SOME WORKSHOP HINTS.
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Some Efficient Tools and Accessories Made by Our Driver and Mechanic Readers.
AMONGST the several workshop hints with which we have to deal this week, those which are embodied in a letter from " A.E," of Manchester, to wham we award the 15s. prize, are the most interesting and useful. He describes in all four accessories which would be useful in practically any shop, whether large or small.
The first of these relates to a nonspillable receptacle for soldering acid. The principle of the construction of this, as may be gathered from the accompanying sketches, is precisely the same as that which is embodied in the ordinary nonspillable ink-well. It isanade from sheet copper 1-32 in. in thickness. The height is 2J, ins-, the diameter at the base 2i ins., and at the top 1i ins. The inner tube is in. diameter at the top tapering to in. at. the bottom. All the joints are soldered, the handle being both riveted and soldered.
In connection with this receptacle a note concerning the type of brush which should be used may be of interest. The general method of applying •soldering acid is to use a piece of wood. This 's not, however, a good plan, as it soaks up the acid and quickly becomes unpleasant to handle. Moreover, it is not so easy with such a tool to apply the acid evenly and in the proper direction.
uses a brush which he makes himself, taking a few hairs or bristles from a broom and placing them with their ends inside one extremity of a piece of metal tubing, which is then flattened with a blow from a hammer so as to hold the bristles in place. An advantage of this method of construction is that owing to the shape of the handle the brush, when laid on the bench, stays with the bristles downwards, so that no trouble arises as the result of acid travelling to the end of the handle. In some shops soldming flux in paste form is used. One advantage of this paste is that it may conveniently be carried about in a repair kit. The same trouble arises with this as with acid, however, in regard to the method of applying it to the work. A good method is to solder a strip of brass or aluminium sheet to the inside of the lid of the tin, as shown in the sketch. The lid Serves as a handle, keeping the fingers clean, the metal strip is very convenient for applying the paste to the surface of the work, and there is no waste. It is quite a common thing for a mechanic or driver, when using a funnel to fill some receptacles with either water, petrol, oil or other fluids, to over-estimate the capacity of the tank. He only realizes that he has done this when the fluid begins to overflow and as, at that moment, the funnel itself is generally nearly full, the only way in which considerable waste can be prevented is by lifting the funnel quickly and applying a finger or thumb to its outlet, then retransferring the contents to the source from which replenishment was being made. A funnel fitted, as shown in the sketch, with an internal stopper, normally held out by means of a spring, is of considerable assistance in cases of this kind.
The fourth sketch sent us. by " shows how an efficient strainer can be fitted to the spoilt of an oilcan. Wire gauze havin.g a mesh of about 50 to the inch is taken. It is hammered out in a hard, wooden block. with a suitable_ re
cess, to the shape shown, 'being made to fit the spout very tightly. It will be fouhd that a strainer of this type retains all the particles of dirt but does not. interfere with the flow of the oil. It is, of course, necessary to remove it from time to time-for cleaning purposes.
A variety of odd hints have reached us from " W.J.H.," of Charterhouse. When holding rods or other round parts in the vice as, for example, when running the die down the end of a screwed rod, difficulty often arises, states this correspondent, Owing to the rod turning in the vice. It is not always convenient to screw the vice up a little in order to counteract this tendency, as damage to the rod might result: It will be found that a better grip. on the work will be obtainable if a parr of V blocks similar to those indicated in one of the accompanying sketches be used.
The same correspondent states in reference to hack-saws that the speed of working should be in the neighbourhood of 60 strokes per minute. It is the habit of a good many mechanics, according to him, to drive a hack-saw too fast. Take care, he adds, that the blade is put in correctly with the teeth away from the user, and that it is screwed up tight. When cutting tubing, take a number of cuts round the circumference and effect the final severance by breaking it. If the saw cuts right through to the inferior, it will most likely jam and broken teeth will result.
When drilling or tapping a blind hole, difficulty is sometimes experienced in clearing it of filings. For this purpose . a small piece of silver steel about i-in. . or h-in. in diameter, ground to a point and magnetized, is of considerable assistance. It is not, of course, of any use when thefilings are of brass.
• Another interesting workshop accessory is described and illustrated by one of the accompanying sketches, the sender of the letter being II.A.B.," of Rotherham. Its purpose is to enable theme(hank correctly and easily to -determine the centre of the end of the shaft or other cylindrical articles. The tool is made from sheet steel, which is cut, more or less, to the shape shown, the actual dimensions depending mainly upon the size of the articles in connection with which it will chiefly be required. Two round pegs are to be fitted, and the ssential feature about the whole tool is that the main straight-edge of it must be exactly at right angles to the line joining the centre of the two pegs, and must cut that line into two equal parts.