The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1882-04-22
HOW AXES ARE MADE.

Inc New England Manufacturer gives
an account of the production of an Amer.
lean tool which has become worldwide
in reputation.
The y aterials used in the production
OF axes are iron, steel, coal, borax, grind
stones, emery and glue. Formerly for
elgn material exclusively was used, but
now everything is American except the
grindstones and the material of which
the emery is made. Let us follow a piece
OF rough iron through the various pro.
cesses until it emerges a finely polished
axe.
First, bar iron 2axa inch is placed
between large shears and junked up into
proper lengths. Each piece is called
pattern, two of which are worked to.
gether. One lies in the furnace heating
while the other is worked by the forger.
The pattern, at white heat, is taken to
trip hammer furnished with suitable
dies where the ends are drawn and pla-
ted, so that when brought together the
eye is formed, section in the middle
being left to form the head of the axe.
the pattern being drawn is now turned,
SO as to bring the ends together, slug
being placed between the ends to give
greater thickness below the eye of the
axe. When at welding heat the pattern
is taken to trip hammer and welded
solid below the eye, forming what is
termed the poll. Two men make the
polls; in fact this is the custom all the
way through, each gang performing
certain part of the work. The poll is
taken to the bit-trimmer, where it is
trimmed to the required form. 1t is now
ready for the steel.
The steel which forms the edge of the
axe comes in bars, and is cut up and pre-.
pared by having the edges turned up.
The steel is now placed on to the poll,
the edges coming up on either side. The
steel is we'll supplied with ground borax,
without which union of the iron and
steel cannot be had. After heating it
goes to another trip hammer, the iron
and steel are firmly welded and the bitt
drawn. At this point the material be-
gins to look like an axe At the next
heating the axe is taken to another ham,
mer, where the steel is condensed and
refined in the most thorough manner;
then to another hammer, where the iron
from the eye down to the steel is swaged.
The axe is placed in another furnace, so
that the head will heat while the bit re-
mains comparatively cool. When hot
the head is squared under another ham
mer, the eye perfected, and the axe fin
ally Strengthened. We now have per-
feet axe in the rough.
The next operation is the tempering
The axes are slowly and evenly heated,
when they are plunged into brine, which
makes them as hard and brittle as glass.
Again they are placed over a fire until
the temper is reduced to the required
point, which is known by the color of
the metal, and submerged in water. The
next process IS the grinding, which is
done on two large revolving stones, the
one weighing three, and the other one
and half tons. A stone of the latter
size is used up in twelve days. All the
imperfections are ground out, the axe
turned and edged. Next it goes to the
polishing-room, where it is polished on
an emery wheel until it becomes as bright
as a mirror. Here the axes are weighed
stamped and bronzed or painted, when a
perfect axe is made and ready for pack
ing. Some are not polished but are
taken from the grindstone and painted
black all over. The class preferred by