Corner Weld—Brazing—Fagot Weld—Turning a Loose Eye—Hammock
Hook—Finishing Wrought Iron—S Link—Welded Eye Pin.
A corner weld made by using heavy stock, for example, one and one-fourth
inch square, is to have a square corner by welding. See Figure 44. With
the dimensions six inches from one end, the bar is heated and cut about
half thru from one side with a hot chisel. The bar is then heated and
bent to about a right angle, as shown in Figure 45. A piece of ¾-in.
square stock is cut on four sides as shown in Figure 46. This piece is
welded into the corner as shown in Figure 47. The heat is separate, and
the smith takes both pieces to the anvil when hot. He places them in
position as shown in the drawing, the helper doing the welding. The long
part of the bar is then broken off, another heat is taken and the corner
is finished up by the smith.
[Illustration: Fig. 44-45.]
_Brazing._
Iron and steel can be fastened together by brazing. In doing this, the
ends are tapered or dove-tailed together and bound with wire or a rivet
to hold them in position. They are then placed in the fire and brought
to a red heat. Some borax and spelter are put on and the heat is raised
until the brass flows. The work is then taken out of the fire and let
cool; then it is finished with a file, or by grinding. Spelter is an
alloy of copper and zinc, and may be purchased from dealers. Brass wire
may also be used in brazing, and sometimes copper.
[Illustration: Fig. 46-47.]
In teaching boys forging, the writer feels that it is a waste of time
to give a beginner little pieces to make, such as staples, hooks, etc.
A boy cannot learn to handle his hammer, or to heat a piece of stock by
making small things. What the beginner in forging needs is some work that
he can swing a hammer on without danger of spoiling it. Very few boys
on entering a shop can handle a hammer, and they certainly do not learn
about heating metal in a forge, by working at staples, etc. The first
exercise should be a fagot weld.
_Exercise No. 1.—Fagot Weld._
In doing this, two pieces of iron ½ in. square and 6 in. long are used.
The instructor demonstrates the welding of these two pieces before the
class. In making the weld, one piece is laid on top of the other and
both are caught at one end with a pair of tongs. The tongs should fit
the pieces nicely; a ring is placed over the ends of handles to bind the
jaws firmly on to the pieces. A heat is then taken on about one-half of
the length of the stock; the pieces are welded and at the same time drawn
to ½ in. square. The pieces are now turned around in the tongs and the
balance is heated and welded. While drawing stock always have the bar at
right angles with the long side of the anvil. If the bar is not so held,
it will twist on the slightly rounded face of the anvil.
[Illustration: Fig. 48.]
There will be more or less iron burned by the boys in making this fagot
weld; but this is necessary, for a boy can never learn how to work iron
until he can heat it properly. He must over-heat and burn iron in order
to understand the heat limitations of the metal.
After the weld is made and the bar is drawn to the original size, the
ends must be squared by upsetting them. The bar when finished should be
½ in. square thruout its length, and straight with the ends squared.
[Illustration: Fig. 49.]
It is then formed into a loose ring by hammering it over the horn of the
anvil and not on a ring mandrel. In forming the ring, the ends are upset
on an angle, so that when bent into ring form, they will fit together
nicely. See Figure 48.
_Exercise No. 2._
This exercise will be made in the same manner as number one, excepting
that the bar is finished to ⁷⁄₁₆ in. square, and a ring is turned on each
end. See Figure 49.
[Illustration: Fig. 50.]
The eye is formed by heating and hammering it over the horn of the anvil,
giving it the shape as shown at B. It is then reheated, set on the horn
of the anvil and hammered close to the eye as shown at C, which bends it
central with the shank as shown at D.
In turning loose eyes of any size stock or dimensions, on the end of a
bar, the ring is first turned into a circle of the desired size. It is
then sprung central with the shank. With this method, no figuring of
stock is required.
_Exercise No. 3._
[Illustration: Fig. 51. Fig. 52.]
[Illustration: Fig. 53. Fig. 54.]
In making a hammock hook, the stock should be soft steel, which may be
purchased for about the same price as iron. It will stand the bending
strains better than iron. The size of the stock is 7½ in. by ⅜ in. round.
The end is heated and a loose eye formed. The other end is drawn to a
taper with ¼ in. of the end turned up as shown. See drawing of hook,
Figure 50, and the different steps in forming the eye at A, B and C. The
hook is formed over the horn of the anvil as shown in Figure 51. Figure
52 shows the finished hook with a dotted line drawn thru the center,
indicating where the pull should come. In Figure 53 is shown a common
fault when turning a loose ring at the end of a bar, in not bending the
extreme end first. Notice Figure 54, where the end is bent as it should
be.
The expert worker in iron is very careful not to hammer mark and destroy
the section of a bar. One should remember that bending a ring or iron
hook is simply holding the bar on the horn of the anvil and striking the
part that protrudes past it. Never strike the bar when it is directly
over the horn. This does not bend it, but makes a dent in the stock.
_Finishing._
To finish wrought iron, all of the scale and dirt should be scraped off
with an old file while the piece is hot. When the iron is cooled, linseed
or machine oil is rubbed on. If the work is held over the smoke of the
fire and then oiled, it will take on a darker color. Never paint iron
work. This destroys the texture of the metal. Do not file work bright. It
should be dark—filing is not forging.
_Exercise No. 4.—S-Link._
[Illustration: Fig. 55. Fig. 56.]
Figure 55 shows a drawing of an S-Link, which is used to splice broken
chains. In Figure 56 is shown he length and size of the stock. The ends
are drawn to a short point and the center of the bar is marked with a
center punch. One-half of the link is then formed, bringing the point at
the center punch mark and using one-half of the bar. This is a simple
link to make. The only thing to be careful about is to not destroy the
section of the bar with hammer marks. This may be avoided if one does not
strike the hook directly over the horn of the anvil, but to one side of
the horn. See in Figure 57, the correct blow.
[Illustration: Fig. 57.]
_Exercise No. 5._
Figure 58 shows a drawing for a welded Eye Pin. The eye may be made any
size for practice. In making the ring, the bar is heated in the center
and hammered over the outer edge of the anvil, as shown in Figure 59. The
piece is now turned end for end, and jogged down again with the ball of
the hammer. See Figure 60. The piece should now look like the drawing in
Figure 61. The center of the piece is heated and hammered over the horn
of the anvil to make the ring round and to bring the shanks together. See
Figure 62.
[Illustration: Fig. 58.]
[Illustration: Fig. 59 (above). Fig. 60 (below).
Fig. 61 (above). Fig. 62 (right). Fig. 63 (left, below).]
In welding, the piece is caught by the ring with a flat pair of tongs.
See Figure 63. It is now placed in the fire so as to get the heat close
to the ring. The tongs are then removed, until the piece reaches a white
heat; the piece is again caught with the tongs, and the heat is raised.
It is taken out and set on the edge of the anvil and hammered as shown in
Figure 64. The first blow struck is close to the ring in order to weld
that part first. If it cannot be all welded in one heat, it should be
reheated at once. Do not hammer unless the heat is a welding heat, as
the stock will become too thin before it is welded. Do not heat the tongs
red as this destroys them and the piece cannot be held with hot tongs.
When the ring is welded, the end is drawn to a square point. See Figure
65.
[Illustration: Fig. 64. Fig. 65.]
[Illustration]