He is welding large iron frog-points, and in the interval he is filling a hurried order for four dozen track-chisels for which the trackmen are waiting. He is not merely forging the chisels, he is hardening and tempering them. The glare of the welding-work makes him color-blind, the hurry gives him no time for manipulation, and the trackmen have no chisels.
After a thorough expression of sympathy for the smith the steel-maker turns upon the foreman and master mechanic, and gives them such a tongue-lashing that they turn away silenced and ashamed.
Page after page of such cases could be written, but one should be enough.
A steel-maker has a thoroughly skilled and expert steel-worker; he rushes into the shop and says, “Mike, refine this right away, please; I want to know what it is.”
Mike replies, “I will do that to-morrow; I am welding to-day.”
That is entirely satisfactory; those men understand one another, and they know a little something about their business.
A temperer should do no other work when he is heating for hardening, and he should always be allowed to use as much time about it as he pleases, assuming that he is a decently honest man who prefers good work to bad; and as a rule such honest men are in the majority, if they are given a fair chance.
IX.
ON THE SURFACE.
The condition of the surface of steel has much to do with its successful hardening and working.
A slight film adherent to the surface of steel will prevent its hardening properly; the steel may harden under such a film and not be hard upon the immediate surface, and, as in almost every case a hard, strong surface is necessary to good work, it is important that a piece of steel to harden well should have a clean surface of sound steel.