Tempered Steel

MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... [CAT MEOWS] [THUNDER] [HORN HONKING] WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, STATE FARM HAS THE TOOLS TO GET YOU TO A BETTER STATE, PROUD SPONSOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

HEY, WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

WHAT BETTER THING TO DO ON A RAINY DAY THAN TO VISIT PETER ROSS AT HIS FORGE, MAKING US CHISELS TODAY.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

PETER.

GOOD TO SEE YOU NOW.

BUT THAT-- YOU SAID YOU WERE GONNA MAKE A CHISEL.

THAT LOOKS LIKE A SPATULA.

WHAT'S THAT?

DON'T YOU HAVE A CHISEL THAT LOOKS LIKE THAT?

I DO NOT.

I HAVE ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS.

WELL, TURN THIS AROUND.

I'M MAKING THE SOCKET FIRST.

OH, END FOR END.

OK.

I GOT YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

SO PETER IS GONNA MAKE US AN 18th-CENTURY SOCKET CHISEL.

AND THIS...CAN YOU LEARN A LOT--YOU CAN LEARN-- THIS IS THE-- YOU CAN LEARN A LOT JUST BY OBSERVING.

JUST BY OBSERVING.

SEE A LOT, RATHER.

JUST BY LISTENING.

SO WHEN YOU MAKE A ONE-PIECE SOCKET, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST FLATTENED OUT OF THE BAR, AND THEN IT'S GONNA GET CURLED AROUND AND WELDED TOGETHER.

NORMALLY IT LEAVES THAT CREASE OR THAT PUCKERING IN THE FINISHED CHISEL, SO THAT'S A GOOD INDICATOR OF HOW THE CHISEL WAS MADE.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, NOW, THIS IRON-- AND IT IS WROUGHT IRON, RIGHT?

THIS IS WROUGHT IRON.

ALL RIGHT.

IT'S GETTING COLD, SO I'D BETTER LET YOU GET THAT BACK IN THE FIRE, BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST RIGHT AT THAT START.

SO YOU STARTED OUT WITH WROUGHT IRON, WHICH IS THIS VERY FIBROUS...

IN FACT, I'VE GOT-- LET ME SEE.

HERE.

LET ME GET IT.

I'VE GOT... OH, NOW THAT'S ONE OF YOUR BEST CHISELS.

YEAH.

WELL, IT IS IN THAT IT SHOWS US A LOT.

THIS ONE GOT ETCHED, I GUESS.

IS THAT-- WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I THINK THIS ONE HAS BEEN UNDERWATER FOR A LONG TIME.

AND YOU CAN SEE THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE WE'RE MAKING, BUT SOME OF IT IS SIMILAR.

IT HAS A WELDED-ON STEEL BLADE, LAMINATED BLADE.

SO THIS ONE LOOKED LIKE THIS ONE ORIGINALLY?

IT'S GOT WROUGHT IRON FOR THE BODY.

BUT YOU CAN SEE IT DOESN'T HAVE THIS PUCKER, AND ALSO YOU CAN SEE THE GRAIN RUNS THIS WAY, NOT THAT WAY.

SO IT'S NOT ONE PIECE.

THIS WAS WRAPPED AROUND.

THAT'S AN ADDED PIECE, RIGHT.

SO THAT'S A TWO-PIECE SOCKET AND BODY.

AND THIS AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE IT-- THE GRAIN IN THE WROUGHT IRON, NO GRAIN IN THE STEEL.

THE STEEL IS WELDED ON.

AND THIS HAS THE SAME THING.

IT'S JUST IT HASN'T BEEN EATEN AWAY.

HASN'T BEEN CORRODED.

SO THIS ONE LOOKED AS CLEAN AND BRIGHT AS THIS ONE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO TAKE BETTER CARE OF YOUR CHISELS IS THE LESSON.

ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU'VE GOT TO GET THIS TO THE RIGHT HEAT NOW.

YOU'VE GOT THIS IN A COAL FIRE, A COKE FIRE.

RIGHT.

RIGHT.

WE'RE GONNA CURL UP THE SOCKET NEXT, AND WE NEED A SPECIAL TOOL ON THE ANVIL TO DO THAT.

AND I THINK YOU HAD IT LAST.

ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS IT.

IT'S A...NOW, WHAT IS THIS CALLED?

IT'S CALLED A SWAGE OR A SWEDGE.

A SWAGE.

A SWE...HA HA.

WE'RE GONNA HAMMER THE SOCKET DOWN INTO THAT INSTEAD OF TRY TO HAMMER IT OVER THE TOP OF SOMETHING.

SO DOWN INTO THIS HOLLOW HERE?

ALL RIGHT.

OK. WE'RE ALMOST HOT ENOUGH.

WHY DON'T YOU SET THAT IN THE ANVIL?

ALL RIGHT.

AND GET...

ALMOST HOT ENOUGH.

WHAT COLOR IS THAT HEAT?

BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU JUDGE THE HEAT IN THIS BUSINESS.

YEAH.

WE WANT A BRIGHT YELLOW.

FOR WROUGHT IRON?

YEP.

ALL RIGHT.

OUT OF THE WAY.

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA COME ALL THE WAY.

YEAH.

THERE WE GO.

SO...AH.

NOW, WHY NOT DO THIS OVER THE HORN?

I JUST EXPLAINED THAT, ROY.

HA HA HA HA!

SO THIS IS A LOT MORE STABLE, AND... AND WE CAN CONTROL IT... CONTROL A LOT BETTER.

IT BACKS YOU UP, YEAH.

WE REALLY DON'T NEED PERFECT FORM TO MAKE THIS.

SO JUST SOMETHING TO BACK UP THE CURL AS IT COMES AROUND.

YEAH.

OK. WE WANT TO OVERLAP THAT ENOUGH.

SO THAT'S OVERLAPPING.

BUT THAT'S GOT TO BE WELDED NOW?

THAT'S THE NEXT STEP, IS TO WELD THAT SEAM TOGETHER.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S BACK IN THE FIRE.

AND WAY HOT NOW.

AM I RIGHT?

YEP.

WE'LL HEAT IT UP TO WELDING HEAT NEXT.

ALL RIGHT.

BUT FIRST WE HAVE TO APPLY SOME FLUX.

NOW, WHAT IS FLUX NOW?

WELL, A LOT OF THINGS CAN BE USED AS FLUX.

I'M USING BORAX, AND ITS PURPOSE IS TO HELP CLEAN OFF THE OXIDATION THAT'S FORMED ON THE SURFACE OF THE BAR.

BECAUSE WHEN IT'S HOT, THE IRON IS MORE REACTIVE AND WILL REACT WITH OXYGEN.

WELL, THE SURFACE OXIDIZES ALMOST INSTANTLY.

AND IF THAT IS BETWEEN THE TWO PIECES, THEY WON'T FUSE TOGETHER.

SO HERE YOU'VE GOT THE FLUX ON THERE.

I CAN SEE IT KIND OF MELTING INTO A GLASSY COATING ON THE...

THERE'S A LITTLE MOISTURE IN THIS FLUX, SO IT'S GONNA BUBBLE UP FIRST, BUT ONCE THAT BOILS OUT, THEN IT'LL MELT AND SEEP INTO THE JOINT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU'VE GOT THE TWO LAYERS...

THE TWO PARTS OF THE JOINT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY.

BUT NOW THERE'S FLUX IN BETWEEN.

YEAH.

NOW YOU CAN SEE THAT'S MELTED RIGHT INTO THE JOINT.

A NICE GLASSY COATING.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO IN ORDER TO WELD, WE HAVE TO HEAT THAT UP THOROUGHLY.

SO WE HAVE TO COVER IT UP.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU ALWAYS TALK ABOUT-- I KNOW WHEN YOU TEACH BLACKSMITHING, YOU SAY FIRE MANAGEMENT IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST THINGS TO GET ACROSS TO FOLKS OR TO GET THEM TO PAY ATTENTION TO.

MAYBE THEY UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, YEAH.

IT CAN'T TAKE THE PROPER HEAT WITHOUT THE PROPER FIRE.

AND SO WHAT MAKES THIS A PROPER FIRE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW FOR WELDING?

WELL, IT'S GOT TO HEAT EVENLY FROM ALL SIDES.

NOT JUST UNDERNEATH.

NOT JUST UNDERNEATH.

AND THERE HAS TO BE A LOT OF FIRE UNDER THE WORK, SO YOU'RE A DISTANCE FROM THE AIR BLAST.

SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OXYGEN STILL IN THE... GASSES COMING UP FROM DOWN THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

OK. WE NEED ONE MORE TOOL.

WE'LL TAKE OUT THE SWEDGE.

YOU CAN SEE THIS.

IF WE LOOK AT THIS ON THE ANVIL, YOU'LL SEE IT DOESN'T SLIDE ONTO THE HORN OF THE ANVIL...

SO, OK. AND THIS IS THE HORN HERE.

RIGHT.

VERY FAR.

IT WON'T FIT.

SO WE NEED A THINNER HORN TO WELD ON.

SO...

SO THAT'S THAT BICK IRON YOU SHOWED ME.

RIGHT.

LET'S COME OVER TO THE ANVIL AND TAKE A LOOK.

YOU SEE THIS HAS A LONGER STEM THAN NORMAL, AND IT'S GOT A SLOT IN IT.

SO IF YOU JUST SLIDE THAT INTO THE ANVIL, IT'S... THAT WOULD NOT BE A SOLID WORK SURFACE.

BUT YOU'VE GOT THE SECRET IN YOUR HAND.

I'VE GOT THE WEDGE RIGHT HERE.

YOU SAY THIS IS SOMETHING YOU SAW-- AND I JUST HAMMER IT IN?

YEAH.

JUST DRIVE THAT IN.

[HAMMERING] OH, IT RINGS NOW.

DOES THAT GOT IT?

THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.

YEAH.

YOU SAY THIS IS SOMETHING YOU SAW QUARRYSMITHS DO A LOT.

WHEN I LIVED IN MAINE, ALL THE ANVIL TOOLS HAD A SLOTTED SHANK LIKE THIS SO YOU COULD LOCK THEM INTO THE ANVIL, SO... ALL RIGHT.

GOOD IDEA.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW YOU'RE WATCHING THAT HEAT AGAIN.

AGAIN, IT'S JUST BY EYE, WATCHING THE COLOR DOWN IN THE FIRE, AND YOU'RE GONNA GO FOR WHAT COLOR?

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TALK ABOUT COLOR.

I CAN SEE THAT.

A REALLY PALE YELLOW.

REALLY YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR THE SURFACE TO MELT, NOT SPECIFICALLY FOR A COLOR, BUT FOR THE RIGHT SURFACE CONDITION.

OH, OK.

SO WHEN THE SURFACE LOOKS LIQUIDY, ALL RIGHT, THEN IT'S READY TO GO.

OUT OF THE WAY.

OUT OF THE WAY.

ALL RIGHT.

IT'S GONNA SQUIRT NOW.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT WAS THE FLUX FLYING OUT.

FLUX AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF THE SCALE, TOO.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO HIT INCREDIBLY HARD.

AND I SEE SOME OF THE...

IT'S GETTING A FLAKY COATING ALL THE TIME.

WELL, NOW THAT WE'RE BELOW WELDING HEAT, IT'S SCALING AGAIN.

BUT WE'VE ALREADY WELDED THIS SECTION UP AT THE FRONT.

THAT WAS ALL THAT TOOK REALLY?

JUST THOSE TWO OR THREE BLOWS.

I'M GONNA TAKE ONE MORE HEAT AND CLOSE UP THE BASE OF THE SOCKET.

WE STILL HAVE THAT BIG, OPEN... THAT'LL DO THAT SHAPING.

AND HERE'S ONE THAT YOU'VE PAINTED BLACK, BUT YOU GET TO SEE HOW THAT'S GONNA CLOSE UP NOW.

SO THAT--YEAH, THE BASE OF THE SOCKET DOESN'T HAVE TO BE WELDED.

IT'S THICK ENOUGH THAT IT WILL HOLD ITS SHAPE JUST BY... JUST BY...STUBBORNESS.

HA HA HA!

ALL RIGHT.

SO HERE'S AGAIN THE OLD ONE NOW.

SO YOU'RE GONNA HEAT AND RESHAPE, AND YOU SEE THAT FOLD RIGHT THERE.

NOW, THIS ONE WITH THE TWO-PIECE, IS THIS A LATER STYLE OF CHISEL SOCKET MAKING?

YES.

THE ONE-PIECE STYLE IS EARLIER, AND THE TWO-PIECE STYLE IS A LATER 19th-CENTURY DEVELOPMENT.

HMM.

SO IF YOU LOOK DOWN IN HERE, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE STUB, I GUESS, OF THAT.

AND THIS ONE GOES DOWN TO JUST A... A POINT.

YOU CAN SEE THE STUB OF THE SHANK THAT THEY WELDED THE NECK AROUND.

THAT'S JUST WONDERFULLY REVEALING.

HA HA HA.

SO AGAIN, WROUGHT IRON, THE GRAIN... THAT'S A PART OF THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR OLD WROUGHT IRON, IS IT NOT?

YES.

THE GRAIN ARE ACTUALLY BITS OF SLAG THAT WEREN'T REMOVED DURING THE REFINING PROCESS, AND THEY'VE BEEN STRETCHED OUT INTO THESE LONG FILAMENTS.

SO THAT'S FROM ROLLING OR HAMMERING?

ROLLING OR HAMMERING, YEAH, EITHER ONE.

AND STRETCHING THE IRON.

SO WROUGHT IRON.

AND IT DOES, YOU SAY IT WELDS, UH... WELL, IT HAS DIFFERENT WELDING CHARACTERISTICS.

ARE YOU READY TO GO NOW?

I'M ABOUT READY.

SO...

SO THIS IS GONNA BE THE SHAPING.

DO YOU NEED THE BICK IRON OUT?

NO.

WE'LL JUST GO RIGHT FOR THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE.

ALL RIGHT.

I SEE YOU USING THE EDGE OF THE HAMMER AND THE EDGE OF THE ANVIL BOTH.

YEAH.

JUST...JUST ROLLING THINGS UP TIGHTER, WHETHER THEY WELD OR NOT.

AND THE WELD IS NOT GONNA BREAK.

I MEAN, IF IT DID, IT WASN'T WELDED, I GUESS.

IF IT COMES APART, IT WASN'T WELDED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO...

I KNOW.

IT'S A TOUGH...

IT IS.

A TOUGH REALIZATION SOMETIMES.

YOU DO YOUR BEST, YOU DO YOUR BEST, AND WHAT HAPPENED?

ALL RIGHT.

OK. NOW LET'S JUST SMOOTH UP THIS BLADE A LITTLE.

REFINING AGAIN.

IS THERE A HEAT BELOW WHICH YOU SHOULD NOT BE HITTING?

UH...IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

AND I KNOW THIS SEEMS LIKE AN EVASIVE ANSWER.

NO, THIS IS JUST...

BUT IF YOU'RE JUST SMOOTHING, LIKE I'M DOING HERE, YOU CAN WORK RIGHT DOWN TO A BLACK HEAT.

SO YOU'RE NOT REALLY TRYING TO SHAPE IT.

BUT IF IT WAS TOO COLD AND YOU WERE DOING MASSIVE HITTING STRIKES, I GUESS YOU COULD SPLIT OR BREAK.

THEN YOU COULD SPLIT IT, YEAH.

BECAUSE WROUGHT IRON WILL SPLIT JUST LIKE WOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE WE GO.

THAT'S DOWN.

WE'VE GOT THE SOCKET FORGED.

AND WONDERFUL.

BOY, IT LOOKS JUST LIKE... WELL, YOU MADE THIS ONE.

SO THEY LOOK VERY MUCH ALIKE.

SO NOW, IS THAT IT ON THE BODY?

ALL WROUGHT IRON.

NOW WE NEED TO TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE CUTTING EDGE, AND THE MAGIC DOWN HERE, IS THAT RIGHT?

SO WHY NOT JUST SHARPEN THIS THE WAY IT IS?

YEAH.

I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE A FINE CHISEL.

IT DOES.

WHY NOT JUST HAMMER IT OUT AND SELL IT?

WELL, I DO KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT...

SO HE'S GONNA PUT STEEL ON IT.

I'M GONNA LET YOU THINK ABOUT THAT WHILE I GET THIS BACK IN THE FIRE.

SO YOU'RE GONNA HEAT IT, UH... WE'RE GONNA GIVE THIS A HEAD START.

WE'RE GONNA GET THE STEEL IN.

AND YOU SAY GIVE IT A HEAD START BECAUSE WHAT HE'S GONNA DO-- LET'S SEE IF I CAN FIND-- IS THIS A PIECE OF STEEL HERE?

THAT'S ONE OF THE STEEL BITS, YEAH.

AND THIS WOULD BE... ALL RIGHT.

HERE WE GO.

SO IF I TURN THESE AROUND THIS WAY, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IT.

HERE'S THAT WROUGHT IRON WITH ITS STRUCTURAL...

FIBER STRUCTURE.

THE MORE HOMOGENOUS STEEL.

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN A CHISEL THAT HASN'T BEEN EATEN UP BY WATER OR RUST.

AND THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE BEFORE IT'S WELDED TOGETHER, IS THAT RIGHT?

THAT'S IT.

I WAS HOPING YOU WERE GONNA TURN THAT AROUND.

YEAH.

NOW, WHY DO YOU BEVEL IT THIS WAY, BY THE WAY?

WELL, YOU WANT THAT FEATHER EDGE TO BLEND TO THE IRON BODY WITHOUT CUTTING IN, WITHOUT MAKING A NOTCH.

OK.

SO NOT HAVING A BIG BUMP IN THERE.

I GOT YOU.

SO HE'S GONNA, AGAIN, WELD THIS STEEL TO THE WROUGHT IRON, BUT THE STEEL HERE, THIS PART, HAS A...

IT BURNS, DOES IT?

IS THAT RIGHT?

IT BURNS AT A LOWER TEMPERATURE?

WELL, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT FUSION TEMPERATURES, AND THE IRON HAS A HIGHER FUSION TEMPERATURE THAN THE STEEL.

THAT'S THE IRON RIGHT THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO LUCKILY THEY OVERLAP BY JUST A LITTLE BIT, AND THAT'S THE TEMPERATURE YOU WANT TO REACH.

IF YOU GET THE STEEL TOO HOT, IT GETS RUINED.

I GOT YOU.

OK. AND THAT'S WHY THE IRON HAS BEEN IN THE FIRE.

ALL RIGHT, SO GETTING A HEAD START.

SO THE IRON IS... NOW WE'RE GONNA PUT A LITTLE FLUX ON.

ABOUT ORANGE HEAT.

YEP.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN--HERE.

LET ME HOLD THIS WHERE YOU CAN SEE IT.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

AND I SEE-- ALL RIGHT.

THERE'S THE FLUX MELTING.

AND THIS IS BORAX?

THIS IS BORAX.

I'VE GOT SOME WITH SOME FILINGS IN IT.

AND NOW...

SO THAT'S GONNA... MELTING THERE.

YEAH.

CAN YOU SEE THAT... YEAH.

MELTING ON THE SURFACE?

REALLY GOOEY LOOKING.

HA HA HA!

BUT IT DOESN'T GLUE THE... NO.

NOW WE JUST REST THE STEEL IN PLACE JUST LIKE THAT.

OK.

I GOT YOU.

YEAH.

AND WE'LL JUST SET IT IN THE FIRE WITHOUT KNOCKING IT OFF.

ALL RIGHT.

SO IT JUST STAYS THERE BY GRAVITY.

IT'S JUST SITTING THERE.

OK. BECAUSE IT'S ON TOP.

AND NOW WHY BORAX ON TOP?

BECAUSE YOU'RE...

I WANT TO KEEP THE OXYGEN FROM GETTING AT THE STEEL.

AH, OK.

SO IT'S LESS LIKELY TO BURN.

WHEN SMITHS SAY BURN, THEY MEAN OVERHEAT.

AND THE--OVERHEAT.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S TOO MUCH-- IS IT OXYGEN GETTING IN THERE AND, UH... YEP.

SO IT'S ACTUALLY CAUGHT FIRE, AND IT WILL LOOK LIKE A FOURTH OF JULY SPARKLER DOWN INSIDE THERE.

THAT'S WAY GONE.

IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY MAKE FLAME, BUT IT'S OXIDIZING THE SAME WAY WOOD IS OXIDIZING WHEN IT BURNS.

OK.

I GUESS.

ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU'RE BURNING UP YOUR STEEL.

THEY HAVE DIFFERENT FUSION TEMPERATURES.

RIGHT.

YOU'VE GOT THE IRON ON THE BOTTOM, THE STEEL ON THE TOP, AND A CLEAN FIRE.

HEAT-COVERED, SO IT'S HEATING ALL THE WAY AROUND.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE'S COMBUSTIBLES ON TOP.

AND I CAN SEE YOU'VE GOT THE KIND OF SMOKY COAL OUT TO THE SIDES OF THE FIRE AS WELL, AND THAT'S BURNING OFF IMPURITIES OR VOLATILES OR... THAT'S COKE...COKING.

THE FRESH COAL IS COKING BEFORE IT GETS PUSHED TO THE CENTER, AND I REALLY WISH I COULD SAY MORE, BUT LET'S GET THE ANVIL READY.

OK.

SO TAKE OUT THE...BICK IRON.

[HAMMERING] OK. BICK IRON CLEAR.

WE'VE GOT TONGS.

SWEEP OFF THE SCALE.

WHICH HAMMER HERE?

I NEED THE REAL HAMMER.

YOU WANT THE REAL HAMMER.

OK. LET'S CLEAN OFF THE ANVIL SURFACE.

OK. GET EVERYTHING SET UP.

ALL RIGHT.

AND NOW WE'RE JUST ABOUT READY.

I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY SPARKLING COMING OUT OF THE STEEL.

THAT'S TOO HOT.

OK.

I THINK WE'RE READY.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU'RE GONNA LIFT IT.

ALL RIGHT.

AND... OOH!

HA HA HA!

LOOK AT THAT.

WOW.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I'M GONNA...

I'M GONNA TAKE ONE MORE HEAT.

REALLY?

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, I CAN SEE A VERY FAINT SEAM RIGHT THERE.

THAT'S THE JUNCTURE BETWEEN THE TWO.

HERE'S THE END OF THE STEEL.

BUT OTHERWISE, IT IS WELDED ON THERE, THIS THIN LAYER OF HARDENABLE TOOL STEEL ALL THE WAY DOWN.

ALL RIGHT.

WHOO.

SO LET'S TAKE ONE MORE HEAT.

AND THAT'S GONNA WHAT, CONSOLIDATE THE...

THE EDGE THERE?

I'M GONNA TRY TO SEAL THE END OF THE SCARF A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

THAT'S THE MOST DIFFICULT PART TO WELD.

SO A LITTLE BIT MORE FLUX ON TOP HERE.

SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS JOINT RIGHT HERE, IS THAT RIGHT?

RIGHT.

THAT SPOT RIGHT THERE.

AND ON THIS ONE, YOU CAN SEE IT'S PRETTY WELL JOINED.

BUT THEN AGAIN, THIS ONE HAS BEEN GROUND DOWN.

IS THAT CORRECT?

AFTER ALL THE FORGING IS DONE AND THE HARDENING AND TEMPERING, THEN THIS GETS GROUND, SO IT ENDS UP SMOOTHER THAN THE FORGING WOULD BE.

I SEE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, JOSEPH MOXON SAID, "HE THAT WILL A GOOD EDGE WIN MUST FORGE THICK..." "AND GRIND THIN."

I READ THAT BOOK.

HA HA!

YOU DID?

NOW, WHAT DID HE MEAN BY THAT?

WELL, I THINK THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE HARDENING AND TEMPERING, NOT THE GRINDING.

OK.

SO YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO GET DOWN TO WHERE THE WELD IS DIFFERENT, BUT...OK. OK. THAT'S ALMOST READY.

THIS MIGHT BE A LITTLE HOT.

SO LET'S GET THIS OUT OF THE FIRE QUICK.

ALL RIGHT.

WHOO!

OOH!

HOT!

HOT.

HOT.

IT'S JUST A LITTLE TOO HOT.

DO YOU THINK IT'S ANY DAMAGE DONE?

WELL...IT WOULD BE BETTER IF IT WASN'T THAT HOT.

THAT'S THE KIND OF THING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

WHEN IT'S SPARKLING, THAT'S TOO DARN HOT.

BUT VERY MALLEABLE NOW.

YOU'RE ABLE TO REALLY SHAPE IT.

NOW... WOW.

FORGING DOWN.

YOU COULD MAKE ME A PARING CHISEL OUT OF THIS THING.

WOW.

HA HA HA!

AND THE STEEL IS STILL THERE ON THAT SIDE.

YEAH.

WE NEED... ONE MORE QUICK HEAT, AND I'M GONNA DO THE LAST IMPORTANT STEP.

AND WHAT IS THAT LAST IMPORTANT STEP?

I WANT TO TRIM OFF THE NOSE.

AH.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THAT'S... OH, MY GOODNESS.

SO THAT'S PART OF THAT, AGAIN, FORGE THICK AND GRIND THIN.

YOU TRIM OFF THE NOSE, GET DOWN A LITTLE DEEPER IN THERE.

LET'S TAKE A QUICK HEAT.

ALL RIGHT.

WHOO!

ALL RIGHT.

GET THE HARDY AND PUT THAT IN THE ANVIL.

OK. AND THIS IS THE HARDY.

IT GOES IN THE HARDY HOLE.

A CUTTING TOOL.

YEAH.

RIGHT TOWARDS YOU.

YEP.

ALL RIGHT.

AND YOU'VE GOT... ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S READY.

ALL RIGHT.

HERE WE GO.

NOW WE'RE GONNA TRIM THE NOSE.

SO KNOWING WHEN TO STOP, BECAUSE YOU NEVER HIT THE HARDY.

WELL, A FEW HOURS... A FEW HOURS OF SHARPENING WILL CURE YOU...

SO YOU PUT THAT NOTCH IN THERE.

OF BAD HABITS.

AND WATCHING FOR-- THERE YOU GO.

AND WE'LL JUST CUT THAT OFF.

SO WE KNOW THE STEEL IS ON THE SAME SIDE AS THE CREASE.

OK. AND THAT'S IT.

SO NOW YOU'VE CUT IT OFF.

AND THAT WAS JUST TO GET RID OF THE EDGE THERE.

WHY?

WELL, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING, BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE THAT LAMINATED STRUCTURE AND THE STEEL ON TOP, IT IS A MUCH TOUGHER MATERIAL, AND WHEN YOU FLATTEN EVERYTHING, THE IRON ACTUALLY SPREADS MORE, AND IT CAN CURL AROUND THE FRONT OF THE STEEL.

SO YOU'D HAVE IRON IN THE EDGE.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S READY.

ARE WE READY TO GRIND THIS THING DOWN?

WELL, BEFORE WE GRIND, WE'RE GONNA HARDEN AND TEMPER.

OK.

SO...LET ME STRAIGHTEN THIS ONCE, BECAUSE THAT'S PRETTY CROOKED.

ALL RIGHT.

BUT...

IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD TO ME.

WELL, THEN MAYBE I HAVE A READY MARKET FOR ALL THOSE CROOKED CHISELS I'VE BEEN MAKING.

IT'S A CORNER CHISEL THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

OK.

SO...

WHEN I HARDEN THE STEEL, IT'S LIABLE TO WARP THE CHISEL A LITTLE BIT.

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I DO THAT BEFORE I GRIND THE FLAT SURFACE.

I SEE.

ALL RIGHT.

IF I GRIND FIRST AND THEN HARDEN, I'LL UNDO THE PRECISION.

SO LET'S GET THIS UP TO HARDENING TEMPERATURE.

AND, UM... HOW DO YOU KNOW?

SOME PEOPLE WOULD ASK, "HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT TEMPERATURE THAT IS?"

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT TEMPERATURE THAT IS, PETER?

TO GET IT UP...

SO YOU'VE GOT TO REHEAT IT AND THEN QUENCH IT AT A HIGH TEMPERATURE, BUT THAT IS, AGAIN, A CRITICAL TEMPERATURE.

IN FACT, I THINK IT'S CALLED THAT.

CALLED THE CRITICAL TEMPERATURE, AND LUCKILY, SIMPLE STEELS LIKE THIS, JUST PLAIN CARBON STEELS, LOSE THEIR MAGNETIC ATTRACTION AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME HEAT AS THE CRITICAL TEMPERATURE.

SO... GOT A LITTLE MAGNET.

ALL RIGHT.

YEAH.

MAGNET.

MAGNETIC ATTRACTION.

SO IF I TOUCH IT TO THIS END OF THE CHISEL, IT'S COLD, THAT'S STICKING, BUT...

IT'S NOT DOING ANYTHING DOWN THERE.

SO THAT'S ABOUT THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE.

SO IT'S NOT MAGNETIC.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE KNOW THAT'S ABOUT THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE FOR QUENCHING.

SO I'M GONNA QUENCH IN THIS LITTLE CAN OF WATER.

MM-HMM.

AND WE KNOW IT'S ABOUT THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE.

AND THAT'S GONNA MAKE IT-- SO NOW WE'LL HARDEN THE STEEL... MAKE IT DEAD HARD.

BY JUST COOLING THAT DOWN TO ROOM TEMPERATURE.

JUST DO THIS IN WATER WITH THIS KIND OF STEEL.

THIS IS A VERY SIMPLE CARBON STEEL.

THIS IS WHAT THEY WERE USING 200 YEARS AGO.

GOD BLESS THEM.

ALL RIGHT.

SO...

STILL AN ADEQUATE STEEL FOR HAND TOOLS.

I MEAN, IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THE SEATON CHISELS WERE GOOD CHISELS...

I'VE WORKED WITH MANY OF THOSE.

THEN YOU DON'T NEED STEEL THAT SURPASSES WHAT THEY HAD THEN.

WELL, THEY'RE BRILLIANT, AND THEY'VE GOT THAT WONDERFUL COMBINATION OF THE WROUGHT IRON AND THE STEEL, SO YOU HAVE BOTH THE TOUGHNESS AND THE HARDNESS COMBINED.

I KNOW THERE WAS AN ECONOMIC REASON FOR THIS AS WELL.

NOW, I SEE YOU HEATING ANOTHER PIECE IN THE FIRE THERE.

YOU'RE MORE PERCEPTIVE THAN I THOUGHT.

I WAS TRYING TO KEEP THAT FROM YOU.

OH, DEAR.

NOW THE STEEL HAS BEEN HARDENED, WHICH MAKES IT BRITTLE, VERY HARD, BUT TOO BRITTLE TO HOLD AN EDGE, AND THAT THIN EDGE WILL CHIP.

SO WE WANT TO TEMPER IT.

AND I'VE GOT ANOTHER BAR IN THERE AS A HEATER.

I'M GONNA POLISH THIS SURFACE.

TO GET IT BRIGHT ON THE STEEL SIDE.

RIGHT.

NOW LET'S PULL THE HEATER OUT OF THE FIRE.

CLEAR THAT ANVIL OFF.

MOVE YOUR HAMMER AND PUT THE HARDY AWAY.

AH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'RE JUST GONNA USE THIS BAR AS A HEATER.

LET'S TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES FOR THE COLORS TO START FORMING, BUT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THE COLORS ON THE SURFACE OF THE BAR, AND THAT'S A THERMOMETER REALLY.

SO IT'S A VERY CLEAN AND CONTROLLABLE HEAT SOURCE THERE, THIS BAR UNDERNEATH.

AND I SEE YOU'RE ACTUALLY STAYING BACK A LITTLE BIT FROM THE EDGE.

YOU WANT THE HEAT TO KIND OF FLOW DOWN INTO THE EDGE THERE.

WELL, THE EDGE IS THE THINNEST, AND I DON'T WANT THAT TO GET HOT TOO FAST.

OH, GOSH.

WHEN YOU TILT THAT UP INTO THE LIGHT, I CAN SEE THE... YEAH.

I WAS WAITING FOR THE FIRST COLORS TO START.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

I CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF STRAW COMING IN THERE, A LITTLE BIT OF YELLOW.

YEAH.

THERE'S AMBER.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THEN WHEN THIS GETS ALL THE WAY TO THE BLUE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, THEN WE KNOW.

THERE'S THE STRAW.

SO THIS IS IF WE'RE DOING AN ADZE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE COULD FREEZE IT RIGHT THERE.

AND THERE'S PURPLE COMING IN.

THIS IS WONDERFUL.

IT'S COMING PRETTY FAST NOW.

THAT'S IT.

WELL, PETER, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO SPEND A RAINY DAY I KNOW.

I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.

AND AS SOON AS THIS IS TEMPERED, WE'LL BE CHISELING AWAY.

THIS IS ROY UNDERHILL.

THANKS FOR JOINING ME HERE IN "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

SO LONG.

LEARN MORE ABOUT "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" AND TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING ON OUR WEBSITE.

YOU CAN FIND US ONLINE AT pbs.org.

MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... [CAT MEOWS] [THUNDER] [HORN HONKING] WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, STATE FARM HAS THE TOOLS TO GET YOU TO A BETTER STATE, PROUD SPONSOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

ROY UNDERHILL IS THE AUTHOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S GUIDE: WORKING WOOD WITH WEDGE AND EDGE," AS WELL AS OTHER BOOKS ON TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING, ALL PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS AND AVAILABLE AT BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES.