Forging of Iron and Steel

Abstract

THE title of the above work is somewhat misleading, in that its scope is much narrower than is suggested by the title. Apart from a short chapter at the end on steam and power hammers, it deals only with hand-forging in its various aspects. The book, which is stated to be intended both for the “high-school boy” and the “veteran smith”—it is written by an American-opens with a chapter on the historic use of iron and steel from early periods. It then deals in brief review with the smelting of iron ores and the production of cast irons, wrought irons, and steels, the author stating that it is unnecessary to go deeply into the subject of metallurgy or to introduce metallurgical theory. We are told (on page 20) that the air pressure in the blast furnace is from 15 to 25 lb. per square inch. No doubt in the hard-driven American furnaces, where everything is sacrificed to output, the blast pressures are higher than in this country, where they seldom exceed from 8 to 9 lb. per square inch, but the above figures are certainly higher than the highest we had associated with American practice. They throw light, however, on the performance of an American blast furnace erected in Middlesbrough some years ago which was worked by American engineers, and which blew so much iron ore out of the top of the furnace that it was put, and has remained, on the low pressures that are found to be suitable in English practice.

Forging of Iron and Steel.

By W. A. Richards. Pp. viii + 219. (London: Constable and Co., Ltd., 1915.) Price 6s. 6d. net.