RUNNING, UPKEEP AND OVERHAUL.
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Interesting Contributions from Maintenance Engineers, Drivers and Mechanics.
A Simple but Effective . " Stormboard" Door.
WIROM a practical-minded Scot, _112 " J.H.," of Old Curnnock, Ayrshire, we have received a suggestion for a combined door and stormboard. He points out that although there is not always the• necessity for a stormboard, this kind of door has the advantage that it lifts up out of the way of those loading or unloading the van. It also has the advantage that it protects goods from rain while they are being handled, also to a great extent it prevents rain from blowing in. The lower part can be used as a tailboard, or it can be dropped alto gether. " points out that such a door should cost no more than one of the usual pattern, whilst it has many advantages.
• One Way of Fixing the Nuts of Spring Bolts.
USUALLY the springs that are sent out with a chassis of good make aro of. sufficient strength to bear the load for which the machine was built; however, in the case of " W.H.," of Ashbourne, he seems to have thought it wise to add two leaves to the rear springs of his W,D.S.-type Karrier. This looks like a preparation for overloading, but whatever his motive, he devised a simple means for using the same bolts as held the original springs.
Owingto the greater thickness of the springs when the two extra leaves had been added he wag not able to fit splitpins, the ends of the bolts only just coming level with the tops of the nuts. To prevent the nuts from turning, he fitted a plate of steel 3/16-in, thick, so that it just jammed in between the flats of the nuts, so preventing them from coming loose. Fortunately, the central bolts were long enough for him to fit an extra nut to each of them to hold the plates in place. _ Tracing and Overcoming Trouble with an Injector.
AN old contributor, " of
Dewsbury, writes that he came upon a fellow steam driver on the road who was in trouble with the injector of his wagon, not an altogether uncommon occurrence. The trouble was that -die water could not be kept up to the correct level, so with the usual good nature which appears to go with the care-free type of man generally found driving such wagons, " A.W." stopped to lend a helping hand. A careful investigation of the injector showed no trouble, the injector lifting the water and passing it down the overflow pipe, but it would not force it into the boiler. The check valve was nett examined, but no fault could be found there, so our correspondent came to the conclusion that there must be .a leak in the pipe leading from the tank to the injector, which allowed air to be drawn in with the water. This pipe was then disconnected and a rubber hose fixed up so that water .could be drawn from a bucket. With this arrangement water could be easily got into the boiler, which was soon filled to its proper level. As there was no means for locating the leak in the metal pipe at the time and as the driver wanted to get on, the rubber hose was connected up to the tank, with the result that all the trouble was ended.
Our correspondent points out that a length of rubber hose is a very useful accessory for a steam driver to carry ,with him.
A Simple Method of Making a Lead Hammer.
A HEAVY lead hammer is suggested — by a correspondent, " A.R.P.," of Hot-lay, as being a very useful awl easily made tool for the garage. He points out that with such a hammer a heavy blow can be given to many parts without damage to anything but the hammer, which can easily be put into order again by a few blows from an trdinary hammer.
He suggests a simple way in which such a hammer can be made. A piece of gas barrel, with holes drilled to enable the lead head to be kept in place, should be plugged with wood to prevent the lead from escaping. An old oil tin (he suggests a quart "Mobiloil " tin as a convenient size), with a hole to fit the barrel, and smeared with clay, forms a very simple mould. The tin can be torn off by means of a pair of pliers when the head is cast. Should a ladle large enough to hold enough lead to cast the head not be available, he says that it can be cast in stages if the. next pouring be hot enough to melt the previous pouring so as to make a solid head. Some large garages have special jigs for this work.
Keeping the Garage Floor FreLi from Oil Stains.
THE suggestion made by " E.L.P.". of Lincoln, is one that we appreciate greatly, as we have always advocated keeping the garage clean and tidy, but from our -experience of many garages, we should imagine that there are many people who hold directly opposite views on the matter or possibly they may have , given up hope of being able to clean up the oil, although this is no excuse for untidiness.
Our eorrespondent tells us that at times he also was inclined to give up trying to keep .his garage floor free from oil stains on the concrete, but et last he found .te way of doing so. He first removes as much of. the oil as possible by wiping with a dry cloth. In obstinate. cases . he applies a little petrol, he then washes the floor with clean water and allows it to remain in a damp condition for about ten minutes, after which, while it is still damp, he sprinkles dry Portland cement from a flour dredger over the surface: He then goes over the surface with a soft broom; taking care to move the broom in every direction so as evenly to distribute the cement.
After this, be assures us, the surface will look like newly laid concrete.