Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-27
MAKING AN Az.
Process Not Quite So Simple ms II
Would Seem.

A Process Not Quite So Simple ms II
! Would Seem.
! From the Albany Journal
| 1t takes only one man to write a poem
or to paint q picture. but before an ordi-
nary woodcutter's ak leaves the workshop
1t must pass through the hands. of forty
| expert worhmep, each of whom does some
thing toward perfectine it. az-7-'-s-+
The raw material comes In from the ca rs
at one end OF the factory, In great, rough
| Iron bars. scaly with red dust. 1t goes at
! once to the FORCES, the mouths Of which
continually spout fountains of sparks. Here
the end for distance Of some feet is heat
ed until it CLOVIS a rich red. It is then
withdrawn by dozen brawny, gr.my-
faced wcrkmen. some times with the help
of tackle, and fed between the rollers of
a worderfni1y Ingenious and compiirat ed
machine. which cuts the bar into double ak
lengths: shapes the metal in the general
form OF two AXIS placed butt to butt. and
flnailv doubles the pieces together around
q mold, which leaves loop at the middle
for the helre hole Next the AK goes to
the CRATE Of a furnace fred with gas, where
it is raised to a. white heat. In this form
1t is carried swiftly to the base of a great
tilt-hammer, which droos down upon 1t
with terrific, force, welding the folds to-
gether in an instant. So bright is it as it
lies under the hammer that it fairly seems
to twinkle.
On leaving the tilt-hammer the AK goes
again to the furnace. where it is heated red
hot Then it is taken in hand by a work
man who rasps its edges with a sharp saw
to take off the fins or Jagged fringes Of
ron which still clings to it. This is high
~ dangerous work. The AK is hot. ard as
the steel of the saw plows through it
stream of red-hot sparks shoot high in the
air. Usually the workman is protected by
means of glass frame in front of his face,
but even this does not always keep off the
particles of hot iron. -s-l-.
Now the iron part of the ak, all of the
hntf and most of the blade is complete
The steel for the knife edge is first heated
at the furnace ard then slammed into the
proper shape by powerful de press
The two parts are now sept to the weld
ing room. A groove is cut ifto the forward
edge of the iron butt, the steel knife edge
carefully inserted, aud after being heated.
the great hammer Yields the two together
In some of the improved shops experiments
with electricity for welding are being made
ard the results thus far presage success
The most important point of the whole
process is the tempering. and it is here
that some manufacturers have been highly
successful and some have failed complete
fy. According to the most improved method
pots of lead suspended over a furnace are
used for heating purposes The steel ak
blade Is Dipped down into, the molten lead
very carefully and when sufficiently hot IT
is instantly removed and thrown into a vat
or cold water. AS soon as it comes out 1t
goes at once to an inspector. who makes
very careful tests to find out whether or
not tho steel is too brittle or not brittle
enough. 1t must also he exactly of the
standard size and weight. The usual way
or testing for temper is to strike the edge
sharply with hammer. If it chips off or
cracks the ak is thrown aside without
further ado and is made over again.
AFTER all the inspectors requirements
nave been met the AXIS so out to the grind
ing room, where half score of specialized
men sit behind swiftly turning grindstones
and smooth" them all over, giving par
edge Next the polishers take the AK in
hand. and after a few minutes of work
with emery and wooden wheels, the i'm
piements assume the shining appearance
which they present in the hardware store
Care must be taken in the use of the
emery wheel not to take the temper out of
the steel blade. Sometimes designs are
painted or etched on the butt of the axes
before they so out of the shipping room.