I04 MODERN BLACKSMITHING 



mtist be either over or under the square a little. 

 Therefore, you must use your eye and set the share 

 with the hammer over the anvil. This done, hold 

 the share over the fire until it has a low red heat, as 

 stated before; then plunge it into a tub of hardening 

 compound, such as is sold by the traveling man, or 

 sprinkle the share with prussiate of potash and plunge 

 it into a barrel of salt water. 



You will notice that the share will warp or spring 

 out of shape more in the heating than it does in the 

 cooling, if the heat is right. Some smiths never look 

 at the share when hot for hardening, but simply plunge 

 it into the tub, and then they say it warped in harden- 

 ing, while it was in the heating. If the share is too 

 hot it will warp in cooling also. 



HOW TO POINT A SHARE 



Points are now sold by dealers in hardware, and 

 every smith knows how they are shaped. There is, 

 however, no need of buying these; every smith has old 

 plowshares from which points can be cut, provided you 

 don't use an old share too much worn. The points 

 sold are cut with the intention that most of the point 

 is to be placed on top of the plow point. This is all 

 right in some instances, while it is wrong in others. 

 When you cut a piece for a point make it the same 

 shape at both ends. Now, when a plow needs the 

 most of the point on top bend the end to be on top 

 longer than the end to go underneath, and vice versa, 



