Contributions from Drivers and Mechanics.
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TEN SHILLINGS WEEKLY for the Best Communication Received, and One Penny a Line of ten words for any thing else published.
Drivers of commercial-motor vehic:es and tractors, and mechanics and foremen ef garages or shops, are invited to send short contributions on any subject Ouch is likely to prove of interest to our readers. Workshop tips and smart repairs ; long and successful runs ; interesting
photographs : all are suitable subjects. Send a post.card, or a letter, or a sketch to us—no matter how short, or how written, or how worded. tVe will " knock it into shape" and prepare sketches, where necessary, before publication. The absence of a sketch does not disqualify for a prise. When writing use one side of the paper only and mention your entployer's name as a guarantee of bona fides. Neither your own nor your employer's name will be disclosed. Payment will be made ininiediatelv after publication. Address your letters to The Editor, THE CO VI ERCI A L MOTOR, 7-15, Rosebery Avenue, London, E.C.
A Hacksaw on a Lathe.
1' he sender of the following communication has been awarded the 10s. prize this week.
[749] " II.N." (Gateshead) writes I offer, for pub
lication in your D. and M.' columns, a short description of a novel method I have employed for parting off' in a lathe. I use an ordinary hacksaw, mounted in the usual kind of frame, and 1 hold it in position over the top of my work in the manner shown in the sketch which L include herewith [We have had this redrawn.—En.]. I keep the cut on by means of a small adjustable weight, which is similar to that used on many puwer hacksaws. The position of the blade relatively to the work can be adjusted at will. I find it advisable to start the cut by making a slight groove round the liar with a hand graver or something of that sort. This method actually effects a great saving in material and time over the ordinary method of using a parting tool. Especially is this so,
when there is a large number of pinions, cone blanks, or similar parts to cut from the bar. Once the saw is rigged into position, a boy can handle it."
Spraying a Troublesome Big-end.
1750] " A.G." (Cardiff) writes:" I have had a lot of trouble with one of the big-end bearings of a 40 li.p. engine of which I have charge. This engine has a hollow crankshaft. A careful examination was, of course, made, to see if any obstacle was blocking the channel from the oil pump to the crankshaft journal, which was next to the faulty big-end bearing. All the other bearings appeared to be in tip-top order, with the exception of this one, which seemed to have been starved of oil. The lubricating system on the car provides for the forcing of the oil into an overflow tank on the dash. Although we seemed to have a perfectly-clear passage to this particular big-coda fact which we tested by means of a hand pump—it was not possible to insure that the proper oil supply would get
through when the engine was actually running. Although I do not consider that I have got to the root of the problem, I have remedied the trouble in another way. Just over the camshaft in the crank casing, there happened to be several tapped holes, which the makers had evidently made for some machining operation, and these they had filled with brass plugs. It so happened that these holes were almost level with the main oil-supply pipe. I therefore took out that plug which was opposite to the troublesome connecting rod, and replaced it with a simple form of sprayer, as shown in my sketch [We have had this redrawn.—En.]. I connected one end of this fitting to the main oil pipe by a short length of tube, and I adjusted the fitting so that the holes in the sprayer would direct oil on to the connecting rod. In actual practice, this arrangement entirely cured the troublesome rod, as, after many miles of running, it proved to have been supplied with plenty of oil."
A Dodge for Leaky Tubes.
731]" ES." (Plaistow) writes :—" I have had some trouble recently with the boiler of a steam wagon; the tubes have been leaking very badly at the firebox end.
The boiler in question has been retubed several times, and, in consequence, the holes in the tube plates have got somewhat knocked about, causing the tube-ends to become all shapes and sizes, Since they started leaking, I
have made several attempts to expand them with an ordinary expander, but I have not been successful in stopping the leaks, owing to the fact that the rollers would touch some parts of the tubes, without touching the other parts, because of the irregular shapes of the euds. I next had a special drift made, so as to see whether I could stop the leaks by this means, but it was all to no purpose. I was on the point of giving it up for a bad job, when an idea for a new tool struck me. I therefore resolved to make it, and to see whether this would do the trick. I got an old flat file, and broke a piece, about 6 in. long, off the end. This I put in the fire and softened, so that it was possible for me to round off the edges with another file. I then commenced operations on the tubes. I placed the tool inside one of the tubes as far as it would go, and gave it a few light taps with a hammer. I next withdrew it, and turned the tool a little bit, to a different part of the tube, and so repeated this operation until I had been all round the tube-end. I treated all the leaky tubes in this way, and when I got steam lip again, I was delighted to find that I had a dry tube-plate. The job has now been done over a month, and it has given me no further trouble. The success of the tool was undoubtedly due to the fact that it was possible to drive it up so that it would fit any part of the diameter of the tube. I should like to recommend this to steam-wagon drivers and fitters, for I am confident that it would stop leaks where the ordinary means have failed. The tubes in my boiler are of 1 in. diameter, but, of course, the tool eould be made. to fit any size hole."