Posts tagged 'Workshop'

Tools tend to get purchased in dribs and drabs, with new sets of spanner, sockets or screwdrivers replacing older sets, often with bits missing.  Toolboxes get upgraded, with larger units with extra storage capacity replacing smaller boxes.  But no matter how much space we have it never seems to be enough to lay out all tools in an orderly fashion so they can be located at a moments notice. If you are lucky enough to have a rainy day to spend in the workshop, there are a range of ways to better organise your tools, including custom inserts for your toolbox.

Tools tend to get purchased in dribs and drabs, with new sets of spanner, sockets or screwdrivers replacing older sets, often with bits missing.  Toolboxes get upgraded, with larger units with extra storage capacity replacing smaller boxes.  But no matter how much space we have it never seems to be enough to lay out all tools in an orderly fashion so they can be located at a moments notice. If you are lucky enough to have a rainy day to spend in the workshop, there are a range of ways to better organise your tools, including custom inserts for your toolbox.

Making your own battery cables is relatively easy, but there is a vast difference between simple bolted terminals and crimped or soldered connections.  Most farmers experience the frustration of a flat battery or poor starting engine on a regular basis.  A sluggishly-cranking engine often appears to be caused by a flat battery, but in fact can be poor battery cables, or dirty battery terminals.  Corrosion, damage or loose connections inhibit current flow from the battery to the starter motor when it is needed most.

It is often the way a spare few minutes is utilised now that can make all the difference later when the pressure is on.  For instance, spending a few minutes each day keeping your workshop tidy will not have a significant impact on the day, but it can make all the difference when you need to fix a piece of machinery in a hurry.  If you spend five mintues or so each day packing away tools, sorting fasteners and other suppliers, cleaning up mess and even simply sweeping the floor, it will keep your workshop in a state of readiness for when you need to get things done quickly.

One of the job prerequisites of being a farmer is a jack-of-all-trades qualification.  Turning your hand to a wide variety of trades saves considerable time and money, especially when you live in remote rural areas where tradesmen are hard to find, or charge large call-out fees.  Most farmers wouldn't think twice about doing their own plumbing work, even around the house, so it pays to stay abreast of some of the products which can make our lives a little bit easier.

A torque wrench ensures nuts and bolts are tightened evenly to a predetermined level.  The tool is essential for a range of jobs such as tightening cylinder head bolts, wheel nuts and flywheel retaining bolts.

Few people are well-practised at sharpening drill bits but the process can be learned easily with a few simple pointers.

All too often a chainsaw will refuse to cut correctly due to a poorly sharpened chain but the problem can be overcome with some simple preventative maintenance.

In a perfect world, all thread sizes would be standardised, but that is unfortunately not the case.  Today, machinery and vehicles use mainly metric thread, or Unified National Coarse (UNC) and Unified National Fine (UNF).  Other less common threads include British Standard Whitworth (BSW), British Standard Fine (BSF), American National Fine (ANF) and American National Coarse (ANC).