The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-02-15
bow Axe.. ars Made.

formed from the better grades of iron.
flour reader viii now imagine himself
to be with us in our late visits to one Of
the largest ak manufactures in the coun-
try, that Of Messrs Weed, Becker & Co,
in Cohoes, n ", we win endeavor to lead
him through the many workshops Of the.
establishment. and thus trace the making
of the ak from its 6-st reception in the
shape Of bar iron and steel to its final
packing in finished form, and its shipping
to the trade.
The iron portion Of the head is cast in
mould, but its shape is far from resem-
bling that which il win attain when finish
ed. The eye, in which the handle is inserted
is there, but instead of the metal tapering
off to an edge it is formed in two branches,
so that the casting is, in fact, an Ak, split
from its edge to the eye. As we enter
the foundry, a large number Of these rough
pieces are being removed from the TASKS;
beside them lie the pieces of steel which
are to form the edges, SO that the process
we are about to witness is the welding to-
gether Of these two portions and the first
shaping Of the tool A smith seizes one
Of the iron castings with his pinch
ers, heats it in the FIRE, and holding it I'M
der powerful trip-hammer YIELDS the
separated edges together. He then passes
it to another workman, who again heats
the piece TO redness and then fits to the
edge the Bit or piece of steel in the side
Of which groove is cut. Another heat
ing takes place, more hammering with the
trip hammer and by hand, and the shape
is complete, both steel and iron being
firmly welded together. The edge is now
rounded, snoothed, fattened and the ak Is
placed under swage die from which it
receives its peculiar rounded or convex
form This is all termed the '.cutting
process and, as nothing more can be seen
in this workshop except perhaps the DIFF
ferent manipulations necessary to form the
axes Of varied shapes, We pass to another
smithy where the holes or eyes for the
handles. which the previous hammering
has nearly closed, are opened and made
into proper shape, and where the head or
butt end Of the AK is hammered square
and even This is done by heating and
pressing on fiat stones, 50 that, when fin
ished, the tool is perfectly true and square
at all its angles
We next passed to room containing
several large grindstones, which, kept con-
stantly wet, are in rapid revolution. Here
the ak is smoothed and the roughness and
scale on its surface removed by pressing
against the stones. This completed, we
follow the tool to the tempcrer. Each
workman stands before small coal fire,
which is contained in very narrow though
long CRATE Above the hot Goals are bars
on which the axes rest while being heated.
Taking each tool separately, the temperer
heats it to redness, and then suddenly
plunges itinto pickle of brine and then in
to tub Of cool water to wash of the salt
which adhefes. In this condition the AK is
entensely hard the metal is crystalized
and brittle, so that il would probably snap
in pieces at the first blow. II is necessary,
therefore, to draw this temper, and the
process is one involving considerable skin
on the part Of the operative. The AK is
again placed over the Goals, aud as we
watch it we notice its color change from
white to straw color, and finally to what is
termed pigeon blue, when it IL suddenly
plunged in the cold water, and the tenn
pering is complete.
The ak is now ready to be ground, and
in order to witness the process, We pass
through dense cloud Of dust into the
grinding room. Here are forty immense
grindstones driven at a fearful rate Of
speed Above each stone is the saddle or
piece of wood, one end of which is fastened
to the frame of the grindstone, while the
other is held up by a strap suspended from
the roof Across this saddle sits the
grinder, who inserts the ak under the end
or pommcl of the saddle and bears it down
with his whole weight against the stone.
The labor requires considerable practice
and no small degree of skill, as it is alb
solutsly necessary that every tool should be
gound perfectly even at all portions The
men engaged at this work were mostly
French Canadians. We we're informed
that all were more or less unhealthy, and
that it is common for them to die Of con-
sumption after few years labor as grin
ders The air is filed with particles Of
metal and grit which they constantly in
hale; this irritates the lungs and eveDtu-
ally causes acute disease. Polishing Is
the next process, and is performed on
wheels covered with emery and oil. Each
ak, after having gone through this oper-
alton, shines like polished silver. Inspec-
tion Of the most rigid kind follows. We
find workman sitting before small an
vii, taking up the axes, ono at time, and
tapping them with his hammer. Nothing
passes his observation. Au ak, which ap-
pears to us perfectly sound at every point,
rests on his anvil. A blow or two with
the hammer and his quick ear detects a
difference in sound. Picking up the axe,
he dashes il against the anvil, away dies a
corner Of its edge, proving that the temper
was unequal Another Is thrown aside
for minute, almost impereeptibls, crack.
A third v;olJo ~, No. All, .. ~ a.