A word about GLUE

since glue was on the list of things that are hard to find after a disaster - I found some good websites that are "glue" related. There are many glues - used for many different applications.

www.thistothat.com tells how to glue things to each other - it is not sponsored by a manufacturer and the "glue o'month" is a good part of the site

sample -

Waterweld

This glue will come in handy any time of the year, but we thought it would be worth recommending during these hot summer months because Waterweld will set up in water or even solvents such as gasoline. This leads one to think of Waterweld for endless summer repair jobs. The only drawback we found with Waterweld is that is was not as reliable with some PVC plastics and polypropylenes that so many pools and water tanks are made from. We did find that lightly sanding the plastic increased the bond. But for metals of all sorts, wood, fibreglass and even concrete, this glue really worked.

It is a two part epoxy putty that is very easy to use. It sets up quickly, about 30 minutes,and is water-proof, resistant to temperature changes and chemicals, and is a great gap filler. It is relatively non-toxic, and once cured can be used in the presence of drinking water.

Shoe Goo

With summer on the way, we find our selves putting away our winter boots and dusting off our old sneakers and sandals. Don't be discouraged when you realize they are not as new as you remember them to be. Help is on the way with Shoe Goo! Shoe Goo is often referred to as rubber in a tube. It can repair cracked and worn soles, toes and even that tricky attachment of the sole to the upper, whether it be leather, canvas or rubber. Shoe Goo is flexible, water proof (of course) and comes in a variety of colours to match your shoes. Shoe Goo is available at shoe repair shops, shoe stores, hardware stores and some department stores. It is under $10 (1200 yen) for a 5.5 oz. tube. Shoe Goo also has other uses such as repairing water toys and camping gear. We are currently waiting for the toxicological information from Japan, and although it claims to be "ecologically friendly" we will inform you of its toxicity once we know more. So don't throw those old shoes out - renew them with Shoe Goo!

Gorilla Glue

This glue has been brought to our attention from our U.S. users. Although it is not yet available any where other than the United States, we were fortunate to obtain a sample from the manufactures, Lutz File & Tool Company, and found it quite worthy of This to That recognition.

Gorilla Glue is a polyurethane glue especially designed for wood. Its outstanding features are:

• It is solvent free
• 100% water proof
• It has a twenty minute open working time, which is much longer than most polyurethane adhesives, and means that you have more time to fuss with clamps etc.
• It works well on end grain
• It works well on oily exotic woods such as teak.

We also found it to work surprisingly well on wood to stone, ceramic, some plastics, and even glass. It did not work well on metal, rubber, leather or vinyl. Gorilla Glue needs pressure to adhere, so it works best on joints and flat surfaces. It is an extremely sticky glue that expands with moisture and if not used carefully can get pretty messy. It cleans up with denatured alcohol and other solvents, but it is toxic to touch and ingest so we do not recommend it for children, in spite of the sassy packaging. We like this glue a lot and could tell you much more about it, but why not check out their excellent website.

By the way, for those of us who live any where other than the U.S.A., Jake Ragland of Lutz File & Tool Company told us he hopes to get Canadian and European distribution very soon.

How do you store Propane Cylinder?

Answer

There are a number of factors to weigh when storing a propane cylinder, but safety should be the overriding concern. Here's a short list:

• Store tank outdoors in shaded area.
• Do not let tank get hot or pressure will rise.
• Store tank away from flame and heat.
• Close valve tightly and insert safety plug when not in use, even if tank is empty.
• Use only on appliances and grills approved for propane.
• Check tank and line connections periodically to be sure that they are tight.
• Check for leaks using detergent or soapy water - never use a match or flame.

Check these sites:

http://www.amerigas.com/consumer_guidelines.html

http://www.propane101.com/propanecylinderstorage.htm

Generator Conversion Kits to

Propane and Natural Gas.

You can count on gasoline . . . to let you down!

Gasoline is not a fuel that professionals ever choose to use on backup generators. Hospitals and other large facilities "never" install a gasoline back-up generator. They always use natural gas or diesel. Gasoline has a very limited shelf life and will actually cause engine failure. Worst of all when power outages occur due to ice storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and all other disasters, the first commodity to be hoarded is gasoline. Sadly, long lines (even fistfights) and rationing at gas pumps are a common occurrence during many disasters. The hurricanes that hit Florida last year were sad proof of that. However, working along with FEMA, we were called upon to be of assistance in helping in areas where gasoline was not even available to run generators. Propane, and especially natural gas, were more plentiful and just the ticket to keep the lights on and the crews working.

Unfortunately, as some have learned the hard way, if not used often enough, gasoline will gum up the carburetor and will render an engine on the emergency generator useless. Do not get caught with a gummed up carburetor that will not allow your engine to run, on your gasoline generator that you cannot even get fuel for, when you need it the most.

Now that you have invested in a backup generator, make sure that it runs when you need it the most. Modify your Generator to run on propane or natural gas or even keep the gasoline option if you like and have the option to run all three fuels on the same engine!

Propane and natural gas can save you time, money and aggravation.

Our do-it-yourself change over kits allow you to run your gasoline generator on propane (LP Gas), natural gas, or all three. Propane and natural gas are truly a backup fuel for a backup generator. Your engine will last longer, start better in cold weather and even start next year when you go to use it in an emergency. The best part is, with one of our do-it-yourself kits you can change your engine from gasoline to propane or natural gas all by yourself.

Why use propane to power your generator?

If you have propane available you know you can store propane for years because it does not gum up, go bad, or pollute the air like gasoline does. You can use the 100# (24 gallon) cylinders, little bar-b-q grill type 20# cylinders, which is equivalent to 5 gallons of gasoline, or big tanks like 250, 500 and 1000 gallon ASME tanks.

Why use natural gas to power your generator?

If you have Natural gas available you would certainly agree that it is probably the most dependable fuel on earth and virtually an unlimited supply. Natural gas is always there. It does not gum up or go stale like gasoline.

Here are many more of the benefits:

	Propane and natural gas powered engines provide the same power as gasoline.
	Longer, uninterrupted run times!
	Connect to big tanks or to your natural gas pipe line.
	Your generator will last longer because of larger fuel supply and less running out under load.
	Clean burning Alternate fuel will help extend the life of your engine life.
	Eliminate the "Dirty Port" that gasoline carburetors have that shortens the life of an engine.

Gas Cans

I was looking at gas cans, it would be nice to have about 100 gallons around the house, but not all together, so I was thinking 20 - 5 gallon cans - and the cans should be about $13 each was the cheapest I could find on the internet . so about $260, and then to fill them - but they should also have some additive to stabilize the gas while storing.