Homestead Mechanics
(Page 3 of 5)
March/April 1970
By the Mother Earth News editors
Electricity
RELATED CONTENT
Maybe you already know enough about electricity but what about your wife? So many fires are started by wives who don't understand the electrical appliances they use quite well enough for their own safety! Here is a little quiz in electrical safety facts every wife should know:
1. What is the difference between a volt, an ampere, and a watt? 2. What causes a fuse to blow? 3. Is it safe practice to replace a 20 amp. fuse with a 15 amp. fuse? 4. Is it safe practice to replace a 20 amp, fuse with a penny? 5. It doesn't matter if the insulation on a lamp cord is worn bare so long as the lamp is kept turned off? 6. Why is it dangerous to turn on any electrical appliance while you are touching a water pipe or have wet hands? 7. Is it dangerous to replace fuses while the floor beneath the fuse box is wet? 8. About how much current does a washing machine use compared to a toaster? 9. Why is it inadvisable to use a toaster, an electric heater, and a curling iron all at once? 10. Is it possible to get a fatal shock from a 110 volt socket?
Any woman who can answer all the above questions satisfactorily is pretty well informed on electricity. After your wife has taken this quiz she ought to have the privilege of giving you one, so here are a few additional questions for men: I. Explain how to read the electric meter. 2. Show how to make 3 different wire splices and explain the proper use for each. 3. If you make changes in the wiring does your fire insurance policy still cover you? 4. What guage wire is usually the legal minimum for house wiring? 5. What is the amperage of the ordinary house circuit? Some people may not agree, but Carolyn and I feel we ought to understand the buildings and machines and devices we have to depend on . . . understand at least enough about them so we can take care of them properly and not be too easily intimidated when something goes wrong. We think this knowledge is insurance on our way of living. This is part of the security we are seeking. It is also part of the fun we are having.
A Good Layout for a Home Workshop
1.) Bench for light work.
2.) Bench for heavy work - sheet iron protects top.
3.) Electric outlets and switches.
4.) Small tool rack made from two converging laths, spaced 1 1/2 in. apart at one end and 1/2 in. at the other.
5.) Rack for heavy tools.
6.) Screw-topped jars for nuts and bolts.
7.) Shelf for painting materials.
8). Trolley for light - clothespin adjusts cord length.
9.) Drawer for small parts.
10.) Three grease pumps: one for Universal joints, one for
water pump, one for chassis bearings.
11.) Lubrication equipment.
12.) Five or ten-gallon oil drum on stand.
13.) Gasoline and kerosene, kept in different shaped cans to prevent error.
14.) Wooden platform protects feet from cold.
15.) Stop for front wheels of car.
16.) Ramps on which front or rear wheels can be run to facilitate greasing, etc.
17.) Shelf for washing and cleaning materials.
18.) Rubbish box.
19.) Inspection lamps.
20.) Storage in rafters for timber, fires, etc.
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