The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-09-18
The Farmers Workshop.

EVERY tiller of the soil should pro-
vide a cheap and convenient shop, and
a goodly number of mechanical tools,
with which numerous little jobs may be
performed in less time than would be
consumed in simply going to and from
the shop of professional mechanic,
who would necessarily require remun-
Grafton. More than this, farmers al
ways have many hours and days, and
sometimes entire weeks, of wet, stormy
and lowery weather, when no one can
work in the field. At such times, if
one will exercise a little mechanical
gumption when using mechanical tools,
he will soon be able to perform almost
any little job of repairing farm inple-
ments and hand tools. It is an old but
trite saying that almost any one can do
a difficult Job if he have the necessary
tools, while it will require all the skill
of an expert mechanic to work without
tools.
The first and most important consid-
Grafton is the shop itself. If man
feels too poor to erect commodious
shop, and if he cannot occupy any part
of some outbuilding, let min make an
economical lean-to at the side of some
building. Such shop can be erected
a. the expense of only few dollars.
For example, let such a structure be
about eleven feet broad by fourteen or
sixteen feet in length. The sides and
roof can be made of good hemlock
boards, planed or not. At most lum-
Der yards one can purchase hemlock
flooring, matched and planed on one
side, which costs only dime more per
hundred feet than the boards of the
same quality not planned. Make she'd
roof, sloping all one way. Then cover
the surface with newspapers or any
other kind of paper, and spread over
the paper old carpetings, old canvas,
old mating, and cover thin pieces and
toles with good pieces. Nail the edges
and the pieces over the holes with car
pet tacks or with small lath nails.
Such roof need have only slope OF
one foot in twelve. Aftet the canvas
or mating is securely nailed, apply a
a heavy coat of coal tar. Paper should
be applied three or four thicknesses, to
keep the tar from running down be-
tween the rOOt-DOardS:
Then, after the expiration of few
days, mingle coal tar, 6ne-sifted sand,
and some sifted lime or gypsum, OF
Rosendale cement, or equal parts OF
each of these substances, until the mass
is of the consistence of plastering NOR.
tar. With q plastering trowel, let q
thin coat Of the foregoing mixture be
spread on the roofing foundation. One
of my barns, wagonshed and two
corn-cribs are covered with such roof.
ing, and they have been "leak-tight''
for over three years. I procured q
large quantity of the mating that
comes around tearchests, and the sacks
which ARE made of gunny-cloth fol
holding coffee, peanuts and other com
mOdities. A large quantity of floor.
mating and Competing, not half worn
out, was cast aside as worthless, which
subserved an excellent purpose as 8
foundation for the roofing cement OF
plaster. The cost Of such roof is ex.
tremely small. The labor of putting
the materials in their proper places
constitutes the largest item of expense
1t will not be necessary to incur the
expense of a framed building in the
erection of such q workshop. Procure
load of hardwood slabs at some saw
mill, and stand the lower ends or
stones, or set them in the ground fol
posts and studs. Or cut down small
trees. and straighten one side of the
pieces for posts. If the ground is moi
dry. let few wagon-loads of clay, OF
gravel and clay, be spread over the
surface. A plank floor is not neces'
sary, for the reason that such q shoE
will usually be covered with chips
shavings and soore.blocks. Two Of
three boards may be placed by the side
of the workbench, if deemed desirable
OF course three or four large windows
will be essential, and broad doorway
of sufficient width TO admit q wagon.
z For myself, / would have workshop
built of as good materials and style a.
any out-building. But when farmer
feels too poor, I desire to aid him in
erecting workshop that will cost bu
little beside his own labor. s.,
The attic story Of many q building
is Of no practical use for any purpose
But by cutting q doorway at one end
making an inclined plane from tn,
ground to the doorway. and putting