A Farmer's Workshop.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2920, 9 June 1888, Page 3

A Farmer's Workshop.

"Agricultural Labourer" in The Country Gentleman, gives the following hints towards furnishing a farm work-shop Provide a room with a good solid floor, and no cracks for the tools or nails to drop through, Saw off a two-foot section of the largest hardwood log you can find; trim the sides neatly, and stand it upright for a hewing block, On one side spike a feeee of railroad iron for an anvil, ®id provide an old iron axle-tree for an anvil horn, around which to bend iron. Provide two or three shelves fakpunches, drills, etc., near the lm-, and, if possible a coal stove with a door or poker hole convenient for heating iron. From old fork tines get punches made, and from old files a cold chisel or two, Buy a good heavy hammer, small riveting hammer, and a good heavy breast' Ml, A grindstone with treadle should stand a; one end of your shop. You are now ready to work in iron or brass, and to do many of the every day small jobs that come along. A soldering iron with solder] and rosin will save many an errand to the tinner. The shelves will receive additional supplies, such as rivet set and rivets, and assorted files, With such an outfit, the common repairs of farm tools can be largely done at home, For woodwork, build a iirst-rate work bench with vice, having its jaws armed with iron plates {in thick, and vtithaniron screw. You need not jtyhase an entire set of bits. A ; {, §, i, and -Jin bit, with ono or two gimlet bits, and a screw driver bit, |ll enable you to make any hole Socessary. A jack plane and fore plane, with a wood smoothing plane, will be sufficient. Buy two of the very best saws—a rip and a cross-cut, about nine teeth to the inch, If you choose, have a cross-cut, scvon or jiglrt to to iiwlii to grew; limber

j and whits soft-wood boards. To keep | tho siws, bits and chisjls, bright, have | a goo.l sized oiler, and accustom your|j self to throw a few drops of oil 011 the J saw, bit, and chisel, nearly every time you uf.o it. Got live socket linner chisels, of tho same width as above bits, with an inch, inch tuid a half, and two inch chisels, tho largest and heaviest shaving knifo you can find. Get tho best steel square, a try square, a bevel sqiutro, a pair of compasses, a scratch awl, screw-drivers, large and small, an adze-eye hammer, wrenches, crow-bar, sand paper, and a good hand axe for the hewing block. Overhold have shelves all round, .vitli drawers and secure places. Make small open boxes for assorted sizes of nails, and provide small tin cans for brads and screws, and keep them in a cupboard so arranged that you can find a certain size in tho dark.