Forging (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Forging

The art of blacksmithing is an ancient one and for centuries, probably, was the only metal-working profession. With the development of the method of casting iron, the cheapness of this useful process brought about a wider adoption of cast-iron forms than was justified by the fragile nature of the castings used. In later years the fields of usefulness of the two types of metal work have been very definitely fixed by the requirements of construction, the element of tensile strength, and the expansion of the methods of production manufacturing. The development of drop forging had also a marked effect upon the return to forging methods, particularly in the small tool field, the skill in the use of power hammers and the use of gang dies having made forging the very cheapest possible method of manufacture.

In the last few years the adoption of so many new types of steel - particularly of the high-speed and self-hardening variety - has made extensive demands on the machinists knowledge of heat treatment of these metals. In fact, the importance of heat treatment is often lost sight of in the business of selecting a certain type of steel for a given class of work. The composition of the steel and the processes of forging, annealing, hardening, and tempering the stock are of vital importance in producing a finished article which will endure, and it therefore behooves every metal worker to look carefully to the acquirement of the information necessary to handle this kind of work.

The author of this article has had many years of experience, not only in practical work but also in the field of instruction, and therefore the information which he- has given should be doubly valuable. This discussion of the heat treatment of steel is particularly timely and is the result of many experiments with different types of steel. It is the hope of the publishers that the treatise will prove of distinct value, not only to the trained man but to the l…