30 FARM MECHANICS 



inch soft iron round rod used like a lathe tool -over an 

 iron rest placed close to the stone on a level with the 

 center of the stone. The rod is held against the stone in 

 such a way as to cut away the high bumps and make the 

 stone truly round. The stone cuts away best when it is 

 dry. A small rod is better than a large rod. It digs 

 into the stone better and takes out a deeper bite. Large 

 power stones in machine shops are trued up in this way 

 frequently. Farm stones often are neglected until 

 they wabble so badly that it is difficult to grind any 

 tool to an edge. If the grindstone is turned by a belt 

 from an engine the work of truing may be done in a 

 few minutes. If the stone is turned by hand the work 

 of making it round takes longer and requires some 

 muscle, but it pays. 



The face of a grindstone should be rounded slightly, 

 and it should be kept so by grinding the tools first on 

 one side of edge of the stone, then on the other, with 

 the cutting edge of the tool crosswise to the face of the 

 stone. 



For safety and to prevent a sloppy waste of water 

 the stone should turn away from the operator. 



The best way to keep a stone moist is by a trickle of 

 water from an overhead supply. Troughs of water 

 suspended under the stone are unsatisfactory, because 

 the water soon gets thick and unfit for use. Such 

 troughs are forgotten when the job is done, so that one 

 side of the stone hangs in the water. An overhead sup- 

 ply of water leaks away and no damage is done. 



Grindstone frames are best made of wood 3"x4" 

 thoroughly mortised together and well braced with 

 wooden braces and tied across with plenty of iron rods. 

 A good grindstone frame could be made of angle iron, 

 but manufacturers generally fail in the attempt. 



