Posted by designerwebsites on May 11, 2017

HANDY HINTS

Water Supply

When we bought our present farm 19 years ago, one of the first things I discovered was that the water supply for the stock was diabolical.

Some tips for repairing problems in a farm water supply

Broken string which holds the ball to the ball-cock lever. A temporary quick fix is to put the ball in a plastic shopping bag then push the lever through the bag. Will last for a few days, giving you time to get back and replace the broken string.

Broken lever. The levers are made of soft malleable brass. Beat the end flat on an anvil – drill a new hole and shape the end with a file.

Rusted and broken galvanised elbow going into the trough. Easy to remove to allow a new fitting to be fitted. Purchase a ½ “ BSP taper tap from an engineer’s supply company. Cost about $40.00 and will last a lifetime if kept well greased.

Remove the complete ballcock from the trough. Screw in the tap being careful not to cross the thread. Keep screwing the tap and the broken/rusted remnants for the elbow will be screwed out and you will be left with a perfect thread in the brass socket which is inset into the through.

Controlling thistles

We carry a small plastic bottle filled with granules such as Tordon 50G or Picloram. The granules are sprinkled on the thistles, thus affecting only the thistles and not the grass. Within a day or two the thistle begins to wilt and gradually to die. This method takes very little time as it is done as part of whatever other farm tasks are being done and not as a separate job. It works extremely well, and it’s a task that can be delegated to anyone who wants to take a walk on the farm.