Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-05-29
Mending Tools.

EprroRs COUNTRY GrNrLrNAN .---ln the
matter Of repairs, VIC are letting a great deal
Of money slip through our fingers without any
clear cause We may consider well stocked
workshop an indispensable auxiliary to the
farm-a place where we can make money by
keeping il in our pocket, and = fine spot 10
while away the Idle hours Of winter. Enough
time is spent loungng in the tavern and other
public places to make all the gates, bar-posts'
whifiletreos, harrows, etc, aud TO do all the
repairing that is needed on any farm. But
the farmer meets one with the common plea
of no skil--no ingenuity. Why" he says,
" cannot white good cider peg ; how
eau you expect me to make repairs on ma
chimes ?" This would seem to indicate a to.
tai lack Of manual dexterity. Such may not
be the case, however, for perhaps he is one OF
our successful farmers. Success in farming
is always the result Of skill, differing from
mechanical skill only in the development
What difference is there in the skill Of swing.
ing an axe and the skill Of handling the tools
to make the helve ? To do either we'll we
need a correct knowledge of what is to be
done. The idea is this--a full comprehension
of the requirements Of tool or machine will
enable three men in five to repair that ma.
chine. The fac, is, VIC have so long been ac-
customed to having our repairing done by
outsiders that we scarcely know whether we
have any ingenuity or not have heard
men tell about their inability to make repairs
who never made the FIRST attempt in that d.
recton, always thinking that " gumpton - is
gift Of nature rather than atalent to be de-
velopcd by practice.
To make substantial repairs, we need a
good assortment Of tools-not the complete
set used by the carpenter and machinisi, but
moderate selection from each trade-augers
and bits, planes, saws, square and level, draw.
ing knife, half dozen chisels, box Of riy-
cts. bolts washers aud screws, aud riyeting
hammer, cold chisels and drills for the now
ng.machine. Most Of these farmer needs
to start with as he becomes expert in their
use others adapted to special purposes may
be added to the list. Ten or twelve years Of
farm life will find him in possession Of we'll
stocked work shop, ready for any job Of wood
work, and considerable repairingiu iron. lie
will be able to make his new roller or harrow,
or put tongue in the mower, new frame
in the grain drill, and beam IN the pillow; to
work out sleigh rack, wagon box or hay
rack, aud even to build new porch to his
house. All the barn doors he will know how
TO make and hang in workmanlke manner,
to construct the racks, stanchious feed
troughs and grain bins in the barn, to make
his ladders, tobacco boxes and stone-boat,
aud to build an ornamental fence in front Of
the house. Any man, of even ordinary abil-
ttv IN 10 u,,r,rf1n1 tftar a
handling tools, to find how much he is capa-
bic of doing. If he is a man in the habit Of
doing his work well, he will also have the
satisfaction of knowing that he has saved
himself a round bill at the village shop one
which many farmers often find it very hard to
pay and which is many times unjustly large.
Now that machinery takes such a promi-
nent place on the farm, one needs to make the
strength Of materials an especial study so
that he can tell at once whether a tool is
twice as heavy as it need be, OF how much
strain is on different parts of a machine, or "A
building, so that he can put it together sub
stantially. Tempering tools is an art which
most men can acquire after patient practice
aud once learned, it will save them many odd
dimes We can grind aud shape our old fle'
into good chises or drill, and temper them tC
do better work than half the tools found in
hardware stores.
There are dozens of other ways in which
farmers may exercise their ingenuity, anC
sharpen up their ideas Of mechanism, without
taking away time from field work in the least
By handling tools we can get brain exercise
something which many farmers know little
about. We cannot call man shrewd who
goes one or two miles to have new whihle-
tree made, when he could work it out himself
in the time he is going to the shop, to say
nothing of having to pay for it besides
Sound sense would teach US to do the work Al
home Frank Graccs in Country Gentle
man