10 Feb., 191 2.] Farm Blacks niithing. 125 



screwed end, proceed as directed for the head, with the exception that 

 a block of hardwood should be substituted for the anvil as the latter 

 would damage the thread. 



Maul Rings. 



Maul rings may be made by bending and welding either iron or mild 

 steel, or from a solid bar of mild steel by splitting and forging. The 

 first named is the more common method adopted. 



The ring made from the solid bar of mild steel is the strongest, but 

 entails considerably more labour than one made by bending and welding, 

 either from the same material or from iron. One made from iron on the 

 splitting and forging principle would be weaker than a bent and welded 

 one. This is entirely due to the nature of the materials ; iron is fibrous, 

 whilst mild steel is granular in structure. Mild steel is equally strong 

 in all directions, but iron is weakest when the strain is opposed to the 

 direction of the fibre. To obtain the greatest amount of strength when 

 iron is used, the ring should be bent and welded. By this means the 

 fibre is placed in the best position to resist the internal pressure. 



MAUL RING. 

 a. Ends up.set. h and c. Bending. d. Fini-^hed ring. 



Mild steel possesses greater strength than iron, as well as the pro- 

 perty of being drawn out, punched, split and forged without the liability 

 of bursting apart, as iron would if similarly treated. It is therefore 

 especially adapted for intricate forgings, or where strength combined with 

 lightness is desirable, as in the case of bridges, girders, agricultural 

 machinery, &c. 



To make an iron ring, the first consideration is the length of the bar. 

 A suitable size of bar is i in. x \ in. The ends are upset in the same 

 manner as described above, one end being scarfed and the other slightly 

 bent, as shown in' Fig. 48 a. It is then further bent like h, and after- 

 wards heated along the straight part, and bent as at c. When thus 

 formed, it is ready for the welding heat, which is rather more difficult to 

 obtain than any form of welding previously dealt with. ^ It requires close 

 attention whilst in the fire. It will be found by practice that flat bars 

 are always harder to weld than square or round ones. 



After heating, it is first placed on the beak of the anvil and vigorous 

 blows are directed on to the scarfed part, when it is removed to the face 

 of the anvil, and knocked down edgewavs, and also on the inside at the 

 point of the scarf, with the hand-hammer. When the weld is completed, 

 the rino; should be rounded on the beak. 



