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.
Hoe
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.