TIPIt takes a crew of three to get the most speed out of a roofing nailer: one person driving nails, the others Laying shingles in place.Air compressorIf you have your own compressor, you''ll save about $25 per day when you rent an air nailer. So if you plan to use a nailer for eight days or more, buy a compressor. If you''re framing up a wall or two, renting a framing nailer probably isn''t worth the trouble. But it will save hours on a big job like a garage or an addition. You''ll nail studs, joists and rafters quickly, but more important, you''ll nail sheathing to walls and roofs 10 times faster than you could with a hammer.

There''s a shovel of dirt lurking on many farms that threatens to cost thousands of dollars in equipment repair and downtime. And it''s hiding in a place most farmers will never look. That place is inside their diesel storage tanks where mismanagement and misunderstanding have allowed the threat to grow.Last summer, Successful Farming magazine worked with petroleum experts from Country Energy LLC, a regional fuel supplier formed by Farmland Industries and Cenex Harvest States, and employees of the Andale Farmers Co-op, Andale, Kansas, to help make farmers aware of this threat. We shared the $110 cost of sampling and cleaning diesel storage tanks on 20 farms in south central Kansas. Though stored gasoline also gets dirty, we didn''t include it because fewer engine problems result.

Keith/U.S. Tsubaki: The overall costs of a locking device must be balanced against the requirements of the application. Keyless locking devices handle both high torque and thrust, while increasing shaft strength. They are not affected by torsional load reversal or impact, which can damage keys and keyway connections.Jeff/Tollok: One commonly mentioned advantage of keyless connections is that no secondary processes are necessary. The mechanical interference fit principle of a keyless locking assembly precludes having to cut keyways, tapers, splines, or threads. A straight cut hub with a good surface finish by a machine tool is sufficient. Assembly and disassembly is easy and quick, and angular adjustments can be carried out on the spot. And because the connections are backlash free, you don''t need to compensate for mechanical inefficiencies elsewhere in your machine or controls system. It was a quiet Tuesday morning, about IS minutes before opening the shop doors. All the techs were busy performing their morning rituals -- drinking coffee, reading trade publications and oiling their air tools. Without warning, our otherwise tranquil morning was interrupted by a horrendous screech of brakes as a late-model, metallic-blue BMW M3 slid into the service drive. Steam was billowing out from underneath the engine compartment. The driver, a moderately dressed, thirty-something suburbanite, jumped out and opened the hood. Instantly, a huge white cloud engulfed him and the entire front half of the car. I fully expected that when the fog cleared, at least one of them would have vanished -- like a magician''s disappearing act.

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