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.
To harden a mouldboard is no easy job in a blacksmith's forge,
and it is no use trying this in a portable forge, because there is
not room enough for the fire required for this purpose. First, dig
the firepot out clean, then make a charcoal fire of two bushels
of this coal, have some dry basswood or wood like it, and when
the charcoal begins to get red all over then pile the wood on
the outside corners of the fire. Heat the point of the mould
board first, because this being shinned, it is thicker and must be
heated first or it will not be hot enough; then hold the
mouldboard on the fire Qn pile the wood and hot coal on top of
it. Keep it only until red hot in the same place, then move it
around, especially so that the edges get the force of the fire, or
they will be yet cold while the center might be too hot.
HOW TO PATCH A MOULDBOARD
When the mould board is red hot all over sprinkle with prussiate
of potash, and plunge into a barrel of ice or salt water. A
mouldboard: if you have a boiler, then fill the fire place with wood and heat your mouldboard there. This will give you a
very good heat. If it is a shinned mouldboard the point must be heated first in the forge, then place it under the boiler
for heating. This must be done to insure a good heat on the point, which is thicker than the mould board and therefore
would not be hot enough in the time the other parts get hot.
When a mouldboard is worn out on the point a patch can be put on, if the mouldboard is not too much worn otherwise.
Cut a piece of soft center steel to fit over the part to be repaired. Draw this piece out thin where it is to be welded to
face of mouldboard. Hold this piece in position while taking the first weld, with a pair of tongs. Weld the point first, then
the edges, last the center. The patch should be welded to face of mouldboard. When the last weld is taken place the
mould board face up, with some live coal over it, in the fire; use borax freely, and, when ready to weld, weld the patch
while the mouldboard is in the fire, using a rod of round iron as a hammer with one end of it bent for this purpose.
When the patch is thus welded in its thinnest place then take it out and weld on the anvil. In heating for the weld never
place the patch down towards the tuyer, for there the blast will make it scale, and it will never weld this way. Remember
this in all kinds of welding. Figure II A represents two shares. No. I represent a share set for spring plowing, when the
ground is soft. Notice the heel of the share following the square for about one inch at c, while the heel in NO.2 rests
with the extreme edge on the square, and is set for fall plowing, when the ground is hard. The line between a and b
shows the suction at d, which is not more than an eighth of an inch. Breaking plows and large plows which are run
shallow should have a wide bearing at c. In breaking plows the heel will sometimes have to be rolled up a little at this
place.
Deep, Takes too much Land,
or Runs on its Nose