The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-11
TIRE CAREI SNOT
DIFFICULT WORK
Many Things Owner Can Do
in the Way Of Quick
Repairs.

The average automobile owner, while
he enjoys doing certain work around the
car, spends far too much money in hav-
ing his castings and tubes repaired, when
as matter of fact he can do the work
himself with fair degree Of success.
Every owner should know how to patch
and vulcanize castings and tubes and
actually do the work often enough IL
for no other reason than to be prepared
for an emergency when on the road.
There is. though, the element Of cost
saving to be considered, which TO some
automobile owners Is a great item, per-
haps the greatest in some cases. as for
example, with highly paid professional
men the element of time may have to
be considered. 1t would not pay a doctor,
for example, to spend an evening repair.
ing tires unless 1t be for the experience.
The following advice will be helpful
not only to those who wish to repair
castings and tubes but also those who
wish to keep the tires in the best pos
sible shape all the year round.
The tire tread or rubber covering
which is visible is merely a means of
protecting the fabric underneath from
the entrance of water and dirt. When
the casing is new the tread effectually
prevents water and dirt from attacking
ing use, II not Immediately plugged. help
to defeat the purpose of the tread. When
a small cut appears II should be cleaned
with gasolene given three coats of
cement. and after that has become
"tacky' tire filler should be forced into
the cut. The reason for attending to
the smaller cuts even though they do
not permit immediate attack Of tho
fabric is because the cuts open up and
become larger as the tire is used. Filler
is a good substance to use.
When the cut Is deep and over one
inch long It should be vulcanized. Any
owner can handle b vulcanizer. The
Clipped rubber, cement and all repair
material may DO purchased from any
supply store as q unit OUTFIT. The cut
is prepared by giving 1t thorough
cleaning with gasolene and rubbing with
sandpaper. Cement ia applied and al
lowed to dry. then a second and third
coat are applied. Tho vulcanizing rub
Der then is forced into the cut and the
vulcanizer is put in position. Usually a
piece of newspaper Is first placed over
the part to be vulcanized. The average
gasolene vulcanizer is best for tho
owner. This Is merely a container for a
given amount Of gasolene which imparts
heat to the portion of the tire to be
patched When a measured amount Of
gasolene Is consumed the patch is COM
plete. Every gasolene vulcanizer has a
measure of some sort SO the required
! amount Of fuel Ia poured in.
Where casing cuts are very large,
say four inches and over, or where
breaks occur In tread and fabric a shop
| vulcanizer must be used to get an effec-
| tive repair. OF course bad breaks and
side wall repairs cannot effectively be
repaired with the ordinary equipmen,
but should be done by a good repair
shop.
II the owner will remember that the
tread should be kept free even from
small cuts, the tread will last muct
longer, and the fabric underneath will
even after the tread has been worn dowr
from normal use, be fit for retreading
Where the old tread has permitted water
to seep through the fabric is rotted ant
then a retread is not worth while. Thu
fabric Is the actual tire. 80 do every
thing possible to protect It
Tubes are easily handled by the aver
age owner except where large tears hav
ce!ved in a blowout. The owner SHOULD
be familiar with repairs, SO that Their
never will be any serious delay on tn
road. A Sabe repair may be effecte'
by means of cementless patches. cemen
patches or by vulcanizing. There ar
many forms of special patches whicl
do not require vulcanizing, but afte
you have used a gasolene vulcanizer
will be found to require not much NOR
time and be much more effective.