The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-02-18
How Axes are Made.

The materials used in the production Of
axes are iron, steel, coal, borax, grindstones,
emery and glue Formerly foreign mate
rial exclusively was used, but now every
thing is American except the grindstones
and the material of which the emery is
made. Let us follow piece of rough iron
through the various processes until it
emerges a finely polished AK.
First, the iron 2lx3 inch is placed be-
tween large shears and junked up into
proper lengths. Each piece is called a
pattern, two of which are worked together
One lies in the furnace heating while the
other is worked by the forger. The pat
tern at white heat, is taken to trip ham
mer, furnished with suitable dies, where
the ends are drawn and plated, so that when
brought together the eye is formed, a sec
ton 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 to-
gether, 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 "a trip hammer and weld
ed solid below the eye, forming what is
termed tbs poll Two men make the polls;
m fact, tiEis- Il tisc custom all the way
through, each gang performing a certain
part of the work. The poll is taken to the
bitt-trimmer, where it is trimmed IN 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 the poll, the edges
coming up on either side The steel is
well supplied with ground borax, without
which union of the iron aud 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 begins to look ike an axe.
At the next heating the axe Is taken to
another hammer, where the steele is con-
densed 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 fur
mace, 50 that the head viii heat while the
bitt remains comparatively cool When hot
the head is spared under another hammer,
the eye perfected. and the axe finally
straightened We now have a perfect 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 fire until the
temper is reduced to the required point,
which Is known BY the color of the metal,
and again submerged in water. The next
process is the grinding, which Is done on
two large revolving stones, one weighing
three. and the other one and a half tons.
4 stone Of the latter size Is used up in
twelve days. An the imperfeetions are
ground out, the axe turned and edged.
Next il goes to the polishing room, where
il Is polished on an emery wheel until 1t
becomes a. bright as mirror. Here the
axes are weighed, stamped and bronzed or
painted, when perfect axe Is made and
ready for packing. Some are not polished,
bu, are taken from the grindstones and
painted black al over