The Bossier banner., 1885-02-26
THE GRINDsToNE.
8ome Common Sense Talk About One Oi
the Necessaries of Farm.

the NGceSSaElGS OF u EaEIns
One of the necessaries of the farm is |
a grindstone, and, of course, it should |
be good one, and like everything else
about the premises, well cared for. |
There is as much right way and o
wrong way of treating 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
correct estimate of its Importance in
the operations of farm work. First,
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 q
sickle in order to NOW some weeds.
The result in each case was, / 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 a COM
mon grindstone plays in rural economy.
I 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 a coarse
grit, for grinding the duller tools, such
as hoes, spades, coulters, axes, etc.,
and the other finer grit for grinding
tools that require keener edge, such
as knives of various kinds, chisels,
plane-bits, hatchets, etc. | 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Do not get old, rude, unpublished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 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 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
I sickle causes extra and needless wear
: and tear of machinery, and a 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
i ter go two miles daily and have il
|. sharpened, but before you will do this
!. believe you will get one of those sharp.
: ening attachments and do it yourself
Don't let some silver-tongued peddleI
palm of one of his inferior little emery
(so-called) wheels, made after the pat
tern of the common egg-beater, on you
}. and get your note for $780, / know
more than one man who was picked uE
E that way.
j To keep my grindstone in repair and
. good working order, | observe the fol
lowing: / never grind a greasy too
without first removing the grease. Thi'
u can be done in several ways. My way
e after removing most of it with stick o.
IS cob, is to use sandpaper or emery cloth
q I hold the tool that I am grinding 81
Q that it will wear both side of the cir
. cumference of the stone uniformly. [
II spoils stone to wear it ''hollow.
!. / try to keep my stone as nearl,
round as possible. If one side wear
II down faster than the other / know it !
!. not first-class stone, and that it mus
4 be raced. A grindstone should b
Ie raced once per year. To do this tax
"a it out of the frame but not off the shaft
! BY means of pair of compasses or
Al scratch-awl and string, one end {
j which is held upon the end of the shat
a or journal, and the other upon the ston
at its shortest radius, describe circle
N Replace in the frame, and with chist
r and gouge remove all the inscribe
r circle. Exercise care that you do nc
" chip off the corners. Unless ston
d becomes very much one-sided it is nc
of necessary to razee it off.
remove all fiinty places with hare
m sharp-pointed instrument. never allo'
ID my grindstones to stand in the rain {
'. sunshine, but at all times keep them
t. barn or other sheltered place. Not onl
or the frame, but the stone as well is il
jured by not being protected.
never allow the lower edge of N
de- stones to stand in water, as a gre;
w many do, by having troughs beneai
y them. Being continually in watt
er causes the stone to become soft. If yc
Sc use trough see that it is lowered b
ed meath the edge of your stone each tin
i'd after being used.
lg Before grinding a rusty tool | 81
that most of the oxide is removed.
allowed to remain it obstructs the gr
ch and cutting power of the stone.
G. In buying a stone remember that Il