Keith's Tools
Photo Credit: Keith Bellinger
Homesteaders (those with small farms or large gardens) rely on tools more than anyone but professional tradesmen. Like the pros, we buy the best we can afford, maybe not top of the line but good solid tools built to last. Unlike the pros we can’t afford to throw them away and buy replacements when they break; we usually fix them ourselves. It is rare to find a tool in the trash of a homesteader; “It just needs a new handle/bolt and nut/wrap of duct tape.”
Most tools that are beyond repair are salvaged for parts. In my shop is a five-gallon bucket filled with old wooden handles; used not only as emergency replacements but also dowels, rollers or wheels for toys. Under my workbench is a box reserved for other broken tools; drills, routers and saws saved for their switches, cords and other parts.
I once dropped a circular saw from the rafters to a concrete slab twenty feet below. Its impact resistant plastic case split wide open. It was laid to rest in the “bad tool crate” where my father discovered it. Dad said, “There’s no such thing as a bad tool.” He fastened a large hose clamp around it and used it for years.
This has been a bad week for tools at my place. A pump sprayer stopped spraying and a chain saw stopped starting. Already littering the workbench were yard tools needing cleaning and an electric drill that seemed possessed (it only worked when it wanted).
It was time to convert these mischievous tools; to anoint the oils and restore that spark of life. Cleaning supplies were gathered; rags, steel wool, wire brush, an assortment of bristle brushes and my favorite penetrating oil, Blaster®. All the gardening tools’ metal parts were cleansed ‘til they shined then lightly coated with oil. Rough handles were made smooth then rubbed with boiled linseed oil.
The Milwaukee® drill’s cord looked fine from the outside but had been pinched in the tailgate of my truck. Could it be a loose connection inside? Six screws hold the two halves of the handle together. In about six minutes it was apart, connections at the trigger examined and reassembled. I plugged it in and squeezed the trigger; nothing.
Twisting and tugging on the cord until the motor ran, I marked the spot with chalk, slit the heavy outer rubber and pried the two plastic coated wires out. They also appeared solid but when pulled, one stretched like a rubber band. One snip and two slips of a wire stripper and a crimp of a solderless splice connector saved the drill from the depths below. I wrapped up the operation with electrical tape and moved the drill back to its rightful place.
The stainless-steel Hudson Bugweiser® pump sprayer was used only once before. I had rinsed it after use and ran a full canister of hot soapy water through it before storing -- exact instructions per the bucket of Water Seal®. Poking a thin wire through the wand I found a clog. A blast of compressed air couldn’t dislodge it. The company’s website was on the can of Thompson's. I emailed them for advice and within an hour received a reply, “… bathe spray wand in mineral spirits.” I performed the baptism and set the tray aside.
The chainsaw is a Jonsered® that was new in 1979; a one-owner before I paid $75 for it eight years later. I keep the chain sharp, make sure the oiler is in working order and (usually) clean it after each use. But it’s been a couple of years since a tune-up. Could the spark plug be fouled?
Spark plugs are the “window” into an engine. Like a doctor’s thermometer the spark plug can detect symptoms and conditions of an engine’s performance. A fouled plug can be caused by an over-rich air/fuel mixture, a dirty air filter, a stickling heat riser valve or a faulty choke.
A quick turn of a ratchet showed a dry sooty plug -- not a good sign -- fuel wasn’t reaching it. I wire-brushed it, checked the gap and returned it to the saw.
Next I removed the air cleaner and held it to the light; it was filthy. Had I forgotten to clean it the last time? I sprayed the screen with carburetor cleaner and set it aside. Below was the most probable problem – a dirty carburetor.
With the air compressor I first blew away a layer of oily sawdust, then used the carb cleaner to spray away the rest of the grime. I wiped the excess off and sprayed it again, both inside and out before leaving for other chores.
This evening I wiped the mineral spirits off the spray wand, gave it a blast from the air compressor and filled the canister with water. Pressurizing the tank and giving the wand’s trigger a pull proved it worked. I drained it and set it aside for another day.
Tomorrow I will need the chainsaw. Will it start? Yes! The tool gods are smiling.