500 more things to make for farm and home

By Glen Charles Cook

Subjects: Farm equipment, Agricultural engineering, Amateurs' manuals, Farm buildings, Metal-work

Description: Preface... In 1941 the author published a book entitled, 380 Things to Make for Farm and Home, in which a comprehensive list of plans of shop projects and jobs needed on the farm and in the home were included. This book was so enthusiastically received that the author decided a further contribution to farm mechanics in this field could be made by the publication of another book with additional plans and ideas. Teachers stated it was just the kind of a book they had been looking for and requested that a Volume II of such a book be published. These teachers and other interested persons, expressed a desire to have a number of projects included involving metal work. Consequently , special emphasis has been given metal work in this volume. The primary aim has been to select a practical list of plans and ideas which have been tested and proved successful by State universities and agricultural colleges, farmers, teachers of vocational agriculture, teachers of general shop, in-school and out-of-school youth, country agents, and others interested in shop activities. It is not the purpose of this book to furnish a supply of informational materials on such jobs as tinning coppers, mixing concrete, sharpening a saw, and splicing a belt. This type of information can be secured by obtaining a copy of a Farm Mechanics Text and Handbook by Cook, Scranton, and McColly from the publishers of this edition. Most persons before deciding on a particular type of a project to build, prefer to have a variety of plans to study and evaluate in terms of meeting their particular situation and local needs. In order to meet this need, the author has compiled a number of plans for each type of project where it has been possible to secure a variety of plans. This has been accomplished by evaluating materials furnished by practically every State, various government agencies, numerous commercial concerns, teachers, teacher trainers, and State supervisors. During the past two years the author has had a the opportunity to visit many classes in metal work under the Food Production War Training Program in twelve States. Numerous pictures have been taken of projects constructed and jobs performed by these classes, many of which are included in this book. Many ideas have been discovered for making use of salvage and scrap materials such as a forge from a binder bull wheel, feeders from old oil drums, punches, chisels, and wrecking bars from bridge reinforcing steel, cultivator shovels and gate hinges from old car springs, and numerous projects made from auto drive shafts, steering posts, hay rake teeth, and auto bumpers. These ideas have been included in this volume. Home-farm shops are recognized as being essential on the farm. Consequently, several plans of homemade equipment have been included. Most of this equipment can be made at a conservative cost. It is hoped that these plans and ideas will stimulate farmers to plan and put into operation a home-farm shop on their farms. The author is desirous that this book will be found useful to all those engaged in shop activities and that it will be found on the reference shelves of teachers, supervisors, farmers, in-school and ou-of-school youth, country agents, agricultural engineers, and others interested in homemade equipment and labor saving devices for the farm and home. The Author