Unscrewing Thin Tubing
When unscrewing thin tubing, there is a decided tendency for it to close under the wrench grip, especially at the open ends. To prevent damaging the pipe, the method of protecting it shown in the illustration, has been found effective. It consists in screwing a pipe cap on the end of the pipe and gripping it as close to the cap as possible. Also in the removal of close nipples, this procedure is useful. The cap stiffens the nipple so that it can be removed easily, regardless of the tendency of the pipe-joint compound to hold it tight.—G. A. Luers, Washington, District of Columbia.
Better Potato Plants
By placing a 4-in. layer of sawdust on top of his hotbed. a Mississippi farmer produced potato plants with much longer roots than usual, which made them more desirable than short-rooted plants. In making the hotbed, he first dug a hole to a depth of about 12 in. In the bottom of this he placed a 6-in. layer of barnyard manure, covering it with a layer of soil about 5 or 6 in. thick. On top of this he placed the potatoes to be sprouted, pressing them into the earth and covering them with a thin layer of soil. A 4-in. layer of sawdust was then applied. Some 6-in. planks, held in position by stakes, prevented the sawdust from being washed away. This hotbed was not covered with glass. Besides producing long roots on potato plants, the sawdust helps to retain moisture. Potatoes should not come in contact with manure because the latter is likely to transmit certain diseases to the former, causing the potatoes produced to be defective.―Bunyan Kennedy, McCool, Mississippi.
How to Mend Aluminum with Zinc
Holes in aluminum vessels can be mended by the following method: Paste a piece of strong paper over the hole on the inside, using shellac as an adhesive. Have the surface of the aluminum very clean by sandpapering it well. Pack the vessel with sand to hold the paper in position securely. Now take some clean zinc, melt it, clean off all the dross and pour the zinc over the hole from the outside. It will stick to aluminum, and can be finished with a file and sandpaper. We have mended canteens, hot-water bottles, kettles, pans, etc., by this simple method. If you wish to solder anything to aluminum, first coat the aluminum with melted zinc poured on, then solder to the zinc surface, using common solder and a good flux.―Robert C. Knox, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Saw Case for the Tool Chest
A number of saws are generally carried in a well-equipped tool chest, and protection for the teeth is not always easy to provide. One carpenter uses a novel saw holder, which occupies little space and holds several blades for the detachable handle. Separate cases are used for miter and other attached-handle and backed saws. Such holders are made of pieces of prepared roofing, such as comes in rolls, using a kind which does not contain crushed stone or anything injurious to the saw teeth. After cutting and forming it to the shape of the saw, a few turns of friction tape hold everything firmly. and the case may be tossed into the tool chest without risk of damaging the saws.
