i88 



MODERN BLACKSMITHING 



ber, hickory or maple. Take out the old axle. The 

 skeins will come off easy by heating them a little. 

 Now cut the timber the exact length of the broken 

 axle. In order to get the right pitch and gather, you 

 must cut off one-half inch from the back side of the 

 end of the timber and one-half inch from the bottom 

 side, this cut to run out at the inner end or collar of 

 the skein, as shown in Figure 14. Next take dividers 

 and make a circle in the end of the axle the size of the 

 old axle — in case new skein is put on, the size of the 



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bottom of the skein inside. This circle must be made 

 so that the lower side of it will go down to edge of the 

 timber, and the sides be of the same distance from the 

 edges. You will now notice that most of the hewing 

 will be done on top side, as it must in order to get the 

 right pitch, and as one-half inch has been cut froin the 

 back side it will throw the front side of the wheel in a 

 little; this is gather. If awheel has no gather the 

 wheel will be spread out against the nut of the skein, 

 and the wear will be in that direction, and the wheel 

 will rattle, as you know the skein is tapered ; but if the 

 wheel has gather, the pressure will be against the col- 

 lar of the skein, and the wheel will be tight, as it forces 

 itself up against the collar and the wider end of the 

 skein. 



