Staples—Open Links—Welded Chain Links—Punching—A Grab Hook.
_Exercise No. 6._
Staples are used for hasps, gate hooks, and for various other purposes.
They are made from all sizes of stock, depending on the use to which they
are put. On account of its pliability, soft steel is the best stock to
use in making staples.
[Illustration: Fig. 66.]
The length to cut stock is shown in the drawing of the staple in Figure
66. The stock is caught at one end with a pair of light tongs. The piece
is then heated and drawn out to a point; it is reversed in the tongs and
the other end is drawn out. The center of the piece is then reheated and
bent into shape over the horn of the anvil.
In drawing any piece of stock to a tapered point, the taper should not be
hammered on one side continuously and, when turned over, hammered back
again. To have a taper on all four sides alike, the bar must be raised
the proper distance and not laid flat on the anvil. Figure 67 illustrates
the wrong way and Figure 68, the correct way.
[Illustration: Fig. 67. Fig. 68.]
_Exercise No. 7._
[Illustration: Fig. 69.]
[Illustration: Fig. 70. Fig. 71.]
In Figure 69 is shown a drawing of an open link. Open links are used in
the splicing of broken chains. In splicing a chain, the link is opened by
driving a chisel between the laps, or it is opened when made. These laps
are hooked into links of broken chain and then driven together. In making
the link, one end is drawn to a flat point and a hook is hammered on it.
See Figure 70. The other end is heated and drawn out as in Figure 71. The
center of the piece is now heated and bent over the horn of the anvil to
the desired shape. See Figure 72. Notice in the drawing that the hooks
at the open end of the link are not very long. They should not be made
longer than shown.
[Illustration: Fig. 72.]
_Exercise No. 8.—Welding a Chain Link._
The form and length of the stock for this exercise is shown in Figure 73.
The link may be made from iron or soft steel. After the stock is cut,
it is heated in the center and bent over the horn of the anvil into a
“U” shape. See Figure 74. The ends are now heated and scarfed by setting
them on the anvil as shown in Figure 75. The iron is then struck on top
with the hand hammer. After each blow, it is moved away from the anvil
just a little, giving the end a bevel, so that, when finished, the scarf
consists of a series of slanting notches.
[Illustration: Fig. 73. Fig. 74.]
In scarfing, both ends of the links are set on the anvil. The end of the
one on the right hand side must not be moved when scarfing the other.
After each blow of the hammer, the piece is moved just a little. If it
is moved too far and the other end of the link is fixed it will describe
an arc. See Figure 76. This is the method used in scarfing links.
Sometimes they are welded without scarfing, but it is not good practice.
[Illustration: Fig. 75. Fig. 76.]
Figure 77 shows the link scarfed, lapped and ready to be welded. In
welding, the heat is taken directly on the end of the lap and not on
the sides, so as not to burn the stock above the laps. When the link
has the welding heat, it is taken to the anvil and hammered on the flat
sides, then set on the horn of the anvil, and hammered on the corners.
See Figure 78. The shape of the link at the weld should be just a little
pointed for a strong link.
[Illustration: Fig. 77.]
In making chains, do not weld two single links and then one between them.
Weld a link on the end of the chain and keep repeating until finished.
_Exercise No. 9._
[Illustration: Fig. 78.]
Punching holes thru hot iron is not a difficult exercise. For instance: A
⅜-in. hole is to be punched thru a flat piece of iron or steel. The piece
is heated, taken to the anvil and a punch set on the spot to be punched.
The punch is struck three or four blows with the hand hammer driving it
into the metal as shown in Figure 79. The piece is then turned over and
the punch is set over the dark spot which is caused by the former blows,
and is driven thru. See Figure 80. Square and other shaped holes are
punched in the same manner. Thin stock is punched cold. In doing this,
the piece to be punched is set on the punch block and the punch driven
thru the metal into the hole of the block. A punch-block is a round or
square block of steel with one or more tapered holes thru it. See Figure
81.
[Illustration: Fig. 80. Left. Fig. 79. Center. Fig. 81. Right.]
Figure 82 shows some holes that could be punched while the metal is hot.
A hole like the one shown at A, is made with a punch of that shape; the
next hole is made with the same punch. Afterwards the hole is upset or
shortened by heating and cooling each side of the hole. The bar is then
hammered on the end. This shortens and spreads the metal. The hole is
made true by driving a round punch thru it. The stock used for this
exercise should be soft steel.
[Illustration: Fig. 82.]
_Exercise No. 10.—A Grab Hook for a Log Chain._
[Illustration: Fig. 83.]
[Illustration: Fig. 84. Fig. 85.]
Figure 83 shows a drawing of the hook with size of stock to be used. The
stock should be mild steel, 6½ by ¾ by ⅜ inches. To form the eye one
end is heated and shouldered back one inch from the end, by hammering
it on the anvil as shown in Figure 84. The eye is then rounded with the
hammer and the hole punched with a hand punch. The hole is countersunk by
hammering it on the horn as shown in Figure 85. The point is next drawn
out and then the hook is heated in the center. It is cooled each side of
the center and hammered over the horn to bend, then on the anvil as shown
at Figure 86. A piece of ⅜-in. flat iron is set on the inside of the hook
and the hook hammered to fit the iron. This leaves the opening of the
hook uniform and just the size required. See Figure 87.
[Illustration: Fig. 86.]
[Illustration: Fig. 87.]