Practical forging and art smithing

by Thomas F. Googerty

The handle is a movable one, and the drawing is shown in [Figure 36]. The different steps in making the handle are represented in [Figure 37]. When the stock, which should be soft steel, is cut, the ends are heated and drawn out tapering to ³⁄₁₆ inch at the end. One-and-a-half inches from each end of the bar is marked with a center punch. The ends are now bent over ¼ inch, then the bar is bent at the center marks. When the handle is formed to fit the plate it is smoothed with a file. If desired, a line can be chased on the handle and around the edge of plate. In doing this a short, light chisel is used. After lines are traced on the plate with a slate pencil the chisel is set on the line and struck with a light hammer; at the same time it is drawn towards the worker with the lead corner of the cutting edge directly on and above the line.

Fig. 38.

The chisel should receive rapid, light blows and be continually moved toward the workman. The lead corner of the chisel should be guided onto the line while the other corner is doing the cutting. See [Figure 38], a rather large sized drawing of the cutting edge of the chisel. When the lines are chased with the chisel, they should be gone over again with quite hard blows of the hammer, forcing the chisel down to make the lines quite pronounced.

To put the handle in place on the plate, it is heated and sprung into the holes of the lugs. The last thing to do in finishing all work of this kind is to heat it to a dark red. All scale and dirt is then scraped off; when cool, some oil is put on. For this kind of work, machine oil is good. The reason it is heated to a dark, even red heat is that when cool the handle and the plate will have the same color and texture.

Fig. 39.

Exercise No. 8.

In [Figure 39] are shown some hinges, latches and door knockers. [Figure 40] is a drawing of a simple knocker. The plate is cut out and the line around the edge is chased with a tool. The chasing tool is simply a cold chisel ground to a short bevel and rounded somewhat like a fuller, as shown in [Figure 41]. A short chisel is used for cold work and a longer one for hot work. The chasing can be done while the metal is cold. If it is to be very deep or wide the plate is heated and a longer chisel is used. The lug at [Figure 42] is made and riveted into the plate. The top of the hammer is filed to straddle it. A hole is then drilled and a rivet put thru. Holes are drilled around the edge of the plate for screws or nails.