Trade tricks to try

Press, 9 December 1976, Page 25

Trade tricks to try

When you are drilling a wall to plug it, there is a tendency for the bit to skid across the plaster as it first starts to turn, so that it bores the hole in a slightly inaccurate position. You can stop this by punching out a small hole — with anything you like; a large nail, for instance — into which you insert the bit before you switch on the drill, or start to turn it if you are using a hand drill. Floorboards and furniture that has been stripped

and is to be wax polished should first be given a thin coat of varnish rubbed well into the grain with a rag. Otherwise, dirt will penetrate the wax film and spoil the appearance of the wood. If you ask why a proper carpenters’ pencil is square, or oblong in section, as opposed to the conventional round or hexagonal, then the old joke reply was: “So that it

won’t roll off the bench." In fact, the reason is so that he can sharpen the led to a chisel-like edge, instead of a point, for this hugs against a ruler or straightedge better, when being used for marking out, doesn’t break easily and doesn't wear down quickly. The correct working angle for an extension ladder is Ift out for every 4ft extended.

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