Raw edges of the grating are largely protected against corrosion by
the sacrificial galvanic action of the zinc. Therefore, long life is
claimed by the manufacturer under all normal conditions.

Another advantage could be the removal of the grating with little loss
where changing conditions might require its use elsewhere.

If further information is desired, write the Chief Engineer, Bureau of
Reclamation, Attention: Code 410, Denver Federal Center, Denver,
Colorado 80225.

CUT GRASS AT 36 MILES PER HOUR

(Reprinted by permission of GRIST, November/December, 1963 issue,
a publication by the National Conference on State Parks, Washington, D.C.)

Something new in the way of a fast-moving, self-powered grass andweed
mower was demonstrated earlier this year to National Park Service
officials near Washington, D.C. Manufactured in Springfield, Missouri,
the machine might be mistaken for a jeep at a distance, but as the photo-
graph shows, it can be seen to be a 60-inch rotary mower riding under
a sturdy four-wheel frame.

The extra low center of
gravity and automotive-
type steering allow for
safe cutting on slopes
and grades not possible
with most powered equip-
ment. Cutting heights
can be adjusted from two
to ten inches instantly by
hydraulic power by the
operator, without stopping
or even slowing down.

sicdeeeaiiiesaataate The manufacturer states
that the 30-horsepower,
Photograph No, 1 4-cylinder air-cooled
Wisconsin engine gives
plenty of power for any type of cutting, with speeds up to 36 miles per
hour. The tractor-type transmission has four forward speeds and
reverse.

The blades are free swinging and covered by a completely enclosed
steel housing, making mowing of litter-strewn and rocky areas safe
even in congested areas. For further information, please write Chief
Engineer, Attention: Code 400, Bureau of Reclamation, Building 53,
Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225.
SE a ae
17


fitting of wood to metal or the use of wedges to hold heads in place,
Heads will not loosen, and the handles are actually strengthened by a
complete bond. Time required to do the job is reduced 50 to 60 per-
cent by using the liquid glass.

Should the new handle break, the glass may be removed by burning it
out.

Mr. Koevening says that this material has withstood all normal use
without fracturing.

The Farm Conference of the National Safety Council, recently adopted
the following statement concerning the Slow-Moving Vehicle emblem:
"The Farm Conference of the National Safety Council recommends the
use of the approved Slow-Moving Vehicle emblem as a unique means
for aiding in the identification of slow-moving vehicles,

The new American Society of Agricultural Engineers Recommendation
defines the usage of and includes specifications for Slow-Moving Vehicle
emblems, and is intended as a guide for those who use and make the
emblem so that uniformity will be achieved.

11



In the last 10 years, labor costs have increased about 5 percent per
year; paint material costs are up about 3 percent. There is close
agreement between the NACE figures, and the following figures that
were accumulated from a study conducted in our plant.

Labor costs are, of course, controversial. Many factors, including
location, affect the rates. These figures, however, are considered
typical and show the high cost of painting today. All figures are for
direct labor only. They do not include overhead, profit, insurance,
taxes, special equipment rentals, or like charges.

A contracted commercial blast-cleaning operation costs from 10 cents
per sq ft for storage tanks, to 18-25 cents per sq ft for erected struc-
tural steel. It depends upon the size of the item. Light steel (which
may average 400 sq ft per ton and up) costs more to clean than medium
steel, which may run from 200-400 sq ft per ton. This, in turn, is
more expensive to clean than heavy steel (usually figured from 100-200
sq ft per ton).

Shop commercial blastings ranges from 12-16 cents per sq ft plus an

additional charge of one cent per sq ft for handling. Comparable blast-
ing at the job site is slightly higher because handling charges are in-

creased to about 1.5 cents per sq ft.

Application labor charges vary with size and accessibility, as well as
with the method of application. Brush applications to storage tanks
cost about 4.5 cents per sq ft for each coat with an additional one cent
per sq ft for scaffolding. For steelwork, brush application costs will
range from 5 cents per sq ft for each coat in a fabricating shop, to

10 cents per sq ft erected.

Spraying Costs

Comparable spraying costs for storage tanks are 3 cents per sq ft per
coat; for steelwork, 3 to 6 cents per sq ft per coat. A scaffolding
charge of 2 cents per sq ft should be added to the application cost for
painting erected steelwork,

Material costs range from about 0.9 cents per mil ft for coal tar-
epoxies and 1.2 cents per mil ft for alkyds to 2 cents per mil ft for
vinyls and epoxies, all at 75 percent theoretical coverage.

Average thicknesses for these materials in three coats measure: 18
mils for the coal tar-epoxies; 5.7 mils for alkyds; 6.7 mils for vinyls;
and 6,2 mils for the epoxies. The cost figures for vinyls include the
required thinners, and the epoxy figure is for the completed mix or kit.
Average costs per square foot for three coats of these materials are:


CRANKCASE OIL CATCHER

(Reprinted by permission of GRIST, May/June 1965 issue, a publica-
tion by the National Conference on State Parks, Washington, D.C.)

The crankcase draining device shown in the photograph and sketch, be-
sides being inexpensive and easy to make in the shop, has some other
advantages over commercial receptacles for used oil.

It is made from a five-gallon
milk can mounted on a tri-
angular base with casters, so
that it may be rolled under
vehicles. It can swing in a
360 degree circle and the fun-
nel and pipe can be raised to
the needed height, up to five
feet.

PLAN OF BASE

--Screen strain

A float indicates the amount of

Large funnel~—~.. oil in the can. By removing

_-I" Close up nipple the top assembly the full can
"welded to funnel may be removed and an empty
. one put in its place in minutes.
45° Elbow-— --I"x 5" Nipple There is also a drain plug at
a-1"-45° Elbow the bottom of each can.
aaa Pipe ~-5i¢ Lock screw Emil Justet, Shop Mechanic,

Zion National Park, is the de-
-1'a"x 18" Pipe welded signer of this useful device
in lid shown in Figure 1 at left.

Yq" Round steel plate
welded in lid sk kok ok

‘a"x5" Pipe welded
in lid~~~

Milk con lid--

. HYDRAULIC PUMP CHATTER:
YL -Five gotton mitk eon FOUR THINGS TO CHECK1/

—1"x 24" Pipe A hydraulic pump will become

noisy any time anything limits
_Smait oil con the flow of oil into the suction
for float side.

3je! Rod soldered
to float -----

3jg' Strap iron
on edge~—__

|

_-- Drain plug

Since the hydraulic fluid is the
= pump's only source of lubrica-
Casters tion, noise and chatter calls
for immediate correction un-
less you have a relative in the
hydraulic pump business.

Yq" Steel plate -

SIDE VIEW

Figure 1

18


BACK HOE CARRIES ITS OWN YARDSTICK

(Reprinted by permission of GRIST, May 1963 issue, a publication by
the National Conference on State Parks, Washington, D.C.)

The ''guess-and-by-golly"' method of figuring depth of cut for a ditch
as used by some back hoe operators can result in a ditch where the
grade is wrong and the water won't flow. So usually the operator must
wait for frequent interruptions by a surveyor to check grade as the
cut progresses. Frank Holst in Yellowstone National Park has found
a way to mark the back hoe digging arm so that after the grade line is
laid out the experienced operator can judge his distances so accurately
that for many ditch cutting jobs there is no need for constant rechecks
by the surveyor.

As the picture at left
shows, the award winning
suggestion is to paint ac-
curate foot marks along
the arm of the back hoe,
clearly visible to the op-
erator. With this marked
arm, one can make cuts

9 feet deep along a 100 foot
ditch, coming within 2 or
3 inches of perfect accuracy.

Photograph No. 1

20

GPO 855-123


PX—D-51656NA

Photograph No. 1

Photograph No. 2

15


V._ Shop Construction--Shop Primed Only--Rusting

Don't specify complete painting of shop fabrications. Specify only the
primer and then let the steel lie in the mud awhile. This is a neat way
to waste the shot blast and primer and create added expense. The waste
measurement here is only fair at 20 cents per sq ft, but an "A" is given
for effort.

VI._Good Paint on Tower--Improperly Mixed

Don't mix paints the recommended way. Poor mixing can create a
nice eyesore while wasting $50-$75 per man day.

VII. Skips and Holidays

Don't inspect. Pay the laboratory for evaluating a paint system and
the engineer for drafting the specifications around it. Then accept a
coloring job without looking at it until it's too late to do anything. A
lot of labor, sand, and paint can be wasted--or saved, depending upon
which side of the contract is considered.

VIII, Misuse

Finally, don't coddle paint systems. Use a live steam hose on them
before they're dry. Lots of good paint can be wasted this way--think
of the extra labor at $4.00 an hour.

This was a short course but it covered a lot of material. Fortunately
anyone can flunk; he has only to paint properly the first time and follow
up with good spot repairs on schedule. Painting costs can be brought
down to a realistic level.

KKK OK
SLIDE GATE POSITION INDICATOR

Operating personnel on the Red Willow Diversion Dam, Red Willow Unit
Frenchman-Cambridge Division, Missouri River Basin Project; have
modified the position indicator on the vertical lift gate hoist to permit
very close adjustment. The original installation as shown in Photo-
graph No. 1 on the following page, was a dial-type indicator of rela-
tively small diameter with the full travel of the gate being indicated by
one complete revolution of the pointer. The gear train driving the
pointer is shown in Photograph No. 2.

In order to permit closer adjustment of the gate and to indicate the
gate opening in feet, tenths and hundredths; the gear train shown in
Photograph No. 3 was designed and connected to a revolution counter



COST COMPARISON Environment Is A Big Factor

LIFE FACTORS cost
STATION ean (Meents/sa Fane Data for the mild weather and
3 Rs 2g28 atmospheric stations are in-
2 & 3 Es 3 teresting. They show alkyds
are not economical choices
Wet 55 17 11 26 74 60 here, even when costs are con-
Salt 27 14 04 52 100 165 sidered only to the time of first
Sulfuric 49 17 22 29 83 30** spot repair. If the basis for
Peat 3 8 33 2 4 2 comparison were a 10-year
‘Ammonia (EN) 40 1512 35 94 55 interval, you would see the
* “Ammonia (Lu) 54 38 — 26 37 — number of repair intervals for
Ammonium Nitrate (E) 47 14 08 30 100 83 alkyds would be greater than
Ammonium Nitrate (tu) 3.9 2913 36 48 51 that for vinyls or epoxies, in
Nitric 21 1204 67 16 65 most instances.
Hydrochloric 09 04 — 155 50 —
AS 46 29 26 32 48 25° Depending upon environment,
Weather 55 153 20 26 0.9 33 these data help show that
anes 2 at x 3 2 ae properly selected coatings
Buildina 40 21 1515 67 93 aa Can Cost as little as one-

Cott for the Interval of the Life Factor. fifth the annual cost of cheaper,
‘s*Alkyd Is economically competitive, non-resistant coatings. A
good average figure shows a
unit cost--in cents per square
foot per year--only one-half
Table 1 that for the poorer coatings.

Let's compare the cost of an alkyd system with a vinyl system. Adding
10 percent for payroll taxes and insurance to the direct labor charge,
15 percent for overhead, and 10 percent for profit, boosts the total
applied costs to about 65 cents per sq ft for the alkyd system. The
total cost becomes 72 cents per sq ft for the vinyl. This similarly
high unit cost may be calculated for work performed by painters in
plants where overhead charges are approaching 100 percent of direct
labor. The cost of painting today is nearing $1.00 per sq ft! It pays
to do the job with care.

Figure 1 on the following page relates direct labor charges to the num-
ber of coats on medium steel. Here general cost data--as described
for commercial blast cleaning, handling, scaffolding, and application
are used. Material costs are taken as 2 cents per mil ft at 2 milsper
coat, or 4 cents per sq ft per coat.

Economic advantage offered by applying the complete system before
erection is evident; it is about 20 percent cheaper to paint on the
ground. Practical experience indicates that mechanical damage in-
curred in handling and erection is minor; it has no appreciable effect
on over-all costs.


Coal tar-epoxies 16.2 cents per sq ft

Alkyds 6.8 cents per sq ft
Vinyls 13.4 cents per sq ft
Epoxies 12,4 cents per sq ft

The applied direct cost of a three-coat alkyd system on erected steel-
work may be compared to a similar cost for a vinyl system by means
of this example. Assume that the prime coat is brushed and the two-
finish coats are sprayed. The direct labor charge of 43 cents per sq ft
includes scaffolding.

Cost comparison of the alkyd and vinyl systems are:

Alkyd
Blast 22 cents per sq ft
Application
Labor 21 cents per sq ft
Paint 6.8 cents per sq ft
49.8 cents per sq ft
Vinyl
Blast 22 cents per sq ft
Application
Labor 21 cents per sq ft
Paint 13.4 cents per sq ft

36. 4 cents per sq ft

The lower material cost for alkyd systems has been attractive enough
in the past to induce widespread use of them in place of more resistant
systems. This is false economy in the long run, in most chemical en-
vironments. The relatively short life of the alkyds creates the need for
costly spot repairs much more often.

On a long-range basis, the alkyds are economically competitive with
vinyls and epoxies only when: (1) the environment is so destructive
even vinyls and epoxies have a short protective life; and (2) the alkyd
exhibits a high degree of resistance to the environment. Table 1 on
the following page shows the relative economy of the three types of
paint--vinyls, epoxies, and alkyds. These are average figures taken
at various locations in our plant. The "life factors'' are the time inter-
vals to the first spot repair; they indicate relative protective life.

Cost data for the materials were based on these assumptions: vinyls
and epoxies cost 2 cents per mil ft and their average thickness is
7 mils; alkyds cost 1.2 cents per mil ft and average thickness is 5. 5 mils.



Photograph No. 3

Photograph No. 4
16


The addition of a fourth coat of paint, a common practice with rela-
tively low-building alkyds, increases the applied cost by about 20 per-
cent. Most of this added cost can be avoided by using three-coat vinyl
or epoxy systems which provide protective thickness in three coats.

Figure 2 shown on the preceding page charts the cumulative costs of
protection to steel structures exposed to salt atmospheres.

The values determined are not calculations or projections; they were
determined in actual practice, They show clearly that good painting
practices pay off in terms of lower maintenance costs.

*A SHORT COURSE IN HOW TO
WASTE PAINTING MONEY

I. Millscale Failing

Don't sandblast. Paint over millscale. When it pops ina year, it
will take the paint with it. This way, more than 50 cents per sq ft
can be wasted the first year. If you're interested in the big picture--
in the U.S. alone we lose more than a billion dollars a year simply
by painting over millscale. This is primarily paint waste--add to it
corrosion loss or product contamination. That's losing money in a
big way!

Il. Test Panel--Severe Paint Failure

Choose the wrong paint. Pick one that failed almost as soon as you
put iton. This way, a good 30 cents per sq ft can be wasted without
even trying.

III, Structure Needing Complete Repaint

Don't be in a hurry about spot repairs. Wait until the steel is all
chewed up. Thenstartallover. True, itmaybe a two-year wait, but
not only the expensive surface preparation is lost. Painting will cost
more than the first time. That's pretty good wasting!

IV. Spot Repairs With No Surface Preparation

Don't clean before a spot repair. Let the rust break right through
again. This is a superb way to waste the $50 per man day estimated
for this type of work.

*This article accompanied the preceding article by Mr. C.R. Martinson
in Plant Engineering, and is reproduced here by permission ofthe editor.


: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation

RRIGATION OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

BULLETIN NO. 54

October, November, December 1965

LAST COPY - DO NOT REMOVE
LAST COPY - DO NOT REMOVE

In This Issue:
Maintenance Painting Costs Can be Reduced

Slide Gate Position Indicator &
Holding Tool Handles With Liquid Glass W
Slow-Moving Vehicle Emblem ¥F

“S” For Safety Mower Blade S
Interlock Grating N

Cut Grass at 36 Miles Per Hour Ys
o

Crankease Oil Catcher

Hydraulic Pump Chatter: Four Things to Check gS

Back Hoe Carries Its Own Yardstick NY


Photograph No. 4
9


Photograph No, 1

Photograph No. 2


21070 T
| |
\
we —
LEGEND
. sHoP :
Zz sopsite ” 7
e 3 ERECTED o 4
x “ 2
Dio Ns0 :
° . 7
8 3 a
“i20 Dao -
= 2
< <
20 30
MEDIUM STEEL AT
300 SO FT PER TON |
60 20 L
° 1 2 > zy ry
coats
Figure 1
$3.50) T T T

J
COST BY STEEL OVER- DESIGN”

CUMULATIVE COSTS OF PROTECTION
SALT EXPOSURES |

nS

7

COST BY STEEL renews —-5/| J

,COST BY yA
‘CHEAP* PAINTING rc

"SOT (INCLUDES CHEAP
MATERIAL)

CUMULATIVE COST (DOLLARS PER SQ FT)

1.00
0.50
COST BY PROPER PAINTING
INCLUDES GOOD MATERIAL }
0.001 i L L i
fo) 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

SERVICE LIFE (YEARS)

Figure 2



First: Check the inlet screen to make sure it isn't plugged. If the
system is equipped with filters, check the filter to see that it has
been serviced at the right intervals. Dirt is death to close fitting
hydraulic pumps, so check screens and filters carefully.

Second: Fluid viscosity. If the hydraulic oil is too viscous (thick)

at the prevailing ambient air temperature, it will not flow fast enough
to feed smoothly into the pump intake. Pump chatter due to wrong
fluid viscosity is most likely to occur when the pump is just started
up, and may disappear as the oil warms up, and thins out enough to
flow quickly into the pump suction line.

Third: Check for an air leak in the pump shaft seal, joints of the
pump intake pipe. You can check these leaks by pouring some oil
over the point where you suspect the leak may be. The oil will
temporarily seal the leak and make the pump sound different.

Fourth: Make sure the oil in the reservoir is right up to the full
mark, Otherwise air could leak into the pump intake. Low level
may also let the return oil splash into the reservoir instead of feed-
ing in below the surface.

Figure 1

I/Reprinted by permission of the editor of Contractors and Engineers
in the May 1965 issue, from ''Lube Logic".

KOR KK

19



MAINTENANCE PAINTING COSTS CAN BE REDUCED 1/
by C. R. Martinson 7

Approval of maintenance painting budgets is sometimes difficult to ob-
tain. We have found that we have greatest success when we physically
demonstrate the high cost of a premature coating failure; once a plant
manager has experienced one of these failures, he is not nearly so anx-
ious to criticize the cost of a quality paint job.

A study of painting expenditures will provide the knowledge needed to
reduce the cost of painting plant facilities--yet maintain a high level of
appearance and protection. The objective--whether arrived at by expe-
rience or calculation--is given by Mr. R. K. Swandby of International
Nickel Co. He says: ''The desirable economic criterion is the paint
system that will give the lowest cost per square foot per year of life,"

Maintenance painting has long been regarded as quite unimportant. Paint
was paint and no special skill was required to put it on. Many thought if
the job didn't turn out well, it didn't really matter; painting didn't cost
much,

Few realized that the national average cost for painting (in the chemical
industry) was about 7.0 percent ofthe total maintenance bill, or 0.5 to
1.0 percent of the capital investment. Management, aware of this,
began to look for ways to reduce protection costs. They began to see
that cheap painting jobs are not a savings--but that maintenance painting
budgets provide a fertile field for cost reduction--without sacrificing
soundness and appearance. Better--not cheaper--painting is the key to
a cost-cutting program.

Unit Costs from NACE
Some unit cost figures for painting today have been developed by Task

Group T-6D-1, of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers.
For example, these are typical costs:

Hand Cleaning 16.0 cents per sq ft
Sandblasting 23.5 cents per sq ft
Brush

Application 5. 1 cents per sq ft
Spray

Application 2.6 cents per sq ft
Miscellaneous 5.5 cents per sq ft

I/Reproduced by permission of the editor from an article appearing in
Plant Engineering, September 1963, by the author, who is a Protective
Coatings Consultant, Monsanto Chemical Company, St. Louis, Missouri.



Among the items covered by the new Recommendation are:

1. The SMV emblem is not intended to replace tail lights or warning
flags, but to supplement such devices.

2. The center shall be a yellow-orange flourescent film and the
border shall be a reflective red material, the center suitable for
daytime viewing and the border for nighttime viewing. The floures-
cent and reflective materials used shall be tough, flexible films
suitable for application on metal surfaces.

3. The background material shall be metal and of sufficient strength
and thickness to withstand normal physical distortion and exposure
to the elements.

4. The SMV emblem shall be mounted point up in a plane perpen-
dicular to the direction of travel and whenever practical shall be
placed at the rear of the vehicle, at the center of mass, 3 to 5 feet
above the ground. It shall be visible day and night at least 500 feet
from the rear.

5. The emblem is intended as a unique identification and shall be
used only on vehicles which by design move at 25 miles per hour or
less on the public roads. The emblem is not a clearance marker
for wide machinery, nor is it intended to replace the required light-
ing and marking of slow-moving vehicles.

6. Neither the color film pattern and its dimensions, nor the back-
ing shall be altered to permit the use of advertising or other markings.

All interested groups and organizations are urged to promote the SMV
emblem in their states and communities. Active promotion is needed
to gain wide emblem usage and to educate drivers on what the emblem
means. Emblems can help protect both slow vehicle operators and
motor vehicle operators only if the driving public is aware that this
emblem is a unique device to identify slow-moving vehicles. There-
fore, building public recognition of the unique emblem ''message" is
just as important as getting farmers to use emblems.

Additional detailed information on the SMV emblem (such as where
emblems can be secured) can be yours by contacting the Farm Depart-
ment of the National Safety Council. Write to either the Farm Depart-
ment or the American Society of Agricultural Engineers for a copy of
the SMV Emblem Recommendation.

12


INTERLOCK GRATING

A relatively new product now on the market consists of a one-piece metal
grating steel plank that can be used for catwalks, step treads, mainte-
nance walkways, staging platforms scaffolding and for similar uses, as
shown in photographs on the following pages.

The planking can be obtained as a one-piece pierced section or insmooth
panels. The latter being particularly useful as a flooring for platforms
or for shelving.

The grating is interlocking with the interlocking ribs being 2-1/2, 3 or
4 inches deep. They have both male and female ribs that interlock to
give a width of any multiple of 9 inches. Double male planks are avail-
able for making a finished edge, or where the interlocking feature is
not required.

Planks are stocked in lengths of 20 feet, but on special order, shorter
lengths can be obtained. For assembling longer lengths, punched splice-
plates are available, and can be attached to any designed supports by
various means such as J-bolts, standard bolts, or by welding. Standard

sizes available are shown in the
STANDARD SIZES sketch below.

The material used in the grat-
ing is a high-quality steel,
coated with zinc by the con-
tinuous hot-drip process at the

pe 1 mill prior to fabrication.

Grating surface is made by de-
forming the face of the planks
fandard Section into a series of transverse ribs,
je & Female Rib or 5

. with shoe gripping ridges and

t ———— tee ——t slots approximately 1/16-inch
high on the transverse tread

ribs.

width | Depths Gages Lengths
Vom ya [14,1618 | 20 Max.

48

Standard Section
Double Male Rib The manufacturer suggests that
. ve the grating can easily fit into
construction or architectural
vie plans, being simple in design
‘ —t and requiring only a minimum
of support and connection. It
Sid-Section has anti- has a wide range of load carry-
ser lip Protection ing capacity and by means of
Smooth Surface upturned slits, maximum skid-
Available o i i
tie ‘Sree proofing and sure footing are
Section B-B provided.

14


IRRIGATION OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
Bulletin No, 54

October, November, December 1965
INTRODUCTION

The fact that good painting practices pay off in terms of lower mainte-
nance costs is emphasized in the article "Maintenance Painting Costs
Can Be Reduced, " that appears in this issue of the Bulletin, beginning
on page 1, Prepared by a protective coating consultant and aimed pri-
marily at industry, the data included is applicable, in part, at least to
the protection of irrigation facilities and their appurtenant features.
What not to do in surface protection is humorously stressed in the ac-
companying brief dissertation on page 6, ''A Short Course in How to
Waste Painting Money." We are indebted to the Editor of Plant Engi-
neering for these two articles.

We are always looking for a better gate position indicator. One now
installed on a Missouri River Basin Project in Nebraska is described
and illustrated beginning on page 7.

An emblem adopted by the Farm Conference of the National Safety
Council to designate slow-moving vehicles is shown on page 11. Sug-
gested to promote safety, an article beginning on the same page de-
scribes the emblem and gives a source of additional information.

An'"'S" shaped rotary mower blade designed for safety is shown and
described on page 13. For this and several other useful suggestions
appearing in this issue, we are indebted to Grist, a publication of the
National Conference of State Parks.

A brief article on the lubrication of wire rope also can be found on
page 13; a new type metal grating that can be utilized in many ways

is described beginning on page 14; and suggestions toward eliminating
the chatter of hydraulic pumps will be found beginning on page 18.



The Irrigation Operation and Maintenance bulletin is published quar-
terly, for the benefit of irrigation project people. Its principal purpose
is to serve as a medium of exchanging operation and maintenance infor-
mation. Is is hoped that the reports herein concerning labor- saving
devices and less costly equipment and procedures, developed by re-
sourceful project people, will result in improved efficiency and reduced
costs on the systems of those operators adapting these ideas to their
needs,

To assure proper recognition of those individuals whose suggestions
are published in the bulletins, the suggestion number as well as the
person's name is given. All Bureau offices are reminded to notify
their Suggestions Award Committee when a suggestion is adopted.

sk ok ok ok ok

Division of Irrigation Operations

Office of Chief Engineer
Denver, Colorado

The gate opening of the slide gate position
indicator is read directly from the counter,
as shown; see article starting on page 7.



type indicator in place of the dial and pointer originally provided. The

gate opening is read directly from the counter as shown in Photograph
No. 4.

The revolution counter units were fabricated at a cost of about $150
each, The Kansas River Projects Office reports that the counters

are expertly made and are very accurate. They recommend this type
of gate position indicator.

If additional information is desired, write the Chief Engineer, Mail

Code D-410, U.S, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center,
Denver, Colorado 80225,

OK Kk
HOLDING TOOL HANDLES WITH LIQUID GLASS

(Reprinted by permission of PLOWBACK, September 1964 issue,
a publication by the National Park Service, Washington, D.C.)

When placing handles of hammers, axes, mauls, and other tools,
Maintenance Foreman Eugene J. Koevening, Mount Rushmore National
Memorial, uses what he calls liquid glass to hold the head firmly on
the wooden handle. The material used is actually a catalyzed polyester
liquid plastic similar to the type of material used to fill fiberglass cloth
utilized in covering boats and in repairing other wooden objects.

Mr. Koevening uses a material similar to Herter's Resinote obtainable
from sporting goods and some hardware stores. The sketch below
shows how he does it, and the method used eliminates tedious precision

NOTE: Space indicated _-Pour opening full
for glass is exaggerated “ of glass and allow
in this sketch. 7 time to harden.

2or3 Wraps of electricians
tape prevents leakage
from small holes or ~
misfits. This is removed / [ ~Notches or
after glass hardens--~~ In} small cuts
help glass
make firmer
bond.

HOLDING TOOL HANDLES
WITH LIQUID GLASS

10



"Ss" FOR SAFETY MOWER BLADE

(Reprinted by permission of GRIST, July/August 1963 issue, a publica-
tion by the National Conference on State Parks, Washington, D.C.)

Last year there were more than 96,000 accidents involving rotary
mowers. Safety in the mowing operation is a matter of high concern

to park people with thousands of acres to be mowed. Now comes an

"S' shaped blade, with impellers, which insures that objects are gently
swept from its path without damage to bystanders, property, or mower.

The new blade operates in such
a way as to avoid tangling of
material about the blade or its
drive shaft. For instance, wire
is picked up into a ball and
rolled aside. The ''S'" design
minimizes vibration and allows
the mower to operate at slower
speed, thus saving engine wear.

Hardened well within safety
‘ tolerances as determined by
PX—D-5165SNA insurance company research

laboratories, the blade is
Photograph No. 1 shatterproof, withstands impact

without breakage. Soft grasses
and heavier growth of grass, weeds, grain stalks, etc. are allcut smoothly
and efficiently. The principal of this ''S'' blade is entirely new and un-
like any other now on the market, according to the manufacturer.

For further information, please write Chief Engineer, Attention:
Code 400, Bureau of Reclamation, Building 53, Denver Federal Center,
Denver, Colorado 80225.

LUBRICATION OF WIRE ROPES

The lubrication of wire ropes, including stainless steel ropes can be
improved by the use of Lubriplate No. 63AA, or equal, thinned with
solvent to a consistency permitting easy penetration into the interior
of the rope. After brushing the thinned lubricant onto the rope, the

solvent will evaporate and leave the lubricant in the rope to serve its
purpose.

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