The Northern Pacific farmer., 1884-02-07
STEEL BAKED AND PICKLED
Strange Sights and Sounds In the
Bit Factories of Connecticut

are in Connecticut, and here in tho town
of Chest r, within radius of two miles
can be tound no less than six of these
eleven. The visitor here is sure to have
his curiosity aroused by the din of many
trip hammers. On visiting one of the
factories he will first enter the forging
room on the ground floor, where busy
and curious spectacle is presented. His
sense of hearing at once become useless,
as the clatter and clang of a multiplicity
of heavy running machinery makes con-
versation impossible except for man of
strong lung power. From the ceiling
are suspended long rows of
heavy shafting filed with driving pull
leys from six inches to as many feet in
diameter. Instead of a floor the visitor
walks on clay, packed as hard aud
smooth as cement, and on which are
carelessly thrown in heaps tons and tons
of red-hot bits. He sees long bars of
cold steel placed between strong shears,
which cut them into appropriate lengths
as easily and quickly as lady would cut
a piece Of string with her scissors. Here
a line of sturdy men stand beside glow
ing forges in which these bars of steel
are placed until they are heated to
white heat. when they are Immediately
put under trip hammers, which striking
hundreds of blows in a minute, hammer
the bars flat on one end. round i'll the
The bit has now started into existence,
and is called in this form "plate." It
is next passed to the crimpers, who again
heat it to whiteness and run it th1 ough
machines which twist the fiat end into
a "pod." or spiral Of beautiful reg eularity.
The "swedgers" seize it now, and again
under the influence of the blowpipe the
steel is soon red hot, when one blow
from powerful drop fashions the square
end into shank properly beveled for
the bit brace; again it is heated and
passed under another drop which stamps
on its shank figure telling the size of
the hole it will bore when finished.
Once more it endures the fiery ordeal,
and, glowing red, passes through the
heading presses, which, with hug and
squeese, crush two inches of the twisted
end into mass in which you family
discern tho point spurs and cutting edges
of the future bit. It is next carried into
the annealing room, where, with thou
sands of others, it is buried beneath
heaps of charcoal and thoroughly baked
until the steel is woll softened or an
nealed. Next it is picked for several
hours in watts containing a strong solution
Of sui phuric acid, which eats off all the
scale left by the many previous heatings
in the iorges.
The bit now passes into the machine
out all sup>rfluous stock in the head,
forming and cutting edges. The milling
machine cuts the point smoothly to the
correct level, ready for the screw to be
made upon it. The leveling machine
smooths the bottom of the blades, the
facing. back machine cuts the edges of
the blades straight, the screw-cutting
machine forms the threads on the point,
and the sizing machine cuts the boring
end to the exact diameter required. And
still the bit is but half made.
You pass into another departm ent,
and there you see long rows of skilled
mechanics seated upon high stools, each
man having in front of him a heap of
bits and O lot of files of various sizes and
forms, known as *.square," round"
"fat,'' :half-round,'' "humpback,"
''ground off," and "feather edge" and
each of these is used in turn to form and
smooth the various parts and cutting
surfaces of the bit. The sQueaking Of a
hundred files of almost as many sizes
and shapes fills the air with shrilf notes
and sets your teeth on edge,
You pause for moment to watch a
couple Of men, who, seated in front of
tiny forges, are heating the bits to a
cherry red color and then dipping them
in dishes of oil and water. Youlearn that
they are tempering them to the proper
1noreo of hard nesa FIR 5crtfinr s:Vo,1
also learn that although they can control
the temper of the. steel, they cannot
control tleir own-when they burn
their fingers. -
You now open door lettereds !" Polish
ing Room" and start back 1T the scene
which meets your gaxe. Asliving re-
production of Dante's dream is before
you. Men with faces zblackened : by
charcoal dust and emery stand in long
rows, while q sheet of fire five or six
feet long plays from the hand Of each,
lighting IN their blackened features and
making them look like sYerit1bie de-
mons. Each man holds in his hand as
Bit and presses it upon the pol fishing 4
wheel, which makes many thousahu rev.. q
olufions in minute, causing by it's /
friction great sheet Of sparks to fly out
in front Of the operator. You behold
the many difFerent processes OF finishing
the bits until at last they look as bright:
asiburnished silver. szs5s 30
In the packing room many men ara]
tle fInished and "a
few inspectors ares examinin 1hennsNikll
manifyllg asses 10 see itl they can do
tect any scratches that haYe been left shy
the pDfdthe Here allo le bib atel
eofted tnto the. .iirst econfI