68 MODERN BLACKSMITHING 



it goes out to the corners first, therefore dip them (the 

 corners) deeper when cooling, and with a wet rag 

 touch the place on the edge where the temper wants 

 to run out. Some smiths, when hardening, will smear 

 the ax with tallow instead of brightening it, and hold 

 it over the fire until the tallow catches fire, then cool 

 it off. This is guess work, and the axe is soft in one 

 place and too hard in another. The best way is to 

 brighten the ax and you can see the temper, then 

 there is no guess work about it. When blue cool it 

 partly off and then while the ax is still wet you will 

 observe under the water or through the water a copper 

 color. This color will turn blue as soon as the ax is 

 dry, and is the right color and temper. Cool it slowly, 

 don't cool it off at once, but let it cool gradually, and 

 it will be both hard and tough. 



By this simple method I have been very successful, 

 breaking only three per cent, while no new ax of any 

 make will ever do better than ten per cent. Some 

 will even break at the rate of twelve and thirteen per 

 cent. 



The ax factories, with all their skill and hardening 

 compounds, have to do better yet to compete with me 

 and my simple method. 



WELL DRILLS 



Well drills are made of different sizes and kinds. 

 Club bits and Z bits. How to dress: heat to a low red 

 heat. If nicked or broken, cut out, otherwise draw it 



