Rosebay Willowherb - Tall Flowers at the Back Please

You've probably seen these growing along the roadside in the country. Rosebay Willowherb also known as Great Willow Herb and Fireweed is a perennial weed (or if you prefer, wild flower) which can grow up to 8 feet tall.  It gets the name Fireweed because it is one of the first plants to colonise burnt areas of forest and was a common sight in bomb craters after WWII (the plant was also called bombweed).
These plants propagate naturally by seed, but also spread by sending out underground stems (which according to Wikipedia are called "stolons" . Runners are overground stems which root, as in the case of creeping buttercup, briars and strawberries).

Image courtesy Eileen Henderson CC SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

I've had a patch of these for a few years growing in against a hedge. The seeds probably arrived with the wind. New plants have appeared around the originals, so I dug them up last year and separated them from their parents. They should look good at the back of the herbaceous border, towering above what's left of the delphiniums.....

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Why Won't my Lawn Mower Start?

Lawn Mower Won't Start?

As the days lengthen, and temperatures rise, the grass cutting season isn't far away. So you drag your mower out of storage over winter, fill the tank and pull the cord..., and pull it again....and again....and of course nothing happens - Well that's typical!

If you leave fuel in the tank over winter, the carburetor can get gummed up with varnish deposits, jets get clogged and small delicate parts can seize. Ideally you should run the engine dry before overwintering and/or use a fuel stabilisation product such as Stabil.

Engines need fuel and a spark to run, plus good compression (the engine needs to hold pressure when mixture is compressed)

Checking the Spark Plug

First check the lead is pushed onto the plug properly and this wasn't the cause of non-starting. Move the mower to the shade so that it's easier to see a spark, remove the spark plug and re-attach the lead. Leave the threaded part of the plug in contact with the engine block and  pull the starter cord. The chances are that you won't be able to see the plug from your vantage point behind the mower, so an assistant may be able to aid you by pressing the plug against the block (using a plastic bottle or whatever to avoid shock if the plug lead is damp). The spark should be bright and blue.

When replacing a plug, make sure there's nothing on the threads such as dirt or grit, and make sure it isn't cross threaded by screwing in by hand before tightening with a plug wrench. If the plug is cross threaded, it will be difficult to turn by hand.

Fuel  Starvation

This means the engine isn't getting fuel. On engines with the tank above the carburetor, fuel first flows to a device called a float bowl. This is like a toilet cistern and prevents fuel just running into the carburetor. The bowl fills and once its full, a float (which functions just like the ballcock in a toilet cistern) cuts off flow. Sometimes the intake to the bowl can get clogged or the filter in the fuel line can be blocked, either of which can cause fuel starvation. When you remove the bowl, petrol should flow freely and stop flowing when you push up the float (use a jar or tin to catch fuel).

Another cause of fuel starvation is a clogged main jet. You can get carburetor cleaning aerosols which have a straw just like on a can of WD40. You insert the straw into the jet and press the button on the aerosol, the spray flushes the jet. If you have an air compressor, you could try using the a blow gun attachment to blast air through the jet. Avoid poking nails, wires or other objects through it, which could damage the jet which is made from brass.

Compression

Check the plug is screwed in tightly. Don't over tighten as you can damage the threads.

Read my full version of this blog post on DenGarden.com. It has lots more info on lawn mower troubleshooting with loads of pictures and goes into much more detail:

 

https://dengarden.com/landscaping/Why-Wont-That-Lawnmower-Start

Now's a Good Time to Treat Your Lawn for Moss

If your climate is characterised by long, cold, wet winters, the chances are that your lawn is now choked with moss, especially if drainage is bad and you never feed the grass. Moss can grow in cold conditions when grass is dormant and will tend to out compete it. Heavy moss growth can also clog your mower at the start of the season, and if you have an electric or low powered petrol mower, it can be tough going as the wheels sink into the soft moss and the blade struggles to cut through it.

Moss can be treated with iron sulphate. Dissolve 21 grams ( about 3 heaped teaspoons) in a litre of warm water and spray your lawn in strips, marked out with string and pegs. Treated areas turn black fairly quickly so it's easy to see what you've covered.

Full Article at http://hubpages.com/living/Easy-Guide-to-Killing-Moss-in-Lawns

 

Home Security and Safety - Maintaining and Replacing Your Smoke Alarm

Smoke alarms can be lifesavers in the event of a fire. They mightn't stop your home from burning down, but they provide the extra few minutes of time during which you can exit the house. There are two types of alarm, ionization and optical. Ionization alarms which use a small radio-isotope source, are best at detecting the small particles produced by a flaming fire. Optical smoke alarms are better at responding to the relatively larger smoke particles generated by a smoldering fire. Ideally you should have at least two alarms, one upstairs and one downstairs in a two-story home. Having two alarms is added insurance so that if one fails, the other acts as a backup. For added safety, an ionization and optical alarm can be installed side by side. Alarms should be located so that they are not subjected to draughts which could prevent smoke reaching them. So the best place is away from windows and doors. Also they should be kept away from corners of rooms and at a minimum distance from the point at which the wall reaches the ceiling. This is because smoke doesn't easily move into these "dead spaces". Consult the instructions provided before installing. What about batteries? Well you should use alkaline types which have a long shelf life and higher capacity than zinc carbon or zinc chloride types. Avoid buying batteries in bargain basement shops unless the word "alkaline" is printed on the pack. Terms such as "high capacity" or "super heavy duty" are meaningless and the batteries may not be alkaline. Check the best before date also. Alarms usually require a 9v square PP3/MN1604/6LR61 type. If you use a rechargeable type, the voltage is lower (8.4v nominally) and the alarm might not work correctly and/or the low battery warning may not operate. Also re-chargeables have the annoying habit of self discharging and will need to be recharged. Alkaline batteries usually last at least one year in an alarm but may last 2 to 3 years. Check the alarm regularly by pressing the self test button. Do alarms ever need to be replaced? Yes, according to the NFPA, alarms should be replaced every ten years. Life span is limited and accumulation of dust, dirt and general grime can interfere with the alarms ability to detect smoke.

For further information on this and a comprehensive guide to avoiding fires in the home, check out my article on HubPages: http://eugbug.hubpages.com/hub/Common-Sense-Fire-Safety-in-the-Home
 
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Check Your Electrical Outlets and Prevent Fire

I have just being listening to the radio on which a story was recounted about a person whose house was burnt down by a fire started by loose connections in an electric socket outlet. This just shows how electricity can be our enemy if we don't look out for warning signs, and maintain the wiring in our homes.
So what can you do to prevent fires?
Don't overload sockets.
Ensure you wiring is up to standard and circuit breakers or fuses are properly rated for each circuit. Don't replace a fuse with a higher rated type.
If a plug becomes hot, this is a symptom of a loose electrical connection. It is normal for power cords which supply a high powered appliance such as a heater or tumble drier to become warm, and plugs which have an integrated fuse (standard in the UK and other countries) can become warm also. It is not normal for a plug or socket outlet to get hot. This is either caused by the screws which hold the wires in the terminals of the socket or plug becoming loose, or alternatively the brass strips in the socket which grip the pins of the plug may not be doing so adequately. Either scenario will result in arcing and potentially this can start a fire if sparks are produced, or the insulation on power cables catches fire. Sometimes arcing can produce clicking noises, or a burning smell can be detected, but not always. Don't leave high powered devices switched on when no one is at home or you are in bed.

For further information on this and a comprehensive guide to avoiding fires in the home, check out my article on HubPages: http://eugbug.hubpages.com/hub/Common-Sense-Fire-Safety-in-the-Home

Image courtesy PACAF http://www.15wing.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123143636

Repairing a Kerosene Blow Torch

This kerosene or paraffin blowtorch belonging to my grandfather hadn't been used for years, simply because a  propane/butane torch is much more convenient. A kerosene torch however is a lot more economical to run, and a litre of kerosene would probably provide well over an hour of run time for less than a "dollar". For those of you who have never come across this "ancient technology", a kerosene blow torch or blow lamp has a hand operated pump (like a bicycle pump) to pressurise the fuel in the tank.  This forces fuel up out of the tank through a brass tube and coil surrounding the burner. On its way through the coil, it is heated by the flame and vaporised to gas which emerges from the jet and is burned. On initial startup you have to burn some methylated spirits in a bowl section at the top of the tank. This preheats the oil in the coils and turns it into vapour so that pumping can start. A screw valve is used to release pressure in the tank and extinguish the torch. These torches can be somewhat dangerous if you are not careful! If you pump prematurely before the heat exchanger coil is sufficiently heated up, the torch becomes a flame thrower, so it is better to start them up outside. In the US, gasoline (petrol) torches were available which didn't require pre-heating, but were potentially more dangerous because of the volatile nature of petrol. Several oil appliances used this system including Tilley lamps for lighting and Primus stoves for heating. The kerosene vapour burned more thoroughly with a cleaner hotter flame than that produced by a wick system used in earlier kerosene appliances (which could be smoky if not trimmed properly).

If the nut holding the main pipe leaks oil, the nut may be loose or possibly the ring on the pipe and seat on the threaded section which it tightens against may not be mating properly. It's worth trying to clean the surfaces with a plastic scouring pad or rough cloth to see if that improves the situation. Abrasives should probably be avoided to avoid damaging the surfaces. Possibly Evo-Stik  Plumbers Mait or similar would help to seal the threads.

The leather washer on the pump had dried and worn out so it needed a replacement. Finding parts for a blow torch such as this was out of the question so I decided to make one.  I tend to be a hoarder and lots of stuff gets sorted and stored which should be thrown out! However the parts do become useful when something needs to be repaired, and it saves money. Leather is a very tough, durable material and can be used for making washers and gaskets. It's not totally waterproof (think of how water soaks through your shoes) but does stand up to high temperatures and doesn't melt. I used a piece of leather from a shoe to make a part for the pump. It needed to be reasonably thick so that it bulged out during the downward pump stroke and relaxed during the upward stroke.

New Jaws for the Vice

This old record No. 6 vice belonged to my grandfather. Over the years, the jaws had become cracked. I have lots of old files and had a brainwave that these would be ideal for making replacement jaws. Files are made from hardened and tempered steel, and have slanted, ridged teeth which I reckoned would  be excellent for gripping stuff in a vice. I cut out rectangular sections of the correct dimensions using an angle grinder. The steel was too hard to drill, so I had to anneal it by heating to a red heat with a blow torch in the vicinity of the mounting holes and allowed it to cool slowly. Once the holes were drilled, they were countersinked.

My Side Gate

I designed this gate in Autocad several years ago. Autocad comes in very handy because if you draw curves, it tells you the length of the curve. This is very useful because it allows you to estimate the length of a straight piece of iron pre-bending. All the scrolls were cold bent around old pulleys and round bars of various diameters held in a vice. Rather than cutting the iron for each section, I used the leverage of a long length to aid bending and then cut off the waste. I used a long bar with a slot welded onto the end for additional bending operations. Some heating was probably necessary to heat and match up the scrolls which were identical on both sides.
I used 2 x 1 box for the perimeter of the gate. I decided to make a polygon for the top, which gave the appearance of a semi-circle. I divided up the straight length of box into equal sections, cut slots in three of the four sides between each section and bent the box into a curved shape. I tried to make the slots v-shaped to so that the slots would close up ok. Then I welded everything closed and ground everything smooth.
Total build time was about 80 hours.

Battling slugs!

If you live in a damp climate like I do, you know how slugs and snails can have a devestating effect on young plants. Usually the buggers don't eat weeds, only your newly planted annuals! If you grow plants from seeds in pots, don't transplant them into the ground while they are small . Instead wait until they have developed sufficient foliage and are beginning to become pot bound and struggling before planting. If they are attacked by slugs at this stage, they can afford to lose some leaves. Also don't forget to keep your pots where they can't be attacked during the night. If the pots are grouped together sprinkle a trail of slug pellets around the pots to act as a barrier.

Protect Your Feet!

Safety shoes are a good idea when working in the garden. The steel toe caps protect your toes from dropped pots, stones etc and if you choose a type with a steel sole, this gives protection from walking on nails, glass or other nasty stuff which might be hiding in the recesses of your garden!