Farm Mechanics Part 2

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 35.--Grindstone. The speed of a grindstone varies with the diameter of the stone. It should turn just fast enough to keep a flow of water on the upper face surface. If the stone turns too slow the water will run down; if too fast, it will fly off.]

Grindstones should be kept under cover; the best stone will be injured by leaving it in the hot sun. The sun draws the moisture out of the upper side and leaves the lower side damp and soft so that in use the stone soon becomes flat sided. The wet side freezes in winter, which is a disintegrating process.

The best stones, with good care, will become uneven in time. The remedy is to true them with a quarter-inch soft iron round rod used like a lathe tool over an iron rest placed close to the stone on a level with the center of the stone. The rod is held against the stone in such a way as to cut away the high b.u.mps and make the stone truly round. The stone cuts away best when it is dry. A small rod is better than a large rod.

It digs into the stone better and takes out a deeper bite. Large power stones in machine shops are trued up in this way frequently. Farm stones often are neglected until they wabble so badly that it is difficult to grind any tool to an edge. If the grindstone is turned by a belt from an engine the work of truing may be done in a few minutes. If the stone is turned by hand the work of making it round takes longer and requires some muscle, but it pays.

The face of a grindstone should be rounded slightly, and it should be kept so by grinding the tools first on one side of edge of the stone, then on the other, with the cutting edge of the tool crosswise to the face of the stone.

For safety and to prevent a sloppy waste of water the stone should turn away from the operator.

The best way to keep a stone moist is by a trickle of water from an overhead supply. Troughs of water suspended under the stone are unsatisfactory, because the water soon gets thick and unfit for use.

Such troughs are forgotten when the job is done, so that one side of the stone hangs in the water. An overhead supply of water leaks away and no damage is done.

Grindstone frames are best made of wood 3" x 4" thoroughly mortised together and well braced with wooden braces and tied across with plenty of iron rods. A good grindstone frame could be made of angle iron, but manufacturers generally fail in the attempt.

There are good ball-bearing grindstone hangers on the market, both for hand crank stones and for belt use.

The belt is less in the way if it is brought up from below. This is not difficult to do. A grindstone turns slower than any other farm machine so a speed reducing jack may be bolted to the floor at the back of the grindstone a little to one side to escape the drip. This arrangement requires a short belt but it may have the full face width of the pulley as the tight and loose pulleys are on the jack shaft.

_Emery Grinders._--There are small emery wheels made for grinding disks that work quickly and cut an even bevel all around. They are made in pairs and are attached to the ends of a mandrel supported by a metal stand which is bolted to a bench. The same rig is used for sickle grinding and other farm jobs.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 36.--Emery Grinder. The ill.u.s.trations show two kinds of grinding that double emery wheels are especially adapted to. To grind a mowing-machine knife it is necessary to reverse. By placing the rest opposite the center between the two wheels the bevel will be the same on both sides, or edges, of the section.]

BLACKSMITH SHOP

The furniture in a blacksmith shop consists of forge, anvil, half barrel, vise bench, drill press and tool rack. A farm shop also has a heating stove, shave horse, a woodworking bench, a good power driven grindstone and a double emery grinder.

_Forge._--The old-fas.h.i.+oned forge laid up with brick in connection with an old-fas.h.i.+oned chimney is just as popular as ever. The same old tuyer iron receives the air blast from the same old style leather bellows, and there is nothing more satisfactory. But there are modern portable forges, Figure 37, made of iron, that are less artistic, cheaper, take up less room and answer the purpose just about as well. The portable iron forge has a small blower attached to the frame which feeds oxygen into the fire. There are a good many different sizes of portable forges.

Most of them work well up to their advertised capacity.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 37.--Portable Forges. The smaller forge is for light work such as heating rivets for iron bridge construction. The larger forge to the right is meant for blacksmith work.]

Generally, farm forges are not required to develop a great amount of heat. Farmers do but little welding, most of the forge work on the farm being confined to repair work such as heating brace irons, so they may be easily bent into the proper shape, or to soften metal so that holes may be punched through it easily.

Sharpening harrow teeth, drawing out plow points and horseshoeing are about the heaviest forge jobs required in a farm blacksmith shop, so that a medium size forge will answer the purpose.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 38.--Anvil. The only satisfactory anvil is forged out of ingot steel with a power trip-hammer. It should weigh 140 pounds.]

_Anvil._--An anvil should weigh at least 120 pounds; 140 is better. It should be set six feet from the center of the fire to the center of the anvil. It should be placed on a timber the size of the base of the anvil set three feet in the ground. The top of the anvil should be about thirty inches high. Holmstrom's rule is: "Close the fist, stand erect with the arm hanging down. The knuckles should just clear the face of the anvil."

_Bench and Vise._--The vise bench should be made solid and it should face a good light. The bench window should look to the east or north if possible. It should be about four feet high and eight feet long, with the window sill about six inches above the bench.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 39.--(1) Shoeing Tool Box. The four small compartments are for horseshoe nails of different sizes. There may be a leather loop for the paring knife. The low box end is for the shoeing hammer, rasp, nippers and hoof knife. (2) Blacksmith Tool Rack. Tongs, handled punches and cutters are hung on the iron rails. Hammers are thrown on top. The lower platform is the shop catch-all.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 40.--Shoeing Knife. Good temper is the main qualification. All shoeing knives are practically the same shape, although they may vary in size.]

Two and one-half feet is the usual height for a workbench above the floor. The best workbench tops are made by bolting together 2 x 4s with the edges up. Hardwood makes the best bench, but good pine will last for years. The top surface should be planed true and smooth after the nuts are drawn tight.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 41.--Horseshoeing Rasp and Wood Rasp. These are necessary tools in the farm shop.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 42.--Iron Work Bench. Solid is the first specification for an iron shop bench. It should be three feet wide, not less than eight feet long and about 32 inches high. The top is made of 2 x 4s placed on edge and bolted together. The supports are 2 x 6 bolted to the shop studding and braced back to the studding at the sill. The front part of the bench is supported by iron legs made of gas-pipe with threaded f.l.a.n.g.es at top and bottom. Heavy right angle wrought iron lugs are used to fasten the top of the bench to the studding. The foot of the vise leg is let into the floor of the shop or into a solid wooden block sunk in the ground.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 43.--a.s.sortment of Files and Rasps needed in a farm shop. (1) Slim three-cornered handsaw-file. (2) Common three-cornered file suitable for filing a buck-saw. (3) Double-cut, or b.a.s.t.a.r.d, 10-inch flat file. (4) Single-cut, or mill file, either 10 or 12 inches. (5) Half-round 10-inch wood rasp. (6) Horsesh.o.e.r's rasp.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 44.--File Handle. Ba.s.swood makes the most satisfactory file handles. They are fitted by carefully turning them onto the file shank to take the right taper. There should be a handle for each file. The handle should be the right size and fitted straight with the file so the file will take the same angle to the work when turned over.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 45.--Nail Set. On all wooden surfaces to be painted nails should be carefully driven with a round peen nail hammer and the heads sunk about one-eighth of an inch deep with a nail set. The holes may then be filled with putty and covered smoothly with paint.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 46.--Cold-Chisel. There are more flat cold-chisels than all other shapes. They are easily made in the farm shop and it is good practice. They are usually made from octagon steel. Different sizes are needed according to the work in hand. A piece of 5/8" steel 6" long makes a handy cold-chisel for repair work.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 47.--Cape Cold-Chisel. It may be tapered both ways or one way to a cutting edge, or one edge may be rounded.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 48.--(1) Tinner's Punch. Made of octagon steel in sizes to fit the rivets. The cutting end is flat and has sharp edges made by roll filing. It should be about 7" long and from 3/8" to 1/2" in diameter, according to the size of rivet and thickness of sheet metal to be punched. (2) p.r.i.c.k Punch. Usually made rather short and stocky. It may be 1/2" or 5/8" diameter and 4-1/2" to 5" long. (3) Hot-iron Punch.

Made in many sizes and lengths. The taper should be the same as the drawing.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 49.--(1) Blacksmith Vise. The old-fas.h.i.+oned leg vise is the most satisfactory for the blacksmith shop. It should have 5"

jaws. (2) Power Post Drill. Belt power is practical for the post drill in a farm shop. The hand crank may be easily attached when needed.]

The bench vise should be heavy. A vise is used for bending iron hot from the forge. Unless the jaws are large, the hot iron is likely to heat the vise sufficiently to draw the temper. Heavy jaws are solid enough to support the iron when it is being hammered. Often heavy hammers are used for this purpose. A heavy vise holds the work solid, because it may be screwed so much tighter than a light vise. A heavy vise will hold light work, but a light vise will not hold heavy work. Heavy vises cost more, but they are cheaper in the end and more satisfactory at all times. A leg vise with five-inch jaws weighs about sixty pounds; five and one-half-inch jaws, eighty pounds. A machinist's vise is made to bolt on top of the bench. It will answer for blacksmith work on the farm, but is not as good as the old-fas.h.i.+oned leg vise. A machinist's vise is very useful in the garage, but it would hardly be necessary to have two heavy vises. The pipe vise belongs on a separate bench, which may be a plank bracketed against the side of the room.

_Drill-Press._--The most satisfactory drill-press for use on a farm is the upright drill that bolts to a post. There is usually a self feed which may be regulated according to the work. The heavy flywheel keeps the motion steady, and because there is no bench in the way, wagon tires may be suspended from the drill block, so they will hang free and true for drilling. Often long pieces of straight iron are drilled with holes s.p.a.ced certain distances apart. It is easier to pa.s.s them along when they lie flat side down on the drill block. To use a drill properly and safely, the chuck must run true. It is easy to break a drill when it wabbles.

Most drills are made on the twist pattern, and it is something of a trick to grind a twist drill, but anyone can do it if he tackles the job with a determination to do it right. In grinding a twist drill, use a new drill for pattern. Grind the angles the same as the new drill, and be careful to have the point in the center. A little practice will make perfect.

Mechanics will say that no one except an expert should attempt to grind a twist drill, but farmers who are mechanically inclined are the best experts within reach. It is up to a farmer to grind his own drills or use them dull.

In drilling wrought iron either water or oil is required to cool the drill, but cast iron and bra.s.s are drilled dry. Light work such as hoop-iron may be drilled dry, but the cutting edge of the drill will last longer even in light work if the drill is fed with oil or water.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 50.--(1) Electric Drill-Press. A small electric motor is attached to the drill spindle. (2) Tram Points. Two steel points are fitted with thumbscrew clamps to fasten them to a long wooden bar. They are used to scribe circles too large for the compa.s.ses. (3) Ratchet-Brace. Two braces, or bitstocks, are needed. A large brace with a 6" radius for large bits and a small brace with a 3" or 3-1/2" radius for small bits.]

In using drill-presses, some extra attachments come in very handy, such as a screw clamp to hold short pieces of metal. Before starting the drill, a center punch is used to mark the center of the hole to be bored and to start the drill in the right spot.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 51.--Twist-Drills. Round shank for the post drill and square taper shank for brace work. Brace drills are small, 1/4" or less.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 52.--Taper Reamer. Used to enlarge, or true, or taper a hole that has been drilled or punched.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 53.--Another style of Reamer.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 54.--Countersink. This is the old style, blacksmith-made, flat countersink. It will do quick work but not so smooth as the fluted kind.]

In doing particular work, the drill may be re-centered when it starts wrong. This is done with a small round-nosed cold chisel. If the work is not very particular, the drill may be turned a little to one side by slanting the piece to be drilled. This plan is only a makes.h.i.+ft, however, the proper way being to block the work level, so that the drill will meet it perpendicularly. However, by starting carefully, the hole may be bored exactly as required.

_Iron Working Tools._--Forge tools for a farm shop need not be numerous.

Several pairs of tongs, one blacksmith hammer, one sledge, one hardy, one wooden-handled cold chisel, one pair pincers, one paring knife, one shoeing rasp, and one shoeing hammer will do to begin with.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 55.--Machinist's Hammers. A medium weight should be selected for farm repair work. It should be hung so the end of the handle clears half an inch when the face rests flat on the bench.]

Monkey-wrenches come first in the wrench department. The farmer needs three sizes, one may be quite small, say six inches in length, one ten inches, and the other large enough to span a two-inch nut. And there should be an ironclad rule, never use a monkey-wrench for a hammer. For work around plows, cultivators, harvesters, and other farm machines, a case of S wrenches will be greatly appreciated. Manufacturers include wrenches with almost all farm machines, but such wrenches are too cheap to be of much use.