The Irish standard., 1888-01-07
AN INDlsPENsABL TOOL
How the Ausur Was Discovered and How
n II Is Manufs ctnrad. ---s15

It Is Manufa ctnred.
The principle OF the augur now n
use all over the world, is said to have
been discovered by accident In 1880.
Benjamin Pugh, an Englishman, while
watching some boys working endeavor-
ing to bore hole in the ground with a
piece Of iron barrel hoop, noticed that
after the hole had been sunken some
distance into the earth, and the pliable
metal of their improvised tool had be-
come heated, it twisted and carried the
dirt up to the surface nicely, and he
could not see why the same principle
should not apply to wood. The inven.
ton of the augur was the result.
The screw-augur was an American in
vention, and was invented about one
hundred years ago by Thomas Garrett,
who lived in the vicinity of Oxford,
Chester County, Pa, where most Of
the black augurs are still made. Most
of the bright tools are made in the East,
but one OF the principal manufacturers
is in Philadelphia. The old-fashioned
pod augur is still used in England and
Germany. The single screw augur is
also an American invention, and was
discovered by accident by Philadel-
phian. Tits the only augur that can
be used to any satisfaction in very hard
woods where the double screw augurs
become clogged.
In the oiden time. and until less than
fifty years ago, the feature Of the
manufacture was the excellence he
could produce III quality, and as nearly
every thing was made by hand, it did
not receive the beautiful polish that at
the present day, adorns the cheaper
and inferior implements In preference
to u polished surface, the inventor and
manufacturers of double twist augurs
made the twist black aud unpublished.
1t thus showed the handworl1 that had
been put upon it, and it is still we'll
known fact that handmade tools are
far superior in quality and workman.
ship to all others. As manufacturing
industries increased, augurs began to
be made with high polish and beauty,
but the consumer soon found they
were Of inferior quality, and would in
quire for the black twist augur, know
inc it to be the old-fashioned, genuine
kind:
Although every one is perfectly
familiar with this commonplace tool,
but comparatively few know the pro-
cess of its manufacture. In making
augurs the iron which forms the main
or spiral part is welded into the steel
of which the tip is made before forg~
ing. The bar then is put under ham
mers and forged into shape. tits then
put into what is called a ''wringing
nnachine'' and twisted up in q rough
shape into the spiral form, after which
it is passed through ''orilnpers' giving
uniformity of twist. The~augurs are
next put through :.straighteners" and
revolved, 2. ma ing them per"
fectly straight :. when they are
ready for putting on the head, which
is the most delicate operation in their
manufacture, and requires the work Of
skilled artisan. They are then sub
jected to % grinding OUT process,
which consists Of putting hem through
two rubber wheels to rough polish the
twist. The s'fitter up then takes hold
of them and s'lightcns'' CT fits the head;
then the filcrs file down and sharpen
the heads, after which they pass through
5he hands Of the po]ishers, where they
are polished and hardened ready for
market end Hardware.