Watch the Braze T HE braze is the weakest part of a band saw, and as such should be subjected to constant and close inspection. The reason why it is the weakest part of the saw is because the braze itself and about one inch each side of it is bound to be milder in temper than the rest of the saw-a quite common opinion among filers to the contrary notwithstanding. It would seem that a slight consideration on the part of those who contend that a braze can be fully tempered would suffice to dispel the impression, but it seems to persist. As the temperature necessary to the prepare braze for a high temper would melt the solder, it is obvious that only a comparatively mild temper can be secured. The original temper of the saw is drawn by the hot irons in brazing. After this all that can be done is to finish the braze and then stiffen it, but it is impossible to secure the original high temper. As the material right at the braze is milder than the rest of the saw, it naturally follows that the braze will pull tension quicker Some filers follow the practice of punching a crack in the braze just as in any other part of the saw. While this sometimes proves successful it is not good practice because it usually does not overcome the trouble and subjects the saw to great risk of further breakage at the braze besides placing the operators in danger of serious injury. Breakage at the braze will be practically eliminated if rigid inspection is made after each run and any indication of weakness or tension pulling corrected before it has a chance to develop. T Twisted Band Saw HIS saw, through an accident in the mills of J. H. Hightower, Atlanta, Ga., was bent and twisted in the shape shown in photograph. The fact that it is now practically a spiral coil without a fracture shows the great tenacity and elasticity of the steel in the "Disston Band Saws." Elbert Hubbard on Initiative The world bestows its big prizes, both in money and honors, for but one thing. And that is Initiative. What is Initiative? I'll tell you: It is doing the right thing without being told. But next to doing the thing without being told is to do it when you are told once. That is to say, carry the Message to Garcia: those who can carry a message get high honors, but their pay is not always in proportion. Next, there are those who never do a thing until they are told twice: such get no honors and small pay. Next, there are those who do the right thing only when necessity kicks them from behind, and these get indifference instead of honors, and a pittance for pay. This kind spends most of its time polishing a bench with a hard-luck story. Then, still lower down in the scale than this, we have the fellow who will not do the right thing even when someone goes along to show him how and stays to see that he does it: he is always out of a job, and receives the contempt he deserves, unless he happens to have a rich Pa, in which case Destiny patiently awaits around the corner with a stuffed club. To which class do you belong? Bur Oak (Quercus Macrocarpa) Copyright Hardwood Recor From "American Forest Trees" T HIS splendid oak was French traveler and botanist who visited many parts of eastern and southeastern United States more than a century ago. The botanical name macrocarpa, means "large fruit." The bur oak bears small acorns in the North, and very large ones in the South. They are sometimes two inches long and one and a half inches wide, and "large fruit" oak is an appropriate name for the tree in the South, but would not be near the northern limit of its range. Few American oaks ha wider range. a It extends Nova Scotia to Manitoba, an the United States is foun most states east of the R Mountains. It extends fa west and northwest than other commercial oak of the lantic states. In a range o great geographical extent the oak finds it necessary to a itself to many kinds of land. prefers low tracts, where w is sufficient but not excessive, it grows well in more elevated uations, provided the soil is tile. It is not a poor-land t In the primeval forests it tained largest size in India and Illinois. The largest t were from 150 to 170 feet h and 4 to 7 in diameter. varied from that extreme do to the other extreme near the o skirts of its range, where growth was stunted. Large qua tities of very fine logs have be cut from trunks from two four feet in diameter, and for to sixty feet to the limbs. It is known in different regions as bur oak, mossy cup oak, overcup oak, scrub oak, and mossy cup white oak. Bur oak is a name suggested by the acorn, which has a fringe round the cup like a bur. This is the oak which gave name to James Fenimore Cooper's book, "Oak Openings," a romance of early days in Michigan. Oak openings were areas where fires had killed the old timber, and a young growth had sprouted from stumps and roots, or had sprung up from seeds buried in the ground beyond the reach of the fire. Some of those tracts were very large, and they were not confined to any one state. They existed in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Dakota and elsewhere. Bur oak, because it is a vigorous species, was able to take possession of such burned areas, to the exclusion of most others. Si The leaves of bur oak are fr six to twelve inches long, simp and alternate; the petioles a thick with flattened and enlarg bases; the leaves are weds shaped at the base, and have fro five to seven long, irregular lob the terminal one very large a broad. They are dark green color, and are smooth and shi above, silvery white and pube (Continued on page 126) |