To Solder Ferrules for Tool Handles.
Take your ferrule, lap round the “joining” a small piece of brass wire, then wet the ferrule, scatter on the joining ground borax, put it on the end of a wire, and hold it in the fire till the brass fuses. It will fill up the joining and form a perfect solder. It may afterward be turned in the lathe.
Soldering Without a Soldering Iron.
Cut a piece of a tin-foil the size of the surface to be soldered, then pass over the surface a solution of sal-ammoniac, place the tin-foil between the pieces, and heat over a lamp or fire until the foil melts. Instead of the solution of sal-ammoniac equal parts of water and hydrochloric acid saturated with zinc can be used just as well.
To Clean Gun-barrels from Lead.
Pour in a little mercury, agitate it over the interior surface of the barrel, and pour it out again. The mercury will amalgamate the lead and remove it.
To Resharpen Old Files.
| Saleratus4 | ounces. |
| Water1 | quart. |
Dissolve the saleratus in the water. Boil the old files or rasps in this solution for half an hour. Then take out, wash, and dry them. Next stand them in a jar, filling it up with rain water and sulphuric acid in the proportion of water, 1 quart; sulphuric acid, 4 ounces. Coarse files should remain in the bath twelve hours and fine ones two or three hours less. Take them out, wash them clean, dry quickly and thoroughly, and rub them with sweet oil to prevent rusting.