Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-01-31
HOW AN AK Is MADE.
They Are Produced at the Rate OF
5000 Per Day.

ufactory. The principal building is
long, low, dingy structure utterly
devoid OF paint or ornament. Not untii
the visitor gets inside and begins TO
take an inventory of his surroundings
does he begin to be impressed by the
greatness of the works. A glance into
the engine-room, whence motive power
is supplied to the various departments,
shows the quantity of machinery TO De
enormous. The engine is simply won
derful, majestic in its movements and
gigantic in its proportions. The fly
wheel is 40 inches in the rim and Is
feet in diameter, supplying continually
q force equal to 400 horse power ana
capable of much more.
As one enters the main workshop
neise equal to that made by score or
more heavy freight trains falls upon the
ear. The place is full Of huge machines,
glowing furnaces and busy laboring
men. But the most notable thing is the
ceaseless clatter that only subsidies IN
one quarter to break out with renewed
force in another. A couple of minutes
of observation, though, demonstrates
the fact that the confusion is apparent
rather than real. The labor progresses
steadily, methodically and orderly. At
one side of the room man is thrustlng
into furnace straight, fiat pieces OF bar
iron, and minute or two later they be-
come perfectly shaped axes, all COM
plete excepting the blade. How is the
metal so suddenly Transformed Let us
see.
The glowing bars leave the furnace
and are taken to powerful and some
what complicated machine. which per-
forms upon them four distinct opera
tons shaping the metal to form the
upper part of the Ak, then the eye, and
then finally doubling the piece over 50
that the whole can be welded together.
A workman stands by, seizing the par
TALLY -fahsioned pieces one after another
with a pair of tongs and hammerlng the
lower edges together. Next the iron is
put in q powerful natural gas furnace
and heated TO white heat. Taken out,
it goes under tilt hammer and is weld
ed together in a second. This done, one
blow from the ''drop" and the poll OF
the AK is completed and firmly welded.
Two crews of men are doing this class of
work, and each crew can make ], 500 axes
per day.
When the AK leaves the drop there is
some superfuons metal still adhering to
the edges and forming what is techni-
cally known as ''fin." To get rid of
this fin the ak is again heated in a fur
mace and then taken in hand by saw
yer, who trims the end and edges. This
operation is most curious and interest
ing. The operator has glass in front
of him to protect his eyes from the
sparks, which fly off by hundreds as the
hot metal is pressed against the rapidly
revolving saw. The iron part Of the OK
is now complete.
The steel for the blade, after being
heated, is cut by machinery and shaped
with q die. 1t is then ready for The
departments. groove is cut
in the edge of the iron, the steele for the
blade inserted and the whole firmly well
ded by machine hammers. Next comes
the operation of tempering. The steel
portion of the ax is heated by being in
serted in pots OF moulten lead, the blade
only being immersed. 1t is then
cooled by dipping in water, and goes to
the hands of the inspector. An AK is
subjected to a good many rigid tests be-
fore it is pronounced perfect. The steel
must be of the required temper, the
weight of all axes of the same size must
be uniform; all must be ground alike
and in various other ways conform TO an
established standard.
Consequently the different inspectors
who pass Judgment ON the ak after each
process, have highly important duty
to perform. The inspector that tests the
quality OF the steel does so by hammer
ing the blade and striking the edge 20
ascertain if it be too brittle or not. An
ax that breaks during the test is thrown |
inside to be made over.
Before the material of an ak is in the |
proper shape it has been heated five
times, including the tempering process,
and the AK when finished has passed /
through the hands of about 40 workmen,
each of whom has done something |
toward perfecting it. The English /
am told, have very differ
emit method of making axes. There one
operative begins the job, puts the metal
through all the intermediate processes
and finishes the tool himself. Division
Of labor and improved machinery give
the American manufacturer great adj
vantages. Axes are exported from this
country in large quantities.
The ak, with the iron and steel work
finished, goes to the grinding depart
ment. Here about fifty huge grind
stones, turned by steam power, are ar
ranged in rows along the two sides of
the room. The workman runs wooden
handle through the eye of the ax, holds
the tool upon the stone, and how the
sparks fly He grinds the poll on the
sides, ends and edges, until each is per-
iectly smooth, and then turns his atten-
ion to the blade, upon which he puts a
inc sharp edge. When the grinding
S done the axes go to the polishing de
oartment, and are applied to emery
wheels until they shine all over like
silver. The side of a bright new ak
would make no mean substitute for q
mirror. Next the name of the manu-
acturer or selling agent is stampedu upon
he head of the AK by sort of steel en-
yraviuU nrooass