DISCARDED RAZOR BLADES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 28 May 1927, Page 14

DISCARDED RAZOR BLADES.

MOTORING USES.

Every owner who makes use of the safety razor must eventually acquire a small collection of thin steel blades, used with this instrument., which are no longer serviceable for tire purpose for which they were intended, (writes A. F. Houlberg in the “Morris Owner”) The question then arises; Of what use are these old blades ? It is therefore desired to draw the attention of motor owners to one use to which they may be put which is not often realised. These blades are made from very thin steel of high quality whose thickness does not appreciably vary from the standard figure of six-thousandths of an inch. As a result, they can effectually be used to check the clearences in "the power unit, the accuracy of which goes so far towards the smooth and efficient running of the engine. The dangerous cutting edges of these blades can be destroyed by rubbing them on an oilstone with the body of the blade held vertically. After treating four of these in this manner they may be lightly held together hv means of a bolt passed through one of the outer holes, which will enable them readily to be spread out —fan-wise —in much the same way as an ordinary feeler guage. The thickness of one of the blades — six-thousandths —is a very satisfactory tappet clearance for inlet valves, but a slight margin should be allowed for exhaust valve tappets. The thickness of two blades —twelvethousandths—is the correct gap for the contact breakers points of the magneto when fully open. The thickness of three blades — eighteen-thousandths —forms a good gauge for setting the sparking plug v>oints to a close gap, while the thickness of four blades —twenty-four-thousandths —represents the maximum gap for the plug points, and forms a useful check on points that have burnt away.