The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-27
BOXING A cAssoS.
The Biting BIZ Stands stin While the TREAT
Mass of steel Turns.

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@. II. Muller. in October St Nicholas.
At last the cannon is turned down, and IS
ready TO be bored inside. In this operation
it must be bored so straight and true mat
the boring tool entering at the exactcenter
of the small end of the cannon, VIII come
out precisely at the center of the largo end.
seventeen feet away. Those OF you VINO
have tried to bore a straight hole length wise
through even a short bit of wood VIII ki2ow
that this work requires not a little
and care.
when any of you boys have a job of bos-
ing to do at your work bench, you make
fast the article to be bored and turn the
boring tool 1t is just the other way I'm
boring a canon. The boring tool, or bit,
is held firm and motionless. while the great
mass of steel to be bored turns around.
the bit" 1t would be almost impossible
to make this bit firm and solid enough to-
do its difficult work. and yet yet free ."
turn around in the cannon So If you bad
work was begun. you would have seen that
the bit was motlonless. except Tor q slow
advance in the gun.
The bit attends strictly to business, and
Most Of you have been to the country and
seen a pig roofing in the ground.
Imagine, then. the pig to be standing still
and the ground TO be slowly passing under
the pigs snout and being rooted" n
you will have a case much like that OF tire
bit and the cannon. In fact. the boring.
tool is called n "hog-nosedr bit, and itroote
mp that cannon as fit enjoyed the opera
ton. No long, graceful curls come from
this boring, bnt small. crisp shaw
ings that are removed as fast
as they accumulate. in order that the bor-
ing-toOl's work shall not be interfered with.
The bit is going into the steel at the rate of
t~hree-eighths of an inch for every turn of
the cannon, and it is making q round hole
almost large enough for a boy to put his
read in-five and three-quarters inches IN
:~---k ~a.I hsln npoxre 1Ao1ar
the heavy bar on which the bit is fastened
advances into the cannon steadily, moved
by a number of wheels and screws that
form part OF the lathe.
Unjust not lose sight of the shavilgs, the
little ones that come from the inside, and
the long. spirally twisted ones hat are
turned from the outside of the cannon. A
military-looking man standing near the
or trimmings. either. You can see him in
the picture. This mans business is to care
fully inspect the bOrings and trimmings
That is what he is paid to do. Uncle Sam
salary. The cannon is being made for
Uncle Sam. and he intends 10 find
out all its qualities, whether good or bad.
So the man eyes the borings carefully.
will cut q thin shaving from a bit of wood.
it will show any little flaw existing in the
wood from which it was sliced The tiniesf
knothole or crack will show in the shaving
So it is with a cannou's shaving. 1t is a
dreadful teIltale, and the fault-fnding
man beside the gun knows this perfectly
we'll. He examines the spiral turning. or
the little piece of boring, Gnx hnds no evil
dence of a flaw or crack. Tho long spiral
strip is as smooth as glass, and as glossy as
your sisters curls.
Into the solid steel the hogAnosed bit
roots it's way, until it is in so Ear that a
little electric light must bear it company,
to show the workmen how matters are pro-
gre ssing in the heart OF the nno After
eighteen days steady boring. the bit lets
daylight into the bore of the cannon by
emerging at the other Tor larger) end, seven
teen feet away. r