butasfuelwasdifficulttobehadatthatplace，hedetermined，forgreaterconvenience，toremovetotheneighbourhoodofSheffield，whichhedidin1740。HefirstsettledatHandsworth，afewmilestothesouthofthattown，andtherepursuedhisinvestigationsinsecret。Unfortunately，norecordshavebeenpreservedofthemethodswhichheadoptedinovercomingthedifficultieshehadnecessarilytoencounter。Thattheymusthavebeengreatiscertain，fortheprocessofmanufacturingcast-steelofafirst-ratequalityevenatthisdayisofamostelaborateanddelicatecharacter，requiringtobecarefullywatchedinitsvariousstages。Hehadnotonlytodiscoverthefuelandfluxsuitableforhispurpose，buttobuildsuchafurnaceandmakesuchacrucibleasshouldsustainaheatmoreintensethananythenknowninmetallurgy。Ingot-mouldshadnotyetbeencast，norweretherehoopsandwedgesmadethatwouldholdthemtogether，nor，inshort，wereanyofthosematerialsathisdisposalwhicharenowsofamiliarateverymelting-furnace。
Huntsman’sexperimentsextendedovermanyyearsbeforethedesiredresultwasachieved。Longafterhisdeath，thememorialsofthenumerousfailuresthroughwhichhetoilsomelyworkedhiswaytosuccess，werebroughttolightintheshapeofmanyhundredweightsofsteel，foundburiedintheearthindifferentplacesabouthismanufactory。Fromthenumberofthesewrecksofearlyexperiments，itisclearthathehadworkedcontinuouslyuponhisgrandideaofpurifyingtherawsteeltheninuse，bymeltingitwithfluxesatanintenseheatinclosedearthencrucibles。Theburiedmasseswerefoundinvariousstagesoffailure，arisingfromimperfectmelting，breakingofcrucibles，andbadfluxes；andhadbeenhidawayassomuchspoiledsteelofwhichnothingcouldbemade。Atlasthisperseverancewasrewarded，andhisinventionperfected；andthoughahundredyearshavepassedsinceHuntsman’sdiscovery，thedescriptionoffuelcokewhichhefirstappliedforthepurposeofmeltingthesteel，andthecruciblesandfurnaceswhichheused，areforthemostpartsimilartothoseinuseatthepresentday。Althoughthemakingofcast-steelisconductedwithgreatereconomyanddexterity，owingtoincreasedexperience，itisquestionablewhetheranymakerhassincebeenabletosurpassthequalityofHuntsman’smanufacture。
Theprocessofmakingcast-steel，asinventedbyBenjaminHuntsman，maybethussummarilydescribed。Themeltingisconductedinclaypotsorcruciblesmanufacturedforthepurpose，capableofholdingabout34lbs。each。Tenortwelveofsuchcruciblesareplacedinamelting-furnacesimilartothatusedbybrassfounders；andwhenthefurnaceandpotsareatawhiteheat，towhichtheyareraisedbyacokefire，theyarechargedwithbarsteelreducedtoacertaindegreeofhardness，andbrokenintopiecesofaboutapoundeach。
Whenthepotsareallthuschargedwithsteel，lidsareplacedoverthem，thefurnaceisfilledwithcoke，andthecoverputdown。Undertheintenseheattowhichthemetalisexposed，itundergoesanapparentebullition。Whenthefurnacerequiresfeeding，theworkmentaketheopportunityofliftingthelidofeachcrucibleandjudginghowfartheprocesshasadvanced。Afteraboutthreehours’exposuretotheheat，themetalisreadyfor”teeming。”Thecompletionofthemeltingprocessisknownbythesubsidenceofallebullition，andbytheclearsurfaceofthemeltedmetal，whichisofadazzlingbrilliancylikethesunwhenlookedatwiththenakedeyeonaclearday。Thepotsarethenliftedoutoftheirplace，andtheliquidsteelispouredintoingotsoftheshapeandsizerequired。Thepotsarereplaced，filledagain，andtheprocessisrepeated；thered-hotpotsthusservingforthreesuccessivecharges，afterwhichtheyarerejectedasuseless。
WhenHuntsmanhadperfectedhisinvention，itwouldnaturallyoccurtohimthatthenewmetalmightbeemployedforotherpurposesbesidesclock-springsandpendulums。Thebusinessofclock-makingwasthenofaverylimitedcharacter，anditcouldscarcelyhavebeenworthhiswhiletopursuesoextensiveandcostlyaseriesofexperimentsmerelytosupplytherequirementsofthattrade。Itismoreprobablethatatanearlystageofhisinvestigationsheshrewdlyforesawtheextensiveusestowhichcast-steelmightbeappliedinthemanufactureoftoolsandcutleryofasuperiorkind；