Article: This is the most important reason for deciding to prune. If you catch a diseased portion before it spreads throughout the whole plant, you can save a cactus from being completely destroyed. Fungi and bacteria are the most common type of disease the cacti face. Dry rot or fungal growth are often clear, visual signs that something is amiss with your plant and should be treated immediately. As with any plant, pieces of a cactus may simply not get enough water, for example, and will begin to dry and turn brownish. This does not necessarily mean disease has taken hold of the plant. Although not required, it can be more appealing to cut away these segments to maintain just the greener and healthier parts. In certain climates, cacti can really take off, growing far beyond what might be intended for your garden. If the plant becomes disproportionate or is beginning to bend and break due to the weight of overgrowth, pruning the cactus back can help to bring things back to a more balanced state. Look for leaning sections that might even have clear breaks in the plant to determine if overgrowth is occurring. Sometimes a plant has simply grown too tall or wide for its setting. This is more of a visually challenging procedure, but a smaller, well-pruned cactus can simply look better. Similar to overgrowth, a cactus can begin growing in one direction over another or just be asymmetrical - this is nature after all! If your landscaping calls for more balance and shaping, pruning is an option to help achieve a more controlled look. Whether or not you are cutting away diseased portions, having clean tools can make sure that the pruning does not affect the cactus more than is needed. Padded and prickly pear style cacti usually can be pruned with smaller pruning shears or garden clippers. The larger columnar cacti will more likely need a saw. Tools should be cleaned with soap and warm water, or if they have been used on diseased plant material already, use cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water. Select heavier clothing that will not only cover as much skin as possible but will also prevent the cactus spines from penetrating the cloth and hurting you. Since you will be working with your hands, leather gloves are perhaps the most important component to keeping yourself from getting pricked. You may also wish to tape your sleeve cuffs over your gloves to prevent spines from falling up into your sleeve. The same can be done with pant cuffs at your ankle in case you are walking into a denser section of cacti to prune.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Check for diseased portions of your cactus. Remove dried or dead segments. Plan to cut back overgrowth as needed. Shape your cacti to accommodate its setting. Prepare your equipment and clothing.
Article: While there are many ways to attach the neck and pillar, one of the easier methods is to use dowels. Dowels are pegs that fit into holes drilled into both the neck and pillar. To use dowels, drill three holes into the neck and pillar, taking care to remove any chips from the holes. Clearing the chips will keep your holes straight. Make sure the holes in the pillar line up with the holes in the neck. Cut three dowels long enough to fit into both pieces. Make grooves in the dowels to keep glue from escaping the holes. Test fit the neck and pillar before adding any glue. The dowels should be snug and you shouldn't see any gaps between the neck and pillar. If everything fits, add glue to the dowels and join the pieces. Use clamps to keep everything tight while the glue dries. Use dowels to attach the neck and pillar to the sound box. Do not use glue to fix the neck and pillar to the sound box. The dowels are there to keep the parts aligned. The angle of the sound box relative to the neck and pillar will hold the pieces together. Keep a gap about 18 inch (0.3cm) thick on the side near the strings. Once you add the strings, the tension will cause this gap to close. Without this gap, you run the risk of cracking the wood. Once you've attached the sound box, you can drill string holes in the sound board. Refer to your harp plans to determine the number of holes you need to drill. You will need eyelets, bridge pins, and tuning pins to mount your strings. You can buy these online, or your local music shop may carry them. Fit the eyelets into the holes in the soundboard. Coat the sides of the holes with glue, and push the eyelet into the hole. Fit the bridge pins and tuning pins into their respective holes. You may need to adjust the holes in the neck to properly fit the bridge pins. Do not glue these pins into the wood. Start at the bass end of the harp. Feed the string through the eyelet in the sound board and pull it up to the corresponding tuning pin. Wrap the string around the tuning pin a few times to set it. Don't worry about pulling it tight just yet. Mount all the strings before tightening them to the proper tension. It may take several tunings before the strings hold the proper tension.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Attach the neck to the pillar. Attach the sound box. Mount the strings.
Article: Spray paint is available in dozens of brands and hundreds of colors, so check out your options to see what will meet your project's needs. You will also need a few other supplies to do a professional spray paint job. Before you begin, you will need: Spray paint in the color(s) of your choice Primer Newspaper, drop cloth, or a plastic tarp to protect the ground and other items around the item you are painting. Painter's tape Disposable gloves, safety glasses, and a ventilator mask Whenever you spray paint, you should always work outdoors in a well-ventilated area because the fumes from the paint can cause respiratory damage. Keep in mind that spray paint won't adhere well if it is too cold or wet outside, so wait for a time when humidity is below 65% and it is sunny and warm. Place your newspaper, drop cloth, or tarp down. If you are working outside, you can use weights (like rocks) to keep your protective materials from blowing around in the wind. Be sure to spread your protective materials far enough out, otherwise your yard or driveway may have end up with a light misting of color from the paint. Tape off any areas you don't want to paint. Be sure the edges are sealed well to the surface to prevent paint from leaking underneath. If you are painting an object that will sit well on sawhorses, then you may want to use these to suspend the item in the air. This will help to make it easier for you to spray paint the item because you won't have to be bending over as much. Having the item up on sawhorses will also make it easier to reach areas that might be hard to reach if the item is on the ground. If you have a small item to spray paint, then you can also try putting it inside of a box that has been placed on its side. Then, you can spray the paint into the box to spray paint the item and this will reduce the chances that paint will end up on nearby surfaces. You can also put items on a small piece of cardboard or a turntable inside of the box to make it easier to turn the item around as you paint.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Assemble your materials. Prep your work area. Consider using sawhorses to suspend your item. Create a paint box for a small item.