Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-10-09
Making an Ar.

Ii takes only one man To write poem
or TO paint picture, but before an ordi-
nary woodcuIier's AK leaves the workshop
it must pass through the hands of forty
expert workmeu, each OF whom does
something toward perlecling it.
The raw material comes in from the
cars al one end of the factory, in great,
rough iron bars, scaly with red dust. 1t
goes at once To the forges. the mouths Of
which continually spout fountains OF
sparks. Here the end for distance of
some feet is heated until it glows rich
red. 1t is then Withdrawn by a dozen
brawny, grinIy-faced woTkmen. sometimes
with the help IF II tackle, and fed between
the rollers of wonderfully ingenious aud
complicated machine, which cuts the bar
into double AK lengths, shapes the metal
in the general form Of two axs placed butt
to butt, and finally doubles the pieces to
gether around mold which leaves loop
at The middle for The helve hole. Mex
the ax goes to the CRATE of Il furnace fired
with gas, where it is raised TO a white
heat. la this form it is carried swiftl,
to the base OF great llI-hammer, which
press down upon it with terrific force, weld
ing the folds together in an instant. 5"
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 ii is heated
red hot. Then it is taken in hand by
workman who rasps its edges with sharr
saw to take off The fins or Jagged fringe
of iron which still cling to it. This j,
highly dangerous work. The AK is hot,
and as the steel Of the saw pIows through
il a stream Of red hot sparks shoot high
in the air. Usually the workman is pro-
tecled by means Of a glass frame in front
of his face, but even this does not always
keep off the particles of not iron.
Now the iron part of the ak, all of the
butt and most of the blade, is complete
The steel for the knife edge is first heated
at the furnace aud then stamped into the
proper shape by powerful die press.
The two paris are now sent to the weld
ing room. 4 groove is cut into the for
ward edge of the iron butr, the steel knife
edge carefully inserted and, after being
heated, the great hammer YIELDS the two
together. la some Of the improved shops
experiments with electricity for welding
are heiug made and the results thus far
presage success.
The most important point Of the whole
prncess is the remperng. aud it is here
that some manufacturers have been high
ly successful aud some have tailed com
pIeIely. According ln the most improv-
Ell method pots Of lead suspended over =
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 aud
thrown into vat of cold water. A.
snGn ss it comes out II goes at once TO an
inspector, who makes very careful test
To tind out whether the steel is too brittle
or not brittle enough. 1t must also be
exactly OF the standard size aud weight
The usua! way OF testing Tor temper is To
strike the edge sharply with a hammer.
Ii it chips of or cracks the AK Is thrown
aside without further ado aud is made
over again.
After all the inspectors requirements
have been met the AK goes out to the
grinding room where half score of spec.
lacled men sit behind swiftly turning
griudslones and smooth them all over,
giving particular attention, Of course, TO
the knife edge. Next The polishers take
the AK in baud, ard after few minules
of work with emery and wooden wheels.
he implements assume the shining APP
pearauce which they present in hard
ware store. Care must be taken in The
use OF The emery wheel not 10 take the
temper out of the Steel blade. Some
times designs are painted or etched on he
but Of the axes before they 60 out Of The
shipping room.
Rupture cured at Home.
IL - II ---- l.