The Daily Alaska empire., 1929-01-22

|tdehvered at the trading post some miles distant. Larry and Jack had had some orgument about the location of the compressor house. They finally decided that since the tunnel was dry and its back solid that they would widen it, just in- side the portal and put the engine and compressor there. This had been done and in addition they had driven a raise from this room to the surface in order to provide an exit for the gases from the ax- haust of the. engine.
 Larry and Jack had both single lacked this room The rock was soft, and they made rapid progress. The job finished they had again turned their attention to the open ing of the quartz deposit The duty of sharpening the steel fell upon Larry who was not so adept in the use of the hammer as was his j partner. He usually had plenty 1 of time to work with Jack after the blacksmithing was done, but after running into quartz he had | to spend more and more time in the shop. The hard quartz dulled the bits rapidly and besides many bits were coming back with their corners clipped off. This necessi- tated reforming the en tire bit Plainly the sharpening was not done right.
 Drills Fail
 Larry worried over this. Be- lieving the steel to be at fault he had made set Of drills from some !; new stock which they had on hand. 1 These drills failed as the others had done. He experimented with 1 the tempering, the hardening and the forging. Still the trouble. per sisted. Finally, in desperation he took his troubles to Nels Ander- son, a neighborlng prospector, whose claim lay two miles down the gulch.4 sg
 Nels was working on his own drills when Larry came up. Fine day" he greeted Larry. "How's the new striker
 Pretty heavy. How is yours, assaying?"
 Not so good. Not so good.p grumbled Nels. She's in and out-mostly out"
 "Nels, l am having trouble mak- ing my drills hold up wish you would give me some help"
 Nels picked up a dull drill from the pile on the floor and handed it to Larry. saying as he did so: q can best help you by watching you sharpen one"
 Larry took the steel, buried it in the fire, heaped the coals around it and began to turp the blower as hard as he. could. .Nels watched l him awhile and then said: tlE Heat Slow
 Don't; heat t too 7 fast. Heat causes the steel to- expand. Heat ing il. too fast expands the out side layers more than it does the inside layers That may cause cracks. It is good business, too. to turn the piece occasionally while heating. That helps to keep] the heating even all around"
 Larry slowed down the blower and listened intently to what Nels said The advice however had come too late. When he with drew the piece the corners of the bit were sizzling white while the body of the drill was only a red dish yellow
 1 Better cut it off," advised Nels. "It is too hot at the corners. and If you finish it alter being heated lthat way the corners will crumble."
 Disgustedly Larry grabbed the hot cutter and held 1t while Nels did the striking. He relocated the bit, this time slowly, turning the steel frequently. When heat ed ito yellow color, he drew it from the fire and forged a new bit. The color gradually faded and it was necessary to reheat again before the bit was formed to his satisfaction. When fin ished, the color was still good red and he proceeded to quench the piece in the tub. Nels caught his arm before it was too late.
 No, man! No!" he cried. Cool it before you harden it. The steel has been strained by the] forging. Let it cool slowly and these strains will work themselves out. Then reheat for the harden. ling"
 Trouble Located
 Larry laid the cooling bit across the top of the forge and after a moments silence said; "I guess ! that has been my trouble. It has sometimes been easy to harden the I steel on the same heat that Il forged it on. I'see now that the steel must be strained by the ham mering it has had Cooling it, quickly doesn't let those strains adjust themselves When the drillI