Rational Horse Shoeing and Wagon Making
------------------------------------------------------
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.
and Dies, - Butcher Knife
Mill picks are very easily dressed and hardened, the whole trick
in this case, as in many others, lies in the right heat of the
steel. Be careful not to heat to a higher than a red heat. Dress
the pick and temper with a low heat, when the color is dark
yellow the temper is right, if the steel is of the right kind. No
other hardening compound is necessary than water. After a
little experience any smith can do this work first class.
A smith once wanted to buy my receipt for tempering. He
believed I had a wonderful prescription, at' I could not succeed
as I did. I told him I used only water, but he insisted that I was
selfish and would not reveal it to him. If tools and receipts
would do the work there would be no need of experienced
mechanics. Tools and receipts are both necessary, but it must
be a skilled hand to apply them.
The best way to harden files is to have a cast iron bucket filled with lead. Heat it until the lead is red hot, then plunge
the file into this, handle up. This will give a uniform heat and the file will not warp so easy if the heat is right. In
cooling the file off, use a box four or five feet long with salt water in, run the file back and forth endwise, not
sideways, that will warp the file, take it out of the water while yet sizzling. Now, if warped, set it between a device so
that you can bend it right. While in this position sprinkle water over where you straighten until cold and the file will be
right.
HARDEN TAPS AND DIES
Heat the tap or die to a red cherry, cool off entirely in water, brighten with an emery paper. Now, hold over a hot iron
until the tap or die has a dark straw color, then cool off. If a light tap, the temper can be drawn over a gaslight, using
a blowpipe.
BUTCHER KNIFE
To make a butcher knife, one smith will simply take an old file, shape it into a knife, and harden. The best way to
make a knife is to first draw out a piece of iron 3/4 inch wide and 1/16 of an inch thick, twice the length of the knife.
Prepare the steel the same width as the iron 1/8 of an inch thick, weld this steel in between the iron. This will make a
knife that will not break. When ready to harden heat to a low red heat, cool off entirely in water. Brighten and hold
over a hot iron until brown, then cool off.
The steel should be good tool steel, a flat file will do, but the cuts must be ground or filed off entirely before you touch
it with the hammer, for if the cuts are hammered in they will make cracks in the edge of the knife, and the same will
break out.
Circular Saw Blade - How
to Prevent a Circular Saw
Blade from Cracking -
How to Sew a Belt >>>
Iron - Standing Coulters