62 MODERN BLACKSMITHING 



A smith once wanted to buy my receipt for tem_per- 

 ing. He believed I had a wonderful prescription, or 

 I could not succeed as I did, I told him I used only 

 water, but he insisted that I was selfish and would not 

 reveal it to him. 



If tools and receipts would do the work there would 

 be no need of experienced mechanics. Tools and 

 receipts are both necessary, but it must be a skilled 

 hand to apply them. 



HARDEN FILES 



The best way to harden files is to have a cast iron 

 bucket filled with lead. Heat it until the lead is red 

 hot, then plunge the file into this, handle up. 'This 

 will give a uniform heat and the file will not warp so 

 easy if the heat is right. In cooling the file off, use a 

 box four or five feet long with salt water in, run the 

 file back and forth endwise, not sideways, that will 

 warp the file, take it out of the water while yet siz- 

 zling. Now, if warped, set it between a device so that 

 you can bend it right. While in this position sprinkle 

 water over where you straighten until cold and the 

 file will be right. 



HARDEN TAPS AND DIES 



Heat the tap or die to a red cherry, cool off entirely 

 in water, brighten with an emery paper. Now, hold 

 over a hot iron until the tap or die has a dark straw 

 color, then cool off. If a light tap, the temper can be 

 drawn over a gaslight, using a blowpipe. 



