Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-07-07
Odd Jobs on the Farm.

Editor Green Mountain Freeman IL
promised TO give list and prices of tools
necessary for a farm blacksmith shop, and
as | always intend TO do as | agree, | en-
close you the list all of which can be
bought of the Empire portable forge COM
pany, Cohoes, N. Y. The company will
allow the purchaser to deduct 20 per cent
from this price list if cash accompanies the
order, rs they can be obtained at any hard
ware store for abont the same price: A
No. II forge, without hood. SIG; No. 5
anvil, weight SO pounds. IS; smiths ham
mer, weight 2 1-2 pounds, 81; pair of
tongs, rs cents; cold chisel, so cents;
wise, 3-inch jaw, 81; blacksmiths' drill,
81; No. 33 stock and dies, right and left
hand, cuts from IA to 3.4 inch, Sc; l r.
inch wrench, GO cents, making Il total OF
5000, but with the twenty per cent oil
for cash, which amounts to SS.15, we have
left $500 as the cost of the tools. If one
intends to shoe his horses, add to the fore
going list, shooting hammer, so cents
rasp, 5O cents; pair of pincers, $1.25,
which, if bought of the Empire portable
forge company, will amount to exactly
$34.40, n sum that will seem large to
many; but remember that it is the first
cost, only, that amounts to anything, us
there are no repairs but what person
who can handle the tools can do himself;
and there are many farms on which this
sum would be saved in one year.
With the above list of tools and 100
pounds of coal, costing SO cents, and a
dollars worth of round iron of different
sizes, and few nuts to correspond, cost
ing 10 cents per pound, the farmer is
equipped for doing his own repairing in
the blacksmith line. OF course there will
be some work that he will have to take to
the blacksmith until he becomes familiar
with the handling of tools, which will be
much sooner than he has any idea Of
The farmer will find that much of the
old iron that accumulates on the farm,
instead of being sold for "old from for
almost nothing, can be used to good nd
vantage, such as worn out horse shoes
They are soft iron, and will work up nice
ly into rings, hooks, bolts, bands, etc. Old
scythe backs work up well, also. They
are steel, untempered, and are tough
good for staples, mending small chains,
hooks far gates, small bolts, rivets, etc.
The blacksmith is glad to get hold of an
old scythe back.
1t will be surprising to any one who
will undertake any work of this kind to
see how much can be picked out of old,
cast-away iron that is past its original use,
but will be just the thing for some other
purpose entirely foreign to what it was
first used for.
On many of our farms where there are
several boys, there will be one or more
of them who will be handy with tools,
and such ones ought TO have the tools to
work with. If the father does not feel
able to purchase the necessary tools, just
let him encourage the boys little, and
they will manage some way. Encourage
ment is worth more than money if given
in the right time. They can make their
own FORCES. A small bellows, large
enough for all necessary purposes, can be
bought ut any hardware store, for five or
six dollars, or they can be easily made at
ONE. One of our neighbors made his
own bellows.
The leathcr(horse hide)will not cost over
one dollar. Make the wood part like the
bellows used in blacksmith shop, tack
on the leather, CATER cutting it the right
shape) with large headed tacks; get a
piece of gas pipe at the hardware store or
tin shop or what will answer better yet,
an old box from some buggy wagon that
has been thrown away. 1t being smaller
ut one end, the draft will be stronger; fit
the large end into the bellows. The pipe
must not be over an inch in diameter
where it connects with the fire unless it is
Il large bellows.
forge can be made in this way that
will cost almost nothing: The forge that
l have made, and it has a fan blower;
part of the gearing for it l got out of old
iron at the store; it cost me but 81, beside
my own work of two or three days. The
fan makes 1000 revolutions per minute
and will get up heat sufficient to melt a
piece of wrought iron an inch in diameter
in three minutes. In many respects a
fan blower is better than a bellows. it
makes u continual, steady blaze-iust
what is needed in doing a nice job in weld
ing or tempering steel for tools; but a
bellows will answer for all ordinary pur-
poses.
Every farmer ought to be able, and
think he can be, to make rings, staples
hooks, bands, bolts, rivets, mend chains
shoe his own horses, sharpen harrow
teeth, and do hundred other things in thu
blacksmith line not thought of until want
ed.
Now, Mr.. Editor, " it is no use talking,
unless you talk on our side of the ques
ton. The farmers of Vermont are pro
gressive. They are not going backwards
us is shown in more ways than one. d.
not doubt but that there are hundreds O
farmers in Vermont who would make tn
most skilful machinists. 1t is perfect
natural for Yankee TO handle tool?
10 Il lie
courage our farmers from doing their ow
repairing at home. Haven't you, yourself
(perhaps more in your younger days
seen farmers boys on rainy days hangin
around the grocery or tavern, or som
place where loungers congregate. an
talk of whatP-of almost everything bu
what is refined and elevating. Hence ba
habits are formed in this way among tn
rural community more than in all othe
ways put together; when, if there ha
been a shop and good tools ut home, an
the boys-taught to use them, so as to bt
come interested in them, they would nc
have had desire to 60 to those low place
for amusement. They would always fin
enough to do on rainy days.
There is something fascinating abor
the using of tools, and the changing froI
the dull routine Of the farm often res
one as much as good nap. Why! it
" fun" for a farmer TO use blacksmit
tools ; to see how the red hot iron will
under the quick blows of his hamme
shape itself to any desired form. If DO
is broken, how quickly mended or repla
ed, or if the threads are worn off. iu
clap it into the vise-a few turns of Il
screw plate makes it as good as new G.
a new nut-only few minutes work M
it is done; while, on the other hand, yc
would have to 60 to the blacksmith's, pc
haps several miles away, requiring Il
loss of half day or more to ones Sc
and team, just to get a bolt, the actu
cost of which would not be over 70,
cents. This is not imaginary. 1t occu
every year on every farm where tools a
not at hand.
l remember once, while moving on Il
back part of our farm, nearly half mi
from home, and three miles to the neare
blacksmith's, small bolt in the machil
hroke I could do nothing with the m