This vintage book contains a detailed treatise on the subject of steel, exploring in particular how it is selected, hardened, and annealed. "Annealing" refers to a hardening process whereby steel is heated above the re-crystallization temperature and subsequently cooled in a furnace, water, or oil. Tempering is a process that removes "stress" by heating steel below the re-crystallization temperature and then is cooling it in the air. This volume contains simple explanations and step-by-step instructions for these processes, making it ideal for novices or apprentices, as well as a handy reference guide for more experienced metalworkers. Contents include: "The Workman", "Steel", "Methods of Heating", "Heating Tool Steel", "Forging", "Hardening Baths", "The Lead Bath", "Cyanide of Potassium Bath", "Hardening Steel", "Drawing the Temper after Hardening". "Examples of Hardening", "Hardening Dies", "Forming Dies", "Ring Dies", "Screw Threading Dies", "Hardening Long Articles", etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new introduction on metalwork.