862 



THE FARMERS HANDBOOK. 



Laying a Ploughshare. 



The laying consists of welding a piece of iron on the point and wing to 

 replace the loss by wear. The size and length of iron used for the lay is 

 determined by the size of the share. For a large share, 1 in. x f in. iron, 

 long enough to extend from about 2 inches in front of the worn point to 

 the rear point of the wing, with a little over, is used. This is prepared in 

 the form shown in Fig. 16a, and bevelled on the lower side, leaving the upper 

 side nearly level. Bevelling increases the width of the lay. 



The share is prepared for laying as shown in Fig. 16b. The curving is doen 

 by heating the share and hammering it down while held in the vice. The 

 object of the curving is to allow for the bending backwards that takes place 



Fig. 16. — A— Lay for a Ploughshare. 



B — Share prepared for laying. 



•when welding. The result is that when welding is finished, the share is prac- 

 tically straight, while if the bending were not done the hammering during 

 welding would leave the share bent back, and some difficulty would be 

 experienced in getting it straight again. 



The share is scarfed for welding by heating the wing and hammering it 

 down, so that when the lay is put on, the two fit together well. When both 

 are ready they are brought to a welding heat, and the share is held bottom 

 up on the anvil by the smith with one hand, while with the other the point of 

 the lay is laid on the point of the share and struck with the sledge by the 

 striker. The point is finished up by the smith with the hammer. With the 



two attached in this way it is a 

 simple matter to bring the lay 

 down to the shape of the wing. 

 It should project about \ inch 

 out along the side of the wing. 



Fig. 17 shows the lay attached 



, to the point and hammered into 



shape ready for welding. It is 



got into place by first knocking 



the lay into the right position 



on the rear point of the wing, 



and it is then grasped there with the tongs and held while it is hammered 



in the centre and along the wing until it projects the same distance right 



salong. 



Fig. 17.— The lay ready for welding 



