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.
I have said before about the fire. Many blacksmiths are never
able to weld a tire tight on the outside because of a poor, low,
and unclean fire. If the fire is too old or too fresh it will not give
a good heat for welding wagon wheel. If you have a good big
fire high up from the tuyer, then you are all right. Place your
tire in the fire and proceed as follows: No matter whether it is
an iron or soft steel tire, sand is the best welding compound
and nothing else should be used; but if you lose the first heat
then borax might be used as it will prevent the tire from scaling
and burning. When you have the right heat, place the tire on
the anvil this way; let the tire rest against the inside edge of
the anvil. If the lower end of the tire is allowed to come down
on the anvil it will cool off and can never be welded that way.
Now hold the tire this way until you have the hammer ready to
give the first blow. Then let the tire down and strike the first
blows directly on top and over the end of the under end. This
is important and if the first blows are not directed to this very
wheel on edge and while it is in a welding heat come down on it heavy with hammer, if a buggy wheel, and with a
sledge and hammer if a heavy wagon wheel. Hammer it down until it is considerably narrower over the weld as it will
swell out when dressed down. This way the weld has all the material in the iron and the lapped lips will help hold the
weld together. A very poor smith can weld wheels to stay in this manner. The edges should be rounded off with the
hammer and filed to make the tire look the same over the weld as in the iron. If there should be any trouble to weld
a steel wheel place a little steel borings over the weld and use borax.
A blacksmith in Silver Lake, Minn., working for a wagon maker of that place, when welding a wheel failed entirely
after half a dozen attempts, and he got so angry that he threw the tire down on the floor with all his might. It
happened to crush the wagon makers big toe. This was more than the otherwise good natured man could stand,
and instantly the smith was seen hurled through an open window-the wagon maker attached. Result: separation
and law suit. All this because the smith had not read my book.
new Wagon Wheels
& Welding Wheels
Wagon Wheels
Part 3 >>>