> From: "Jeffrey D. Daub" <>
> Reply-To:
> Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 12:53:54 -0700
> To:
> Subject: Re: [Nature Recordists] Re: carry spares
>
> Although finding a power source to solder with may involve hiking out to
> civilization or having to run a remote research station's noisy
> generator for a while
Don't know how useful this is, but I mention it for what it's worth.
Here in Australia some 50 years ago, Authorised Surveyors running property
boundary lines, measured distances by means of steel tapes. (Probably stil=
l
do.) Flexible steel bands about a quarter of an inch wide, as I recall.
Great accuracy is possible by allowing for expansion according to the
ambient temperature, and using a weight over a pulley to obtain a standard
tension.
But this thin flexible steel was easily kinked, and if a kink was not
noticed and corrected, and the tape then pulled hard, it would break at the
kink. Repairs were effected like this:
The Surveyor always carried a supply of small brass sleeves with an opening
along one side that fitted over the steel tape. The broken ends of the tap=
e
were gently hammered flat inserted into the sleeve so that the broken ends
fitted neatly together and the sleeve soldered in place. As good as new!
No need to abandon the days work and head for town!
And how was the soldering effected? The Surveyor had a supply of very thin
wafers of solder of the exact size to wrap around the steel tape and fit
neatly within brass sleeve. Low melting point solder such that when all wa=
s
in place one merely struck a match and held the flame under the sleeve.
Solder melts and sets again in place. Job done.
If shops supplying surveying equipment still sell those little solder
wafers, there may be occasions when with some improvising temporary repairs
to cables etc., could be effected.
BTW, on one recording trip when camped some miles from my vehicle, I had a
wire come loose from a terminal in a plug. Tracked down the problem, but =
I
had no little solder wafers. Retrieved a thread from my clothing and
bound the wire to the terminal. The contact was good enough to let me
continue recording.
Cheers
Syd Curtis (Brisbane)
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