Letter: Tallow: tool of the trade

Sir: Donald McFarlan asks what use can be made of tallow (Letters, 23 May). As a carpenter I use tallow on the end of wood screws, enabling the screws to go into pre-drilled holes in wood very easily.

Plumbers use tallow as a flux for fusing lead to lead, or lead to brass. It is also used on the joints of cast-iron soil and vent pipes.

JOHN R BARKER

London SW19