A GENTLE ART.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 305, 12 September 1929, Page 7

A GENTLE ART.

REPAIRING PUNCTURES.

| The comparative freedom from punctures of some modern tyres and the almost universal practice of carlying. a spare wheel, have combined to make it seldom necessary to repair tyres by the roadside, says an article in. the Goodyear News. In -■onsequence many new owners never mend a puncture—they merely I it the spare wheel and leave the re- j pair work in the hands of the garage, sooner or later, however, two tyres ! uuH give trouble within a few miles- j of one another, leaving no other j course open to .the owner but to j mend one of them. For this reason [ it is advisable for every motorist to t carry a puncture repair outfit. f

It is not: proposed here to deal [ with the whole subject of tyre re--1 pairs, but there are one or two mis- | takes frequently made by the novice which need emphasis. The most common error lies in applying a patch to the tube immediately after it has been coated with,- rubber solution. If this is dime it win be found difficult to make the patch stick, as it win tend to curT up at the edges. The patch' and' tube- should be liberally smeared with solution, and five to ten minutes allowed to elapse before applying the patch. Another point concerns the use of French chalk which should always be sprinkled liberally over the tube. It not only prevents the tube from stickingto the cover, but also acts as a lubricant and tends to stop chafing-. French chalk should never be used until the patch has stuck satisfactorily, for there is a danger of it finding its way under the patch and making it necessary for- the whole job to be done again.