Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1886-05-08
SHARPENING DRILLS.
Practical Information for Miners
as 20 How 10 should be Done.

Miners all over Nevada are obliged by
their situation to do their own drill sharp
epipg, and while there are many who are
rood sharpeners and temperers, there are
many more who are not. Probably very
few undertand the philosophy of working
steel, and many will be glad to obtain
some aid in the way Of information as to
how il should be done. The Iron Trade
Review gives a few directions which are
worth preserving. II saws:
To work steel never heat above q light
cherry red for hammering, then hammer
light and quick until nearly black, al this
improves the steel and will make tools that
will do more than double the work than if
not 40 treated. The hardness of steel is
governed entirely by the heat when it il
dipped in water; for instance a piece of steel
djpped at q bright cherry color and drawn
TO a straw will be very much, harder than a
piece heated to q dark cherry red and then
dipped and drawn to a straw. Try il.
The forging, hardening and tempering of
steel is an art that but few understand, as
its knowledge is only gained by experience,
and but few ever give its secrets, to others;
vet in a few words l will try to give the
principal elements to workers Of steel,
which, Il followed, will save you many
losses, and give you q reputation for work
ing steel that will insure you good and
seryiceable tools, as we'll as increase your
gains.
Please remember that the heat at which
steel is worked and hardend are two Of the
vital elements to produce good and serv-
iceable tools. If heated above a light
cherry red some of the vitality of the steel
is destroyed, and it would in heating too
many times return to iron. II too hot
when hardening, il would fly to pieces. de-
stroying your labor and steel, as well as
give you a poor reputation.
Remember also to hammer your work
lightly at q low heat, as this improves
drills and edge tools most wonderfully, also
take iss few heats as possible, as overhead
ing and too frequent heating reduces the
steel to iron by destroying the carbon.
To harden drills, always dip them slowly
to the depth desired i'll as near a vertical
line as you can by the eye, then move
in a circular position until cold, but never
any deeper in the water than first dipped,
as this prevents them from cracking, which
lneS "ouiu 10 iiheiy W uo ii n0Iu pei
fectly still and the water formed
a line around them. Do not change
the water in which you temper, but as it
wastes fill up the tank. If you are obliged
to use fresh water always heat a peice Of
iron to put into it and bring it to such
warmth as is p%erceptible to the hand, as
steel is liable to crack when dipped in cold
water. When you have heated your
article to be tempered take it from the ire
and examine il to see if any flaws are OBJ
servable in the steel, as this will prevent
your having poor pieces of steel laid to
your carelessness in hardening. In cut
ting up steel a thin, sharp chisel should
be used, as a blunt one is liable to splinter
or crack the bar. which will not be seen
until it is tempered, when the labor is lost
with the steel.