Farm Blacksmithing

irm BlacksttiitMtti J.M,DREW%

A MANUAL FOR FARMERS AND AGRICULTVRAL SCHOOLS

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Cornell University Library

220.D77 1910 Farm blacksmithing

3 1924 003 588 450

The tine

original of

tliis

book

is in

Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright

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the United States on the use of the

text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003588450

Farm Blacksmithing

J.

DREW,

M.

Unstnictor in Blacksmithing, School of Agriculture,

University of Minnesota.

ST.

ANTHONY PARK, MINN.

Second Editloa

ST,

PAUL

WEBB PUBLISHING COMPANY 1910,

CoWright

BY

J.

M.

1901-1910.

DREW.

INTEODUCTIOK A

workshop on a farm

is

always a good sign.

It 13

an indication that the farmer believes in having a place

where he that

may

profitably spend his time on stormy days

would otherwise be wasted.

To such

farmers, and

hope that they some useful lessons in an easier way

their sons, this book is addressed, in the

may

learn from

it

than by hard experience.

"Farm Blackand Home. There

Several years ago a series of articles on

smithing" appeared in Farm, Stock

was then, and has since been, some inquiry for a book embodying those articles and covering the subject of iron and steel work, or so much of it as the farm mechanic would need to know. Such a book has now been prepared, and the author has added to it such knowledge as

he has gained by an experience of seven years in

teaching blacksmithing to the farmer boys in the Minnesota School of Agriculture.

If the expert blacksmith complains that he finds

nothing to interest him in the book,

let

that it is not intended that he should.

him remember It

was written

for beginners.

The chapter on "Saw Filing" was written by Mr. William Eoss, Instructor in Carpentry at the School of Agriculture

;

FAEM BLACKSMITHING. The thoughtful reader

will at once recognize the

diffi-

culty of teaching even the elements of a trade on paper

but I hope by the aid of illustrations to

make

reasona-

bly plain all the operations which enter into the work

which the farm blacksmith will be called upon

Nowadays

a

to do.

farm blacksmith shop may be very cheap-

ly furnished with all the tools necessary for ordinary

work, and the convenience forge on every

—

—

yes, the necessity

of a

farm needs no argument.

The time that may the means and skill to

often be saved by having at hand repair damages to machinery and

much more important matter than by doing one's own work. What farmer

tools is often a

the

cash saved

has

not often been obliged, by some slight breakage, to go to

the town or village shop,

—

—perhaps

several miles

and there find that he must wait for several horses to be shod before his little job, (which he might have done himself if he had the proper tools), could be away,

attended to by the blacksmith.

While

it is

true that a

at a blacksmith's forge

about the trade,

it is

man may work and

still

for a lifetime

have more to learn

also true that the essentials of the

trade consist of only a few comparatively simple operations,

which may be acquired by any one who has melittle time and attention

chanical ability and will give a to the work. practice.

After this

is

done, skill will

come with

FARM BLACKSMITHING.

6

We

are too apt to think that

simply because thing like

we have never

we cannot do

tried to do

it,

a thing or any-

it.

"Our doubts are traitors; they make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt." There is no good reason why every farmer who has any mechanical ability, cannot do nine-tenths of the work which he usually hires done by the blacksmith.

FUENISHING THE SHOP.

is

In furnishing a shop, the first thing to be considered There are good portable forges now on the forge.

the market which

may

To any one thinking say:

be had for a reasonable price.

of buying one of these I would

Don't get one that

pan 18x24 inches and a

The

little

is

One with

too small.

14:-inch

fan

is

a fire

small enough.

bench forges are entirely too small for

or-

dinary work.

A

cheap forge which will answer every purpose of

the ordinary

farm shop may be made of wood,

a box filled with clay.

square and two and one-half feet high. lows

may

—simply

It should be about three feet

A

36-inoh bel-

be had for $5, and a single nest tuyere iron

for 35 cents.

A tuyere

from the bottom

iron which

may

be cleaned out

A very cheap

and be made of a piece of two-inch iroi\ pipe extending entirely -through the forge. Several

good tuyere

will cost about $2.

may

FARM BLACKSMITHING.

7

Bmall holes are drilled into the top side of the pipe for the blast,

and a plug

bellows.

When

plug will

is

is fitted

into the end opposite the

the pipe gets clogged with ashes the

pulled out,

when

blow everything

a strong blast

The

out.

from the bellows

picture on page 4 shows

the style of forge in use at the School of Agriculture. It is simply a length of sewer pipe set

with clay.

A

hole

is

on end and

filled

drilled through the back side for

the horn of the bellows, and an ordinary single nest

tuyere iron

is

The bellows

used.

is

an ordinary

old-

fashioned one, 32 inches wide.

The most expensive part vil.

of the outfit will be the an-

always been supposed that the best anvils

It has

They cost about 10 cents per pound. Very good American anvils can now be had for about 8 cents per pound. One weighwere those imported from England.

ing 80 to 100 pounds use.

is

none too large for a farmer's

Don't make the mistake of getting a cast iron an-

vil that will

not stand hard pounding.

The same

is

Get one that you can pound on withA wrought iron vise with steel out fear of breaking. true of the vise.

jaws costs from $3.50

A

machinist's

to $5, according to weight.

hammer, shown

at Fig.

1,

weighing

one and one-half pounds, will be found the most convenient size for

common

use,

mer weighing two and

and a blacksmith's hand ham-

one-half pounds will be conven-

FARM MLACKSMiTHIN&.

8

ient to have at

about 50 cents.

hammer

hand for heavier work. Each will cost Tor sharpening plows a round-faced

should be used.

ject in a later chapter.

More will be said on this At the start the beginner

subwill

need a pair of plain tongs (Fig. 2) and a pair of bolt tongs (Fig. 3).

The plain tongs may be changed cutting off

into chain tongs by

the corners and shaping the ends of the jaws

as explained

on page 41.

This does not

affect their usefulness as plain tongg,

and makes them serviceable in handling links and rings. A set of stocks and dies for cutting threads on bolts

from one-fourth necessity.

to three-fourths of

an inch

These will cost from $3

to

is

almost a

$10, or even

:

FARM BLACKSMITHING.

9

more, depending upon kind, quality, and the number of

A

sizes in the set.

good

set for

ordinary use, cutting

numbers of thread, and taking

three different

bolts or

nuts from five-sixteenths to three-fourths of an inch,

may may

A

be had for $3.

very good upright

drill press

be bought for $4.50.

The expense

so far is about as follows

Bellows and tuyere iron Anvil Vise

$5.35 8.00 4.00 1.00

Hammer Tongs (two pairs) Hardie Stocks and dies

70 25 3.00 4.50

Drill press

Total

$26.80

Beside tools there will be needed a supply of blacksteel. For general "Cumberland" coal is the best fuel. It contains but little sulphur, and is easily packed about the fire. It gives a powerful heat, and is so free from earthy matter that but little clinker is

smith's coal and some iron and

blacksmithing, what

left after

is

known

as

burning.

In former years charcoal was used almost entirely by blacksmiths. that

it

It has the

advantage over other coals

contains no sulphur, and for this reason

cially desirable for fine steel work.

But

its

pared with mineral coal has nearly driven

Ordinary stove

coal, either

for blacksmithing.

hard or

soft,

is

cost as

it

espe-

com-

out of use.

cannot be used

It contains such a large percentage

of Bulphur and other impurities that iron cannot be

FARM SLACKSMITHING.

10

welded with

it,

contact with

it

and

steel

while hot.

presence of sulphar.

would be ruined

if

brought in

Iron cannot be welded in the

Great care should therefore be

exercised to avoid getting sulphur into the forge. %2 .0409 3%4 .0625 9-16.. .0781 3%t .0313

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15-16.

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WEIGHT

IN

POUNDS OF VARIOUS METALS