Eccentric strap: The principles applied in the working out of this problem are used in making many articles of wrought iron. Eccentric straps are much used in foundries, machine shops, and general shop work.

Stock: Bar of wrought iron or soft steel 1¹⁄₈ ins. square, 16 ins. or 20 ins. long.

Round the bar down on one end to 1 in. in diameter. Split the other end up the length of the bar 8 ins. to within 1 in. of the shoulder made by the rounding down of the stock. These two arms are now thrown at right angles to the stem, forged down to ¹⁄₂ × 1 in. the entire length. The arc of the circle made by the arms is determined by the size of the thing the eccentric strap is meant to fit when it is finished. The ends are now turned up at right angles and are bent to fit the circle. A gouge chisel will cut the end off rounding. All ladle handles can be made in this way.

Garden hoe: The drawing shows the form and dimensions of the hoe, a garden tool very simple in construction and very useful.

Stock: 6 × 4 × ¹⁄₂ in. steel.

Directions: Mark off 2 ins. at one end and cut down 1 in. deep on both edges. Cut out a wedge-shaped piece as shown in the sketch. Draw out the piece ¹⁄₂ in. in diameter and 6 ins. long. This forms the handle. Fuller down on each side of the handle where it joins the body as shown by the full lines. With the fuller spread out the metal on either side of the handle until it forms a blade 8 × 5 ins. This blade should be ³⁄₁₆ in. thick at the top and ¹⁄₈ in. at the cutting edge. Bend the handle into shape. File or grind the edges of the blade to make it smooth. This should be tempered by heating it red hot. Plunge into oil. Take it out when cold and hold it over the fire until the oil flashes off. Then allow it to cool in the air. Grind it and polish if a bright finish is required. If not it is now ready for the wood handle.

Wood chisel: Chisels for cutting wood can be made from a piece of gas pipe and a piece of steel, or from old cold chisels too short for use. If no piece of old tool steel is at hand take a new piece, ⁵⁄₈ × 4 ins., hexagonal.

If a piece of gas pipe is used, ¹⁄₂ in., heat one end and place it on the point of the horn of the anvil. With the peen hammer thin the point down around the end. This thinning stretches the metal and gives you a funnel-shaped opening, and a scarf to use for welding. The short chisel end should be pushed into this for about 1 in. and the scarf should be tapped down gently on this chisel. Sometimes it is necessary to upset the end of the chisel in order to make it fit the scarf. If required to do this, put it into the fire and heat it red hot, and upset it on the end where the weld is to be. Now put it into the pipe, put borax on the scarf, and heat it hot enough to weld. Take it out and weld it up in a bottom swage and reduce the weld to ¹⁄₂ in. in diameter. Cut the shank off about 3¹⁄₂ ins. from the weld and heat this end again. Stretch it on this end so as to enlarge it to fit the wood handle which will be placed in later. Heat the steel end. Flatten it down to the shape of a wood chisel, the width to be according to the size needed. Out of this piece of steel a chisel ¹⁄₂ in., ³⁄₄ in., or 1 in. can be made. It should be tapered down ³⁄₄ in. on the cutting edge. File the cutting edge on the chisel. It gives a much better finish. The chisel is hardened and tempered almost the length of the whole blade, a blue colour, by heating it red hot, plunging it into water, polishing, and drawing the temper on a hot piece of iron. The handle is made by using what is known as a hollow auger. This shapes the wood to fit the pipe. A piece of the same pipe can be sawed off with a hack saw about ³⁄₈ in. wide. This makes an iron ring, which should be driven in the end of the wood handle to prevent it from splitting. These chisels make the best kind of tools for rough, heavy work.

Door hasp: Door hasps are found most commonly on barn doors and gates, and in conjunction with a staple and lock form a complete fastening. The drawings make clear the different steps in the work.

Stock: ¹⁄₄ × 1 × 6 ins.

Directions: The eye is made first. Heat the piece red hot. Fuller down the stick ⁵⁄₈ in. from one end, and 2 ins. from the fullered mark put in another. The distance between the fullered marks should be 2 ins. Draw out the space between the fullered marks to ⁵⁄₈ in. in width, 2¹⁄₂ ins. long. Cut the corners off the piece left on the end, as shown by the drawing. Round this up with the hammer on the anvil. Punch a hole in the middle of the eye, but keep the thickness the same during all the work. To make the body of the piece, where the slot is, 2 ins. from the shoulder fuller the end down to ⁵⁄₁₆ in. from the end. Draw out this end to 1⁵⁄₁₆ in. in length. This forms the loop, and at the same time it tapers to a sharp end. (See drawing.) The piece is now ready for punching. Mark places for the punch holes, then cut between the holes with a hot chisel. In this way the centre piece is cut out, forming the slot. If this is carefully done little work will be required to finish it. The slot is filed out if any rough places are left. The end is bent up. Sometimes a ring is put in it, as a door pull, and sometimes the latch itself is used for the pull.

Pair of dividers: Perhaps the simplest way to make a pair of dividers is to get a pair of buggy top joint butts, ¹⁄₂ in. size. Weld to each of the legs a piece of steel to form the two legs for the dividers. Begin about 1 in. back of the weld and draw the legs out tapering, octagonal in shape and rounding toward extreme sharp points. Place a washer on each side of the joint, and rivet the ends together with a steel rivet. If carefully done the dividers will require no wings. If wings are required they can be made by punching a slot ¹⁄₂ × ¹⁄₈ in. in each of the legs, 2 ins. from the joint. In each of these slots drill holes, in one a ¹⁄₈-in. hole and in the other a hole for a ³⁄₁₆-in. tap. Drill both sets of holes through the legs. Tap out the one and make a thumb screw to fit. This is done by drawing out a ³⁄₈-in. stem on the end of a ³⁄₈-in. rod and cutting off ³⁄₈ in. of this to form the head of the thumb screw. Heat this end and flatten down. Finish up with a few strokes of the file. Cut a ³⁄₁₆-in. thread on the end. Screw it into the dividers. Draw out a wing ³⁄₈ in. wide, ¹⁄₈ in. thick, to fit the slot. Bend it into a semicircle and place it into the slot. Open the dividers. See that it swings round on this circle. Drill a small hole in the end of the wing to fit the ¹⁄₈-in. hole drilled into the leg and rivet it into the slot. This makes a pair of dividers that can be used for all classes of work.

STONE CHISELS AND PICKS

1. Stone chisels:

Stock: ¹⁄₄, ¹⁄₂, ⁵⁄₈, ³⁄₄-in. octagonal steel, 5 ins. long. Stone chisels are made out of the above sizes of steel, in sets, for the cutting of marble, sandstone, granite, etc.

Directions: Put one end of the stock in fire. Heat about 1 in. Draw this hot end to a taper ¹⁄₄ in. at the small end and 1¹⁄₂ in. long. Place the extreme end again in the fire, take it out and strike it on the end by placing it upright on the anvil. Upset this end and form the round top shown in the drawing. If this top is not completed in one heating, heat it again and repeat the hammering on the end. All stone chisels are made with this rounding end so that wood mallets can be used for driving purposes. The ones shown here are the shapes used on most stone chisels.

The size of the teeth depends upon the hardness or softness of the material to be cut. The large teeth are used for hard stone cutting and the small teeth for soft stone cutting. Place the other end of the tool in the fire and flatten it down as shown in the sketch given here. Notice the dotted lines show that the extreme cutting edge of this tool is narrower than the body. This is an allowance made for the spreading out of the tool while cutting the teeth. Space off the teeth with a 3-cornered file as shown in the same sketch, and cut the teeth with a chisel made in the following way: Take a piece of ¹⁄₂-in. octagonal steel. Draw it out in the shape of a cape chisel. (See sketch.) Heat the end of the steel tool, then place it in the vise. With the end projecting up place the chisel on the mark made by the file, strike down sharply on the chisel, and drive it down to the required depth. This is repeated until the teeth are all cut. Flatten the cutting edge carefully on the anvil, and all teeth that may have been driven out of a straight line by the cutting. Heat the tool to soften it. File between the teeth the roughness made by the forging of the tool. A small flat jewellers' file will be found best for this purpose. Harden the tool as you did the cold chisel, and temper it at the purple colour sign.

2. Pick:

Stock: ¹⁄₂-in. square tool steel, 8 ins.

Directions: Mark the middle of the bar with a centre-punch. Punch the hole through with the eye punch. Put in a drift pin and flatten down the bulged sides of the bar made by punching the hole. Draw the two ends out to a sharp square point. This should make the pick not more than 10 ins. long. The drawing should show the shape it will be when finished. These picks are hardened the same as cold chisels, and tempered at the purple colour.

ROCK DRILLS (USED WITH MACHINERY)

As the name indicates, these drills are used for making holes in rocks when blasting is to be done. The form and shapes most in use are shown here.

The double drill, used so much in power drilling machines, is made in the following way: Take a 1-in. octagonal bar of steel, any length. Heat one end, and upset it to 1¹⁄₄ in. in diameter. Put a small ¹⁄₂-in. fuller on the anvil and place the end of the bar lengthwise on the fuller. Put the top fuller directly above this and strike with a sledge hammer. The result is two fuller marks driven down within ¹⁄₂ in. of meeting. Reverse this and do the same on the other two sides. This marks a cross.

Place the forming tool in the anvil, and with a set hammer forge out the wings as shown in the sketch. The diameter of the drill depends upon the size of the hole to be drilled and is made accordingly. Use a sharp chisel for cutting the cutting edges of the drill. It is now ready for tempering. Drills are made in this way from the raw material. When once made they are kept in shape by what is known as the drill dressing tool shown here. These rock drills wear out on the sides, thus reducing the diameter. When re-dressing they are always upset to the required diameter. The re-dressing is done in the following way: Heat the end of the drill in the fire and place the dressing tool so that the cross impression fits the end of the drill. Drive on the end lengthwise of the bar, upsetting the drill to the required diameter, at the same time retaining the original shape of the cutting edge of the drill.

To temper rock drills: Take two small tubs of cold water, one clear and the other made soapy by cutting up a bar of cheap soap into bits. Heat the end of the drill to be tempered to a dull red and put it into the tub of clear water, the cutting edge only under water until it is cooled off. Take it out to polish. When the straw colour appears plunge it into the tub of soapy water. This does away with any red heat that might be in the bar when the temper colours appear. Soapy water is a poor conductor of heat and it allows the steel to cool off without suddenly chilling it.

DRILL FOR HAND DRILLING

They are made as you would make a cold chisel. The taper, however, is much shorter and the ends are usually either rounded or diamond shape. (See sketch.) The cutting edges are ground, but in many cases they are forged and filed to shape. They are tempered in the same way as cold chisels are treated.

Round and flat hand drill: Take a piece of octagonal steel, the size and length depending upon the size and depth of the hole to be drilled. These should not be over 20 ins. in length, for the blow would have little effect upon the cutting edge of the drill. Put one end into the fire, take it out and finish it up as you would the short end of a cold chisel. Reverse the piece of steel, and heat this end, for about two inches, red hot. Place it on the side of the anvil face and flatten it down tapering. Make it very short and just wide enough for the size hole to be drilled. With a hot chisel cut the end into the proper shape, either round or diamond shape. With the hand hammer work the cutting edge on the end. This end should be from ¹⁄₈ in. to ³⁄₁₆ in. in thickness. Either file or grind the bevel which forms the cutting edge sharp. Harden and temper it the same as you would a cold chisel. If it is found, on trial, to be too soft, re-heat, harden, and temper at a higher colour. One of the best hand drills for drilling holes in soft material like bricks or sandstones is a piece of gas pipe any length. File teeth in the end, like a saw tooth. Case harden the end. This drill will go through a wall almost as quickly as a twist drill and with much less labour.

SHACKLE

Shackles are used for connecting chains, wire, ropes, etc.

Stock: One piece of ³⁄₄-in. round iron, 12¹⁄₂ ins. (for shackle). One piece of ¹⁄₂-in. round iron, 4 ins. (for pin). One piece 1 × ¹⁄₈-in. flat iron, 1³⁄₄ ins. (for key). One piece ³⁄₁₆-in. round iron, 2¹⁄₄ ins. (for ring).

Directions: Heat the ³⁄₄-in. round iron bar two inches, then bend this end on the anvil at right angles to the rest of the bar. Place the heel on the anvil, with the end sticking up. Strike on the end with the hand hammer and drive it down into the heel of the piece. Repeat on the other end of the bar. As one can always force the metal into any shape one desires by first driving it one way or the other, skill in making the two ends of the bar depends upon one's way of using the hammer. This method of making the eye on the end of the bar does away with welding and upsetting of the metal. A round finished eye is the result of the natural bending of the metal. This holds good not only for the shackles like this one but for many other tools, such as hand holds for cars, wagons, etc.

Bending: The shackle should be bent as shown in the sketch. First bend it right back of the eye, each one at about 45°. Heat the body of the piece and shape it around the horn of the anvil until the opening measures 1 in. wide. The sledge and swage are best used for this purpose. Place the swage on the metal and have the helper strike the swage. The shape is not apt to be changed or the metal marred if these tools are used.

Pin: Take the ¹⁄₂ × 4 in. piece of stock. The end is heated and upset about ¹⁄₂ in. Place this end in a heading tool and work a button head on the end with either the cupping tool or a hand hammer. The pin should have a slot cut through it 2 ins. from the head. To do this make a punch to cut the slot the shape required. After the piece is marked punch the slot by driving the punch half way through on one side. Turn the piece over and drive the hole through on the other side. This enlarges the metal a little. Reduce it to the ¹⁄₂-in. size to fit the hole in the shackle. Cut a little piece of iron the thickness and width of the key, ¹⁄₂ in. long. Heat the end with the hole in and drive this drift into the slot. With ¹⁄₂ in. top and bottom swage and the drift in the slot, reduce the pin to fit the hole. Drive the drift out. You now have a nice rounded pin with a hole in, ³⁄₈ × ¹⁄₈ in.

Key: Take a piece of 1 × ¹⁄₈ in. flat iron or steel. Mark the shape of the key. Cut it out and file to fit the slot. Drill holes in the small end of this to prevent it falling out of the pin.

Ring: Bend the piece of ³⁄₁₆-in. wire around a ⁵⁄₈-in. rod in the shape of a spiral and saw off each ring as required. The ring should fit the hole in the key. This method of making a shackle is the same whether the material is ¹⁄₄ in. in diameter or any size up to 2 ins. in diameter.

CROW-BARS, AND WELDING OF TOOL STEEL TO WROUGHT IRON

Crow-bars are made by welding a piece of round No. 2 flat steel into the end of a wrought iron bar any length or any size, depending upon the use to which the bar is to be put when made. This drawing shows a bar for shifting rails for railroads. When the size is determined, select the wrought iron to be used. Upset the end and split it with a chisel ³⁄₄ in. for a cleft weld. Re-heat the end to a white heat. Place it upon the edge of the anvil nearest you and with the peen of the hammer work the scarf out to a sharp point. Repeat on the other side. (See picture.) Place the piece of steel selected for welding, in the fire; shape this end down to a sharp point at an angle of 45°. With the edge of the chisel placed on this scarf, strike on the top of the chisel with a sledge hammer. This will cut a nick and at the same time it raises up a sliver which will help hold the piece of steel in the iron between the cleft. Cool this scarf off in water until it is black hot. Heat the piece of iron (scarf end). Place the end of the steel scarf between the cleft and close the scarf on to the steel by striking gently. The steel will now stay in the end of the piece until it is welded. Place the scarf in the fire and when it is red hot cover it with borax. Get a welding heat on the wrought iron close to the joint first. Gradually work this heat toward the steel till the borax begins to burn, emitting a dark brown smoke. Take it out of the fire and place it on the anvil. One or two sharp blows on the end of the steel will drive it up into the crotch of the scarf. Now strike gently on the top of the scarf. Increase the force of the blows when you are sure the two pieces are welding together. If the pieces are not welding, which will be readily seen by the points of the scarf opening while working them down, place them again in the fire, put on borax and re-heat. A few trials will teach you how hot to get it for welding. Flatten down the end and shape it as shown in the drawing. Harden and temper the crow-bar as you would a cold chisel. If the point is not quite sharp enough grind it on the stone.

NAIL PULLER OR CLAW TOOL

This tool is made in much the same way as you make a crow bar. However, before bending the end up into a crow-bar shape, cut a slot in the end, as shown in the picture. Now bend it into shape. The handle should not be over 20 ins. in length and tapered usually from ³⁄₄ in. at the large end to about ³⁄₈ in. at the smaller end. The end is now flattened and a hole punched in it to hang it up when not in use. This is one of the handiest tools to have around any shop, not only as a nail and a bolt puller, but it may be used in place of the crow-bar. The drawing explains the various steps in the making of the tool.

BUTCHER KNIFE

Stock: Spring steel, ⁷⁄₈ × ¹⁄₁₆ in. × 9 ins. long.

The spring steel used for carving knives or any steel used for that purpose should be a grade that will harden in oil just hard enough to feel a mill-cut file cut the steel. Cut the stock off 9 ins. and forge the shank first. On this size steel this forging of the shank consists in reducing the thickness of the material and widening it about ¹⁄₁₆ in. to 2 ins. in length. This tends to toughen the steel, and it makes a better knife by this extra work.

To forge the blade, heat 7 ins. and bend it a little edgewise before reducing the one side for cutting edge. Allow the stretching and thinning out of this edge to straighten the blade, and the curve on the back will form itself, naturally, by the extra length of the cutting edge. Do not try to forge the exact shape of the knife. It is much better to reduce it to the required thickness, outline the shape, and cut it with a hot or cold chisel. At this thickness the knife can be worked either hot or cold when doing this particular kind of work. Cut along the outline, thus giving it shape. A fine file will finish the roughness on the outline and trim up any uneven spots caused by the shaping. When the knife is finished, so far as the forging is concerned, anneal it by heating the whole blade and allowing it to cool in slaked lime. This relieves any strain due to forging. Handles are made of bone, birch, or beech, and can be shaped to suit one's taste. They should measure about 1 × ⁵⁄₈ × 5 ins. Rivets hold them in place. (See cut.) These are of brass wire, easily made by cutting off the length required to go through the wood to hold the blade in place. Place the blade in the slot of the wood handle and drill four holes through the wood and through the blade. Do not make the holes more than ¹⁄₁₆ in. in diameter. Take the blade out, harden, and temper. All drilling of holes and fitting should be done before the blade is tempered, while it is in the soft state. It is difficult to drill the holes after the tempering has been done.

To temper the blade: The blade is tempered by heating it on a coke fire. Place the back of the blade down, on a piece of flat iron. The iron will heat red hot. The iron under the knife prevents the flame striking the blade and heating it unevenly, in spots, as it were. When the blade is red hot plunge it into a bath made of linseed oil. Take it out of the oil and polish it. Use the piece of iron the blade was heated on to draw the temper. This hot iron is put on the anvil, the back of the knife edgewise is placed on the iron and moved forward and backward to insure a uniform heat. As soon as the straw colour appears take out any buckle or bend caused by the hardening. Place the other side of the blade on the anvil. A few quick, sharp blows with the peen of the hammer will straighten the blade. Continue the tempering until the purple colour shows. The blade should be tempered so that a very smooth, sharp file will just cut it when rubbed over the surface. Place the blade in the handle and rivet it in place, polish it, and then grind.

ORNAMENTAL IRON WORK

XXVIII

PROCESSES, ANDIRONS, FIRE TOOLS

Engraving consists of putting the design upon the iron with a diamond point chisel or any sharp tool, with the aid of a hammer. When the design is cut out by means of acid the process is called etching. It is done in this way: The surface to be etched is first covered with a layer of wax. The design to be left is scratched through the wax into the metal by using a very sharp tool. This lays bare the surface of the metal to be etched. The acid or etching fluid is then applied. When sufficiently etched the acid is removed from the surface of the metal by means of turpentine. This stops the action of the acid immediately.

Inlaying is hammering one metal into the surface of another. It is done by cutting a groove in the surface of one metal and hammering the other metal into this groove.

Impressing, engraving, etching, inlaying, etc., are used on fine pieces of ornamental work, such as door knockers, drawer pulls, door handles, sword blades, ornamental hinges, fire sets, etc., or on small pieces of work such as initials or coats of arms, etc.

Splitting of iron or soft steel: Splitting iron or soft steel is done for many pieces of work. All solid rings, rings without welds, handles for carrying ladles in foundries of all kinds are made in this way. Most of our ornamental work, where we require two pieces of iron running from a stem in opposite directions, calls for this process.

Pair of andirons: It is always best to make a sketch of the large pieces of ornamental work to be made, in order that they may have the proper proportion to their setting and bear the right relation to their surroundings. For instance, a grill made from either wrought iron or soft steel must fit the opening when finished, iron gates must fit space for which they are intended, yet not be too tall or too short to be in good proportion to their setting, etc. Andirons must fit into the fireplace and occupy the space so as to give the eye a sense of fitness and proportion to the whole hearth. This sketch shows a pair of andirons that can be made suitable for any size hearth. No inlaying, etching, etc., is used upon this work, the only decoration being the hammer marks left by the peen of the hammer. Andirons are much used in country homes where log fires are in use. They can be made of iron or brass, and coal or wood may be used on a hearth fitted out with a pair.

Stock: One piece soft steel, 1¹⁄₂ × 1¹⁄₂ × 20 ins. Two pieces, ⁷⁄₈ in. square, 9 ins. long. Two pieces, ⁷⁄₈ in. square, 14 ins. long. Two pieces, ⁷⁄₈ in. square, 20 ins. long. One piece ³⁄₄-in. square iron. One piece 1 × ¹⁄₄ × 6 ins. flat iron.

Directions: Take the 20-in. bar and split it 10 ins. To do this rub a piece of chalk on the two faces of the bar. This makes clear any marking put on the surface. With the square mark off 10 ins. from one end. Now with a pair of dividers set at ³⁄₄ in. run along the bar with one leg of the dividers on the outer edge to the 10-in. mark. Do this on both faces. Now mark on this centre line with a cold chisel. Put the bar into the fire and heat the end of it. Take it out when red hot and put it on the anvil. The marks made by the cold chisel will show plainly. With the hot chisel cut along the lines made by the cold chisel, cutting from both sides of the piece until the bar is divided into two equal parts. This will require a number of heatings to do. The last inch should be cut from the top down. To cut this, up-end the bar on the anvil or any solid base, placing the hot chisel in the crotch of the piece and striking it with the sledge hammer. This cuts the last inch down square with the axis of the bar. The sledge hammer work is heavy and one requires a helper here. The bar is now divided into two wings. Before shaping these two wings into the base for feet the upper part of the bar should be drawn out according to the drawing and the end rounded or squared as suits the taste. The wings are now shaped up and form the two feet on the bar. (See drawing.)

To shape the feet of the andiron: The drawing shows the shape and length the legs should be. To do this heat the bar at the crotch, and flatten both sides out almost straight. This prepares for shaping according to the drawing. Measure off 3 ins. from the extreme end of each leg and mark off with a centre-punch. The 3-in. lengths form the feet. Taper the iron between the centre-punch mark and the crotch so that when finished the leg should measure 1¹⁄₂ × ⁵⁄₈ in. close to the crotch, and 1 × ¹⁄₂ in. at the centre-punch mark. Repeat this on the other leg. Flatten out the feet so that they will measure 3¹⁄₂ × 2¹⁄₄ ins. These feet are slightly impressed. To do this place the feet over a hollow iron block and force the metal down so that the under side is raised up about ¹⁄₂ in. above the level of the foot. (See dotted lines on the drawing of the feet.) Repeat on the other side.

The leg is now ready to be bent into shape. Heat up at the crotch and then bend both legs back toward the top end at an angle of 60°. Heat again and bend the legs forward, shaping them like the drawing.

Back part of the andiron: The drawing shows a short upright piece placed so as to prevent the logs rolling out in front. The 14-in. piece is welded on to the upright, as shown in the drawing, and fastened on to the andiron. The 20-in. piece is welded on to the andiron and forms the leg on which the wood is placed. These pieces are welded upon short uprights by what is called jump welds. (See description of jump welds.) The end of the iron is bent on the anvil as square bends are always made. (See description of square bends.) The end that fastens to the andiron proper is also bent square, but tapered slightly to make a nice fit. Fastening the frame to the andiron is done with a stud and bolt. The stud is screwed into the andiron and into the frame as shown by the dotted lines. A square headed bolt fastens the upper part, thus preventing any twisting out of place. The only finish given to the andirons is that left by the marking of this peen hammer. This leaves a mottled surface, which gives an old look to the finished piece.

Chain ring bolt: Ring bolt is made from a ³⁄₄-in. square iron piece. This is drawn down at one end until it is 1 in. long and ¹⁄₂ in. round. A thread is cut on this end. Drill a hole through the centre of the square head ³⁄₈ in. in diameter.

Ring: Take the 1 × ¹⁄₄ × 6 in. piece of flat iron. Draw it out so that it tapers toward each end. (See drawing.) On the extreme end of each is a ¹⁄₄-in. pin ³⁄₈ in. long. Bend ring into shape. The lower centre of the ring has a knob. This knob is made out of a piece of ³⁄₄-in. square iron pulled down ¹⁄₄ in. in diameter and ¹⁄₄ in. back from the end. The fullered end makes the pin and should be cut long enough to project through the ring ¹⁄₈ in. to allow for riveting. You have sufficient stock to round up on the edge of the anvil into a ball shape. Drill a hole in the centre of the ring and fit the pin on the end of the knob into the hole in the ring. Rivet tight. The design you see on the ring may be put on with a diamond pointed chisel. The ring is now heated, opened out, and pushed into the hole made in the ring bolt so that it swings easily into place. Two rings of course should be made. The chain fastened from one ring to another is used as a guard against fire. The chain rings are made out of ¹⁄₄-in. square iron which is cut 10 ins. long. Then they are bent square and welded as chain links are usually welded. Notice that the last two links show an opening just wide enough to allow them to be slipped into the rings of the andiron. This completes the set. The finish is made by the indentations left by the peen of the hammer.

On page 369 is shown another pair of andirons. They are made in the same way as the pair just described, splitting it down to form the legs. The wood rests are riveted through the body of the piece, forming a large rivet head in front to hold it in place and at the same time adding to the decoration.

FIRE TOOLS AND STAND: POKER, SHOVEL, TONGS

Fire tools form part of the andiron set and are used for grate fires or open hearth fires of either coal or wood. They are always in evidence in country homes where open fireplaces are still in use. They can be made of brass, iron, or soft steel. If an andiron is in place the fire tools are usually made of the same metal and finished in the same way so as to match.

Poker:

Stock: One piece of ⁷⁄₈-in. round iron or soft steel 8 ins. long (for handle). One piece ¹⁄₂ in. round. One piece 20 ins. long (for rod).

These drawings show a simple design in fire tools. All have handles after the same design, slightly curved, with a ball as an end decoration. The making of the handle is described below, and this method, of course, applies to the making of all the handles of this set.

Handle:

Stock: One piece ⁷⁄₈ in. of round stock fullered down ⁷⁄₈ in. from the end to a thickness of ⁵⁄₈ in. Knock the four corners down and round up into a ball. Five inches from this, fuller the piece to ⁵⁄₈ in. thickness. Draw the piece out any length, keeping the thickness ⁵⁄₈ in. Weld the ¹⁄₂-in. rod to the small end. The extreme end of the poker may be finished in various ways. It is sometimes turned at right angles to the rod. It may be pointed, flattened, etc. The centre of the handle is slightly curved. To do this heat the rod and reduce it, then place it upon the largest part of the horn of the anvil. With the hand hammer, hammer until the thinnest part in the centre measures about ³⁄₄ in. in diameter. In this way the handle is reduced ¹⁄₈ in. at that point, and curved in slightly.

Shovel:

Stock: Handle, ⁷⁄₈ × 8 in. round iron or soft steel. Rod, ¹⁄₂ × 10 ins. long, iron or soft steel. Shovel blades, rectangular piece of No. 20, soft steel, 6 × 9 ins.

Directions: Handle is made in same way as you made the handle of the poker.

Rod: The rod is welded at one end to the handle. The other end is flattened out to be riveted on to the shovel blade. To do this, upset the extreme end of the rod back about 1 in. and about ³⁄₄ in. in diameter. Flatten this out and shape it up as shown by the sketch. Holes are drilled in for ¹⁄₈ in. rivets.

Shovel blade: Cut a paper pattern just the shape of the blade. Mark on the inside of the pattern the width of the edges to be turned up. Place the paper pattern on the metal and cut out the outline with a cold chisel. Now mark off the inside line for the turned up edges. Heat the metal in the forge fire, a little at a time, beginning at the centre part of the round. Bend it upon a round stake, tapping gently with the hammer until the blade is well shaped, according to your design. This size metal will buckle up the same as the copper did. Give as much care in rounding up the iron as you did to the copper. (See copper bowl.) When the piece has taken on the shovel shape place the end of the handle to be riveted on the blade, and mark the holes. Drill and rivet the handle and the blade with ¹⁄₈-in. round head iron rivets. Notice that the shovel blade is not in an exact line with the handle and rod. It forms an angle with them. This bend is made after the riveting is done. Heat the piece where the blade joins the rod and bend it back gently either with the hand or by tapping it with a hammer, keeping the hot part of the shovel, all the time, on the horn of the anvil.