Year: 1870

Every one is familiar with the fact
that piece of rusty iron, wrapped in
cOtten or linen cloth, soon destroys the
texture of the fabric A rIsting nail
for example, If laid upon 4 few rags,
viii soon produce large holes in them
or it will, at least, render every point
that it touches 50 rOtton that the cloth
viii readily fall to pieces at these
points, and holes will be produced by
the slightest hard usage. Why tins
is so it IS not our purpose to investi-
gate. We merely state a well known
fact, and draw from it the conclusion
that iron, during the process ofrusting
tends to destroy any vegetable fibre
with which it may be in contact. This
explains, TO a certain extent, the aap-
ID destruction of the wood that sur
rounds the nails used in outdoor work,
whereby the nail is soon left in a hole


much larger thanitself, and all power
Of adhesion is lost. Part OF this effect


is, no doubt, due TO the eaction ofwater
and air, which creep along the surface
Of the nail by capillary attraction,
and tend 10 produce .rottenness in the
wood as well rs oxidation in the iron.
But when we compare an old nail
hole with similar hole that has been
exposed during an equal time, but
filled with a wooden pm instead of an
iron nail, we find that the wood sur
rounding the wooden pin has suffered
least, and we may therefore, fairly at
tribute destructive action % the
rusting Of the iron. IL might, at first
sight, he supposed that, ~ the oxide
OF iron is more bulky than the pure
iron, the hole would be filed more
tightly and the nail held more firmly
to its place. But although the effect
il produced in the first instance, yet
the destruction of the woody fiber and
the pulveriZation of the oxide soon
Overbaiance it, and the nails become
loose. OF course, the iron itself, be-
ing also destroyed, its strength is di.
minished, and we have, therefore, a
double incentive for preventing or di


minishing the action that we have
described. The only way to prevent
this action is to cover the nail with
some substance that will prevent OK
iditiOn. This might be done by tin
ming, as is common with carpet-taeks
which are now extensively timed for
the purpose Of preventing them from
rusting and TINS rOtting holes i'm the
carpet. Coating them with oil or
tallOw would be efficient il the act Of
driving did not remove the protecting
matter entirely from q large portion
of the surface. But, even then, 1t will
be found that the oil or fat is stripped
OFF the point and gathered about the
head in such a way as to prevent the
entrance of air and moisture into the
hole. The most efficient way to coat
nails with grease is TO heat them to
a point sufficient to cause the grease
to smoke, and then pour the grease
over them, stirring them about in o
pot or other vessel. When the nails
are hot, the melted grease will attach
itself TO them more firm that it would
have done if they were eOld-indeed,
so firmly that it will require abrasion
Of the metal to separate it. In erect
ing fences, laying plank or board side
walks, and the like, it becomes an
important matter to secure the nails
against the influence that we have
mentioned, and yet the work must be
done rapidly and eheaply. Nails may
be readily prepared as described, or
they may simply be dipped in oil or
paint at the moment when they are
driven in. And we have found by
experience that, in cases where it is
not advisable to paint the whole fence,
it is nevertheless, n good plan to go
over the work and touch the head of
every nail with brush dipped in oil
or paint prepared so as to be of the
same color as old wOOd.-IechnOtogist.