An easy and common mode of crank-making is that by which the entire crank, with its two axle ends, is cut from a straight flat bar.' The length of this bar is equal to the total length of the crank-axle when forged. The width of the bar is equal to the total length of the crank-arm; and the thickness is equal to the distance through the crank-gap, or through the solid metal at the place of the intended gap.

After the piece is piled, welded, drawn down, and flattened to these dimensions, the crank is formed by one of four methods - by either cutting with steam-hammer chisels, punching rows of holes, sawing with saws, or drilling rows of holes with a drilling-machine. The bar reduced to its dimensions, and ready for cutting, is denoted by Fig. 192.

After the crank part is produced by either of these cutting processes, the axle portions are reduced to the circular form, and the superfluous metal cut off to complete the forging. Crank-axles made by this plan are objectionable, because the lengths of all the fibres are parallel to the axis of the axle.