Practical forging and art smithing

by Thomas F. Googerty

CHAPTER III.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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].

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.

Fig. 51. Fig. 52.

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.

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.

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].

Fig. 58.

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].

Fig. 64. Fig. 65.