws. This being done, all is closed up smooth, the second piece holding the main threads firm after the screw is turnedout. Now the threads are on the vise screw, and it is nearly ready to be put in the box. First dress the outside of the threads off, so the screw can be driven in the box when it is a little warm, then drive screw threads all into the box at about the place where they belong, then let the box cool, and turn the screw out of the threads and braze the screws; put the brass on end side. When you are melting it, keep turning the box so it will be brazed all over. When cool. grease the screw and threads well and slowly turn it in. The main thread must not fit too tightly in the screws. This makes the best vise screw. By measuring the depth of the hole in the box you can tell how long to make the threads on the screw--By J. W. A Cheap
Reamer.
The following may be an old idea, though I have discovered it for myself: Heat an old three-cornered file; hammer one corner down, then grind the same round and the other corner sharp, temper, and you have a cheap taper reamer, cutting both ways.-23y
WILLTODD.
176
BLACKShlITIIING.
Shapes of Lathe Tools. Every toolsmith knows the trouble he has to contend with in tool dressing. One man wants a tool this shape, another a different shape. One wants his tools fully hardened, while another prefers a straw temper. Of course, in a shop large enough to keep a toolsmith for this special work, the smith makes the tools to the shape he has found by experi-
?: ,1
~:, :,,,
,,,,
~,~
The Shapeac,J e’se of Cutting Tools for Lather.
Fig. rp-The
Dianond Point Tool.
ence to be the most suitable for general work, only varying it to suit some special occasion. But in a small shop tool forging becomes a part of the duty of the ordinary blacksmith, and in order that he may know what shapes tools should be given he must understand the principles governing their These principles I will now explain so plainaction. ly and carefully that no one can fail to comprehend them.
BLACKSMITHING.
‘77
Fig. 137 of the accompanying illustrations represents what is commonly called the diamond-point tool, a being its top face, b its bottom one, and c and d the cutting edges. This is a very common form of
Fig. x38-Showing
a Tool Easy to Forge and Grind.
tool, but I do not believe it is the best one even for the purpose of plain outside turning, a much easier tool to forge and to grind being the one shown in
Fig. xsg-Showing the drake of the Top Face.
Fig. 138. The rake of the top face is its angie in the direction of the arrow in.Fig. 139, and the rake of the bottom face 6 is its angle in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 140.
BLACKSMITHING.
178
The efficiency and the durability of the cutting edge depends upon the degrees of rake given to these two faces. Obviously the less rake the stronger the cutting edge, but the less keen the tool. if we give a tool an excess’ of top rake, as in Fig.
Fig. qo-Showing
the Rake of the Bottom Face.
141, the cutting
edge will soon dull, but the cutting C will come off clean cut and in a large coil, if the
TOOL
Fig. Iqr-Showing
a Tool with an Excess of Top Rake.
tool is fed into the work. The strain on the top face, however, will be in the direction of D, and the tool will be liable to dip into the cut when the cut deephens, as it will in some places on account of a want of roundness in the iron,
BLACKSMITHING.
I79
If, on the other hand,we give too much bottom rake, as in Fig. 142, the cutting edge will be weak, and there being but little tc 2 rake, the pressure wi!l be in the direction of D. Furthermore, the cutting will come off in almost straight pieces and all broken up.
Fig. Iqa-Showing
a Tcrol with too much Bottom Rake.
A fair amount of top and bottom rake for wrought iron is shown in Fig. 143, the top rake being diminished for cast iron and for tteel. The best guide as to the efficiency of a tool is its
Fig. r43-Showing
a well proportioned Tool for Wrought Iron.
cuttings or chips, as they are commonly called. When the tool is fed upward only, the cutting should come off in a large circle as in Fig. 141, and if the coil is small there is insufficient top rake. But when
BLACKSMITHING.
IS0
fed level along the work the cutting comer?: off in a spiral, such as in Fig. ~44. The more top rake the tool has the more ape,? the coils will be, the cutting shown being as open as it should be even for the softest of wrought iron. The harder the metal the less top rake a tool should have, wh:le the bottom rake should in all crises be kept as small as possible,
Fig. Is-Showing
how the Cutting comes off when the Tool is fed Level.
say IO degrees for the rate of feed of an average 16inch lathe. The tool point should never stand far above the top of the tool steel, the position shown in Fig. 138 being for a newly-forged tool. The practiced hand may have these tools fully hardened, but the beginner should temper them to a light straw color.
BL.ZCliSMITIiING.
181
The top of anvil should be perfectly level and smooth, and the centrr of the same should be hardc:r than the edges, because it receives the brunt of the blows. \S’hen used on the upper floors of a building. when a solid foundation can not be had, resort is had to a. device by means of which the jar of the blows This consists in mounting the anvil is obviated. upon a stout spring whose upward rebound is counteracted by smaller springs placed above.-& ,IOC~JTT ““II”LL \ Rnc-c I.“*-. Useful Attachment
to Screw Stock
Dies.
Having an order to 611 for asmall quantity of iron pins 2% by 1-8 inch in diameter, to be threaded at each end with a wood screw thread, and having no tools to cut the threads with, I devised and used the following plan, which answered so satisfactorily that I think the idea may be of service to others, and hence send you sketches of it. C, in Fig. 145, is the die stock having in it the dies B B, with the requisite pitch of thread. On the die stock is fastened a tool post and tool at F and a copper steadying piece at A. The tool may be made from ;i-inch square Stubbs or Crescent steel carefully filed to the shape of the thread to be cut and carefuily tempered. E is a steel sleeve screwed with a thread of the same pitch and sawn through its axis one way to point D, an’d the spring tempered in oil.
IS2
BLACKSMITIIING.
The pin to be threaded is inserted through the sleeve E, which on being gripped in the vise secure-
Fig. I45-Attachment
to Screw Stock Dies as designed by “W. D.” Side View.
ly holds the pin. When the stock is revolved E regulates the pitch of the thread that the tool will
Fig. rq6-Plan
View of ‘* W. D.‘s ” gtock.
cut on the pin. Hence the stock may be used in the ordinary. manner. -4 plan view is shown in Fig., 146.
183
BLACKSMITliIiVG.
If many bolts are wanted it would be well to make a pair of blank or soft dies or otherwise a piece of thin sheet-brass between the dies, and the sleevewill be of service. I may state that the thread cut by this t:ool when well made, is equal to any wood screw, whether made of iron, steel, or manufactured brass. -By IV. D. Wear of Screw-Threading
Tools.
It is well-known that a tap can be sharpened by grinding the tops of the ,teeth only, and since the reason of this explains why the work goes together tighter as the tools wear, permit me to explain it. In
Fig, 147~Section of Tap showing Wear of Screw-Threading Tools.
Fig.~ 147~ which presents a section of the tap, A B are the top corners and E F the bottom corners of the thread. Now, as the thread is formed by cutting a groove, and the teeth cut the groove, it is evident that A B cut continuously, but as E F do not meet the work until the thread is cut to its full depth, they
184
BLACKSMITHINC.
do no cutting, providing the tapping hole.is the right size, as it should be. It follows then that the corners A B wear the most, and like all sharp corners they wear rounding. Now take the case of the die in Fig. 148, and it is evident that the corners C D do the cutting, and, therefore, wear rounding more than the corners G H, which only meet the work when it has a full
Fig. ~&-Section
Through a Die.
thread cut on it. iu’om take a bolt and nut with a thread cut on it by worn dies, and we shall have the c~ ndition of th,ings shown in Fig. 149 ; rounded corners at A B on the nut and at CD on the bolt, and sharp corners at E F on the nut and at G Iron Hence corners G N jam against corners the bolt. A B, and corners E F jam against corners CD. So much for the wear, and now for the sharpening of
-
BLACKSMITNING.
185
the tap. It is evident that as the tops of the teeth do themain part of the cutting, they get dull quickest,
c
I\U\ Fig. r&+-Enlarged
and therefore sharpened.-&
1( m\m F’li !a1
Section Through a Bolt and Nut cut by Worn Dies.
by grinding J. R.
them the teeth are greatly
Tool for Wagon Clips.
The following tool for use in bending buggy, saddle and wagon clips, is easily made and will save much time where a number of clips are used. Figs. I 5 I and I 5 z show the tool taken apart. In making it have the width from axle to axle the required width of the clip, and have the part A so that it will fit up tight in the slot H The part B, shown in Fig. 151, is of the same width as A. Fig. 150 shows the tool put together with the clip fastened in it ready for bending. In bending clips in a tool of this kind, Round they can be formed half round, if desired.
1S6
BLACKSMITHING.
and square iron may be used as required. In using the tool proceed as follows : Place A, of Fig. 15I, in the slot H, then place the clip in the slot at 0. Next
Fig. 1jo-Device
for Bending Clips, with Detail of Wedge and a View of a Finished Clip.
drive the wedge-shaped~key D in the slots of C and B. When the clip is fastened in the tool, as shown
Fig. ISI-The
Principal Part of the Tool.
in Fig. 150, with a hand hammer bend the ends against the parts F F of the tool. In taking the clip out of the tool drive the pin out of the slots and drive
i BLACKSMITHING.
187
At this stage the ciip the clevis from the mandrils. will be finished, or in other words it will be shown in the shape as shown at C and ready for swedging the
Fig. I $z-Detail
of the Clamping Device.
By a little practice any smith parts for the nuts. will be able to bend nearly a square corner on the outside of the clip.-& H. R. H. A Handy Tool.
Many times, iu taking siderable
old carriages trouble arises from the turning
apart, conof bolts, as
Fig. I 53--A Handy Tool.
the small square under the head will not hold the bolt if the nut turns hard. In such cases it is usually
188
ULACKSMITHING.
necessary to split the nut, to get the bolt out. The tool in question will save many bolts and much Set the jaws down over the head vexation of spirit. 13 of the bolt, Fig. 153, strike on the top of the jaw at A with a hammer to settle into the wood; then pinch the handles and you have it held fast, and the nut can then be readily turned off. The tool is about IO inches long, and 5-S to 3k of an inch in thickness, measuring through the points joined by the rivet. It will work on bolts from 3-16 to 3-S, and even larger. A blacksmith can make a pair in one ho&, and save For the want of a many hours of valuable time. better name we call it a ‘I Polly.“--By 0. F. F. False Vise-Jaws for Holding Rods, etc. Here is a simple device for holding bolts in a vise. T!lough an old invention it is not as well-known as
Fig. I 54 -False Vise-Jaws.
End View.
it ought to be. Fig. I 54 of the illustration shows the end of a pair of cast-brass jaw fitting on the vise.
lS9
BLACliSMITHINC.
Fig. 155 shows one jaw. The same pattern will Clamp the jaws and drill the holes, do for both. filing them afterward to the shape desired. Square
Fig. I j S-Showing OIWof the Jaws.
holes are most useful, as they hold both round and square rods. Do not make the holes larger than need
Fig. r56-The
Bottom Tool for Making Spring Clips.
be, and then they may be redressed when worn, or altered to suit new work.-By WILL TOD. Making Spring Clips with Round Top.
Shanks and Half-Round
The accompanying illustrations represent my method of making short spring clips. The bottom
190
BLACKSMITHING.
tool shown in Fig. 156, should have a handle about 12 inches long. To make this tool take cast steel, say 3 x I inches, and first forge out the handle, then These holes should be for drill the two holes XX.
9.
Fig. x57-Showing how the Clip is Bent.
5-16 iron, and drilled with a
as deep as the shaft required is long, and should never be drilied through the tool, but made as shown in Fig. 157 by the dotted lines X X Fig. 159 represents the
Fig. I+--The
I 1-32 drill
Finished Clip.
top swage. This is made of cast steel, the same as any common top swage. First cut out the impression C the full length of the tool, then cut down the recess B 23, then punch out the eye D for the handle,
BLACKSMITEIING.
19’
This top swage is made to fit the bottom swage or handle tool, Fig. 156. To make the clips proceed as follows : Cut 5-16 inch round iron the proper length, bend it as shown in Fig. 157, place it in the tool, Fig. 156, set the savage, Fig. 159, on top of the
Fig. I S-The
Top Tool uxd in Making Spring Clips.
iron, and with five or six blows from the sledge you get the clip with both corners bent, as shown in Fig. 158. Any smith after two or three trials will know just how long to cut the iron to get the best results. The tool must be kept cool, for when it gets hot it will stick the clip.- -By H. R. H. Handy Tool for Marking Joints.
Not wishing to secure everything and give nothing in return, I send you a sketch, Fig. 160, of a
192
BLACKSMITHING.
handy tool to mark off joints where one cylindrical body joins another. A is a stem on a stand E. A loose sleeve, B, slides on A carrying an arm C, holda pencil at D. A piece of truly surfaced wood or iron, W, has marked on it the line J Two Vs, G G$ receive the work P. Now, if the centers of G G
Fig. tb-Handy
Tool for Marking Joints.
and of the stand E all coincide with the line], then E will stand central to P, and D may be moved by the hand around, P being allowed to lift and fall on A so as to conform to the cylindrical surface of P, and a line will be marked showing where to cut away the wood on that side, and all you have to do is to
BLACKSMITHING.
193
turn the work over and mark a similar line diametrically opposite, the second line being shown at K. -By S. M. Tools for Holding
Bolts in a Vise.
I send sketches of what I find a very handy tool for holding bolts or pins. It consists of a spring
Fig. x61-Showing
how the
Id by device of “ M. S. H.”
clamp that goes between the vise jaws, as in Fig. 16x
Fig. 16t-Showing of the accompany
the Device adapted for Holding Round Pins.
engravings, and has a groove in its jaws to hold the round stems of bolts to the vise
194
BLACKSMITHING.
jaws, without damaging the heads. It may be made also, as in Fig. 16 a, with a hole on its end as well to hold round pins. It doesn’t fall off the vise as other clamps do.-By W. S. H. A Tool for Making
Singletree
Clips.
I have recently devised a simple tool for making singletree clips from a single heat and will endeavor to explain how it is made. Proceed the same as in making any kind of a bottom swage, that is, take a piece of square iron the size of the hole in the anvil, and upset one end sufficiently for welding, then take another piece of iron y&inch thick by 2% inches wide and 8% inches
Fig. 163-Showing How the Ends are Shaped.
long and draw the ends down to the shape shown in Fig. 163 of the accompanying illustrations. Upset in the center, or, if your anvil is small, a little to one side of the center, or enough so that when your swage is in place, the end will not project over the end of the anvil. Weld on the stem and fit to the Next, make two g-inch grooves in each end anvil, of the swage commencing near the end and pointing to the ,center, as shown in Fig. 164. Have the
BLACKSMITHING.
‘95
measurements as near as possible to the following: From A to B, 8 inches ; from C to D, I $ inches. Next, take apiece of iron I x I ginches and weld on the ends of the swage, extending over the swage about
Fig. r61-Showing
How the Grooves are Made.
g of an inch. Open up the ends of the grooves and the tool is ready for use, as in~Fig. 16.5. To make the clips take $-inch round iron, cut off 8% inches long, heat in the center and bend sufficiently to allow it to go in the tool? then flatten the
Fig. r6j-The
Finished Tool.
center, take the clip out and bend it o,ver the horn into shape. A smith can easily make a clip ,at each heat. Of course, for making clips of differ&t sizes the tool must be made accordingly.---By J. W. C. Tool for Making
Rash Heels;
I send sketches of a tool for making dash-heels for buggies or phaetons, and will attempt to describe the
BLACKSMITHING.
196
manner of making and using the tool. Fig. 166 repIt is made of cast steel as far as resents the article. At this point is the dotted line shown to the right. welded on a piece of 7-S-inch round iron for the The tool proper is four inches long, and handle.
Fig. 166-Tool
for Making Dash Heels. General Appearance of the Too:.
The thickness or the handle twelve inches long. It is depth of the tool is two and one-half inches. made wider at the bottom than.at the top. Through the center of the tool, as shown in Fig. 166, a hole is c
Fig. I67-Tapering
*
and Splitting the Piece of Iron to form the Article.
made, passing from face to face. .This hole is 7-8 by 5-8 inch, which adapts the tool to making a heel of This weight is ample for a piano these dimensions. box, or phaeton body. The oval cavity in the upper face of the tool is five-eighths of an inch deep.
BLACKSMITHING.
The manner Norway iron, wedge shape, marked A A,
of using the tool is as follows: 7-8 x g inch in size, and draw it as indicated in Fig. 167, heat, the and place the iron in the tool ; let
Fig. I68-Appearance
‘97 Use out end the
of the Article upon Removing from the Tool.
helper strike it four or live blows with the sledge ; next take a splitting chisel and while the iron is in the tool, split it, as shown in Fig. 167 at 0 ; replace the iron in the fire, and obtaining a good weld:ng
Fig. r69-Form
of the Article Made in the Old Way.
heat, put it in the tool split ends in the oval same heat edge up the the piece come up two
again and hammer down the With the part of the tool. iron ; this is. done by letring or four inches in the too!. and
BLACKSMITHING.
198
holding it with the tool while edging it LIP. With the same heat also knock the iron down into the tool and swage with a top. oval swage to match the oval of the tocl. Take the iron out. It will be found that a heel has been formed as shown in Fig. 168. If. the heel is required for a phaeton body, all that remains to be done is to punch the holes ; if, on the other hand, however, the heel is wanted for a pianobox or any other body with a pane! in the front, it is necessary to bind the corner A, Fig. 168, as shown by the dotted lines. The old way of forging a dash heel was to split it,
Fig. t7o-Tongs
for Making the Bend shown at A in Fig. 168.
forge and swage the oval ends A A, Fig. 169, and then bend the corners as shown by XX in the same figure. By forging a dash heel with the tool above described, bending one corner is saved, and the piece, when finished, d oes not set up like a stiit. The oval iron comes down on to the body. In fastening the dash to the body always let the oval iron project one-eighth of an inch beyond the edge, so as to have the leather of the dash lie straight against the For ,making the bend A, in Fig. edge of the body.
BLACKSMITHING.
‘99
The 168, I use a pair of tongs shown in Fig. I;O. lower jaw is one inch in depth and the upper jaw 1% inches. The length of the jaws is four inches, and The manner of using these their width ~1% inches. tongs is so evident upon irlspection of the sketch that further explanation is unnecessary.-By H. R. H. Mending Augers and other Tools.
It often happens that a good auger with the screw broken off is thrown away as useless. Now I will try to tell how I have often made a quarter repairing such augers. Take a file of suitable size and cut a groove the width of the old screw about 3-16 inch deep,a little wider Then at the bottom than the top (dovetail form). form a piece of steel the shape of the screw with a base to it neatly and tightly in the groove. Then coat the edges with a mixture as follows : Equal parts of sulphur and any white lead with Mix the three thoroughly, about a sixth of borax. and when about to apply the preparation wet it with strong sulphuric acid, press the blank screw tightly in the groove, lay it away five days, and then you will find it as solid as if ~welded ; then smooth up and file the threads on the screw. The job will not take a half hour’s work, or cost three cents for material, and the same process may be used for mending almost any broken tool, without drawing the temper. ’ --By D. F. KIRK.
BLACKSMITHING.
200
An Attachment
to a Monkey Wrench.
I enclose sketches of a tool that I have found very useful in my shop. It is an attachment for a monkey wrench. It is made of steel and of the same size as
Fig. 17x-Showing how the Teeth are made.
the head that they shown in tachment
of the wrench. The teeth are filed in so slant downward toward the wrench, as Fig. 171. A small tire-bolt holds the atin place. Fig, 172, represents the attach-
Fig. r7z-Showing
the Attachment in operation on the Wrench.
ment in position on a wrench and gripping piece of pipe. This device will hold round rods or pipe as well as a pair of gas-pipe tongs would.-By G. W. P.
BLACKSMITHING.
201
A Handy Tool for Finishing Seat Rails, etc.
Fig. 173 represents a tool that I have found very handy in finishing eyes in seat rails, braces and other I made this work that requires to be fitted exactly. tool like a number of others that I use, for a particuIt answered the purpose so well that I made lar job, others, of different sizes. It can be made by any C
Fig. 173-A Tool for Finishing Eyes in Seat Rails, etc.
machinist. The shank, B, is 2-1-2 inches long and 1-2 inch indiameterto fit the drilling machine. The head, A, and the follower, C, can be made to agree with the work they are to be used on. The cutting lips, 0, are filed to shape, and tempered to straw color. With this tool you can smooth up.--By “ BLACKSMITH."
202
BLACKSMITHING.
A Tool for Pulling Yokes on Clips.
The illustration, Fig. 174, represents a very handy and useful tool of my own invention, which I use for A and H, putting yokes on clips or as a clip puller. as shown in the illustration, are of 3-8 inch square steel,
E
Fig. 174-A Tool to Pull Yokes on Clips.
A has two ears welded to it on each side at B, and a loop is welded on at C, F hinges on to H at G, and i7 hinges on to A at I; E hooks into the yoke ; D hooks on the end of the clip. By closing the handles, the yoke is pulled to the clip or vise.-By A. D. S. Making a Candle Holder.
I was driving, and full thirty miles from a railroad and three milts from the town I wished to reach, Fortunately a little smithy when I lost a jack bolt. was near, but it was late in the day, and before the son of Vulcan had finished his evening meal and was ready to attend to my wants it was dark. With tallow candle in hand, the smith, with his man and I, went to his shop and the job was done; the smith doing the work, the helper holding the candle. I asked the smith if he found it profitable to pay a helper
--
BLACKSMITHIN&
203
to hold the candle, and he answered that he knew no better way. I told him that I would pass by his shop again the next day and would show him then how to I kept my make a cheap and handy candle-holder. word and did the job before his eyes, as follows : I took a piece of band iron, 1% inches wide and IO inches long, bent it as shown in the accompany ing illustration, so as to join the two angles, each 3 I then inches long, leaving the back, A, 4 inches.
Fig. 175~Showing Candle Holder Complete.
bored the holes B B, 1-2 inch, and at L (on A) made I next took iron 3A x 3-r&inch and a 3-g-inch hole. 6 inches long, turned a shoulder on it after upsetting, squared the hole at L and fitted into it the end on E. I next took a piece of I x 12 inch hoop iron and made the spring 0, concaving the ends, which I riveted on the inner side of A by means of the shoulder on E. I next made the pieces F F and I G, and drilled and riveted them as at K K K
204
BLACKSMITHING.
next took a block ofwood, H, I 1-2 inches diameter, 3 inches long, in which I bored a hole to suit the candle, which I secured with a screw on the under side, and my candlestick was complete, as seen in accompanying illustration, Fig. I 75, My friend watched me patiently all the way through, and was inclined to believe that he had me at my wits’ end and suggested that he was no better off than before. I asked him to have a little patience. I soon found a piece of 7-16 round iron, turned an eye on one end, and, making a point on the other, passed it through the bracket. This served as a support. The spring took good hold. I put the stake in the bench, lowered and raised the holder and turned it every way.--By IRON DOCTOR. Making
a Bolt Trimmer.
I have a bolt trimmer which is very easily made, and cannot help giving satisfaction. It is shown complete below. The cutting jaws
Fig. 176~Showing “ C. C. 0.‘~ ” Bolt Trimmer Complete.
are of good tool steel. The stationary jaw is welded to the iron handle at A, making the handle and cut-
BL.~CKS?dITI~IING.
205
ter one piece. The movable cutter works in a fork, as seen in Fig. I ;6. I have my cutter made with side plates, 3 x 7 inches, and handles two feet long. For convenience in sharpening I ‘have put it together with bolts.-By C. C. 0. A Labor-Saving
I send drawing of a tool very handy. It is my own especially in plow or buggy The it cannot be beaten.
Fig. I77-Showing
Tool.
that I have found to be idea, and a handy tool, work. For plow work holder is of cast steel and
“ B. F. C.‘s” Labor-Saving Tool.
made with two spurs to fit against bolt heads. The steel is welded into a 3$$-round iron, 18 inches long. Drill four or five holes~ for the pin that runs through the holder. To make the holder take two pieces of I g by 5-16 flat iron, weld to make as shown in Fig. 177. Round the end and cut threads for burr brake or pin to hold. When in use the other end is made to pull the bolts
to the jaw.
206
BLACKSMITHING
It will be seen from Fig. 177 that this holder is made to turn in any direction and will hold on any shear.-&! B. F. C. Making
a Spike-Bar.
I will try to describe a handy spike-bar and tiefork for mine road men. This tool enables them to do a third more work than they could do with the In making spike-bar generally used in coal mines. the bar I weld r-inch square steel to r-inch round 0
Fig. I78-Handy
Spike-bar and Tie-Fork for Mine Road Men.
iron and use 7-S-round for the fork-prongs. A, in the accompanying illustration, Fig. I 78, represents the part that goes under the tie, and B is where the tool rests on the rail. The man, while driving, sits at C. D should be made ‘4 inch longer on the under side than the spike is---By R. DELBRIDGE. How to Make a Tony Square.
This is a very simple thing to make, and very useIt ful for trying six or eight-square timber or iron.
-.
BLACKSMITHING.
207
is very handy in making wheelbarrow hubs or anything of that sort. Take an ordinary try square and saw a slit in it opposite the blade ; next take a piece of steel plate of
Fig. !7g-Showing
“ Village Smith’s ” Tony Square.
the same thickness of the blade and cut it to about one-third of the length of blade in the try square. Insert the short blade in the slit as shown in Fig. 179 and you have a ‘( tony” square that will do its work as nice as you please.-By VILLAGE SMITH. An Easy Bolt Clipper.
I have a bolt clipper of my own invention and which I think is a very good one. It is simple and easily made The lever E, in Fig. 180, and the jaw Z are of one piece of solid steel. The lever L and jaw Mare also of steel, but in two pieces, as shown by the dotted line at Z& which is a joint that works by the opening and closing of the handle or lever L. F is a steel plate, there being another on the opposite
208
BLACKSMITHING.
side. The plates are three-sixteenths of an inch thick. The distance from A to B is five inches from center to center of bolt holes. From B to C is two inches from center to center, and from center of bolt hole C to joint His three and one-half inches.
Fig. ISO-An Easy Bolt Clipper, 7s made by Chris. Vogel.
From joint H to center of bolt hole K is one. and one-half inches. The handles or levers are two feet The set-screw T is used to six inches in length. prevent the jaws Z and M from coming together. With this clipper I can cut anything up to a one-half inch bolt.-By CHRIS. VOGEL. A Tool for Pulling on Felloes. The illustration, Fig. 181, shows drawing on felloes when making or The ring, A, which goes over the inches in diameter ; the rod, B, is made from j-8 iron. It has a thread length. C is a comet nut about~one being bent. D is a piece of 1% x
a tool I have for repairing wheels. nut is about IO 2 feet long and cut one-half the ~ioot long before 3-8 inch~ flat iron
BLACKSMITHING.
209
and bent as shown. It is drilled I 1-16 so that it will easily slip over the rod; the end is widened and,
Sg. IBI-Tool
for Pulling on Felloes, made by Louis Tuthill.
slightly turned up. There is power enough in this to draw a small wheel all out of shape.-By LOUIS TUTHILL.
How to Make a Handy Hardy.
I have a very handy hardy which can be made with little expense. Take an old saw file and break off a short piece from each end. Draw the temper and it is ready for :lse. If it should stick to the iron when cutting, gritid the sides a little. If you are careful to lay it level on the anvil you wiil have no difficulty in cut;ing .heavy tires-by turning the iron. I have used one of these hardies for a year without breaking it.-By R. C. A Handy Clincher.
The accompanying illustration, Fig. 182~ represents a clincher which I believe to be a little better
BLACKSMITHING.
210
than any I have ever seen.
Fig. ISz-The
It can be made from
Handy Clincher, as made by A. F. Reinbeck.
an old shoeing hammer. The cut shows the construction so clearly that no further explanation is necessary.-By A. F. REINBECK. A Bolt
Holder.
I have a bolt-holder that gives good satisfaction, bolts see Fig. 183 : it is very useful ,in preventing from turn’ng. The eye is forged from 7-8 square iron, the eye 5-16 x I $ inches ; the part that presses against the bolt-head is steel, the iron being split
Fig. r83-Bolt
Holder.
and spiral inserted ; ,the square part being 5 inches long ; ,from the square to the point, about 4% inches ; the handle welded out of Sk-inch round iron. The curved piece passing through eye is made from F. SMALL, I x g-inch stake iron -ByJ*
BLACKSMITHING.
Making
211
a Cant-Hook.
Some smiths may think that the making of a canthook is a job too simple to write about, but to make a hook that will catch hold every time is not so easy after all. My way of making such a hook is as follows : First, make an eye to go around the handle, then make the hook almost any shape, or bend it so that
Fig. G34-C2n?-Hook.
you can then rivet it to the eye and put on the handle. Bend the point so that it will lie flat on the handle when closed, as shown in the accompanying illustration, Fig. 184. Then it will always catch and hold.-& E. I’. A. M,aking a Cant-Hook. The accompanying illustrations represent my way of making a cant-hook. The clasp is made of I s inch by G-inch Norway iron. I get the exact measure around the handle, and if it be 9 inches around, I measure 4% inches on the Norway bar (which is of the right length to handle conveniently), then I take a heat, and with a fuller let in about 7-8 inch to I inch from each end. I next draw down the center to nearly the right thick-
BLACKSMITHING.
212
ness, bend the ends nearly to a square angle, and set down with the hammer, and make the ends or corI then take a chisel and cut in about ners square. 1% inch or I inch from one edge, for the jaw, leaving this for the thickest part of the clasp. I then set
Fig. z8pMaking
a Cant-Hook.
Showing Method of making Shoulder.
the remainder down with the set-hammer. When both ends are down, I draw to the right length, turn and bend to fit the handle. For the hook, I use 7-g-inch by g-inch steel, 14 inches long. At the end where the hole is, I upset A
Fig. 186-Showing
Method of Setting the Draw.
to make a shoulder, as shown in Fig. 185 of the illustrations, which prevents the hook from cutting away the soft iron of the clasp, and prevents the point of the hook from striking the pick. I give 4 7-8 inches draw as shown by the dotted
BLACKSMITHING.
213
lines A C, Fig. 185, and to get this exactly every time, I make the tool shown in Fig. 186. In making it I take a bar, I foot 6 inches long, ISA inches by g-inch, and bend it 13 inches from A to D. At
Fig. I 87 - Screw Box.
B, Fig. 186, I weld on a piece of iron. 6 inches long by s-inch, with the edge to the D bar, and previously bent to the right shape. I then make the piece B, Fig. 186, true on the face (along C) with the square D. I next measure off from D 4 7-8 inches to F, and here set a 7-16-inch pin. I make the hook bend and lay as shown in the illustration, Fig. 186, being careful to have the hook tl-ue at B D. I file to a point from the inside of the point. For the bands, the
Fig. 188-The
Knife.
first is of r-inch band iron, the two next are of :>a inch, and the toe bands are of a-inch band iron. This pick is of 7-X-inch square steel, IO inches long. --By w. w. s.
BLACKSMITIIING.
214 Making
Screw
Boxes for Cutting Screws.
Out
Wooden
To make wooden screws by my plan, first take a square piece of steel and with a three-cornered file make the thread on all four corners of the steel for about two inches. When this is done you will have a tap as seen in Fig. 187. To make the screw box
Fig. ISg-The
Tap.
as shown in Fig. 188, turn a piece of word (apple wood is the best), with two handles, and bore a hole in the center to the size of the tap with the thread off. Then cut a thread in it with the t.ap and cut away the wood at one side to admit the knife. This is made as in Fig. 189 with two screws in it, one in the center and the other set. Put the knife in the
Fig. rgq-Piece of Wood used to Secure the Knife in its Place and Admit the Tap.
box so it will match the thread, 1t a j+X” of -wood one-quarter with a hole in it the size of thread on, as represented in Fig. then complete-By H. A. S.
and screw in over of an inch thick the tap with the 190, The box is
BLACKSMITIIING.
Mending
“5
a Square.
In this communication I will tell your readers how Very often a good steel square to mend a square. is rendered useless by having the foot or short end broken off, as in Fig. 191 of the accompanying illusi then work a piece of good iron into the trations.
x A
~,,,~
,,,,,,,
Fig. xgr--Show+
i,/ ,,,,,, I ,,,,,,,,,
1,,~,,1 ,,,,,,,,,,
the Square and the Piece used in Mending.
shape shown at A, in Fig. rgr, and taking a hack saw, I cut a notch in each piece in whic,h the piece A will fit tightly. I have a square at hand to ensure acLdracy, and then having my coal well charred, I take good clean brass and lay it on. When it begins to get hot I put on borax powdered fine-1 can’t braze When the brass is all melted much without borax. it is removed from the fire, allowed to cool, and
216
BLACKSMITHSNG.
when it is cool the surplus brass and iron are ground off, and the square will then be as good as ever. Copper is about as good as brass to braze with.
Fig. Igz-Showing
the Square as Mended.
Fig. rgz shows the square W. J. Stand
when
for Carriage
finished.--&
J.
Bolts.
From an oid buggy shaft, three cheese boxes and four strips of wood I made a very handy stand for carriage and tire bolts, the general appearance of which is afforded by the inclosed sketch, Fig. 193. In the center of each box I nailed a square block. I put partitions on two sides, and also two partitions crossways, in order to make six different sized boxes for different sized bolts. I bored a hole through the center and sl,ipped the box down over the shaft.
BLACKSMITHING.
217
I fastened it both abqve and beiow by nails through the shaft. On the outside surface of the boxes I fastened four strips, usin g ordinary felloe strips for the purpose, placing them equidistant. Their pur-
I
\
Fig. xg3 -Stand for Carriage Bolts.
pose was to keep the, boxes steady. Below and on top I fastened two blocks with holes (bushed) in which the pointed ends of the shaft turn. The device stands in ~the corner of the shop and is very handy, inasmuch as it easily turns~ round. Each
2x8
BLACKSMITHING.
compartment in the box is marked on the outside in plain figures, thus indicating the size of bolt that it contains.---By F. D. F. An Improved Crane and Swage Block. In the line of cranes I have something differing from the usual style. It is new, I think, and certainly very good. The engraving, Fig. 194, will ex-
Fig. Ig.+Improved
plain it.
to a post in the most
It can be attached
convenient position.
Mine
Crane.
is
hung in thimbles built
BLACKSMITEIING.
219
in the front of the forge chimney. Next in order Of all the much abused shall be the swage block. tools in a smith’s shop, I think the greatest quantity of curses have been bestowed on that patient and unoffending tool. I have known the English language riddled, picked and culled for epithets with the strongest adjectives to hurl at this useful tool. You can hear some of them any time by walking across the shop and stubbing your toe against it as it lays on the floor, and you need not be afraid of hurting it (the swage block I mean). Now, as I consigned mine to the scrap heap many years ago, I will describe a substitute. Get a cast-iron cone mandril, 7 inch diameter at the top and IO inch at the bottom, with an outside flange at the bottom to form a base, and a strong inside one at the top, having a J-inch hole in the top, into which cast or wrought-iron collets and swages can be fitted for every kind of work, including farmers’ and other The cone can be made the height of the tools. anvil and forge, so as to be right for the crane to swing to as easy as the anvil.--By IRON JACK. A Cheap Crane
for
Blacksmiths,
The accompanying sketch, Fig. 195, of a cheap crane for blacksmiths needs but little explanation, for any practical man will understand it at a glance. E is a round pole with .a band on each end and a gudgeon and mortise to receive the bar C, which is 30
e
220
BLACKSMITHING.
inches x 3/b:inch. At A A make holes and put in rough pins. Then a part, B, is g-round iron, with
Fig. Igs-CheapCrane. nuts at the top and joint at the bottom. F is a small sheave, with chain to hold your work, and as you turn your work in the fire or on the anvil it revolves.
I ~
BLACKSMITHIKG.
221
I am using one of these cranes, and have had eight !lundred pounds on it. In every case it answers well. --R’I
SOUTHERN
BLACKSMITH.
Repairing
an Auger.
I will tell your readers my way of putting a screw in an auger. I take the old auger and file a notch in it where the old screw was broken off. I do this work with the edge of the file, making the notch no wider than the old screw was. I then take a 3-square
Fig. I$-Repairing
an Auger.
Showing Notch and into it.
taper file and file the notch at A in the accompanying next take a small piece of desired for the screw, file
!a he Fitted
wider until it appears as illustration, Fig. 196. I steel, forge out the size the piece “ dovetailing,”
-
-
BLACKSMITHING.
222
as shown at B, and then slip it sidewise into the auger. It is put in so it can be driven rather snug. When it is fitted it must be brazed. Then, commencing inside next to the lip, I file with a J-square file, and boring the thread half way around, I then commence at the other lip and file a double thread, keeping the two threads side by side and even with each other, by fitting first one a little and then the other about as much, and so on. By
Fig. 197-A
Clamp for Holding Countersunk Bolts. \j\
this means they can be kept true. An auger repaired in this way is just as good as new. It does not pay to *mend smal! ones in this way, but it is a good plan for large augers, for the operation is simple and requires but a short time.-& ERNEST., A Clamp
for Holding
Countersunk
Boltheads.
I enclose an illustration, Fig. 197, of a clamp that I use in holding countersunk boltheads, while removing the taps from the bolts on spring wagon and
I BLACKSMITIIING.
223
buggy felloes. There. is no patent on it and it is quickly put on and taken off. It is made of 7-16 inch horseshoe bar with three holes, and has a T headed bolt with threads to tighten. The points hook over the felloe and the point of the bolt, which should be tapering at the point, so it will tighten against the bolt without coming in contact with the tire. I have seen different devices for the purpose but like this the best. It should be made from four to five inches long. It will answer the same purpose for a large wheel by making it larger and stronger. -By W. E. S.
,,,;~, ;-:,:, ,,,, .~, f,,ii i,,‘:, ,~: ,,,,~
A Handy Machine
for a Blacksmith.
A useful machine for any blacksmith is made as ~follows : Take a piece of lumber I $ x 8 and 6 feet long, cut a hole in the middle 2 feet from the end, the dimensions of the hole being 2 x 14, take two cog wheels from some old fan mill, bolt journal boxes for the crank wheel down to the bench on each side of the slot and make an emery wheel mandrel for the small wheel to work on. The mandrel should ‘~ be of Sk-inch iron 12 inches long. Plug up the hole in the small wheel and bore a hole for the mandrel, having the mandrel square to avoid turning in the wheel, then weld on a collar. If you have no lathe you can true it up with the hammer and fi!e. Next cut a good screw on the end and put your collar on the end, which should be about 2 inches, and put on
224
BLACKSMITHING.
a small emery wheel 3A inch thick and 8 or IO inches in diameter. But first put on a washer of thick leather, also another one against the wheel, screw the tapup tight and if it does not turn true you can trim your leather washer down on one edge and by this means get it perfectly true. On the other end of the bench you can attach a good pair of hand shears. For sharpening drills, cold chisels, and a variety of other work, this machine has no equal.--By J. M. WRIGHT.
A Clamp for Framework. The accompanying illustration: Fig. 198, represents a hand clamp for drawing together framework, such as wagon beds, wheelbarrows, etc. It is made as follows : The bar A is of narrow tooth steel which will not bend so easily as iron. It shoulrt be five feet long by I x g inch. B is a piece of iron which should F
Fig. 198-A Clamp for Framework.
be 3 inches high by 1% wide, welded to the end and with a Sk-inch hole having good threads in it. C is a screw to fit the same. It is made one foot long with a crank E which is attached to the end. D is a slide to fit over A, and it should have 3 inches
..,
BLACRSMITHING.
225
above it a hole g inch deep to allow the screw C to F is made the same as D, exget a good bearing. cept that it has a shoulder back of it to keep it from leaning too far back, and a set screw G, at the side, to hold it stationary. I use this clamp almost every day, and I never saw or heard of one just like it.-By V. D. B. A Tool for
Holding
Bolts.
I send a sketch, Fig. 199, of a tool for holding loose bolts while screwing nuts off. To make it, take a piece of S/a-inch round iron of suitable length, draw down oval and tapering about 5 inches, and about 7 inches from the pointed end drive’in a piece of steel,
Fig. 199-A Tool for Holding Loose Bolts.
~wedge-shaped, weld securely and sharpen like a chisel ; one inch is long enough for this. Then five inches from the end ‘turn it down at right angles, edgewise, and then curi to the left as shown in the iiThis is better than all the patented tools lustration. for this purpose.-& E TWIN CLIFTOK
226
BLACKSMITHING.
A Hint About
Calipers.
Let me give some of your young readers a hint how to chamfer off the ends of their callipers from the outside and slightly round them across as in Fig. 200, and not make them rounding as in Fig. 201, ,
a
%4f
B
A
Fig. zoo--Right way to Shape Fig. zoi-Wrong way to Shape Calliper Ends. Calliper Ends.
The outer points will aiways touch at the same point no matter what the diameter of the work. If rounding they will touch, for small work, at A, A, and for large work at 23, B.--By SHAFTING. Vise Attachment.
I inclose a paper model of a device that I am using It is also for holding beveled edge iron for filing. In use it is to be useful for chamfering flat iron. screwed in a large vise. The spring shown in the cut, Fig. 202, throws the jaws apart when the vise is released. I -think many of your readers will find this idea useful, and as it is one that every blacksmith can
I~LACKSMITEIIXG.
227
put into practical operation, I commend it to the atention of my fellow craftsmen.-By E. M. B. No-r%---The accompanying engraving has been made from the paper model inclosed in our corres-
Fig. zoa-Vise
Attachment.
pondent’s letter, and, we believe, correctly represents his idea. Ads he did not show how the spring was attached, or in what form it was to be made, we have nothing to govern us in this particular.-Eu. Bolt Set
We have been using a tool in this community for a long time, which can be applied to wheels very
Fig. zos-Bolt
Set.
Any blacksmith who can make a pair of quickly. tongs can produce it. It is made of good steel, A in
228
HLACKSMITHING.
the engraving being chisel-pointed and hardened, SO that it can be set into the head of bolt, when it is necessary, by a slight rap with the hammer.-By W. H. S. A Home-Made
Lathe.
The accompanying drawings represent a turning lathe that I have been using for some time and find very convenient, not only in turning, but also in drilling smali holes. Fig. 204 is a side view of the head stock, and Figs. 205 and 206 show the f&nt and back ends of Fig. 204. In beginning to make
Fig. zoq-Side View of the Head Stock.
the lathe, I take a piece of flat iron 12 inches long, 3 inches wide and 7; inch thick, and cut 3 inches at each end, tapering down to 13k inches, as shown at a, Fig. 206. I then turn 3 inches of the same ends up at right angles, as at n, Fig. 204, and .drill
DLACKSMlTHING.
229
two y&inch holes at 6 to bolt the head stock. The head stock is braced at G to prevent the springing of
Fig. zag-Front
End of the Head Stock.
the back end of the frame, as all the end pressure I next drill a 3A-inch hole comes on that end. through the back end and 2~; inches from the bot-
a b 0
/!.z!l
Fig. x6-Back~End
of the Headstock.
*
tom, a, as shown in Fig. 206 at 6, and fit to b a piece of round iron 1;4 inches long, with one end count-
230
BI.AC~~,SMITHING.
tersunk as in Fig. 207 at a. This is to fit the spindle and take up the wear. To prevent this piece from coming out, I double a piece over the end at n, Fig.
Fig. zo7-Showing
the Piece to be Attached to the Spindle.
205. This piece is I 3A by I yi inches, with a Sk-inch hole, as shown at n, Fig. 208. It has a g-inch set screw at 6. This piece goes over the end n, Fig. 206, and the piece shown in Fig. 207 goes through the 3A-inch hole, and the set screw bears on the head stock. By turning up the set screw the piece, Fig. 207, can be clamped at any place desired, thus forming the bearing ,for that end. The front end has
‘,,,
:_
,,‘,,
,,,;j~~~
Fig. zo8-Showing
the Piece used to Secure in Position the Part Shown in Fig. 207.
a place cut out at the center, 1% by’ I inch, to receive the boxes. The edges at a, Fig. 205, are beveled to a V, so the two boxes will slide down and “,,
,~:: :
-
BLACKSMITHING.
231
fit tightly. The boxes are 1% x 13+$ x 3d inch. With the ends cut out to fit the V shown in Fig. 205
t233 E33 BOXES
Fig. zag-Showing
the Boxes and Plate.
at a, 1 next drill in each prong at 6, cut a thread and fit a bolt to clamp the boxes. C, in Fig. 269, is the
Fig. xo-The
Spindle
The bolts go through the plate into 6, Fig. 205. I put the boxes in, placing a
plal te that goes over the boxes.
232
BLACKSMITH
Fig.
,,,
,,
21
I-The
ING.
Face Plate.
BLACKSMITIIING.
233
thin piece of pasteboard between them, and then clamp them tightly and drill a g-inch hole through
:
II
L Fig. zrz-Side
View of the Tail Stock.
them at C. Composition is the best material for the boxes. The spindle must be turned, for it could not be filed true enough to run well. Fig. 210 represents the shape. The end n should fit into Fig. 207
Fig. zrf-End
View of the Tail Stock.
at a. The bearing at the other end is at 6, g inch in diameter. c is turned down a little smaller, and a
-
234
BLACKS3IITIIING.
thread cut on it so as to screw on the face plate. The spur center goes into the spindle with a taper. You can shrink a Lange on the spindle at rC, and bolt the pulley to that. The face plate needs no descrip. A glance at Fig. 2 I I will give anyone a clear tion. idea of it. it might be 5 inches in diameter, and it would answer well enough if it were 3 inches only. The tai! stock is of the same dimensions of the head stock, that is, 3 inches wide, 6 inches long, and 3
Fig. ZIJ-Back
End of the Tail Stock.
inch-: IlLa high. Fig. 2 I 2 is a side view of the tail stock; Figs. 213 and 2 14, end views ; in Fig. 215 is shown a piece 1% inches by 9 inches by g inch thick, with 1% inches of both ends turned at right angles to a. This goes over the ends of Fig 212 at A. To clamp the arbor, drill a Sk-inch hole in both ends of Figs. 21.3 and 2 14, 3% inches in front of a, and going also through the ends of the piece shown in Fig. 216 at 6. This hole must match the holes in
E’ iT -
END
SIDE:Vl.EW --
0 fig. z,tS-The Piece Used Over the Ends of the II?artShowm in Fig. 282.
Fig. z&Showing
-
-
the Tail Spindle, Screw and Guide Pin.
--
236 out of bears it will $-inch
BI.ACKSMI1‘HING.
the lathe. The set-screw shown in Fig. 215 on A, Fig. 212. When the screw is turned, keep the arbor from slipping, Fig. i14 has a hole with a thread cut in it. There must be
w Fig. zr7-Showing
the Center.
another hole ;d inch in diameter, as shown in the engraving. The arbor is g inches long, SA inch in diameter, with one-fourth of one end turned down to $ inch diameter, as shown in Fig. 2x9. The center goes in the end with a taper as shown in Fig. 217. The center has a place left square to receive a wrench Fig. 218 is a in order to take it out of the arbor.
Fig. zI84howing
the Piece Riveted to the Arbor.
piece 2>4 x 1;4 inches with three,ho!es i:: it, one $ inch, one 3/g inch, and the other g inch. These holes should correspond with the three holes in Fig. 114. Fig. 218 is riveted to the arbor, which is
BLACKSMITHIWG.
worked with a screw.
The guide-pin
237 is fastened
to
,’‘,
I
‘,,,i
00 the plate and goes through
-
the sEallest
hole in the
238
BiACKSMlTHiNG.
piece Fig. 214. Fig. 220 is a hand wheel which fits on to a very tight nut. To fasten it, there must be work in the plate, so that the screw can be turned in and out. in turning the screw so, you carry the arbor with it. The rest is a flat piece of iron g inch thick, 8 inches. long and 3 inches wide, with 2
Fig. no-The
Hand Wheel,
There must inches of one end bent at right angles. be two holes near the end, so a piece of wood can be boltedon for turning different lengths. To fasten the rest to~the bed cut a hole the size of the bolt, 4 inches long, in the bottom of the rest to let it slide to and from the work.-By H. A. SEAVEY.
_.
CHAPTER
VIII.
Blacksmiths’
Shears.
I enclose a sketch, Fig. 22 I, of a pair of shears to be used in the square hoie of the anvil. They are very useful and cheap. Any blacksmith can make them. Use good steel Andy make the blades eight from the rivet. Make the inches long, measuring
Fig.
22x-Blacksmiths’
Shears.
short blade with a crook, as shown in the illustration, to go in the anvil, and have the long blade extend back about two and a half feet to serve as a handle. With these shears I can cut quarter-inch iron with ease and cut steel when it is hot.--By A. J. T. Shear for Cutting
Round and Square
Rods.
I would like to give a description of a shear for cutting round and square iron constructed by me. The inclosed sketch, Fig. 222, is an attempt to represent it. The lower member of the shear is a bar
BLACKSMITIIING.
240
an inch thick, three inches wide and fourteen inches long, and is furnished with a steel face at that part where the cutting is done. The upper member is of the same general description, except that it is seventeen inches long. The lower blade is fastened to the bench at the back part by cleats, as shown in the drawing. A guide for the upper blade, just wide
-Fig. x2-Shear
for Cutting
Round
and Square Rods.
enough in the opening to allowof easy play, is made to serve a like purpose for the front part. The handle of the shear is hinged to the lower blade, and is connected also with the upper one by the link shown in the sketch. The handle is five feet long and is one by three inches in size down to a taper. Three holes are provided in it for connecting the link
BLACKShIITfIING.
241
attached to the upper blade, thus opening the shear With this shear I more or less as may be required. can cut round or square iron up to seven-eighths in SOUTHERN BLACKSMITH. size.-By Cheap St.zars for Blacksmiths’
Use.
I inclose a sketch, Fig. 223, of a cheap shears for smiths’ use, and submit the following directioix for
E Fig. zq-Chezlp
Shears for Blacksmiths.
making : The under jaw, D, should be IO inches long, 3 inches wide and I inch thick. The upper jaw must be 13 inches long, but otherwise the same as the lower jaw, except where it couples with the latter. Then it must be forged by the dotted lines. The coupling at E is made with a y&inch cast-steel bolt, which takes a brace on each side of the shears,
242
BLACKSMITIIING.
this brace taking one half-inch bolt at the foot through the bench. The braces at the other end take two bolts through the bench. That next to the lower jaw takes two half-inch rivets through the same and a 3A;-inch cast-steel bolt at the top through the the cam. The upper jaw is brought up by two strips of sole leather connected to the cam A by two bolts. The two braces, F (only one of which is shown in the cut), are g-inch round and take a 3/s bolt at the foot. The material for jaws should be S/S x 3 inch Swede’s iron with the same amount of cast steel or English blister laid on the cutting side, and when finished should have just bevel enough to give a good edge. E and B are made of Swede’s iron yi x 3 inches. The cam, A, is the same thickness as the jaw and finished with I inch round for a lever 3 feet long. The jaws should be brought to a low straw color in tempering. The cam must be finished smooth and the bearings kept well oiled. Then you have a pair of shears at a nominal cost that will last a lifetime and work better than most of the shears in the market. It is a good plan to use a gurird with the shears; let it bolt on to the bench, rising 3/g of an inch above the edge of the lower pair, and then run parallel with the jaw to the other end, The brace, B, where it is secured by another bolt. which rivets to lower jaw, must have an offset of one inch to come flush with the inside of the jaw.-By J. M. W.
BLACKSMITHING.
Blacksmiths’
243 Shears.
I send a sketch, Fig. 224, of shears made by myself. They are cheap and I have found them very convenient. The engraving from my design requires no explanation. -4 glance at it will be sufficient for any smith who understands his trade. I
Fig.
z24-Blacksmith’s
Shears.
A is will, however, give some of the dimensions. I 3A round, B 9 x 3k and C 6;A x 3+$inch. The main point in making is to get the edges to cometogether as in the common shears.-& J. J. Shears for the Anvil.
I send you a sketch, Fig. 225, of a very handy t~ooI, a pair of shears for the anvil. Any blacksmith that They are understands his trade can make them.
244
BLACKSMITHING.
good for trimming cultivator have just been painted and they of a helper on many jobs where The cutting jaws are 4 inches
shovels when they will take the place striking is needed. long, 3 inches wide
‘,’
,:,:, ,s :‘::
:
,“,
Fig. z25-Shears
for the Anvil.
and 3A inch thick, and bevel to the edge and to the back. One jaw has a square hole for a square shoulder bolt. The handles are two feet long. I use them on hot iron or steel and they cut sheet iron cold.-& G. W. P.
CHAPTER EMERY
WHEELS
AND
IX. GRINDSTONES.
Emery Wheels.
I have polishing wheels in daily use, and put the emery on them with goodglue. The way I employ the glue is as follows : I heat it to the proper degree, and then with a brush I cover from six to eight inches of the wheel with it. Then I put the emery on the covered part, and with a roller run over it so as to pass the emery down into the glue. I then apply the glue for another six or eight inches and I keep on in this manrepeat the same operation. ner until I get around the wheel. I then lay it away for twenty-four hours to dry, after which time it is ready for use. In making emery wheels, nothing but the best glue is satisfactory for use. Poor glue is worse than nothing. Care must always be taken to keep oil and grease of all kinds from getting on the wheel. I have had some trouble with wheels of this general character, but I have always found the fault to be poor glue or oil that squirted from the shafting on the wheel. I make it a rule always to wash and clean the wheels in warm water when I find them
.
il
246
BLACKSMITHING.
greasy, and then let them dry, and put the emery on anew as above described. By following this plan I have. always met with good results. No glue, however good, will hold emery or other parts together when the surfaces to which it is applied are oily or greasy.-& H. R. H. Making
an Emery
Wheel.
It will not pay to put emery on wooden wheels because it flies off in pieces. I know this from experience. It is better to use felt that is made for the purpose. I use felt about 4 inches wide and I inch thick. I make a wooden wheel of about 12 inches diameter and 4 inches face and nail the felt on it with shingle nails at intervals of 15 inches. I then drive the nails ,half way through the felt by means of a punch, spread glue over the felt and roll the wheel in emery. This makes a good wheel for finishing off.--By “ SIIOVELS.” How to Make Small
Polishing
or Grinding
Wheels.
The general method of making small polishing or grinding wheels is to glue together pieces of wood, making a rough wheel, which, when dry, is put upon a spindle or mandrel and turned to the required shape. The periphery is covered with leather,coated with glue and rolled in emery until a considerable portion adheres to the glue-covered surface. Wheels of this character will wear but a short
BLACKSMITIIING.
247
time before the coating process must be repeated to They can scarcely be form a new abrasive surface. called grinding-wheels, and are more properly termed polishing wheels, and are used but very little except to produce a polished or finished surface. What are termed grinding-wheels, or “ hard-wheels,” are formed of emery in combination with some plastic mass that is preserved in moulds, in course of time becoming very hard like a grindstone. If the mechanic desires a small grinding-wheel of this character, and cannot readily obtain one, he can make a very good substitute himself. To do this, procure a block of brass or cast iron, in which make a recess of the same diameter, but a little deeper than the desired thickness of the wheel, Make a hole centrally to the diameter of the recess and extending through the block, corresponding in size to the spindle on which the wheel is to be used. In this hole fit a strong bolt with one end threaded and a stout head on the other end. On the threaded end fit a nut. Make a thick washer that will fit pretty tight on the bolt, and at the same time till the recess fin the block. Make a follower of the same size that will fit in the same manner. The materials for the wheels are glue and good emery. Make the glue thin, as for use on wood, and thicken with emery, and keep hot to be worked. When ready to make the wheels, oil the recess or mould as well as the washer and follower: This
248
BLACKSMITHING.
will prevent the hot mass from adhering to these parts. Put the washer at the bottom of the mouid. Insert the bolt in the hole with the head a: the bottom side of the block. Put in the hot glue and emery, well mixed together, spread it evenly in the mould, almost filli,ng it. Put the follower on the bolt, letting it enter the mould and rest upon the glue and emery ; then put on the nut and screw it down tight with a wrench. The ma?s is compressed according to the force employed. If the wheel be small and. thin it will cool and harden in a few minutes so that it can be removed. Take off the nut and follower and drive out the bolt, and if the recess be properly made a blow with a hammer on the bottom of the block will expel the wheel and washer. In place of a recess cut in a block of metal, a ring may be used, care being taken to place it so that the bolt will be central, to insure equal radius on all sides. Oiling the parts prevents the glue and emery from sticking. The washer put in the bottom of the mould facilitates the removal of the soft wheel, and also tends to prevent it from injury while being removed. The wheels must be dried in a warn, place before being used, and must be kept away from moisture. Above the size of two or three inches it would be hardly advisable to attempt making this kind of wheel.
BLACKSMITHING.
249
Common shellac may be used in place of glue, but the objections to its employment are the greater cost, dif3culty to mix with emery, and it is also more It has the advantage difhcult to put in the mould. over the glue and emery wheel, inasmuch as it is For a small, cheap proof against moisture or water. wheel, and one that can be readily made, the one made of giuetittdemery is preferable.-& W. B. Making
Having a few make an emery fastening it to glue the leather The splice was
an Emery
Wheel.
articles to polish I thought I would After turning my truck and wheel. the arbor I tried several times to co the truck or wheel and failed. what bothered me most. Looking
Fig. x6-Making
an Emery Wheel.
around for a way out of this difficulty, I came across an o:;J pair of woolen or felt boots such as are worn by loggers. I took the leg of one of these boots,
-
~BLACKSMITHING.
250
cut off a ring the width of my truck, glued it on the I held a truck and turned it off as well as I could. hot iron over it until it was very smooth, and then covered it with glue. I next heated emery as hot as i thought necessary, spread it on a board and rolled the truck in it and pounded it in. When it was dry I gave it another coat and then another. Three coats are enough, at least they were sufficient for the wheel I am using. A glance at the accompanying engraving, Fig. 226, will give anyone a fair idea of how the job should be done.-By H. A. SEAVEY.
Something
About Grindstones
and Grinding
Tools.
In the matter of the average grindstone, its use and misuse, I would state that the result of my observation and experience is : Second--it is First-It is too small in diameter. Third--It is not properly speedtoo broad-faced. ed. Fourth-It is not properly cared for. FifthIt is not properly used. Stones should be narrow-faced to secure a greater proportion between that which is ‘worn from its surface by useful work and that which is removed by the truing device. It is pate& to every practical mechanic that the portion of a stone most in use is a very narrow Iine at each corner, and the reason for this is plain when we consider that after a tool is once properly shaped the workman will endeavor to
-
BLACKSMITHING.
251
confine his grinding to the top or cutting-face of the tool, leaving the sides and clearance angles intact, if possible, and to do this, keeping in mind the desired cutting-lip, he must have recourse to the corners to secure the proper inclination of the tool for that result. So it comes about that the corners are rapidly worn rounding. It is a matter of experience that the faster a stone runs the faster it does its work and the longer it remains in working shape. But they are weak, and if run too rapidly, have an uncomfortable habit of disintegrating themselves. Water has, to be used for the two-fold purpose of keeping the tools cool, and the stone clean and free from glaze, but water has a decided tendency to disassociate itself from a stone So we are compelled that capers around too lively. to reduce the speed to the fastest possible, compatible with safety and freedom from a shower bath. Now, of all the inconsistencies that exist in modern machine-shop practice, I think that the running of the average grindstone ir the most pronounced, because it has not the adjunct of a variable speed due to the losses of diameter. In regard to the choice, care and use of a stone, I would discourse as follows : The desiderata in the selection of a stone are, that it should cut fast, should not glaze, and should remain true. To secu~re the cutting and anti-glazing qualities-for they are associated-a stone should be close and sharp
252
BLACKSMITHING.
grained, and not too firmly cemented or hard. It must be just soft enough to slowly abrade under the mark ; such abrasion constantly brings new cutting points into prominence, and prevents the lodgment of the abraded particles of steel upon the stone, For the which would finally result in glazing. proper maintenance of its truth, it is essential that the stone be homogeneous, as uneven hardness nz76st result in uneven wear. The condition of homogeneity is one that cannot exist in a natural stone, but ought reasonably to be expected in an artificial one, and I believe th;lt the grindstone of the future will be manufactured--not quarried. To get the best results from a stone filling the above requirements, it should be hung in a substantiai frame, properly balanced, supplied with &an water, never allowed to stand immersed, because that softens locally and thus throws it out of balance. Therefore, I say that the average stone is not properly cared for and used, because these conditions for well-being are rarely met. For ordinary tool-grinding, I would recommend that the ‘* front ” side of the stone be used, not because better work can be done there ; but because it can usually be done there faster ; and that it be fitted with an adjustable narrow-edged rest, used close to the stone, and extending around the. sides toward the center about two inches. Such a rest enables one to incline his tool in any possible
pl
r)c‘33
I~Lxulis.1II’I‘IIIs~~.
3d. Fuller good iron 1f/2’-x 16 inch, four inches lmq. ad draw ends as slw\vn in Fig. 306. .+th. Hcnd the Making a Swivel for a Log Chain.
Fig. 3ot-Showing
Eye Punch.
e Piece are Fullered and Drawn.
how t\e En
Fig. 308-Showing
Fig. 3o5-The
how the Eye Punch is Used.
63
Fig. 3og-Showing
Fig, 3Io-The
how the Eye is Made.
Finished Swivel.
ends, as illustrated in Fig. 507. 5th. Put in eye punch and work down, as in Fig. 305. 6th. Make the eye as
254
BL
glance that the tightening of the screws or bolts (either can be used, according to the size of the
Fig. za7-Device for Fastening a Grindstone, as described by ” Ha G. S.”
grindstone), as shown in the engraving, cannot fail to hold the stone securely upon the shaft.-& H. G. S. NOTE.-It was not thought necessary to show the device of our correspondent attached to the grindstone frame, because that is a simple matter which probably every blacksmith or wheelwright understands thoroughly. The stone can be set true by
BLACKSMITHING.
loosening
or tightening
255
the opposite screws or bolts.
-ED. Mounting
a Grindstone.
II send you some illustrations representing a conThe venient method of mounting a grindstone.
Fig. m8-Mounting
a Grindstone. End View of the Mounting Flange,
casting will cost about 50 ~‘cents for a .3o-inch stone. Anyone can make the pattern and core box. A in Fig. 228 of the engraving annexed, is a cast-iron flange, b b (bb are set-screws. tapped into the flange and impinging on the square bar, which is turned up
256
BLACKSMITHING.
with gudgeons, and will constitute the axis of the grindstone. Top holes corresponding to those
Fig. mg-Sectional View of the Flange.
marked C in the flange are drilled through the stone and a flange like A is bolted to each side of the
BLACKSMITHING.
259
and a little wider than the wheel, in which to put the emery. After putting on a coat of thin glue with a brush, roll the wheel in the box and the coating is done at once. It should stand a few hours before using. Whenever the wheel gets smooth and doesn’t cut, apply another coating as before. After several coatings have been put on the old emery should be removed, which can be done by soaking in hot water and scraping with a knife or piece of glass. It is a good thing to have two wheels, one for coarse and the other-for fine emery. I have a rig which I made in this way ten years ago and it works like a charm. The expense of running it is next to nothing: try it and you. will not be without one.-& W. H. BALL.
END OF VOL. II.
BLACKSMITHING.
257
stone. Fig. 229 is a sectional view of the flange. By slacking and setting the screws b the stone can be made true to a hair.--,!+ J. H. S. How to
Make
a Polishing
Machine.
An emery wheel is a good thing for every smith to have about his shop, for burnishing axles, chisels, knives, and a thousand things that should be kept bright. But owing to the high price of wheels, together with the fact that few shops have any steam or water power to run them, but very few are used. Now any smith can get up a rig for polishing that First will answer every purpose and cost very little. make a driving wheel, asshown in the accompanying illustration, Fig. 230, 2% feet in diameter by 4 to 6 It can be made with arms, or inches in thickness. solid, by naili,ng together several thicknesses of boards. Hang it in a frame as you would a grindstone. Put upon one end of the crank a balance wheel of not less than 50 lbs. weight and attach the other end to the foot piece by a rod ; or, what is better, a piece of hard wood, which will not wear on the crank. Bolt two pieces of hardwood board, 4 x 8 and I inch in thickness, upon the inside of the frame. Cut a slot at the wide end to go astride of the crank ; also, one at the narrow end .to receive the spindle of the emery wheel. The emery wheel should be some IO or I 2 inches in diameter, by 3 inches in thickness, with a small pulley bolted UPO~I
BLACKSMITHING.
257
stone. Fig. 229 is a sectional view of the flange. By slacking and setting the screws b the stone can be made true to a hair.--& J, H. S. How
to Make
a Polishing
Machine.
An emery wheel is a good thing for every smith to have about his shop, for burnishing axles, chisels, knives, and a thousand things that should be kept bright. But owing to the high price of wheels, together with the fact that few shops have any steam or water power to run them, but very few are used. Now any smith can get up a rig for polishing that will answer every purpose and cost very little. First make a driving wheel, asshown in the accompanying illustration, Fig. 230, 2% feet in diameter by 4 to 6 inches in thickness. It can be made with arms, or solid, by nailing together several thicknesses of Hang it in a frame as you would a grindboards. stone. Put upon one end of the crank a balance wheel of not less than 50 lbs. weight and attach the other end to the foot piece by a rod ; or, what is better, a piece of hard wood, which will not wear on the crank. Bolt two pieces of hardwood board, 4 x 8 and I inch in thickness, upon the inside of the frame. Cut a slot at the wide end to go astride of the crank ; also, one at the narrow end .to receive the spindle of the emery wheel. The emery wheel should be some IO or I 2 inches in diameter, by 3 inches in thickness, with a small pulley bolted upoli
258
BLACKSMITHING.
Now, one side for the belt. the foot power, and turn the poss.ible with a sharp tool. leather. The leather should
put on the belt, apply emery wheel as true as Then cover it with sole be well soaked in hot
Fig. 230-A Polishing Machine.
water and pegged on wet ; one row of pegs at the edges, one inch apart, will be sufficient. After the leather is put on, fix a rest and true it again as before. To emery the wheel, make a box 2% feet long
INDEX. Auger, :o repair .........
19% 221
BLACKSMITHS’ shears.. ....... z3g Bolt clippers. .. 59, 62,649 6% 74, 76 Bolt clipper, to make ......... 207 Bolt cutter ................. 65 Bolt holder. ................. 210 Boltset .................... 22, Bolt trimmer, to make ....... 204 Bolts, stand for.. ............ 216 CALLIPERS, hint about ........ 226 202 Candle holder, to make ....... Cant hook. ................. 21 I Cheap shears for blacksmiths . . 241 Chisel and chisel-shaped tools. 78 Chisel, chipping .............. IOI Chisel,, cow mouth., ........ g4 Chisel, flat. ................ Chisels, broad ............... 2 Chisels (cold), how to make ... 105 Chisels (cold), to forge ....... 108 Chisels, errors in grinding ... .86, 87 Chisels for brass ............. 83 Chisels, improper shapes ..... 88 Chisels, to grind ............ 82 Clamp for countersinks.. ..... 222 Clamp for frame work ........ 224 Clincher, to make ............ zag ..218,21 g Crane ................... DIES, attachment for ......... Driftsand drifting ......... 1.. Drill and counter sink ........ Drill, Chinese ................ Drill for bench. .............. Drill, handy. .,............... Drill, home-made~. ........... Drill press, simpie. ............ Drill press, to make .......... Drill (small), to make ........ Drills. hints about ............
181 I32 121
II9 112 122
124 116 109 116 12s
Drills, re~medy for squeaking . . Drills (stone), to make ....... Drilling a chilled mold board. Drilling glass ................ Drilling, holding bars in ..... Drilling in blacksmith shop ...
1x8 127 117 118 117 IIO
EMERY wheels ................ Emery wheel, making an .. .246, FAN, home-made ............. Fullering, principles of ....... GRINDING wheels, how to make Grinding tools, something about. .................... Grindstone, device for fastening. ....................... Grindstone, hanging a ........ Grindstone, mounting ........ Grindstones, something about
245
HA~NCING a grindstone ....... Hardy, to make .............. IRON.. ..................... Iron, crystallization of ........ Iron, strength of .............. Iron, to cold hsmmer ........ Iron, to test ................. Iron work (wrxrght) ......... LATHE, home..made..
. ... . .. .
249
162 137 246 250 253
253 255 250 253 209
3, 13 II 5: 35 IQ 228
MACHINE for,blacksmith.. . . . 223 Making an emery wheel.. .246, 249 Mounting a grindstone.. . . . . . 255 NIPPERS, cut.. . . . . . . . . . . . L..
62
POLISHING machine, how to make . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~257 Polishing wheels, how to make 246
INDEX. Pinchers, to make. . . . . . . . . . . .
166
REAMER, a cheap. ........... 175 Rivet clipper. ...... ..5g, hg, 71, 76 Rivets, tool to make ........ .72, 73
VISE attachment ............. Vise-jaws .................... Vise, to mend ...............
226 I88 174
TONGS for bolt making ....... Tongs, clinching ............ Tongs for holding slip lays ... Tools (edge), principles on which they operate ........ Tool for holding bolts ........ Tool for holding bolts ........ Tools for holding iron and nuts. ..................... Tools for holding bolts in a VW?. ..................... Tools, for lathe, shape of .... Tool for making dash heels ... Tool for making single tree clips ....................... Tool for pulling on felloes .... Tool for putting yokes on clips. ...................... Tool for wagon clips ........ Tool, handy ................. Tool (handy) for marking joints Tool (handy) for finishing seat rails .................. Tools, hints on care of ....... Tool, labor-saving ........... Too!s, names of ......... , , ... Tools, screw threading .......
162 I70 I72
SCREW boxes, to make ....... 214 Screw stock dies, attachment for.. ..................... Igr Screw-threading tools.. ....... 183 Selecting steel, points on ..... 2:: Shears, blacksmiths’. ......... 241 Shears, cheap.. .............. Shear for cutting round and square rods ............... 239 Shears for the anvil .......... 243 Spike-bar, to make .......... 206 Spring clips, to make ......... 189 Square, to mend. ........... 215 Square (tony), tomake ...... 206 Steel ....................... 3, I3 Steel and iron, to upset . . s . . 21 Steel (burnt), to restore ...... 54 Steel, different kinds of ...... 53 Steel-hardening .............. 46 Steel, strength of ............ Q 30 Steel, to heat ................ Steel, to select ............... 53 Steel, to test ..... , ........... 35 Steels, treatment of ......... .4X, 43 Steel, work on ............... 45 Wheels, emery .............. Swage block,. ............ .146, 218 Wrenches ................... Swage block, stand for ....... 151 Wrench (monkey), attachment Swages .................... *4I for ....................... Swaging, rules for ..... , .... I49
153 168 225 168 I93 I76 195 I94 208 202 185
I87 I89 201 I54 205
I57 Ig3 245 157 xx)
VOLUME
III.
CONTENTS.
PREF;CE,
.
.
.
CHAPTER BLACKSMITH
TOOLS,
.
.
I. .
CHAPTER WRENCHES,
.
.
.
BRAZING AND SOLDERING,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
CHAIN SWIVELS,
.
.
.
.
I
35
.
.
46
.
.
.
.
. 161
.
.
. 241
.
.
. 256
112
:
VI. .
CHAPTER PLOW WORK,
.
V.
CHAPTER MAKING
.
IV.
CHAPTER FORGING IRON,
I
III.
CHAPTER STEEL AND ITS USES,
.
II.
CHAPTER WELDING,
.
VII. ,
PREFACE. In Vol. III. the subject of tools is continued in the first and second chapters, after which the volume is devoted chiefly~ to a description of a great variety of jobs of work.
This volume is, therefore, in many respects,
the most valuable thus far of the series, as it shows how the improved
tools described in Vols. I. and 11.
can be used practically. Vol.
IV.
will continue
and complete the series.
the topic of jobs of work
CHAPTER BLACKSMITH THEIR
I. TOOLS.
PRESERVATION.
In continuing the construction of blacksmith’s tools from T’ol. II. some ,general directions for their care and preservation will not be out of order, as even the best tools soon become useless if they are not well cared for. The following valuable hints on their preservation will be appreciated by, every mechanic who~has. a desire to make his tools last as long as possible, and, who wishes to have them always in good condition : WOODEN PARTS.-The wooden parts of tools, such as stocks of planes and then handles of chisels, are often made to have a nice appearance by French polishing, A much betbut this adds nothing to their durability. ter plan, is to let .them soak .in linseed oil for a week
2
.
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
and rub them with a cloth for a few minutes every day This produces a beautiful surface’ for 2. week or two. and ezrrts a solidifying an,d preservative action on the wood. I RON P1~r~rs.--R~~t Preventatives-~. Caoutchouc oil is said to have proved efficient in preventing rust, It on13 and it has been used by the Germ:.!? army. requires to be spread with a piece of flannel in a very .thin layer over the metallic surface and allowed to dry up. ’ Such a coating will afford security against all atmospheric influences and will not show any cracks under the microscope after a year’s standing. To remove it, the article has simply to be treated. with caoutchouc oil again and washed after twelve to twenty-four hours. 2. A solution of India rubber in benzine has been used for years as a coating for steel, iron and lead, and has been found a simple means of keeping them from oxidizing. It can be easily applied with a brush and as easily rubbed off. It should be made about the consistency of cream. 3. All steel articles can be perfectly preserved from rust by putting a lump of freshly-burnt lime in the drawer or case in which they are kept. If the things are to be moved, as a gun in its case, for instance, put the lime in a muslin bag. This is especially valuable for specimens of iron when fractured, for in a moderately dry place the lime will not need renewing for many years, as it is capable of absorbing a large amount of moisture. Articles in use should be placed in a box
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
3
nearly filled with thoroughly slaked lime. Before using them rub well with a woolen rag. 4. The following mixture forms an excellent brown coating for preserving iron and steel from rust: Dissolve two parts crystallized iron of chloride, twoof antimony of chloride and one of tannin in four of water, and apply with sponge or rag and let dry. Then another coat of paint is applied, and again another, if necessary, until the color becomes as dark as desired. When dry it is washed with water, allowed to dry again and the surface polished with boiled linseed oil. The antimony chloride must be as nearly neutral as possible. 5. To keep tools from rusting, take one-half ounce camphor, dissolve in one pound melted lard; take off the scum and mix in as much fine black lead (graphite) as will give it an iron color. Clean the tools and smear with this mi.xture. After twenty-four hours rub clean with a soft linen cloth. The tools will keep clean for months under ordinary circumstances. 6. Put one quart freshly slaked lime, one-half pound washing soda and one-half pound soft soap in a bucket, and sufficient water to cover the articles; put in the tools as soon as possible after use, and wipe them next morning, or let them remain until wanted. 7. Soft soap, with half its weight in pearlash, one ounce of mixture in one gallon of boiling water, is in everyday use in most engineers’ shops in the drip-cans used for turning long articles bright in wrought-iron and steel. The work, though constantly moist, does
4
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
not rust, and bright nuts are immersed in it for days, till wanted, and retain their polish. 8. Melt slowly together six or eight ounces of lard to one ounce of resin, stirring u.ntil cool ; when it is semi-fluid it is ready for use. If too thick it may be further let down by coal oil or benzine. Rubbed on bright surfaces ever so thinly, it preserves the polish effectually and may readily be rubbed off. 9. To protect metal from oxidation, polished iron or steel, for instance, it is requisite to exclude air and moisture from the actual metallic surface; therefore, polished tools are usually kept in wrappings of oil-cloth and brown paper, and thus protected they will preserve a spotless face for an unlimited time. When these metals come to be of necessity exposed, in being converted to use, it is necessary to protect them by means of some permanent dressing, and boiled linseed oil, which forms a lasting covering as it dries on, is one of the best preservatives, if not the best. 13ut in order to give it body, it should be thickened by the addition of some pigment, and the very best, because the most congenial of pigments, is the ground oxide of the same metal, or, in plain words, rusted iron reduced to an impalpable powder, for the dressing of iron and steel, which thus forms the pigment of oxide paint. IO. Slake a piece of quicklime with just enough water to crumble in a covered pot, and while hot add tallow to it, and work into a paste, and use this to cover over bright work ; it can be easily wiped off.
PRACTICAL
BI~ACKSMITHING.
5
I I. Olmstead’s varnish is made by melting two ounces of resin in one pound of fresh, sweet lard, melting the resin first and then adding the lard and mixing thoroughly. This is applied to the metal, which should be warm, if possible, and perfectly clean ; it is afterward rubbed off. This has been well proved and tested for many years and is particularly well suited for Danish and Russian oil surfaces, which a slight rust is apt to injure very seriously. Ir’ust Removers.--. Cover the metal with sweet oil, well rubbed in, and allow to stand for forty-eight hours; smear with oil applied freely with a feather or with a piece of cotton wool after rubbing the steel. Then rub with unslaked lime reduced to as fine a powder as possibie. 2. Immerse the article to be cleaned for a few minutes, until all the dirt and rust are taken off, in a strong solution of potassium cyanide, say about one-half ounce in a wineglass of water ; take it out and clean it ‘with a toothbrush with a paste composed of potassium cyanide, castile soap, whiting and water mixed into a paste of about the consistency of thick cream. Bench Tools. The tool shown in Fig. I is very convenient where there is much bundle iron to open, as it is made heavy enough so that any ordinary band can be easily cut with it at one blow. It has an eye large enough to admit a
6
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
small sledge handle, and the handle should be made of good hickory with some surplus stock near the eye, as it is liable to get many bruises from careless handling
Fig. 1--Hatchet for Opening Bundle Iron.
Made of I% square Steel.
It should have a little less blunt edge and mis-blows. than a cold chisel and be tempered a “pigeon-blue,” if it is made of good steel ; but if it is made of the fancy brands the temper must be a matter of experiment.
Fig. 2-Collaring
Tool for Shouldering Down Round Iron. square Steel.
Made of 1%
For shouldering down round iron or steel to form a collar or neck, there is no tool that is any better tha.n that shown in Fig. 2. The concave should be of a size
PRACTICAL
BLACI~S~IITIIING.
7
to fit the circumference of the bar to be .worked or larger. The cut does not show the cutting part quite plainly ; the edge all the way around the hollow should
Fig. p-light
Flatter for Finkhing Flat Iron. Made of I % square Steel. Face 2% Inches square.
be flat on the inside and rounded out on the other side the same in section as Fig. 8. Fig. 3 is simply a good handy size for a Xght flatter. It is about 5% inches high. There is a great advantage in having a flatter light, not only because it is easier handled, but because it is more efficient. When a flatter is too heavy in proportion to the weight of the
Fig. 4-Round-cornered
Set Hammer.
Made of I $( square Steel.
sledge it absorbs more force than it gives down. It kicks. It spends its .elasticity in reacting against the sledge, instead of letting the blow through it and de-
5
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
livering it to the work on the other side. It is all, nonsense to suppose that bi g flatters are best on big work. It is not the work that governs the siie of hand tools, it is the power of the men who are to deliver the blows..
Fig. p--Heavy Flatter for Straightening Cold Iron. square Steel.
Made of z-inch
Fig. 4 is a tool that does not feel as good in the hand, and is not quite as nice to handle. It some way does not hang as well as a Hatter, but it is a tool that should
Fig. G-Large Siding-Down Tool.
Made of 1% square Steel.
be used in the formation of all inside corners, for it is a deadly enemy to cold shuts and broken fibers, which are the vital seeds of death in any work of iron in which they find lodgment.
PRACTICAL
BLACKS~IITI-IING.
9
The heavy flatter, Fig. 5, for straightening cold iron, is made very strong, and a sledge must L used with it There is not such particproportionate to its weight.
Fig. 7-Small Siding-Down Fuller.
ular need of activity, spring, on cold iron as there is on in bending or straightening, rails are straightened under
Fig. b-Small
Made of I J( square Steel.
and haste in getting a blow hot, and blows that count are slow and solid. Steel a press. If this flatter is
Siding-Down Chisel. Made of 1% square Steel.
not made very strong it will soon crystallize and break in the weakest place across the eye. The tools, Figs. 6, 7, 8, are for the purpose of sidingdown work or making offsets, leaving good shoulders standing up, without having to use the backing ham-
IO
PRACTICAL
ULACI<SblITIiING.
mer. There is a tendency to make tools heavier than is necessary simply to perform theoffice in blacksmithThe ing that the jointer plane does in carpentermg. carpenter jacks off the rough stock and ‘then smooths In dressing tools a heavy largeup with his “ jointer.” faced hammer is used by some first-class tool dressers. I have known them to call it the “ jineter.” The siding-down tool, Fig. 8, need not be wider than a man can sink an eighth of an inch into hot il~on or steel at a blow. When the impression is deep enough, or if, in crossing wide iron, it gets crooked sidewise, the wider bitted one shown in- Fig. 6 can be used to make the impression straight and uniform, and afterwards the siding-down fuller, Fig. 7, may be used. On a large amount of work these tools suffice ; but where there is much wide iron to work it will pay to have a wide fuller, the, width, say two and done-half inches, of Fig. 6. Blacksmith
Tongs.
The blacksmith who will do his work we)1 and quickly, whether on carriage work or the ordinary work of the country shop, must be well supplied with It is no uncommon tongs, and they well made. thing to see a man working at the forge depending upon two or three tongs for holding all kinds of work. Hf the jaw opens too wide it is heated and a blow from the hammer closes it ; if too narrow the same operation is gone through to open it ; this makeshift business costs dear, and brands the workman as a botch.
PRACTICAL
/I
BLACKS31 ITIIING.
II
A complete list of tongs for one man might not be a complete list for another, as some workmen are particular as regards specialties, but an :>ssortment that comprises those that should be on every bench consists of two pairs of tongs for v&inch iron, two pairs for g-inch iron, two pairs for 3/&inch iron, two pairs for s-inch iron, and one pair for each succeeding one-eighth of an inch up to I s inches and above that a pair for each s;lcceeding quarter inch up to the limit of size. Blacksmiths, as a rule, prefer to make their own ton.gs. For these they should use Lowmoor or BurDrill all holes, instead of punching, and den’s “ best.” be careful to see that the face of the jaws are parallel when closed to the required size ; jagging or otherwise roughing the face of the jaw is an umlecessary operation, for if the tongs work easily and true, as they should, they will hold the iron without extra pressure. If the jaws wobble or twist the fault is at the joint and should be corrected. The blacksmith who stands all day at the forge working with poor tongs will find, when night comes, the hand that held the tongs is much more wearied than the one that held the hammer. How
to
Make
a Pair
of Common
Tongs.
I will describe my method of making a pair of common tongs, which is so simple that any blacksmith can follow it. I take a piece of $ x I IA inch iron, 14 inches long, and draw down the ends as shown in Fig. 9.
I2
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
Fig. IO shows a side view. Then split as shown in Fig. I I and draw the handles to the proper shape. Punch the boles, rivet, and the tongs are completed
How to Make a Pair of Common Tongs. Fig. g-Shape to which “J. M. W.” would Draw the Iron.
and can be shaped to suit your own notion.-&” M. IV. Tools
for
Farrier
J.
Work.
Fig. 12 shows a shoe-spreader. To make it take 54 or v&inch square Norway iron, shoulder and turn down as shown at A and B. Fig. 13 shows a side
Fig. Io-Side
View of Fig. g.
view of B of Fig. I 2. For C use three-fourths rod with thread up to the jaw A and riveted through it. File notches in points so that they will not slip.
Fig. II-HOW
the Iron is Split.
This tool is very useful and can be used to spread a shoe that has been on two or three weeks, or when only one side is nailed. D, of Fig. 12, is marked in
PRACTICAL
ELACKSMITHING.
13
inches, so that one can tell the exact distance the shoe has been spread. Fig. 14 shows a farrier’s pick for removing dirt and
Fig. I2-Shoe Spreader Complete.
gravel. It is made of g-inch steel and has a hole in the end that it may be hung on box. It is made of Fig. I 5 is a farrier’s.corn-cutting tool.
Fig. r3-Side View of B, Fig.
s-inch round sharp diamond
12.
steel and has the point ground to a tip. It is worth its weight in gold to
14
,PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
any horseshoer. The broken knife. As every blacksmith
handle
is that
is acquainted
of a farrier’s with
the clinch
Fig. x4--Farrier’s Pick.
block it does not need illustrating. I have mine made rounded to fit the shoe and with a groove to fit out-
Fig. I p-Farrier’s
Corn-Cutting Tool.
side of the crease in the shoe, and runs up the side of the shoe, the idea being to hold nails that are sunk too deep for corn block.
Fig. x6-Handy
Tongs for Handling Wagon Ti,~es.
Fig. 16 shows a pair of fire-tongs made like the ordinary fire-tongs but having the handles bent four or
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
five inches above the jaws. These tongs are used in cases where it is desirable to keep the away from the fire. Especially are they handy in handling wagon tires. Fig. 17 shows tool used in sharpening toe
Fig. IT-Tool
15 to be hands to use talks.
used in Sharpening Toe Calls.
The part A is made of tool steel, and is swaged same as an ordinary bottom swage, raised at A, and slightly rounded, so that the toe of the shoe wil~l stand out. , The part B, C, D is made of one by one-fourth inch iron, and to the shape shown in Fig. I 7.$ It
16
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
should be long enough so that the smith can keep his No weights heel on the floor and place his toe on D.
Fig. I8-Tongs
for Holding Horseshoes.
are necessary to raise the jaw 23. This tool has the merit of simple construction. Of course it is intended for use on end of the anvil. Fig. 18 shows a pair of tongs that come very handy
for holding horseshoes. These are so well known as to need no explanation. It is made of Fig. rg shows a handy yoke puller.
Fig. 2o-Plow Clamp.
s/s-inch round iron and hinged and riveted. One point is turned up to fit in hole of yoke, the other is rounded to fit clip, as seen in cut. The plow clamp shown in Fig. 20 is made of 3-4 x
PRACTICAL
17
ULACKSMl’l’lllh’G.
7-16 horseshoe bar, turned and welded. It fits the share ed
Fig. 21 --Tongs for Holding Cultivator Shovels.
to share with cam. The bolts keep the share from springing when being sharpened. Fig. 2 I shows the tongs I use for holding cultivator
Fig. z&-Horn for Welding Ferrules.
shovels. The under piece has forks that pass on either side of the casting on the s?:ovel or ball tongue. The
Fig. 23-Light
Riveting Hammer.
upper jaw is similar to that of ordinary that it is a little shorter than the
tongs, except forks. The
..‘,
Ib
PP.AC’~-ICI\L IILACKSMITIIING.
handles are bent a little so that the bail tong point stands nearl)r straight. Fig. 22 shows a horn for welding ferrules and small FTFy, --_---
Fig. q-Light
Plow Hammer.
bands, also for rounding the same. It is made to fit anvil and is one and one-half inches at bottom and
-Fig. 2pTurning
Hammer.
tapers to a point. The length of horn is eight inches. Fig. 23 shows a light riveting hammer. It is made
PRACTICAL
of five-eighths steel. hammer, except that
BLACKSMITHING.
Draw and make like ordinary the ,handle should be very light
Fig. 26-Round
and elastic. ‘Ihis light castings, light A plow hammer pounds, and has handle and enables
19
Chisel.
hammer is very handy in riveting welds, etc. is seen in Fig. 24. It weighs two the pene set lengthwise with the the smith to weld in throat of plow.
Fig. 25 shows a turning hammer with two faces; one is made rounding for concaving shoes, it is also handy for drawing any kind of iron. It weighs from two and one-half to three pounds.
20
PRACTICAL
BLACI~SMITIIING.
It is made similar to Fig. 26 shows a round chisel. the ordinary handle chisel, except that it is ni,lde round
Fig. 28--Singletree Clip Wedge.
in two sizes-x and I 3A inches-for cutting holes in wagon plates, roller plates, etc. A hoop set-hammer is seen in Fig. 27. It is made
Fig. zg-Vise Tool for Holding Short Bolts.
lighter than the ordinary set-hammer and tapering on sides only. It is used for band hoops or any kind of band drawing.-
Fig. So-Heavy Wrench or Bending Tool.
It is made Fig. 28 shows a singletree clip wedge. of g x 2-inch iron with a groove on bevel side, and
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
21
is used to draw tight single and doubletree clips. In putting them on, slip on clip, drive in wedge tight
Fig. 3I-Forge
Crane.
down, and cool, drive out the wedge and the job is done. Fig. 29 shows a vise tool for holding short bolts.
22
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
It is made of 2 x 2$-inch iron bent square, and has three grooves cut for three sizes of bolts, shouldered off, and riveted at bottom. This tool is handy in cutting threads on plow, or any short bolts, or in working nuts on same. Fig. 30 shows a heavy wrench or bending tool. This tool is so common among our smiths as to need no description. Fig. 31 shows a forge crane. The upright post is
Fig. p-Tongs
for Plowshare.
made of 1% x s-inch iron and shouldered at C; draw around to five-eighths or three-fourths ; place collar on at shoulder. Bore a hole close to the forge to receive C. The crane is made of inch square iron and should slide easily, and is held in position by the set-screw at B. The upright should extend seven or eight inches above the forge. If there is no floor in the shop then drive or set a post level with the dirt. Blacksmiths will find this to be a great labor-saving tool. Fig. 32 shows a pair of handy tongs for plowshares. The jaws are made to fit top and bottom of share,
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
23
being turned to fit the bevel as shown at x x of share. These tongs are used in either welding or sharpening. Fig. 33 shows a clip for making round clips. It is made to fit the anvil and can be made in any size. C
Fig. 33-Tool
for Making Round Clips.
is the gauge, B the hole, and D the groove in top. Cut the iron to the right length for clip wanted, cut threads on both ends, heat and run through the hole B,
Fig. 34-Tool
for Rounding Rivet Heads.
gauge by C, and bring the end over to 0, tap down gently until true. Fig. 34 shows a tool for rounding rivet heads. It is made of one-half inch steel shaped like a punch. Make a tool to the shape that you want the head of the-rivet
24
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
I
to be ‘when finished. Heat the steel and place it in the vise, then drive the special tool, or rivet head, into the steel until it is sunk enough. Then dress up and temper to a light blue.-By REX. A Tool
for Holding
Plow
Bolts.
,
I will try to give a description of a handy tool for holding plow bolts. The piece A shown in Fig. 35 is made of 3/g or
A Tool for Holding Plow Bolts. Fig. 35 -Showing how the two Pieces are made.
s-inch iron, and is about 20 inches long. It has holes in it into which the piece B can be inserted and moved forward or backward so as to catch any bolt. The
Fig. 36-Showing
the Tool completed.
piece B is made of steel with a rounded end to fit in the hole in A. The other end is made like a cold chisel in order to catch the bolt. Fig. 36 represents the tool ready for use.-By A. G. BUNSON,
.I
PRACTICAL
Tongs
for
BLACKSMITHING.
Holding
Plow
25
Points,
.I have a pair of tongs for holding plow points while sharpening or laying, that are simple, easily made, and I like them far better than any other tongs for the purpose that I ever saw. I forged them from a one and a quarter inch square bar just like ordinary straight jawed tongs. The edges are about two inches long (not longer), quite heavy, with one-half inch handles. After they were finished I heated them and then caught them edgewise in the vise and bent them, just
H. H. K."
for holding Plow Bolts.
at the rivet, to an angle of nearly forty-five degrees, and I find they never slip or work off, but answer every EARLES J. TURNER. purpose. -h" A Tool
for
Holding
Plow
Bolts.
A handy little tool which I use to prevent piow b&s ‘from turning when the wrench is on the nut is shown in Fig. 37. The tool is one that will be appreciated by every smith who does plow work, It is
26
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
made ~ofS/&inch round iron, but having steel at one end which is cross-cut as shown in the illustration. -&“I H. H. K. A Tool
for
Holding
Slip-Shear
Plows
in
Sharpening.
To make a tool for holding slip-shear plows’ in sharpening them, take s/s-inch round iron, cut off two
A Tool for holding Slip.Shear Plows in sharpening. how the two Pieces are shaped,
Fig, 38-Showing
pieces, .making each 2% feet long, and bend one in the middle and weld the ends as shown in Fig. 39, so that a plow bolt will fit in and slip along. I then bend the other piece as shown in the cut, then weld the ends of this piece to those of the other, and the tool is finished as shown in Fig. 40. In Fig. 41 the tool is shown fastened to a plowshare with plow bolts, This tool will hold either right or left-hand plows.--By A. G. g.
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
Fig. 3g-Showing
Fig. 40 -Showing
the Tool as finished.
the Tool fastened to a Plowshare.
28
PRACTICAL Making
a
BLACKSMITHING. Plow.
Bolt
Clamp.
To make a plow bolt clamp take a piece of steel, 14 inches long, and S/s-inch square ; make a two-pronged claw to fit the bolt-head on one end and draw the other to go into the wooden handle marked A, Fig. 41. Then draw a piece of 1% x s inch iron to an edge and bend two inches to a right angle at B. Punch a B
c Fig. 41--A Plow-Bolt Clamp as trade by G. “W. P I’.
square hole to fit the steel, two inches from the bend.By G. W. P. Tongs
for
Holding
Plow
Bolts.
This is a very handy tool and one which no shop should be without. With this tool a bolt in the lay can be held with one hand while the other is free to remove the burr. I consider it the only successful tool ever invented for this purpose. The jaw A, Fig. 42, is five inches in length, while B is four and one-ha!f inches long. The point C is made of steel and welded to 11,and must be tempered hard. It is made with a sharp point like a chisel or screw point, The handles are two feet long and of five-
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
29
eighths inch iron. The jaws are of three-fourths inch square iron. To remove a bolt from a plow-lay with this tool place the point C on the bolt head, and let the jaw A come in any convenient place on the other side of the lay, grip tightly and the bolt will be held tight while the nut
Fig. 4z--Iron
Tongs for holding Bolt Heads, as made by E. K. Wehry.
is being removed. If the nut be rusted on and hard to turn, then with a sharp chisel cut across the bolt head same as a screw head. Then place C in the cut and the bolt cannot turn. You will seldom have to do this.-By E. K. WEHRY.
How
to
Point
a Plow.
My plan for pointing a, plow is as follows : Make a pair of blacksmith’s tongs, somewhat heavier than or-
!
Fig. 43--Pointing a Plow, as Done by “ H. L. C.”
The Tongs.
dinary tongs, let one jaw be two inches and the other one five inches long. Make the long jaw very heavy and shaped as shown in Fig. 43 ; then take a piece of suitable steel and cut out a point the desired shape,
and, after shaping and filing the edges, place it on the plow lay and clamp it with the tongs, as shown in Fig. 44; then take a light heat on the point and bend it under, as shown by the dotted lines. Make the point of such a length that when bent under it will lap on the original point from one to two inches. Then take a thin piece of soft iron and place it between the lap
Fig. M-Showing
I
the Clamping and Bending Processes,
at A in Fig. 44-this is to make the point heavier and to cause it to weld better-then take a welding heat on the point, after which the tongs may be taken off and the job finished up. This plan is ‘a great advantage over the old way of drilling the point and share, and riveting the point to hold it in place while taking the first heat. It not only saves time and labor, but it makes a stronger and neater job. -hy H. L. C.
PRACTICAL
Hints
BLACKSMITHING.
for
Plow
3*
Work.
Some of the plow manufacturers send out lays that are so badly welded that after being sharpened once or
Hints for Plow Work.
Fig. 454howing
Tool used in sharpening Lays.
twice they fall away from the landside, and then the
Fig. &-Showing
how the Tongs are used.
farmer blames the blacksmith,
Fig. 47-The
For the benefit of
Triangle used in Welding;
smiths who have to handle such plows I give a few hints which may prove valuable. Fig. 45 represents
32
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITIIING.
the tongs I use in sharpening lays when there is danger that they will be loosened. Fig. 46 shows how the
Fig. 48-A
Landside or Bar Lay.
tongs are used on a slip lay so that the lay and landside will be held together until the welding has been done up to the tongs. Fig. 48 represents a whole landside
~Fig. 49-The
Wedge used in Welding.
lay or bar lay. In welding these I use a triangle shown in Fig. 47 and a wedge shown in Fig. 49.-B’ G. W. PREDMORE.
A Tool
for
Holding
Plowshares.
A device invented by me for holding plowshares, which I think is one of the best tools in use for
PRACTICAL
RLACKSMITHING.
33
34
PRACTICAL
TLACKSMITHING.
holding plowshares when sharpening or pointing them, is shown by Fig. 50. It consists of two pairs of tongs welded together, one holding the bar and the other holding the wing. The tongs holding the wing should have round jaws. When taking hold of the share the handles come together within three inches or so, and the ring on one of the handles is then slipped over the G. II other. -By
CHAPTER
II.
WRENCHES. Forging
Wrenches.
My way of making a wrench is as follows: For a s-inch wrench take iron I x 2 for piece A, in Fig. 5 I
Fig. 5I-Forging
a Wrench.
(Fig. 52 shows it more plainly), and punch a hole at A
Fig. 52-HOW to Form the Ends as seen in Fig. 51.
to receive B, and take a weld, using the fuller at C D.
Fig. 53-Finished
Wrench.
Fig. 53 shows the wrench complete.
It should be very
36
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
strong at dotted lines A A, where the greatest strain comes. Fig. 52 shows how to cut the end to form C D, in Fig. 5 I. Fig. 54 shows how to make small wrenches.
Fig. 54--Method of Making Small Wrenches.
Punch hole in the center and cut to any desired angle ; see dotted lines.--By SOUTHERN BLACKSMITH. Making
Wrenches.
My plan of forging a wrench is as follows : Take any piece of iron corresponding in size to the wrench
Fig. 55--” J. T. B.‘s ” Method of Making Wrenches.
it is’desired to make. Bend it as shown in, Fig. .55. After welding, proceed to form into shape. Any practical man, it seems to me, will admit the advantages of the plan shown in the sketch.--By J. T. .B.
PRACTICAL Curve
for
BLACKSMITHING. an
37
S Wrench.
I inclose sketches of my way of curving an S wrench I always make the curve so that the jaws run parallel
Fig. 56--A Curved Wrench.
with each other, as is shown in Figs. 56 and 57. Fig. 56 is a curved wrench, while Fig. 57 is a straight
Fig. 57-A
wrench,
Straight Wrench.
Both of these wrenches will answer for the
38
I’IIACTICAL
BLACliSI1lITIf
ING.
same purpose. The only difference I can see is that Fig. 56 may suit one brother smith and Fig. 57 another. To make the bend in Fig. 56 proceed as follows : First mark the square space on a board to
Fig. 58-Shows Points to be Fullered.
the size required, then draw the lines diagonally from corner to corner as shown. This will give the center at A. Now take a compass, set it to the same length as the sides of the square, which wc will find from C
Fig. sg--Shaping
the Jaw.
to D on either side. Now set the compass point at E and draw the curve X to line A, then set the compass point on F and draw the curve X X to line A, which is one-half of the wrench. The point E is as far from
Fig. 6o-Shows
Faulty Method of Forging Jaws.
C’as the head or jaw of the wrench is from D to 0. The space between E and F is the same as the width of the wrench. With the other end of the wrench
PRACTICAL
CLACKSMITEfING.
39
proceed the same as with the first end. By bending a wrench this way over the draft .a true curve will ‘be obtained from the centers of the wrench. Fig. 57, I think, explains itself. To make a wrench of this kind I proceed as follows : Fuller Fig. 58 at A A, forge and round D as C in Fig., 59 ; now get the center of C and punch the hole, letting the outside of the hole strike the center of C, as shown in cut. This gives LIS a strong corner at X X. Then split :out as per dotted lines and finish. Never make ~acorner in a wrench as is the case at X 0 in Fig. 60, as it: is more apt to break than when ; i~r& rounding as shown in i \._~ .I:s make these wrenches both Figs. 43 and 44. I ;~, of spring or cast steel.-3:: * “.::~j\\r& THEN.
Another
Method
of
Making
Wrenc.hes.
My idea of the right way to make a wrench is to get at it in the way that takes the least labor, provided equally good results are obtained. I have two steel S
Fig. 6r-First
Step i.1 Making Wrench.
wrenches in use. One is a 5-r 6 and g-inch, made from spring steel. This I have had in constant use for the last eight years. The other is a 5-16 and 3/g-inch,
40
PRACTICAL
BLACK,SMITHING.
made from blistered steel, which I have used for the last seven years. Both are in good order still. I will try to describe my way of making a wrench of this description. I take a piece of steel of the required dimensions
Fig. 62-Handle
of Wrench Drawn Out.
and fuller it, as shown in Fig. 61. I then punch a hole, as is also shown in the same figure. I next draw out the handle, cut out from the hole, as in Fig. 62,
then work up to shape and fuller. A wrench can be made very quickly in this manner and as strong as you please. It is shown finished by Fig. 63.---B’ W. I. G An Adjustable ~
Wrench.
My I method of making an adjustable wrench is as follows : I take a piece of soft steel and forge out the jay. as shown in Fig. 64. I next take a piece of x-inch gas pipe, cut a thread on one end, then cut a thread in the jaw, and screw the jaw and pipe together tightly. I
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
41
then heat gently, and when hot flatten down the jaw and about two-thirds of the pipe. I then heat again, having a drift key ready to fit the hole tightly. I drive
Fig. 644howing
how the Jaw of an Adjustable Wrench is forged.
the key in, taking care not to split the pipe by making the corners round, and then heat the, other end and finish the handles to shape. I next make a ring of
Fig. 6pShowing
how the Handle and Nut are made.
$ inches by 3-I6-inch iron to go on the handle where the hole for the nut is to be made. The ring is heated and pressed on red hot. When it is in place I
Fig. 66-Showing
,
and The two tool
how the other Piece is forged.
fitted down closely it will never become loose. hole in which~ the nut works is made by drilling holes close together and filing them out. The theri looks as shown in Fig. 65. I next forge out
42
PRACTICAL
UtACKSh4ITHING.
the other part, as shown in Fig. 66, of one solid piece. I cut a thread in the end, make a round nut, finish off, .
Fig. 67-The
Wrench completed.
put together, and have the strong, neat-looking wrench shown completed in Fig. 67. ._ Making
an Adjustable
Wrench.
The accompanying engraving, Fig. 68, illustrates my way of making an adjustable z-inch wrench, which I find very strong arid handy. First, I forge one jaw
Fig. 68--Making
an Adjustable Wrench
and the handle solid in the usual way; then, I forge the the sliding jaw] with a web a.t R: and slip behind it a gib-wedge S, which will tighten or loosen the jaw quickly and effectively.-B’! A. M. R.
Forging
a Bolt,
a Nut
and a Wrench.
I would like to give my way of forging a bolt, a nut and a wrench.
PRACTICAL
BEACKSMYl”‘HlNG.
43
A great many blacksmiths take exception to making a bolt by welding the head on. I claim that if the bolt is upset as it should be, and the head properly
Fig. 6g--Preparing
to Weld a Bolt Head.
welded on, it is as good, if not better, than a solid head. The way I do such a piece of work is this: Before welding the collar on to form the head, I upset my
Fig. 70 -Formation
of Lip.
iron to the extent that the diameter of the bolt under the head will be the same or a little larger than the original diameter of the bolt. Ifs this is done properly the bolt will not be weakened at all. Should .you fail
44
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
to upset the iron sufficiently, however, and let the collar cut into the bolt, then, of course, you will have a weak spot at the inner end of the head. If I have a large nut to forge I do! it in this. way : I take iron of the required size and i,bend it around a mandrel, leaving the ends about an inch apart. Then,
F Fig. 7I-Forging
a Wren&.
with my chisel, I cut one end down about one-half the thickness of the iron, as shown in Fig. 69. With a small fuller I draw out the~part-cutd%~on~ the horn of the anvil; so as to form a lip, as shown in Fig. 70. Drive the ends together so that the lip described will
v Fig. p-Bending
A Piece to form Jaw.
be close to the inner side of the opposite end of the ring. Take a good welding heat, and weld on the mandrel, and you will have a good, sound nut, with a smooth inner surface. If you undertake to forge a nut by jumping the ends together you will not make a good job of it; at least, that is my experience in such cases.
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
45
Now, in regard to a wrench. If I have a large wrench to forge, I pursue the following plan : Take a piece of iron the required width and thickness to’ draw out to the shape shown in Fig. 71. Bend it as represented by Fig. 72 and scarf the part
Fig. 73-The
Wrench Complete.
A as for an ordinary weld. Then forge the handle andweld on and complete the wrench, as shown in Fig. 73. -By G. E. J.
CHAPTER WELDING,
BRAZING,
III. SOLDERING.
The act of joining metals by the aid of heat is technically known as welding, brazing and soldering. The first is applied to iron and steel by heating the surfaces to be joined to a fusible state, then, by repeated blows, or by pressure, unite the particles and restore the whole to a condition similar to that existing before the metal was severed. Brazing is the act of joining iron or composition metals by the use of brass heated to a fluid state in conjunction with the edges to be joined, and then allowed to cool slowly. Soldering is the joining of metals of like or different kinds by another metal that fuses at a lower degree of heat than those which are joined, in which case the solder, only, is reduced to a fluid state. The degrees of heat, the condition of the surfaces,.and the skill of the workmen, are all important factors. The following tables will be found useful for reference : Tkjirees Fah.
The greatest heat of a smith’s forge (common) is.. . . _. . . .2346 Welding heat of iron.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . .I892
PRACTICAL MLLTlNG
BLACKSMITHING. POIN’L’
47
OF ME’I‘ALS. Degrees Fah.
..tg oo 6 612 4- 5 360
Brass ............................................ Copper...............................................Igg Lead .l .............................................. Solder (common) ..................................... “ (plumber), .................................... Tin ................................................. Zinc ................................................ .,............ Lead 1, tin I. bismuth 4 ................. Lead 2, tin 3, bismuth 5 .................................
4.42
680 201 212
Solders.
Under this head is grouped compositions used for uniting metals, the proportions being by weight. - - - - - d 8 s Tin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i . . . . . . . . “ ..........................
“ (melts at 300”). ............ Sp$ter (soft). ............... jhard). ..............
Lead. ....................... Steel,. .................... Brass or copper .............. Fine brass., ................. Pewter (soft). ................ “ . ..a.... ........... Gol‘ci ........................ ................. ............. ............... .......................
Iron ........................ Copper ...................... .-
50 ., 67
3-: 75 IO 33 .* i;
i-j . . 50 . . 47 . . . . 45
20
25 .. .. 34 ..
66 53
20 .. ..
0:
;s F -
d 5 E 5 -
J {
;i
x6
..
G7 .. .. .. .. 33 *. . . .. ..
ts .. 40 .. 47
..
..
50 33 s
82
E
6
.. .. .. ..
.. 34 .. ..
7 80 G7
40 33
..
..
*.
ii 50 ..
s 8 -
e’ -3 3 -
22 25
89 .. .. -
21
PRACTICAL
48
BLACKSMITHING.
FUSIBLE
COMPOUNDS.
b 2-5 3 ---
. 2
E’g 1; --------
.ci ; ci irj{$$$G
Rose’s (fusing al 200”). . . , . . . 25 50 “ (fusing at less than 200”) 1: 3;5~3 *. 33.433.3 Fusing at 150’ to 160’ . . . . . . . . . 25 I2 50 ) . . FLUXES
-
FOR SOLDkRING
. fg
,..
-.
2* I d g 3 2. 6 .; 2
..
.i
20 .-
OK WELDING.
Metal.
Fh.
Iron......................... . . . . . . . . . Bijrax. Tinned iron.. . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Resin. Copper or brass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sa!-ammoniac. Zinc.................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chloride of zinc. Lead . . ..a............................. Tallow or resin. Lead and tin pipes, *. . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . .Resin and sweet oil,
Theory
of Welding.
The generally received theory of welding is that it is merely pressing the molecules of metal into contact, or, rather, into such proximity as they have in the other parts of the bar. Up to this point there can hardly be any difference of opinion, but here uncertainty begins. What impairs or prevents welding ? Is it merely the interposition of foreign substances between the molecules of iron and any other substance which will enter into molecular relations or vibrations with iron ? Is it merely the mechanical preventing of contact be~tween molecules by the interposition of such substan-
PRACTICAL
RLACKSMITHING.
49
ces? This theory is based on such facts as the following : I. Not only iron, but steel, has been so perfectly united that the seam could not be discovered, and that the strength was as great as it was at any point, by accurately planing and thoroughly smoothing and cleaning the surfaces, binding the two pieces together, subjecting them to a welding heat and pressing them together by a very few hammer blows. But when a thin film of oxide of iron was placed between similar smooth surfaces, a weld could not be effected. 2. Heterogeneous steel scrap, having a much larger variation in composition than these irons have, when placed in a box composed of wrought-iron side and end pieces laid together, is (on a commercial scale) heated to the high temperature which the wrought iron will stand, and then rolled into bars which are more homogeneous than ordinary wrought iron. The wrought iron box so settles together, as the heat increases, that it nearly excludes the oxidizing atmosphere of the furnace, and no film of oxide of iron is interposed between the surfaces. At the same time, the inclosed and more fusible steel is partially melted, so that the impurities are partly forced out and partly diffused throughout the mass by the rolling. The other theory is that the molecular motions of the iron are changed by the presence of certain impurities, such as copper and carbon, in such a manner that welding cannot occur or is greatly impaired. In favor of this theory it may be claimed that, say, two per cent
Ij;
so
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
of copper will almost prevent a weld, while, if the interposition theory were true, this copper could only weaken the weld two per cent, as it could only cover two per cent of the surfaces of the molecules to he united. It is also stated that one per cent of carbon greatly impairs welding power, while the mere interposition of carbon should only reduce it one per cent. On the other hand, it may be clai~med that in th;. perfect welding due to the fusion of cast iron, the interposition of ten or even twenty per cent of impurities, such as carbon, silicon and copper, does not affect the strength of the mass as much as one or two per cent of carbon or copper affeh:ts the strength of a weld made at a plastic instead of a fluid heat. It is also true that high tool-steel, containing one and onehalf per cent of carbon, is much stronger throughoutits mass, all of which has been welded by. fusion, than it would be if it had less carbon. Hence copper and carbon cannot impair the wel~ding power of iron in any greater degree than by their interposition, provided the welding has the benefit of that pe+t ~~zobiZz2~ which is due to fusion. The similar effect of partial fusi,on of steel in a wrought-i.ron box has already been mentioned. The inference is that imperfect welding is not the result of a .change in molecular motions, due to impurities, but of imperfect mobility of the mass-of not giving the molecules a chance to get togethe,r. Should it be suggested that the temperature of fu‘-sion, as compared with that of plasticity, may so
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
5’
change chemical affinities as to account for the different degrees of welding power, it may be answered that the temperature of fusion in one kind of iron is lower than that of plast.icity in another, and that as the welding and melting points of iron arc largely due to the carbon they contain, such an impurity as copper, for instance, ought, on this theory, to impair welding in some cases and not to affect it in others. This will be further referred to. The next inference would be that by increasing temperature we chiefly improve the quality of welding. If temperature is increased to fusion, welding is practically perfect; if to plasticity and mobility of surfaces, welding should be nearly perfect. Then how does it sometimes occur that the more ir6ns are heated the worse they weld ? I. Not by reason of mere temperature; for a heat almost to dissociation will fuse wrought iron into a homogeneous mass. 2. Probably by reason of oxidation, which, in a smith’s fire especially, necessarily increases as the temperature increases. Even in a gas furnace, a very hot flame is usually an oxidizing flame. The oxide of iron forms a dividing film between the surfaces to be joined, while the slight interposition of the same oxide, when diffused throughout the mass by fusion or partial fusion, hardly affects welding. It is true that the contained slag, or the artificial flux, becomes more fluid as the temperature rises, and thus tends to wash away the
52
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITIIING.
oxide from the surfaces: but inasmuch as any iron, with any welding flu.x, can be oxidized till it scintillates, the value of a high heat in liquefying the slag is more than balanced by its damage in burning the iron. 3. But it still remains to be explained why some irons weld at. a higher temperature than others ; notably, why irons high in carbon or in some other impurities can only be welded soundly by ordinary processes at low heats. It can only be said that these impurities, as far as we are aware, increase the fusibility of iron, and that in an oxidizing flame oxidation becomes more excessive as the point of fusion approaches. M7elding demands a certain condition of plasticity of surface ; if this condition is not reached, welding fails for want of contact due to excessive oxidation. The temperature of this certain condition of plasticity varies with all the different compositions of irons. Hence, while it may be true that heterogeneous irons, which have different welding points, cannot be soundly welded to one another in an oxidizing Aa~me, it is not yet proved, nor is it probable, that homogeneous irons cannot be welded together, whatever their composition, even in an oxidizing flame. A collateral proof of this is that one smith can weld irons and steels which another smith cannot weld at all, by means of a skillful selection of fluxes and a nice variation of temperature. To recapitulate : It is certain that perfect welds are made by means of perfect contact, due to fusion, and
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
53
that ‘nearly perfect welds are made by means of such contact as may be got by partial fusion in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, or by the mechanical fitting of surfaces, whatever the composition of the iron may be, within all known limits. While high temperature is thus the first cause of that mobility which promotes welding, it is also the cause: in an oxidizing atmosphere, of that “ burning” which injures both the weld and the iron. Hence, welding in an oxidizing atmosphere must be done at a heat which gives a compromise between imperfect contact, due to want of mobility on the one hand, and imperfect contact, due to oxidation on the other hand. This heat varies with each different composition of irons. It varies because these compositions change the fusing points of irons, and hence their points of excessive oxidation. Hence, while ingredients, such as carbon, phosphorus, copper, etc., positively do not prevent welding under fusion, or in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, it is probable that they impair it in an oxidizing atmosphere, not directly, but only by changing the susceptibility of the iron to oxidation, The obvious conclusions are : First, That any wrought iron, of whatever ordinary composition, may be welded to itself in an oxidizing atmosphere at a certain temperature, which may differ very largely from that one which is vaguely known as a “ welding heat ; ” second, That in a non-oxidizing atr~osphere, heterogeneous irons, however impure, may be soundly welded
5-4
at indefinitely
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMIT~HING.
high temperature.--Fgyom
the Urzz’ted States Board steed.
njpoided
t/te report
to test iron
of and
Welds and Welding. A weld to be sound, must, like everything else, be made according to sound common sense. The theory of w$ding is simple enough, and only requires a little thought to make it easy to put into practice. If the iron is got to a proper welding heat all through its mass, there are just three things to guard against in order to get a sound job. (I) the air ; (2) scale ; and (3) dirt. Referring to the first, suppose the pieces are scarfed as in Fig. 74 (which is a form that beginners are very likely to make), and when the two pieces are put together, they will meet all around the edges. This simply forms a hollow pocket enc!osing a certain amount of air, and also whatever amount of dirt or scale there may be upon the surfaces, and a sound weld becomes impossible. Another fault that a beginner is apt to fall into, is to make the scarf too short, as in Fig. 75, where it is seen that blows upon the top piece, fl, will act to force it down, sliding it off the lower pieces. We might simply lap the pieces as in Fig. 76, but the result will be an indentation in the corners C and 0, and we may forge the lap down to the thickness of the base without getting this indentation out.
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
56
PRACTICAL
RLACKSMITHINC.
A similar indentation would be formed at C if lapping the end of a bar, as in Fig. 77. Furthermore,
Fig. 76-Showing
how the Pieces might be Lapped.
the surfaces coming together flat are apt to enclose scale, hence such a weld can only be made either in small pieces, when the dirt has not to travel far to be
Fig. 77--Showing
another Case in which an Indentation would he Formed.
worked out, or else in pieces that are heavily forged at a high heat so as to drive out the impurities.
Fig. $3~ShowYng how the Weld may be effected by butting the Ends.
The ends of two pieces, if short, may be butted as in Fig. 78, the bar being struck endwise, but this is a
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
57
poor weld. In the first place only a short piece can be welded soundly in this way, because the force of the
Fig. 7g-Showing
a good Method of Shaping the .Surfaces.
blow is lost in traveling through the weak and springy bar. The secret of a sound weld (assuming of course that
Fig. So-Showing
how the Scarf may be rounded endwise.
the iron is properly heated) lies in letting the surfaces meet at first in the middle of the weld, so that as they come together they will squeeze out the cinder, etc., and in hammering quickly.
58
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
But there are several ways of shaping the surfacesso that they will squeeze out the foreign matter : thus we may round the surfaces crosswise, as in Fig. pg., in which case a piece of scale, say at E, would be squeezed out, moving across the scarf as the surfaces were hammered together. Or we may round the scarf endwise,
Fig. 8I-Showing
a Weld in which both Surfaces are rounded.
as in Fig. 80, but in this case the piece of foreign matter shown at P’, wouId have to move up to G before it would he repelled. A compromise between these two plans is to round the surfaces slightly both ways, and this is the best plan all things considered. ;”
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
59
As soon as the heat is taken from the fire, it should be quickly cleaned with a brush the instant before putting the weld together. The first. hammer blows
Fig. &-Showing.
how round Bars are scarfed before being Welded.
should be comparatively light and” follow in quick succession. To weld up the outer edges of the scarf and make a sightly job, a second heat should be taken if the job is large enough to require it. An excellent example of a weld is shown in Fig. 81 where both surfaces are rounded so as to meet at H. In this case dirt, etc., will squeeze out sidewise as the
Fig. 8pShowing
how the Bars come together.
welds come together. In all these examples the air, as well as foreign matters, is effectually excluded. We now come to the welding of round bars, which are scarfed as shown in Fig. 82, so that when the two pieces are put together, as in Fig. 83, the surfaces
60
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITIIING.
bunch at J in the middle of the weld, and foreign matter is squeezed out all around the edges. If the pieces to be welded are short and light, the
Fig. 8q-Showing
a good Method of Welding short and light.
when the Pieces are
butt weld is at least as good as any that can be made, if the ends are rounded as ;n Fig. 84. If the pieces
Fig. 85--Showing the Appearance of the Weld b-fore the Swaging.
are heavy and can be stood up endwisc under a steamhammer, it is still the best xcld, but if the pieces are
Fig. 86-Showing
a Weld in which a Stem is welded t!> a Block.
long, too much of the force of the hammer blow i;; lost in traveling from the end of the bar to the weld,
I’RACTIACL
BLACKSMITHING.
62
The appearance of the weld when made and before swaging down, is shown in Fig. 85, and it is seen that
Figl~Q-Showing
how the Block is cupped.
the air and any dirt that may be present, is always excluded as the pieces come together.
Fig. 88--Showing how the Stem is shaped.
We now come to another class of weld where astern is to be welded to a block, as in Fig. 86. The block
Fig. Sg-Showing
how the Stem and Block are put together.
is cupped as in Fig. 87, and the stem rounded and cut back as in Fig. 88, so that when the two are put to-
PRACTICAL
62
BLACKSMITHING.
gether, they will meet at the point K, Fig. 89. The dirt and air will bz forced upwards and outwards in this case. If the stem is short it may be driven home
I
Fig. go-Showing
how the Heads of Swages and Fullers are made.
on the end, and fullered afterwards at the shoulders a and b, but if long the fullering only can be used to make the weld, and a good shoulder at n, b, is necessary. In the days when blacksmiths made their own swages and fullers (and this is done in most first-class
Fig. gr--Showing
a Collar welded on a Stem.
blacksmith shops at the present day in England), the heads of swages and fullers were made by rolling up a band of iron, as in Fig. 90. In this case the first hammering must be given to the outside and not to the ends of the roll, the end of the band being turned
PRACTICAL
down good good An
BLACKSMITHING.
63
so that it will roll down in the center. With iron and first-class workmanship, this makes a tool. example of weldin, CTa collar on a stem is shown in
Fig. ;,,.--The Collar ready to be cut.
Figs. 91, 92, 93 and 94. Fig. 91 is the finished iron ; Fig. g3 the stem jumped up in the middle to receive the collar ; Fig, 92 the collar ready to be cut off the
cx Fig. g3-The
Stem prepared to receive the Collar.
bar ; and Fig. 94 the collar placed on the stem, ready for the welding heat. Unless the stem is jumped up as shown, and the
Fig. 94-The
Collar ready for the Welding Heat.
collar well beaded on it, there will be a depression or crack at the corners. Very thin washers are welded
PRACTICAL
64
BLACESMITHING.
with the scarf made, as in Fig. 94, and made to overlap well. In any weld, dispatch and decision are necessary elements as soon as the heat has left the fire, the thinking being mainly done while the heat is in the fire.--By JOSHUA
ROSE.
Welding
Iron
and
Steel.
A series of experiments were undertaken by Prof. J. Bauschinger at the instance of an engineering firm. Similar experiments had been previously made at the Royal Technical Experimental Institute, at Berlin, and by Mr. W. Hupfield, at Prevali, which gave very different results, those at Berlin being very unfavorable, those at Prevali very favorable, as regarded the welding capacity of steel. Prof. Bauschinger recapitulates the main results of these tests before describing those made by himself. The test pieces were flat, round and square in sections, the largest being 3. r 4g by I. 18 I inches. Each piece was swelled up on the anvil, when hot, o. rg6 to 0.392 inch, and after heating to the proper degree, the two pieces were laid on each other and welded together by hand or steam hammer. In the chief, experiment the steam hammer was employed. Every piece after welding was tested in the usual way for tensile strength, the limit of elasticity, contraction, extension and ultimate strength being determined, the same quantities having been measured for pieces of exactly similar quality, section and length,
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
65
but without a weid. The limit oft elasticity in both steel and iron is nearly always reduced by welding, and this is, without exception, the case as regards the extension ; the contraction of welded is less than that of unwelded pieces when the fracture takes place in the welded portion. The general conclusions arrived at are that for steel the best welding temperature is just at the transition from a red to a white heat ; a quick fire and smart handling are necessary, as the pieces should not be long in the fire.-Midland Industriad Gazette. Points
About
Welding.
To obtain a good sound weld, the following points should be observed : The scarf should be sufficiently larger than the finished size to permit the weld to be full size after welding. The joint surface of the scarf should be slightly rounding, so that, when the two pieces are placed together to weld, there will be no air inclosed between them. They should be heated in a clear fire of, bright and not gaseous coal. Thick pieces should not be heated too quickly, or the interior metal will not be brought up to the required heat. They should be frequently turned in the fire, to insure uniformity of temperature, and be made as hot as possible without burning them. They should be withdrawn from the fire occasionally and sprinkled with sand, which serves to exclude the
66
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
from the surface and prevent oxidation, and at the same time cools the outer surface and thin edges, giving the interior metal and thicker parts time to become heated all through. When the pieces are placed upon the anvil to weld them, they should be quickly cleaned with either a wire brush or a piece of wood made ragged by having been hammered. The scarfs should be placed to well overlap each other, and should receive light and quickly succeeding blows at first, and heavier ones afterward. As soon as the pieces a.re firmly joined, the hammer blows should be delivered with a view to close the edges of the scarf, so that, the joint of the weld shall not show when the job is finished.
air
Welding
Cast
Steel
Forks.
I desire to say ,with regard to springs, cast steel forks and other similar articles of this general kind, also with regard to spring-tempering in a country job shop, that I have been troubled in the same manner as other smiths. I have tried thesame remedies that they have tried. When I learned my trade I had occasion to mend forks, and had experience on other difficult jobs of the same kind. Not knowin.g how to hold the parts until I could weld them, .I commenced by scarfing and punching, and then weldin gp also by riveting the parts together, This was not satisfactory, as they frequent
PRACTICAL
ISLACKSMITHING.
67
ly broke at the riveting holes. I tried every device that I could think of, splitting .and locking them together, sometimes putting in a good piece of iron ‘or steel as the occasion required. At last I tried scarfing and lapping the ends together, and holding them together with forge tongs at one end of the lap until I could get a light borax heat to fasten the other end of the lap together. Then, by taking another good heat and welding the whole together, and drawing to their proper size and shape, I obtained a satisfactory job. Of late years I have found it F very great help in weld.1 ing to keep some clean filings, and to use them between the laps. The filings cause the parts to unite very much more readily.--By A. H. Welding
Steel.
I have seen men try to weld steel in a fire where it would be impossible to weld ~iron ; they prepared the pieces for welding skillfully, but they dih not use borax in the best manner. They used it at times too freely, at other times not enough, using at the wrong time and not applying it on the right place. I will give my way of welding steel : See that your fire is clean from all cinders and ashes, then take selected coal and build a fire so large that you will not have to add any unburnt coal while welding. Then prepare the steel which you wish to weld by up setting both pieces n.ear the ends, scarfing carefully, and
68
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
when you can do it, punch a hole and rivet them together. Let the lap be from half an inch to an inch, according to the size of steel. you wish to weld, and have the lap fit as snug as possible all around. Place the’ steel in the fire and heat to a low cherry, then apply borax to the part which is to be heated. Apply the borax not only on the lap but also next to the lap, but do not use too much. Then bring to a welding heat and strike quickly with light blows.-&” G. K.
Welding
Steel
Tires.
Bessemer steel tires may be welded almost as readily as iron with the ordinary borax flux. Crucible steel tires require a little more coal and a lower heat--By OLD
TIRE.
Welding
Tires.
No. I. My plan in welding small tires, which works well, is to put good iron filimgs between the scarfs and avoid heating hot enough to burn. This plan will work fully as well on old tires as on new, and especially when you do not happen to get a weld the first heat.-4 H. A. S. No. 2. Open the unwelded lap of your tire and insert (if your tire is steel) steel filings (if iron, iron filings) ; close the lap, add your flux and weld at a fluxing heat. -By
TIRE
SETTER.
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
69
No. 3. Our way of welding tires is to cut the bar three times and three-fourths the thickness of the iron longer than the wheel measures. We then upset it thoroughly enough to get a go&l heavy scarf. In welding, instead of laying one end on top of the other, we put the ends of the scarf band together, place them in the fire, and bring them to a nearly white heat, then put them on the anvil and lap the welds, then sand and put in the fire. By so doing we have the top lap hot and get a weld thoroughly, without burning off any at the bottom in so doing. We get a nice, smooth weld, and the outside corners are flush and full, and show no canker spots on the tire. This method is specially for heavy tires, but it is a good plan for all sizes of tire.--By B. & S. Do
Not
Burn
Your
Tires
in Welding.
I would like to call the attention of carriage smiths to a great evil that many fall into when welding tires, viz.: of allowing the tire to burn on each- side of the lap while taking a heat. Many smiths fail to take into consideration the fact that it is impossible to heat a piece of iron two inches thick, especially when it is formed of two pieces of equal thickness, one placed upon the other, as quickly as one of half the thickness could be heated, and hence, having lapped their tire, the full force of the blast is thrown upon it.
30
PRACTICAi,
BLACKSM~THING.
As a result, thentire is put into service with a weakness at each side of the weld, caused by being burnt while the weld was being brought to the required heat. That there is not a pnrti:le of need for such carelessness every smith kilows,. no matter how poor a work,man he may be. Give your weld a gradual heat ; attend to it yourself and not throw the responsibility upon your helper. Have a clean lot of coal and under all a clean fire, and you will never lose a good customer by having him discover a rotten place in his tire, causing it to break when far from a forge.-By J. P. B. Welding
Axles,
I will try to describe the way we weld axles in our shop. We first get the length between the collars and theE cut them off, allowing on each piece three-fourths of an inch on each back axle for waste in welding. If we wish to make a hole in the front axle, the piece is made one and one-half inches longer. The piece is then heated to, near a white heat and the end is pounded down on the anvil, until an end is made which is of good size, ancl also as fl:lt as possible. Notches about half an inch apar’:, and a quarter of an inch deep are then made in the end with a chisel. The two pieces are then put iri the fire with the ends together, and when they get to a weldin,? heat, one man takes one piece, a second man takes the other, and the ends are
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
71
put together true, and one of the men strikes a few blows on them with a wooden maul. Then the joint is hammered with the pene of a small hammer, set in a long handle. The piece is kept in the fire, with the bellows blowing all the time, so as-to g&t a good welding heat. Fi,nally five or six heavy blows are given with the maul, and the piece is then taken out and hammered on the anvil to the size desired. If it is a nut axle, the nuts should be put on to avoid battering the threads.-By J. K. Welding
Cast
Iron.
The question is often asked, Can cast iron be welded to wrought iron ? I will give you what I call a practical job : To weld cast iron sleigh shoes that have been broken when not worn out, I take the ends that I wish to weld together, cover them with borax, heat them to a nice mellow heat, lay them on a plain table of iron, so that when put together they will be straight on the runner. One of the pieces is held by a pin at the end ; then I press the other end ~against it sufficiently to upset it a little, rubbing it with the face of my hammer until it is smooth. Allow it to cool and the job is done. I broke one in pieces and put it together, marking the welds with a prick punch, so as to know where it broke. It has been on a sled carrying heavy logs two and a half months, and has stood FRANK E. NILES, well on bare ground. --&"I
72
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
Cast iron can be welded by heating it nearly to a melting point in a clear fire, free from dirt, and hamBut this job requires practice mering very lightly. and great care. A plow point can be made as hard as glass by heating nearly to a welding degree, then having a, piece of cast iron hot enough to run over the joint and finally putting it in the slack tub.-By M. T. Welding
~
Malleable
Iron.
Malleable cast iron may be welded together, or welded to steel or iron by the same process as you would weld two pieces of steel. Experiment first with two useless pieces. A few attempts will enable you to become an expert at the business-2?y H. S. Welding
Malleable
Cast
Iron
Plates.
You can weld rlalleable cast iron plates by riveting them together and using a flux of powdered borax and Norwegian or crucible steel filings, equal parts. Let the first blows with your hammer be tender ones.-By DANDY.
Welding
Cast
and
Wrought
Iron.
It is no trick, but is easily done, if you know how. When a cast iron point is worn out, I break it off square and weld on another from one-quarter to onehalf pound weight, making the point as good, and
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
73
many say better than it was when new, from the fact that it sticks to the ground better.-By A. D. Welding
Steel
to
a Cast
Iron
Plow
Point.
My experience in welding cast steel to a cast iron plowshare has not been very much, although I succeeded in welding the first one I tried. My plan is first to heat the metal hot enough so that you can spa11 it off (on the end you wish to weld to) as square as possible. Then make the steel point square also, to fit the metal as neatly as possible. Take heatson both with borax, heating the steel as high as possible without burning it, and the metal also as hot as can be Then jump them together, heated without crumbling. applying the hammer smartly, but not too hard, on the steel end for several seconds. When you see the heat getting off, stop hammering, and lay the job away where it will “not be disturbed until perfectly cool. You may then heat the point and sharpen or dress it to suit yourself. Do not strike on the weld, as you will knock it loose. Let it wear smooth, I do not exactly call this welding, but rather cementing the parts together, which I think is the only way that it can be done. Welding
Plow
Lays
to
Landsides.
I have found a good method for welding steel plow lays to landsides. It is as follows : After heating to
74
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITIIING.
a good bright red, put on plenty of wax, and when the wax is melted, put on dust from the anvil block, then take a good mellow heat and keep the top part of the lay from burning by throwing on sand. Use a light hammer and a stif pair of tongs large enough to squeeze the lay and landsidc together and hold them solid while using the hammer. My object in using a light hammer, is to enable me to strike quicker and light blows, such blows being less likely to make the steel fly to pieces---B’ C. N. LION. To Weld
Cast
Steel.
Take rock saltpetre, one-quarter pound, dissolve in one-quarter pound oil of vitriol, and add it to one gallon of water. After scraping the steel, get it hot and quench in the liquid, and then heat, and it’ will weld like iron. Better than borax.--By A. D. S. To
Weld
Steel
Plate
to
iron
Plate.
To weld a steel plate to an iron- plate, I would say, for a common fire you want a stout porter bar on your iron plate first -something to hold on to. If you have much of that work to do, you want a grate-fire and to use anthracite coal on the grate, with soft coal on top. A grate gives more heating area and uniformity of heats in the fire surroundin,g the work. The opening to the fire can be made with a piece of’ iron about fourteen inches long, bent at each end about three inches, and
PRACTICAL
13LACl<SMITHING.
75
arched in ~the center. Place this in front and fill the center with cut wood, and cover all with soft coal ; let the wood burn out, and you have a good fire with a clear entrance, like a furnace. Feed the fire till mellow, and insert the iron and steel together till red-hot, Have fluxing matter in a pepper-pot, and dust over the surface to be welded. Let it vitrify. Now place the steel and iron together, draw heat, flux at pleasure with a spoon five feet long. When the spoon sticks, the 1,eat is nearly up. Draw, when ready. A single “drop” blow will weld, or ten blows with a heavy sledge. Cut off and finish. A charcoal, coke, or anthracite mufflefurnace is a fine thing for this work. If you are a good mechanic this will help you out. If inexperienced, you will be apt to get the fidgets, and had better let the job out.-By s. c.
A Practical
Method
of Welding
Broken
Spring
Plates.
First heat, upset and scarf the broken ends of the “plate” (leaf we generally call’ it), just the same as if it were iron, and to be welded by separate sand heats: then place them in a clean fire and take separate borax heats ; heat as high as the safety of the steel will permit. I then let my helper take ciut one end while I take the other, and when 6‘stuck ” come on to it lively with the sledge, and nine times out of ten I get a good sound weld at the first heat. Care must be taken to
PRACTICAL'
76
Y,: :; ,,,‘,’ / : ,:
,~,
BLACKSMITHING.
leave it as “ heavy” at the weld as the original size of the steel. The loss of length can generally be made good-if a “ bed leaf ” -by letting dut, or taking up (as the case requires) the scroll at the end of the bottom “bed leaf,” or, if it is an outside or intermediate leaf, the little loss in length is of no importance. Now the welded end of the “ leaf” must be tempered -a spring temper- or, no matter how perfect the weld, it will not prove a good job. Temperin,g properly is the most important feature of the job, and a majority of smiths overlook it altogether. My plan is (and it is the most satisfactory and practical that I have heard of), after hardening, draw to temper by passing forth and back over a clear fire until it will ignite a pine stick when rubbed over the surface. If it is high steel, heat until the pine will blaze when rubbed hard. If it is low steel, let it sparkle only ; lay down to cool. Since I have learned through my own observation the importance of tempering, I seldom weld a spring HAND which fails to stand as well as its fellows. -h"t HAMMER.
Welding
Buggy
Springs.
A good way of welding buggy springs is to first scarf
the
broken
ends down
to a sharp edge,
and
then split them back three-quarters of an inch. Then turn one point up, the other down, as shown by Fig.
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
77
95, having ready two thin strips of iron made pretty wide in the middle, and nearly to a point at the ends. Drive the ends together, and then drive the
Fig. gg-Welding
a Buggy Spring, as done by John Zeck.
strips of iron in between the laps from each edge, as shown in the accompanying illustration. The inside edges of the strips of iron should be made thin and sharp, I have welded springs in this way for many years, and it has never failed. The iron insures a perfect weld, and also makes up for the waste in working.By JOHN ZECK. Welding
Springs.
No. I. It is a fact that steel will waste away some by heating at a welding heat, and if it wastes away it will be thinner at each side of the weld than elsewhere, and more liable to break at the weak point, and more especially after taking two welding heats to one weld, and if not upset it must necessarily leave an imperfect job. I hardly see the necessity of taking more than one heat on a weld, provided it is well executed: I will give you my method, I first upset each piece of steel,
78
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMXTHING.
weld and chamfer nicely; then punch a small hole in each piece for a rivet. I then, at the lap, slip between the two pieces a thin piece of steel with a rivet hole in it, and rivet the three together. Each end of the mid; dle piece is hammered sharp, and the amount must be about whtit will waste away in welding. Put each end of the weld alternately in the vise and hammer down the opposite end so that it lies close to the bar, then borax and weld down with one heat. Let the helper come down lively. It is not necessary to let the under point of lap come in contact with the anvil while welding, but it may extend beyond till a fe\\ blows are struck on the opposite end, and the reason is that the anvil would, perhaps, cool the thin part below the welding poiqt. The main object is to get a good weid, and one heat is far better than more for this purpose. Perhaps I had better add, make as short a lap as possible.-By FRANK..
No. 2. I don’t believe that a substantial weld can be made by the use of rivets. I upset each piece of steel one inch back from the end, leaving the end its natural size. I then split the end twice and chamfer nicely; turn the center point of the split end down and the two outside points up. After preparing both pieces in this way, I slip them together and fit them both edgewise and flatwise, forming a lock and making the lap as short as possible. I tly to make my weld at one heat.--&” A. F.
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
79
No. 3. I will state how I have had the best results. Heat to a cherry red, chamfer the ends short, split into three equal parts about five-eighths up. Bend the two outsides one way and the center the other way of both pieces to be welded. Then put together and close the laps down, making them so they will stick together; then take a light borax heat and work quick. Do not hammer too much on one side, but turn in quick succession to prevent from chilling the scarf. This way of lapping springs requires no upsetting of the ends, and is the best way I ever saw to put springs together to get a heat. Hammer all the temper in that you give them.-& G. W. W. No. 4, My way of welding springs is as follows : I first upset the ends, then draw. them down to a point; as shown by Fig. 96, then punch,, rivet, and weld in a fire, taking care to first burn all gas out of the coal. I apply borax freely, heat slowly and make the ham-
Fig. g6-Welding
Springs as done by esC. D.”
mer blows quick and hard. To ensure success I usually take two welding heats. There will be no thin edges in the laps, and if care is taken to avoid burning the steel, the job will be one that can be warranted every time.-&) C. D. No. 5. My plan for welding springs is to upset to
80
PRACTKAL
BLACKSMITHIN&
about the original thickness. Make a neat short scarf and weld the same as two pieces of common iron. I never split or punch holes. I find I can get a far better job otherwise. If, by accident, I should not get a good job, and some part “is inclined to scale up and not weld thoroughly, I take a small piece of rusty hoop-iron and insert under the scale and take a second heat, There is a good deal in having a good, clean, well-charred fire in work of this kind. ---By A. M. B. No. 6. Will you permit me to say a few words about welding springs ? Some years ago I was told by Mr. Frank Wright, of Waltham, Mass., to try one and pin or rivet it. I did so, and have employed that method ever since, If the end is split twice and the pieces locked together it is impossible to get a good solid weld, as it is necessary to weld the ends down, three on each side, and to weld the split lengthwise. Several years’ since I welded the main and second leaf of a I Sk-inch s-leaf spring for the hind end of a wagon t~hat was calculated to carry from 1,200 to I, 700 pounds, three trips per week, I know that it was used for three years after the time I repaired it, and it never broke or settled. By riveting the pieces together I find I can weld seven out of every ten and do the work so perfect that the line of weld cannot be discovered.By L. No. 7. My plan is to scarf each end and to punch a hole in about a half inch from the end, as at A, Fig, 97, thenget a thin piece of iron and punch a hole in it,
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
81
and lay it between the laps and put a rivet through it and the laps as at C, and then weld with borax. By welding in this way I never met with a failure, and I consider it better than splitting the ends.-By W. B. No. 8. I will tell you my way of welding springs. I do not’upset the pieces, but chamfer them off fine, and punch two holes in each end, giving them about one and a half or two inches lap ; rivet them firmly together, to prevent any possible displacement. Then I give them as low a borax heat as practicable to make a weld on one side near the chamfer of one end, and fol-
Fig. g7-Welding
Springs by the Method of “ W. B.”
low by a like ,operation on the other side ; the drawing of the weld to the natural thickness and breadth of the leaf’ will fetch it also to its proper length. The loss of the metal in such a weld is not noticeable. I seldom ever have any springs come back after such treatment. My objection to heating the pieces separately is that it requires too strong heat to make them stick. Though the steel may not be actually burnt, it will lose-much of its strength by overheating, and will be very liable to break at the same place again, though the weld may be perfect. Besides, it requires more
*
82
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
quick and accurate movements to bring the pieces together on the anvil, I give no other temper than a gentle hammering, which I keep up a little while after the leaf is black.--13y 0. D. Welding
and
Tempering with
.
Springsa Broken
Mending
a
Spring
Ear.
My way of welding springs may be of some interest. I first upset, then scarf a little, next split, care being taken not to split too deep, or you are liable to get too long a lap. Next turn the ends each way and scarf with the ball of the hammer, letting them flatten towards the center of the spring. Next warm them up, let the helper take one c! .: : i :-d then press together. Beat down th.e laps and the \~~iii:ilg will be almost as strong as if rive& ‘E:td beerr used, ++.hout the disadvantage of rivets. In heating to weld, most of us make the mistake of heating too fast. The best results are got by heating as slowly as possible. I want the helper in welding to strike quickly and not too hard, as heavy blows are apt to drive the laps over to one side. In tempering I take a ,light hammer, and hammer the spring until it is nearly cold. R spring treated in this manner will stand as much as any weld. To repair a spring with the ears broken off, close up. I upset it, then take a piece of good iron, scarf the edges, cut half way through it, lap the ends over the end of the spring, weld it up in good shape,’ turn the ears on a bottom fuller; finish the end; and after filing
PRACTICAL
RLACKSMITHING.
83
it up, it cannot be distinguished from the other without close inspection. -B"!~BSERVER. How
to
Mend
Wagon
Springs.
To mend a wagon spring so that it will be as strong and durable as before it was broken is no easy job, and nine-tenths of the smiths will tell you it cannot be done. I am of the opinion that if the work is carefully and properly done, nineteen-twentieths of the springs mended will do good service. There are various ways of mending a spring, and every smith has a way of .doing the work peculiar to himself, and, of course, thinks his method is the best. I first upset the pieces to be mended to such a thickness that when the work is done, there shall be no waste near the weld, the place where mended springs usually break. I next carry the pieces about one inch back, punch and put in a small rivet to keep them in place while taking a welding heat. After obtaining a good borax heat I make the weld. If it is not perfect I take a second or a third borax heat until a solid and uniform weld is obtained. Much depends upon uniformity of the weld. If the spring is left thickest at the weld a break near it is liable to occur, especially in the case of an inside leaf. The weld should be so perfect and uniform that it cannot be easily seen where the spring was welded. I never attempt to put any temper into a spring, any more than what can be done by hammering.--By W. H. B.
84
P.RACTICAL
Welding
BLACKSMITHING.
Springs.
My way of welding a spring is as follows : I chamfer the ends and split them, as shown by Fig, 98, then place them together as closely and as firmly as possible. I then give the spring a bright red heat, next roll it in ctilcined borax, then place it in a clean fire of coal well coked, and blow very lightly, frequently baring the splice to see that the heat is strictly in the right place and to also make sure that it does not burn. The blower can hardly be worked too slowly, for the steel must have time to heat all through alike. It will take
Fig, g&Welding
Springs as Done by a ‘I Jersey Blacksmith.”
longer when the blower crank is moved so slowly, but the time is not wasted. Near the end of the heat I keep the steel bared nearly all the time, watching it closely and just before it comes to a sparkle I cover it and give it three or four good heavy blasts, then take it out and strike as rapidly as possible upon the several lips or splices. Before drawing it down to its usual size I see that all .the welds are perfect, and if they are not I go over the work again paying particular attention to the unwelded parts. I hammer until it is black for the temper. No spring I ever welded in this way
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
has been broken, and I warrant is good.-B’ JERWY B.I,ACKSMITII. How
to Weld
a Buggy
85
everyone if the steel
Spring.
I will give my way of welding a spring which I learned from a tramp six years ago, have used ever since, and have never had a spring break at the weld. I first lay the broken ends of the springs together to get the length, which I take with the dividers set to small center punch marks in each piece. I then place
Fig. gg- Shows how I‘D. F. K.” Welds a Buggy Spring.
the two ends in a clean fire and hammer back a short scarf, thus giving the necessary upset. I next punch a small hole close to the ends of each piece to receive the rivet that holds them together while welding. I next take a piece of good Norway iron, flatten to one-srxteenth of an inch in thickness, the width of the spring, and just long enough to pass the laps when placed between them, punch a hole in this for the rivet, place this piece between the laps and rivet them together; heat enough to melt borax. Lift out of the fire and soak well with borax (for you can?, use
86
PRACTICAL
RLACKSMITHING.
too much on this kind of weld), replace in fire and Weld with rapid light blows, sticking heat carefully. , both sides safely before striking on the edge; finish with as few heats as possible to make a solid job. Allow it to cool slowly, as it will require no other tempering. Fig. gg shows how the spring and piece of Norway iron are prepared for welding. By following these directions you can weld a spring that you can safely warrant .--By D. F. K. Welding
Shaft
Irons
for
Buggies.
My method of welding such work as shaft irons for buggies is as follows : Fig. IOO shows the two pieces
Welding Shaft Irons for Buggies. Fig. roe--Showing Prepared for Welding.
the Two Pieces
prepared for the welding process, and Fig. IOI the finished iron. The projection on Fig. IOI to receive the tongue A on Fig. roe. I get the ed corners at, C (where the strain comes) by ing at A, and by the projection at R. Fig. 102
shows is split roundwidenshows
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
87
the old way of forming the weld, the fault in this being that there are no rounded corners as at C in Fig. IOI,
Fig. ror-The
Finished Iron.
and therefore the iron is apt to break in the neck.-By SOUTHERN
BLACKSMITH.
Welding
L
a Collar
on
Round
Iron.
My method of welding a collar on round iron is as follows: Suppose the bar to be one inch in diameter.
Fig. lot-Showing
the Old Way of Forming the Weld.
The seat of the collar must be jumped one-eighth of an inch larger, as at A in Fig. 103. Leave the collar
88
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITNItiG.
C open one-quarter inch, and while the washer is cold and the bar red-hot, swage the collar on so that it will hold, Then take a welding heat. If the bar is not
Welding a Collar on Round Iron, as Done by “ J. R.” Fig. !03-Sbowing the Bar Jumped at A, and the Collar C.
jumped the neck will shrink in as at B in Fig. and will probably show a crack there..-By J. R. Welding
a Round
rod,
Shaft.
I will describe my method of welding a round shaft. A and B, Fig. 105, represent the two pieces to be welded. I make one end of one piece the shape of a
Fig. xo+Showing
the Point Z3, where the Neck will Shrink if the Bar is not Jumped.
dot punch and one end of the other piece is countersunk to fit the punch shaped piece. I then place them in the fire together, as shown in the illustration, and
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
89
weld them in the ‘ire. After they are welded I. take a good welding heat, lay the piece on the anvil and work the part smooth. This plan insures a good weld
Fig. lop-Welding a Round Shaft, by the Method of “ H. H. L.”
every time, no matter what may be the size or length of the rod. In welding it be sure to place it in the position shown in the iilustration, and strike at both ends while heating. -By H. H. L. Welding.
Here are some examples of heavy welding, such as jump welding long shafts, and scarf and swallow fork Fig. 106.
welds for the same. In my opinion the jump weld is decidedly the best, if properly done, as it can be bent
Fig. 107.
after welding to a right angle without showing any sign of the weld,
90
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
To make a jump weld properly the ends should be rounded, as shown in Fig. 106, and, after being
Fig. x08.
brought to a welding heat with a good blast, drive them together with very light hammer blows, as a I Fig. Iog.
heavy blow would cause them to bounce. As the welding proceeds employ heavier blows and the weld
Fig. I IO.
will drive up as in Fig. IO;-, after which the weld may be forged and swaged down. This weld will bend to a right angle, as shown in Fig:, 108~without sho\ving
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
91
the scarf, whereas a scarf weld, such as shown in Fig. log, would show, when bent, its scarf, as at A, in
Fig. III.
Fig. I IO, while a swallow fork weld, such as is shown in Fig. I I I, when bent will show its scarf, as in Fig. I I 2. Only the jump weld, you will see, will stand
Fig. I 12.
such bending and show a sound and complete weld.By
SOUTHERN
BLACKSMITH.
Welding
Shafts to an Exact Length.
An old blacksmith gives the following method of welding a shaft to an exact length, which he says he has used with unfailing success for many years. Cut the ends of the two pieces to the exact length the shaft is to be when fidwd, leaving the ends quite square. Each end is then cut out as in Fig. I 13, the length and depth of the piece cut out being equal in
92
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
all cases to one-half the diameter of the shaft. The shoulder A, Fig. I 13, is then thrown back with the
Fig. I 13.
hammer, and the piece denoted by the dotted line B. is cut off, leaving the scarf as shown in Fig. I 14. The two ends are put together to weld as shown in Fig. I I 5, The advantage of this plan is that the quantity of metal allowed for wastage during the weld is a known quantity, bearing the necessary proportion to the diam-
Fig. 114.
eter of the shaft, so that when the weld is swaged down to the proper diameter the length of the shaft will be correct,
PRACTICAL
Welding
BLACKSMITHING.
93
a Heavy Shaft.
My plan is, dress the two ends you are going to weld, level, or somewhat rounding, for a four-inch shaft. Then punch a five-eighths-inch hole two inches down each end ; then take a piece of five-eighths-inch round iron four inches long and dowel the two together with the same. Next, place the shaft in the fire and revolve it slowly until the welding heat is ob-
Fig. IIS,
tained, and then by means of sledges or a ram, butt it together while it is in the fire. The other end must be held firm if the shaft is very long. In doing this job I would prefer to use a ram made by taking a piece of shafting and swinging it in a chair. When the butting together has been accomplished, take the shaft out and swage it. The swage should be in front of the forge so that the shaft will lay in it while’heating, and then it can be easily moved for swaging.B’ L. B. H.
94
PRACTICAL
Welding
BLACKSMITHING.
Boiler
Flues.
In welding boiler flues in ,a shop where you have only such tools as you make yourself, let the flue be held in .a vise, then take a diamond point and cut off square, then cut off a piece of the length desired, #scarf both the pieces, one inside and the other outside, drive them together and take a borax heat all around, being careful not to burn a hole through. Open the fire a little on top, keep turning the flue, weld the end of the lap down in the fire lightly, then take the flue out of the fire and round it on an old shaft or any round iron, but don’t let the shaft or iron be too large. To test the work, plug up one end, fill the flue with water, heat the end and put in lime or ashes to anneal it. When it is cold anneal the other end. To put it in the boiler you need an expander and beader.By H. R. Making
a Weld’ on a Heavy Shaft
There is only one kind of a weld that will stand for a stem for oil tools, and that is a forked or “ bootjack” weld. The accompanying cut, Fig. I 16, shows the mode of handling the shaft. It has to be done with the beam A, pulley p, and chains C, revolving around the lower pulley, and the iron shaft or auger stem as seen in or running through the forge or fire. The crotch should be placed so that the blast shall drive the current of heat sidewise on the crotch. Catching any
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
0, f C
n c (
CL8 (
n.0 (
95
96
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
one of the four chains and drawing it down will revolve the shaft without misplacing the crotch in the fire until you have a welding heat. Then by drawing the shaft lengthwise, moving the upper pulleys, you can bring the weld to the anvil and with sledge or hammer make your weld. It has been clearly demonstrated in the oil regions that a weld made with a sledge stands better on heavy stems than one made with a steam hammer. Why this is sol‘I cannot say, but it appears to be a fact that cannot be denied. I will make a weld after the above plan, and will guarantee that it cannot be jumped, whereas the ordinary lap or buck weld will not stand the continued jars that oil tools have to contend with .-A” A. D. G. Welding
Angle Iron.
To be a good angle-iron smith is a thing to be proud of, for it requires skillful forging to make good, true,
Fig. I I T-Angle Iron for Bending.
clean work of proper thickness at the weld. Some simple examples are given as follows : It is required to bend the piece of angle iron shown in Fig. I I 7 to a right angle. The first operation is to cut out the frog, leaving the
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
97
piece as shown in Fig. I 18, the width at the mouth A of the frog being three-quarter inch to every inch of breadth measured inside the flange as at B. The edges of the frog are then scarfed and the piece bent to an acute angle ; but in this ope~ration it is ne-
Fig. I U-First
Operation.
cessary to keep the scarfs quite clean and not to bend them into position to weld until they are ready for the welding heat ; otherwise scalewill form where,the scarfs overlap and the weld will not be sound. ’ The heat should be confined as closely as possible to the parts to be welded ; otherwise the iron will scale and become reduced below its proper thickness. The iron is then bent to the shape shown in Fig. I 19, and the angle to which it is bent is an important con-
Fig. rzg-Bending to Shape.
sideration. The object is to leave the overlapping scarf thicker than the rest of the metal, and then the
I~RACTICAL
98
BLACKSMI?‘HING.
stretchiq which accompanies the welding will bring the two awns or wings to a right angle. It is obvioars, then, that the thickness of the metal at
Fig, 120-How
the Welding is Done.
the weld determines the angle to which the arms must be bent before welding. The thicker the iron the more acute the angle. If the angle be made too acute for the thickness of the iron at the weld there is no alternative but to swage the flange down and thin it enough to
Fig.
121
-Bending Angle Iron into a Circle.
bring the arms to a right angle. Hence it is advisable to leave the scarf too thick rather than too thin, because while it is easy to cut away the extra metal, if necessary,
l’RACTfCAL BLACKSMTTHING.
99
it is not SO easy to weld a piece in to give more metal. In very thin angle irons, in which the wastage in the heating is greater in proportion to the whole body of metal, the width of the frog at A in Fig: I I 8 may be less, as say nine-sixj:iji;ji!!l!li/i/ .::il..., AI teenths inch for every inch of angle iron IH width measured, as at B in Fig. I 18. jiil r Fig.;m--n~hapc For angles other than a right angle the . process is the same, allowance being made in the scarf-joint and bend before welding for the stretching that will accompany the welding operation. The welding blows should be light and quick, while during the scarfing the scale should be cleaned off as soon as the heat leaves the fire, so that it will not drive
.
Fig. la3-Showing Flange Inside of Circle.
into the metal and prevent proper welding. The outside corner should not receive any blows at its apex ; and as it will stretch on th,e outside and compress on
:;
100
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
the inside, the forging to bring the corner up square should be done after the welding. The welding is done on the corner of an angle block, as in Fig. I 20, in which A is the angle iron and B the angle block,. To bend an angle iron into a circle, with the flange at the extreme diameter, the block and pins shown in Fig. I 21 are employed. The block is provided with the numerous holes shown for the reception of the pins. The pins marked I and 2 are first inserted and the iron bent by placing it between them and placed under strain in the necessary direction. Pins 3 and 4 are then added and the iron again bent, and so on ; but when the holes do not fall in the right position, the pins are made as in Fig. I 22, the length of the he$ds A varying in length to suit various curves. To straighten the iron it is flattened on the surface A and swaged on the edge,of the flange B, the bending and straightening being performed alternately. When the flange of the angle iron is to be inside the circle, as in Fig. I 23, a special iron made thicker on the flange A is employed. The bending is accomplished, partly by the pins as before, and partly by forging thinner, and thus stretching the flange A while reducing it to its proper thi.ckness.--By JOSHUA ROSE. Welding
Collars
on Round Rods.
I bend the rod for the collar as shown by Fig. 124, and cut off at A. In welding I hit first at B, and go
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITIUNC.
101
on around to A. I weld either at the anvil or on a. swage- it doesn’t matter which. For large collars I cut off a piece to make the collar; and leave it straight,
Fig. Izq-- WeldingCollarson Round Rodsby esSouthernBlacksmith’s” Method. Showing how the Rod is Bent and Cut off.
then I heat the bar and collar separately, and weld one end of the collar first, and bend and weld as I go around, taking separate welding heats after the bending.-By SOUTHERN I~LACKSMITIJ. Shall Sand be Used in Welding?
The rule among smiths generally seems to be that the more sand they can get on in welding the better, the idea being that the iron will be heated more evenly by this process. Some time ago I got out, of sand and could get no more fdr a time. After I had worked awhile without it I did not want any more, and have not used it since. Some of the reasons for not using it I will name. The forging is cleaner, and it takes less time to do
102
PRACTICAL
RLACKSMITHINC:.
work without than with sand. I have done just as good work since I stopped using it as before, and have done it in less time. The sand used by me is from molders’ castings.By \lr. IL G. Fluxes or Welding
Compounds for Iron or Steel.
No. I. Here is a welding compound equal to c/ler~~ hat : Take ten ounces borax, one ounce muriate of ammonia, pound them rou,ghly together, put them in an iron vessel, and roast them over the fire till all spume has disappeared, then turn it out to cool, afterwards pulverize and keep in a close tin box. Use about like borax, only not so much. I use this all the time and consider it equal to any compound in the market. I can weld any kind of steel I ever tried with it -springs, fork tines, etc.-By J. C. McM. No. 2. I will give a recipe for welding steel that I have used twenty years successfully : one ounce of copperas, half an ounce of saltpetre, quarter of an ounce of sal ammoniac, three ounces of salt, one and a half pounds of sand. Pulverize and mix together and keep in a dry place.--By R. S. No. 3. An excellent welding compound for steel is composed as follows : two ounces of c0ppera.s; four ounces of salt ; four pounds of white sand.
PRACTICAL
~
BLACKSMITIIING.
103
yfix the whole and throw it on the heat as is done with sand only. No. 4. Equal quantities of borax and pulverized glass, well wcttcd with alcohol and heated to a red heat in a crucible. Pulverize when cool, and sprinkle the con~1~~undon the heat. No. 5. Take coppcras, two ounces ; saltpctre, one ounce ; common salt, six ounces ; black oxide of manganese, one ounce ; prussiatc of potash, one ounce. Pulverize these ingrcdicnts and mix with them three pounds of nice welding sand. USC this con~pound as you would sand. The quantity I have namecl will cost tL\rent!rcents and last ;I year.-By T. No. 6. Take one part of lime to two or three parts of river sand, such as a plasterer would USC for a iinishing coat.--By I<. No. 7. 011~ part c<)p1:)crils, two parts salt, four parts sand. Thoroughly mix. This mnkcs a splendid welding compound. -fly A. G. C. No. 8. Take one ounce of carbonate of iron and mix it with one pound of 1w-i~ In using it on plows, always fit the lay wry close to the land side and rivet it to get a good weld.--/$I G. W. 1~. No. 9. I offer below a rccipc for welding steel without borax : Coppcras, t\vO OUlICCS ; SidtlKtl-C, Olle ounce ; co1:1mon salt, six ounces ; black osidc of niangancse, one ounce ; prussinte of potash, one ounce. All should be ptilverizcd and mixed with thrw pounds of nice ~wld-
104
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
ing sand. With this preparation welding can be gone at a cherry heat.-By ANXIOUS. No. IO. I like this better than borax, but it takes a little more time when it is used. It is cheaper than borax. Those who want to t.ry it can make it by taking a quarter of a pound df rock saltpetre, and dissolving it in a quarter of a pound of oil of vitro1 and adding to one gallon of rain water. After scarfing the steel get it red hot and quench it in this preparation, then heat and weld the same as iron, hammering very quickly with light blows, Keep the compound in stone jars with a tight, fitting lid, and it will be good for years. Sand in Welding-
Facing Old Hammers.
No. I I, I wish to say a few words with respect to the use of sand in welding. The question seemsto be shall we or shall we not use sand in making welds. I consider it a very essential point in working steel, and use a composition, which I prepare as follows : Take a quart of quartz sand, one pint of common salt, one pint of pulverized charcoal, half a pound of borax well burnt. These I mix well together in a sand box, and consider the preparation much better than raw borax for working steel. In working iron I omit the borax from the compound.-By E. T. BULLARD.
PRACTICAL
Composition
BLACKSMITHING.
for Welding
105
Cast-Steel.
Borax, ten parts ; sal ammoniac, one part ; grind or pout-id them roughly together ; fuse them in a metal pot over a clear fire, continuing the heat until the spume has disappeared from the surface. When the liquid is clear, pour ,ttic composition out to cool and concrete, and grind to a fine powder, and it is ready for use. To use this composition, the steel to be welded should be raised to a bright yellow heat ; then dip it in the welding powder and again raise it to a like heat as before ; it is then ready to be submitted to the hammer. Brazing Cast-Iron.
“ What is the reason that I cannot braze cast-iron ?” asked a machinist the other day. “Every time I try, I fail. Sometimes the cast-iron burns away, and sometimes the brass will not stick. What is the reason ?” Cast-iron may be easily brazed, if, like doing other peculiar jobs, “you know how to do it.” Have the iron clean ; make it free from grease and acids, which may be injurious ; choose any soft brass, or make some for this purpose. The yellow brass used in brazing copper will do ; it must contain a large percentage of zinc, or its melting point will be not much lower than that of the cast-i,ron itself. Put on the borax before heating the iron. Dissolve the borax, and apply the solution freely to the parts to
106
PRACTICAL
BL4CI<SMITHING.
be brazed. By doing this before heating, a film of oxide is prevented from forming upon the iron. Fasten the parts together, and heat in a clear charcoal fire. Soft coal is not suitable ; there is too much sulphur in it. Heat the work gradually. Apply heat to the largest piece, and keep that piece the hottest. Sprinkle on powdered borax and brass filings, and use plenty of borax. Watch carefully, and get the iron up to a red heat before any of the brass melts. The brass will not adhere unless the iron is hot enough to melt the brass. Be very careful not to get the iron too hot, or away it melts and the job is lost. When the brass “ runs,” remove from the fire immediately, and wipe off the superfluous brass, cool off slowly, and finish up the joint.-// nzevt’cnltAh&ist. Brazing Ferrules. Chamfer the ends of the piece to be braze4 on opposite sides, and file them so that the iron will be bright and clean, bend and let the ends lap about one-eighth of an inch ; then lay on a piccc of brass. (I use old lamp tops or burners.) Put on a little pulverized borax with a stick or fin~cr, throw on a few drops of water, and it is ready for the Iirc. Of course all that remains to bc done is to mcit the brass,and the ferrule is finished. YOU mily or may not, as J-ou like, dip it in water and cool immediately, ilS it only makes the brass the softer. Hammer on it or dri\-e it, and it will not break in the brazed part. I have made this sum-
PRACTICAL BLACI~SMITIIING.
107
mer at least two hundred, and have yet to break the first one. They will stand more hammering than will the solid iron;---11) A. L. D.
Brazing a Ferrule.
I will’ describe my way of brazing ferrules, If a lap is \vantcd I lile both edges sharp, as in Fig.
Fig. rzs-Brazing Ferrules by the Methodof Chas. W. Kohler. Showinghow the Edges are filed.
I 25 of the accompanying illustrations, and then make the bend as shown in Fig. I 26, put a strip of copper or brass inside, apply burnt borax pulverized, place the
Fig. I z6-Showing how the Frrrule is bent,
ferrule in a clear fire and keep it there until I see a clear flame and then take it out to cool. If I wish to make the ferrule without a lap, I file
108
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
the ends square, bend around to the proper shape,. bind it with iron wire so it won’t open when it gets . warm in the fire, and then proceed as in making one with a lap.--By C. W. I~OHLER. Brazing.
You cannot braze with cast brass filings. Use granulated “ brazierspelter,” or sheet brass clippings ; white sheet metal for bright work. Wet with water the part to be brazed, then apply powdered borax. The water holds the borax until it calcines or slakes. Then lay on your brazing material. Use a clean coke fire, and as the metal melts poke it with a wet, pointed iron where you want it, and remove from the fire at once. Before the flux gets cold, scrape it off with a file or sharp cold-chisel and trim it off. Continue this process until all the $lux is removed, heating slightly COLORED BLACKSMITH. occasionally if necessary.--By Brazing an Iron Tube.
If it is anything very particular, I should make two small holes in the tube and two small holes in the piece of iron, and pin them together and wrap binding wire around them. Then take a piece of iron, say one and one-quarter inches thick by two inches wide, and make in it a slot longer than the piece of .iron to be brazed. Lay your tube on the iron sideways, and you
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
109
will see what packing you want under the iron that you are going to braze on to the tube. The larger the tube, the thicker the packing it will require if you want to get it on ~straight. I think if you follow the directions given you will come out all right. There may be a better way of doing. it, but I know of none, -By G. P. Brazing a Broken
Crank.
It may be worth while for me to describe my way of brazing. It is as follows : I fasten the broken parts together just as they were before being broken. For example : The accompanying illustration, Fig. I 2 7,
Fig. Iz;r-Brazing.
Showing a Method of Mending a Broken Crank.
represents a corn sheller crank broken at two places in the eye. A A indicate the places where the breaks exist. I dampen the broken ends, dip in very fine borax and then put on clamp C, which is made of iron as thick asthe eye of the crank, and is put on the crank hot, the latter being cold. The hot clamp will make the crank swell and this will prevent the clamp from dropping off. I use plenty of brass or brazing solder, ,. or pieces of an old clock frame, but never use cast
110
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
brass, for it is useless for brazing. I use plenty of borax with the brass, but apply the brass iirst because if borax is put on first it will swell. When the brass is dropped in the fire and melts, the heat will look like a steel weld. After taking it out of the fire I dip it carefully in the water.---1Ty I. N. BAILEY. Brazing with Brass or Copper.
To braze brass or copper, I file the parts to be joined clean, wire them in place or rivet them ; then take a few lumps of borax and burn them qn a piece of sheet iron, then pulverize them, dissolve some, dip the article to be brazed in it, then lay on the piece of brass or copper, tie it fast, sprinkle some of the borax over it, and put it in a clear fire, blowing very slow at first till the iron gets red ; then I will see a blue flame, which is the melting point of brass and copper. I allow it to lie in the fire a minute with blowing, then take it out, and lay it down gently on the hearth to cool. Very delicate articles should be dipped in a batter of clay to keep them from burning. When the clay begins to glaze it is time to take them out of the fire. Brass or copper should be brazed with silver. Copper can be brazed with brass, but the melting points of copper and brass are only a few hundred degrees apart, and so such work is not safe unless you have to deal with a large piece of copper. Brass and copper for brazing should be milled. When silver is used it
PKACTICAI,
BLACI<ShflTHING.
III
should be old coin or Mexican coin, the silver being purer. The blowpipe is the best to braze with, but it requires some pradtice to use it, successfully.-By CHAS. W. KOHLER. Soldering
Fluids.
Some of the soldering ‘fluids used are injurious to tools, and alcd to parts that have been laid on the bench where such fluids have been use.d. The following recipe will do the work well, and will not rust or tarnish any niore than water would : Take two ounces of alcohol and put it into a bottle, and add about a teaspoonful of chloride of zinc and shake until dissolved. Use it in the same mamler as the muriate of zinc, or muriatic acid and zinc. It has no bad smell. A good flux for soldering iron, brass, etc., is made by dissolving chloride of zinc in alcohol.
CHAPTER STEEL Tempering,
IV.
AND ITS USES. Hardening, Testing.
Extructs from a lecture by Henry Seebokm, of Ske#eld, Eng.
I fear that the advantages supposed to be derived from the use of manganese in the manufacture of caststeel are to a large extent illusory. I have frequently conversed with consumers of steel who knew the trade before the introduction of Spiegel iron into Sheffield, and it is remarkable how many of them expressed the opinion that the crucible cast-steel now in use is not so good as it was when they were young. Something may, perhaps, be allowed to the illusions of youth. But, nevertheless, I am convinced there is truth in the opinion that the quality of cast-steel has degenerated. In the present day we sacrifice much to appearances. ,For my part, I always distrust a bar of steel that has not a ‘1seam ” or a “ roak ” in it. The introduction of manganese into cast-steel is a rough-and-ready way of obtaining soundness at the expense of quality, instead of obtaining it by the tedious care and attention which
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITIIINC.
1’3
the steel melter who knows his business gives to each individual crucible. The question ‘that should come before the consumer of cast-steel is the percentage of carbon which he wishes it to contain. When I first began business the “ temper ” of steel, or the percentage of carbon which it contained, was concealed from the consumer. The despotic sway of the rule of thumb was absolute. If the consumer discovered that chisel steel contained less carbon than tool steel he owed \his discovery entirely to his, own wit. My firm was the first to take the consumer into our confid,ence, and the successwhich has attended our efforts, and the extent to which our labels have been imitated, have completely justified our act. We have always labeled the steel we supplied to consumers with the ‘percentage of carbon it contained, and the purposes to which, in our opinion, steel containing such percentage of carbon was applicable. The following is a list of the most useful “ tempers ” of caststeel : Xnzor Telnper (one and a half per cent carbon).This steel is so easily burnt by being overheated that it can only be placed in the hands of a very skillful workman. When properly treated it will do twice the work of ordinary tool steel for turning chilled rolls, etc. Sicw-$Ze T’~zper (one and three-eighths per cent carbon).-This steel requires careful treatment, and although it will stand more fire than the preceding temper should not be heated above a cherry red.
114
PRACTICAL
ELACKSMITHING.
7’ooZ Tenz&~~ (one and one-fourth per cent carbon).-Themost useful te’mper for turning tools, drills and planing-machine tools in the hands of ordinanworkmen. It is possible to weld cast-steel of this temper, but not without care and skill. SjGuiZe T cl/t-p w ( one and one-eighth per cent carbon).-A very useful temper for mill-picks, circular cutters, very large turning, tools, taps, screwing dies, etc. This temper requires considerable care in welding CLGseZ Tez@e?p(one per cent carbon).-An extremely useful temper, combining, as it does, great toughness in the unhardened state, with the capa@ty of hardenin,g at a low heat. It may also be welded It is, consequently, well without much difficulty. adapted for tools, where the unhardened part is required to stand the blo\v of a hammer without snipping, but where a hard cutting edge is required, sudh as cold chisels, hot salts, etc. Set Tenzper (seven-eighths per cent carbon).-This temper is adapted for tools where the chief punishment is on the unhardened part, such as cold sets, which have to stand the blows of a very heavy hammer. Die Te772pe7~ (three-fourths pier cent carbon).-The most suitable temper for tools where the surface only is required to be hard, and where the capacity to withstand great pressure is of importance, such as stamping or pressing dies, boiler cups, etc. Both the last’ two
PRACTICAL
BLA.Cit’S~iI’rf-IING.
tempers may be easily welded by a mechanic accustomed to weld cast-steel. We may divide consumers of steel into three classes. First, those who use their own judgment of what percentage of Cal-bonthey require, and instruct the manufacturer to send them steel of a specified temper ; second, those who leave the selection of the temper to the judgment of the manufacturer, and instruct him to send them steel for a specified purpose ; and third, those who simply order steel of a specified size, leaving the manufacturer to guess for what purpose it is required. Fortunately, the size and shape generally furnish some clue to the purpose for which it is likely to be used. For example, oval steel is almost sure to be used for chisels, and small squxes for turning tools. One and one-fourth square may be used for a turning tool or a cold set, one and one-fourth round for a drill or a boiler-cup, and the manufacturer has to puzzle his brains to discover whetherthe chances are in favor of its going into the lathe-room or the blacksmith’s shop. It cannot too often be reiterated of how much importance it is, when ordering steel, to state the purpose for which it is going to be used. When the steel has arrived in the user’s hands, the first process which it undergoes is the forging it into the shape required. This process is really two processes. First, that of heating it to make it malleable, and second, that of hammering it, while it is hot, into the required shape. The golden rule in forging is to
116
PRACTICAL BLACI&MITHINC.
heat the steel as little as possible before it is forged, and to bammer it as much as possible in the process of forging. The worst fault that can be committed is to overheat the steel. When steel is heated it becomescoarse grained ; its silky texture is lost, and it can only be restored by hammering or sudden cooling. If the temperature be raised above a certain point, the steel becomes what is technically called “burnt,” and the amount of hammering which it would require to restore its fine grain would reduce it to a size too small for the required tool, and the steel must be condemned as spoiled. Overheating in the fire is the primary cause of cracking in the water. The process of hammering or forging the steel int,o the shape required has hardened the steel to such an extent as to make the cutting impossible or difficult; it. must consequently be annealed. This process,like the preceding one, is a double process. The steel must be reheated as carefully as before, and afterward cooled as slowly as possible. We now come to the cuhnina~.G~gpoint in our manufacture, where the invaln::i?!e property which distinguishes steel from wrought iron or cast metal is revealed. The part of the tool required to be hardened must be heated through, and heatccl evenly, b,-ctrnust on no account be overheated. Our too’? m:jst be finished at one blow-!,‘he blow caused by ::x s:~~&&YI ?~ .>ntraotitin
PRACTICAL
BLACKSM~THING.
117
of the steel produced by its sudden cooling in the water-and if this blow is not sufficient to give to the steel a fine grain and silky texture-if, after the blow is given, the fracture, were it broken in the hardened part, should show a coarse grain and dull color, instead of a fine grain and glossy luster, our tool is spoiled, and must be consigned to the limbo of “ wasters.” The special dangers to be avoided in hardening each kind of tool must be learned by experience. Some tools will warp or “ skeller,” as we say in Yorkshire, if they are not plunged into the water in a certain way. Tools of one shape must cut the water like a knife ; those of another shape must stab it like a dagger. Some tools must be hardened in a saturated solution of salt, the older the better, while others are best hardened under a stream of running water. In some tools, where the shape necessitates a great difference in the rapidity of cooling, it is wise to drill holes in the thicker parts where they will not interfere with the use of the tool-holes which are made neither for use nor ornament, but solely with a view of equalizing the rapidity of the various parts, so as t\:i distribute the area of tension and thus lessen t.hc risk of cracking in hardcnin,g, So many cau:<esmay! produce water-cracks that it is often diffic;!“is- to point out the precise cause in any given case. Perhaps the most common cause is overheating the si,cel in one or more of the processeswhich it passes through in the consumers’ hands, or it may have been overheated in the
118
PRACTICAL
RLACKSMITHING.
process of forging, or rolling it into the dimensions required while in the hands of the manufacturer. A second cause may be found in the over-melting, or too long boiling of the steel, causing it to part with too much of its confined carbonic acid, a fault which may be attributed to the anxiety of the manufacturer to escape honeycomb in the ingot. A third cause may be sometimes discovered in the addition of too much manganese, added with the same motive. A fourth cause may, curiously enough, prove to be a deficiency of carbon, while, in some cases,too much will produce the same effect. A fifth cause may be one which, as a steel manufacturer, I ought to mention in 3 whisperthe presence of too much phosphorus in the steel ; but, after all, this may not be the fault of a greedy manufacturer, who wants to make too great a percentage of profit. It might be the fault of a stingy consumer, who begrudges him the little profit he makes. You may depend upon it there is nothing so dear as cheap steel. It must be more economical to put five shillings’ worth of labor upon steel that costs a shilling, to produce a tool that lasts a day, than to put the same value of labor upon a steel that costs only ninepence, to produce a tool that only lasts half a day. Our difficulties are not quite over when the process of hardening has been successfully accomplished. Our steel was originally lead ; it has now become glass. To attain its proper condition our tool must pass through the final process-that of tempering.
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
J I9
If you beat a piece of hardened steel slightly, and allow it to cool again, it becomes tempered. It suddenly changes from glass to whalebone ; and in the process of changing its nature, it fortunately changes its color, so that the workman can judge by the hue of the color the extent of the elasticity which it has ac(Juired, and can give to each tool the particular degree of temper which is most adapted to its special purpose. The various colors through which tempered steel successfully passesare as follows : Straw, gold, chocolate, purple, violet and blue. Of course, in passing from one color to another, the steel passesthrough the intermediate colors. It really passes :hrough an infinite series of colors, of which the six above mentioned are arbitrarily selected as convenient stages. It is supposed that the maximum of hardness and elasticity combined is obtained by tempering down to a straw color. In tempering steel regard must be had to the quality most essential in the special tool to be tempered ; for example, a turning tool is required to be very hard, and is generally taken hot enough out of the water to temper itself down to a degree so slight that no perceptible color is apparent, while a spring is required to he very elastic, and may be tempered down to a blue. If you ask me to give you a scientific explanation of the process of tempering steel, I must confess my absolute ignorance. Hardening in oil is another mode of treating steel, which appearsto a certain extent to attain by one pro-
120
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHIbG.
cess the change from lead into whalebone without passing through the intermediate glass stage, and is of great value for certain tools. There are many kinds of steel to which your attention should be called, hut which can only ohtain from me the briefest mention. A special steel for taps, called mild-centered cast-steel, is made by converting a cogged ingot of very mild cast-steel, so that the additional carbon only penetrates a short distance. These bars are afterwa;d hammered or rolled down to the size required, and have the advantage of possessing a hard surface without losing the toughness of the mild center. Another special steel, somewhat -analogous to mildcentered cast-steel, is produced by melting a hard steel on t.o a slab of iron, or very mild steel heated hot enough to weld with the molten steel, so that a bar may be produced, one-half of which is iron and the other half steel, or three-fourths iron and one-fourth steel, as may be required. A third kind of special steel, which is used for turning tools for chilled rolls, magnets and some other purposes, is made by adding a certain percentage of wolfram, or, as the metal is more generally called, tungsten, sometimes with and sometimes without carbon, sometimes to such an extent that it can be used without hardening in water. Special steel of this kind is the finest-grained that can ,be produced, but it is so brittle that in the hands of any but exceptionally skilled work-
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
121
men it is useless. The addition of chromium, instead of wolfram, has somewhat the same effect. TESTING.
It is much to be regretted that no easy method of testing cast-steel has been invented. The amount of breaking strain and the extent of contraction of the area of the fracture are all very well for steel which is not hardened, and not required to bz used in a hardened state, but for hardened and tempered steel it is practically useless. It is very difficult to harden and temper two pieces of steel to exactly the same degree. A single test is of comparatively small value, as a second-rate quality of steel may stand very well the first time of hardening, but deteriorates much more rapidly every time it is rehardened than is the casewith high quality steel. Nor am I at all sure that the breaking strain is a fair test of the quality of steel. For many tools the capacity to withstand a high amount of breaking strain slowly applied is not so much required as its capacity to withstand a sudden shock. The appearance of the fracture is very illusory. The fineness of the grain and the silkiness of the gloss is very captivati,ng to the eye, but it can be produced by hammering cold. The consumer of steel may be enraptured by the superb fracture of a bar of steel; but, after all, this is only a dodge, depending upon the mclination of the axis of the revolving hammer to the plane of the anvil, The practical consumer of steel
r22
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
must descend from the heights of art and science and take refuge in the commonplace of the rule of thumb, and buy the steel which his workmen tell him is full of “ nature ” and “body.”
Hints Regarding
Working
Steel.
Salt water is no more likely to crack steel than fresh or soft, if the steel has been properly, uzz~orm&, heated. Brine will produce a greater degree of hardness at the proper heat, other things being equal. Steel requires the same conditions for annealing, whether in bulk, ponderous or otherwise. The sine gztn non is, heat uniformly to proper heat and as soon as homogeneously saturated (not super-saturated) permit to cool as sLowdyand uniformly as practicable. My experience says: I&den in every casewhere practicable under a stream of cold water, taking care that the contact is perfect and directed to the loor& requiring the greatest degree of hardening. It is almost always prudent to move the article constantly, if only slightly. Wherever water is in impinging motion it is, of course, more rapidly changing its heated for a colder co-efficient, or successiveheat extractor., we will call it, and the more extractors receiving heat the quicker the locality is refrigerated and fixed, consequently the hardest,
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
123
Very few, if any, drop hammer dies, if properly hardened, require a subsequent tempering. I have known good gray, or, in some cases,white cast-iron, capable of doing twenty times the amount of work of any kind of steel tried. My way is to heat all onz'inary brands of “ tool caststeel ” very slowly (and if practical) in a COOL fire, to commence with, gradually letting (by draught rather than blast) both fire and steel increase in temperature together, to as low red as is necessary.-By W. DICK. The Warping
of Steel
During
the Hardening
Process.
In heating steel to harden it, especial care is necessary, particularly when the tool is one finished to size, if its form is slight or irregular, or if it is a very long one, because unless the conditions both of heating and cooling be such that the temperature is raised and lowered uniformly throughout the mass, a change of form known as z~,avpz&~will ensue. If one part gets hotter than another it expands more, and the form of the steel undergoes the change necessary to accommodate this local expansion, ,and this alteration of shape becomes permanent. In work finished and fitted this is of very great consideration, and, in the case of tools, it often assumes sufficient importance to entirely destroy their value. If, then, an article has a thin side, it requires to be so manipulated in the fire that such side shall not become heated in advance of the rest of the body
124
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
of the metal, or it will become locally distorted or warped. If, however, the article is of equal sectional area all over, it is necessary to so turn it in the fire as to heat it uniformly all over ; and in either case care should be taken not to heat the steel too quickly, unless, indeed, it is desirable to leave the middle somewhat softer than the outside, so as to have the outside fully hardened and the inside somewhat soft, which will leave the steel stronger than if hardened equally all through. Sometimes the outside of an article is heated more than the inside, so as to modify the tendency to crack from the contraction during the quenching ; for to whatever degree the article expands during the heating, it must contract during the cooling. Hence, if the article is heated in a fluid, it may often be nebessary to hold the article, for a time, with the thick part only in the heating material ; but in this case it should not be held quite still, but raised and lowered gradually and continuously, to insure even heating. Pieces, such as long taps, are very apt to warp both in the fire and in the water. In heating, they should rest upon an even bed of coked coal, and be revolved almost continuously while moved endways in the fire ; or when the length is excessive, they may be rested in a heated tube so that they may not bend of their own weight. So, likewise, spirals may be heated upon cylindrical pieces of iron or tubes to prevent their own weight from bending or disarranging the co& If a piece is to be hardened all over, it must be oc-
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
125
casionally turned end for end, and tile end of the holding tongs should be heated to redness or they will ab~stract tlie heat from the steel they envelop. Very small pieces may be held by a piece of iron wire or heated in a short piece of tube, the latter being an excellent plan for obtaining a uniformity of heat, but in any event the heating must be uniform to avoid warping in the fire, and, in some cases,cracking also. This latter occurs when the heating takes place very quickly and the thin parts are not sufficiently heated to give way to accommodate the expansion of the thick ones. The splitting or cracking of steel during the cooling process in hardening is termed W&Y cracking, and is to be avoided only by conforming the conditions of cooling to the size and shape of the article. Expcrimcnts have demonstrated that the greater part of the hardness of steel depends upon the quickness with which its temperature is reduced from about 500~ to a,few degrees below 500@,and metal heated to 500~ must be surrounded by a temperature which rendcrs the cxistcnce of water under atmospheric pressure impossible ; hence, so long as this temperature exists the steel cannot be in contact with the water, or, in other words, the heat from the steel vaporizes the immediatcly surrounding water. As the heated steel enters the water the underneath side is constantly meeting water at its normal temperature, while the upper side is surrounded by water that tl;c steel has passed by, and, to a certain extent, raised the temperature of.
126
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
Hence, the vapor on the underneath side is the thinnest, because it is attacked with colder water and with greater’ force, because of the motion of the steel in dipping. Suppose, now, we were to plunge a piece of heated steel into water, and then slowly move it laterally, the side of it which meets the water would become the hardest, and would be apt to become concave in its length. From these considerations we may perceive how important a matter the dipping is, especially when it is remembered that the expansion which accompanies the heating is a slow process compared to the contraction which accompanies the cooling (althdugh their amounts are, of course, precisely equal), and that while unequal expansion usually only warps the article, unequal contraction will in a great many, or, indeed, in most cases,cause it to crack or split.--U’ Josau~ Row, M. E. l
Tempering
Steel.
I have read with considerable interest the different processes for tempering steel, and the different treatments that have appeared from time to tiltie in mechanical journals. It always seemed to me the object to be sought for is to cool the steel as soon as possible after it has been heated to the well known cherry red, and, in doing so, the different solutions offered for a cooling bath are as numerous as the recipes for a toothache. Mercury, no doubt, makes
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
127
the best bath, and salt water, for many purposes, is equally as good. But one object I have observed in quenching, steel, is the time required for reducing the heat. For some moments the heated steel shows its cherry color through the cooling bath. Mercury, being the best conductor of heat, takes away the heat the fastest and hardens it the hardest. If there were any way in which the cold water could be brought in contact with the metal, its heat would the sooner be removed. Warm water hardens almost as well ascold, except for light work. This may be owing to the jacket formed about the heatecl steel, which protects the steel from losing its heat. This is more particularly noticed in hardening the face of a hammer so that it will not scttlc in the center, or cave off around its edge. In plunging it into the bath, the ccntcr of the face is, to a certain cstcnt, protcctc into general use. The writer remembers very well when at work in a shop close by a reservoir, where a stream of water rushing through an orifice, under a
128
PRACTICAL. BLACKSM~I~IN~.
head of twelve feet or more, was always ready for quenching steel for the purpose of hardening. Hammers were heated as near the right temperature as was thought best and held mlder the stream where the water would strike square upon the face of the hammer, removing the heat with great rapidity, the heated liquid passing off out of the way and the cooler taking its place, and, owing to the great pressure, the film of vapor that might otherwise be formed between the heating and cooling surfaces. is broken up. Smooth metallic surfaces, when heated to a low red heat, are protected from coming in contact with a liquid by the intervening film of steam which gives an imperfect in hardening, and is known as the spheroidal state of liquids, as observed when cooling sheets of iron by pouring water upon them, the liquid will-run about in large drops without brcaking up or boiling. Steel is hardened to a remarkable degree by being forced in contact with almost any cold substance. A flat drill that has been heated at the point, and driven into a lump of cold lead, is as hard as if quenched in a bath of cold water, Any way to remove the heat is a11that is required for hardening, and the sooner it is removed t.he better, and in chilling with cold water it is necessarythat the steel should be moved about to break up the film, and to keep in contact with the coqling liquid. I have felt an interest in the matter of tempering steel, and cannot but feel that this state of things in regard to the close com-
PRACTICAL BLACKSMJTHING.
129
munion between heated metals and their cooling solutions should be more fully understood. - cotton, U’ood and Iron. Another
Method
of Tempering
Steel.
It is desirable to obtain any degree of hardness by a single process if possible. ln some cases,by heating a known quantity of steel to a definite temperature and quenching it in liquid maintained at about an even temperature, the color is becoming dispensed with, the conditions of heating and cooling being varied to give any degree of hardness. Another and a very desirable method of hardening and tempering, is to heat in a flue of some kind, maintained at the required temperature over the fire, and after quenching, %nsteadof app!ying the color test, provide a tempering bath composed of some substance heated to a temperature of from 430” to 6300. By placing the articles (after hardening them) in the tempering bath and heating it to a temperature equal to the color of the temper required, we have but to ccilse heating the tempering bath when a thermomctcr marks the required temperature. A uniform degree of temper will be given to al! the articles, and the operation will occupy much less time than would tempering by the color test, because a liquid is much more easily kept at an equal temperature throughout its mass than are the heated sand or hot pieces of metal rcsortcd to in tempering
130
PRACTICAL
BI,ACXSMITHING.
by the color test. Another method. of tempering is to heat the steel to a definite temperature and co01 or quench it in a liquid having sufficient greasinessor other quality which acts to retard its retraction of the heat from the steel and thus give a temper at one operation. As an example of this kind of tempering, it is said that milk and water mixed in proportions determined by experiment upon the steel for which it was employed, has been found to give an excellent spring temper. Such tempering carefully conducted may be A ‘great deal, however, in of the very best ClUiI1it.y. this case depends on the judgment of the operator, because very little variation in heating the stcci or in the proportions of milk to water produces a wide variation in the degree of temper. If, on trial, the temper is to0 Soft, ttlC StWl lllily IX IlliltlC IKJttCr or more \ViltCr added to the milk. Tf tllc StCCl \\‘ilS llciltcc! LlS IlOt LlS practicable without incrcnsing the tlilllgCr of burning it, more water must bc added, while if the steel was made red-hot without being hot enough to cause the formation of clearly perceptible scale, the steel lllily Iw heated more. It is dcsimhlc in all casts, but eslw2ially with a high quality of steel, not to hcat it abo\:c il blood-red heat, although sheer and spring steels may be and often must be made hotter in order to cause them to ha.rden when quenched in water. Hardening and tempering steel, as applied to cutting tools, are much more simple thilll when the same operations are required to give steel elasticity as well I
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
*3*
as durability of form or to give durability to pieces of slight and irregular form of sufficient hardness to withstand abrasion. One reason of this is that for tools a special and uniform quality of steel is readily obtainable, which is known as t,ool s:ccl. Special sizes and grades are made to suit the manufacture of any of the ordinary forms of tools. As a rule, the steel that shows a fracture of fine, dull grain, the face of the fracture being comparatively level, is of better quality than that showing a coarse or granulated surface, brightness denoting hardness, and fibrousness, toughness. Very few steels are as yet sufficiently uniform to render it practicable to employ an unchangeable method of tempering, and to this fact is largely due the use of particular brands of steel. In tcmpcring steel, regard must he had to the quality most essential in the ‘special tool to he tempered. A turning tool is required to bc wry hard. and is often tnkcn out of the water hot enough to temper itself down to a dcgrce so slight that no color is perceptible, while a spring is required to bc wry elastic and may be tempered down to a blue. A scientific explanation of the process of tempering steel has yet to bc given without mystifying one hy talking unintelligib!y about molecular rearrangement and crystalline transportations.
132
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING. Working
Steel.
In making steel tires blacksmiths generally heat them too much. A deep cherry-red is hot enough. Of course you can’t make much heaaway in hammering, but you should heat oftener. It is better to spend time in heating often than to burn the steel, spoil the job and get nothing for it. When steel has been hammered cold and gets Llack it should never bc hcatcd hot enough to raise a scale, because this would open the pores and render it worthless for anything requiring tempering. Heat just to a low cherry-red and draw your temper accordingly. Some smith may say: “ It wouldn’t be hard enough.” Don’t be afraid of that ; it will be hard enough for anything.-,S’y BEX~UIKGEK & SON. Working
and Tempering
Steel.
To work steel never heat above a light cherry-red for hammering, then hammer light and quick until near black, as this improvcs the steel and will make tools that will do more than double the work than if not so treated. The hnrdncss of steel is g~owrncd cntirely by the heat when it is dipped in water; for instanccl a pic‘ce of steel dipped at a bright cherry color and drawn to a straw, will be very much harder than a piece heated to a dark cherry-red and then dipped and drawn to a straw. Try it. The forging, hardening and tempering of steel is an
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
133
art that but few understand, as its knowledge is only gained by experiknce, and but few ever give its secrets to others ; yet in a few words I will try to give the principal elements to workers of steel, which if followed will save you many losses, and give you a reputation for working steel that will ensure you good and serviceable tools, as well as increase your gains. Please remember that the heat at which steel is worked and hardened are two of the vital elements to produce good and serviceable tools. If heated above a light cherry-red, some of the.vitality of the steel is destroyed, and it would in heating too many times return to iron. If heated too hot. when hardening it would fly to pieces, destroying your labor and steel as well as giving you a poor reputation. Remember also to hammer your work lightly at a low heat, as this improves chisels, drills, lathe tools, and edge tools most wonderfully ; also take as few heats as possible, as overheating and too frequent heating reduces the steel to iron by destroying the carbon. To harden taps, rimmers, chisels and drills, always dip them slowly to the depth dcsircd in as near a vertical line as you can by the dye and hand, then move in a circular position until cold, but never any deeper in the water than first dipped, as this prevents them from cracking, which they would be likely to do if held perfectly still and the water formed a line around them. Do not change the water in which you temper, hut as it wastes fill up the tank. If you are
134
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
obliged to use fresh water always heat a piece of iron to put into it and bring it to such a warmth as is perceptible to the hand, as steel is liable to crack when dipped into cold water, When you have heated your article ,to be tempered take it from the fire and examine to see if any flaws are observable in the steel, as this will prevent your having poor pieces of steel laid to your carelessnessin hardening. In cutting up steel a thin, sharp chisel should be used, as a blunt one is liable to splinter or crack the bar, which will not be seen until it is tempered and then the labor is lost with the steel. CoZo7~s of &Brent arUes for use.-Taps should be hardened and then brightened by rubbing emery and oil on the clearance, and then draw on a hot plate or in a heated ring to a dark straw color. Dies should be a bright straw color and drawn on a hot plate or in sand. Drills for iron should be a dark straw on the cutting part and the rest a blue. Chisels for iron should be violet color ; for cutting stone a purple is required. Milling cutters should be of a yellowish white. Gear teeth cutters the same color. The usual way to dip these is to have a rod with three prongs to pass through the hole after it is heat~ed to dip with,%lower slowly until all the cutter is under the water about two inches, then move in a circular position until thoroughly cold, remembering that a great many things
YIUCTICAL
BLACi~S~I1’~IIlNg;.
r35
brea,k by taking from the water bcf;~jre they arc cold, ” especially large pieces of steel, as the ccntcr retains the heat, and when taken from the water it cspnn& the outside and causesit to crack. In tcinI>cring pieces having a thick and thin edge, always dip the thickest [Iart first. Study the pieces you have to harden and it will help you very much. &~-ge centers in work for iempering should be avoided.,as they are liable to cause the end to @it opcn~~072T7wde Review. Tempering
,
Steel.
Two of the most important prczessesin blacksmithing, are the hardening and 1he tempering of steel. Great ju&;n~rnt particularly as ~11 as csperienc~, is required, t
136
PRACTICAL
BLACKSM ITCI1X(;.
ing the face of a die and covering it up in ashes does not thoroughly anneal it by any means. Possibly in that way you can get ‘it in such a condition that it can be worked ; but it will net be very soft, and &ll~ not harden and temper as well as if it had been. heated all over, The best way that I ever found to anneal steel (when you do not have a kiln for that purpose) is t:l,, heat it all over in a shy charcoal fire ; the slower it is heated the better. Do not heat very hot, but all over and all through, Then take it out and cover it up in fine charcoal, and let it remain till cold. In heating a die for the purpose of hardening, it is not necessary to heat it all over, un!css you want to harden it.all over. The only way, in my judgment, that dies can be tempered as they should be, is for the one that tem,pcrs them -to see, from time to time, h,ow they work, as they are being used ; and in that way he can tell if they require more or less temper a.:$ the particular places where they should be hard or soft. It is uselessfor anyone to undertake to tell holv to temper ‘everything that is used in a manufacturing establish,ment ; such~ I;nowledge can only ‘be acquired by experience, ,‘combined with good. judgment and me,chanical ingenui-ty., I ,will ‘try, ho&ver,C,to explain my way of hardening and tempering. ,,Trip-hammer dies may seem,to be very easyto handle, .but a blakksmith without ex,r:r:rience,would meet with
PRACTICAL
l~L.UX3MITII~~G.
137
many difficulties. Take, for instance, a die sewn or eight inches long, one and a half inches thick and four and a half inches wide with SCVWI~impressions cut in it, leaving sevetial small points which arc‘ liable to fly off as soon as they are hardcncd or whsn you are drwNow, iiij’ way to lwcwn~ the corners in
138
PIiACTlCAL
HI.,AC’~~;jM1’1’I~IINC.
gradually, and the corners arc thus prevented from flying off. This process will work well on any dies or tools hardened in this way. I have tried it hundreds of times with the best of success.-By C;.*I% j. Tempering
Small Articles.
When tempering cold chisels, or any other steel articles, heat to a very dull red and rub with a piece of hard soap,then finish heating and ha.rdenin clear, cool water. The potash of the soap prevents the oxygen of the atmosphere from uniting with the steel and forming rust or black oxide of iron. The article will need no polishing to enable the colors to be seen. This will be appreciated when tempering taps, dies or various complex forms not easy to polish. Never (‘tipset” a cold chisel. It is sure death to steel. Many of us~havelived on a farm and know something about a bundle of nice, straight,, 6lean straw. ,If you work it intelligently you, can tie it up into stout bands for binding other bundles. You can take hold of the ends of the straw and draw out a handful without harm tomthe straw. After you have drawn out half that bu~ndlea foot .oy so, try to drive it back; every blow breaks the: straw, cri,pplcs and doubles it up, and it will hardly bear its own weight, to say nothing ,of in&king a band for other bundles. Just so with steel. If you ,havea broken chisel. to sharpen, draw out and
PRi-iCTICAL l~l.hCKSMIT1IINS.
139
cut off, ,,never upset. It will cripple the CGers just as the straw is crippkd when driven endwise. Makl: chisels short for hard, rough work. They transmij: the power or force: of a blow much bet,ter. Long c$sels are apt to (abroom up” on the hammer end, as ::thelong steel through which the blow passes has mote chance to absorb the force of the blow. The llarder the metal to be worked, the quicker the blow should be transmitted. Cast-iron works much better with a short steel chisel and light hammer, than if the b180wwas struck upon a very long chisel with a ileavy w*oodenmallet.-/@ of 5%~‘. Tempering
Steel.
I ha+e never used any mercury in tempering but have no doubt’ it answers the purpose. I was one of the first blacksmiths in this country who worked caststeel. ‘The boss under whom I learned the trade made it a part bf his business to teach country blacksmiths how to put cast-steel in axes and hdw to weld and temper it. He welded with borax melted into a kind of hard glassy substance.-By c. w. Tempering
Steel with Low ,Heat.
Some curious statements on tempering steel are made in a paper published in Dz’;z&u’s PodytenhicJowvzaC, vol. 225, by Herr A. Jarolimek, “On the Influence of the Annealing Temperature upon the Strengtli and
‘40
PRACTICAL
BLACKSb:ITHIN%.
the Constitution of Steel.” Hitherto it has been generally considered th,at to obtain a specified degree of softness it is necessaryto heat the hard steel to a particular annealing color-that is to say, to a defnnite temperature-and then allow it to rapidly cool. Thus, for example, that steel might anncal-be ternpercd-yellow, it has to be heated to 540 deg. and the supposition was formed and acted upon that it must be allowedtonly a momentarily subjection to this temperature. Herr Jarolimek saysthe requisite temper, which is obtained by momentarily raising the temperature to a particular degree, can also be acquired by subjecting the steel for a longer time to a much lower tempemtrrre. For example, the temper which the annealing color-yellow -indicates, can be obtained by exposing the hard Ateel for ten hours to 260 degrees of heat ; in other words, by placing it in water rather above the boiling 1-z IIt. To Temper
Steel
Very Hard.
As hardness of steel depends on the quickness with which it is cooled, there are better materials than water, which gives an unequal temper; besides the steam bubbles developed interrupting contact ; water is also a bad conductor of heat, and if the bubbling and heat did not put it in motion, it .would be unfit for hardening. Water with plenty of ice in it gives a hard temper ; small tools may be stuck into a piece of ice,
PRACTICAL
13LACKSMlTIIING.
141
as jewelers insert them in a piece of sealing wax. Oil is also used by them as being better than water, as it does not evaporate so easily. The Damascus steel blades are tempered in a small current of cold air pass. ing through, a narroew slit ; this gives a much more uniform and equal temperature than water. But the most effective liquid is the only liquid metal-mercury. This being a good conductor of heat, in fact the very best liquid conductor, and the only cold one, appears to be the best one for hardening steel-cutting tools, The best steel, when forged into shape and hardened in mercury, will cut almost anything. We have seen articles made from ordinary steel, which have been hardened and tempered to a deep straw color, turned with comparative ease with cutting tools from good tool steeE hardened in mercury. Beware of inhaling the vapor while hardening. Hardening Steel. Often when great care has been taken in heating a straight piece of steel, and it is put into water or other hardening compound, it comes out crooked; in this case the trouble is entirely in the forging. I will give my reasonsfor this statement. Long pieces of steel, such as reamers for boring boxes for axles, are generally forged under a trip hammer. We will suppose the piece of steel to be forged is evenly heated t,hrough. The blacksmith takes the
142
PRACTICAL
BLACKShlITHINC.
bar in one hand, and in the other his h,ammer, and the helper hoIds his sledge ready for business. The smith turns the bar back and forth, never tu.rning it entirely over. Now, the hammer and the sledge will dlr;tw out the fiber or grain of the steel f;1stcr than the anvil. The steel is untvcnly forged, and very likely will not be straight, but will be made straight across the anvil. Weat this piece of steel as evenly as possible, and put it into water or other compound, and it will wry likely be crooked when hardened, If a piece of steel is heated evenly, and hammered equally as many blows on all sides,and if, when crooked, while, forging, it is straightened by hammering, and care has been used in he;rting, it will generally come out straight, providing the same care has been observed before it comes to the blacksmith.-& C. Case-Hardening
Steel or Iron.
I think the best and. simplest method of case-hardening iron is to use prussiate of potash. It is a yellow substance that comes in the shape of flaky, shining flat lumps. Pulverize it till it is as fine as flour ; heat the article to be hardened to a deep red., and put on the potash just tiiiere you want it. to be hard. Then put it back insthe fire, heat to a deep red and plunge into cold water.-By J. P. B.
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
143
How Damascus Sword Blades Were Temered.
Perhaps the best method which has ever been discovered for tempering stcei, resulting in hardness, toughness and elasticity combined, is that followed in hardening the blades of the famous Damascus swords, The furnace in which the blades were heated was constructed with a horizontal slit by which a current. of cold air from the outside entered. This slit WASalways placed on the north side of the furnace and was provided on the outside with a flat funnel-shaped attachment by which the wind was concentrated and conducted into the slit. The operation of tempering the blades was only performed on those days of winter when a cold strong north wind prevailed, The sword blade when bright red-hot was lifted out of the fire and kept in front of the slit and by this means #Gasgradually cooled in the draft of air. It acquired the proper degree of temper at the single operation. To Harden
Steel.
A very fine preparation for making steel very hard is composed of wheat flour, salt and water, using say two, teaspoonsful of water, one-half a teaspoonful of ,‘~flour, and onesof salt ; heat the steel to be hardened enough to coat it with the paste-by immersing it in the composition -after which heat it to a cherry-red
144.
PRACTICAL
BLACKWITHINC.
and plunge it in cold, soft water. If properly done, the steel will come out with a beautiful white surface. It is said that Stubb’s’ files are hardened in this manner. Tempering
Steel
Springs.
The hardening and tempering of springs whose coils are of thick cross-section is performed at one operation as follows : The springs are heated in the furnace or oven described, and. are first immersed for a certain period in a tank containing fish oil (obtained from the fish “ Moss Bunker,” and termed “ stra&&s “>, and are then removed and cooled in a tank of water. The period of immersion in the oil is governed solely by the operator’s judgment, depending upon the thickness of the cross-section of the spring coil, or, in other words, the diameter of the round steel of which the spri~ng is made. The following, however, are exampless: Number of coils in spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * ,............ vs. 54
’ Length of the spring . ..a ,............... a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 inches. Outside diameter of coils . ...” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4% *‘ Diameter of steel . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . ...! . . . . . *.* . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . I inch.
The spring was immersed in the oil and slowly !swung .back and forth for twenty-eight ,seconds,having been given thirty-five swings during that time., Upon rem~oval~from the oil: the spring took fire, was redipped for “one second, ,andth,en put in the scoldwater tank to cool off.
PRhCTIC4L
BLACKSMITHiNG.
145
Of the same springs the following also are examples : Time of immersion in oil Example. Second.. . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 seconds. Third .,......,......,...E................ 27 ‘6 Fourth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 I8 WE
Number of swings in oil. 46 36 40
OF SPRING.
Number of coils in the springs.. . .,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Length of the springs . . . ..*.............................. Inside diameter of coils . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Size of steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . *... . . . . Time of immersion in oil. Example. First . . . . . . ,_*, . . I.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . g seconds. Second . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 “ Third . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 “ Fourth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . g ” Fifth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o “ Sixth . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . * . . . . . 9 ‘*
6 g inches. 3% 1 X 14 square. Number of swings in oil. 12 12 12 12 12 12
To keep the temperin~g oil cool and at an even temperature, the tank of fish-oil ivas in a second or outer- tank containing water, a’circulation of the’latter being ~maintained by a pump. The swinging~ of the coils causesa circulation of the pil, while at the sam,e time it hastens the cooling of the spring.. The watertank was kept cool by a constant stream and overflow. If a spring, upon being taken from the oil, took fire, it was again immersed as in the ~firstexample. In” this, as in all other similar pr~ocesses,resin and pitch are sometimes added to the oil to, increase its hardening capacity if necessary. ,~ .,-
146
PRACTXCAL
BLACKSMITIIING.
The test to which these springs were subjected was to compress them until the coils touched each other, measuring the height of the spring aft& each test, and continuing the operation until at two consecutive: tests the spring came back to its height before the two respective compressions. The amount of set under those con,ditions is found to vary from three-eighths of an inch, i:l .comparatively weak, to seven-eighths of an inch fc,;r large, stiff ones. The byrings were subjected to a.severe test in a machine designed for that purpose, being compressed and released until there was no set under the sew est test. In the follo[ving description of the plans adcopted by a very prominent carriage-spring maker wi!l alsq be found a process termed a water-chill temper, which tempers at one process. Thensteel used by this firm is icGreave’s spring steel.” The spring plates hre heated to bend them to the J‘OY?IJW,~ which is a plate serving as a gauge whereby to bend the plate to ,its proper curve. ~’ This bending operation is performed quickly enough to leave the steel sufficiently hot for the hardening ; hence theeplates,after bending are dipped edgeways and level into a tank of linseed oil which s&s in a tank of circwlating water, the latter serving to keep the oil at about B temperature of, 70 degrees when in ,constant USC About three inches, from the bottbm of the oil tar-& is a screw to prevent’ the, plates ,from falling to the bottom among the refuse sediment.,
c
PRACTICAL
BLAcKSMITHING.
147
To draw the temper the harde ned springs are placed in the furnace, which has the air-blast turned off, a.nd when the scale begins to rise, showing that the adhering oil is about to take fire, they are turned end for end in the furnace so as to heat them equally all over. When the oil blazes and is freely blazed off, the springs are removed, and allowed to cool in the open air, but if the heat of a plate, when dipped in the oil to harden, is rather low, it is cooled, after blazing, in water. The cooling after blazing thus being employed to equahze any slight difference in the heat of the spring when hardened. The furnace is about ten inches wide and about four inches longer than the longest spring. The grate bars are arranged CIGYOSS the~furnace’with a distance of threeeighths of an inch between them.; The coal used is egg anthracite. It is first placed at the back of the furnace, and raked forward as it becomes ignited and burns clearly. For shorter springs the coal is kept banked at the back of the furnace, so that the full length*of the furnace is not operative, which, of course, saves fuel. By feeding the fire at the back end of the ‘furnace, the gases formed before the coal burns quickly pass up the chimney without passing over the plates, which heat over a clear fire. For commoner brands of steel, what is termed a water-chill temper is given. This process is not as good .as oil-temper ;ng, but serves excellently for the
148
PRXTKAL
BLACKSMITHINC.
quality of steel on which it is employed. The process is as follows : The springs are heated and bent to shape on the former plate as before said ; while at a clear red heat, and still held firmly to the former plate, water is poured from a dipper passed along the plate. The dipper is filled four or five times,,according to the heat of the plate, which is cooled down to a low or very deep red. The cooling process on a plate I $ x g inches occupres about six seconds on an average, but longer if the’~lsr:,eel was not at a clear red, apd less if of a brighter red when the cooling beg?n, this being left to the judgment of the operator. Some bran& qf steel of the Swede steedclass, will not temper by t1.e water-chill process, while yet other brands will not harden in oil, in which case water is used to dip the plates in for hardening, thentempering being blazing in oil as described. In all cases,however, steel that will not harden in oil will not temper by the water-chill process.-B’ JOSHUA ROSE, A.M. Tempering !
Small
Tools.
I have had a great many years’ experience in the matter of te,mpering small tools, such as chisels, punches, drills, etc., and I think that I may be able, accordingly, to give some simple directions which will be of use to the trade. Steel for tools of this kind should never be heated beyond a bright cherry-red. The last hammering should be invariably on the flat
PRACTICAL
BLACK.SMI’I’HING.
149
sides;~and at a very low heat ; the tool meanwhile being held fairly on the anvil, and blows struck squarely with the hammer. This process is technically known as hammer-hardening, and serves to close the grain of the steel. After this, heat the article slowly and evenly until it shows a cherry-red about one and one-half inches from the point. Immerse the tool edge first into pure cold water, the surface of which is perfectly calm, a short distance, ,and hold it steadily at that point until the red above the water has become quite dull. Brighten the tool slightly by rubbing on a stone or by any other convenient means, and watch the changes of color which occur. First, blue will appear next to the body of the chisel, then probably brown, after which will come dark straw-color, then light straw-color, and at the edge a quite bright straw-color. Heat from the body of the tool will gradually change the location of these colors. The bright edge will assume a light straw-color ; then it-iii follow strawcolor, orange, brown, and finally blue. A word with reference to colors in the matter of tempering. A t~ool to cut hard cast-iron should be straw-color, or sometimes light straw-color; for soft cast-iron it should be dark straw-color; for wroughtiron, purple ; or, if the iron is quite soft, blue may be found. hard enough. A chisel treated as last described will wear well and not break easily. Drills may be tempered in the same way as described above, In my _. own practice, I leave them a shade harder than is
I.50
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
required in a chisel. On the other hand punches may be slightly softer for the same work.--Cy SMALL TOOLS. To Temper
Small
Pieces
of Stec;.
Many blacksmiths are bothered to temper smail pieces of steel on account of their springing. My way is to temper them in linseed oil, and they give me no trouble. I make a great many very thin knives. Take ‘a tin can large enough to insert the steel that you want to temper, say a tall two-quart fruit can, fill it with oil. Do not work your steel too hot, for that will spoil any steel. j Temper just the same as you would if you were using water, and I think the result will be satisfactory.-By VOLNEY HESS. Hardening
Thin Articles.
In hardening any article of steel that is thin orlight and heats quickly, it is advisable to remove on a grindstone or emery wheel the scale formed in forging before heating, The scale being of unequal density, if it is not rem0ve.d it is generally impossible to heat evenly; besides, then degree ~of heat can be better observed rf it is removed, Sw0.rd Blades.
Sword blades are made and tempered so that they will chip a piece out of a stone without showing a
PRACTICAL
l3LAC1<SMI’TIIING.
151
nick upon their edges, says a gentleman who has been through the great sword manufactory at Soligen, Germany. The steel, he says, is cut from bars into strips about two and one-half inches wide, and of the required length, by a heavy cutting machine. These are ’ carried into the adjoining forge room, where each piece is heated white, hammered by steam so that about twenty blows fail up;)u every part of its surface, and then thrown into a barrel of water. Afterward these pieces are again heated in a great coke tire, and e:schgoes through a set of rolls, which reduce it to something like the desired shape of the weapon. The rough margins are trimmed off the piece of steel in another machine, and there is left a piece of dirty, dark-blue metal shaped like a sword, and ready for grinding. This’is done on great stones, revolved and watered by machinery, the workmen having to be the most expert that can be obtained, as the whole fate of ’ ‘the sword is Iantheir hands. It is afterward burnished ” on small ,wheels,managed, by boys from twelve to sixteen.y<:ars old, and when ‘it has been prepared to receive the fittings of the harrdles, is ready for testing, which has to ‘be,done with ~great care. Any fault in the work is charged to the workman responsible for’ it, and he has to make it good. 1t is sai.dthat any blade which- will ‘not chip ‘a piece out of a, stone without ,~ showing a nick on itself is rejected.
PRACTICAL
152
To Temper
BLACKSMITHING.
Steel
on Grid Edge.
Red-hot lead is an excellent thing in which to heat a long plate of steel that requires softening or tempering on one edge. The steel need only to be heated’ at the part required, and there is llctle danger of the By giving sufficient metal warping or springing. time, thick portions may be heated equally with thin parts. The ends of wire springs that are to be bent or riveted may be softened for that purpose by this process, after the springs have been hardened or tempered. Heating
to a Cherry-Red-Points
in Tempering.
What is a cherry-red heat ? To answer this question I will describe how I do my work. My shop is well lighted by windows and I heat to a cherry-red in the shade on days when the light is good, but on cloudy days I don’t heat quite so high. I do not think that in hardening cast-steel it should be heated above a cherry-red in the shade. After hardening, temper thus : for razors, straw color : penknives, slightly bluish ; screw taps and eyes, yellow ; chipping chisels, brownish yellow ; springs, dark purple ; saws, dark blue.-5” JOHN M. WRIGHT. Brine ,for Tempering.
Brine for tempering is usually known as hardening liquid, or hardening compound. The I tempering ,is I .
PRACTICAL.
BLACKSMITHING.
153
done after the hardening, and is usually termed drawing the temper. If good crucible steel is used there is nothing better than rain or soft water to harden ivith, that is, for tools -which are not so thin as to bend, spring, or break when hardening. When thin articles, such as knife or saw blades, are to be hardened, cold raw linseed oil is the best material or compound extant. The bath may be filled entirely with oil, or have a surface of oil say six inches, and six inches or more of oil underneath the water. Clear oil is best, because, when water is present the lower stratum of oil is likely to saponify or become soapy, and loses its cooling .A, qualities. When the steel is not uniformly hard or lacks the necessary amount of carbon for hardening properly, then re-agents called hardening compounds are used to produce the necessary hardness. Of these compounds there are many, some of value, and more of question. able character. I give a few good preparations. Avoid using hard water ‘at all ti,mes. Chloride of sodium (salt), 4 ounces ; nitrite of soda ,(saltpetre), g ounce ; alum pulverized, I dram ; soft or rain water, I gallon ; when thoroughly dissolved heat to cherry-red and cool off. ,This process hardens and tempers, or draws no temper. Another preparation is : Saltpetre, a ounces; sal‘ammonia, 2 ounces ; pulverized ahun, z ounces ; salt, I $ pounds ; soft water, 3 gallons, It is not necessary to draw with this mixture,
172
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
not give and the hole is a round one. With a little practice, this eye-bolt can be made as easily as the old r-----o
i-----l
Fig. q5-Showing
the Eye.Bolt Completed.
style, and can be work,ed down so that it will fit in a hole up to the eye as shown in Fig. 145 at K. Compare this fit with that shown in ,Fig. 140.-By E, K. Forging
a Turn-Buckle.
In forging a turn-buckle, I first make a mandrel, as shown in’ Fig. 146. The part A is one and one-fourth inch round, B is one and three-fourths inch square. I
g’Tinker’s” Method of Forging a Turn-buckle. the Mandrel.
Fig. 146 - Showing
next take some I g x I g inch iron, make collars and weld them on the mandrel, and scarf on each side of the collars, with a. rounds pene fuller for the cheek pieces, as shown in Fig. 147c I then take for the
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
‘73
sides some P x I+ iron and cut long enough for both sides, bend in the middle and scarf the ends, and am now ready for welding up. I put one of the collars between the two prongs and take a light heat to stick
Fig. x47- Showing the Finished Buckle and Collar.
them together. I then go back to the fire and get a good soft heat, weld down on the mandrel, finish off with the swage, then cut the end and repeat the process. If the turn-buckle is to be finished up extra nice, you can use the same swage for the sides. -B’ “ TINKER.” Forging
a Turn-buckle.
My method of forging a turn-buckle, say for a one and one-fourth inch rod, is: First, I take a piece of
Forging a Turn-buckle. Fig. r48-End Welding.
View of Ferrule Bent for
one and one-fourth inch square iron and bend it into a ferrule such as is shown in Fig. 148 and then weld into it a prong as in Fig. I 49. Then I cut out a place,
II
174
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
as ‘at A in Fig. 150, and weld in the other prong. Next I put in a mandrel and shape it up to the taper, as in Fig. I 5 I. This makes half the turn-buckle and
Fig. rqg-Showing Prong Welded to Ferrule.
Fig. I So-Piece cut out at A for SecondProng.
Fig. I~I-Showing
SecondProng Welded and Taper Forged.
Fig. rsz-,-Showing the Two Pieces Welded at B B, and Job Complete.
by repeating the operation I get two of these pieces, which I weld together at R B, anI1 get the finished turn-buckle as in Fig. 152. In welding the prongs together,to join the two halves, I take one-half and
PRACTICAL BLACKSltlITflING.
17.5
let IQY helper put in the mandrel with one hand and tap lightly with a small hammer with the other, and after the welding is done I use the mandrel to handle the forging with while Swaging it to finish.-&” SOUTHERN BLACKSMITH. Making
a Cant-Hook.
I make a great many cant-hooks. For the clasp I use I s x I g inch Norway iron. About half an inch from the end I cut it half off, bend over and weld,
Making a Cant-Hook. Fig. I 53-Showing how the Jam and Clasp a’ c Made.
forging rather thin inside of the shoulder. I then take a set hammer and make the shoulder for the hook to strike against. I leave the jaw about three-eighths inch thick, punch the hole, and trim to suit. The’other end is ~made in the same way. For the hook I use g x $
’
176
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
x ~$8x s inch steel, cut thirteen inches long. One end should be stove (not bent) and put in the heating tool to get the bill. After taking it out I draw it to a point,~ punch the hole and bend nearly to a circle. In bending I lay the bill and eye on a straightedge or board as shown in Fig. 154. I use three bands, the first and second being one
Fig. x54-Showing how the Bill and Eye are Bent.
and one-half inch No. 14 band iron; the third band is two and one-half inch No. 8. For the pick I use seven-eighths inch square steel, and cut it ofI teninches long. In Fig. I 53 of the accompanying illustrations A indicates the thickest part of the clasp, and B is the jaw. This is generally made too thin. The point must not come down far enough to touch the toe ring, but ‘\ should stand up six inches. In bending the bill’there is no sharp corner made which may break the hip when you are pulling it out of a log.-&” H. R. How Forks are Forged.
The following is a description of the manner of forging a four-tined manure fork, as practiced in one
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
I77
of the largest establishments in the neighborhood of New York City. The process of splitting and bending as here described may be extended so as to include forks of a larger number of tines. IZT How Forks are Forged. Fig. r55-The Blank.
The blank for a four-tined manure fork is simply a rectangular piece of mild steel, as indicated in Fig. I 55, \ Fig. I 56-First Operation, Preparing the Handle Stem.
It is five and three-quarter inches iong, one and threequarter inches wide, and one-half inch thick. The =Eiz3 Fig. x57-Splitting the Piece Preparatory to Opening it, as Shown in the next Illustration.
first operation is to draw out the end, leaving a projection, A, as shown in Fig, 156, from which the stem
,TAT Fig. I 58-The Piece Opened Out, Forged Down and Split Again.
for the handle is subsequently drawn. The piece is then split to the line B, Fig. P57, and is opened out as in Fig. I 58. The thickness is reduced to C. All
178 this out The DD
PRACTICAL BLACKSBIITI-IING.
is done at one heat,, and the splitting and opening is accompfished by a machine termed a splitter, next operation is to split the piece along the lines in the engraving. The parts are then opened out
J-L -. F T!
E
E
Fig. I sg-The Four Tines Roughly Formed.
Fig. II%--Tl
4liddle Tines Drawn Out.
as in Fig. 159, EE, forming, when forged out as in Fig. 160, the middle tines. After the tines EE are drawn out, the ends FF are drawn and bent around
!I
PR.4CTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
* 79
as shown in Fig. 161. The last operation is to draw out the handle A to the required shape. After these several steps have been taken, the tines are formed to proper shape and finally are tempered. It will be obvious to the practical reader that the
Fig. x61--The Finished Fork.
grainof the steel in this process of forming the fork is kept lengthwise of the handle as well as of the tines. The whole of the forging operations described are performed under the trip hammer, but the forming or setting to shape of the tines is done in a special machine.
180
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING. Five Methods
of Making
one Forging.
The sketches given herewith are of a piece of forging of a somewhat intricate character. The different
Fig. xhz-TheFi&hed
Forging.
methods of accomplishing the same result form an interesting study. Fig. 162 shows the finished article. To make this, says one blacksmith, of ordinary
Fig.
163.
refined iron, I fuller it as at AA. and punch the hole at 23, Fig. 163. Then I split it open, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 164, and open it out as in Fig. 165.
PRACTICAT. BtACKSMITHrNC.
Fig. 164.
Fig. 165.
.~..
Fig. 166.
182
PRACTICAL
BLACKSMITHING.
Then I bend each arm, as C D in Fig. 165, to shape and forge it to size, punching the holes toward the last. I know of no better way of forging it out of solid iron unless I could get the job roughed out to any better shape by sending it to a shop having a trip hammer to rough the blocks out. Or it might be a good plan to use lighter iron, forge the piece in halves and weld
Fig. 167.
them as shown in Fig. 166, as my principal difficulty is in setting the jaw back for the curve A in Fig. 166. --By
YOLJNG BLACKSMITH. METHOD NO. 2.
Take a piece of iron large enough, and bend it to U shape, as at A, Fig. I 67. Cut the end as at mark 23, and bend over and weld to make eyes, D. Then
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
183
jump-weld the rod E. It will make the smoothest job to jump it, if the iron is thick enough.--By H. B. METHOD NO. 3,
Thinking it a duty, as well as a pleasure, to help my brother blacksmiths, I give you my way of doing the job. I should take iron of sufficient size to forge the piece A, Fig. 168, ,fullering it in the center, as at a, with a large fuller to sufhcient depth to make a good
A Fig. 168.
weld. Then, with a small one, fuller it out ,on each side, as at bb, and draw it out long enough to bend to the required shape, leaving a lump,. CC, oneach end to form the eyes. Then forge the stem B, ‘making the scarf at ee; overlap the fullering at a, and more curved than the fullering at a, so that when the jumpGeld is made, the stem 23 will ‘first meet the piece A at the bottom of the -fullering at n, and the rest of the surface will come together with the first jumping blows. This is quite important in obtaining .agood, sound weld, as it forces out the air and any loose cin-
184
~‘~;xCTICAL BLACIiS3IITI1ING.
ders, etc., that may not have been cleaned off the surfaces. After welding at the center by striking on the end, D, of the stem, weld with a fuller applied at ee, and then bend to the required shape. There is another and similar way, as follows: Form
Fig. I6g-Method No. 3.
the two pieces as in Fig. 169, leaving it thick enough to weld and finish. In this case, also, the fullering on the stem must be more flat than the seat on which it welds, so that it will be sure to weld in the center first, and weld on the horn of the anvil.----& G. B. J. METHOD NO. 4.
First take a piece of iron thick enough to give plenty of iron when fullered at A in Fig. I 70, and fuller it hollow there. Then bend it to shape; take a piece for the stem and jump it, taking care that it well laps the fullering at A, and let it be more curved than at A, so that it will weld in the center first. To weld,
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
‘85
place the hook on the anvil horn, clean it with a brush ; bring the stem down on the anvil with a light
Fig. ijrc+Method No. J.
Fig. r71-Method No. 5.
blow to clean ok the dirt, etc.; brush it quickly, strike a few quick biows ‘with a light sledge on the end of the stem and then fuller round the stem. Get a good
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
186
heat and don’t lose a second’s time and you’ll have a good, sound, neat job. So~me blacksmiths make the weld round at A instead of hollow, but I don’t see why.--By LEATHER APRON. METHOD NO. 5.
I per the ted
would like to have blacksmiths try my method, as Fig. I 7 1. Forge two separate pieces, as B, C, in figure, and weld them at D. Fuller AA to dotlines, and draw out the stem.--By C. A. S. Making
Offsets.
Take a piece of good iron of the proper size And fuller in half way at A, in Fig. 172, then swage down C Making Offsets. Fig. 17a-Showing how the Iron is Fullered and Split.
the end B, then split with a sharp chisel. at C, down to U. Next with a small fuller woik in at U and finish -
Fig. x73--Showing the Offset Completed.
with a large fuller, then turn off the ends E and F, and swage down to proper size aspshown in Fig. I 73. “By J.-D.
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
187
Making a Square Corner. Fig. t74-Ready for the Weld.
Fig. ITS--Completed Job. To
Make
a Square
Corner.
It require? years of hard study and practice to gttain any high rank in our profession, but if brother blacksmiths would each make known a iittle of what they,
188
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
have learned by practical experience, it would be a great benefit to the trade. I haye never met any man who had nothing to learn in blacksmithing, and yet I have known some very good workmen. The illustrations herewith show a good way of making a square corner, with a fillet inside if required. The upset and scarf are as seen in Fig. I 74, and Fig. 175 represents the corner complete. This works well in heavy iron, say two inches by four inches. It is a V weld in the corner. Be careful to have good clean heats.--By R. C. S.
Making I
a Square
Corner.
I send you herewith my method of getting a square corner up sharp. In the accompanying illustration I show in Fig. I 76 a piece of iron to be bent to a right
Figs.176,177,and 178--“ Southern Blacksmith’s” Method of Making a Square Comer.
PRACTICAL BLACKSMITHING.
189
angle and have a square corner. First I cut it half way through where the bend is to be, as at A, then I bend it as shown in Fig. 177, and then weld in a piece R, which brings the corner up sharp and square as shown in Fig. I 78. -By SOUTHERN BLACKSMITH. The
Breaking
of Step-Legs.
Builders of heavy wagons with the step-leg .at the back end of the wagon experience much trouble from their breaking. They try to overcome this by making them of thicker and wider iron every year, but
:fj,>,’ ::: _ ‘c;~; i:, #::,,( ‘.,‘,
Fig. 17g-Showing “ Iron Doctor’s ” Method of Preventing the Breaking of Step-Legs.
they invariably break in the. outer hole, and frequently break off the bolts. In making iron of such a character, at all times avoid, if possible, having holes where the direct strain comes. Fig. I 79 shows the proper 