Rational Horse Shoeing and Wagon Making
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with rules, tables, recipes, etc., useful to
manufactures, blacksmiths, machinists,
well-drillers, engineers, liverymen,
horse-shoers, farmers, wagon-makers,
mechanics, amateurs and all others who have
occasion to perform the work for which this
book is primarily intended.
A chisel for hot cutting, see Figure 5, No.4. This chisel is made
of 1 ¼ square tool steel. Punch a hole 1 1/8 x ¼ x ½ about
three inches from the end, the eye should be narrow in order
to leave material enough on the sides to give it strength. When
eye is finished, forge down below it, not on the head-end, with
top and bottom fullers, like cut. This gives the chisel a better
shape. Now dress down the edge, then heat to a low cherry
red, and harden, brighten it and when the color is brown cool
off.
COLD CHISELS
Use same sized steel as above referred to, make it like NO.5,
Figure 5. To distinguish it from the hot cutting chisel, and to
give it more strength, in hardening this chisel, draw the temper
until it is blue. This is the right temper for all kinds of cold
chisels.
One might think that anybody knows how to make a set hammer, if every smith knows it, I don't know, but I do know
that there are thousands of smiths who have never had a set hammer nor know its use. To make one: Take a piece
of tool steel 1 ¼ x 1 ¼ inches, punch a hole about two inches from the end, the hole to be 1 ¼ x 3/8. Now cut off
enough for head. Make the face perfectly square and level, with sharp corners, harden and cool off when the temper
turns from brown to blue. This is a very important little tool and for cutting steel it is a good deal better than the
chisel. Plow steel of every kind is easier cut with this hammer than any other way. In cutting with the set hammer
hold the steel so that your inner side of the set hammer will be over the outside edge of the anvil. Let the helper
strike on the outside corner of the set hammer and it will cut easy. The steel to be cut should be just a little hot, not
enough to be noticed. If the steel is red hot the set hammer cannot cut it. The heat must be what is called blue heat.
I would not be without the set hammer for money, and still I often meet smiths who have never seen this use made
of the set hammer. Plow points, corn shovels, and seeder shovels are quicker cut with this tool than any other way
with the exception of shears.