St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1885-03-07
THE eRlNDsroNE.
Some Common Sense Talk About One Of
the Necessaries Of q Farm.

The GRlNOSTONE.
Some Common Sense Talk About One Of
the Necessaries Of q Farm.
One of the necessaries of the farm is
grindstone, and, of course, it should
be a good one, and like everything else
about the premises, well cared for.
There is as much right way and q
wrong way of treating a grindstone as
there is of treating reaper or an ami
NAL. 1t is not often that we see much
about the common devices of the farm
in the papers. They are so common,
in fact, as to pass almost unnoticed.
But writer in the Cincinnati Gazette
has taken up the subject of the grind
stone. and treated it in such common
sense manner, that We reproduce it for
the consideration of our readers. He be-
gins by saying:
The farmers grindstone is a most
valuable piece of property. If you do
not believe it, try to get along without
one. 1t is my intention to relate lit
tie experience learned last summer by
accidentally having my grindstone
broken. Never until then did I have a
correct estimate of its importance in
the operations of farm work. First, I
wanted to grind some corn knives with
which to trim my hedge. Then, de-
sired to sharpen an AK to cut some poles
much needed; some of my carpentry
tools required edging, and last, but by
no means least, wanted to grind .
sickle in order to NOW. some weeds.
The result in each case was, l had to
use dull tools until could go to the
city and get new stone. You can be-
lieve that went at the earliest oppor-
tunity.
Of course, this was an exceptionally
busy week, but it serves to show the vast
Importance that such thing as COM
mon grindstone plays in rural economy.
was without stone five days, and.
during that time. had occasion to use
one at least five times. On the sixth. l
purchased two stones. one coarse
grit, for grinding the duller tools. such
and the other a finer grit for grinding
tools that require keener edge. such
as knives of various kinds, chisels,
plane-bits, hatchets. etc. l believe
every farmer should have two good
grindstones of different grits. One, at
least should be found in good working
order upon every farm. The man who
has none certainly cares not either for
himself or his neighbor. He is con-
tinually losing time-and time is money
and has the displeasure and dissatis-
faction of working with dull tools.
Do not get old, rude, unpublished
stones, but get a good, reliable one. with
the improvements of the day upon it.
The time was when it required two men
and boy to grind an AK. Now the boy
alone can do it. A little self-adiusting
machinery, with friction-wheels and
treadle. comprise his help. When
buying a stone get one with automatic
sickle grinder. Their cost is but
slightly additional, and their use will
save you many times their cost. A dull
sickle causes extra and needless wear
and tear of machinery, and useless
expenditure of animal strength. 1t is a
dead letter, inducing stagnation and
ruin. 1t does not pay to work with any
kind of dull tools, notedly sickle. Bet
ter go two miles daily and have it
sharpened, but before you will do this I
believe you will get one of those sharp
ening attachments and do it yourself.
Don't let some silver-tongued peddler
palm of one of his inferior little emery
(so-calledD wheels, made after the pat
tern of the common egg-beater, on you
and get your note for $500. l know
more than one man who was picked up
that way.
To keep my grindstone in repair and
good working order. observe the fol-
lowing: l never grind a greasy tool
without first removing the grease. This
can be done in several ways. My way,
after removing most of it with stick or
cob. is to use sandpaper or emery cloth.
I hold the tool that am grinding so
that it will wear both side of the cir
cumference of the stone uniformly. 1t
spoils stone to wear it 'hollow."
l try to keep my stone as nearly
round as possible. If one side wears
down faster than the other l know it is
not first-class stone. and that it must
be raced. A grindStone should be
raced once per year. To do this take
it out of the frame but not off the shaft.
By means of pair of compasses or
scratch-awl and string, one end OF
which is held upon the end of the shaft
or journal, and the other upon the stone
at its shortest radius, describe circle.
Replace in the frame, and with chisel
and gouge remove all the inscribed
circle. Exercise care that you do not
chip off the corners. Unless a stone
becomes very much one-sided it is not
to razee it off.
l remove all flinty places with hard,
instrument. 1never allow
my grindstones to stand in the rain or
but at all times keep them in
barn or other sheltered place. Not only
the frame, but the stone as well is in
jured by not being protected.
l never allow the lower edge of my
stones to stand in water, as great
many do, by having troughs beneath
them. Being continually in. water
causes the stone to become soft. If you
nse a trough see that it is lowered be-
meath the edge of your stone each time
after being used.
Before grinding . rusty tool I sec
that most of the oxide is removed. II
allowed to remain it obstructs the grit
and cutting power of the stone.
In buying stone remember that the
larger it is the easier it will run and the
longer it will last. You can not use q
upon small stone. Keep tho