OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 1997

Cleaning a pipe

Problem: How can you put a rope through a length of pipe for cleaning by a swab or brush?

Solution: Tie a light fishing bob to some fishing line. Tie the other end of the fishing line to some rope.

Flush the bob and the line with water through the pipe to the other open end. Now, pull  the bob, fishing line and rope through the pipe.

Tie a swab or brush to the rope and you are ready for cleaning. Pull the rope with the swab or brush attached back through the pipe. This procedure can be repeated until the pipe is clean.

Thanks and a Mr. O Problem Solver t-shirt go to Richard Sorge, CET, technician/operator, Ontario Clean Water Agency, Orangeville, Ont.

Miniature screw jack

Problem: I was putting a column of valves together on a pool filter and I needed to open up a little room to put in the gaskets and new valve, which seemed thicker, but wasn't.

Solution: I made two screw jacks which allowed me to get the space I needed for the new valves. I used two nuts and a piece of thread rod to make them.

Cut the rod to the exact length of the opening, so the jack will fit. Place the  nuts on each end of the rod. To get the movement you need, turn one nut one way onto the rod, and the other nut the other way. You only get a movement equal to the depth of one nut.

I have used this in other tight places where you need to move or spread something. The bigger the nuts, the more you can move.

Thanks and a Mr. O Problem Solver t-shirt go to Garry Meadows of the City of Brandon in Manitoba.

Easy shaft alignment

Problem: Aligning small shafts.

Solution: When aligning small shafts with jaw-type couplings, use a gear-type hose clamp over the jaws to align the coupling and thus the shafts.

When the hose clamp is tight, fasten the shafts and remove the hose clamp. The resulting alignment is very good.

Thanks and a Mr. O Problem Solver t-shirt go to Peter Weber, plant engineer at Esselte Canada Inc., Mississauga, Ont.