Autonopedia

A

Take a 3/8" square bar about 18" long and mark off 6½", but do not cut it. Take a NEAR WELDING heat on the end nearest the mark.

To produce a clean shoulder to the swelling quench by pouring water over the bar, thus confining the heat to the last 1¼".

Upset the end by driving the bar down on to the anvil until the end is as broad as it is long, i.e., about 7/8" in each way.

B

Hold the bar level with the anvil top and forge in the corners with hammer blows, holding the hammer at an angle of 45°.

Flatten the sides as you go.

C

Take a fresh heat if necessary and continue shaping up the knob with the shoulder over the rounded edge of the anvil.

To keep a well defined shoulder to the knob, hold the left hand well below the level of the anvil face.

D

Give the bar a quarter of a turn and bring the hand level with the anvil top.

With the knob only on the anvil face hammer it into an offset disc, the top side of which must be flush with the bar and the under side stepped to the part which will form the shank.

E

Next turn the disc on edge and, keeping it on the same part of the anvil, finish to a good shape by raising and lowering the bar as you strike like this -

When finished, the disc should be about 1½" in diameter x 3/16" thick.

Do not bend the disc over yet or you will find it difficult to hold when drawing the point.

F

Take a BRIGHT RED heat at the mark on the bar, and cut off on the anvil table with a hot chisel.

Take a second heat and, with the disc end held in the tongs, draw the other end down to a chisel point, slightly tapered on the sides like this -

G

With the step uppermost, bend the disc to a right angle over the rounded edge of the anvil, flattening the outside of the disc to the shoulder as shown in the drawing.