The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-12-17
Editorial Correspondence.

Hartford, CT, Dec 4, 1916,
AS stated in my last, arrived here on Saturday
last. On Monday went to Collinsvile, located in
the town of Canton, Is miles from Hartford, in q
northeasterly direction Here found the most per-
feet economy in machinery for the manufacturing
of axes and other edge tools that have any where
One year ago last month, was in New Ha-
ven VT, at the axe making establishment of Messrs
Brooks, and learning that the young man forged
twenty axes per day, as a rule, and the journeyman
SIXTEEN thought this advance over the old fashion
ed days work of making sir axes per day worth
noticing, and accordingly sent statement home for
publication. In May last l was at the establish
ment of Messrs Simmons & Co., located in Cohoes,
N Y, and there seeing such an advance on the New
Haven,factory,I made mention of that improvement.
AT Cohoes, the makers turned the polls heads,
las blacksmiths call it and forged thirty axes per
daylight hours to the day. AT Collinsville, the
axe heads are punched, instead of being turned
The bar from which the common choppng axe is
made, is of good quality of iron, the bar three or
three and half inches wide to one inch and an
eighth thick and being heated a suitable portion is
guaged and clipped off,-placed between two short
punches, inserted in stationary and one movable
cast iron block when the shaft is permitted to play,
and the punches very nearly meet One motion ac-
complishes this. An eye-pin, with handle suffc-
iently long to be managed with the HANDY is nextap
piled. One motion presses this pin through. Anoth-
er motion gives form to the cheeks, &c.-all the
movements are made by cam operation, being from
five to six to prepare the upper part Of the axe for
finishing. These movements are all easy, and the
geering arranged that the operator governs them
by foot-treade. AS will readily be SEEM this op-
Grafton must be an improvement on the old pan,but
now generally adopted, Of hammering the checks
and turning the polls
Another improvement observed at the Collins
manufactory was the planning or shaving of the axe
instead of grinding it, This method is cheaper than
grinding and is not injurious to the health of the
operatives. While there, was told that no tool
grinder, who commenced a dozen years ago,and had
steadily pursued that business, was now living.
was informed that young man recently died, who
previous to his death, requested his companions to
witness the examination of his lungs after his de-
cease, that they might learn wisdom and avoid a
similar fate. Some Of them attended, and one OF
them told nae that large portion OF his lungs were
filed with grindstone dust, impregnated with iron
rust. The plan, then, of planning the axes, must be
valuable in the prevention Of premature DEATH and
since less time is required to plane than to grind
them and the expense otherwise less, there seems
to be triple advantage in the invention. The plan
of operating is, to secure the in frame, which
moves at such speed the operator may DESIRE hor-
jzontally and longitudinay; the shaving being COM
menccd at the highest part of the top surface, and
the knife pressed down as it advances towards the
head or edge. to prepare the for finishing.
In this way many tons Of scraps Of first quality may
be saved, which furnishes another, though small
item, in the benefits of the discovery.
Another improvement will mention~the plan of
tempering edge tools. When ready for tempering,
the axes are suspended on hooks attached to a
wheel (having rotary motion) placed in heating
oven, which wheel revolves until the axes are so
heated that the color is what is generally termed
dark cherry red As the axes pass to the opcnngo OF
the oven, they are transferred to another wheel,
which moves horizontally in a tub of brine, where
they remain suspended on the hooks until they be-
come pretty thoroughly cooled. The next process
is to transfer such numbers as Desirable O6 dozen
being the usual batch,) to another oven. Here the
axes were suspended on hooks, 1872 in number, and
the wheel reyolves in heated air until the thermon-
eter indicates the right heat of the axes for cooling
From two hours to two and half are occupied in
drawing the temper To the right point, averaging