I also was happy to see a new electronic balometer from Alnor. These devices, which read ceiling-mounted diffuser outputs in direct CFMs with no correction factors, are needed throughout the industry. However, they were usually very large, sensitive and expensive, so only the largest commercial shops had them, until now. Alnor just introduced its LoFlo balometer, a compact 10-500 CFM instrument designed specially for residential and light commercial applications.I took a minute to stop by some of the smoky denizens of the welding business. Uniweld Products has just come up with a new oxy/acetylene torch tip they call the Tuning Fork (because that''s what it looks like). It is specifically designed for the removal and installation of reversing valves. Flames coming from both tip surfaces surround the three-connection side of the reversing valve, allowing the whole assembly to be unbrazed in a single operation.

If you''re planning a project that requires lots of postholes, trust me--a power auger will speed up the process. I''ve dug hundreds of auger-generated postholes. My personal best is thirty 42-in. deck footings in a single day--whew! But if you think they''ll make digging holes a picnic, think again. They''ll save you blisters, but at the end of the day, your back, legs and arms may be in worse shape than if you had dug the holes by hand.You''ll need to dig up a very willing friend to help you run most power augers, and you''ll both need strong backs, legs and arms to wrestle the machine around. Augers are very powerful machines with a lot of torque that can throw you like a sack of potatoes if the auger bit encounters a rock or a root.

When farmers consider their environmental risks, they typically think about livestock manure, agricultural chemicals and fertilizer. Often, petroleum storage doesn''t even make the list.But the fact is fuel and oil are a threat and can do more than just feed a fire. Studies show that on about half of all farms they also pose a high risk to the environment.To help draw attention to this threat, Successful Farming magazine tackled the fuel storage problems on one central Missouri farm.With the cooperation of Boone County Oil Company, we installed new gasoline and diesel fuel tanks for Columbia, Missouri, farmer Kevin Martz. Admittedly, the two 300-gallon tanks are a modest installation, but they demonstrate tools and techniques that any size farmer can use to reduce environmental risk.

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