Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1873 — Care of Hand Tools and Machinery. [ARTICLE]

Care of Hand Tools and Machinery.

• Every one who is competent to handle tools of any sort, or to manage machinery, should be taught to keep every working part in complete order. Beginners should be instructed that it is quite as important to understand how to keep tools and machinery from being damaged as it is to handle them with dexterity and mechanical efficiency. One of the first lessons that a beginner should be familiar with, is tlie fact that edge tools and many kinds of machinery may be damaged more by a little carelessness and neglect than by all the wear and tear incident to use for many weeks or even months. When a scale of rust is allowed to form on edge tools, more steel will often lie used up by grinding away tlie rusted surface, than would lie worn out during one or two years. The polished hearings Of machinery should al wuyxbe kep.t in th e niti.at.cymjdete order,. If one side of a bearing is allowed to rust only a trifle, the rusty surface will commence cutting the box, or the box will wear away tlie rusty side of the hearing so rapidly that it will be round on one side and more elliptical than round on tlie side that was allowed to rust. A great many intelligent persons do not understand the immense difference, there is between lubricating oils, lard and tallow. We have known persons who were accustomed to use machinery, to employ; linseed oil, in lieu of machine oil. The result was, every bearing soon became badly “gummed up” so that tlie machinery run -hard, the journals soon became so hot that no oil would operate as alubricator. One of the most important considerations in using machinery is to keep tlie bearings properly protected from the dust and grit that is liable to enter where the oil is - applied, which w ill- not only make the journals run hard, but cut the boxes, or the bearings, or both, thus doing immense damage in a short time. A great many joiners having never ’taken a lesson in the care of edge tools, always spread their tools around about them in extreme confusion. When working at tiie bench, saws, drawing-knife, planes, hammers, squares, rules, nails, screws and shavings frequently cover the bench from end to end, so that tiie saw-teeth are often battered against the hammer, the edge of tlie jointer is dulled badly by being placed on a nail, the cutting edge of tlie draw-ing-knife receives an unceremonious w-hnek, and thebrad-awl, screw-driver, or some small chisel gets covered up, so that more time is really expended in looking up some little tool than would he required To keep the hein-li dear of everything, and to have a place for each tool and keep it there. It is the predominating characteristic of not a few joiners, to have the floor literally covered from end to end and side to side, with lumber consisting of boards, plank, pieces, chips and shavings-. When at Ithaca, a friend accompanied us through one of tiie public buildings of the far-famed Cornell University; and the spacious room where the builders were at work, presented an impressive representation of- superlative confusion. Wagon loads of pieces Of boards, scanning, chips and shavings, saw-horses and finilii 'were scattered promiscuously over the-work-benches and tiie entire floor. The following remedy may he adopted with immense satisfaction. Let a board Trcrmiled mi over tire' bench, into wliicli let several pegs be driven for holding different tools. Near the rise, let tlie drawing knife bang on its own peg, and if it is used sixty times per hour; return it to its respective peg, instead of laying it on tiie bench. Let all tile saws hang where one: can reach any one conveniently. Then, if a saw is to be used only a few seconds at a time, and many times per hour, let it be returned to its peg, rather than laid down. By adopting tips practice, one will soon become so accustomed to have a place for every tool and to keep it there, that he will not know where to look for a too], if lie does not find it in its own proper place. About two feet from the front side of the work-bench, let two cleats, say half an inch thick, he secured on tlie top of the bench, on which let tlie planes be placed, when they are not in actual use. Then, provide a rack for chisels and hits, and let each one have an appropriate place, so that it will be easy to lay the hand on. any one even if blindfolded; Besides these tilings,' keep the lumber off tlie floor, especially from a generous area around about the bench ; aud provide a bench-brush, or small broom, and keep the bench clean and the shop well swept, at least once per day. Two minutes per day appropriated to clearing up and brushing up, will not fail to be spent in the most satisfactory manner.—American Builder. —Roll Cake.—Three eggs, one cup of sugar, one cup of flour; stir well into it one teaspoonful of cream tartar and half as much soda; bakp quick, and roll with jelly when hot; bake in square tins. Ask for l’russing’s Ciller Vinegar and take no other. Warranted to preserve Pickles.