THE HANDY MAN ON THE FARM. 849 



and weighing between *>5 and 80 lb., is a good workable size. Parallel 



vices cost slightly more than tail vices, but they possess the advantage 

 that a full-faced grip is obtained, regardless of the extent to which the 

 jaws are opened. 



Hammers. Different sizes and shapes are used by smiths, but for farmers' 

 work, a hammer weighing 

 about 2 lb., with a ball end, 

 is all that is required. 

 tFig. 2.) The ball end, or 

 '* pene." as it is called, is used 

 in riveting, scarfing, and other 

 work. In some hammers 

 straight or cross penes take r, °- 2 -~ A Smill >' s Hammer 



the place of the ball end. A 



straight pene is tapered, somewhat like a blunt chisel, and runs 

 longitudinally with the handle, while a cross pene is at right-angles. 



Sledges are not urgently required by an amateur, but nevertheless a 

 sledge-hammer is very useful on a farm for many purposes. A 10 or 12 lb. 

 sledge is a good size. 



The hammers, sledges, and other tools must be firmly attached to their 

 handles. Well-seasoned wood should be used ; it is an advantage to have 

 the wood in the shop for some time before making the handles, so that it will 

 be well dried out. Unless it is well-seasoned the heat of the forge shrinks 

 the wood, and the hammer head becomes loose. 



The Flatter. — This tool has a broad, flat face, and is used, as its name 

 implies, to flatten or smoothen surfaces after the hammer. The hammer 

 leaves the surface somewhat rough, and a better finish can be obtained 

 with the flatter. Farmers, however, scarcely require this tool, as for all 

 practical purposes sufficient finish can be obtained with the hammer. 



Swages are small tools with the faces grooved in different sizes to fit over 

 bars. Some have semicircular grooves, while others have angular ones. 

 What are called top and bottom swages are used. They are ranged in pairs,. 



~- ' 



-, 



Fig. 3.— A— Top Swage. B Fuller. 



one for the top and the other for the bottom. The top swage is fitted with 

 a handle (Fig. 3a), while the bottom one has a stem for fitting into the 

 hole in the anvil. These tools, like the flatter, are generally used for 

 giving a finish, and can well be dispensed with. 



Instead of the single swages a swage block is occasionally used. This is 

 a large iron block, bearing on its outside surface a series of grooves of varying 

 kinds and sizes, and having its centre pierced with holes. A swage block i-; 

 of little use on the farm. 



