The needles are now hardened and tempered, which brings back a bit of ‘spring’ to the needles.
1) George Charman is pictured quenching a pan of needles which have just been heated in one of the coal-fired furnaces. These furnaces were used before gas-fired furnaces were installed in 1926 as a result of the coal strike. 1925
2) Note the coal-fired furnaces on the far wall, which were built when the Hardening shop was erected in 1925 but hardly ever used. Image shows H J Paramore, Ray Charman and E W Keesey. 1930
3) Image shows Charlie Charman placing needles in a hardening pan held by Fred Tarrant. Ray Charman is looking into one of the gas-fired furnaces. 1946
4) Ray Charman, Charlie Charman and Ewart Charman. 1947