Working Wood by the Application of Heat
It is often desirable to fit a piece of wood into a piece of metal by means of cutting a thread in the metal and screwing the wood therein. This can be accomplished by heating the metal to a little over the boiling point of water and screwing the wood piece into the metal while hot; or, if this is impractical on account of size, to heat the metal, make a screw plate by cutting a thread in a small piece of metal, the size and thread corresponding to the hole into which the wood piece is to be inserted, and heating it to the required temperature, then running the wood with some pressure through the thread. The wood then can be screwed into the larger piece, where it will hold firmly.
The process of heating wood without the aid of steam can be used to advantage in a number of ways; for instance, a hammer handle that is crooked can be straightened by careful heating without burning; also billiard cues, or almost anything of hard wood. It is surprising how easily it is done and how permanent the repair will be. The Indians at one time made their arrows from small hardwood twigs which were almost always crooked to start with, but after being dried they were warmed over a fire and straightened.
Another use for the application of heat is as follows: When it is desired to place a screw in a fragile piece of wood that is likely to split, if the screw is heated to a blue color and turned into the wood while hot, there will be scarcely any danger of splitting. In this case do not try to use oil or a lubricant of any kind, as the screw is sure to set before it is in place.—Contributed by James H. Beebee, Rochester, N. Y.