The Library of Work and Play: Working in Metals

by Charles Conrad Sleffel

HOW TO MAKE A STAKE PIN

Stake pins are used for holding ropes in place, such as those on tents, etc.

Material: ¹⁄₂ in. round × 18 ins. long of wrought iron.

Tool: Hand hammer.

Stake Pin

Directions: This sketch is made full size and it shows a round stake pin with a four-sided tapering end about 3 ins. long. Place one end of the bar of iron into the fire. It should be placed so that the iron will be parallel to the bottom of the hearth.

All the heating done for this kind of work must be done in a reducing fire. There are two kinds of fires, the oxidizing fire and the reducing fire. The oxidizing fire is one where the quantity of air blown in is not all consumed by the fire. There is an excess of air and an oxide is formed on the iron. This prevents it from heating sufficiently. The reducing fire is one where the blast is in proportion to the consuming power of the fire—that is, just enough air is blown in to be used up by the fire.

The greater the temperature the more coal and likewise the more blast required. So that a temperature of 2500° Fahrenheit can be easily gotten on an ordinary forge fire. While the iron is heating it should be drawn out of the forge fire once in a while to be examined. When it has reached a white heat, not sparkling, place it on the anvil, and with a hand hammer begin at the end and drive it into shape according to your sketch. Hammer this until the iron begins to darken. Place it again in the fire and repeat as before until the thing is finished. A piece of iron may be heated a dozen times while working it into shape. All depends upon the skill and experience of the worker.

You will probably learn in this problem that metal will burn in this high temperature the same as a piece of wood and very much quicker. It does not smoulder like wood; it just melts away. It would be well to have the point of the iron stake melt or burn off in this particular case so that you can learn all about the heating, melting, and burning of iron. The fine point on the stake is made by keeping the metal on the extreme outer edge of the anvil, so that the outer half of the hammer face will project over the anvil edge, thus reducing any metal between the two into a very small space. (See [position of hand hammer] in the article on tools.)