MODERN BLACKSMITHING 57 



steel. To a good smith no other compound is needed 

 than borax, but if this is not sufficient, take some 

 borings from your drill, especially fine steel borings, 

 and cover the weld with this and borax, and if a smith 

 cannot weld with this compound there is no use for 

 him to tr3^ Most of the welding compounds are 

 inferior to this, but some smiths would rather believe 

 in something they don't know anything about; another 

 will not believe in anything he can get for nothing. 



BANDS OR HOOPS 



When a round object is to be ironed or a hoop put 

 on to anything round, measure, that is, take the diam- 

 eter then multiply by three, add three times the 

 thickness of the iron (not the width), add to this one 

 time the thickness of the hoop for the weld and you 

 have the exact length of the iron needed ; in other 

 words, three times the diameter, four times the thick- 

 ness of the band. This is a simple rule, but I know a 

 good many old smiths who never knew it. 



SEEDER SHOVELS 



To weld seeder shovels is no easy job. Prepare the 

 shovel; shape almost to it proper shape, draw out the 

 shanks, weld the points first, heat shovel and shank 

 slow, then fit them together so that no cinders can get 



