The wideness of the twist, or the angular direction of the fibres, will enable the most uninitiated to recognise a barrel made from threepenny skelp iron: the very few welds required, is one cause of the cheapness of barrels made from it. Judgment may be formed of it from the following [representation].
Twopenny, or Wednesbury skelp is coarser in the spiral still, and running so angular as not to be very difficult to detect.
All iron formed in spirals, as a matter of certainty, forms twist barrels—the parties whose use they are intended for, seldom know or care for anything further than having “a twist barrelled gun.” The advantage of sham damn iron being twisted is all imaginary: if used at all, it may be twisted; but those who value their safety would consult it best by tying a large stone to such a gun and sinking it fathoms deep. But to satisfy those who may fancy such things, I give a [woodcut] of the spiral ready for welding.
The spirals being thus formed, the welders commence their day’s work. The batch consists of a foreman, one on whose skill all depends, and two subordinates, whose duty it is to blow the bellows, strike, &c.