PART III

-The Horse [303]

The German horse is that peculiar piece of apparatus which is

## partly a horizontal obstruction to leap over, partly a barrier for

jumps, partly a smooth surface of long and narrow dimensions over and about which the body may slide and swing, and partly an artificial back for the purpose of a peculiar style of leap frog.

[Illustration: The German Horse]

To make a horse for the outdoor "gym" requires no difficult work save the preparation of the top or body of the horse. The making of the regular gymnasium horse requires a very elaborate wood-working and leather upholstering plant, but the one used for outdoor work can be made of a log of wood. Procure from a saw mill, wood yard or from the woods, one-half of a tree trunk from a tree 9 to 15 in. in diameter--the larger the better. The length may be anywhere from 4 to 7 ft., but 5 ft. is a good length.

The round part of this log must be planed, scraped and sandpapered until it is perfectly smooth, and free from knots, projections and splinters. Hand holds must be provided next. These are placed 18 in. apart in a central position on the horse. Make two parallel saw cuts 2 in. apart, straight down in the round surface of the horse until each cut is 9 in. long. Chisel out the wood between the cuts and in the mortises thus made insert the hand holds. Each hand hold is made of a 9-in. piece of 2 by 4-in. stud cut rounding on one edge. These are well nailed in place.

The body of the horse is to be fastened on top of posts so that it may be adjusted for height. It is not as difficult to make as the horizontal and parallel bars. The material required is as follows: Two posts, 4 in. square by 5 ft. long; 2 adjusting pieces, 2 by 4 in. by 3 ft. 3 in. long; 1 cross brace, 2 by 4 in. by 3 ft. long; 2 bases, 4 in. square by 5-1/2 ft. long; 4 knee braces, 2 by 4 in. by 3 ft. long; two 1/2-in. bolts, 1 in. long, to fasten the knee braces at the top; ten 1/2-in. bolts, 7 in. long, 4 to fasten the knee braces at the bottom, 2 to fasten the cross brace and 4 to be used in fastening the adjusting pieces to the posts.

To construct, layout the bases as shown in the drawing, making the mortises to receive the bottom ends of the posts exactly in the center, and cut a slanting mortise 6 in. from each end to receive the ends of the knee braces. Bevel the ends of the knee braces and fasten the upper ends of each pair to the post with one 9-in. bolt. Fasten the lower ends to the base with the 7-in. bolts.

The upper end of each post should have 5/8-in. holes bored through it parallel to the base at intervals of 3 in., beginning 1-1/2 in. from the top and extending down its length for 2 ft. 4-1/2 in. The adjusting pieces are to be bored in a similar manner after which they are to be mortised into the under side of the horse top 15 in. from each end, and secured with screws put through the top and into the end of the adjusting pieces.

The bases with their posts and knee braces are buried 2 ft. 4 in. in the ground, parallel to each other and the same distance apart as the adjusting pieces are mortised in the horse top. When the ground has been filled in and tamped hard, the cross brace should be bolted in position with its lower edge resting on the ground and connecting the two posts.

The height of the horse from the ground is adjusted by changing the bolts in the different holes connecting the two adjusting pieces with the two posts. Much pleasant and healthful gymnastic exercise can be had in competitive horse jumping and leaping, the handles providing a way to make many different leaps through, over and around, including not only those made to see who can go over the horse from a standing or running start at the greatest height, but who can go over at the greatest height when starting from the "toeing off mark" farthest away from the horse. This horse should be located on level ground having smooth space about it for several feet.

** Spoon Rest for Kettles [304]

A rest for keeping spoons from slipping into kettles can be made from

[Illustration: Spoon Rest]

a strip of metal bent as shown in the illustration. The spring of the metal will make it easy to apply to the kettle. The spoon placed in the rest will drain back into the kettle. The cover can be placed on without removing the spoon. --Contributed by W. A. Jaquythe, Richmond. Cal.

** Reason for Bursting of Gun Barrels [304]

Gun barrels do not burst without a cause and usually that cause is one of which the shooter is entirely ignorant, but nevertheless, no one is responsible but himself, says the Sporting Goods Dealer. Gun barrels can only burst by having some obstruction in the barrel or by overloading with powder. Any gun barrel can be burst by misuse or by carelessly loading smokeless powder, but no barrel will burst by using factory loaded ammunition, provided there is no obstruction or foreign substance inside the barrel. When a gun barrel bursts at the breech or chamber, it is caused by an overloaded shell, and when it bursts in the center or near the muzzle, it is caused by some obstruction, such as a dent, snow, water, etc.

** Hand Sled Made of Pipe and Fittings [305]

The accompanying sketch shows how an ordinary hand sled can be made of 3/4-in. pipe and fittings. Each runner is made of one piece of pipe bent to the proper shape. This can be accomplished by filling the pipe with melted rosin or lead, then bending to the shape desired, and afterward removing the rosin or lead by heating. Each joint is turned up tightly and well pinned or brazed. One of the top crosspieces should have right-hand and left-hand threads or be fitted with a union. Also, one of the top pieces connecting the rear part to the front part of each runner must be fitted in the same way. The top is fastened to the two crosspieces. Such a hand sled can be made in a

[Illustration: Parts Made of Pipe Fittings]

few hours' time and, when complete, is much better than a wood sled. --Contributed by James E. Noble, Toronto, Ontario.

** Emergency Magnifying Glass [305]

When in need of a microscope in the study of botany, one may be made in the following manner: Bend a small wire or the stem of a leaf so as to form a small loop not larger than the ordinary drop of water.

Loop Inclosing a Drop of Water

When this is done place a drop of clear water in the loop and the microscope is complete. This temporary device will prove valuable where a strong magnifying glass is not at hand. --Contributed by Arthur E. Joerin, Paris, France.

** Bent-Iron Pipe Rack [305]

Strips of soft iron, 1/4 or 3/16 in. in width and 1/32 in. thick, are used in

[Illustration: Design of a Rack]

making the pipe rack shown in Fig. 1. This material can be obtained from any local hardware dealer who carries bar iron in stock.

Draw a full-size sketch of the design on paper, then run a string over each part, which, when straightened out, will give the length. The scrolls are bent with a pair of round-nose pliers. These, with a pair of flat-nose pliers, are all the tools necessary. The part for holding the pipes is shown in Fig. 2. The end elevation, at E and F, shows how the rack is fastened to the main frame of the rack. --Contributed by J. W. Vener, Boston, Mass.

** To Clean Silver [305]

A good method to clean silver of any kind is to place the articles in an aluminum vessel and add a few pieces of zinc. Hot water is added and the silver boiled until clean. It is best to use soft water. The tarnish is removed by the electrolytic action of the zinc on the aluminum and the silver, and the latter will take on a bright luster. This method of cleaning will not injure oxidized or black silver, nor that which is partly oxidized.

** Sharpening Skates with a File [306

Two methods are shown in the sketches for filing skates-one for hollow filing and the other for filing flat

[Illustration: Filing a Flat Surface]

and straight across the blade. The method shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is for filing the blade flat. The device for holding the skates consists of a board on which four blocks, AA and BB, are nailed. These blocks are fastened on the board in the relative positions of the heel and sole on a shoe. The skates are clamped on them in the same manner as on a shoe. A flat file is drawn across both blades of the skates as shown. After the roundness is cut down on the edges of the blades the skates are removed and the file is drawn along the sides to remove the

[Illustration: Filing a Curved Surface]

burr. Skates filed in this way have flat surfaces with sharp edges.

Some skaters like a hollow-ground skate and the method shown in Figs. 3 and 4 can be used for filing a slightly curved surface in the blade. A piece of tin or sheet metal is shaped over a round file as shown in Fig. 3. The manner of filing the curves is shown in Fig. 4. The piece of metal is held over the file and blade of the skate as the file is worked.

** Lines and Letters Made with a Carpenter's Pencil [306]

The sketch shows some unusual work made with a carpenter's pencil. If the flat lead is notched with a three-cornered file (Fig. 1), two parallel lines may be drawn at one stroke, or various rulings may be made, as shown in Fig. 2. Broad lines can be made, as shown in Fig. 3, or unequal widths as in Fig. 4.

[Illustration: Pencil Points and Their Work]

In Figs. 2, 5 and 6 are shown lines especially adapted for the bookkeeper or draftsman. If one lacks the ability to draw old English letters with a pen, the letters may be first drawn with a carpenter's pencil (Fig. 7) and the outlines marked with ink and finally filled in. Narrow lines are made with points cut as in Figs. 8 and 9. A little practice with the carpenter's pencil in making these letters will enable the student to finally produce them with the pen used for the purpose.

** Insulating Aluminum Wire [306]

Aluminum wire plunged hot into a cold solution of carbonate of soda becomes coated with a strong layer of oxide which forms an excellent insulator to electricity.

** How to Build an Ice-Yacht [307] Condensed from an article by H. Percy Ashley in Rudder.

The plans and specifications shown in the illustrations are for making a 400-ft. class ice-yacht, having a double cockpit to accommodate four persons. The weight of the persons in the forward cockpit keeps the boat from rearing when in a stiff breeze. The forward cockpit can be removed if necessary. The materials used are: backbone,

[Illustration: Ice-Yacht Complete]

white pine; center, clear spruce; sides, white oak caps; runner plank, basswood, butternut or oak; cockpit, oak; runners, chocks, etc., quartered white oak. All the iron work should be first-grade Swedish iron, with the exception of the runners, which are soft cast iron.

It is not necessary to go into detail with the measurements as they are plainly shown in the sketches. The backbone is 37-1/2 ft. over all, 12 in. in the center, 5 in. stern, 3-1/2 in. at the nose; width 4-1/2 in. All wood should be selected from the best grades, well seasoned and free from checks. In Fig. 1 is shown the complete ice-yacht with general dimensions for the sail and main parts. Other dimensions are shown in Fig-, 2. The backbone is capped on the upper and lower edges full length with strips of oak, 4-1/4 in. wide and 5/8 in. thick. The lengthwise side strips of spruce are 1-1/4 in. thick. The filling-in pieces placed between the side pieces are of seasoned white pine, leaving the open places as shown in Fig. 2. The parts are put together with hot glue and brass screws.

The runner plank should be placed

[Illustration: Details of the Ice-Yacht Parts]

with the heart of the wood up, so as to give the natural curve from the ice so that it will act as a spring. The plank is 16 in. wide in the center, 14 in. at the ends; 4-1/8 in. thick at the center and 2-3/4 in. at the ends.

Details of the runners are shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The cast iron shoes are filed and finished with emery paper, making the angle on the cutting edge 45 deg. on both sides. The runners are 7-1/4 in. wide over all and 2-1/8 in. thick. The soft iron casting is 2-1/4 in. deep. The shoes are fastened by 5/8-in. machine bolts. These are shown in Figs. 3 and 9. The rudder is 2-3/4 in. thick, 5 in. deep, including wood and iron, and 3 ft. long. The cast iron shoe is 1-7/8 in. deep and fastened on with four 1/2-in. machine bolts. A brass plate, 1/4 in. thick, 2 in. wide and 7 in. long, is inserted on each side of the runners as shown in Fig. 9. Three holes are drilled through for a 3/4-in. riding bolt that can be shifted as desired for rough or smooth ice. The runner chocks and guides are 1-7/8 in. thick and 4-1/2 in. deep. They are set in the runner plank 1/4 in. and fastened with glue and 1/2-in. lag screws. These are shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The aft cockpit is stationary, while the fore or passenger cockpit can be removed at will. Both cockpits are the same size, 42 in. wide and 7 ft. long over all. Each one has a bent rail, 1-1/2 in. by 4 in., grooved 1/2 in. by 7/8 in. before bending. The flooring is of oak, 1-1/2 in. thick and 4 in. wide, tongue-and grooved. The forward cockpit is made in halves and hung on the backbone with wrought-iron straps and bolts. These are shown in Figs. 41, 43 and 44. Two pieces of oak, 1/2 in, by 4 in. are fastened with screws to the flooring, parallel with the backbone in the forward cockpit. The runner plank which passes under this cockpit gives it stability.

The spars should be hollow and have the following dimensions: Mast, 23 ft. 3 in.; heel, 3-3/4 in. ; center, 5-1/4 in.; tip, 4 in. ; boom 23-1/2 ft.; heel, 3-3/4 in. ;center, 4 in.; tip, 2-7/8 in. at ends; gaff, 12-1/2 ft.; center, 3-1/2 in.; ends, 2-1/2 in.; jib-boom, 10-1/2 ft.; 1-3/4 in. at the ends, 2-1/8 in. at the center. The gaff is furnished with bent jaws of oak, Fig. 17, and the main boom with gooseneck, Fig. 12.

Galvanized cast-steel yacht rigging, 5/16 in. in diameter, is used for the shrouds; jibstay, 3/8 in. in diameter; runner plank guys, 5/16 in. in diameter; bobstay, 3/8 in. in diameter; martingale stay, 1/4 in. in diameter. The throat,and peak halyards are 3/8 in. in diameter; jib halyards, 1/4 in. in diameter.

The main sheet rigging is 9/16-in. Russian bolt rope; jibs, 7/16-in. manila bolt rope, 4-strand; jib-sheet, 3/8-in. manila bolt rope. Four 1/2-in. bronze turnbuckles, Fig. 34, are used for the shrouds; one 5/8-in. turnbuckle for the jibstay and one for the bobstay; four 3/8-in. turnbuckles for the runner plank stays, and one for the martingale stay.

Two rope blocks for 3/8-in. wire rope, Fig. 10, are used for the peak and throat, and one block for the wire rope 1/4 in. in diameter for the jib halyard. Four 6-in. and one 7-in. cleats, Fig. 18, are used. The blocks shown in Fig. 11 are used for the main and jib sheets. The steering arrangement is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The tiller is 3-1/2 ft. long; rudder post, 1-1/4 in. in diameter; shoulder to lower end of jaws, 4 in.; depth of jaws, 2-7/8 in.; length of post including screw top, 12 in. The rubber washer acts as a spring on rough ice.

In Figs. 13, 14, 15 and 16 are shown metal bands for the nose of the backbone, and Figs. 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 show the saddles that fit over the backbone and hold the runner plank in place. There are two sets of these. A chock should be sunk in the runner plank at each side to connect with the backbone to keep it from slipping sidewise as the boat rises in the air. The martingale spreader is shown in Figs. 24 and 25. Straps through which the ring bolts for the shrouds pass on the ends to fasten the turnbuckles for the runner plank guys are shown in Figs. 26 and 27. The bobstay spreaders are shown in Figs. 28, 29 and 30. In Fig. 31 is shown the top plate for the rudder post and in Figs. 32 and 33, the lower plate for same. The mast step is shown in Figs. 35, 36 and 37. Two positions of the jib traveler are shown in Fig. 38. The anchor plate for the bobstay under the cockpit is shown in Figs. 39 and 40.

At the nose and heel the runner plank guys end in a loop. The bobstay has a loop at the nose and ends in a turnbuckle that fastens to the anchor plate under the cockpit, aft. The shrouds, jibstay and martingale have loops at the masthead and are spliced bare over solid thimbles. The loops are finished in pigskin and served with soft cotton twine over the splice and varnished. The parceling is done with insulating tape. Serve the tiller with soft cotton twine and ride a second serving over the first. For the halyards hoisting use a jig shown in Fig. 46. The thimble shown in Fig. 47 is made by splicing the rope to the thimble at running part of halyard and passing back and forth through cleat and thimble. This gives a quick and strong purchase and does away with cumbersome blocks of the old-fashioned jig. The jib-sheet leads aft to the steering cockpit. The main-sheet ends in a jig of a single block and a single block with becket. Be sure that your sail covers are large enough--the sail maker always makes them too tight. The cockpit covers must fit tightly around the cockpit rail. Many boats have sail and cockpit covers in one piece.

The woodwork may be finished as desired by the builder. The dimensions of the sails are given in the general drawing, Fig. 1.

** Turning Lights On and Off from Any Number of Places [310]

This can be done by the use of any number of reversing switches such as

[Illustration: Wiring Diagram]

those shown at Band C. These are inserted between the two-way switches A and D. Turning such a switch up or down connects the four contact pieces either diagonally as at C, or lengthwise as at B. The diagram shows connection from A to D, when the lamps will be on, but by turning either of these four switches into its alternative position, shown by the dotted lines, the circuit will be broken and the lights extinguished. When this has been done, the circuit may be restored and the lamps lighted again by altering either of the four switches in exactly the same way, and so on.

It will be observed that a reversing switch used in this way practically undoes whatever is done by the other switches. In the accompanying diagram only two reversing switches are shown and the lights can be independently controlled from four distinct positions. Any number of reversing switches can be placed between the two-way switches A and D to increase the number of places from which the lights could be turned on and off. --Contributed by J. S. Dow, Mayfield, London.

** How to Make an Electric Pendant Switch [310]

It is often desired to use a pendant switch for controlling clusters of incandescent lamps. When such a switch is not at hand, a very good substitute can be made by screwing a common fuse plug into a key socket and connecting the socket in series with the lamps to be controlled. In this way you get a safe, reliable, fused switch. --Contributed by C. C. Heyder, Hansford, W. Va.

** Measure [310]

Never guess the length of a piece of work--measure it.

** Home-Made Water Motor [311]

The small water motor shown in the illustration is constructed in the same manner as a German toy steam turbine. The wheel, which is made of aluminum 1/16 in. thick and 7 in. in diameter, has 24 blades attached to it.

The lugs or extensions carrying the rim must be made from the metal of the wheel, therefore a circle 8 in. in diameter must be first described on the aluminum plate, then another circle 7 in. in diameter within the first and then a circle for the base of the blades, 3-1/2 in. in diameter. Twenty-four radial lines at equal distances apart are drawn between the two smaller circles and a 1/4-in. hole drilled at the intersecting points of the radial lines and the innermost circle.

Centrally between each pair of radial lines and between the two outer circles, 1/2 by 3/8-in. lugs are marked out and the metal cut away as shown in Fig. 1. A 1/8-in. hole is then drilled in the center of each lug. Each division is separated by cutting down each radial line to the 1/4-in. hole with a hacksaw. Each arm is then given a quarter turn, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the lug bent over at right angles to receive the rim. The rim is made of the same material as the disk and contains twenty-four 1/8 in. holes corresponding to those in the lugs to receive brass bolts 1/4-in. long.

The disks PP were taken from the ends of a discarded typewriter platen, but if these cannot be readily obtained, they can be turned from metal or a heavy flat disk used instead.

The casing was made from two aluminum cake pans whose diameter was 8 in. at the base, increasing to 9 in. at the rim. The centers of these were located and a 1/4-in. hole drilled for the

[Illustration: Fig. 3]

shaft. The disks P are the same as used on the wheel. Six holes 1/8-in. in diameter were drilled through the flat part of the rims while the two halves were held together in a vise. Bolts were placed through these holes to join the casing when ready for assembling. One side of the casing was then bolted to two 4-in. ordinary metal shelf brackets which were

[Illustration: Details of Motor]

screwed to a substantial wood base. This kept one-half of the casing independent of the main structure so that the wheel is easily accessible.

The nozzle was made of 1/2-in. brass pipe which was first filled with molten babbitt metal. When the metal was cool, a 1/4-in. hole was drilled halfway through the length of the tube, the hole being continued through to the other end by means of a 1/8-in. drill. The lower orifice was then slightly enlarged with a small taper reamer, and the upper portion of the bore was reamed out almost to the brass to make a smooth entrance for the water.

A fixture to hold this nozzle is shown in Fig. 3. It was cast of babbitt metal in a wood mold. The hole for the nozzle was drilled at an angle of 20 deg. to the plate part. An alternative and perhaps easier way would be to insert the nozzle in the mold at the proper angle and cast the metal around it. A hole was then cut in one of the sides of the casing at a point 2-7/8 in. along a horizontal line from the center. The nozzle fixture was then bolted on with the exit orifice of the nozzle pointing downward and through the hole in the casing.

Six 1/8-in. holes were drilled through the flat portions of the rims while the two halves of the casing were held securely together in a vise. Bolts were used in these holes to join the casing.

The wheel was used on the dripboard of a kitchen sink and no provision was made to carry off the spent water except to cut two 1/2-in. holes in the bottom of the casing and allowing the waste to flow off directly into the sink. --Contributed by Harry F. Lowe, Washington, D. C.

** Device for Baseball Throwing Practice [312]

Anyone training to be a baseball player will find the device shown in the accompanying illustration a great help

[Illustration: Ball Bounding on Concrete Slabs]

when practicing alone. It consists of two cement slabs, one flat and upright, the other curved and on the ground. The vertical slab is fastened securely against a fence, barn or shed. The barn or the shed is preferable, for if the slab is fastened to a fence, the ball will bound over a great many times and much time will be lost in finding it.

The player stands as far as he cares from the slabs and throws the ball against the lower slab. The ball immediately rebounds to the upright slab and returns with almost as great a force as it was delivered. If the thrower does not throw the ball exactly in the same spot each time, the ball will not rebound to the same place, consequently the eye and muscles are trained to act quickly, especially if the player stands within 15 or 20 ft. of the slabs and throws the ball with great force.

This apparatus also teaches a person to throw accurately, as a difference in aim of a few inches on the lower slab may cause the ball to flyaway over the player's head on the rebound. --Contributed by F. L. Oilar, La Fayette, Indiana.

** How to Mail Photographs [312]

Cut a piece of cardboard 1 in. longer and 1 in. wider than the mount of the photograph and lay the picture on it in the center. This allows a 1/2-in. border on all sides of the photograph. Punch two holes 1 in. apart at A, B, C and D, Fig. 1, in the cardboard border close to the edge of the picture. Put a string up through the hole B, Fig. 2, then across the corner of the photograph and down through the hole C and up through hole D, then to E, etc., until the starting point A is reached, and tie the ends.

The photograph will not get damaged, if it is covered with tissue paper and placed with the face to the cardboard. The extension border of cardboard prevents the edges of the mount from being damaged and the corners

[Illustration: Back for Mailing Photo]

from wearing. Both cardboard and photograph are wrapped together in paper, and the package is ready for mailing. --Contributed by Earl R. Hastings, Corinth, Vt.

** A Mystifying Watch Trick [313]

Borrow a watch from one of the audience and allow the owner to place it in the box, as shown in Fig. 1. This box should be about 3 in. long, 4 in. wide and 2-1/2 in. deep, says the Scientific American. It should be provided with a hinged cover, M, with a lock, N. The tricky part of this box is the side S, which is pivoted at T by driving two short nails into it, one through the front side and the other through the back, so that when S is pushed in at the top, it swings around as shown in Fig. 1 and allows the watch to slide out into the performer's hand. The side S should fit tightly when closed, so that the box may be examined without betraying the secret. As the side S extends down to the bottom of the box, it facilitates the use of the fingers in pulling outward at the lower pan while the thumb is pressing inward at the top part. The side of the box opposite S should be built up in the same way, but not pivoted.

Use a flat-bottom tumbler, A, Fig. 2, containing an inner cone, B, for the reproduction of the watch. The cone is made of cardboard pasted together so it fits snugly inside of the tumbler. The cone is closed except at the bottom, then bran is pasted on the outside surfaces to make the tumbler appear as if filled with bran when it is in place. Place the tumbler with the cone inside on a table somewhat in the background. Put some loose bran on top of the cone and allow the cork, attached as shown in B, Fig. 2, to hang down on the outside of the tumbler, away from the audience. A large handkerchief should be laid beside the tumbler.

After the watch has been placed in the box, Fig. 1, the performer takes the box in his left hand, and while in the act of locking it with his right hand secures possession of the watch as previously explained. Tossing the key to the owner of the watch, the performer places the box on a chair or table near the audience and, with the watch securely palmed, walks back to get the tumbler. Standing directly in front of the tumbler with his back toward the audience, the performer

[Illustration: Parts for the Watch Trick]

quickly raises the cone with his right hand, lays the watch in the bottom of the tumbler and replaces the cone.

The loaded tumbler and the handkerchief are then brought forward, and the former is placed in full view of the audience with the cork hanging down behind it. The performer calls attention to the tumbler being full of bran and picks up some of it from the top to substantiate his statement. He then spreads the handkerchief over the tumbler, commands the watch to pass from the box into the tumbler and the bran to disappear.

The box is then handed to the owner of the watch so that he may unlock it with the key he holds. As soon as the box is found to be empty, the performer grasps the handkerchief spread over the tumbler, also the cork tied to the cone. Raising the handkerchief, he carries up the cone within it, leaving the watch in the bottom to be returned to its owner.

** Locking Several Drawers with One Lock [314]

A series or row of drawers can be secured with one lock by using the

[Illustration: Drawer Lock]

device shown in the sketch. This method takes away several dangling locks and the carrying of many keys. A rod is used through the various staples over the hasps. The rod is upset on one end and flattened to make sufficient metal for drilling a hole large enough to insert the bar of a padlock. If the bar is made of steel and hardened, it is almost impossible to cut it in two. --Contributed by F. W. Bentley, Huron, S. Dak.

** Testing Small Electric Lamps [314]

The accompanying sketch shows the construction of a handy device for testing miniature electric lights. The base is made to take in an electric flash lamp battery. Two strips of brass, C and D, are connected to the battery. The lamp is tested by

[Illustration: Lamp Tester]

putting the metal end on the lower brass strip and the side against the upper one. A great number of lamps can be tested in a short time by means of this device. --Contributed by Abner B. Shaw, North Dartmouth, Mass.

** How to Make a Pin Ball [314]

The pin ball shown in the illustration is made of calfskin modeling leather and saddler's felt. Two pieces of leather are used, and one piece of felt, all three being cut circular to a diameter of about 3 in. The felt may be about 1/2 in. thick, and leather of a deep brown color is recommended.

Moisten the leather on the back side with as much water as it will take without showing through the face. Lay it on a sheet of heavy glass or copper, or other hard, smooth, nonabsorbent material. Place the design, which has been previously prepared, over the face of the leather. Indent the outline of the design with a nutpick or any other pointed tool that will not cut the leather. Remove the pattern, and go

[Illustration: Made of Leather and Felt]

over the outline again to deepen the tool marks.

The space between the border and the design is now stamped with a cuppointed nail set, care being taken not to cut the leather, especially if the tool be new. Rubbing the edges of the nail set over a piece of emery paper will serve to dull them, if they are too sharp.

When the designs have been worked on the leather, paste or glue the leather to the two sides of the belt, and punch a hole in the center through which to place a cord for hanging up the ball.

** Cleaning Woodwork [315]

An easy method of removing the dirt and old varnish at the same time around a kitchen sink is told by a correspondent of National Magazine as follows:

Make a soft soap from common yellow laundry soap, and when it is almost cold stir in one tablespoonful of concentrated lye and one-half cupful of kerosene. When the mixture becomes a heavy paste, it is ready to be spread over the woodwork with a paint brush. Allow the soap to remain for a day and a half, then wash it off with plenty of hot water. The woodwork will be clean and ready for varnishing when it dries out.

** Bill File Made of Corkscrews [315]

An ordinary corkscrew makes a convenient file for small bills or memoranda. It may be thrown in any position without danger of the papers slipping off. A rack to hold a number of files can be made of a wood strip (Fig. 1) fitted with hooks or screw eyes cut in a hook shape, as shown in Fig. 2,

[Illustration: Bill File]

Single bills may be separated from the others and will remain separated as in Fig. 3. --Contributed by James M. Kane, Doylestown, Pa.

** Ornamental Metal Inkstand [315]

The metal required for making this stand is 3/16 in. in width and may be

[Illustration: Inkstand and Details of Frame]

steel, brass or copper. The shaping is done as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. There are, in all, eight pieces to be bent. The two supports are each formed of one piece of metal with the exception that the end scroll pieces on the under side are made separately. Eight rivets are required to fasten the two horizontal rings to the supports. The glass receptacle can be purchased at a stationery store.

** Holding Eyeglasses Firm [315]

Persons who wear noseglasses and who are troubled with excessive perspiration, should chalk the sides of the bridge of the nose before putting on the glasses. The latter will then never slip, even in the warmest weather. If the chalk shows, use a pink stick, which can be purchased from any art school or supply store.

Substitute for Gummed Paper [315]

Gummed paper is a great convenience in the home especially for labels, but it is not always found among the household supplies. The gummed portions of unsealed envelopes in which circulars are received can be utilized for this purpose. Quite a large label may be made from these envelope flaps.

** Repairing a Broken Phonograph Spring [316]

As I live a great distance from a railroad station, I did not care to pay the price, and await the time necessary to deliver a new phonograph spring to replace one that broke in my machine, and I repaired the old one in a creditable manner as follows:

I forced the two ends of the break out where I could get at them, then heated each end separately with a pair of red hot tongs and turned a hook or lap on them the same as the joints in knock-down stovepipes. When the ends were hooked together, the spring worked as good as new. The heated portion did not affect the strength of the spring. --Contributed by Marion P. Wheeler, Greenleaf, Oregon.

** Calls While You Are Out [316]

If you wish to know whether or not the door or telephone bell rings during your absence, place a little rider of paper or cardboard on the clapper in such a way that it will be dislodged if the bell rings.

** A Small Bench Lathe Made of Pipe Fittings [316]

The most important machine in use in the modern machine or wood-working shop is the lathe. The uses to which this wonderful machine can be put would be too numerous to describe, but there is hardly a mechanical operation in which the turning lathe does not figure. For this reason every amateur mechanic and wood-worker who has a workshop, no matter how small, is anxious to possess a lathe of some

[Illustration: Fig. 1-Details of Lathe]

sort. A good and substantial homemade lathe, which is suitable for woodturning and light metal work, may be constructed from pipe and pipe fittings as shown in the accompanying sketch.

The bed of this lathe is made of a piece of 1-in. pipe, about 30 in. long. It can be made longer or shorter, but if it is made much longer, a larger size of pipe should be used. The head-stock is made of two tees, joined by a standard long nipple as shown in Fig. 1. All the joints should be screwed up tight and then fastened with 3/16-in. pins to keep them from turning. The ends of the bed are fixed to the baseboard by means of elbows, nipples and flanges arranged as shown. The two bearings in the headstock are of brass. The spindle hole should be drilled and reamed after they are screwed in place in the tee. The spindle should be of steel and long enough to reach through the bearing and pulley and have enough end left for the center point. The point should extend about 1-1/2 in. out from the collar. The collar can be turned or shrunk on the spindle as desired. The end of the spindle should be threaded to receive a chuck.

The tailstock is also made of two tees joined by a nipple. The lower tee should be bored out for a sliding fit on the bed pipe. The upper one should be tapped with a machine tap for the spindle which is threaded to fit it. The

[Illustration: Fig. 2]

spindle has a handle fitted at one end and has the other end bored out for the tail stock center. Both the tail stock and the headstock centerpoints should be hardened. A clamp for holding the tail stock spindle is made of a piece of strap iron, bent and drilled as shown. It is held together by means of a small machine screw and a knurled nut. The tee should have a slot cut in it about one-half its length and it should also have one bead filed away so that the clamp will fit tightly over it.

The hand rest is made from a tapering elbow, a tee and a forging. The forging can be made by a blacksmith at a small expense. Both the lower

[Illustration: Fig. 3]

tees of the handrest and the tailstock should be provided with screw clamps to hold them in place.

The pulley is made of hardwood pieces, 3/4 or 1 in. thick as desired. It is fastened to the spindle by means of a screw, as shown in Fig. 2, or a key can be used as well.

Care must be taken to get the tailstock center vertically over the bed, else taper turning will result. To do this, a straight line should be scratched

[Illustration: Fig. 4-Chuck ]

on the top of the bed pipe, and when the tail stock is set exactly vertical, a corresponding line made on this. This will save a great deal of time and trouble and possibly some errors.

The two designs of chucks shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are very easy to make, and will answer for a great variety of work.

As the details are clearly shown and the general dimensions given on the accompanying sketches, it should not be a difficult matter for the young mechanic to construct this machine. --Contributed by W. M. Held, Laporte, Indiana.

** Holder for Flexible Lamp-Cord [317]

The holder is made of a round stick--a piece of a broom handle will do--as shown in Fig. 1. It is about 1 in. long with two notches cut out for the strands of the cord. These holders are easily made and will answer the purpose almost as well as the ones made in porcelain. Painting or enameling will improve not only their appearance, but also their insulating properties.

[Illustration: Ceiling-Cord Holder]

Several of them can be used along a line, as shown in Fig. 2. --Contributed by M. Musgrove, Boissevain, Man.

** Support for Double Clotheslines [318]

Anyone using a double clothesline over pulleys will find the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 for supporting the

[Illustration: Holder on a Clothesline]

lower line quite convenient. The support is made of a piece of 3/4-in. square or round wood which has a screw-eye turned into each end. The line is run through these screw-eyes as shown in Fig. 2. --Contributed by W. W. UpDeGraff, Fruitvale, Cal.

** Hot Pan or Plate Lifter [318]

Unless a person uses considerable caution, bad burns may be suffered when taking hot pies from an oven. If one reaches in and takes hold of the pie pan with a cloth, the arm is liable to touch the oven door and receive a

[Illustration: Lifter on Pie Pan]

burn. To obviate this, I made the device shown in the sketch for lifting hot pie pans and plates. The handle is of pine about 18 in. long, and the two loops are made of heavy wire. The ends of the first loop of wire are put through the handle from the back, as shown, and then bent so as to stand out at an angle. The second loop is hinged to swing free on the opposite side of the handle. In use, the hinged side of the loop is dropped under one edge of a plate or pan and the rigid loop is then hooked under the opposite side. The weight of the pan or dish draws the loops together and there is little or no danger of a spill. The same lifter will pick up any size of plate or pan from a saucer to the largest pie plates. --Contributed by E. J. Cline, Ft. Smith, Ark.

** Weighting Indian Clubs [318]

An ordinary Indian club can be fixed so that different weights may be had

[Illustration: Indian Club]

without changing clubs. Each club is bored to receive lead washers which are held in place by a spiral spring. A bolt is run through from the handle end and fastened with a round nut. The lead washers and spring slip over the bolt as shown in the illustration. Changing the number of washers changes the weight of the club. --Contributed by Walter W. White, Denver, Colo.

** Venting a Funnel [318]

When using a tight-fitting funnel in a small-neck bottle, trouble is usually experienced by the air causing a spill. This can be easily remedied by splitting a match in half and tying the parts on the sides of the stem with thread. --Contributed by Maurice Baudier, New Orleans, La.

** Lubricating Woodscrews [318]

A screw may be turned into hardwood easily, by boring a small hole and lubricating the screw threads with soft soap.

** To Make "Centering" Unnecessary [319]

For drilling a hole in a chucked piece, centering is just one operation too many, if this method is followed:

First, face off the end of the piece, making a true spot at least as big as the diameter of the drill. Put a center punch mark where the tool lines indicate the center of revolution. This serves as a rough guide for placing the drill between the tail stock center and the work as usual. Clamp a tool in the tool-post and, on starting the lathe, bring it in contact with the drill and keep it firmly so until the drill is in fully up to the lips. This prevents the drill from wobbling, and when once in true up to its size, it cannot change any more than under any other starting conditions. After being entered, the drill does not need the tool, which should be backed out of contact.

** Fountain Pen Cap Used as a Ruler [319]

When it is necessary to draw a short line and there is no ruler at hand, take

[Illustration: Ruling Lines]

off the cap of your fountain pen and use it as a ruler. If the cap is fitted with a retaining clip, all the better, as this will prove a safeguard against slipping.

** Vanishing Handkerchief Trick [319]

The necessary articles used in performing this trick are the handkerchief, vanishing wand, a long piece of glass tubing, a bout 1/2 in. shorter t h a n the wand, and a paper tube closed at one end and covered with a cap at the other, says the Sphinx. The handkerchief rod, shown at C, is concealed in the paper tube A before the performance. The glass tube B, after being shown empty; is put into the paper tube A, so that the handkerchief rod now is within it, unknown to the spectators. The handkerchief is then placed over

[Illustration: Wand]

the opening of the tube and pushed in by means of the wand. In doing this, the handkerchief and the rod are pushed into the wand, as shown in D. After the wand is removed, the cap is placed over the paper tube, and this given to someone to hold. The command for the handkerchief to vanish is given, and it is found to be gone when the glass tube is taken out of the paper cover. This is a novel way of making a handkerchief vanish. It can be used in a great number of tricks, and can be varied to suit the performer.

** Removing Glass Letters from Windows [319]

Glass letters are removed in the same way as metal letters, by applying caustic soda or potash around the edges of the letters. As the cement softens, manipulate the point of a pocket knife under the edges of the letter until the caustic works completely under and makes it easy to lift the letters. With care and patience, every letter may be thus taken off without breakage.

** A Guitar That Is Easy to Make [320]

A guitar having straight lines, giving it an old-fashioned appearance, can be made by the home mechanic, and if care is taken in selecting the material, and having it thoroughly

[Illustration: Details of Guitar]

seasoned, the finished instrument will have a fine tone. The sides, ends and bottom are made of hard wood, preferably hard maple, and the top should be made of a thoroughly seasoned piece of soft pine. The dimensioned pieces required are as follows:

1 Top. 3/16. by 14 by 17 in. 1 Bottom. 3/16 by 14 by 17 in. 2 Sides. 3/16 by 3-5/8 by 16-3/4 in. 1, End. 3/16 by 3-5/8 by 13-1/8 in. 1 End. 3/16 by 3-5/8 by 9-5/6 in. 1 Neck. 1 by 2-5/16 by 18-1/2 in. 1 Fingerboard 5/16 by 2-5/8 by 16 in.

Cut the fingerboard tapering and fasten pieces cut from hatpins with small wire staples for frets. All dimensions for cutting and setting are shown in the sketch. The neck is cut tapering from G to F and from J to F, with the back side rounding. A drawknife is the proper tool for shaping the neck. Cut a piece of hard wood, 1/4 in. square and 1-7/8 in. long, and glue it to the neck at F. Glue the fingerboard to the neck and hold it secure with clamps while the glue sets.

The brace at D is 1 in. thick, cut to any shape desired. The sides are glued together and then the front is glued on them. Place some heavy weights on top and give the glue time to dry. Fasten pieces of soft wood in the corners for braces. Glue the neck to the box, making it secure by the addition of a carriage bolt at A. A small block C is glued to the end to reinforce it for the bolt. Glue strips of soft wood, as shown by K, across the front and back to strengthen them. The back is then glued on and the outside smoothed with sandpaper.

Make the bottom bridge by using an old hatpin or wire of the same size for E secured with pin staples. Glue the bridge on the top at a place that will make the distance from the bridge F to the bottom bridge E just 24 in. This dimension and those for the frets should be made accurately. Six holes, 3/16 in. in diameter, are drilled in the bottom bridge for pins. The turning plugs B and strings can be purchased at any music store. --Contributed by J. H. Stoddard, Carbondale,Pa.

** Greasing the Front Wheels of an Automobile [320]

The front wheel bearings of an automobile can be greased without removing the wheels in the following manner: Remove the hub caps and fill them with heavy grease and then screw them in place. Continue this operation until the grease is forced between all the bearings and out through the small clearance on the opposite side of the wheels. This should be done at least once every month to keep bearings well lubricated and free from grit. Dirt cannot enter a well filled bearing as easily as muddy water can enter a dry bearing. --Contributed by Chas. E. Frary, Norwalk, O.

** Removing Mold [320]

Mold on wallpaper can be removed at once by applying a solution of 1 part salicylic acid in 4 parts of 95% alcohol.

** HOW TO MAKE A PAPER BOAT [321] A Light Boat That Can Be Easily Carried

[Illustration: The Paper Boat Is Light and Easy to Propel]

Now you might think it absurd to advise making a paper boat, but it is not, and you will find it in some respects and for some purposes better than the wooden boat. When it is completed you will have a canoe, probably equal to the Indian's bark canoe. Not only will it serve as an ideal fishing boat, but when you want to combine hunting and fishing you can put your boat on your shoulders and carry it from place to place wherever you want to go and at the same time carry your gun in your hand. The material used in its construction is inexpensive and can be purchased for a few dollars.

Make a frame (Fig. 1) on which to stretch the paper. A board 1 in. thick and about 1 ft. wide and 11-1/2 ft. long is used for a keel, or backbone, and is cut tapering for about a third of its length, toward each end, and beveled

[Illustration: Detail of Framework Construction]

on the outer edges (A, Fig. 2). The cross-boards (B, B, Fig. 2) are next sawed from a pine board 1 in. thick. Shape these as shown by A, Fig. 4, 13 in. wide by 26 in. long, and cut away in the center to avoid useless weight. Fasten them cross-wise to the bottom board as shown in Fig. 1 and 2, with long stout screws, so as to divide the keel into three nearly equal parts. Then add the stem and stern pieces (C, C, Fig. 2). These are better, probably, when made of green elm. Screw the pieces to the bottom-board and bend them, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of a string or wire, fastened to a nail driven into the bottom. Any tough, light wood that is not easily broken when bending will do. Green wood is preferable, because it will retain the shape in which it has been bent better after drying. For the gunwales (a, a, Fig. 3), procure at a carriage factory, or other place, some tight strips of ash, 3/8 in. thick. Nail them to the crossboards and fasten to the end pieces

[Illustration: Important Features of Construction]

(C, C,) in notches, by several wrappings of annealed iron wire or copper wire, as shown in Fig. 3. Copper wire is better because it is less apt to rust. For fastening the gunwales to the crossboards use nails instead of screws, because the nails are not apt to loosen and come out. The ribs, which are easily made of long, slender switches of osier willow, or similar material, are next put in, but before doing this, two strips of wood (b, b, Fig. 3) should be bent and placed as in Fig. 3. They are used only temporarily as a guide in putting in the ribs, and are not fastened, the elasticity of the wood being sufficient to cause them to retain their position. The osiers may average a little more than 1/2 in. in thickness and should be cut, stripped of leaves and bark and put in place while green and fresh. They are attached to the bottom by means of shingle nails driven through holes previously made in them with an awl, and are then bent down until they touch the strips of ash (b, b, Fig. 3), and finally cut off even with the tops of the gunwales, and notched at the end to receive them (B, Fig. 4). Between the cross-boards the ribs are placed at intervals of 2 or 3 in., while in other parts they are as much as 5 or 6 in. apart. The ribs having all been fastened in place as described, the loose strips of ash (b, b, Fig. 3) are withdrawn and the framework will appear somewhat as in Fig. 1. In order to make all firm and to prevent the ribs from changing position, as they are apt to do, buy some split cane or rattan, such as is used for making chair-bottoms, and, after soaking it in water for a short time to render it soft and pliable, wind it tightly around the gunwales and ribs where they join, and also interweave it among the ribs in other places, winding it about them and forming an irregular network over the whole frame. Osiers probably make the best ribs, but twigs of some other trees, such as hazel or birch, will answer nearly as well. For the ribs near the middle of the boat, twigs 5 or 6 ft. long are required. It is often quite difficult to get these of sufficient thickness throughout, and so, in such cases, two twigs may be used to make one rib, fastening the butts side by side on the bottom-board, and the smaller ends to the gunwales, as before described. In drying, the rattan becomes very tight and the twigs hard and stiff.

The frame-work is now complete and ready to be covered. For this purpose buy about 18 yd. of very strong wrapping-paper. It should be smooth on the surface, and very tough, but neither stiff nor very thick. Being made in long rolls, it can be obtained in almost any length desired. If the paper be 1 yd. wide, it will require about two breadths to reach around the frame in the widest part. Cut enough of the roll to cover the frame and then soak it for a few minutes in water. Then turn the frame upside down and fasten the edges of the two strips of paper to it, by lapping them carefully on the under side of the bottom-board and tacking them to it so that the paper hangs down loosely on all sides. The paper is then trimmed, lapped and doubled over as smoothly as possible at the ends of the frame, and held in place by means of small clamps. It should be drawn tight along the edges, trimmed and doubled down over the gunwale, where it is firmly held by slipping the strips of ash (b, b) just inside of the gunwales into notches which should have been cut at the ends of the cross-boards. The shrinkage caused by the drying will stretch the paper tightly over the framework. When thoroughly dry, varnish inside and out with asphaltum varnish thinned with turpentine, and as soon as that has soaked in, apply a second coat of the same varnish, but with less turpentine; and finally cover the laps or joints of the paper with pieces of muslin stuck on with thick varnish. Now remove the loose strips of ash and put on another layer of paper, fastening it along the edge of the boat by replacing the strips as before. When the paper is dry, cover the laps with muslin as was done with the first covering. Then varnish the whole outside of the boat several times until it presents a smooth shining surface. Then take some of the split rattan and, after wetting it, wind it firmly around both gunwales and inside strip, passing it through small holes punched in the paper just below the gunwale, until the inside and outside strips are bound together into one strong gunwale. Then put a piece of oil-cloth in the boat between the cross-boards, tacking it to the bottom-board. This is done to protect the bottom of the boat.

Now you may already have a canoe that is perfectly water-tight, and steady in the water, if it has been properly constructed of good material. If not, however, in a few days you may be disappointed to find that it is becoming leaky. Then the best remedy is to cover the whole boat with unbleached muslin, sewed at the ends and tacked along the gunwales. Then tighten it by shrinking and finally give it at least three coats of a mixture of varnish and paint. This will doubtless stop the leaking entirely and will add but little to either the weight or cost.

Rig the boat with wooden or iron row locks (B, B, Fig. 5), preferably iron, and light oars. You may put in

[Illustration: Off for a Hunt]

several extra thwarts or cross-sticks, fore and aft, and make a movable seat (A, Fig. 5.) With this you will doubtless find your boat so satisfactory that you will make no more changes.

For carrying the boat it is convenient to make a sort of short yoke (C, Fig. 5), which brings all the weight upon the shoulders; and thus lightens the labor and makes it very handy to carry.

** To Hang Heavy Things on a Nail [323]

Boys will find many places around

[Illustration: Double Nails]

the house, where a hook to hang things on will be a great convenience. Instead of buying hooks use wire nails, and if driven as shown in the cut, they will support very heavy weights. Drive the lower nail first.

** A Home-Made Elderberry Huller [324]

As we had only one day to pick elderberries, we wanted to get as many of them as we could in that time. We could pick them faster than they could

[Illustration: Details of the Elderberry Huller]

be hulled by hand so we made a huller to take along with us to hull the berries as fast as they were picked. We procured a box and made a frame, Fig. 1, to fit it easily, then made another frame the same size and put a piece of wire mesh between them as shown in Fig. 2, allowing a small portion of the mesh to stick out of the frames. The top frame would keep the berries from rolling or jumping off, and the bottom frame kept the wire mesh and frame from being shaken off the box. The projecting edges of the mesh would keep the frame on the top edge of the box. The top view of the frame is shown in Fig. 1 and the end in Fig. 5, and the box on which the frame rests in Fig. 3. The actual size of the wire mesh used is shown in Fig. 4. One person could hull with this huller as many berries as two persons would pick. --Contributed by Albert Niemann, Pittsburg, Pa.

** How to Make a Bulb on a Glass Tube [324]

As a great many persons during the winter months are taking advantage of the long evenings to experiment in one way or another, the following method of forming bulbs on glass tubes may be of interest. A common method is to heat the part to be formed and by blowing in one end of the tube gradually expand the glass. This way has its drawbacks, as many are not sufficiently familiar with the work to blow a uniform blast, and the result is, a hole is blown through the side of the tube by uneven heating or blowing.

A good way to handle this work, is to take the tube and 1 or 2 in. more in length than the finished article is to be and place one end over an alcohol flame, and by holding a spare piece of tubing against the end allow them both to come to a melting heat, then pull apart and instead of breaking off the long thread thus formed, simply hold it in the flame at an angle of 45 deg. and melt it down and close the end at the same time. Close the other end with the same operation; this makes the tube airtight.

Gradually heat the tube at the point where the bulb is to be formed, slowly turning the tube to get a uniform heat. The air inside of the tube becoming heated will expand, and the glass, being softer where the flame has been applied, will be pushed out in the shape of a bulb. A great deal of care should be taken not to go to extremes, as the bulb will burst with a loud report if the heat is applied too long. The best results are obtained by heating the glass slowly and then the bulb can be formed with regularity. This is an easy way to make a thermometer tube. After the bulb is formed, the other end of the tube can be opened by heating, drawing out and breaking the thread like glass. --Contributed by A. Oswald.

** How to Make a Sconce [325]

A sconce is a candlestick holder, so made that it has a reflector of brass or copper and is to hang upon the wall. The tools necessary are a riveting hammer, file, metal shears, rivet punch, flat and round-nosed pliers, screwdriver and sheet brass or copper No. 23 gauge.

To make the sconce proceed as follows: First, cut off a piece of brass so that it shall have 1/2 in. extra metal all around; second, with a piece of carbon paper, trace upon the brass lines that shall represent the margin of the sconce proper, also trace the decorative design; third, with a nail set make a series of holes in the extra margin about 3/4 in. apart and large enough to take in a 3/4-in. thin screw; fourth, fasten the metal to a thick board by inserting screws in these holes; fifth, with a twenty-penny wire nail that has had the sharpness of its point filed off, stamp the background of the design promiscuously. By holding the nail about 1/4 in. above the work and striking it with the hammer, at the same time striving to keep its point at 1/4 in. above the metal, very rapid progress can be made. This stamping lowers the background and at the same time raises the design. Sixth, chase or stamp along the border of the design and background using a nail filed to a chisel edge. This is to make a clean sharp division between background and design. Seventh, when the stamping is complete remove the screws and metal from the board and cut off the extra margin with the metal shears. File the edges until they are smooth to the touch.

The drip cup is a piece of brass cut circular and shaped by placing the brass over a hollow in one end of a block. Give the metal a circular motion, at the same time beat it with a round-nosed mallet. Work from the center along concentric rings outward, then reverse.

The candle holders may have two, three, four, or six arms, and are bent to shape by means of the round-nosed

[Illustration: Completed Sconce; Shaping the Holders; Riveting]

pliers. The form of the brackets which support the drip cups may be seen in the illustration.

Having pierced the bracket, drip cup, and holder, these three parts are riveted together as indicated in the drawing. It will be found easier usually if the holder is not shaped until after the riveting is done. The bracket is then riveted to the back of the sconce. Small copper rivets are used.

It is better to polish all the pieces before fastening any of them together. Metal polish of any kind will do. After the parts have been assembled a lacquer may be applied to keep the metal from tarnishing.

** How To Make a Hectograph [326]

[Illustration: Making Copies with the Hectograph]

A hectograph is very simply and easily made and by means of it many copies of writing can be obtained from a single original. Make a tray of either tin or pasteboard, a little larger than the sheet of paper you ordinarily use and about 1/2 in. deep. Soak 1 oz. of gelatine in cold water over night and in the morning pour off the water. Heat 6-1/2 oz. of glycerine to about 200 deg. F. on a water bath, and add the gelatine. This should give a clear glycerine solution of gelatine.

Place the tray so that it is perfectly level and pour in the gelatinous composition until it is nearly level with the edge of the tray. Cover it so the cover does not touch the surface of the composition and let it stand six hours, when it will be ready for use.

Make the copy to be reproduced on ordinary paper with aniline ink; using a steel pen, and making the lines rather heavy so they have a greenish color in the light. A good ink may be made of methyl violet 2 parts, alcohol 2 parts, sugar 1 part, glycerine 4 parts, and water 24 parts. Dissolve the violet in the alcohol mixed with the glycerine; dissolve the sugar in the water and mix both solutions.

When the original copy of the writing is ready moisten the surface of the hectograph slightly with a sponge, lay the copy face down upon it and smooth down, being careful to exclude all air bubbles and not shifting the paper. Leave it nearly a minute and raise one corner and strip it from the pad, where will remain a reversed copy of the inscription.

Immediately lay a piece of writing paper of the right size on the pad, smooth it down and then remove as before. It will bear a perfect copy of the original. Repeat the operation until the number of copies desired is obtained or until the ink on the pad is exhausted. Fifty. or more copies can be obtained from a single original.

When through using the hectograph wash it off with a moist sponge, and it will be ready for future use. If the surface is impaired at any time it can be remelted in a water bath and poured into a tray as before, if it has not absorbed too much ink.

** How to Make a Sailomobile [326] By Frank Mulford, Shiloh, N. J.

I had read of the beach automobiles used on the Florida coast; they were like an ice boat with a sail, except they had wheels instead of runners. So I set to work to make something to take me over the country roads.

I found and used seven fence pickets for the frame work, and other things as they were needed. I spliced two rake handles together for the mast, winding the ends where they came together with wire. A single piece would be better if you can get one long enough. The gaff, which is the stick to which the upper end of the sail is fastened, is a broomstick. The boom, the stick at the bottom of the sail, was made of a rake handle with a broomstick spliced to make it long enough. Mother let me have a sheet, which I put down on the floor and cut into the shape of a mainsail. The wind was the cheapest power to be found, thus it was utilized; the three wheels were cast-off bicycle wheels.

I steer with the front wheel, which was the front wheel of an old bicycle with the fork left on. The axle between the rear wheels is an iron bar which cost me 15 cents, and the pulley which raises and lowers the sail cost 5 cents. Twenty cents was all I spent, all the rest I found.

A saw, hammer, and brace and bit were the tools used. Slats made the seat and a cushion from the house made it comfortable, and in a week

[Illustration: Sailomobile for Use on Country Roads]

everything was ready for sailing.

Once it was started with only my little cousin in it and I had to run fast to catch up.

** A Home-Made Magic Lantern [328]

The essential parts of a magic lantern are a condensing lens to make the beam of light converge upon the slide to illuminate it evenly, a projecting lens

[Illustration: Lantern House]

with which to throw an enlarged picture of the illuminated slide upon a screen and some appliances for preserving the proper relation of these parts to each other. The best of materials should be used and the parts put together with care to produce a clear picture on the screen.

The first to make is the lamp house or box to hold the light. Our illustration shows the construction for an electric light, yet the same box may be used for gas or an oil lamp, provided the material is of metal. A tin box having dimensions somewhere near those given in the diagrammatic sketch may be secured from your local grocer, but if such a box is not found, one can be made from a piece of tin cut as shown in Fig. 1. When this metal is bent at right angles on the dotted lines it will form a box as shown in Fig. 2

[Illustration: Magic Lantern Details]

which is placed on a baseboard, 1/2 to 3/4 in. thick, 8 in. wide, and 14 in. long. This box should be provided with a reflector located just back of the lamp.

Procure a plano-convex or a bi-convex 6-in. lens with a focal length of from 15 to 20 in. and a projecting lens 2 in. in diameter with such a focal length that will give a picture of the required size, or a lens of 12-in. focus enlarging a 3-in. slide to about 6 ft. at a distance of 24 ft.

The woodwork of the lantern should be of 1/2-in., well seasoned pine, white wood or walnut and the parts fastened together with wood screws, wire brads, or glue, as desired. The board in which to mount the condensing lens is 16 in. wide and 15 in. high, battened on both ends to keep the wood from warping. The board is centered both ways, and, at a point 1 in. above the center, describe a 9-in. circle with a compass and saw the wood out with a scroll or keyhole saw. If a small saw is used, and the work carefully done, the circular piece removed will serve to make the smaller portion of the ring for holding the condensing lens. This ring is made up from two rings, A and B, Fig. 3. The inside and outside diameters of the ring B are 3/8 in. greater than the corresponding diameters of ring A, so when fastened together concentrically an inner rabbet is formed for the reception of the lens and an outer rabbet to fit against the board C in and against which it rotates being held in place by buttons, DD.

A table, E, about 2 ft. long is fastened to the board C with brackets F and supported at the outer end with a standard. The slide support, G, and the lens slide, H, are constructed to slip easily on the table, E, the strips II serving as guides. Small strips of tin, JJ, are bent as shown and fastened at the top and bottom of the rectangular opening cut in the support G for holding the lantern slides.

All the parts should be joined together snugly and the movable parts made to slide freely and when all is complete and well sandpapered, apply two coats of shellac varnish. Place the lamp house on the bottom board behind the condensing lens and the lantern is ready for use.

The proper light and focus may be obtained by slipping the movable parts on the board E, and when the right position is found for each, all lantern slides will produce a clear picture on the screen, if the position of the lantern and screen is not changed. --Contributed by Stuart Mason Kerr, St. Paul, Minn.

** A Quickly Made Lamp [329]

A very simple lamp can be made from materials which are available in practically every household in the following manner: A cheap glass tumbler is partly filled with water and then about 1/2 in. of safe, light burning oil, placed on the water. Cut a thin strip from an ordinary cork and make a hole in the center to carry a short piece of wick. The wick should

[Illustration: Lamp]

be of such a length as to dip into the oil, but not long enough. To reach the water. The upper surface of the cork may be protected from the flame with a small piece of tin bent over the edges and a hole punched in the center for the wick. The weight of the tin will force the cork down into the oil. The level of the oil should be such as to make the flame below the top of the tumbler and the light then will not be blown out with draughts. The arrangement is quite safe as, should the glass happen to upset, the water at once extinguishes the flame. --Contributed by G. P. B.

** How to Make a Paper Aeroplane [329]

A very interesting and instructive toy aeroplane can be made as shown in the accompanying illustrations. A sheet

[Illustration: Folding the Paper]

of paper is first folded, Fig. 1, then the corners on one end are doubled over, Fig. 2, and the whole piece finished up and held together with a paper clip as in Fig. 3. The paper clip to be used should be like the one shown in Fig. 4. If one of these clips is not at hand, form a piece of wire in the same shape, as it will be needed for balancing purposes as well as for holding the paper together. Grasp the aeroplane between the thumb and forefinger at the place marked A in Fig. 3, keeping the paper as level as possible and throwing it as you would a dart. The aeroplane will make an easy and graceful flight in a room where no air will strike it. --Contributed by J.H. Crawford, Schenectady, N. Y.

** Bronze Liquid [329]

Banana oil or amyl acetate is a good bronze liquid.

** A Wrestling Mat [330]

The cost of a wrestling mat is so great that few small clubs can afford to own one. As we did not see our way

[Illustration: Made of Bed Mattresses]

clear to purchase such a mat, I made one of six used bed mattresses (Fig. 1) purchased from a second-hand dealer. I ordered a canvas bag, 12 ft. 3 in. by 12 ft. 9 in., from a tent company, to cover the mattresses. The bag consisted of two pieces with the seam along each edge. The mattresses were laid side by side and end to end and the bag placed on and laced up as shown in Fig. 2. --Contributed by Walter W. White, Denver, Colo.

** A Pocket Voltammeter [330]

Remove the works and stem from a discarded dollar watch, drill two 3/16 in. holes in the edge, 3/4 in. apart, and insert two binding-posts, Fig. 1, insulating them from the case with cardboard. Fold two strips of light cardboard, 1/2 in. wide, so as to form two oblong boxes, 1/2 in. long and 3/16 in. thick, open on the edges. On one of these forms wind evenly the wire taken from a bell magnet to the depth of 1/8 in. and on the other wind some 20 gauge wire to the same depth. Fasten the wire with gummed label, to keep it from unwinding.

Glue the coils to the back of the case and connect one wire from each binding-post as shown in Fig. 2, while the other two wires are connected to an induction coil lead which is inserted in the hole from which the stem was removed. Fasten a brass-headed tack to the case at the point F with sealing wax or solder and bend a wire in the shape shown in Fig. 3 to swing freely on the tack. Attach a piece of steel rod, 3/4 in. long, in the center coil, C, Fig. 2.

A rubber band, D, connects the steel rod C with the top of the watch case. The ends of the rubber are fastened with sealing wax. The rubber keeps the pointer at zero or in the middle of the scale. Do not use too strong a rubber. A dial may be made by cutting a piece of stiff white paper so it will fit under the crystal of the watch. An arc is cut in the paper, as shown in Fig. 1, through which the indicator works.

To calibrate the instrument, first mark the binding-post A, which is connected to the coil of heavy wire, for amperes and the other post, V, to the coil of small wire for volts. Connect the lead and the post marked A to one, two and three cells and each time mark the place of the pointer on the dial. Take corresponding readings on a standard ammeter and mark the figures on the dial. The volt side of the dial may be calibrated in the same manner, using a voltmeter instead of the ammeter. The place where the

[Illustration: Voltammeter in a Watch Case]

indicator comes to rest after disconnecting the current is marked zero. --Contributed by Edward M. Teasdale, Warren, Pa.

** A Film Washing Trough [331]

[Illustration: Washing a Negative Film]

The washing of films without scratching them after they are developed and fixed is very difficult in hot weather. A convenient washing trough for washing full length films is shown in the accompanying sketch. The trough must be made for the size of the film to be washed. Cut a 1/4-in. board as long as the film and a trifle wider than the film's width. Attach strips to the edges of the board to keep the water from spilling over the sides.

Cut a hole in one side of a baking powder can about half way between the top and bottom, large enough to admit a fair-sized stream of water from a faucet. Then solder the cover to the can and punch a number of holes about 1/4 in. apart along the opposite side from where the large hole was cut. Place this can on one end of the trough, as shown, with the large hole up.

Some heavy wire bent in the shape of a U and fastened to the under side of the trough at the can end will furnish supports to keep that end of the trough the highest and place the opening in the can close beneath the water faucet. A common pin stuck through one end of the film and then in the trough close to the can will hold it in position for washing. Five minutes' washing with this device is sufficient to remove all traces of the hypo from the film. --Contributed by M. M. Hunting, Dayton, O.

** Wood Burning [331]

[Illustration: Burnt Wood]

Burnt wood work done with an ordinary reading glass and the sun's rays.

** The Diving Bottle [331]

This is a very interesting and easily performed experiment illustrating the transmission of pressure by liquids. Take a wide-mouthed bottle and fill almost full of water; then into this bottle place, mouth downward, a small vial or bottle having just enough air in the bottle to keep it barely afloat. Put a sheet of rubber over the mouth of the large bottle, draw the edge down over the neck and wrap securely with a piece of string thus forming a tightly stretched diaphragm over the top. When a finger is pressed on the rubber the small bottle will slowly descend until the pressure is released when the

[Illustration: Pressure Experiments]

small bottle wilt ascend. The moving of the small bottle is caused by the pressure transmitted through the water, thus causing the volume of air in the small tube to decrease and the bottle to descend and ascend when released as the air increases to the original volume.

This experiment can be performed with a narrow-necked bottle, provided the bottle is wide, but not very thick. Place the small bottle in as before, taking care not to have too much air in the bottom. If the cork is adjusted properly, the bottle may be held in the hand and the sides pressed with the fingers, thus causing the small bottle to descend and ascend at will. If the small bottle used is opaque, or an opaque tube such as the cap of a fountain pen, many puzzling effects may be obtained. --Contributed by John Shahan, Auburn, Ala.

** How to Make an Inexpensive Wooden Fan [332]

Select a nice straight-grained piece of white pine about 1/4 in. thick, 3/4 in. wide and 4 in. long. Lay out the design desired and cut as shown in Fig. 1, and then soak the wood in hot water to make it soft and easy to split. Cut the divisions very thin with a sharp knife down to the point A, as shown in the sketch, taking care not to split the wood through the part left for the handle. The fan is then finished by placing each piece over the other as in Fig. 2. This will make a very pretty ornament. --Contributed by Fred W. Whitehouse, Upper Troy, N.Y.

[Illustration: Cutting the Wood and Complete Fan]

** Combination Telegraph and Telephone Line [332]

The accompanying diagrams show connections for a short line system

[Illustration: Wiring Diagram]

(metallic circuit) of telegraph where a telephone may be used in combination on the line. The telephone receivers can be used both as receivers and transmitters, or ordinary telephone transmitters, induction coils and battery may be used in the circuit with a receiver. If a transmitter is used, its batteries may be connected in circuit with a common push button which is held down when using the telephone. On a 1000-ft. line, four dry cells will be sufficient for the telegraph instruments and two cells for the telephone. --Contributed by D. W. Milter.

** How to Make a Miniature Windmill [333]

The following description is how a miniature windmill was made, which gave considerable power for its size, even in a light breeze. Its smaller parts, such as blades and pulleys, were constructed of 1-in. sugar pine on account of its softness.

The eight blades were made from pieces 1 by 1-1/2 by 12 in. Two opposite edges were cut away until the blade was about 1/8 in. thick. Two inches

[Illustration: Details of Miniature Windmill Construction]

were left uncut at the hub end. They were then nailed to the circular face plate A, Fig. 1, which was 6 in. in diameter and 1 in. thick. The center of the hub was lengthened by the wooden disk, B, Fig. 1, which was nailed to the face plate. The shaft C, Fig. 1, was 1/4-in. iron rod, 2 ft. long, and turned in the bearings detailed in Fig. 2. J was a nut from a wagon bolt and was placed in the bearing to insure easy running. The bearing blocks were 3 in. wide, 1 in. thick and 3 in. high without the upper half. Both bearings were made in this manner.

The shaft C was keyed to the hub of the wheel, by the method shown in Fig. 3. A staple, K, held the shaft from revolving in the hub. This method was also applied in keying the 5-in. pulley F, to the shaft, G, Fig. 1, which extended to the ground. The 2-1/2-in. pulley, I, Fig. 1, was keyed to shaft C, as shown in Fig. 4. The wire L was put through the hole in the axle and the two ends curved so as to pass through the two holes in the pulley, after which they were given a final bend to keep the pulley in place. The method by which the shaft C was kept from working forward is shown in Fig. 5. The washer M intervened between the bearing block and the wire N, which was passed through the axle and then bent to prevent its falling out. Two washers were placed on shaft C, between the forward bearing and the hub of the wheel to lessen the friction.

The bed plate D, Fig. 1, was 2 ft. long, 3 in. wide and 1 in. thick and was tapered from the rear bearing to the slot in which the fan E was nailed. This fan was made of 1/4-in. pine 18 by 12 in. and was cut the shape shown. The two small iron pulleys with screw bases, H, Fig. 1, were obtained for a small sum from a hardware dealer. Their diameter was 1-1/4 in. The belt which transferred the power from shaft C to shaft G was top string, with a section of rubber in it to take up slack. To prevent it from slipping on the two wooden pulleys a rubber band was placed in the grooves of each.

The point for the swivel bearing was determined by balancing the bed plate, with all parts in place, across the thin edge of a board. There a 1/4-in. hole was bored in which shaft G turned. To lessen the friction here, washers were placed under pulley F. The swivel bearing was made from two lids of baking powder cans. A section was cut out of one to permit its being enlarged enough to admit the other. The smaller one, 0, Fig. 6, was nailed top down with the sharp edge to the underside of the bed plate, so that the 1/4-in. hole for the shaft G was in the center. The other lid, G, was tacked, top down also, in the center of the board P, with brass headed furniture tacks, R, Fig. 6, which acted as a smooth surface for the other tin to revolve upon. Holes for shaft G were cut through both lids. Shaft G was but 1/4 in. in diameter, but to keep it from rubbing against the board P, a 1/2-in. hole was bored for it, through the latter.

The tower was made of four 1 by 1 in. strips, 25 ft. long. They converged from points on the ground forming an 8-ft. square to the board P at the top of the tower. This board was 12 in. square and the corners were notched to admit the strips as shown, Fig. 1. Laths were nailed diagonally between the strips to strengthen the tower laterally. Each strip was screwed to a stake in the ground so that by disconnecting two of them the other two could be used as hinges and the tower could be tipped over and lowered to the ground, as, for instance, when the windmill needed oiling. Bearings for the shaft G were placed 5 ft. apart in the tower. The power was put to various uses.

** How to Make a Telegraph Instrument and Buzzer [334]

The only expenditure necessary in constructing this telegraph instrument is the price of a dry cell, providing one has a few old materials on hand. Procure a block of wood about 6 in. long and 3 in. wide and take the coils out of an old electric bell. If you have no bell, one may be had at the dealers for a small sum. Fasten these coils on the blocks at one end as in Fig. 1. Cut a piece of tin 2 in. long and 1/2 in. wide and bend it so the end of the tin

[Illustration: Home-Made Telegraph Instrurment]

when fastened to the block will come just above the core of the coil. Cut another piece of tin 3 in. long and bend it as shown at A, Fig. 2. Tack these two pieces of tin in front of the coils as shown in the illustration. This completes the receiver or sounder.

To make the key, cut out another piece of tin (X, Fig. 1) 4 in. long and bend it as shown. Before tacking it to the board, cut off the head of a nail and drive it in the board at a point where the loose end of the tin will cover it. Then tack the key to the board and connect the wires of the battery as in Fig. 1. Now, move the coils back and forth until the click sounds just the way you wish and you are ready to begin on the Morse code.

When tired of this instrument, connect the wire from the coils to the key to point A and the one connected at the point under the key to B, leaving the other wire as it is. By adjusting the coils, the receiver will begin to vibrate rapidly, causing a buzzing sound. --Contributed by John R. McConnell.

** How to Make a Water Bicycle [335]

Water bicycles afford fine sport, and, like many another device boys make, can be made of material often cast off by their people as rubbish. The principle material necessary for the construction of a water bicycle is oil barrels. Flour barrels will not do-they are not strong enough, nor can they be made perfectly airtight. The grocer can furnish you with oil barrels at a very small cost, probably let you have them for making a few deliveries for him. Three barrels are required for the water bicycle, although it can be made with but two. Figure 1 shows the method of arranging the barrels; after the manner of bicycle wheels.

Procure an old bicycle frame and make for it a board platform about 3 ft. wide at the rear end and tapering to about 2 ft. at the front, using cleats to hold the board frame, as shown at

[Illustration: Water, Bicycle Complete]

the shaded portion K. The construction of the barrel part is shown in Fig. 2. Bore holes in the center of the heads of the two rear barrels and also in the heads of the first barrel and put a shaft of wood, through the rear barrels and one through the front barrel, adjusting the side pieces to the shafts, as indicated.

Next place the platform of the bicycle frame and connections thereon. Going back to Fig. 1 we see that the driving chain passes from the sprocket driver L of the bicycle frame to the place downward between the slits in the platform to the driven sprocket on the shaft between the two barrels. Thus a center drive is made. The rear barrels are, fitted with paddles as at M, consisting of four pieces of board nailed

[Illustration: Barrel Float for Bicycle]

and deated about the circumference of the barrels, as shown in Fig. 1.

The new craft is now ready for a first voyage. To propel it, seat yourself on the bicycle seat, feet on the pedals, just as you would were you on a bicycle out in the street. The steering is effected by simply bending the body to the right or left, which causes the craft to dip to the inclined side and the affair turns in the dipped direction. The speed is slow at first, but increases as the force is generated and as one becomes familiar with the working of the affair. There is no danger, as the airtight barrels cannot possibly sink.

Another mode of putting together the set of barrels, using one large one in the rear and a small one in the front is presented in Fig, 3. These two barrels are empty oil barrels like the others. The head holes are bored and the proper wooden shafts are inserted and the entrance to the bores closed tight by calking with hemp and putty or clay. The ends of the shafts turn in the wooden frame where the required bores are made to receive the same. If the journals thus made are well oiled, there will not be much friction. Such a frame can be fitted with a platform and a raft to suit one's individual fancy built upon it, which can

[Illustration: Another Type of Float]

be paddled about with ease and safety on any pond. A sail can be rigged up by using a mast and some sheeting; or even a little houseboat, which will give any amount of pleasure, can be built.

** How To Make a Small Searchlight [336]

The materials required for a small searchlight are a 4-volt lamp of the loop variety, thin sheet brass for the cylinder, copper piping and brass tubing for base. When completed the searchlight may be fitted to a small boat and will afford a great amount

[Illustration: Searchlight]

of pleasure for a little work, or it may be put to other uses if desired.

Make a cylinder of wood of the required size and bend a sheet of thin brass around it. Shape small blocks of boxwood, D, Fig. 1, to fit the sides and pass stout pieces of brass wire through the middle of the blocks for trunnions. Exactly through the middle of the sides of the cylinder drill holes just so large that when the blocks containing the trunnions are cemented to the cylinder there is no chance of contact between cylinder and trunnion, and so creating a false circuit.

The trunnion should project slightly into the cylinder, and after the lamp has been placed in position by means of the small wood blocks shown in Fig. 1, the wires from the lamp should be soldered to the trunnions. It is best to solder the wire to the trunnions before cementing the side blocks inside the cylinder.

Turn a small circle of wood, A, Fig. 2, inside the cylinder to fit exactly and fasten to it a piece of mirror, C, Fig. 2, exactly the same size to serve as a reflector. Painting the wood with white enamel or a piece of brightly polished metal will serve the purpose. On the back of the piece of wood fasten a small brass handle, B, Fig. 2, so that it may readily be removed for cleaning.

In front of cylinder place a piece of magnifying glass for a lens. If a piece

[Illustration: Front View; Side View]

to fit cannot be obtained, fit a glass like a linen tester to a small disc of wood or brass to fit the cylinder. If magnifying glass cannot be had, use plain glass and fit them as follows:

Make two rings of brass wire to fit tightly into the cylinder, trace a circle (inside diameter of cylinder) on a piece of cardboard; place cardboard on glass and cut out glass with a glass cutter; break off odd corners with notches on cutters and grind the edge of the glass on an ordinary red brick using plenty of water. Place one brass ring in cylinder, then the glass disc and then the other ring.

For the stand fill a piece of copper piping with melted rosin or lead. When hard bend the pipe around a piece of wood which has been sawed to the shape of bend desired. Then melt out the rosin or lead. Make an incision with a half-round file in the under side of the tube for the wires to come through. Make the base of wood as shown in Fig. 1. One half inch from the top bore a hole large enough to admit the copper pipe and a larger hole up the center to meet it for the wires to come down.

If it is desired to make the light very complete, make the base of two pieces of brass tube--one being a sliding fit in the other and with projecting pieces to prevent the cylinder from going too far. The light may then be elevated or lowered as wished. On two ordinary brass terminals twist or solder some flexible wire, but before doing so fix a little bone washer on the screws of the terminal so as to insulate it from the tube. When the wires have been secured to the terminals cover the joint with a piece of very thin india rubber tubing, such as is used for cycle valves. The two wires may now be threaded down the copper tube into the base, and pulled tight, the terminals firmly fixed into the tubes; if too small, some glue will secure them. To get the cylinder into its carriage, put one trunnion into the terminal as far as it will go and this will allow room for the other trunnion to go in its terminal.

** Electric Alarm that Rings a Bell and Turns on a Light [337]

The illustration shows an alarm clock connected up to ring an electric bell, and at the same time turn on an electric light to show the time. The parts indicated are as follows: A, key of alarm clock; B, contact post, 4 in. long; C, shelf, 5-1/4 by 10 in.; D, bracket; E, electric bulb (3-1/2 volts) ; S, brass strip, 4-1/2 in. long, 3/8 in. wide and 1/16 in. thick; T, switch; F, wire from batteries to switch; G, wire from bell to switch; H, wire from light to switch; I, dry batteries; J, bell; X, point where a splice is made from the light to wire leading to batteries from brass strip under clock. Push the switch lever to the right before retiring.

To operate this, set alarm key as shown in diagram, after two turns have been made on the key. When alarm goes off, it turns till it forms a connection by striking the contact post and starts the electric bell ringing. Throw lever off from the right to center, which stops bell ringing. To throw on light throw levers to the left. The bell is then cut out but the light remains on till lever is again thrown in the center,

[Illustration: Details of Alarm Construction]

In placing clock on shelf, after setting alarm, be sure that the legs of clock are on the brass strip and that the alarm key is in position so it will come in contact with the contact post in back of clock. The contact post may be of 1/4-in. copper tubing, or 1/4-in. brass rod.

The advantage of this is that one can control the bell and light, while lying in bed, by having the switch on the baseboard, near the bed, so it can be reached without getting out of bed. --Contributed by Geo. C. Brinkerhoff, Swissvale, Pa.

** How to Hold a Screw on a Screwdriver [337]

A screw that is taken from a place almost inaccessible with the fingers requires considerable patience to return it with an ordinary screwdriver unless some holding-on device is used. I have found that by putting a piece of cardboard or thick paper with the blade of the screwdriver in the screw head slot, the screw may be held and turned into places that it would be impossible with the screwdriver alone. --Contributed by C. Chatland, Ogden, Utah.

** How to Make a Lead Cannon [338]

Any boy who has a little mechanical ability can make a very reliable cannon for his Fourth-of-July celebration by following the instructions given here:

[Illustration: Lead Cannon Construction]

Take a stick--a piece of curtain roller will do--7 in. long. Make a shoulder, as at A, Fig. 1, 4 in. from one end, making it as true and smooth as possible, as this is to be the muzzle of the cannon. Make the spindle as in Fig. 1, 1/4 in. in diameter. Procure a good quality of stiff paper, about 6 in. wide, and wrap it around the shoulder of the stick, letting it extend 3/4 in. beyond the end of the spindle, as at B, Fig. 2. Push an ordinary shingle nail through the paper and into the extreme end of the spindle, as at A, Fig. 2. This is to form the fuse hole.

Having finished this, place stick and all in a pail of sand, being careful not to get the sand in it, and letting the opening at the top extend a little above the surface of the sand. Then fill the paper cylinder with melted lead and let cool. Pull out the nail and stick, scrape off the paper and the cannon is ready for mounting, as in Fig. 3. --Contributed by Chas. S. Chapman, Lanesboro, Minn.

** Homemade Electric Bed Warmer [338]

The heat developed by a carbon-filament lamp is sufficiently high to allow its use as a heating element of, for instance, a bed warmer. There are a number of other small heaters which can be easily made and for which lamps form very suitable heating elements, but the bed warmer is probably the best example. All that is required is a tin covering, which can be made of an old can, about 3-1/2 in. in diameter. The top is cut out and the edge filed smooth. The lamp-socket end of the flexible cord is inserted in the can and the shade holder gripped over the opening. A small lamp of about 5 cp. will do the heating.

A flannel bag, large enough to slip over the tin can and provided with a neck that can be drawn together by means of a cord, gives the heater a more finished appearance, as well as making it more pleasant to the touch.

** Making a Fire with the Aid of Ice [338]

Take a piece of very clear ice and melt it down into the hollow of your hands so as to form a large lens. The illustration shows how this is done. With the lens-shaped ice used in the same manner as a reading glass to

[Illustration: Forming the Ice Lens]

direct the sun's rays on paper or shavings you can start a fire. --Contributed by Arthur E. Joerin.

** How to Make a Crossbow and Arrow Sling [339]

In making of this crossbow it is best to use maple for the stock, but if this wood cannot be procured, good straight-grained pine will do. The

[Illustration: Details of the Bow-Gun and Arrow Sling]

material must be 1-1/2 in. thick, 6 in. wide and a trifle over 3 ft. long. The bow is made from straight-grained oak, ash, or hickory, 5/8 in. thick, 1 in. wide and 3 ft. long. A piece of oak, 3/8 in. thick, 1-1/2 in. wide and 6 ft. long, will be sufficient to make the trigger, spring and arrows. A piece of tin, some nails and a good cord will complete the materials necessary to make the crossbow.

The piece of maple or pine selected for the stock must be planed and sandpapered on both sides, and then marked and cut as shown in Fig. 1. A groove is cut for the arrows in the top straight edge 3/8 in. wide and 3/8 in. deep. The tin is bent and fastened on the wood at the back end of the groove where the cord slips out of the notch; this is to keep the edges from splitting.

A mortise is cut for the bow at a point 9-1/2 in. from the end of the stock, and one for the trigger 12 in. from the opposite end, which should be slanting a little as shown by the dotted lines. A spring, Fig. 2, is made from a good piece of oak and fastened to the stock with two screws. The trigger, Fig. 3, which is 1/4 in. thick, is inserted in the mortise in the position when pulled back, and adjusted so as to raise the spring to the proper height, and then a pin is put through both stock and trigger, having the latter swing quite freely. When the trigger is pulled, it lifts the spring up, which in turn lifts the cord off the tin notch.

The stick for the bow, Fig. 4, is dressed down from a point 3/4 in. on each side of the center line to 1/2 in. wide at each end. Notches are cut in the ends for the cord. The bow is not fastened in the stock, it is wrapped with a piece of canvas 1-1/2 in. wide on the center line to make a tight fit in the mortise. A stout cord is now tied in the notches cut in the ends of the bow making the cord taut when the wood is straight.

The design of the arrows is shown in Fig. 5 and they are made with the blades much thinner than the round part.

To shoot the crossbow, pull the cord back and down in the notch as shown in Fig. 6, place the arrow in the groove, sight and pull the trigger as in shooting an ordinary gun.

The arrow sling is made from a branch of ash about 1/2 in. in diameter, the bark removed and a notch cut in one end, as shown in Fig. 7. A stout cord about 2-1/2 ft. long is tied in the notch and a large knot made in the other or loose end. The arrows are practically the same as those used on the crossbow, with the exception of a small notch which is cut in them as shown in Fig. 8.

To throw the arrow, insert the cord near the knot in the notch of the arrow, then grasping the stick with the right hand and holding the wing of the arrow with the left, as shown in Fig. 9, throw the arrow with a quick slinging motion. The arrow may be thrown several hundred feet after a little practice. --Contributed by O. E. Trownes, Wilmette, Ill.

** A Home-Made Vise [340]

Cut two pieces of wood in the shape shown in the sketch and bore a 3/8-in. hole through both of them for a common carriage bolt. Fasten one of the pieces to the edge of the bench with a large wood screw and attach the other piece to the first one with a piece of leather nailed across the bottom of both pieces. The nut on the carriage bolt may be tightened with a wrench,

[Illustration: Details of a Home-Made Bench Vise]

or, better still, a key filed out of a piece of soft steel to fit the nut. The edges of the jaws are faced with sheet metal which can be copper or steel suitable for the work it is intended to hold.

** Temporary Dark Room Lantern [340]

Occasionally through some accident to the regular ruby lamp, or through the necessity of, developing while out of reach of a properly equipped dark room, some makeshift of illumination must be improvised. Such a temporary safe light may be made from an empty cigar box in a short time.

[Illustration: Lantern]

Remove the bottom of the box, and nail it in position as shown at A. Remove one end, and replace as shown at B. Drive a short wire nail through the center of the opposite end to serve as a seat for the candle, C. The lamp is finished by tacking two or more layers of yellow post-office paper over the aperture D, bringing the paper well around to the sides and bottom of the box to prevent light leakage from the cracks around the edges, says Photo Era. The hinged cover E, is used as a door, making lighting and trimming convenient. The door may be fastened with a nail or piece of wire. It is well to reinforce the hinge by gluing on a strip of cloth if the lamp is to be in use more than once or twice. This lamp is safe, for the projecting edges of A and B form light-shields for the ventilation orifice and the crack at the top of the hinged cover, respectively. Moreover, since the flame of the candle is above A, only reflected and transmitted light reaches the plate, while the danger of igniting the paper is reduced to a minimum.

** Runny Paint [340]

The paint will sag and run if too much oil is put in white lead.

** Camps and How to Build Them [341]

There are several ways of building a temporary camp from material that is always to be found in the woods, and whether these improvised shelters are intended to last until a permanent camp is built, or only as a camp on a short excursion, a great deal of fun can be had in their construction. The Indian camp is the easiest to make. An evergreen tree with branches growing well down toward the ground furnishes all the material. By chopping the trunk almost through, so that when the tree falls the upper part will still remain attached to the stump, a serviceable shelter can be quickly provided. The cut should be about 5 ft. from the ground. Then the boughs and branches on the under side of the fallen top are chopped away and piled on top. There is room for several persons under this sort of shelter, which offers fairly good protection against any but the most drenching rains.

The Indian wigwam sheds rain better, and where there are no suitable trees that can be cut, it is the easiest camp to make. Three long poles with the tops tied together and the lower ends spaced 8 or 10 ft. apart, make the frame of the wigwam. Branches and brush can easily be piled up, and woven in and out on these poles so as to shed a very heavy rain.

The brush camp is shaped like an ordinary "A" tent. The ridge pole should be about 8 ft. long and supported by crotched uprights about 6 ft. from the ground. Often the ridge pole can be laid from one small tree to another. Avoid tall trees on account of lightning. Eight or ten long poles are then laid slanting against the ridge pole on each side. Cedar or hemlock boughs make the best thatch for the brush camp. They should be piled up to a thickness of a foot or more over the slanting poles and woven in and out to keep them from slipping. Then a number of poles should be laid over them to prevent them from blowing away. In woods where there is plenty of bark available in large slabs, the bark lean-to is a quickly constructed and serviceable camp. The ridge pole is set up like that of the brush camp. Three or four other poles are laid slanting to the ground on one side only. The ends of these poles should be pushed into the earth and fastened with crotched sticks. Long poles are then laid crossways of these slanting poles, and the whole can be covered with brush as in the case of the brush camp or with strips of bark laid overlapping each other like shingles. Where bark is used, nails are necessary to hold it in place. Bark may also be used for a wigwam and it can be held in place by a cord wrapped tightly around the whole structure, running spiral-wise from the ground to the peak. In the early summer, the bark can easily be removed from most trees by making two circular cuts around the trunk and joining them with another vertical cut. The bark is easily pried off with an ax, and if laid on the ground under heavy stones, will dry flat. Sheets of bark, 6 ft. long and 2 or 3 ft. wide, are a convenient size for camp construction.

The small boughs and twigs of hemlock, spruce, and cedar, piled 2 or 3 ft. deep and covered with blankets, make the best kind of a camp bed. For a permanent camp, a bunk can be made by laying small poles close together across two larger poles on a rude framework easily constructed. Evergreen twigs or dried leaves are piled on this, and a blanket or a piece of canvas stretched across and fastened down to the poles at the sides. A bed like this is soft and springy and will last through an ordinary camping season without renewal. A portable cot that does not take up much room in the camp outfit is made of a piece of heavy canvas 40 in. wide and 6 ft. long. Four-inch hems are sewed in each side of the canvas, and when the camp is pitched, a 2-in. pole is run through each hem and the ends of the pole supported on crotched sticks.

[Illustration: Camp Details]

Fresh water close at hand and shade for the middle of the day are two points that should always be looked for in. selecting a site for a camp. If the camp is to be occupied for any length of time, useful implements for many purposes can be made out of such material as the woods afford. The simplest way to build a crane for hanging kettles over the campfire is to drive two posts into the ground, each of them a foot or more from one end of the fire space, and split the tops with an ax, so that a pole laid from one to the other across the fire will be securely held in the split. Tongs are very useful in camp. A piece of elm or hickory, 3 ft. long and 1-1/2 in. thick, makes a good pair of tongs. For a foot in the middle of the stick, cut half of the thickness away and hold this part over the fire until it can be bent easily to bring the two ends together, then fasten a crosspiece to hold the ends close together, shape the ends so that anything that drops into the fire can be seized by them, and a serviceable pair of tongs is the result. Any sort of a stick that is easily handled will serve as a poker. Hemlock twigs tied around one end of a stick make an excellent broom. Movable seats for a permanent camp are easily made by splitting a log, boring holes in the rounded side of the slab and driving pegs into them to serve as legs. A short slab or plank can easily be made into a three-legged stool in the same way.

Campers usually have boxes in which their provisions have been carried. Such a packing box is easily made into a cupboard, and it is not difficult to improvise shelves, hinges, or even a rough lock for the camp larder.

A good way to make a camp table is to set four posts into the ground and nail crosspieces to support slabs cut from chopped wood logs to form a top. Pieces can be nailed onto the legs of the table to hold other slabs to serve as seats, and affording accommodation for several persons.

** Brooder for Small Chicks [343]

A very simple brooder can be constructed by cutting a sugar barrel in half and using one part in the manner

[Illustration: Brooder for Young Chicks Kept Warm with a Jug of Boiling Water]

described. Line the inside of the half barrel with paper and then cover this with old flannel cloth. Make a cover for the top and line it in the same manner. At the bottom cut a hole in the edge, about 4 in. deep and 4 in. wide, and provide a cover or door. The inside is kept warm by filling a jug with boiling water and setting it within, changing the water both morning and night. When the temperature outside is 10 deg. the interior can, be kept at 90 or 100 deg., but the jug must be refilled with boiling water at least twice a day.

** Faucet Used as an Emergency Plug [343]

A brass faucet split as shown at A during a cold spell, and as no suitable plug to screw into the elbow after removing the faucet was at hand, I drove a small cork, B, into the end of the faucet and screwed it back in place. The cork converted the faucet into an

[Illustration: A Tight-Fitting Cork Driven into a Cracked Faucet Converted It into an Emergency Plug]

emergency plug which prevented leakage until the proper fitting to take its place could be secured. --Contributed by James M. Kane, Doylestown, Pa.

** Automatic Electric Heat Regulator [344]

It is composed of a closed glass tube, A, Fig. 1, connected by means of a very small lead pipe, B, to another

[Illustration: Heat Regulator]

glass tube, C, open at the bottom and having five pieces of platinum wire (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), which project inside and outside of the tube, fused into one side. This tube is plunged into an ebonite vessel of somewhat larger diameter, which is fastened to the base by a copper screw, E. The tube C is filled to a certain height with mercury and then petroleum. The outer ends of the five platinum wires are soldered to ordinary copper wires and connections made to various points on a rheostat as shown. The diagram, Fig. 2, shows how the connections to the supply current are made. The apparatus operates as follows: The tube is immersed in the matter to be heated, a liquid, for instance. As

[Illustration: Wiring Diagram Showing How the Connections to a Source of Current Supply are Made]

the temperature of this rises, the air expands and exerts pressure on the petroleum in the tube C so that the level of the mercury is lowered. The current is thus compelled, as the platinum wires with the fall of the mercury are brought out of circuit, to pass through an increasing resistance, until, if necessary, the flow is entirely stopped when the mercury falls below the wire 5.

With this very simple apparatus the temperature can be kept constant within a 10-deg. limit, and it can be made much more sensitive by increasing the number of platinum wires and placing them closer together, and by filling the tube A with some very volatile substance, such as ether, for instance. The petroleum above the mercury prevents sparking between the platinum wire and the mercury when the latter falls below anyone of them.

** Repairing a Washer on a Flush Valve [344]

When the rubber washer on the copper flush valve of a soil-basin tank becomes loose it can be set by pouring a small quantity of paraffin between the rubber and the copper while the valve is inverted, care being taken to have the rubber ring centered. This makes

[Illustration: Flush Valve]

a repair that will not allow a drop ot water to leak out of the tank. --Contributed by Frank Jermin, Alpena, Michigan.

** Cleaning Discolored Silver [344]

A very quick way to clean silver when it is not tarnished, but merely discolored, is to wash the articles in a weak solution of ammonia water. This removes the black stains caused by sulphur in the air. After cleaning them with the solution, they should be washed and polished in magnesia powder or with a cloth. This method works well on silver spoons tarnished by eggs and can be used every day while other methods require much time and, therefore, cannot be used so often.

** How to Make a Small Electric Motor [345] By W. A. ROBERTSON

The field frame of the motor, Fig. 1, is composed of wrought sheet iron, which may be of any thickness so that, when several pieces are placed together, they will make a frame 3/4 in. thick. It is necessary to layout a template of the frame as shown, making it 1/16 in. larger than the dimensions given, to allow for filing to shape after the parts are fastened together. After the template is marked out, drill the four rivet holes, clamp the template, or pattern, to the sheet iron and mark carefully with a scriber. The bore can be marked with a pair of dividers, set at 1/8 in. This will mark a line for the center of the holes to be drilled with a 1/4-in. drill for removing the unnecessary metal. The points formed by drilling the holes can be filed to the pattern size. Be sure to mark and cut out a sufficient number of plates to make a frame 3/4 in. thick, or even 1/16 in. thicker, to allow for finishing.

After the plates are cut out and the rivet holes drilled, assemble and rivet them solidly, then bore it out to a diameter of 2-3/4 in. on a lathe. If the thickness is sufficient, a slight finishing cut can be taken on the face. Before removing the field from the lathe, mark off a space, 3-3/8 in. in diameter, for the field core with a sharp-pointed tool, and for the outside of the frame, 4-1/2 in. in diameter, by turning the lathe with the hand. Then the field can be finished to these marks, which will make it uniform in size. When the frame is finished so far, two holes, 3-3/8 in. between centers, are drilled and tapped with a 3/8-in. tap. These holes are for the bearing studs. Two holes are also drilled and tapped for 1/4-in. screws, which fasten the holding-down lugs or feet to the frame. These lugs are made of a piece of 1/8-in. brass or iron, bent at right angles as shown.

The bearing studs are now made, as shown in Fig. 2, and turned into the threaded holes in the frame. The bearing supports are made of two pieces of 1/8-in. brass, as shown in the left-hand sketch, Fig. 3, which are fitted on the studs in the frame. A 5/8-in. hole is

[Illustration: The Field-Coil Core is Built Up of Laminated Wrought Iron Riveted Together]

drilled in the center of each of these supports, into which a piece of 5/8-in. brass rod is inserted, soldered into place, and drilled to receive the armature shaft. These bearings should be fitted and soldered in place after the armature is constructed. The manner of doing this is to wrap a piece of paper on the outside of the finished armature ring and place it through the opening in the field, then slip the bearings on the ends of the shaft. If the holes in the bearing support should be out of line, file them out to make the proper adjustment. When the bearings are located, solder them to the supports, and build up the solder well. Remove

[Illustration: The Bearing Studs are Turned from Machine Steel Two of Each Length being Required]

the paper from the armature ring and see that the armature revolves freely in the bearings without touching the inside of the field at any point. The supports are then removed and the solder turned up in a lathe, or otherwise finished. The shaft of the armature, Fig. 4, is turned up from machine steel, leaving the finish of the bearings until the armature is completed and fastened to the shaft.

The armature core is made up as

[Illustration: The Assembled Bearing Frame on the Field Core and the Armature Shaft Made of Machine Steel]

follows: Two pieces of wrought sheet iron, 1/8 in. thick, are cut out a little larger than called for by the dimensions given in Fig. 5, to allow for finishing to size. These are used for the outside plates and enough pieces of No. 24 gauge sheet iron to fill up the part between until the whole is over 3/4 in. thick are cut like the pattern. After the pieces are cut out, clamp them together and drill six 1/8-in. holes through them for rivets. Rivet them together, and anneal the whole piece by placing it in a fire and heating the metal to a cherry red, then allowing it to cool in the ashes. When annealed, bore out the inside to 1-11/16 in. in diameter and fit in a brass spider, which is made as follows: Procure a piece of brass, 3/4 in. thick, and turn it up to the size shown and file out the metal between the arms. Slip the spider on the armature shaft and secure it solidly with the setscrew so that the shaft will not turn in the spider when truing up the armature core. File grooves or slots in the armature ring so that it will fit on the arms of the spider. Be sure to have the inside of the armature core run true. When this is accomplished, solder the arms of the spider to the metal of the armature core. The shaft with the core is then put in a lathe and the outside turned off to the proper size. The sides are also faced off and finished. Make the core 3/4 in. thick. Remove the core from the lathe and file out slots 1/4 in. deep and 7/16 in. wide.

The commutator is turned from a piece of brass pipe, 3/4 in. inside diameter, as shown in Fig. 6; The piece is placed on a mandrel and turned to 3/4 in. in length and both ends chamfered to an angle of 60 deg. Divide the surface into 12 equal parts, or segments. Find the centers of each segment at one end, then drill a 1/8-in. hole and tap it for a pin. The pins are made of brass, threaded, turned into place and the ends turned in a lathe to an outside diameter of 1-1/4 in. Make a slit with a small saw blade in the end of each pin for the ends of the wires coming from the commutator coils. Saw the ring into the 12 parts on the lines between the pins.

The two insulating ends for holding these segments are made of fiber turned to fit the bore of the brass tubing, as shown in Fig. 7. Procure 12 strips of mica, the same thickness as the width of the saw cut made between the segments, and use them as a filler and insulation between the commutator

[Illustration: Armature-Ring Core, Its Hub and the Construction of the Commutator and Its Insulation]

bars. Place them on the fiber hub and slip the hub on the shaft, then clamp the whole in place with the nut, as shown in Fig. 3. True up the commutator in a lathe to the size given in Fig. 6.

The brush holder is shaped from apiece of fiber, as shown in Fig. 8. The studs for holding the brushes are cut from 5/16-in. brass rod, as shown in Fig. 9. The brushes consist of brass or copper wire gauze, rolled up and flattened out to 1/8 in. thick and 1/4 in. wide, one end being soldered to keep the wires in place. The holder is slipped on the projecting outside end of the bearing, as shown m Fig. 3, and held with a setscrew.

The field core is insulated before winding with 1/64-in. sheet fiber, washers, 1-1/8 in. by 1-1/2 in., being formed for the ends, with a hole cut in them to fit over the insulation placed on the cores. A slit is cut through from the hole to the outside, and then they are soaked in warm water, until they become flexible enough to be put in place. After they have dried, they are glued to the core insulation.

The field is wound with No. 18 gauge double-cotton-covered magnet wire, about 100 ft. being required. Drill a small hole through each of the lower end insulating washers. In starting to wind, insert the end of the wire through the hole from the inside at A Fig. 1, and wind on four layers, which will take 50 ft. of the wire, and bring the end of the wire out at B. After one coil, or side, is wound start at C in the same manner as at A, using the same number of turns and the same length of wire. The two ends are joined at B.

The armature ring is insulated by covering the inside and brass spider with 1/16-in. sheet fiber. Two rings of 1/16-in sheet fiber are cut and glued to the sides of the ring. When the glue is set, cut out the part within the slot ends and make 12 channel pieces from 1/64-in. sheet fiber, which are glued in the slots and to the fiber washers. Be sure to have the ring and spider covered so the wire will not touch the iron or brass.

Each slot of the armature is wound with about 12 ft. of No. 21 gauge double-cotton-covered magnet wire. The winding is started at A, Fig. 5, by bending the end around one of the projections, then wind the coil in one of the slots as shown, making 40 turns or four layers of 10 turns each shellacking each layer as it is wound. After the coil is completed in one slot allow about 2 in. of the end to protrude, to

[Illustration: The Insulated Brush Holder and Its Studs for Holding the Brushes on the Commutator]

fasten to the commutator segment. Wind the next slot with the same number of turns in the same manner and so on, until the 12 slots are filled. The protruding ends of the coils are connected to the pins in the commutator segments after the starting end of one coils is joined to the finishing end of the next adjacent. All connections should be securely soldered.

The whole motor is fastened with screws to a wood base, 8 in. long, 6 in. wide and 1 in. thick. Two terminals are fastened at one side on the base and a switch at the other side.

To connect the wires, after the motor is on the stand, the two ends of the wire, shown at B, Fig. 1, are soldered together. Run one end of the field wire, shown at A, through a small hole in the base and make a groove on the under side so that the wire end can be connected to one of the terminals The other end of the field wire C is connected to the brass screw in the brass brush stud. Connect a wire from the other brush stud, run it through a small hole in the base and cut a groove for it on the under side so that it can be connected through the switch and the other terminal. This winding is for a series motor. The source of current is connected to the terminals. The motor can be run on a 110-volt direct current, but a resistance must be placed in series with it.

** Protecting Tinware [347]

New tinware rubbed over with fresh lard and heated will never rust.

** Another Optical Illusion [348]

After taking a look at the accompanying illustration you will be positive that the cords shown run in a spiral toward the center, yet it shows a series of

[Illustration: The Cord Is Not a Spiral]

perfect circles of cords placed one inside the other. You can test this for yourself in a moment with a pair of compasses, or, still more simply, by laying a point of a pencil on any part of the cord and following it round. Instead of approaching or receding from the center in a continuous line, as in the case of a spiral, you will find the pencil returning to the point from which it started.

** Substitute for Insulating Cleats [348]

In wiring up door bells, alarms and telephones as well as experimental

[Illustration: Insulators]

work the use of common felt gun wads make a very good cleat for the wires. They are used in the manner illustrated in the accompanying sketch. The insulated wire is placed between two wads and fastened with two nails or screws. If one wad on the back is not thick enough to keep the wire away from the support, put on two wads behind and one in front of the wire and fasten in the same manner as described.

** Electrically Operated Indicator for a Wind Vane [348]

The accompanying photograph shows a wind vane connected with electric wires to an instrument at considerable distance which indicates by means of a magnetic needle the direction of the wind. The bearings of the vane consist of the head of a wornout bicycle. A 1/2-in. iron pipe extends from the vane and is held in place by the clamp originally used to secure the handle bar of the bicycle. In place of the forks is attached an eight-cylinder gas engine timer which is slightly altered in such a manner that the brush is at all times in contact, and when pointing between two contacts connects them both. Nine wires run from the timer, one from each of the eight contacts, and one, which serves as the ground wire, is fastened to the metallic body. The timer is set at such a position that when the vane points directly north, the brush of the timer makes a connection in the middle of a contact. When the timer is held in this position the brush will make connections with each of the contacts as the vane revolves.

The indicating device which is placed in a convenient place in the house consists of

[Illustration: The Wind Vane, Magnets and Indicator]

eight 4-ohm magnets fastened upon a l-in. board. These magnets are placed in a 10-in. circle, 45 deg. apart and with their faces pointing toward the center. Covering these is a thin, wood board upon which is fastened a neatly drawn dial resembling a mariner's compass card. This is placed over the magnets in such a manner that there will be a magnet under each of the eight principal points marked on the dial. Over this dial is a magnetic needle or pointer, 6 in. long, perfectly balanced on the end of a standard and above all is placed a cover having a glass top. The eight wires from the timer contacts connect with the outside wires of the eight magnets separately and the inside wires from the magnets connect with the metal brace which holds the magnets in place. A wire is then connected from the metal brace to a push button, two or three cells of dry battery and to the ground wire in connection with the timer The wires are connected in such a manner that when the vane is pointing in a certain direction the battery will be connected in series with the coil under that part of the dial representing the direction in which the vane is pointing, thus magnetizing the core of the magnet which attracts the opposite pole of the needle toward the face of the magnet and indicating the way the wind is blowing. The pointer end of the needle is painted black.

If the vane points in such a direction that the timer brush connects two contacts, two magnets will be magnetized and the needle will point midway between the two lines represented on the dial, thus giving 16 different directions. Around the pointer end of the needle is wound a fine copper wire, one end of which extends down to about 1/32 in. of the dial. This wire holds the needle in place when the pointer end is directly over the magnet attracting it; the magnet causing the needle to "dip" will bring the wire in contact with the paper dial. Without this attachment, the needle would swing a few seconds before coming to a standstill.

The vane itself is easily constructed as can be seen in the illustration. It should be about 6 ft. long to give the best results. The magnets used can be purchased from any electrical store in pairs which are called "instrument magnets." Any automobile garage can supply the timer and an old valueless bicycle frame is not hard to find. The cover is easily made from a picture frame with four small boards arranged to take the place of the picture as shown.

The outfit is valuable to a person who is situated where a vane could not be placed so as to be seen from a window and especially at night when it is hard to determine the direction of the wind. By simply pressing the push button on the side of the cover, the needle will instantly point to the part of the dial from which the wind is blowing. --Contributed by James L. Blackmer, Buffalo, N. Y.

** A Home-Made Floor Polisher [350]

An inexpensive floor polisher can be made as follows: Secure a wooden box with a base 8 by 12 in. and about 6 in. high, also a piece of new carpet, 14 by 18 in. Cut 3-in. squares out of the four corners of the carpet and place the box squarely on it. Turn three of the flaps of the carpet up and tack them securely to the sides of the box. Before tacking the fourth side, fold a couple of newspapers to the right size and shove them in between the carpet and the bottom of the box for a cushion. Fill the box with any handy ballast, making it heavy or light, according to who is going to use it, and securely nail on the top of the box. The handle can be made from an old broom handle the whole of which will be none too long. Drive a heavy screw eye into the big end of the handle and fasten to the polisher by a staple driven through the eye into the center of the cover, thus making a universal joint. The size of the box given here is the best although any size near that, if not too high, will answer the purpose just as well. The box is pushed or pulled over the floor and the padded side will produce a fine polish.

** How to Make a Lady's Card-Case [350]

A card-case such as is shown here makes a very appropriate present for any lady. To make it, secure a piece of "ooze" calf skin leather 4-1/2 by 10-1/2 in. The one shown in the accompanying picture was made of a rich tan ooze of light weight and was lined with a grey-green goat skin. The design was stenciled and the open parts backed with a green silk plush having a rather heavy nap. The lining of goat skin need not cover more than the central part-not the flies. A piece 4-1/2 by 5

[Illustration: Design for the Cover of Lady's Card-Case]

in. will be sufficient. A piece of plush 1-1/4 by 6 in. will be enough for the two sides. Begin work by shaping the larger piece of leather as shown in the drawing. Allow a little margin at the top and bottom, however, to permit trimming the edges slightly after the parts have been sewed together. A knife or a pair of scissors will do to cut the leather with, though a special knife, called a chip carving knife, is most satisfactory.

The next thing is to put in the marks for the outline of the designs and the borders. A tool having a point shaped as in the illustration is commonly used. It is called a modeling tool for leather and may be purchased, or, one can be made from an ordinary nut pick by taking off the sharpness with fine emery paper so that it will not cut the leather. To work these outlines, first moisten the leather on the back with as much water as it will take and still not show through on the face side. Place the leather on some level, nonabsorbent surface and with the tool--and a straightedge on the straight lines--indent the leather as shown. The easiest way is to place the paper pattern on the leather and mark on the paper. The indentations will be transferred without the necessity of putting any lines on the leather.

With the knife cut out the stencils as shown. Paste the silk plush to the inner side, being careful not to get any of the paste so far out that it will show. A good leather paste will be required.

[Illustration: Leather Tools]

Next place the lining, fold the flies along the lines indicated in the drawing. Hold the parts together and stitch them on a sewing-machine. An ordinary sewing-machine will do if a good stout needle is used. A silk thread that will match the leather should be used. Keep the ooze side of the lining

[Illustration: Complete Card Case]

out so that it will show, rather than the smooth side. With the knife and straightedge trim off the surplus material at the top and bottom and the book is ready for use.

** Home-Made Fire Extinguisher [351]

Dissolve 20 lb. of common salt and 10 lb. of sal ammoniac in 7 gal. of water, and put the solution in thin glass bottles, cork tightly and seal to prevent evaporation. The bottles should hold about 1 qt. If a fire breaks out, throw one of the bottles in or near the flames, or break off the neck and scatter the contents on the fire. It may be necessary to use several bottles to quench the flames.

** Crutch Made of an Old Broom [352]

An emergency crutch made of a worn-out broom is an excellent substitute for a wood crutch, especially when one or more crutches are needed for a short time, as in cases of a sprained ankle, temporary lameness, or a hip that has been wrenched.

Shorten and hollow out the brush of the broom and then pad the hollow part with cotton batting, covering it with a piece of cloth sewed in place. Such a crutch does not heat the arm pit and there is an elasticity about it not to be had in the wooden crutch. The crutch can be made to fit either child or adult and owing to its cheapness, can be thrown away when no longer needed. --Contributed by Katharine D. Morse, Syracuse, N. Y.

[Illustration: Crutch]

** Toy Darts and Parachutes [352]

A dart (Fig. 1) is made of a cork having a tin cap, a needle and some feathers. The needle is run through the center of the cork A and a pin or piece of steel is put through the eye of the needle. Take a quantity of small

[Illustration: Dart Parts and Paper Parachute]

feathers, B, and tie them together securely at the bottom. Bore a hole in the center of the cap C, and fasten the feathers inside of it. Fasten the cap on the cork and the dart is ready for use. When throwing the dart at a target stand from 6 to 10 ft. away from it.

The parachute is made by cutting a piece of paper 15 in. square and tying a piece of string to each corner. The strings should be about 15 in. long. Tie all four strings together in a knot at the end and fasten them in the top of a cork with a small tack. It is best to be as high as possible when flying the parachute as the air currents will sail it high and fast. Take hold of the parachute by the cork and run it through the air with the wind, letting it go at arm's length. --Contributed by J. Gordon Dempsey, Paterson, N.J.

** A Tool for Lifting Can Covers [352]

A handy tool for prying up varnish paint, syrup and similar can covers car be made from an old fork filed down

[Illustration: Made of an Old Fork]

to the shape shown in the illustration. The end is filed to an edge, but not sharp. --Contributed by Ben Grebin, Ashland, Wis.

** Keeping Rats from a Chicken Coop [352]

After trying for months to keep the rats from tunneling their way into my chicken coop by filling in the holes, laying poisoned meat and meal, setting traps, etc., I devised a simple and effective method to prevent them from doing harm.

My roosting coop is 5 by 15 ft. There is a 1-in. board all around the bottom on the inside. I used wire mesh having 1/2-in. openings and formed it into the shape of a large tray with edges 6 in. high, the corners being wired, and tacked it to the boards. This not only keeps the rats out, but prevents the chickens from digging holes, thus helping the rats to enter. --Contributed by John A. Hellwig, Albany, N. Y.

** Homemade Telephone Receiver [353]

The receiver illustrated herewith is to be used in connection with the transmitter described elsewhere in this volume. The body of the receiver, A, is made of a large wooden ribbon spool. One end is removed entirely, the other sawed in two on the line C and a flange, F, is cut on the wood, 1/8 in. wide and 1/16 in. deep. A flange the same size is made on the end D that was sawed off, and the outside part tapered toward the hole as shown. The magnet is made of a 30-penny nail, B, cut to the length of the spool, and a coil of wire, E, wound on the head end. The coil is 1 in. long, made up of four layers of No. 22 gauge copper magnet wire, allowing the ends to extend out about 6 in. The nail with the coil is then put into the hole of the spool as shown. The diaphragm C, which is the essential part of the instrument, should be made as carefully as possible from ferrotype tin, commonly called tintype tin. The diaphragm is placed between the flanges on the spool and the end D that was sawed off. The end piece and diaphragm are both fastened to the spool with two or three slender wood screws, as shown.

A small wooden or fiber end, G, is fitted with two binding posts which are connected to the ends of the wire left projecting from the magnet winding. The binding posts are attached to the line and a trial given. The proper distance must be found between the diaphragm and the head of the nail. This can be accomplished by moving

[Illustration: Receiver]

the nail and magnet in the hole of the spool. When the distance to produce the right sound is found, the nail and magnet can be made fast by filling the open space with melted sealing wax. The end G is now fastened to the end of the spool, and the receiver is ready for use.

** How to Clean Jewelry [353]

To cleanse articles of silver, gold, bronze and brass use a saturated solution of cyanide of potassium. To clean small articles, dip each one into the solution and rinse immediately in hot water; then dry and polish with a linen cloth. Larger articles are cleaned by rubbing the surface with a small tuft of cotton saturated in the solution. As cyanide of potassium is a deadly poison, care must be taken not to have it touch any sore spot on the flesh.

** Ornamental Iron Flower Stand [353]

The illustration shows an ornamental iron stand constructed to hold a glass or china vase. This stand can be made by first drawing an outline of the vase on a heavy piece of paper. The vase is to have three supports. The shape of the scrolls forming each support should be drawn on the paper

[Illustration: The Stand with Vase]

around the shape of the vase. A single line will be sufficient, but care must be taken to get the shapes of the scrolls true. Take a piece of string or, better still, a piece of small wire, and pass it around the scroll shape on the paper. This will give the exact length of the iron required to make the scroll. As sheet metal is used for making the scrolls, it can be cut in the right lengths with a pair of tinner's shears. Take a pair of round-nose pliers, begin with the smallest scrolls, and bend each strip in shape, using the flat-nose pliers when necessary to keep the iron straight, placing it on the sketch from time to time to see that the scrolls are kept to the shape required. The scrolls are riveted and bolted together. The supports are fastened together with rings of strip iron 3/8 in. wide, to which the supports are fastened with rivets. The metal can be covered with any desired color of enamel paint.

** How to Make a Coin Purse [354]

The dimensions for a leather coin purse are as follows: from A to B, as shown in the sketch, 6-3/8 in.; from C to D, 4-1/4 in.; from E to F, 3-1/2 in. and

[Illustration: Leather Design for a Purse]

from G to H, 3-1/4 in. Russian calf modeling leather is the material used. A shade of brown is best as it does not soil easily, and does not require coloring.

Cut out the leather to the size of the pattern, then moisten the surface on the rough side with a sponge soaked in water. Be careful not to moisten the leather too much or the water will go through to the smooth side. Have the design drawn or traced on the pattern. Then lay the pattern on the smooth side of the leather and trace over the design with the small end of the leather tool or a hard, sharp pencil. Trace also the line around the purse. Dampen the leather as often as is necessary to keep it properly moistened.

After taking off the pattern, retrace the design directly on the leather to make it more distinct, using a duller point of the tool. Press or model down the leather all around the design, making it as smooth as possible with the round side of the tool. Work down the outside line of the design, thus raising it.

Fold the leather on the line EF. Cut another piece of leather the size of the side ECBD of the purse, and after putting the wrong sides of the leather together, stitch around the edge as designated by the letters above mentioned. Do not make this piece come quite up to the line EF, so that the coins may be more easily put in and taken out. About 1 in. from the lines EF on the piece, stitch in a strip of leather about 1/4 in. wide when stitching up the purse, through which to slip the fly AGH.

** Window Anti-Frost Solution [354]

A window glass may be kept from frosting by rubbing over the inner surface a solution of 55 parts of glycerine and 1,000 parts of 60 per cent alcohol. The odor may be improved by adding a little oil of amber. This solution will also prevent a glass from sweating in warm weather.

** How to Make a Turbine Engine [355]

In the following article is described a machine which anyone can make, and which will be very interesting, as well as useful. It can be made without the use of a lathe, or other tools usually out of reach of the amateur mechanic. It is neat and efficient, and a model for speed and power. Babbitt metal is the material used in its construction, being cast in wooden molds. The casing for the wheel is cast in halves--a fact which must be kept in mind.

First, procure a planed pine board 1 by 12 in. by 12 ft. long. Cut off six

[Illustration: Fig. 2]

pieces 12 in. square, and, with a compass saw, cut out one piece as shown in Fig. 1, following the dotted lines, leaving the lug a, and the projections B and b to be cut out with a pocket knife. Make the lug 1/4 in. deep, and the projections B, b, 1/2 in. deep. The entire cut should be slightly beveled.

Now take another piece of wood, and cut out a wheel, as shown in Fig. 2. This also should be slightly beveled. When it is finished, place it on one of the square pieces of wood, with the largest side down, then place the square piece out of which Fig. 1 was cut, around the wheel, with the open side down. (We shall call that side of a mold out of which a casting is drawn, the "open" side.) Place it so that it is even at the edge with the under square piece and place the wheel so that the space between the wheel and

[Illustration: Fig. 1]

the other piece of wood is an even 1/8 in. all the way around. Then nail the wheel down firmly, and tack the other piece slightly.

Procure a thin board 1/4 in. thick, and cut it out as shown in Fig. 3; then nail it, with pins or small nails, on the center of one of the square pieces of wood. Fit this to the two pieces just finished, with the thin wheel down--but first boring a 3/4-in. hole 1/4 in. deep, in the center of it; and boring a 3/8-in.

[Illustration: Fig. 3]

hole entirely through at the same place. Now put mold No.1 (for that is what we shall call this mold) in a vise, and bore six 1/4-in. holes through it. Be careful to keep these holes well out in the solid part, as shown by the black dots in Fig. 1. Take the mold apart, and clean all the shavings out of it; then bolt it together, and lay it away to dry.

[Illustration: Fig. 4]

Now take another of the 12-in. square pieces of wood, and cut it out as shown in Fig. 4, slightly beveled. After it is finished, place it between two of the 12-in. square pieces of wood, one of which should have a 3/8-in. hole bored through its center. Then bolt together with six 1/4-in. bolts, as shown by the

[Illustration: Fig. 5]

black dots in Fig. 4, and lay it away to dry. This is mold No.2. Now take mold No.1; see that the bolts are all tight; lay it on a level place, and pour babbitt metal into it, until it is full. Let it stand for half an hour, then loosen the bolts and remove the casting.

Now cut out one of the 12-in.-square pieces of wood as shown in Fig. 5. This is the same as Fig. 1, only the one is left-handed, the other right-handed. Put this together in mold No.1, instead of the right-handed piece; and run in babbitt metal again. The casting thus made will face together with the casting previously made.

Pour metal into mold No.2. This will cast a paddle-wheel, which is intended to turn inside of the casting already made.

If there should happen to be any

[Illustration: Fig. 6]

holes or spots, where the casting did not fill out, fill them by placing a small piece of wood with a hole in it, over the defective part, and pouring metal in to fill it up.

If you cannot obtain the use of a drill press, take an ordinary brace, fasten a 3/8-in. drill in it, and bore a hole through the end of a strip about 2 in. wide and 16 in. long; put the top of the brace through this hole, and fasten the other end of the strip to a bench, as shown in illustration. Find the center of the paddle-wheel, place it under the drill, true it up with a square; and drill it entirely through. Find the centers of the insides of the other two castings, and drill them in the same manner.

A piece of mild steel 5 in. long, and 3/8-in. in diameter must now be obtained. This is for a shaft. Commencing 1-1/2 in. from the one end, file the shaft off flat for a distance of 1 in. Then cut a slot in the paddle-wheel, and place the shaft inside of the paddlewheel, with the flat part of the shaft turned to face the slot in the wheel. Pour metal into the slot to key the wheel on to the shaft.

The paddle-wheel is now ready to be fitted inside of the casing. It may be necessary to file some of the ends off the paddles, in order to let the paddle-wheel go into the casing. After it is fitted in, so that it will turn easily, place the entire machine in a vise, and bore three 1/4-in. holes, one in the lug, one in the projections, B, b, and the other in the base, as shown by the black dots in Fig. 6. Also bore the port-hole in projection B, and the exhaust hole in projection b, and two 1/4-in. holes at d, d, Fig. 6. Cut out a piece of gasket and fit it between the two castings. Then bolt the castings together, screw down, and connect to the boiler.

[Illustration: Using the Brace]

The reader must either cast a pulley out of babbitt metal, or else go to a machinist and get a collar turned, with a boss and a set screw, and with three small screw holes around the edge. Cut out a small wood wheel and screw the collar fast to it, fasten it to the shaft of the turbine and turn on the steam. Then take a knife or a chisel, and, while it is running at full speed, turn the wheel to the shape desired.

Your turbine engine is now ready for work, and if instructions have been carefully followed, will do good service.

** Painting A Car [357]

When painting the automobile body and chassis be sure to stuff the oil holes with felt or waste before applying the paint. If this caution is not observed the holes will become clogged with paint which will prevent any oil reaching the bearing.

** How To Build An Ice Boat [357]

The ice boat is each year becoming more popular. Anyone with even small experience in using tools can

[Illustration: A Four-Runner Ice Yacht]

construct such a craft, and the pleasure many times repays the effort.

Take two pieces of wood 2 by 6 in., one 6 ft. and the other 8 ft. long. At each end of the 6-ft. piece and at right angles to it, bolt a piece of hardwood 2 by 4 by 12 in. Round off the lower edge of each piece to fit an old skate. Have a blacksmith bore holes through the top of the skates and screw one of them to each of the pieces of hardwood.

[Illustration: Plan of Ice Boat]

These skates must be exactly parallel or there will be trouble the first time the craft is used.

Over the middle of the 6-ft. piece and at right angles to it, bolt the 8-ft. plank, leaving 1 ft. projecting as in Fig. 1.

The rudder skate is fastened to a piece of hardwood 2 by 2 by 12 in. as the runners were fastened. This piece should be mortised 3 by 3 by 4 in. in the top before the skate is put on. Figure 2 shows the rudder post.

A piece of hardwood 1 by 6 by 6 in.

[Illustration: Details of Ice Boat Construction]

should be screwed to the under side of the 8-ft. plank at the end with the grain running crosswise. Through this bore a hole 1-1/2-in. in diameter in order that the rudder post may fit nicely. The tiller, Fig. 3, should be of hardwood, and about 8 in. long.

To the under side of the 8-ft. plank bolt a piece of timber 2 by 4 by 22 in. in front of the rudder block, and to this cross piece and the 6-ft. plank nail 8-in. boards to make the platform.

The spar should be 9 ft. long and 2-1/2 in. in diameter at the base, tapering to 1-1/2 in. at the top. This fits in the square hole, Fig. 1. The horn should be 5-1/2 ft. long, 2 by 3 in. at the butt and 1 in. at the end.

Figure 4 gives the shape and dimensions of the mainsail which can be made of muslin. Run the seam on a machine, put a stout cord in the hem and make loops at the corners.

Figure 6 shows the way of rigging the gaff to the spar. Figure 7 shows the method of crotching the main boom and Fig. 8 a reef point knot, which may come in handy in heavy winds.

Make your runners as long as possible, and if a blacksmith will make an iron or steel runner for you, so much the better will be your boat.

** Electric Rat Exterminator [358]

Some time ago we were troubled by numerous large rats around the shop, particularly in a storehouse about 100 ft. distant, where they often did considerable damage. One of the boys thought he would try a plan of electrical extermination, and in order to carry out his plan he picked up an old zinc floor plate that had been used under a stove and mounted a wooden disk 6 in. in diameter in the center. On this disk he placed a small tin pan about 6 in. in diameter, being careful that none of the fastening nails made an electrical connection between the zinc plate and the tin pan.

This apparatus was placed on the floor of the warehouse where it was plainly visible from a window in the shop where we worked and a wire was run from the pan and another from the zinc plate through the intervening yard and into the shop. A good sized induction coil was through connected with these wires and about six dry batteries were used to run the induction coil whenever a push button was manipulated.

It is quite evident that when a rat put its two fore feet on the edge of the pan in order to eat the mush which it contained, that an electrical connection would be made through the body of the rat, and when we pushed the button up in the shop the rat would be thrown

[Illustration: Electric Rat Trap]

2 or 3 ft. in the air and let out a terrific squeak. The arrangement proved quite too effective, for after a week the rats all departed and the boys all regretted that their fun was at an end. --Contributed by John D. Adams, Phoenix, Ariz.

** How to Make a Simple Fire Alarm [359]

A fire alarm which is both inexpensive and simple in construction is shown in the illustration. Its parts are as follows:

A, small piece of wood; B, block of wood nailed to A; S S. two pieces of sheet brass about 1/4 in. wide, bent into a hook at each end; P, P, binding-posts fastening the springs S S, to block B, so that they come in contact at C. W is a piece of wax crayon just long enough to break the contact at C when inserted as shown in the illustration.

When these parts have been put together in the manner described, connect the device in circuit with an electric bell, and place it behind a stove.

[Illustration: Simple Fire Alarm]

When the stove becomes too hot the wax will melt at the ends, allowing the springs to contact at C, and the alarm bell will ring. --Contributed by J. R. Comstock, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

** To Build a Merry-Go-Round [359]

This is a very simple device, but one that will afford any amount of amusement. The center post rests in an auger hole bored in an old stump or in a post set in the ground. The stump makes the best support. The center pole should be 10 ft. high. An old wheel is mounted at the top of the pole, and the pole works in the wheel as an axle, says the American Boy. The wheel is anchored out by several guy

[Illustration: Home-Made Merry-Go-Round]

wires. The seat arms may be any length desired. A passenger rides in each seat and the motorman takes his station at the middle.

** Arbor Wheels [359]

Emery wheel arbors should be fitted with flanges or washers having a slight concave to their face.

** Novelty Clock for the Kitchen [360]

An inexpensive and easy way to make an unique ornament of a clock

[Illustration: The Clock with Holder]

for kitchen use is to take an old alarm clock or a new one if preferred, and make it into a clock to hang on the wall. Take the glass, dial and works out of the shell and cut some pieces out of the metal so that when the pieces left are turned back it will have the appearance as in Fig. 1. Then get a 10-cent frying pan, 6 in. in diameter, and drill a hole in the center so the shaft for the hands will easily pass through and extend out far enough to replace the two hands. Put the works back in the metal shell and solder it to the frying pan by the pieces turned out as in Fig. 2. Gild the pan all over, including the handle, and print black figures in the small circles. Calendar figures can be pasted on small circles and these pasted on the frying pan. The parts can be divided into minutes with small lines the same as shown in the drawing. Make new hands that are long enough to reach the figures from sheet brass or tin and paint them black. --Contributed by Carl P. Herd, Davenport, Iowa

** How to Make a Small Silver Plating Outfit [360]

Take an ordinary glass fruit jar or any other receptacle in glass, not metal, which will hold 1 qt. of liquid and fill it with rain or distilled water and then add 3/4 oz. of silver chloride and 1-1/2 oz. of c.p. potassium cyanide. Let this dissolve and incorporate well with the water before using. Take an ordinary wet battery and fasten two copper wires to the terminals and fasten the other ends of the wires to two pieces of heavy copper wire or 1/4-in. brass pipe. The wires must be well soldered to the brass pipe to make a good connection. When the solution is made up and entirely dissolved the outfit is ready for plating.

Procure a small piece of silver, a silver button, ring, chain or anything made entirely of silver and fasten a small copper wire to it and hang on the brass pipe with connections to the carbon of the battery. Clean the article to be plated well with pumice and a brush saturated in water. When cleaning any article there should be a copper wire attached to it. Do not touch the article after you once start to clean it, or the places touched by your fingers will cause the silver plate to peel off when finished. When well scoured, run clear, cold water over the article and if it appears greasy, place in hot water. When well cleaned place in the plating bath and carefully watch the results. If small bubbles come to the surface you will know that you have too much of the anode or the piece of silver hanging in the solution and you

[Illustration: Plating Jar and Battery]

must draw out enough of the piece until you can see no more bubbles. Leave the piece to be plated in the solution for about one-half hour, then take the article out and with a tooth brush and some pumice, clean the yellowish scum off, rinse in clear water and dry in sawdust. When thoroughly dry, take a cotton flannel rag and some polishing powder and polish the article. The article must have a fine polish before plating if it is desired to have a finely polished surface after the plate is put on.

In order to see if your battery is working, take a small copper wire and touch one end to the anode pipe and the other end to the pipe holding the article to be plated. When these two parts touch there will be a small spark. Always take the zincs out of the solution when not in use and the batteries will last longer. This description applies only to silver plating. Articles of lead, pewter, tin or any soft metal cannot be silver plated unless the article is first copper plated.

** Removing a Tight-Fitting Ring from a Finger [361]

When a ring cannot be removed easily from the finger, take a string or thread and draw one end through between the ring and the flesh. Coil the other end of the string around the finger covering the part from the ring to and over the finger joint. Uncoil the string by taking the end placed through the ring and at the same time keep the ring close up to the string. In this way the ring can be easily

[Illustration: Wrapping the Finger]

slipped over the knuckle and off from the finger. --Contributed by J. K. Miller, Matietta, Penn.

** A Photographic Jig-Saw Puzzle [361]

Take any photographic print and mount it on heavy cardboard, or, if you

[Illustration: Picture Marked for Cutting]

have a jig saw, a thin smooth wood board and mark out various shaped pieces as shown in the accompanying cut. If the picture is mounted on cardboard, the lines can be cut through with a sharp pointed knife. If you have a jig saw, you can make a bromide enlargement from the negative you have selected and mount the print on a smooth board that is not too thick. This wood-mounted picture can be sawed out making all shapes of blocks, which forms a perfect jig-saw puzzle. --Contributed by Erich Lehmann, New York City.

** Rolling Uphill Illusion [361]

This interesting as well as entertaining illusion, can be made by anyone having a wood-turning lathe. A solid, similar to two cones placed base to base, is accurately turned in a lathe, the sides sloping to an angle of 45 deg. The spindle can be turned out of the solid at the same time as the cone; or, after turning the cone, drive an iron or wood shaft through the center making a tight fit.

The boards for the track are made with a sloping edge on which the cone is to roll. This slope will depend on the diameter of the cone, which can be any size from 3 to 12 in. The slope should not be too flat, or the cone will not roll, and it should be such that the

[Illustration: The Illusion]

one end will be higher than the other by a little less than half the diameter of the cone. Thus it will be seen that the diameter of the cone determines the length of the slope of the tracks. A notch should be cut in the tracks, as indicated, for the shaft to drop into at the end of the course.

The lower end of the tracks are closed until the high edge of the cone rests upon the inside edges of the tracks and the high end spread sufficiently to take the full width of the cone and to allow the shaft to fall into the notches. When the cone and tracks are viewed from the broadside the deception will be more perfect, and will not be discovered until the construction of the model is seen from all sides. Should it be difficult to make the cone from wood, a good substitute can be made from two funnels. --Contributed by I. G. Bayley, Cape May Point, N.J.

** Annealing Chisel Steel [362]

Persons who have occasion to use tool or carbon steel now and then and do not have access to an assorted stock of this material find that the kind most readily obtained at the hardware store is the unannealed steel known as chisel steel. Machining or filing such steel is exceedingly slow and difficult, besides the destruction of tools; as a matter of fact this steel is intended for chisels, drills, and like tools which require only forging and filing. If this steel is annealed, it can be worked as easily as the more expensive annealed steel.

Annealing may be done by heating the steel to a cherry red, not any more, and burying it in a box of slaked lime, where it is allowed to remain until all the heat is gone. If well done, the metal will be comparatively soft and in a condition to machine easily and rapidly. In lieu of lime, bury in ashes, sand, loam, or any substance not inflammable, but fine enough to closely surround the steel and exclude the air so that the steel cools very slowly.

If possible, keep the steel red hot in the fire several hours, the longer the better. In certain processes, like that of file manufacturing, the steel blanks are kept hot for 48 hours or more. Where it is impossible to wait so long as the foregoing method takes, then a cold water anneal may be used with less time. This method consists of heating the work as slowly and thoroughly as the time will permit, then removing the steel from the fire and allowing it to cool in the air until black and then quenching in water.

In addition to softening the steel, annealing benefits the metal by relieving strains in the piece. Should a particularly accurate job be called for, the steel should be annealed again after the roughing cuts have been taken and before machining to the final size. This will insure a true job and diminishes the danger of spring in the final hardening. --Contributed by Donald A. Hampson, Middletown, N. Y.

* * * * *

[Illustration: The above photograph was made by first printing a maple leaf of the paper, not too dark, then printing on top the picture from the negative, and finishing in the usual way.]

** How to Make a Post Card Holder [363]

This holder is designed to lay flat on the counter or to stack one on top of the other, keeping each variety of cards separate, or a number of them can be fastened on any upright surface to display either horizontal or vertical cards.

The holders can be made from sheet tin, zinc, brass or aluminum. The dimensions for the right size are given in Fig. 1; the dotted line showing where the bends are made. The

[Illustration: Pattern for Cutting the Metal]

completed holder is shown in Fig. 2 as fastened to a wall. --Contributed by John F. Williamson, Daytona, Fla.

** Unused Paint [363]

Do not allow paint that is left over from a job to stand uncovered. The can should be tightly sealed and the paint will be found suitable for use for several days.

** Perfume-Making Outfit [363]

The real perfume from the flowers is not always contained in the liquid purchased for perfume. The most expensive perfume can be made at home for less than 10 cents an ounce. The outfit necessary is a large bottle or glass jar with a smaller bottle to fit snugly into the open mouth of the large one. Secure a small piece of very fine sponge and wash it clean to thoroughly remove all grit and sand.

[Illustration: Bottle with Flowers]

Saturate the sponge with pure olive oil, do not use strong oil, and place it inside of the smaller bottle.

Fill the large bottle or jar with flowers, such as roses, carnations, pansies, honeysuckles or any flower having a strong and sweet odor. Place the small bottle containing the sponge upside down in the large one, as shown in the illustration.

The bottle is now placed in the sun and kept there for a day and then the flowers are removed and fresh ones put in. Change the flowers each day as long as they bloom. Remove the sponge and squeeze out the oil. For each drop of oil add 2 oz. of grain alcohol. If stronger perfume is desired add only 1 oz. alcohol to each drop of oil.

** Home-Made Duplicator for Box Cameras [363]

The projecting tube of the lens on a hand camera can be easily fitted with a duplicator while the box camera with its lens set on the inside and nothing but a hole in the box does not have such advantages. A small piece of heavy cardboard can be made to produce the same results on a box camera as a first-class duplicator applied to a hand camera.

[Illustration: Duplicator Attached to a Camera]

The cardboard is cut triangular and attached to the front end of the camera as shown in Fig. 1 with a pin about 1 in. above the lens opening. A rubber band placed around the lower end of the cardboard and camera holds the former at any position it is placed. A slight pressure of the finger on the point A, Fig. 2, will push the cardboard over and expose one-half of the plate and the same pressure at B, Fig. 3, will reverse the operation and expose the other one-half. Pins can be stuck in the end of the camera on each side of the lens opening at the right place to stop the cardboard for the exposure. With this device one can duplicate the picture of a person on the same negative. --Contributed by Maurice Baudier, New Orleans, La.

** Optical Illusions [364]

The accompanying sketch shows two optical illusions, the first having a perfect circle on the outside edge

[Illustration: The Two Illusions]

appears to be flattened at the points A, and the arcs of the circle, B, appear to be more rounding. In the second figure the circle appears to have an oval form with the distance from C to C greater than from D to D. A compass applied to the circles in either figures will show that they are perfectly round. --Contributed by Norman S. Brown, Chippewa Falls, Wis.

** Use of Kerosene in Polishing Metals [364]

Anyone who has polished a flat iron or steel surface with emery cloth knows how soon the cloth gums and fills up. The cloth in this condition will do little or no cutting. A simple remedy for this trouble is to use kerosene on the surface. The oil floats away a large part of the gumming substance and leaves the emery cloth sharp and clean to do the best work, also, it seems to act as a lubricant to keep particles of metal from collecting on the cloth and scratching or digging in the surface of the metal. A very light lard oil is equally good for this purpose, but not always easily obtained. A surface polished where oil or kerosene is used does not rust so easily as one polished dry, for the reason that a little oil remains on the metal.

Kerosene is the best to use on oil stones, being better than heavier oil. This oil readily floats away all particles of the feather edge that are liable to become loosened and forced into the stone. These particles of metal when stuck to the stone are the cause of spoiling it, as well as nicking the tools that are being sharpened. Keep the surface of the stone well oiled at all times to make the cutting free. --Contributed by Donald A. Hampson, Middletown, N. Y.

** How to Make Lamps Burn Brightly [364]

For a good, steady light there is nothing better than a lamp, but like most everything it must have attention. After cleaning well and fitting it, place a small lump of camphor in the oil vessel. This will greatly improve the light and make the flame clearer and brighter. If there is no camphor at hand add a few drops of vinegar occasionally.

** A Practical Camera for Fifty Cents [365] By C. H. Claudy

I say for fifty cents, but really this is an outside estimate. If you possess a few tools and the rudiments of a shop, by which is meant a few odds and ends of screws, brass and nails, you can really make this camera for nothing.

The camera box is the first consideration, and for this a cigar box answers every purpose. It is better to use one of the long boxes which contain a hundred cigars and which have square ends. This box should be cut down, by means of a saw and a plate, until the ends are 4 in. square. Leave the lid hinged as it is when it comes. Clean all the paper from the outside and inside

[Illustration: Construction of Camera Box]

of the box--which may be readily done with a piece of glass for a scraper and a damp cloth--and paint the interior of the box a dead black, either with carriage makers' black or black ink.

Now bore in the center of one end a small hole, 1/4 in. or less in diameter. Finally insert on the inside of the box, on the sides, two small strips of wood, 1/8 by 1/4 in. and fasten them with glue, 1/8 in. from the other end of the box. Examine Fig. 1, and see the location of these strips, which are lettered EE. Their purpose is to hold the plate, which may be any size desired up to 4 in. square. Commercially, plates come 3-1/2 by 3-1/2 in., or, in the lantern slide plate, 3-1/4 by 4 in. If it is desired to use the 3-1/2 by 3-1/2 in. plates. which is advised, the box should measure that size in its internal dimensions.

We now come to the construction of the most essential part of the camera--the pin hole and the shutter, which take the place of the lens and shutter used in more expensive outfits. This construction is illustrated in Fig. 4. Take a piece of brass, about 1/16-in. thick and 1-1/2 in. square. Bore a hole in each corner, to take a small screw, which will fasten it to the front of the camera. With 1/4-in. drill bore nearly through the plate in the center, but be careful that the point of the drill does not come through. This will produce the recess shown in the first section in Fig. 4. Now take a No. 10 needle, insert the eye end in a piece of wood and very carefully and gently twirl it in the center of the brass where it is the thinnest, until it goes through. This pin hole, as it is called, is what produces the image on the sensitive plate, in a manner which I shall presently describe. The shutter consists of a little swinging piece of brass completely covering the recess and pin hole, and provided with a little knob at its lower end. See Fig. 3, in which F is the front of the camera, B the brass plate and C the shutter. This is also illustrated in the second cross section in Fig. 4. In the latter I have depicted it as swung from a pivot in the brass, and in Fig. 3 as hung from a screw in the wood of the front board; either construction will be effective.

Lastly, it is necessary to provide a finder for this camera in order to know what picture you are taking. Make a little frame of wire, the size of the plate you are using, and mount it upright (see Fig. 5) on top of the camera as close to the end where the pin hole is as you can. At the other end, in the center, erect a little pole of wire half the height of the plate. If now you look along the top of this little pole, through the wire frame and see that the top of the little pole appears in the center of the frame, everything that you see beyond will be

[Illustration: Pin Hole and Shutter Construction]

taken on the plate, as will be made plain by looking at the dotted lines in Fig. 5, which represents the outer limits of your vision when confined within the little frame.

[Illustration: Explanation of Action of Pin Hole]

When you want to use this camera, take it into an absolutely dark room

[Illustration: Constructing a Finder for Camera]

and insert a plate (which you can buy at any supply store for photographers) in the end where the slides of wood are, and between them and the back of the box. Close the lid and secure it with a couple of rubber bands. See that the little shutter covers the hole. Now take the camera to where you wish to take a photograph, and rest it securely on some solid surface. The exposure will be, in bright sunlight and supposing that your camera is 10 in. long, about six to eight seconds. This exposure is made by lifting the little brass shutter until the hole is uncovered, keeping it up the required time, and then letting it drop back into place. It is important that the camera be held rigid during the exposure, and that it does not move and is not jarred--otherwise the picture will be blurred. Remove the plate in the dark room and pack it carefully in a pasteboard box and several wrappings of paper to protect it absolutely from the light. It is now ready to be carried to some one who knows how to do developing and printing.

To explain the action of the pin hole I would direct attention to Fig. 2. Here F represents the front of the camera, D the pinhole, AA the plate and the letters RR, rays from a lighted candle. These rays of course, radiate in all directions, an infinite multitude of them. Similar rays radiate from every point of the object, from light reflected from these points. Certain of these rays strike the pin hole in the front of the camera, represented here by RRRR. These rays pass through the pin hole, and as light travels only in straight lines, reach the plate AA, forming an inverted image of the object, in this case a candle in a candlestick. Millions of rays are given off by every point in every object which is lighted by either direct or reflected light. To all practical purposes only one of these rays from each point in an object can pass through a minute opening like a pin hole. This being so, any screen which interrupts these selected rays of light will show upon it a picture of the object, only inverted. If that screen happens to be a photographically sensitive plate, which is protected from all other light by being in a dark box, upon it will be imprinted a photographic image which can be made visible by the application of certain chemicals, when it becomes a negative, from which may be printed positives. This camera is not a theoretical possibility, but an actual fact. I have made and used one successfully, as a demonstration of pin-hole photography.

** Use for an Old Clock [367]

Remove the hair spring of the clock, and fasten a spring to one end of the pawl and a small wire to the other end. Make a slit in the case of the clock opposite the pawl. Fasten the spring on the outside in any convenient way and pass the wire through the slit to an eccentric or other oscillating body. To make the dial, paste a piece of paper over the old dial, pull the wire back and forth one hundred times, and make a mark where the minute hand stops. Using this for a unit divide up the whole dial. The hour hand has an inner circle of its own. Put the alarm hand at a little before twelve and wind the alarm. When the alarm is

[Illustration: Revolution Recorder]

unwound the hour hand starts on a new trip. The clock I used was put on an amateur windmill and when the hour hand went around once 86,400 revolutions or jerks on the wire were made, while the minute hand recorded one-twelfth of this number, or 7,200. --Contributed by Richard H. Ranger, Indianapolis, Ind.

** Renewing Dry Batteries [367]

Dry batteries, if not too far gone, can be renewed by simply boring a small hole through the composition on top of each carbon and pouring some strong salt water or sal ammoniac solution into the holes. This kink is sent us by a reader who says that the process will make the battery nearly as good as new if it is not too far gone beforehand.

** Saving a Brush [367]

If a round brush spreads too much, slip a rubber band over the upper part of the bristles.

** How to Make a Simple Burglar Alarm [368]

Take a piece of any wood about 6 by 8 in. for the base. This may be finished in any way desired. For the contact points use brass or any sheet metal

[Illustration: Simple Burglar Alarm]

which will be satisfactory. Take a piece about 2-1/2 or 3 in. in length and bend the ends up about 1/2 in. in a vertical position as shown. Fasten this to the top of the board using screws or nails. Under this strip of metal fasten a copper wire which can be connected to a binding-post on the board if desired. Take another piece of metal about 4-1/2 in. in length and make a lever of it in the shape shown in the diagram. Fasten this so that one end of it will swing freely, but not loosely between the ends of the other piece marked C-C. Near the end fasten a spiral spring, S, which can be obtained almost anywhere. Fasten the end of this to the screw marked X. Also fasten to this screw a copper wire leading to the binding-post. In the lower end of the lever make a small hole to fasten a string through.

This string may be fastened across a door or window and any movement of it will pull it to the contact point on the right. If the string is cut or broken the spring will pull the lever to the contact point on the left and thus complete the circuit. If the string is burned it will also act as a fire alarm.

** How to Fit Corks [368]

Occasionally odd-sized bottles are received in stores which require corks cut to fit them. No matter how sharp a knife may be, it will leave some sharp edges after cutting the cork, which will cause leakage. The illustration shows three very effective methods of reducing the size of corks. The one shown in Fig. 1 is made from two pieces of 1/2-in. wood fastened together at one end with a common hinge. Two or three grooves are cut cross-wise in sizes desired. The cork is put into the groove and both pieces are pressed together, which will make the cork smaller.

Rolling the cork between two flat

[Illustration: Three Methods for Reducing Size of Corks]

surfaces (Fig. 2) is simple and almost as good as pressing in the grooves. A cork rolled on the floor (Fig. 3) is a quick and effective way. A slower and equally as good way is to soak the cork in hot water for a short time. --Contributed by L. Szerlip, Brooklyn, N. Y.

** Right Handed Engine [368]

Standing at the cylinder end and looking toward the flywheel of an engine, the wheel will be at the right if the engine is right-hand.

** Home-Made Crutch [369]

While a fractured bone was healing in the limb of my boy he needed a pair of crutches and not being able to secure the right length, I set about to make the crutches from two broom handles. I split the handles to within 1 ft. of the end (Fig. 1) with a rip saw, and then stuck them in a barrel of water for three days to make the wood pliable for bending. A grip for each stick was made as long as the hand is wide and a hole bored through the center the size of a No. 10 gauge wire. These grips were placed between the two halves of each stick at the right distance for the length of the boy's arm and a wire run through both split

[Illustration: A Broom Handle Crutch]

pieces and the handle then riveted as shown in Fig. 2. Another piece was cut as shown at A, Fig. 3, and nailed to the upper ends of each half of the broom handle. --Contributed by Geo. P. Grehore, Nashville, Tenn.

** Home-Made Necktie Holder [369]

The gas bracket is considered a good place to hang neckties, even if it does crowd them together. The illustration shows a better method, a curtain rod attached to one end of a bureau. Two long-shanked, square-hooked screws should be used, so they may be screwed beneath and close up to the projecting top. When removed they will leave no

[Illustration: Hanger for Ties]

disfiguring holes. --Contributed by C. W. Neiman, New York City.

** How to Make a Trousers Hanger [369]

Secure from your tinsmith a piece of sheet metal 7 in. wide and 12 in. long. Cut the metal as shown in Fig. 1 and make a close bend at the point.A, but not too close to cause it to break. The piece will then appear as shown in Fig. 2. Cut a piece from the waste material 1/2 in. wide and 2-1/4 in. long and bend it around the two pieces B, Fig. 2, so it will slide freely on their length. Bend the edges C in for 1/8 in. to hold the trousers firmly. Drill a hole through the top end of B and attach a wire formed into a hook for use in hanging on a nail. The bottom end of the trousers is inserted between the jaws C and the small ferrule pushed

[Illustration: Cut from Sheet Metal]

down to clamp them on the cloth. --Contributed by A. Levinson, Saginaw, Michigan.

** Easy Designs in Ornamental Iron Work [370]

Many an industrious lad has made money manufacturing the common forms of wood brackets, shelves, boxes, stands, etc., but the day of the scroll

[Illustration: Fig. 1 to 6]

saw and the cigar-box wood bracket and picture frame has given way to the more advanced and more profitable work of metal construction. Metal brackets, stands for lamps, gates, parts of artistic fences for gardens, supporting arms for signs, etc., are among the articles of modern times that come under the head of things possible to construct of iron in the back room or attic shop. The accompanying sketches present some of the articles possible to manufacture.

First, it is essential that a light room be available, or a portion of the cellar where there is light, or a workshop may be built in the yard. Buy a moderate sized anvil, a vise and a few other tools, including bell hammer, and this is all required for cold bending. If you go into a forge for hot bending, other devices will be needed. Figure 1 shows how to make the square bend, getting the shoulder even. The strip metal is secured at the hardware store or the iron works. Often the strips can be secured at low cost from junk dealers. Metal strips about 1/2 in. wide and 1/8 in. thick are preferable. The letter A indicates a square section of iron, though an anvil would do, or the base of a section of railroad iron. The bend is worked on the corner as at B, cold. If a rounded bend is desired, the same process is applied on the circular piece of iron or the horn of an anvil. This is shown in Fig. 2, at C. This piece of iron can be purchased at any junk store, where various pieces are always strewn about. A piece about 20 in. long and 4 in. in diameter is about the right size. The bend in the metal begins at D and is made according to the requirements. Occasionally where sharp bends or abrupt corners are needed, the metal is heated previous to bending.

Although the worker may produce various forms of strip-metal work, the bracket is, as a rule, the most profitable to handle. The plain bracket is shown in Fig. 3, and is made by bending the strip at the proper angle on form A, after which the brace is adjusted by means of rivets. A rivet hole boring tool will be needed. A small metal turning or drilling lathe can be purchased for a few dollars and operated by hand for the boring, or a common hand drill can be used. Sometimes the bracket is improved in design by adding a few curves to the end pieces of the brace, making the effect as shown in Fig. 4. After these brackets are made they are coated with asphaltum or Japan; or the brackets may be painted or stained any desired shade.

In some of the work required, it is necessary to shape a complete loop or circle at the end of the piece. This may be wrought out as in Fig. 5. The use of a bar of iron or steel is as shown. The bar is usually about 2 in. in diameter and several feet in length, so that it will rest firmly on a base of wood or stone. Then the bending is effected as at F, about the bar E, by repeated blows with the hammer. After a little practice, it is possible to describe almost any kind of a circle with the tools. The bar can be bought at an iron dealers for about 40 cents. From the junk pile of junk shop one may get a like bar for a few cents.

A convenient form for shaping strip metal into pieces required for brackets, fences, gates, arches, and general trimmings is illustrated at Fig. 6. First there ought to be a base block, G, of hard wood, say about 2 ft. square. With a round point or gouging chisel work out the groove to the size of the bar, forming a seat, by sinking the bar, H, one-half its depth into the wood as shown. In order to retain the bar securely in position in the groove, there should be two caps fitted over it and set-screwed to the wooden base. These caps may be found in junk dealers' heaps, having been cast off from 2-in. shaft boxes. Or if caps are not available, the caps can be constructed from sheet metal by bending to the form of the bar, allowing side portions or lips for boring, so that the caps can be set screwed to the wood. Thus we get a tool which can be used on the bench for the purpose of effecting series of bends in strips of metal.

Since the introduction of the laws requiring that signs of certain size and projection be removed from public thoroughfares in cities, there has been quite a call for short sign brackets, so termed, of the order exhibited in Fig. 7. These sign-supporting brackets do not extend more than 3 ft. out from the building. A boy can take orders for these signs in almost any city or large town with a little canvassing. The sign supporting bracket shown is merely a suggestion. Other designs may be wrought out in endless variety. A hook or eye is needed to sustain the ring in the sign.

The young man who undertakes to construct any sort of bracket, supports, frames or the like, will find that he will get many orders for lamp-supporting contrivances, such as shown at Fig. 8. It is hardly necessary to go into details

[Illustration: Fig. 7 to 10]

for making these stands, as every part is bent as described in connection with the bending forms, and the portions are simply riveted at the different junctures. Both iron and copper rivets are used as at I, in Fig. 9, a cross sectional view.

The best way is to bore straight through both pieces and insert the rivet. In some cases the rivet is headed up in the bore and again washers are used and the heading effected on the washer. Copper rivets are soft and easily handled, but are costly as compared with iron rivets.

Good prices are obtained for the guards for open fireplaces made in many varieties in these days. The return of the open fireplace in modern houses has created a demand for these guards and in Fig. 10 we show a design for one of them. The posts are made

[Illustration: Fig. 11 to 15]

sufficiently stiff by uniting two sides with rivets. The ends at top are looped as shown, while the ends or butts at the base are opened out to make the feet. Rings are shaped on forms and are then riveted to the base cross-piece as illustrated. Crosses are made to describe to central design and the plan is worked out quite readily with the different shapes.

The making of metal fire grate fronts has proven to be a very interesting and profitable occupation for boys in recent times. Not long ago it was sufficient for the ingenious youth to turn out juvenile windmills, toy houses and various little knickknacks for amusement. The modern lad wants more than this. He desires to turn some of his product into cash. Therefore we present some of the patterns of fire grates which boys have made and can make again from scrap iron, with few tools and devices, and find a ready market for the same as soon as they are made. Figure 11 is a sketch of a form of fire grate bar or front that is constructed with a series of circles of strip metal. The best way is to go to the hardware store or iron dealer's and buy a quantity of 1/4-in., 1/2-in., and 3/4-in. iron, about 1/8 to 3/16 in. thick. In fact 1/16-in. metal would do in many cases where the parts are worked out small in size. The 1/8-in. metal is very strong. Then after getting the supply of strip metal in stock, procure the usual type of metal worker's hammer, a cheap anvil, a 9-1b. vise, a cold chisel, a file or two, and a round piece of shaft iron, about 3 in. diameter and 2 to 3 ft. long. This piece of iron is represented at B, Fig. 12.

The iron is held in position by means of the straps of metal C, C, which are bent over the shaft tightly and grip the board base with set or lag screws as shown. The wooden base should be about 2 in. thick and large enough to make a good support for the iron shaft. The process of bending the rings in this way is as shown. The piece of strip iron is grasped at D. Then with the hammer the iron is gradually worked cold about the mandrel as at E until the perfect form is acquired. After the form is finished, the strip at the terminus of the ring is cut off. In order to get a steady base the wooden part may be bolted to a bench. In Fig. 13 is shown the method of clipping off the completed ring. The cold chisel is held upright, and by delivering several blows with the hammer upon the same, the point is caused to chip through the metal and release the ring. The shaft or mandrel is marked G. The cold chisel is indicated at I and the position where the hand grasps the strip is at H. The final operation in shaping the ring is by driving the protruding cut, lip down, to the common level of the opposite point, thus giving us the finished ring with the lips closed on the mandrel as at J, Fig. 14. These rings can be turned out in this way very speedily. The next operation involves the process of uniting the rings in the plan to shape the design. The design work is often worked out ahead and followed. Some become so proficient that they can develop a design as they proceed.

Figure 11 is a design of grate front used for various purposes in connection with grate fires. The series of rings are united by a rivet between each at the joining point. With thin metal the holes can be punched with an iron punch and hammer on an anvil where there is a hole to receive the point of the punch after the punch penetrates the metal. For the heavier forms of metal a drill is necessary. A metal drill and brace can be purchased very cheaply for this work. After drilling the holes, the parts are erected and the rivets inserted and headed up as each addition is made. Thus the series of rings are united and then the side pieces are similarly riveted. The points at the top are then worked out and joined on. These points are filed down to the necessary taper after the union is effected. The finishing work involves smoothing rough places with a file and painting. Asphaltum makes a good black finish. Some of the best designs of grates are bronzed. Some are silvered. The different designs are finished as desired by customers.

Figure 15 is another design of grate in which the process of shaping the rings is like that in the first design. There are some half circles in this pattern and these are framed by shaping the same about the mandrel with the hammer. In order to get the shoulders close and the circle complete it is necessary to heat the metal. A coke fire can be made in a hole in the ground. Then procure a tin blowpipe and blow the flame against the metal at the point to be bent. This metal will become red hot very soon, and can be bent readily against the anvil and the circular form. Let the metal cool off on the ground after heating. Fig. 16 is another design

[Illustration: Fig. 16 to 20]

which can be wrought out. The middle adjustment is wire screen work which may be bought at a hardware store and set into the position shown. Fig. 17 shows a chipping off device useful in connection with this work. Metal chippers can be bought at any tool store. The chipper is placed in the jaws of the vise as at K, and secured there. The strip of metal in process of cutting is marked M. The hammer head is caused to strike the metal just over the cutting edge of the chipper. The quick, hard blow causes the cutting edge to penetrate far enough to sever the piece. Bending cold with a wooden form is done as in Fig. 18. The wooden form is marked P and is about 8 in. wide and 7 in. high, forming a one-sided oval shape. There is a pin R set into the base board of the oval form and the strip of metal for bending is grasped at S and the other end is inserted back of the pin R. By applying pressure, the strip of metal is bent to the form.

Figure 19 shows the hour-glass wood bending form, made by selecting a piece of hard wood block, about 6 in. square and boring through with an inch bit. Then the hole is shaped hour-glass like. The view is a sectional one. The block is placed in a vise and the strip for bending is inserted as at T.

The strip of metal is grasped at W and can be bent to various forms by exerting pressure. Fig. 20 is another type of fireplace front, constructed by uniting the shaped metal pieces. In fact an almost endless variety of designs can be wrought out after the start is once made. A good way to figure the price on the grate is to add up the costs of the parts and charge about 12 cents per hour for the work.

** How to Make a Water Wheel [374]

Considerable power can be developed with an overshot water wheel erected as in Fig. 1. This wheel is made with blocks of wood cut out in sections as indicated by the lines, so as to form the circle properly. The wheel can be

[Illustration: Overshot and Undershot Wheels]

about 24 in. in diameter to produce results and about 10 in. wide. Get some tin cans and attach them around the wheel as shown. Bore the wheel center out and put on the grooved wood wheel, P, and a rope for driving, R. This rope runs to a wooden frame in the manner illustrated. The water is carried in a sluice affair, N, to the fall, O, where the water dippers are struck by the volume and from 2 to 4 hp. will be produced with this size of wheel if there is sufficient flow of water. This power can be used for running two or three sewing machines, fans, fret-saws, and the like. Another form of water wheel is shown in Fig. 2. This is driven by an underflow of current. This type of wheel can be made on lines similar to the other, only that the paddles are of wood and extend outward as shown. The wheel is supported in a bearing on the piece S. A belt, T, communicates the power to the wheel V and from here the power is carried to any desired point.

** How To Build An Imitation Street Car Line [374]

An imitation street car line may sound like a big undertaking, but, in fact, it is one of the easiest things a boy can construct, does not take much time and the expense is not great. A boy who lives on a farm can find many fine places to run such a line, and one in town can have a line between the house and the barn, if they are some distance apart.

Often all the boards and blocks required can be had for helping a carpenter clear away the rubbish around a new building. Wheels and parts of old bicycles, which can be used in so many ways, can be found at a junk shop at very low prices, wheels in good repair are not expensive. For the car for the street car line try to find a set of wheels having axles, but if you cannot find such, make shafts of hard wood, about 3 in. by 2-1/2 in. and by means of a jackknife turn, or shave down the ends to receive the hub bearings of the wheels. Fasten the wheel hubs securely over the ends of the wood with pins or little bolts, or if the wheel bearing is of such a nature that it revolves on its own journal, the journal can be fastened to the end of the wood piece. Each of the wheels should be provided with a sprocket; any chain sprocket of a bicycle may be used. Fasten these sprockets on the outside of the wheels as shown in Fig. 1. They can be set on over the bearing end and secured with a set screw, or the original key can be employed. It is best in cases like this to use the original parts. Make the floor of the car of pieces of boards placed on the axles and nailed, screwed or bolted, as shown at A. To erect the frame, place uprights, C C C C, in position as shown, fastening the ends to the base-boards and making

[Illustration: Fig. 3]

the roof line as at B, then put in the cross-pieces, G G. Seats, E E, are simply boxes. The drive of the car is effected by using the driving sprockets, D D, fitted to the crosspieces, G G, with the original bearings. The parts are thereby secured to the car and the chain placed on.

Key the cranks for turning to the upper sprocket's shaft and all is ready. If there are sprocket gears and cranks on either side, four boys may propel the car at one time. Considerable speed can be made on smooth roads, but it is the best amusement to run a car line on wooden tracks with a brake consisting of a piece of wooden shaft, passing through a bore in the car floor, and fitted with a leather covered pad as at H. A spiral spring holds up the brake until pressure is applied by foot power, when the brake contacts with the wooden track and checks the car.

The track plan is illustrated in Fig. 2. Get some boards and place them end for end on other pieces set as ties. The main boards or tracks, JJ, can be about 6 in. wide, to the edges of which nail strips about 3/4 in. wide and about the

[Illustration: Construction of Car]

same height. The ties, I I, can be almost any box boards. Wire nails are the best to use in putting the tracks together. The sprocket connection with the chain is shown in Fig. 3. This consists of the sprocket gear on the propelling shaft, and the crank. The pedals may be removed and a chisel handle, or any tool handle, substituted, so as to afford means for turning the

[Illustration: Section of the Track]

crank by hand power. Great fun can be had with the road, and, furthermore, it can be made remunerative, as boys and girls can be given rides for a penny each.

** Clean Before Painting [375]

Apply a coat of raw starch water to a dirty wall before painting; this, when dry, may be brushed or wiped off.

** Varnish for Electric Terminals [375]

A good varnish for electric terminals is made of sealing wax dissolved in gasoline. To prevent brittleness add a little linseed oil.

** Measuring the Height of a Tree [376]

[Illustration: Method of Applying the Triangle Measure]

"Near the end of the season our boy announced the height of our tall maple tree to be 33 ft. "'Why, how do you know?' was the general question. "'Measured it.' "'How?' "'Foot rule and yardstick.' "'You didn't climb that tall tree?' his mother asked anxiously. "'No'm; I found the length of the shadow and measured that.' "'But the length of the shadow changes.' "'Yes'm; but twice a day the shadows are just as long as the things themselves. I've been trying it all summer. I drove a stick into the ground, and when its shadow was just as long as the stick I knew that the shadow of the tree would be just as long as the tree, and that's 33 ft.'"

The above paragraph appeared in one of the daily papers which come to our office. The item was headed, "A Clever Boy." Now we do not know who this advertised boy was, but we knew quite as clever a boy, one who could have got the approximate height of the tree without waiting for the sun to shine at a particular angle or to shine at all for that matter. The way boy No. 2 went about the same problem was this: He got a stick and planted it in the ground and then cut it off just at the level of his eyes. Then he went out and took a look at the tree and made a rough estimate of the tree's height in his mind, and judging the same distance along the ground from the tree trunk, he planted his stick in the ground. Then he lay down on his back with his feet against the standing stick and looked at the top of the tree over the stick.

If he found the top of stick and tree did not agree he tried a new position and kept at it until he could just see the tree top over the end of the upright stick. Then all he had to do was to measure along the ground to where his eye had been when lying down and that gave him the height of the tree.

'The point about this method is that the boy and stick made a right-angled triangle with boy for base, stick for perpendicular, both of the same length, and the "line of sight" the hypotenuse or long line of the triangle. When he got into the position which enabled him to just see the tree top over the top of the stick he again had a right-angled triangle with tree as perpendicular, his eye's distance away from the trunk, the base, and the line of sight the hypotenuse. He could measure the base line along the ground and knew it must equal the vertical height, and he could do this without reference to the sun. It was an ingenious application of the well known properties of a right-angled triangle. --Railway and Locomotive Engineer.

** White Putty to Black [376]

White putty on a black window frame can be made to harmonize by rubbing the fresh putty with a piece of cotton dipped in lampblack.

** Using Sandpaper [376]

Sandpaper may be kept from slipping under the hand by chalking the back.

** An Interesting Electrical Experiment [377]

Anyone possessing a battery having an electromotive force of from 4 to 20 volts can perform the following experiment, which is

## particularly interesting on account of the variation of results

with apparently the same conditions.

Immerse two pieces of brass in a strong solution of common salt and water. Connect one piece to the positive wire and the other to the negative, taking care that the brass pieces do not touch each other.

After the current has passed one

[Illustration: How Wires are Connected]

or two minutes, the solution will become colored, and if the process is continued a colored pigment will be precipitated. The precipitate varies considerably in color and may be either yellow, blue, orange, green or brown, depending on the strength of the current, the strength of the solution, and the composition of the brass.

** Novelty Chain Made from a Match [377]

The accompanying engraving shows what is possible to do with a penknife.

[Illustration: Lay a Match on the Picture]

A small chain composed of several links was cut from the wood that forms the match.

** Keeping Doors Closed [377]

Glass doors in bookcases may be kept from swinging open by boring a hole, about 1/4 in. deep, either at the top or bottom in the edge of the door, 2 in. from the closing edge, and inserting an ordinary cork, allowing a small portion to project and rub on the facing.

** Restoring Broken Negatives [377]

Whoever has the misfortune to break a valuable negative need not despair, for the damage can be repaired most effectively. In case the negative be broken into many pieces, take a clean glass, the same size as the broken negative, and put upon this the pieces, joining them accurately, says Camera Craft. Put another clean glass on top of this and bind the three together with passe-partout binding or gummed strips of ordinary paper, as one would a lantern slide, and cover the glass edges.

Next make a transparency of this--in the camera, of course--and if it is done right, the positive will only show the cracks as dark and light lines. The

[Illustration: Before and After Mending]

dark lines are removed with the etching knife and the light ones with the retouching pencil. From this transparency another negative can be made, or as many negatives as necessary, by either contact or in the camera, and if the work on the glass positive was done carefully, no trace of the break should be seen on the finished negative. If the negative is broken in two or three larger pieces only, a contact positive may be made in the printing frame without binding, by using a clean glass in the latter, upon which the pieces are put together, face up, and a dry plate exposed in contact with them in the dark room. The accompanying engravings show a print before and after repairing a broken negative in this manner.

** Coin and Tumbler Trick [378]

The accompanying sketch shows how a good trick may be easily performed by anyone. Lay a piece of

[Illustration: This Is a Good Trick]

heavy paper that is free from creases on a board or table. Secure three tumblers that are alike and stick a piece of the same heavy paper over the openings in two of them, neatly trimming it all around the edges so as to leave nothing of the paper for anyone to see. Make three covers of paper as shown in Fig. 1 to put over the tumblers. Place three coins on the sheet of paper, then the tumblers with covers on top of the coins, the unprepared tumbler being in the middle. Now lift the covers off the end tumblers, and you will see that the paper on the openings covers the coins. Replace the covers, lift the middle one, and a coin will be seen under the tumbler, as the opening of this tumbler is not covered. Drop the cover back again and lift the other tumblers and covers bodily, so that the spectators can see the coins, remarking at the same time that you can make them vanish from one to the other. The openings of the tumblers must never be exposed so that any one can see them, and a safe way to do this is to keep them level with the table.

** Another Way to Renew Dry Batteries [378]

There are many methods of renewing dry batteries, and I have used several of them, but I found the following the best: Remove the paper cover and with a 1/4-in. drill make about six holes around the side of the zinc, about 1/2 in. from the bottom. Then drill another row of holes about half way up the side and put the battery to soak in a solution of sal ammoniac for 48 hours. Then remove and plug the holes up with hard soap, and replace in the paper box, when it will give nearly as strong a current as when new.

** Simply Made Wire Puzzle [378]

The object of this simply made wire puzzle is to get the ring off, which is not easy unless you know how. To do so it is necessary to move the triangle with ring to one of the hinge joints and fold the puzzle. Then slip the ring off the triangle over the hinge joint and it will slip all around and off at the other hinge.

[Illustration: Puzzle]

** Pronunciation [378]

Diabolo is pronounced Dee-ab-lo.

** Repairing Box Cameras [379]

In repairing the inner part of box cameras which have been broken loose, use a binding of strong black cloth well glued in place. This will materially strengthen the joints where the wooden pieces are so thin that it is impossible to use brads in holding them together.

Do not forget to thoroughly clean all the old glue or cement from the joints with a rasp or sandpaper before attempting a repair.

** A Fishhook Box [379]

A box that may be used to hold fishhooks, sinkers, matches or any small articles, can be made from two empty shotgun cartridges as shown in the sketch. The paper is cut from the brass part of one shell at the place marked A, Fig. 1, and the brass part, Fig-. 2, is used for a cap on the other

[Illustration: Made of Shotgun Shells]

shell (Fig. 3). Coating the box with shellac will improve its appearance. --Contributed by Abner B. Shaw, N. Dartmouth, Mass.

** A Tin Drinking Cup for the Camp [379]

If in need of a drinking cup while camping, a temporary cup can be made of a tomato or baking-powder can. Punch two holes near the top of the can; bend a piece of wire and place the ends through the holes as shown at A in the sketch. Pull the ends to draw the loop close up on the inside of the tin and then twist the ends to form a handle as shown at B. When there is enough wire twisted to form a good handle, pass the ends around the can

[Illustration: Handle on a Tin Can]

at the bottom and twist them together on the opposite side. --Contributed by W. A. Lane, El Paso, Tex.

** A Bookmark [379]

A very handy bookmark can be made by attaching a narrow ribbon to an ordinary paper clip and using it as shown in the sketch. The clip is slipped over the binding in the back of the book as shown in the sketch. --Contributed by Chester E. Warner, Kalamazoo, Mich.

[Illustration: Bookmark]

** Kitchen Knife Sharpener [379]

A good serviceable knife sharpener may be made from a piece of steel cut as shown with two screw holes drilled for fastening it to a piece of wood or to a table. The knife is drawn through and sharpened on either side. Both positions of the knife are shown. The

[Illustration: Sharpener on Table Edge]

steel is hardened before fastening it in place. --Contributed by George Madsen, Chicago. Ill.

** Devices of Winter Sports-How to Make and Use Them [380]

In the north the red-cheeked boy digs a hole in the ice and while he amuses and invigorates himself at skating the fish underneath the icy sheet

[Illustration: "Tip Up Pole"]

fasten themselves to the hook he has let down through a hole. The boy used to sit over the hole in the ice and wait for the fish to bite, but that became too slow and detracted too much from his pleasure at skating. So his inventive genius set itself to work and the "tip-up" and "signal" shown in the illustration was the result. When the fish is not biting the flag lies flat on the ice, but as soon as a fish has swallowed the hook the flag pole stands straight up wafting its bright colored flag to the breezes and all the boys on the skating pond read the word "fish." The fish is drawn up, the hook rebaited and the youthful fisherman resumes his pleasures on the ice. Often a score or more of these "tip-ups" are planted about the edges of the ice pond, each boy bringing his fishing tackle with his skates and thus finding a double source of amusement. Maybe one boy will thus have a half dozen different lines in the water at once, it being easy to watch them all together.

The device by which the fish is made to give its own signal when caught is exceedingly simple and any boy can make it. Procure a light rod about 2 ft. in length and to one end fasten a small flag, made of any bright colored cloth.

[Illustration: "Tip-Up" Fish Caught]

Bind the rod at right angles to another stick which is placed across the hole, so that a short piece of the flagrod projects over the cross stick. To this short end fasten the fishing line. Be sure and use strong string in binding the two rods together, and also take care that the cross stick is long enough to permit several inches of each end to rest on the ice. After fastening the line to the short end of the rod, bait the hook with a live minnow or other suitable bait and let it down through the hole. When the fish is hooked the flag will instantly raise and wave about strenuously until the fish is taken from the water.

** "Jumping-Jack" Fisherman [380]

[Illustration: Jumping-Jack Fisherman]

If the small boy has a "jumping-jack" left over from Christmas. he may make this do his fishing for him and serve as well as the "tip-up," or he can easily make the jumping-jack himself independent of Santa Claus. The string which is pulled to make the joints move is tied securely to the fishing line; the hook is baited and lowered into the water through a hole in the ice. The "jumping-jack" waves his legs and arms frantically to notify the boys when the fish is biting. The "jumping-jack" is also used for fishing in summer time by placing it on a float which is cast into the water.

** Merry-Go-Round Whirl on Ice [380]

A German device for the amusement of children is a whirl on an ice merry-go-round. It is made by placing a vertical shaft or stake, provided with a couple of old cart-wheels, in a hole in the ice. One wheel acts as a turning base and prevents the shaft from sinking into the pond, and the other forms a support for the long sweep attached for propulsion purposes, and should be fastened to the shaft about 3 ft. above the base wheel. The sleds are made fast in a string to the long end of the sweep, which when turned rapidly causes the sleds to slide over the ice in a circle at a high speed.

If the sweep is long enough to have each end from the shaft the same length, two strings of sleds may be attached, which will balance the device and make the turning much easier.

** The Running Sleigh [381]

Another winter sport, very popular in Sweden, and which has already reached America, is the "running sleigh," shown in the illustration. A light sleigh is equipped with long double runners and is propelled by foot power. The person using the sleigh stands with one foot upon a rest attached to one of the braces connecting the runners and propels the sleigh by pushing backward with the other foot. To steady the body an upright support is attached to the runners. The contrivance can be used upon hard frozen ground, thin ice and snow-covered surfaces, and under favorable conditions moves with remarkable speed. The "running sleigh" has a decided advantage over skis, because the two foot supports are braced so that they cannot come apart. Any boy can make the sleigh.

[Illustration: Running Sleigh]

** The Winged Skater [381]

With the actual speed of the wind a skater may be hurled along the ice if he is aided by sails. He has been known to travel at the rate of 40 miles an hour,

[Illustration: Frame for Skater's Sails]

And the sport while affording the limit of excitement, is not attended with danger. The sails are easily made, as the illustrations and description will show.

Secure two large thin hoops about 4 ft. in diameter. They may be obtained from an old hogshead or by bending thin strips. For each hoop select a piece of strong cane about 3/4 in. in diameter to constitute the fore and main masts or cross-yards. Extend these across the center of the hoop and fasten each end firmly to the hoop's sides. For the middle of each cross-spar make a cleat and lash it on firmly. The main spar should also be made of two pieces of strong cane, each about 9-1/2 ft. long. Bind them together at each end so that the large end of one is fastened to the small end of the other.

Next comes the attaching of the sails to the separate masts. The sails should be made of strong sheeting or thin canvas. Tack the cloth to the hoop on the inner side after it has been wrapped around the hoop two or three times.

Now the main spar should be attached by springing it apart and slipping the cleats of the cross-spar between the two pieces. Bind the inner sides of the hoops tightly together by means of a very strong double cord, as shown in the figure. Then your sail is ready for the ice pond. See that your skates are securely fastened, raise your

[Illustration: Skater's Sails Finished]

sail and you will skim along the ice as lightly as a bird on the wing. With a little practice you will learn to tack and guide yourself as desired.

[Illustration: Plan of Ice Boat, Sail and Rudder]

If the hoops cannot be easily obtained the sails may be made equally effective by using the main spar and fore and main masts as herein described, making the sails square shaped instead of round and leaving off the hoops. In this case the sails should be securely bound with strong tape. Attach a corner to each end of the cross-spar, and a corner to the outer end of the main spar. The remaining corner of each then appears opposite to each other, and should be fastened together by strong cord in the same manner as the hoops. In this case the sails may be left off until after the frame is entirely put together and then fastened on to the spars by buttons.

A more simple sail may be made according to the plans illustrated in the lower drawing. It is made by binding together in the center the halves of two strong hogshead hoops, or two bent poles are better. If possible the sail should be about 8 ft. long and 4 ft. wide. Fasten on the sail at the four corners. The rig will convey two persons and is more easily constructed than any other.

** Ice Boating [382]

But the sport that is greatest of all, the one that used to be part of the life of every northern boy, and which is being revived in popularity after years of stagnation, is ice boating. With the aid of old skates, pieces of board and an old sheet or a small bit of canvas, any boy possessed of ordinary mechanical genius may make an ice boat. The frame of the boat should be made something in the form of a kite. The center-board should be 4 or 5 ft. long, 6 in. wide and 2 in. thick. The cross board may be of a piece of 1 by 6 in. plank 3 ft. long. Fasten these with braces of small stout strip, as shown in the drawing, and screw the cross-piece securely to the center-board. Bore a hole in the center of the intersection for the mast pole. The seat may be made of a piece of strong cloth or leather. Three skates are fastened on to either side of the cross-board and one to the rear end of the center-board, the latter of which is to operate as a rudder. In attaching the skates first make a couple of runner blocks, each 6 in. long and 3 in. wide. Bore holes in them for the straps of the skates to pass through and fasten them securely. Nail the runner blocks firmly to the crossboard about 1-1/2 in. from each end.

[Illustration: Boy's Ice Boat]

In making the rudder hew down a piece of scantling 1 ft. long until it assumes the shape of a club with a flat base. Nail a strip of wood firmly to this base, and to the strip fasten the skate. Run the top of the club through a hole bored in the stern of the centerboard. Then make the helm by boring a hole in one end of a strip of soft board about 1 ft. long, and through this hole pass the club or rubber-pole and fasten it so it may be shifted when desired. Make the sail out of an old sheet, if it be strong enough, piece of canvas, or any such substance and attach it to the mast and sprit as shown in the illustration, and guide it by a stout string attached to the lower outer corner. As an ice boat will travel faster than the wind, some care and considerable skill is necessary. Unless you are accustomed to managing a sail boat, do not select a place in which to learn where there are all holes or open water. To stop the boat throw the head around into the wind, same as you would with a sailboat. If the wind is strong the occupants of the boat should lie flat on their stomach.

** Coasters and Chair Sleighs [383]

Make your own sled, boys! There is no use in buying them, because your hand-made sled is probably better than any purchased one and then you can take so much more pride in it when you know it is of your own construction. There are so many different designs of sleds that can be made by hand that the matter can be left almost entirely to your own ingenuity. You can make one like the bought sleds and face the runners with pieces of an iron hoop which will answer every purpose. A good sled for coasting consists simply of two barrel staves and three pieces of board as shown in the picture, Fig. 1.

[Illustration: Fig. l; Barrel Stave Sled]

[Illustration: Chair Sleigh]

No bought sled will equal it for coasting and it is also just the thing for carrying loads of snow for building snow houses. The method of its construction is so simple that no other description is needed than the picture. You can make a chair-sleigh out of this by fitting a chair on the cross board instead of the long top board or it will be still stronger if the top board is allowed to remain, and then you will have a device that can readily again be transformed into a coasting sled. In making the chair-sleigh it is necessary, in order to hold the chair in place, to nail four L-shaped blocks on the cross boards, one for each leg of the chair. Skating along over the ice and pushing the chair in front of him the proud possessor of a chair-sleigh may take his mother, grown sister or lady friend with him on his outings, and permit her to ride in the chair.

** Folding Chair Sleigh [384]

[Illustration: Fig. 2-Folding Chair Sleigh Bottom ]

[Illustration: Fig. 3-Folding Chair Sleigh-Top Parts Disconnected]

[Illustration: Fig. 4-Folding Chair Sleigh Open]

A folding chair sleigh is even more enjoyable and convenient than the device just described. If the ice pond is far from home this may be placed under your arm and carried where you like.

The illustrations, Figs. 2 and 3, show all the parts as they should look before

[Illustration: Fig. 6-Folding Chair Sleigh Closed]

being joined together. The seat may be made of a piece of canvas or carpet. The hinges are of leather. Figure 4 shows the folding chair sleigh after it has been put together. Skates are employed for the runners. The skates may be strapped on or taken off whenever desired. When the chair is lifted the supports slip from the notches on the side bars and fall on the runner bars. The chair is then folded up so that it can be carried by a small boy. With regular metal hinges and light timbers a very handsome chair can be constructed that will also afford an ornamental lawn chair for summer.

** The Toboggan Sled [384]

When the snow is very deep a toboggan sled is the thing for real sport. The runners of the ordinary sled break through the crust of the deep snow, blocking the progress, and spoiling the fun. The toboggan sled, with its broad, smooth bottom, glides along over the soft surface with perfect ease.

To make the toboggan sled, secure two boards each 10 ft. long and 1 ft. wide and so thin that they can be easily bent. Place the boards beside each other and join them together with cross sticks. Screw the boards to the cross stick from the bottom and be sure that the heads of the screws are buried deep enough in the wood to not protrude, so

[Illustration: Fig. 6-The Toboggan]

that the bottom will present an absolutely smooth surface to the snow. Fasten two side bars to the top of the cross sticks and screw them firmly. In some instances the timbers are fastened together by strings, a groove being cut m the bottom of the boards so as to keep the strings from protruding and being ground to pieces. After the side bars are securely fastened, bend the ends of the boards over and tie them to the ends of the front cross bar to hold them in position. See Fig. 6. The strings for keeping the boards bent must be very strong. Pieces of stout wire, or a slender steel rod, are even better. The toboggan slide is the favored device of sport among the boys in Canada, where nearly every boy knows how to make them.

** The Norwegian Ski. [384]

You have often read of the ski, the snowshoe used by the Norwegians and other people living in the far north. With them the men and women glide down the snow-covered mountain sides, leap across ditches, run races and have all kinds of sport. They are just as amusing to the American boy who has ever learned to manipulate them, and it is wonderful how much skill can be attained in their use. Any boy with a little mechanical ingenuity can make a pair of skis (pronounced skees). They can be made from two barrel staves. Select staves of straight grained wood. Sharpen the ends of each and score each end by cutting grooves in the wood, as shown in the cut, Fig. 7. A pocket knife or small gouge will suffice for this work. Then smear the end of the staves with oil and hold them close to a hot fire until they can be bent so as to tip the toes upward, as shown in the picture, Fig. 7. Then with a cord bind the staves as they are bent and permit them to remain thus tied until they retain the curved form of their own accord. Now screw on top of each ski a little block, just broad and high enough to fit in front of the heels of your shoe. Fasten a strap in front of

[Illustration: Home-Made Skis]

each block through which to slip your toes, and the skis are made. The inside of the shoe heel should press firmly against the block and the toe be held tightly under the strap. This will keep the skis on your feet. Now procure a stick with which to steer and hunt a snow bank. At first you will afford more amusement to onlookers than to yourself, for the skis have a way of trying to run in opposite directions, crosswise and various ways, but with practice you will soon become expert in their manipulation.

** Home-Made Settee [385]

Many people have old wooden beds stored away which can easily be made into handy settees like the one shown in the accompanying photograph. A few nails and one-half dozen 3-in. screws are all the materials necessary besides the old bed. The tools needed are a saw, hammer and a screwdriver. The head-board, if too high, can be cut

[Illustration: Settee Made from Old Wooden Bed]

off and some of the ornaments replaced. The footboard must be cut in two to make the ends or arms of the settee. The side rails and a few of the slats are used in making the seat. --Contributed by Wm. F. Hild, Lake Forest, Ill.

** Enameling a Bicycle Frame [385]

Make an enamel by mixing 2 oz. burnt umber with 1 qt. boiled oil, heating, and then adding 1 oz. asphaltum. Keep the mass hot until thoroughly mixed, says the Master Painter. Thin with turpentine while still hot.

Use a camel's hair brush for applying the enamel and allow it to set; then place the article in an oven, bake for six or eight hours at a temperature of 250 deg. F. When cool rub down with steel wool. Apply a finishing coat and allow it to bake eight hours at 250 deg. F. Rub down with a soft rag, varnish and bake again at 200 deg. F. Heat and cool the frame gradually each time. Black enamel is easiest to apply and bakes hardest, but requires a temperature of 300 deg. Colors can be baked at from 200 to 250 deg.

** How to Make a Sewing Bag [386]

A very practical and novel sewing bag for odds and ends necessary for mending, etc., can be made of a folding camp stool. If an old stool is not

[Illustration: Camp-Stool Work Bag]

at hand, a new one can be purchased for 25 cents. Remove the top or seat, which is usually made of a piece of carpet, then make a bag as shown in Fig. 1 and stitch a heavy cord around the top to make it strong. Make pockets on the inside as shown and nail the bag to the two crosspieces on which the ends of the carpet were tacked. Large, brass furniture nails should be used. Attach a small hook and eye on each end and fasten two leather handles to the crosspieces.

Such a bag requires little room when folded and can be stored in a closet when not in use. --Contributed by Joseph Ledwinka, Philadelphia, Pa.

** Home-Made Roller Skates [386]

The rubber-tired wheels of an old carpet sweeper can be used to advantage in making a pair of roller skates. In Fig. 1 is shown how an iron washer or two may be fastened to the wood with a piece of sheet metal to support

[Illustration: Rubber Tired Roller Skate]

the short axles of the wheels. The wheels are oiled through the holes A and B, Fig. 2. These holes should be smaller than the axles. The two side pieces are fastened together with a board nailed on the top edges, as shown. This board also furnishes the flat top for the shoe sole. Two straps are attached for fastening the skate to the shoe. --Contributed by Thos. De Loof, Grand Rapids, Mich.

** Adjuster for Flexible Electric Wires [386]

The accompanying illustration shows an adjuster for changing the drop of an electric light. The main feature of this adjuster is that it can be removed from the cord at any time. The adjuster is made from a piece of wood, 3/8 in. thick, 2 in. wide and 3 in. long. A 1/4 in. hole is bored in the center near each end of the wood and a slot cut from

[Illustration: Can Be Taken from the Cord]

the holes to the outside edge, as shown in Fig. 1. It is attached to the flexible cord as shown in Fig. 2. --Contributed by J.J. Voelcker; Decatur, Ill.

** Making Photographs on Watch Dials [386]

Beat to a foam the white of an egg, with the addition of a little ammonia. Add 9 oz. and 3 dr. of water and beat again. After the egg has settled, filter and let the liquid run over the dial, which has been previously cleaned with ammonia. When the surplus has run off, coat with the mixture and allow to dry.

A sensitive collodion is now produced as follows: Dissolve 9 gr. of chloride of zinc in 5 dr. of alcohol; add 7-1/2 gr. of collodion cotton and 6-1/2 dr. of ether. Shake the whole forcibly.

Dissolve 23 gr. of nitrate of silver in hot water, add 1-1/2 dr. of alcohol and keep the whole solution by heating. The silver solution is now added in small quantities at a time to the collodion, which must be well settled. This, of course, is done in the dark room. After 24 hours the emulsion is filtered by passing it through cotton moistened with alcohol. This durable collodion emulsion is now flowed thinly upon the prepared watch dial, which, after the collodion has coagulated, is moved up and down in distilled

water until the fatty stripes disappear. The water is then changed once, and after a short immersion, the dial is left to dry on a piece of blotting paper. It is now ready for exposure. Expose under magnesium light and develop with a citrate oxalic developer, or in the following hydroquinone developer:

Hydroquinone .............1 dr. Bromide of potassium .... 6 dr. Sulphite of soda......1-1/2 oz. Carbonate of soda ....2-2/3 dr. Water....................14 oz.

After fixing and drying, coat with a transparent positive varnish.

** Home-Made Overhead Trolley Coaster [387]

The accompanying sketch shows a playground trolley line which furnished a great deal of amusement to many children at a minimum cost. The wire, which is 3/16 in. in diameter, was stretched between a tree and a barn across a vacant quarter block. The strength of the wire was first tested by a heavy man. When not in use the wire is unhooked from the tree and

[Illustration: Details of the Trolley and How It Is Used]

hauled into the barn and coiled loosely in the hay loft. The wire was made taut for use by a rope which was fastened to the beams in the barn. The trolley was made, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, of strips of wood bolted with stove bolts on two grooved pulleys. The middle wide board was made of hardwood. The wheels were taken from light pulley blocks and stove bolts were purchased from a local hardware store to accurately fit the hubs. As it was necessary to keep the bearings greased, we used vaseline. This coaster made great sport for the youngsters and at no time were they in danger of a serious fall as the line was hung low and the slant of the wire was moderate. --Contributed by H. J. Holden, Palm Springs, Calif.

** How to Make an Electric Furnace Regulator [388]

We have a furnace in our house and a part of my work each evening last winter was to go down in the basement at 9 o'clock, fill the furnace with coal for the night and stay there until it was burning in good shape, then to close the draft door. As this performance requires from twenty to thirty

[Illustration: Details of Furnace Regulator Construction]

minutes I concluded to make a self-acting device which would close the draft and leave the furnace safe, without any further attention on my part, after putting in the coal and opening it up to burn. As some other boys may like to build the same regulator I will tell just how to make one and how it operates.

Referring to Fig. 1, you will see a straight cord is attached to the draft door of the furnace, D, and is run over the pulley P and finally is attached to a small piece of iron H. This piece of iron is hinged to 1. To the other side of H another cord G is fastened, which passes over the pulley N and terminates in any convenient place in the rooms above. This piece of iron H is held in place by the release A. Now C is a coil of wire from a door bell. R is an armature which works A on pivot J. M is a U-tube, filled with mercury, one end being connected to a half liter glass flask F by the tube T, and the other end terminates in an overflow tube O. B is a battery of three bichromate cells which are connected up with the C and the platinum points 1--2, which are fused into the U-tube.

On fixing the furnace the iron piece H takes position X, this being the normal position when draft door D is closed. On arriving upstairs I pull the cord G, which causes the piece H to become fixed in the vertical position by means of A. This opens the draft door at the same time. Now when the furnace heats up sufficiently it causes the air to expand in F, which causes the mercury in M to rise a little above the point 2. This immediately causes a current to flow through C which in turn draws R towards it, raises A and causes H to drop to position X. This shuts the furnace door. Now the furnace, of course, cools down, thus causing the air in F to contract and consequently opening the circuit through C. If at any time the furnace should overheat, the raising of A, on which is grounded a wire from a signal bell upstairs, will make a circuit through the bell by means of the point Z and wire leading therefrom. This bell also serves to tell me whether H has dropped or not. This same device of regulating the draft D can be used to regulate the damper, found on the coal doors of most furnaces, by simply fusing a platinum point on the other side of M and changing the cord which is attached to D. A two-contact switch could also be inserted to throw connections from 2 to 3. It would work in this manner: The damper door, of course, which keeps a low fire, would be up in a position similar to D; on the furnace cooling too much, connection, due to contracting of air in F, would be made through 3 and C, causing H to drop, thus closing door. This simple device worked very well all last winter and gave me no trouble whatever.

If you cannot readily procure a U-tube, you can make one, as I did, and the work is interesting.

The U-tube is constructed in the following manner. A glass tube is closed at one end. This is done by holding the tube in one corner of a gas flame, somewhat near the dark area (A, Fig. 2), and constantly turning the tube, when it will be found that the glass has melted together. Now, after it is cool, about 3 or 4 in. from the sealed end, the tube is held steadily so that the flame will heat one small portion ( B, Fig. 2 ). After this small portion is heated blow into the tube, not very hard, but just enough to cause tube to bulge out. Allow to cool. Then reheat the small bulged portion, blow quite hard, so that the glass will be blown out at this point, forming a small hole. Now insert about 1/2 in. of platinum wire and reheat, holding platinum

[Illustration: Making the U-Tube]

wire by means of a small pliers so that it will be partly in the tube and partly without. The platinum will stick to the glass, and if glass is sufficiently heated one will be able to pull it, by means of pliers, from one side of the hole to the other, thus sealing the wire into the tube. Another wire is sealed in the same way about 1 in. from the first. Now, to bend the tube, one must hold it, with both hands, in the flame and turn constantly until soft. Quickly withdraw from flame and bend, just as you would a piece of copper wire. Allow to cool slowly.

The several tubes are connected with a short piece of rubber tubing.

The total cost of materials for constructing the apparatus complete will not amount to more than one dollar. --Contributed by M. G. Kopf, Lewis Institute, Chicago.

** Weatherproofing for Tents [389]

Dissolve 4 oz. sulphate of zinc in 10 gal. water; add 1/2 lb. sal-soda; stir well until dissolved, and add 1/2 oz. tartaric acid. Put the tent cover in this solution and let lie 24 hrs. Take out (do not wring it) and hang up to dry. Grinnell's Hand Book on Painting.

** Sawing Sheet Metal [389]

Sheet metal placed between two boards in the jaws of a vise and clamped tightly, can be sawed easily with a hacksaw.

** A Monoplane Weather Vane [390]

The toy windmill or weather vane shown in the sketch is made to represent a Blériot monoplane.

[Illustration: Wire and Sheet-Metal Vane]

The propeller is turned by the wind. The frame is made of heavy wire and connected with straps of tin. The construction is plainly shown in the illustration. The windmill vane can be made in any size to suit the builder. --Contributed by W. C. Bliss, St. Louis, Missouri.

** How to Make a Minnow Trap [390]

Glass minnow traps that will give as good service as those purchased at the tackle store can be made without difficulty. If a trap should be banged carelessly against the side of the boat or some other obstruction and smashed, instead of spending several dollars to replace it, a half hour's time will turn out a new one just as good, says a correspondent of Outing.

A trap of this kind can be made from an ordinary fruit jar such as used in putting up preserves, either of one or two-quart capacity. A one-quart jar gives good results, but if the bait to be caught is of fairly large size, the two quart size may be used. As the jars have the same style top they can be used interchangeably with one mouthpiece.

The mouthpiece is made of a round neck bottle of which the glass is colorless and rather thin. If the neck of the bottle is cut at the right point, it makes a glass funnel that will just fit into the fruit jar. The funnel forms the mouth of the trap. Put the neck of the bottle into the fruit jar and mark the glass with a file where the bottle and jar meet. Make as deep a cut as possible with a file around the bottle on the mark and place two turns of a yarn string saturated in kerosene around just below the cut when the bottle is standing in an upright position. Set fire to the string and turn the bottle from side to side to distribute the heat evenly, then when the string has burned out, plunge the bottle in cold water and it will separate on the cut.

Bind some copper wire around the neck of the jar so that three ends will project 1/2 in. or more. These are bent down over the funnel when put into the jar, forming clamps to hold it in place. The copper wire can be bent many times in emptying or baiting the trap without breaking.

Two copper wire bands are tied tightly around the jar about 3 in. apart. They should be twisted tight with a pair of pliers and the ends joined, forming a ring for attaching a cord.

For catching "kellies" or "killies," bait the trap with crushed clams or salt-water mussels and for fresh water shiners use mincemeat or bread crumbs and do not spill any bait outside of the trap. Leave the trap down ten to fifteen minutes and when resetting it after emptying, put back one or two of the victims, as the others enter more readily if they see some of their companions ahead of them.

** A Remedy for Leaking Fountain Pens [390]

Fountain-pen leaks may often be prevented by unscrewing the joint and lightly smearing the screw with vaseline. This also makes it easy to unscrew the joint for filling.

** Kites of Many Kinds and How to Make Them [391]

One of the prettiest of all is the butterfly kite. To make this get two thin kite sticks of equal length. Bend each in an are, tying one end of a strong string to one end of each stick and the other end of the string to a point about 3 in. from the other end of the stick. This leaves one end of each stick free, hooking over the hemisphere described by the thread and the stick. Now tie another thread to

[Illustration: Boy Kite]

each of these free ends and tie the other end of the thread to a point near the other end of the stick, corresponding with the distance from the end at which the first strings were tied on the opposite side. This done, you should have two arched frames, each an exact counterpart of the other in size, curvature and weight. Now fasten the two frames together so that the arcs will overlap each other as shown in the sketch. Bind the intersecting points securely with thread. To make the butterfly's head, secure two heavy broom straws or two short wires, and

[Illustration: Girl Kite]

attach them to the top part of the wing frames near where the sticks intersect, so that the straws or wires will cross. These form the antennae, or the "smellers." Then select the color of paper you want, yellow, brown, blue, white or any other color; lay it on a flat surface and place the frame on top of it, holding the frame down securely with a weight. Then with a pair of scissors cut the paper around the frame, leaving about a 1/2-in. margin for pasting. Cut slits in the paper about 2 in. apart around the curves and at all angles to keep the paper from wrinkling when it is pasted. Distribute the paste with a small brush and make the overlaps a little more than 1/4 in. wide and press them

[Illustration: Butterfly Kite]

together with a soft cloth. When the kite is dry decorate it with paint or strips of colored paper in any design you may fancy. The best effects are produced by pasting pieces of colored paper on top of the other paper. Black paper decorations show up to fine advantage when the kite is in flight. Attach the "belly-band" to the

[Illustration: Frame for Girl Kite]

curved sticks by punching a hole in the paper in the same manner as it is attached to the common hexagonal or coffin-shaped kite. With a tail, your kite is ready to fly. Another interesting design is the boy kite. With light colored coat and vest and gay striped trousers, the kite standing high in the air always attracts attention and affords splendid sport for the American youth in springtime.

In making a boy kite it should be remembered that the larger the boy is the better he will fly. To construct the frame, two straight sticks, say 3-1/2 ft. long, should serve for the legs and

[Illustration: Frame for Boy Kite]

body; another straight stick forms the spine and should be about 2 ft. 4 in. long. For the arms, get a fourth straight stick about 3 ft. 3 in. long. Make the frame for the head by bending a light tough stick in a circle about 7 in. in diameter. Bind it tightly with a strong thread and through its center run the spine. Then tack on the arm stick 3 in. under the circle so that the spinal column crosses the arm stick exactly in the center. Wrap tightly with strong thread and tack on the two sticks that are to serve for the legs and body. The leg sticks should be fastened to the arm stick about 6 in. on either side of the spinal column, and crossed so that the other ends are 3 ft. apart. Tack them and the arm stick together at the point where they intersect. Small hoops and cross stick of the same material as the head frame should be fastened to both extremities of the arm stick and the lower ends of the leg stick for the hands and feet. See that both hand frames are exactly alike and exercise equal caution regarding the foot frames; also see that the arm stick is at exact right angles with the spine stick and that the kite joints are all firmly tied and the kite evenly balanced; otherwise it may be lopsided. Fasten on the strings of the frame, beginning at the neck at equal distances from the spine, as indicated by the dotted lines in the diagram. Extend a string slantingly from the arms tick to the head on both sides of the spinal column, and run all the other strings as shown in the cut, being careful that both sides of the frame correspond in measurements.

To cover the kite, select different colors of paper to suit your taste, and after pasting them together, lay the paper on the floor and placing the frame on it, cut out the pattern. Leave an edge of 1/2 in. all around and make a slit in this edge every 6 in. and at each angle; make the slits 2 in. apart around the head. After the kite is pasted and dry, paint the buttons, hair, eyes, hands, feet, etc., as you desire. Arrange the "belly band" and tail band and attach the kite string in the same manner as in the ordinary coffin-shaped kite.

The "lady kite" is made on the same principle as the boy kite. The frame may be made exactly as the boy kite and then "dressed" with tissue paper to represent a girl, or it may be made on the special frame, page 81. Remember the dotted lines represent the strings or thread, and the other lines indicate the kite sticks. Be careful with your measurements so that each side of the kite corresponds exactly and is well balanced. Also see that every point where the sticks intersect is firmly tacked and bound.

To cover the kite, first paste together pieces of tissue paper of different color to suit your taste. The paste should be made of flour and water and boiled. Make the seams or overlaps not quite 3/8 in. wide. Lay the paper on the floor, using weights to hold it down, and place the frame of the kite upon it. Then cut out the paper around the frame, leaving an edge of 1/2 in. Don't forget to make a slit in the edge every 6 or 7 in. and at each angle. Around the head the slits are cut 2 in. apart, as in the case of the boy kite. After the kite is dry, paint the paper as your fancy dictates.

To make the breast band, punch holes through the paper, one upon each side of the leg sticks, just above the bottom, and one upon each side of the arm sticks at the shoulder. Run one end of the string through the hole at the bottom of the left limb and tie it to the leg stick; tie the other end at the right shoulder. Fasten one end of another string of the same length at the bottom of the right leg; pass the string up across the first band and tie the other end at the left shoulder. Attach the kite string to the breast band at the point where the two strings intersect. Tie the knot so that you can slide the kite string up or down until it is properly adjusted. The tail band is made by tying a string to the leg sticks at the bottom of the breast band. Let the string hang slack below the skirt and attach the tail to the center. The same general rules apply in attaching the string and tail to the boy kite.

You can make the lady look as if dancing and kicking in the clouds by making the feet of stiff pasteboard and allowing them to hang loose from the line which forms the bottom of the skirt. The feet will move and sway with each motion of the kite.

** How to Make Rubber Stamps [393]

India rubber, especially prepared for stamp-making, should be procured from a dealer or manufacturer, if good results are to be obtained. As an experiment, it is possible for an amateur to prepare the rubber, but, in such cases, it is always attended with uncertain results. The mixed uncured rubber comes in white sheets, strong, firm and about 1/8 in. thick, and for its manipulation a press is indispensable, but can be home-made.

For the base of the press use a piece of iron, having two holes drilled in it at the middle of opposite sides, through which pass bolts, letting the thread ends extend upward and counter-sinking places for the bolt heads to keep the under side of the base level. Solder the bolts in place at the base. The upper part of the press, or the platen, is also of iron, cut so it can be swung

[Illustration: Fish Kettle Vulcanizer]

off the bolts, rather than by removing the nuts and lifting it off. String a half dozen nuts, larger than those which screw on, on each bolt, so that when the upper nut on each is screwed to the extent of the thread the pressure will be communicated through the nuts wedged in between the platen and the upper nut. The bolt holes in the platen should be directly over those in the base. Distance pieces of an exact thickness should be provided for use on the base; these serve to keep the pressure even.

In preparing the mould, if type is to be copied, use rather large type with wide spaces and set up with high quads and spaces, or the type faces may be filled up by rubbing with either wax, or soap, lightly brushing off any that remains loose. The type so set should be locked into a frame. This may be made of two pieces of wood bolted together at both ends, or of printer's furniture. Place it on a flat surface (marble is good, but any perfectly smooth surface will do) and place distance pieces 1/8 in. higher than its upper surface on either side of it. Apply olive oil to the type faces and wipe off any excess. To form the matrix or reverse of the model, take a piece of iron larger than the inscription to be copied, and spread upon it to a depth of 1/4 in, a putty made by mixing plaster of paris and water to the right consistency. By means of a table knife spread the plaster smoothly and then invert the plate upon the model and press down until

[Illustration: Vulcanizing Press for Rubber Stamps]

the distance pieces are struck. Let it set 10 minutes and then remove. If care has been taken the matrix will be perfect. After it has thoroughly dried, preferably in an oven, saturate it with an alcoholic solution of shellac to strengthen it.

Cut a piece of smooth rubber, large enough to cover the matrix, from the sheet, throw this into a box of talc, or powdered soapstone, so that it receives a coating on both sides; dust a little of the powder over the matrix, also. Place the press on a support over a gas burner; or a kerosene lamp, and apply the heat. Place the matrix on the base of the press, dust off the piece of india rubber and place in the press upon the matrix and screw down the platen. Heat the press to 284 deg. F. and keep screwing down the platen so that the rubber, now soft and putty-like, is forced into every recess of the matrix. A thermometer is not necessary; some rubber always protrudes and the stage of the process can be told from that. At first it is quite elastic, then as the heat increases it becomes soft, then the curing begins and it again becomes elastic, so that, if a point of a knife blade is pressed against it, it resumes its shape when the point is removed. When this takes place it is then thoroughly vulcanized and the sheet can be removed from the matrix. Ten minutes, under favorable conditions, is sufficient time for moulding the rubber. By means of common glue, or bicycle tire cement, fasten the rubber stamp to a wooden handle.

It is possible to dispense with the press in making stamps, where the work is not done in quantities, and use a hot flat-iron. The matrix is placed on a stove at low heat, the rubber laid on and the hot iron applied. But a few moments are required to mould it.

An old letter press if it be inclosed in a tin oven makes a good press, or all the necessary materials and apparatus can be purchased from a dealer. Any type such as all printers use will answer.

** To Light a Gaslight Without Matches [394]

It is probably well known that if you rub your feet briskly over a carpet on a dry, cold day and then touch any metallic object with your finger it will emit a small spark. The following amusing experiment may be done on the same principle:

[Illustration: Lamp Igniter]

Take any small piece of wire about 2 in. long and twist it around a gas burner as shown at A in the sketch. Have the tip of the burner about 1/8 in. below the end of the wire. The wire must be just far enough away from the center of the burner to keep it out of the flame, or else it will melt.

Now get a friend to turn on the gas when you are ready for it. Go around the room once or twice rubbing your feet along the carpet. When you come around to the gaslight touch the point of the wire and if the gas is turned on, the light will flare right up as if it had been lit with a match.

This experiment cannot be done on a damp day or without shoes, and works best in cold weather. --Contributed by E. H. Klipstein.

** How To Make a Trap For Rabbits, Rats and Mice [395]

From an old 6-in. pine fence board cut off four pieces 2-1/2 ft. long and one 6 in. square for the end of the trap and another 4 in. by 8 in. for the door. Use old boards, as new boards scare rabbits.

Figure 1 shows how the box is made. It should be 4 in. wide and 6 in. high

[Illustration: A Good Trap for Small Animals]

on the inside. The top and bottom boards project 1 in. beyond the side boards at the back and the end board is set in. The top board should be 2 in. shorter than the sides at the front. Nail a strip on the top board back of the door and one on the bottom board so the game cannot push the door open from inside the trap and get out.

In the middle of the top board bore a hole and put a crotched stick in for the lever to rest on. Bore another hole in the top of the door for the lever to pass through. Two inches from the back of the box bore a hole for the trigger, which should be made out of heavy wire in the manner shown in Fig. 2. The door of the trap must work easily and loosely.

** Novel Electric Motor [395]

The materials necessary to make this motor are an old electric bell of the "buzzer" type and a cogwheel from an old clock.

Remove the hammer-head and gong from the bell, then bend the end of the hammer into a loop, as in Fig. 1. Now make a little wire catch like Fig. 2, and fasten its loop into the loop of the hammer. Mount the bell on a small board as in Fig. 3 and fasten the cogwheel almost on a line with it. Now press down the hammer and place a nail in the position shown in the diagram so that the catch touches one of the teeth.

Fasten the board in an upright position and attach two dry batteries to the binding-posts. If properly connected, the fly-wheel will turn quite rapidly and with amazing force for so small a machine. The machine, however, has a fixed direction as shown by the arrow, but the belting can be arranged so as to send the models in a reversed direction if required. The materials for the motor should not cost more than

[Illustration: Novel Electric Motor]

25c for the bell and if you have an old bell it will cost next to nothing. --Contributed by Fred C. Curry, Brockville, Ontario.

** How to Print Photographs on Silk [396]

Silk, satin or any other fine material can be used to make photographic prints, but the most attractive results for the amateur are obtained on silk, the best color for this purpose being either cream or white, says Photography. The chemicals required are only four in number, and a comparatively small amount of each will suffice, so that the process can be tried without any very great outlay.

A dram of dextrine is mixed with 2 oz. of water and allowed to dissolve. It is then made up to 4 oz. with boiling water, and, when cold, a solution of 1 dr. of ammonium chloride in 2 oz. of water is added. As this mixture does not keep well, it should be used as soon as possible after being made up.

The silk is soaked in the liquid until it is thoroughly saturated, which should take about four or five minutes, and it is then hung up to dry, suspending it, tightly stretched, from its two top corners. The fabric when "salted," as this operation is termed, will keep indefinitely. All these operations can be done in daylight.

The next stage is the application of the sensitizer, for which purpose the two following solutions must be made up and then mixed:

Silver nitrate 120 gr. Water 1 oz.

Citric acid 50 gr. Water 1oz.

The mixture is spread evenly over the silk with a soft camel's-hair brush. There must be no metal in the mounting of the brush that is used.

## Particular care must be taken to see that no particle of the

surface of the silk is left uncovered. The best way to insure this is to brush the liquid over the silk, first in one direction and then crosswise. The process of sensitizing must be done in a weak artificial light, such as at night by ordinary gas or lamp light, or in the very feeblest daylight.

The silk is then again fastened up and allowed to dry, but it is now sensitive to the light and the drying must therefore be done in the dark. It is ready for printing as soon as it is dry, and as it does not keep well in the sensitive condition, it should be used up within a few days at the most.

The printing, which is done in daylight, is carried on in the same way as for printing-out papers, except that the silk should be printed a little darker than usual. It will be found convenient to gum the edges slightly, and then to fix the silk on a stiff piece of paper before putting it into the printing frame. If this precaution is not adopted there is a tendency for the silk to slip or crease when it is being examined. The silk must be handled carefully while in the printing frame for this reason, but apart from that, there is no particular difficulty. The paper can be taken off when the printing is finished.

Prints on silk are toned, fixed and washed in the same way as ordinary silver prints. The washing should be thorough, and before the prints are quite dry, they should be ironed to remove all creases.

** Removing Old Paint [396]

A chair more than a hundred years old came to me by inheritance. It was originally painted green and had been given two coats of dark paint or varnish within the last 30 years. Desiring to improve the appearance of the relic, I decided to remove the paint and give it a mahogany stain. The usual paint removers would readily take off the two latter coats but had no effect upon the first. I tried to remove the troublesome green in various ways, but with little success until I applied a hot, saturated solution of concentrated lye. By coating the paint with this repeatedly, applying one coat upon another for two days, and then using a stiff brush, the layer was easily and completely removed. --Contributed by Thos. R. Baker, Chicago, Ill.

** A Window Lock [397]

Bore a hole through the sash of the lower window and halfway through the sash of the upper window, where they meet in the center, and insert a heavy nail or spike. This will fasten the sash together so well that nothing short of a crowbar can pry them apart. The nail can be easily removed when the windows are to be opened.

** Homemade Magnifying Glass [397]

A very good magnifying glass can be made from an ordinary incandescent lamp of about 16-cp. size which has been rendered useless by being burned out or having the filament broken. Grind or break off the tip end of the globe and fill with water. Put in clear water and plug or cork up the hole.

** Trailer for a Bicycle [397]

[Illustration: Fig. 1; Trailer Attached to a Bicycle]

Instead of using a seat on the handlebars or frame of a bicycle for my little girl, I made a trailer, as shown in Fig. 1, to attach to the rear axle. I made it from old bicycle parts. The handlebars, which form the back of the seat, fasten into the seat post of an old bicycle attached to the trailer axle. The trailer is attached to the rear axle of the bicycle with two arms or forks, on the ends of which are two forgings, formerly used on the rear ends of a bicycle frame, brazed in, and one of the tube projections cut off from each to make a hook, as shown in Fig. 2. The piece marked E shows one of these forgings or hooks in section. The original axle of the bicycle was removed and one 1-5/16 in. longer supplied, which was turned below the threads for clearance, as shown at A. A washer, D, with a hexagon hole was fitted over the regular nut C, on the axle, and filed tapering so the forging or hook E, on the trailer attachment, could be kept in position. The washer F is held tightly against the hook by pressure from a spring, G. The spring is held in place by a small nut, H, and cotter pin, 1. This attachment makes a flexible joint for turning corners. When turning from right to left the left hook on the trailer fork stays in

[Illustration: Fig. 2-The Hook in Position]

position, while the right hook pushes the washer F outward and relieves the strain on the fork. This attachment also makes it easy to remove the trailer from the bicycle. The washers F are pushed outward and the hook raised off the axle. --Contributed by John F. Grieves, Providence, R. I.

** Home-Made Telephone Transmitter [398]

The parts for transmitting the sound are encased in a covering, H, made from the gong of an old electric bell. A round button, D, is turned or filed from the carbon electrode of an old

[Illustration: Telephone Transmitter]

dry cell and a hole drilled through the center to fit in a binding-post taken from the same battery cell. This button must be carefully insulated from the shell, H, by running the binding-post through a piece of small rubber tube where it passes through the hole and placing a rubber or paper washer, F, under the carbon button, and an insulating washer under the nut on the outside. This will provide one of the terminals of the instrument. Construct a paper tube having the same diameter as the button and with a length equal to the depth of the bell case, less 1/8 in. Glue or paste this tube to the button so it will form a paper cup with a carbon bottom.

The diaphragm, B, which is the essential part of the instrument, should be made as carefully as possible from ferrotype tin, commonly called tintype tin. Cut a circular piece from this metal the exact size of the outside of the shell. A hole is made in the center of the disk a little larger than a binding-post that is taken from another old battery cell. When making the hole in the disk be careful not to bend or crease the tin. Scrape the black coating from the tin around the outside about 1/4 in. wide and a place about 1 in. in diameter at the center.

The second electrode, C, is made the same as D, and fastened to the tin diaphragm with the binding post without using any insulation. A third binding post, G, is fastened to the shell through a drilled hole to make the other terminal. The mouthpiece, A, may be turned from wood in any shape desired, but have a flange on the back side that will make a tight fit with the outside of the shell.

Fill the paper tube with powdered carbon, E, which can be made by pounding and breaking up pieces of carbon to about the size of pin heads. Powdered carbon can be purchased, but if you make it be sure to sift out all the very fine particles. Assemble the parts as shown and the transmitter is ready for use. If speech is not heard distinctly, put in a little more, or remove some of the carbon and try it out until you get the instrument working nicely. --Contributed by Harold H. Cutter, Springfield, Mass.

** Quickly Made Lawn Tent [398]

A very simple way of erecting a lawn tent for the children is to take a large umbrella such as used on delivery wagons and drive the handle into the ground deep enough to hold it solid. Fasten canvas or cotton cloth to the ends of the ribs and let it hang so that the bottom edge will touch the ground. Light ropes can be tied to the ends of the ribs and fastened to stakes driven in the ground in a tent-like manner to make the whole more substantial and to stand against a heavy wind. This makes an exceptionally fine tent, as the umbrella

[Illustration: Lawn Tent Complete]

is waterproof; also, there is more room to stand up in than in a tent that is in the shape of a wigwam. --Contributed by J.A. Whamer, Schenectady, N. Y.

** How to Make a Windmill of One or Two Horsepower for Practical Purposes [399]

A windmill for developing from 1/2 to 2 hp. may be constructed at home, the expense being very small and the results highly satisfactory.

The hub for the revolving fan wheel is first constructed. One good way to get both the hub, lining, shaft and spokes for the blades, is to go to a wheelwright's and purchase the wheel and axle of some old rig. There are always a number of discarded carriages, wagons or parts thereof in the rear of the average blacksmith's shop. Sometimes for half a dollar, and often for nothing, you can get a wheel, an axle, and connected parts. Remove from the wheel, all but the four spokes needed for the fans as in Fig. 1. The same hub, axle and bearings will do. In case you cannot secure a wheel and shaft, the hub may be made from a piece of hardwood, about 4 in. in diameter and 6 in. long. A 2-in. hole should be bored through for a wooden shaft, or a 1-1/2-in. hole for a metal shaft. The hub may be secured by putting two or three metal pins through hub and shaft. Adjust the spokes by boring holes for them and arrange them so that they extend from the center A, like B. The wheel is then ready for the blades. These

[Illustration: Fig.1; Windmill]

blades should be of sheet metal or thin hardwood. The sizes may vary according to the capacity of the wheel and amount of room for the blades on the spokes. Each one is tilted so as to receive the force of the wind at an angle, which adjustment causes the wheel to revolve when the wind pressure is

[Illustration: Fig. 2, Fig. 3]

strong enough. Secure the blades to the spokes by using little metal cleats, C and D. Bend these metal strips to suit the form of the spokes and flatten against the blades and then insert the screws to fasten the cleats to the wood. If sheet metal blades are used, rivets should be used for fastening them.

The stand for the wheel shaft is shown in Fig. 2. Arrange the base piece in platform order, (J). This is more fully shown in Fig. 5. On top of this base piece, which is about 36 in. long, place the seat or ring for the revolving table. The circular seat is indicated at I, Fig. 1. This ring is like an inverted cheese box cover with the center cut out. It can be made by a tinner. Size of ring outside, 35 in. The shoulders are 4 in. high and made of tin also. Form the shoulder by soldering the piece on. Thus we get a smooth surface with sides for the mill base to turn in so as to receive the wind at each point to advantage. The X-shaped piece H rests in the tin rim. The X-form, however, does not show in this sketch, but in Fig. 5, where it is marked S. This part is made of two pieces of

[Illustration: Fig. 4]

2-in. plank, about 3 in. wide, arranged so that the two pieces cross to make a letter X. When the pieces join, mortise them one into the other so as to secure a good joint. Adjust the uprights for sustaining the wheel shaft to the X-pieces as shown at E, E, Fig. 2. These are 4 by 4 in. pieces of wood, hard pine preferred, planed and securely set up in the X-pieces by mortising into the same. Make the bearings for the

[Illustration: Fig. 5]

wheel shaft in the uprights and insert the shaft.

The gearing for the transmission of the power from the wheel shaft to the shaft calculated for the delivery of the power at an accessible point below must next be adjusted. The windmill is intended for installation on top of a building, and the power may be transmitted below, or to the top of a stand specially erected for the purpose. It is a good plan to visit some of the second-hand machinery dealers and get four gears, a pulley and a shaft. Gears about 5 in. in diameter and beveled will be required. Adjust the first pair of the beveled gears as at F and G. If the wheel shaft is metal, the gear may be set-screwed to the shaft, or keyed to it. If the shaft is hardwood, it will be necessary to arrange for a special connection. The shaft may be wrapped with sheet metal and this metal fastened on with screws. Then the gear may be attached by passing a pin through the set-screw hole and through the shaft. The upright shaft like the wheel shaft is best when of metal. This shaft is shown extending from the gear, G, to a point below. The object is to have the shaft reach to the point where the power is received for the service below. The shaft is shown cut off at K. Passing to Fig. 3 the shaft is again taken up at L. It now passes through the arrangement shown, which device is rigged up to hold the shaft and delivery wheel P in place. This shaft should also be metal. Secure the beveled gears M and N as shown. These transmit the power from the upright shaft to the lower horizontal shaft. Provide the wheel or pulley, P, with the necessary belt to carry the power from this shaft to the point of use.

The tail board of the windmill is illustrated in Fig. 4. A good way to make this board is to use a section of thin lumber and attach it to the rear upright, E of Fig. 2. This may be done by boring a hole in the upright and inserting the shaft of the tail-piece. In Fig. 4 is also shown the process of fastening a gear, R, to the shaft. The set screws enter the hub from the two sides and the points are pressed upon

[Illustration: Fig. 6]

the shaft, thus holding the gear firmly in place. The platform for the entire wheel device is shown in Fig. 5. The X-piece S is bored through in the middle and the upright shaft passes through. The tin run-way or ring is marked T, and the X-piece very readily revolves in this ring, whenever the wind alters and causes the wheel's position to change. The ring and ring base are secured to the platform, U. The latter is made of boards nailed to the timbers of the staging for supporting the mill. This staging is shown in Fig. 6, in a sectional view. The ring with its X-piece is marked V, the X-piece is marked W, and the base for the part, and the top of the stage is marked X. The stage is made of 2 by 4-in. stock. The height may vary, according to the requirements. If the affair is set up on a barn or shed, the staging will be sufficient to support the device. But if the stage is constructed direct from the ground, it will be necessary to use some long timbers to get the wheel up high enough to receive the benefit of the force of the wind. Proceeding on the plan of the derrick stand, as shown in Fig. 6, a stage of considerable height can be obtained.

** To Renew Old Dry Batteries [401]

Remove the paper that covers the cell and knock several good-sized holes in the zinc shell. Place the battery in a glass jar, fill it two-thirds full of strong sal ammoniac (or salt) solution and connect the terminals to whatever apparatus the current is to be used for. A few drops of sulphuric acid quickens and improves the

## action. The output of the cell will be nearly as great as when the

battery was first bought. --Contributed by C. W. Arbitt, Austin, Texas.

** Blue Dye[401]

Prussian blue and Chinese blue are both the same chemically but they do not cut or look the same.

** Acetylene lamp [401]

When an acetylene lamp is in good order it will light up slowly with a hissing noise followed by a pure white flame. Should the lamp light up quickly with a yellowish flame, it is a sign of a leak somewhere.

** Another Electric Motor [401]

This form of electric motor is used largely in England in the form of an indicator. It is very easily made and

[Illustration: Electric Motor]

if you have an old electro-magnet will cost practically nothing.

A large soft-iron wheel is mounted on an axle with a pulley-wheel on one end and a circuit breaker on the other end. The teeth on the circuit-breaker must be the same number as on the soft-iron wheel.

The electro-magnet is mounted so that its core is level with the axle and in a line with the wheel. One wire from it is attached to one binding screw and the other end is grounded to the iron frame that supports it. This frame is connected to the frame supporting the wheel. A small brush presses on the circuit-breaker and is connected to the other binding screw.

In the diagram A represents the iron wheel; B, the brush; C, the circuit breaker; D, the magnet. The wire connecting the two frames is shown by a dotted line.

To start the motor, attach your battery to the screws and turn the wheel a little. The magnet attracts one of' the teeth on the wheel, but as soon as it is parallel with the core of the magnet the circuit is broken and the momentum of the wheel brings another tooth to be attracted.

To reverse the motor reverse the connections and start the wheel the other way. Be sure that the frames are screwed down well or the motor will run jerkily and destroy the connections. --Contributed by F. Crawford Curry, Brockville, Ontario.

** How to Make a Propelling Vehicle [402]

[Illustration: Fig. 1]

Any boy, with a little knack and a few odd tools, can rig up various contrivances which will be a source of pleasure to himself and oftentimes can be sold, to less ingenious boys, for a snug little sum. Any tool a boy can obtain is apt to be of use to him, chisel, bit, jack-knife or hammer.

Figure 1 shows what two boys did with old cycle wheels. They went to some junk shops where the concerns had purchased cast-away bicycles and noticed that there were numerous wheels in very good order that could be selected from among the sets of wheels with broken or bent rims, spokes, burst tires, etc. In fact, the lads had no trouble in getting several sets of bicycle wheels in good condition for very little money. These wheels were taken to the back-yard shop of the boys where the young fellows had rigged up a shed-like affair and put in a bench. The previous Christmas one of the boys received a box of tools as a gift, in which was included a little hand vise and the required tools for general boy's handiwork.

Four of the cycle wheels they used in making the hand-propelled vehicle shown at Fig. 1.

[Illustration: Fig. 2]

A wooden body, A, made of smooth boards rests upon shafts. Fixed on this body is an upright carrying the sprocket B. The upright is a piece of wood about 10 in. high and 4 in. wide, fitted with one of the bearings from the cycle. The regular cycle chain sprocket is used at B as well as upon the shaft. The regular chain of the cycle is likewise employed, so, when buying the wheels, it is well to select one or more chains with corresponding sprockets from the junk heap. The detail of the adjustment of the parts is shown in next views. The letter D signifies the seat which is a box. The steering gear is a bent iron rod, also found in the waste pile of the junk shop, and is bent to right form by heating and bending over on a rock or any solid matter. The steering rod is marked E. It fits into a socket in the shaft of the forward wheels.

Figure 2 shows the construction of the cart below. The cog is keyed or set-screwed to the driving shaft of the wheels with either key or set-screw used in original fastening, as the case

[Illustration: Fig. 3, 4 Driving Shaft and Disk for Steering Gear]

may be. The chain is marked F, and there is a slot cut in the floor of the cart to let the chain pass up and through to the cog on the propelling shaft crank. The disk which receives the steering rod is at G. The forward shaft bears only at the center upon a disk of metal, consisting of any circular piece found among the pieces of iron or brass at the junk store. One can get nearly all the mechanical parts in junk establishments that purchase parts of out-of-date or cast-away bicycles. The detail of the driving shaft is shown at Fig. 3. The sprocket wheel is at H and this is just as it is taken from the original bicycle shaft. The bearings consist of wires looped around the shaft and inserted into holes bored in metal plates as shown. These plates are screwed to the bottom of the cart. The shaft itself is found in rods or even cast-away metal axles which are commonly found in most any carriage works, cycle shops or junk dealer's. Figure 4 shows the disk that receives the steering gear. The disk is bored around edges for the securing screws, while the center is open for the steering rod. When put together, three boys usually ride. One steers and the other two turn the crank. Freight can be carried and some boys do quite an express business in their town with one of the carts like this that they made.

** Ringing a Bell by Touching a Gas Jet [403]

The experiment of scuffling the feet over a carpet and then producing a spark which will light the gas by touching the chandelier is described on another page. One of our correspondents says that if a wire is connected to the chandelier and led to one terminal of the coherer of a wireless telegraph outfit the bell will ring every time the

[Illustration: Touch the Gas Jet and Ring the Bell]

spark is produced by touching the chandelier, and that, as the chandeliers are all connected by the gas-pipe, the bell will ring, no matter in which room the spark is produced.

** Lead Kills Knots [403]

The covering quality will be greatly improved if some dry red lead is added to the shellac varnish used for killing knots.

** How to Make a Wood Turning Lathe Out of an Old Sewing Machine [403]

With a hack-saw, cut off the arm containing the needle on line AB, Fig. 1, leaving the shaft only. On the end of the shaft will be found a round plate,

[Illustration: Fig. 1]

in which drill four 3/16-in. holes. Now secure, or have turned, a piece of iron or steel 1-1/2 in. in diameter, Fig. 2. Drill and countersink four 3/16-in. holes in it to fit the holes on the shaft plate. File a spur center 5/16 in. long, and two side points 3/16 in. long. Bolt this plate to the shaft plate with four flat-headed stove bolts, 3/16 in. in diameter by 5/8 or 3/4 in. long, Fig. 3.

For the bed, use a board 32 in., long and as wide as the base of the machine arm. This gives a limit of 2 ft. between spur and dead centers. Let this board be made level with the rest of machine table by making a pair of legs if needed. Next make a T-rail, Fig. 4, of two boards, one 5 by 3/4 by 32 in., the other 3-1/2 by 3/4 by 32 in. Threequarter inch of the wider board projects over each of the smaller boards. Nail firmly and clinch nails, or screw together. Screw this rail on the machine board so that its center coincides exactly with the machine centers. Bore a number of 3/8-in. holes with centers 2-3/4 in. apart along the center line of this rail, beginning 6 in. from the end nearest the machine. Make another T-rail for slide tool rest, of two pieces 32 by 3 by 3/4 in., and 32 by 1-1/2 by 3/4 in. Fasten this in front of the larger T-rail and parallel to it, the center lines being 6-1/2 in. apart.

To make the tail-piece, that is, the part to hold wood to be turned, get a board 6-1/2 by 7 by 3/4 in., and on the edges, Fig. 5, A, screw two pieces 7 by 3/4 by 1-1/2 in. so that the cap thus made will fit snugly over the large T-rail. Fasten to these last two pieces,

[Illustration: Fig. 4]

with screws, two more pieces 7 by 3/4 by 3/4 in., Fig. 5, B. This tail-piece should move smoothly back and forth with no side motion. Now get a block of hardwood 4 by 2-1/4 in., and 1-3/4 in. higher than the spur center when mounted on the middle of the tailpiece just described. At exactly the height of the spur center bore through this block a 3/4-in. hole, Fig. 5. Have

[Illustration: Fig. 2]

a blacksmith make a crank 8 in. long, threaded for 5 in. as shown. At the dead center end taper the crank and make a cup center, out of which allow a 3/16-in. point to project. The cup prevents the point from boring into

[Illustration: Fig. 3]

wood too rapidly. One inch from the outer end of the crank block, Fig. 5, bore a 3/16-in. hole, and force a 1/4-in. bolt to cut its thread in the wood. This is a set screw to hold the crank in any position desired. Place a strap nut, threaded to fit the crank, on the head-end of the crank block, and a plain nut to act as a bearing, on the crank end. One and one-half inches from the back of the tail-piece bore a 3/8-in. hole. Make a peg 3/8 by 2 in. To put in a piece of wood to turn, move the tail-piece back until the head end is over the center of the hole nearest the end of the block, then the peg will slip into second hole from the head end of the tail-piece, and into a corresponding T-rail hole, pinning the two together. Insert wood and screw up dead center to hold it.

For a tool rest make a second piece like the base of the tail-piece, 11 in. long and fitting the small T-rail. Cut out two blocks 1-1/2 by 2-1/4 by 3/4 in. and screw them, one on each end of the base of the tool rest, covering the half farthest from the centers, and having an 8-in. space between blocks. On the tops of these blocks screw a strip 11 by 2-1/4 by 3/4 in. Now for the rest proper, cut out a board 8 by 11/16 by 9 in. to slide in the slot of the rest. Take a piece of oak 11 by 2 in., and high enough so that the top will be level with the centers of the lathe, and bevel as shown in Fig. 6. Screw on one end of the 8 by 9-in. piece exactly in the middle. This piece will slide in and out, closer or farther from the centers as desired, and also along the T-rail.

A center for turning rosettes, saucers, etc., may be made as follows: Remove the spur center and bolt in its place a 1-in. circular board of the same

[Illustration: Fig. 5]

diameter, using longer 3/16-in. stove bolts with heads countersunk. Rotate the lathe, and with a gimlet bore a hole at the exact center and through the board. Now take off the board and countersink on the back a place for the head of a coarse threaded screw. Turn in a 1-3/4 -in. screw, replace the board and any block held on the end of the rotating screw will turn on and be held while being turned. --Contributed by L. L. Winans, Mexico, Mo.

** Reversing Small Battery Motor [405]

Make the switch out of a piece of slate (for the base) two strips of brass, a rubber strip and handle and some binding-posts from old dry batteries. Fasten the brass strips at 5 and 6, Fig. 1, so they can swing from 1 and 3 to 2

[Illustration: Switch]

and 4. Hold the brass strips apart by means of the hard rubber strip and screws. Do not let the screws come all the way through the rubber strip or you are liable to get a shock in case you should touch both screws simultaneously. Screw a rubber handle onto the rubber strip to move the lever back and forth with. Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of strips, handle, screws, etc., in detail. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. --Contributed by Eugene F. Tuttle, Jr., Newark, Ohio.

** Cleaning Bronze Bearings [405]

Bronze bearings may be cleaned with a solution of washing powder and water run through the oil cups while the machine is running without any load. The solution, cutting out the dirt and grime, will come from the bearing very black. About 1 pt. of this mixture should be run through each bearing, then clean thoroughly with clear water.

** A Water Candlestick [406]

A glass of water makes a fine emergency candlestick. Weight one end of the candle with a nail just large enough to hold the candle in the water so that the water comes near its top edge, but does not touch the wick, and then light the candle.

It will burn until the last vestige of wick is gone and the flame will not flicker. The melted tallow that runs down but serves to hold the candle more stationary.

** How to File Soft Metals [406]

When filing soft metals, such as solder or babbitt metal, the file, after a few strokes, will become filled with metal, causing scratches on the surface being filed. The surface may be filed smooth, provided the file has been well oiled. The oil prevents the cutters from clogging and also allows the metal to yield easily. Oil the file every few minutes and use a card frequently in cleaning and the work will be smooth. --Contributed by Jno. E. Ganaway, Paducah. Ky.

** To Make a Magazine Binder [406]

Get 1/2 yd. of cloth, one shoestring, a pasteboard box for covers, and some heavy paper. Cut the pasteboard into two covers, 1/4 in. larger all around than the magazine, except at the back with which they should be even. Next cut a strip 1 in. wide off the back of each cover. Place the covers on the cloth, Fig. 1, with the back edges 1/4 in. farther apart than the thickness of the volume to be bound. Cut the cloth around the covers, leaving 1-1/2 in. margin. Paste the cloth on the covers as they lay, and turn over the 1-1/2 in. margin, pasting down smoothly. Cut a piece of stiff paper to fit and paste on the back. Take a piece of cloth as wide as the cover, and long enough to extend over the back and 1-1/2 in.

[Illustration: Plan of Magazine Binder]

Beyond each "strip." Paste on to hold all together. Two pieces of paper the exact size of the magazine, pasted on the inside of each cover protects the edges of the cloth, and adds to the appearance. Let dry slowly.

[Illustration: Magazine Binder Complete]

With backs and edges of magazines even, place in a vise and set up tight allowing 3/4 in. from back to show above the vise. Bore three 3/16-in. holes 1/2 in. from the back, one in the middle, the other two 1-1/2 in. from each end. Make corresponding holes in the strips of the binder and use the shoestring to complete as in Fig. 2.

** Temporary Spline [406]

A piece of wire solder makes a good temporary spline for the draftsman.

** A Library Set in Pyro-Carving [407] By HELEN WESTINGHOUSE

The multitude of indifferently executed small articles which followed the introduction of pyrography is beginning to disappear. People are considering the art more seriously and

[Illustration: Table and Seat Decorated in Pyro-Carving]

applying it to more dignified uses. Pyro-carving is one of the new methods of decorating furniture which is both beautiful and practical, two qualities which do not always go together.

The library set illustrated consists of a table, 30 to 50 in., with two benches, 14 in. wide, of the same length. The supports are made of selected white pine, which must be absolutely free from pitch. The pine is soft enough to work easily with the point and stands wear much better than basswood. The tops and braces are made of curly fir. All of the material must be 2-in. lumber, which dresses to about 1-1/2 in. All surfaces, except the faces of the supports, are given a well rubbed coat of oil with a little burnt umber, the stain to be applied directly to the wood without a filler.

On the outside of the supports the design is drawn in with pencil, the background is then cut out smoothly with a chisel to the depth of an eighth of an inch, leaving the decoration in relief. It is then burned deeply, the background in straight flat strokes, the outlines having the effect of a sloping, dark edge. The shadows are burned in as deeply as possible and the shading is put in with the flat of the point.

A wax or eggshell oil-varnish finish is most suitable for this set, but any other finish may be applied, as the builder may desire, to make it harmonize with other furnishings.

** Cleaning Brass [407]

Small brass castings can be cleaned by heating them slightly and then dipping them in a solution of sal ammoniac. The pieces will come out as bright and clean as if new. This cleaning process is the same as that used in cleaning a soldering iron.

** A Phoneidoscope [407]

The phoneidoscope has many and varied forms, but the simplest can be made by bending the forefinger and thumb so as to form a circle and then drawing a soap film across the opening. This is done in a manner similar to the blowing of soap bubbles. The angle with the direction of the light may be readily adjusted by turning the wrist, a motion of the elbow alters the distance from the mouth and the tension of the film can be regulated by moving the thumb and forefinger. Singing or speaking at the film when under proper tension will cause beautiful figures to appear, which may be reflected from the film directly on the screen. --Contributed by Robt. E. Bradley, Winchester, Mass.

** A Home-Made Yankee Bobsled [408]

A good coasting sled, which I call a Yankee bob, can be made from two hardwood barrel staves, two pieces of

[Illustration: Runners Made of Barrel Staves]

2 by 6-in. pine, a piece of hardwood for the rudder and a few pieces of boards. The 2 by 6-in. pieces should be a little longer than one-third the length of the staves, and each piece cut tapering from the widest part, 6 in., down to 2 in., and then fastened to the staves with large wood screws as shown in Fig. 1. Boards 1 in. thick are nailed on top of the pieces for a seat and to hold the runners together. The boards should be of such a length as to make the runners about 18 in. apart.

A 2-in. shaft of wood, Fig. 2, is turned down to 1 in. on the ends and put through holes that must be bored in the front ends of the 2 by 6-in. pieces. A small pin is put through each end of the shaft to keep it in place. The rudder is a 1-1/2-in. hardwood piece which should be tapered to 1/2 in. at the bottom and shod with a thin piece of iron. A 1/2-in. hole is bored through the center of the shaft and a lag screw put through and turned in the rudder piece, making it so the rudder will turn right and left and, also, up and down. Two cleats are nailed to the upper sides of the runners and in the middle lengthways for the person's heels to rest against.

Any child can guide this bob, as all he has to do is to guide the rudder right and left to go in the direction named. If he wants to stop, he pulls up on the handle and the heel of the rudder will dig into the snow, causing too much friction for the sled to go any further. --Contributed by Wm. Algie, Jr., Little Falls, N. Y.

** How to Make a Small Microscope [408]

Theoretically a simple microscope can be made as powerful as a compound microscope, but in practice the minute size required by the simple lens to give the highest power makes it almost impossible to be used. However, a lens having a reasonable magnifying power can be made in a few minutes for almost nothing. Take a piece of glass tubing, heat one place in a hot flame, hold one end and pull on the other and draw the heated place down to a fine string as shown in Fig. 1. Take about 3 in. of this fine tube and heat one end which will form a glass bead as shown in Fig. 2. This bead is the lens. When in this form it can be used only in an artificial light coming from one direction, but if you take a piece of

[Illustration: Lens Formed by Heat]

cardboard and bore a hole in it a little smaller than the bead on the glass tube which is forced into the hole, Fig 3, you can use this mounted lens in ordinary daylight. In this case a mirror must be used to reflect the light up through the lens. It is difficult to see anything at first, as the lens must be held very close to the eye, but in practice you will soon learn to see the object as it appears enlarged.

If you soak a little dried grass or hay in water for a few days and look at a drop of this water, germs in various life forms can be seen. The water must be put on the lens. One thing to remember is that the smaller the lens, the greater the magnifying power. --Contributed by Daniel Gray, Decatur, Illinois.

** Freezing Pipes [409]

The water in hot water supply pipes will freeze quicker than water that has not been heated. This is because the air, which is a poor conductor of heat, has been driven out by the heat.

** How to Carry Books [409]

Almost all school children carry their books with a strap put around and b u c k led very tight. This will make dents in the cover where the board overlaps the body of the book. If the strap is left loose, the books are liable to slip out. Place the cover of one book between the cover and fly leaf of its neighbor and the difficulty will be remedied. This will place the books in alternate directions. Books stacked in this manner do not require the strap buckled tight, or, they can be carried without any strap just as well. --Contributed by Thos. De Loaf, Grand Rapids, Mich.

[Illustration: Stacking Books]

** Bottle Pushers [409]

[Illustration: BOTTLE PUSHERS. --This is a game in which the competitors push bottles on the ice with hockey sticks. All the bottles must be the same size and make. The persons participating must keep their bottles upright at all times. The bottles are lined up for the start and at the word "go," each person pushes a bottle across the field for a distance that is agreed upon.]

** How to Make a Hammock [410]

Anyone can make a hammock as good as can be bought and that at a cost so small that every member of the family can possess one providing there are places enough for hanging them.

The materials required are a needle about 7 in. long, and with a big eye, an iron ring for each end of the hammock, two long smooth sticks on which to knit the hammock and two pounds of strong hemp cord or twine. The twine may be colored in any color or combination of colors desired. A Roman stripe at each end of the hammock makes a pretty effect.

A hammock 45 in. wide will not be too large for solid comfort. To knit it first thread the big needle and holding it in the left hand, hold the cord in place with the thumb until you have looped the cord over the tongue, then pass the cord under the needle to the opposite side and catch it over the tongue. Repeat this operation until the needle is full. Cut a 2-yd. length of cord and make a loop and fasten to the door knob or to some other convenient place. Tie the cord on the needle to this loop 3 in. from the end of the loop. Place the small mesh stick under the cord with the beveled edge close to the loop, and, with a thumb on the cord to hold it in place, pass the needle around the stick and then, point downward, pass it through the loop from the top, and then bring it over the stick so forming the first half of the knot.

Pull this tight and hold in place with a thumb while throwing the cord over your hand, which forms the loop. Pass the needle from under through the loops and draw fast to fasten the knot. Hold this in place and repeat the operation.

Make 30 of these knots and then push them off the stick and proceed in the same way with the next row, passing the needle first through each of the 30 knots made for the first row. Make 30 rows and then tie the last loops to the other iron ring. Stretchers may be made and put in place and the hammock, strong and durable, is finished. The work must be carefully and evenly done. One is apt to have a little trouble getting the first row right, but after that the work proceeds quite rapidly.

How to Obtain Cheap Dry Batteries [410]

Not very many people realize that good, serviceable dry cells can be obtained from an automobile garage very cheap. These cells having been "run out" beyond the required number of amperes for automobile use, will give excellent service, considering their cost. Many of them will give two-thirds of their original amperage. Six of such cells have been in use on my door-bell circuit for nearly a year. They can be used for other purposes just as well. --Contributed by H. H. Cutter.

** How to Make a Water Telescope [410]

[Illustration: The Water Telescope]

Before you decide on a place to cast your hook it is best to look into the water to see whether any fish are there. Yes, certainly, you can look into the water and see the fish that are there swimming about, if you have the proper equipment. What you need is a water telescope. This is a device made of wood or metal with one end of glass. When the glass end is submerged, by looking in at the open end, objects in the water are made plainly visible to a considerable depth. In Norway, the fishermen use the water telescope regularly in searching for herring shoals or cod.

All that is necessary to make a wooden water telescope is a long wooden box, a piece of glass for one

[Illustration: Wooden Water Telescope]

end and some paint and putty for making the seams watertight. Fix the glass in one end of the box, and leave the other open to look through.

A tin water telescope is more convenient than the wooden one, but more difficult to make, The principal essential for this is a circular piece of glass for the large end. A funnel shaped tin horn will do for the rest. Solder in the glass at the large end and the telescope is made. Sinkers consisting of strips of lead should be soldered on near the bottom to counteract the buoyancy of the air contained in the watertight funnel and also helps to submerge the big end. The inside of the funnel should be painted black to prevent the light from being reflected on the bright surface of the tin. If difficulty is found in obtaining a circular piece of glass, the bottom may be made square and square glass used. Use plain, clear glass; not magnifying glass. To picnic

## parties the water telescope is of great amusement, revealing

numerous odd sights in the water which many have never seen before.

** How to Rid Your Yard of Cats [411]

The following is a description of a device I built at my home in Brooklyn, which not only gave us relief from the

[Illustration: Electric Apparatus for Driving Away Cats]

nightly feline concerts, but also furnished much amusement to my friends.

I first ran two bare copper wires along the top of the fence about 1 in. apart, fastening them down with small staples, care being taken that they did not touch. To the ends of these wires I fastened ordinary insulated bell wire, running them to the house and connecting them to the upper binding-posts of an induction coil; I then ran a wire from the lower binding-post of my coil through the batteries back to the other lower binding-post of coil, breaking the circuit by putting in an ordinary switch. The more batteries used, the stronger the current. The switch should always be left open, as it uses up the current very rapidly.

When "tabby" is well on the wires I close the switch and she goes the length of the fence in bounds, often coming back to see what the trouble is, thus receiving another shock. --Contributed by Charles L. Pultz.

** Substitute for a Drill Bit [411]

A gouge may be used as a substitute bit if a proper sized bit is not at hand. The gouge can be placed in the brace the same as a bit.

** Drying Films [412]

The drying of photographic film in full lengths without scratching or curling is quite difficult. Various devices are used to keep the film straight, and

[Illustration: Pins Keep the Film Straight]

push pins or thumb tacks are supplied with almost all of them. The illustration shows a simple and inexpensive device constructed of common wood clothespins without any metal pins to come in contact with the film and cause rust streaks. A pair of pins are fastened at each end of the film by pushing one pin over the other which in turn is clamped on the film. A string tied to the heads of one pair of pins provides a way to hang the whole on a nail. The lower pair of pins makes a weight to keep the film straight. --Contributed by J. Mac Gregor, Montreal, Canada.

** Grooved Pulley Made from Sheet Tin [412]

A grooved pulley which will run true and carry a round belt may be made without the use of other tools than a compass and pair of shears, with a drill or punch for making two rivet holes.

Layoff a circle on the tin, of the diameter desired for the bottom of the groove. Then layoff a concentric circle of 1/4 in. greater radius. Cut out along the lines of the large circle. On the line of the small circle mark with a prick punch or nail a series of slight dents, about 1/4 in. apart, all the way around. Now make cuts from the line of the large circle to these dents, stopping when the shears give the little "click" on entering the dent. Bend the little tongues thus formed alternately to the right and left, then by shaping them with some care you will have a good running surface for the belt. It will not make any difference if there are more tongues on one side than the other, or if they are not equally spaced, within reason.

For the hub, solder or rivet a "handle" across the center hole and drill a hole through it of the same size as the center hole. With the help of solder a grooved pulley which will answer almost every experimental purpose may be made, and it is remarkable with how slight care a perfectly true wheel may be made in this manner.

The same principle might in some way be applied to gear-wheels, for light and temporary use. --Contributed by C. W. Nieman, New York City.

** An Emergency Glass Funnel [412]

[Illustration: Cutting a Funnel]

Secure a glass bottle having a small neck and tie a string saturated in kerosene around the outside at A and B as shown in the sketch. Light the string and allow it to burn until the glass is heated, then plunge the bottle quickly into water. The top or neck will then come off easily. The sharp edges are ground or filed off smooth. This will make a good emergency funnel which serves the purpose well for filling wide necked bottles. --Contributed by Jos. W. Sorenson, Everett, Wash.

** An Electrical Walking Stick [413]

A cane that will produce an electric shock when shaking hands is one supplied with the electrical apparatus shown in the sketch. An ordinary cane, 1 in. in diameter at the top and having a metal band A, is bored about 8 in. deep, to receive the battery B and induction coil C. One of the electrical connections is through the metal tip D to the earth, the other is through the

[Illustration: Battery and Coil In Cane]

metal band A when the push button E is pressed.

The one using the cane merely holds the metal end D in contact with the earth and while shaking hands with a friend he pushes the button and starts the coil in operation. --Contributed by Stanley Radcliffe, Laurel, Md.

** Convenient Shelf Arrangement [413]

A convenient device for crowded shelves and cupboards is shown in the accompanying sketch. Halfway between shelves A and B is installed a second shelf C which is only half as wide as the other shelves. This

[Illustration: Shelf]

provides a convenient place for small articles and utensils, while in a china closet it furnishes a splendid space for cups, sauce dishes or other small pieces. It also adds a neat and pleasing appearance. --Contributed by E. M. Williams, Oberlin, Ohio.

** A Shoe Scraper [413]

On steps of public buildings, shops and dwellings is usually found some sort of a mud scraper for the shoes. These remove the mud from the sole of the shoe and leave it on the edge and sides. The scraper shown in the sketch is of simple construction, and removes the mud from the soles and

[Illustration: Scraper of Thin Steel]

sides of any size shoe in one operation. The scrapers spread and bring pressure to bear on all sizes. The side scrapers must be made of metal that will spring. The standard is of heavy sheet metal with the thinner strips riveted to the projecting uprights at the ends.

** Fastening a Shade to a Roller [413]

Tack the shade A in the usual manner and roll it as far back as possible

[Illustration: Fastening a Shade]

and while in this position apply an ample quantity of glue near the tacks, as shown at B. A shade attached in this manner will not come loose from the roller.

** Vegetable Slicer [413]

The slicer is made of a knife blade, screw and pin handle. The screw is soldered into the end of the knife blade. As the screw feeds into the vegetable

[Illustration: Slicer In Vegetable]

or fruit, the blade will slice it in a curl of even thickness. --Contributed by H. C. Roufeldt, Toledo, O.

** How to Make an Etched Copper Picture Frame [414]

Secure a heavy piece of copper about 8 or 10 gauge, cut to 7 by 7-3/4 in. Make a design on a piece of paper. The accompanying sketch offers a suggestion.

[Illustration: Etched Copper Picture Frame]

If the design is to be symmetrical, draw a line down the middle of the paper, make one-half the fold and trace the remaining half by placing a piece of double-surfaced carbon paper between the halves. Fasten this design with a little paste on the copper at two of its corners and trace it on the copper by means of the carbon paper.

Remove the paper, and, with a small brush and black varnish or asphaltum paint, cover the part not to be eaten by the acid of the bath into which the metal is to be immersed. Two or three coats will be necessary to withstand the acid. The conventional trees, the border as shown in the illustration, and the back are covered with the varnish or asphaltum.

The etching solution should be put in a stone vessel of some kind and care should be taken not to allow it to get on the hands or clothes. A stick should be used to handle the metal while it is in the solution. This solution is made by putting in the stone jar the following: Water a little more than one-half, nitric acid a little less than one-half. DO NOT ADD THE WATER TO THE ACID. Leave the metal in this solution three or four hours. The time will depend upon the strength of the acid and the depth to which you wish the etching to be done. An occasional examination of the object will show when to take it out.

When the etching has been carried as far as desirable, take the copper from the bath and remove the asphaltum by scraping it as clean as possible, using an old case knife. After doing this, put some of the solution, or pickle as it is called, in an old pan and warm it over a flame. Put the metal in this hot liquid and swab it with batting or cloth fastened to the end of a stick. Rinse in clear water to stop the action of the acid. When clean, cut the metal out from the center where the picture is to be placed, using a metal saw.

Solder on the back several small clips with which to hold the picture in place. There must also be a support soldered in place to keep the frame upright. To further clean the metal before soldering, use a solution in the proportion of one-half cup of lye to 3 gal. water. Heat either the solution or the metal just before using.

When soldering, care must be taken to have the parts to be soldered thoroughly clean. Any grease or foreign matter will prevent the solder from running properly. On a piece of slate slab, heavy glass or other hard, nonabsorbent substance that is clean, put a little water and grind a lump of borax around until the resultant is like thin cream. Thoroughly clean the parts that are to be soldered by scraping with a knife, and do not touch with the fingers afterward. Place a piece of thin silver solder between the parts after having coated them and the solder with the borax. Use a pair of tweezers to pick up the solder. Hold the parts firmly together and apply heat--slowly at first until all moisture has been expelled and the borax crystallized, after which the flame may be applied more directly and the parts brought to a soldering heat. An alcohol flame will do. Heat applied too quickly will throw off the solder and spoil the attempt.

There are various ways of finishing the metal. It may be polished by means of powdered pumice, chalk or charcoal, and then treated with a coat of French varnish diluted ten times its volume in alcohol. Another popular way is to give the background a bluish-green effect by brushing it over a great many times, after it has been cleaned, with a solution composed of muriate of ammonia, 1 part; carbonate of ammonia, 3 parts; water, 24 parts. The whole may then be treated with French varnish to preserve the colors.

** How to Make an Easel [415]

A strong and substantial easel may be made at home with very little expense and no great difficulty.

Smooth down with a plane, four pieces of pine, 1 in. thick, 4 in. wide and 4 ft. long, until suitable for legs. Make three cross-pieces, Fig. 1, and join the legs with them as shown in Fig. 2. With an auger bore a hole in each leg about 3 in. from the bottom, and fit into each a little peg, Fig. 2, for the picture to rest on. The peg should be of hardwood so it will not break.

Cut the handle from an old broom, measure off the right length, and put a hinge on one end. Fasten this leg on the second cross-piece, thus forming a support for the two front legs, Fig. 3. The easel may be finished according to the individual taste. It may be sandpapered and stained and varnished, or painted in some pretty tint, or, if preferred, may be enameled. --Contributed by G. J. Tress.

[Illustration: Details of Easel Construction]

** How to Make a Wind Propeller [415]

A wind propeller may be constructed with four old bicycle wheels arranged with shafts pretty much like the shafts of a hand-propelled cart. The platform is flatter, however, and the body one tier so that it is lower. A framework of wood is built at M and this is a support

[Illustration: Wind Propeller]

for several purposes. The sail is secured to the mast which is fixed into the body of the cart as shown. The sail is linen fabric. There are two crosspieces to aid in keeping the sail properly opened. The steering arrangement is through the rear shaft. The shaft is pivoted as in a hand-propelled cart, and the rod I extends from the middle connection of the shaft up to a point where the person seated on the wooden frame can handle it. There is a brake arranged by making a looped piece J and hinging it as shown. This piece is metal, fitted with a leather face. The cord K is pulled to press the brake. I marks the support for the mast underneath the body of the cart. In a steady breeze this cart spins nicely along the roads.

** Replacing Ball Bearings [415]

Never change a single ball in a bearing. Renew them all.

** How to Construct an Annunciator [416]

Oftentimes a single electric bell may be connected in a circuit so that it can be operated from more than one push button. These push buttons are usually located in entirely different parts of the building and it is necessary to have some means of determining the

## particular push button that was pressed and caused the bell to

operate. The electric annunciator is a device that will indicate or record the various calls or signals that may be sent over the circuits to which the annunciator is connected. A very simple and inexpensive annunciator may be made in the following way:

Before taking up the construction of the annunciator it would be best to make a diagrammatic drawing of the circuit in which the annunciator is to operate. The simplest circuit that will require an annunciator is one where the bell may be operated from either of two push buttons. In this case the annunciator must be constructed to give only two indications. Fig. 1 shows how the various' elements of such a circuit may be connected. B is an ordinary vibrating electric bell, M1 and M2 are the two electromagnets of the annunciator, A is a battery of several dry cells, and P1 and P2 are the push buttons from either of which the bell may be operated.

When the push button P1 is pressed the circuit is completed through the winding of the magnet M1 and its core becomes magnetized. In a similar manner the core of the magnet M2 becomes magnetized when the push button P2 is pressed and the circuit completed through the winding of the magnet M2.

If an iron armature, that is supported by a shaft through its center and properly balanced, be placed near the ends of the cores of M1 and M2, as shown in Fig. 2, it may assume the position indicated by either the full or dotted lines, depending upon which of the magnets, M1 or M2, was last magnetized. The position of this armature will serve to indicate the push button from which the bell was operated. The magnets should be placed inside a case and the indication may be made by a pointer attached to the shaft, supporting the armature.

If you are able to secure the electromagnets from a discarded electric bell they will work fine for the magnets M1 and M2. They should be disconnected from their iron support and mounted upon some non-magnetic material, such as brass or copper, making the distance between their centers as small as possible. The piece of metal upon which the magnets are mounted should now be fastened, by means of two wood screws, to the back of the board, shown in Fig. 6, that is to form the face of the annunciator. It should be about 1/8 in. thick, 1/2 in. wide and long enough to extend a short distance beyond the cores of the magnets M1 and M2. Drill a 1/16-in. hole through its center, as shown in Fig. 2. Drive a piece of steel rod into this hole, making sure the rod will not turn easily in the opening, and allow about 1/2 in. of the rod to project on one side, and 1-1/2 in. on the other side.

Drill a hole in the board upon which the magnets are mounted so that when the long end of the rod carrying the armature is passed through the hole, the armature will be a little more than 1/16 in. from each magnet core. The short end of the rod should be supported by means of a piece of strip brass bent into the form shown in Fig. 3.

Drill a hole in the center of this piece, so the rod will pass through it. When the armature has been put in its proper place, fasten this strip to the board with two small wood screws. You may experience some difficulty in locating the hole in the board for the rod, and it no doubt would be best to drill this hole first and fasten the magnets in place afterwards.

Two small collars should be fastened to the rod to prevent its moving endwise. Fit the collars tightly on the rod to hold them in place.

Cut the long end of the rod off so it projects through the face of the annunciator about 5/8 in. Take some very thin sheet brass and cut out a needle or indicator as shown in Fig. 4. In a small piece of brass drill a hole so it will fit tight on the other end of the rod. Solder the indicator to this piece and force it in place on the end of the rod.

When the armature is the same

[Illustration: Details of the Annunciator]

distance from each core, the indicator should be parallel to the long dimension of the face of the case. The case of the instrument may be made in the following way:

Secure a piece of 3/8-in. oak, or other hard wood, 3 in. wide and 2 ft. long. Then cut from this board the following pieces: two whose dimensions correspond to those of Fig. 5 and are to form the sides of the case; two whose dimensions correspond to those of Fig. 6 and are to form the back and the face of the case; three whose dimensions correspond to those of Figs. 7, 8, and 9 and are to form the lower and upper end of the case and the finish for the top.

Secure a piece of window glass, 4-1/2 in. by 3-1/8 in. that is to be used as the front. Before assembling the case cut on the inner surface of the pieces forming the sides and the lower end, a groove just wide enough to take the glass and 1/16 in. in depth. The outer edge of this groove should be 3/8 in. from the outer edge of the frame. After the case is fastened together there should be a slot between the piece forming the upper end and the piece that serves as a finish at the top, that will allow the glass to be slipped into place. A small strip of wood should be tacked over this slot, after the glass is put in place, to prevent the dust and dirt from falling down inside of the case.

The piece upon which the works are to be mounted may be fastened in place by means of four round-headed brass screws that pass through the sides of the case. It should be fastened about 1/2 in. back of the glass front. The back may be fastened inside of the case in a similar manner.

Cut two pieces, from some sheet brass, whose dimensions correspond to those of Fig. 10. These pieces are to be used in supporting the case by means of some small screws. Fasten three binding-posts, that are to form the terminals of the annunciator, on the top of the upper end of the case. Mark one of these binding-posts C and the other two Ll and L2. Connect one terminal of each of the magnet windings to the post marked C and the other terminal to the posts Ll and L2. You can finish the case in any style you may desire. Often times it is desirable to have it correspond to the finish of the woodwork of the room in which it is to be placed. The distance the point of the indicator will move through depends upon the distance between the cores of the magnets and the distance of the armature from these cores. These distances are often times such that the indications of the cell are not very definite. If the armature is moved too far from the cores there is not sufficient pull exerted by them when magnetized, to cause the position of the armature' to change.

Mount on the shaft carrying the armature a small gear wheel. Arrange another smaller gear to engage this on and fasten the indicator to the shaft of the smaller gear. Any movement now of the armature shaft will result in a relative large movement of the indicator shaft. Figure 11 shows the arrangement of the gears just described.

** How to Make a Steam Calliope [418]

Secure ten gas jet valves, the part of the gas fixture shown in Fig. 1, and prepare to place them in a piece of 1-in. pipe, 12 in. long. This is done by drilling and tapping 10 holes, each

[Illustration: Details of the Calliope]

1 in. apart, in a straight line along the pipe. The valves screwed into these holes appear as shown in Fig. 2. The whistles are made from pipe of a diameter that will fit the valves. No dimensions can be given for the exact lengths of these pipes as they must be tried out to get the tone. Cut ten pieces of this pipe, each one of a different length, similar to the pipes on a pipe organ. Cut a thread on both ends, put a cap on the end intended for the top, and fit a plug in the other end. The plug must have a small portion of its side filed out, and a notch cut in the side of the pipe with its horizontal edge level with the top of the plug. This part of each whistle is made similar to making a bark whistle on a green stick of willow. The pipes are then screwed into the valves.

The whistles may be toned by trying out and cutting off pieces of the pipe, or by filling the top end with a little melted lead. The 1-in. pipe must have a cap screwed on one end and the other attached to a steam pipe. The steam may be supplied by using an old range boiler, placed horizontally in a fireplace made of brick or sheet iron. If such a boiler is used, a small safety valve should be attached. The keys and valve operation are shown in Fig. 3. This is so plainly illustrated that it needs no explanation. --Contributed by Herbert Hahn, Chicago.

** Sharpening Scissors [419]

When sharpening scissors on a grindstone it is very difficult to procure a straight edge. For those not having the facilities of a grinding arrangement a very handy device that will produce a straight and sharp edge can be easily constructed as follows:

Procure a block of wood, 1-1/2 in. long, 1 in. wide and 1/2 in. thick, add saw a kerf square with the face of the block, as shown at A. Attach a piece

[Illustration: A Block of Wood Fitted with a Piece of Emery Cloth for Sharpening Scissors Correctly]

of fine emery cloth in the kerf, at B, with glue, taking care to have it flat on the sloping surface only and allowing no part of the cloth to turn the sharp corner and lie on the back side. Apply the block to the scissor blade as shown and draw it back and forth from one end to the other, being careful to keep the back side of the blade flat against the block. Without being familiar with scissors grinding, anyone can sharpen them correctly with this block. --Contributed by Harriet Kerbaugh, Allentown, Pa.

** Counter Brush for a Shop [419]

A very serviceable brush for use around a shop can be made from a discarded or worn-out push broom as shown at A. Pull out the bristles from one-half of the brush and shape the wood of that end with a knife or

[Illustration: A Discarded Push Broom Shaped to Form a Brush for the Bench or Counter]

spokes have to the form of a handle, and the brush will be formed as shown at B. --Contributed by James T. Gaffney, Chicago.

** A Curtain Roller [419]

Procure a window-shade roller, an umbrella rib and two strips of oilcloth, each 1 in. wide and 4 in. long. Cut the

[Illustration: The Curtain is Easily Attached to and Detached from the Roller for Cleaning]

roller off so that it will be 6 in. longer than the distance across the window, then cut a groove in it to insert the rib. Sew the pieces of oilcloth so that they will just fit over the ends of the roller. When this is done lay the curtain across the groove, then press the rib and curtain into the groove and push the oilcloth bands over the ends of the rib to keep it in place. --Contributed by E. L. McFarlane, Nashwaakees, N. B.

** Shade-Holder Bracket for a Gas Jet [419]

An old umbrella rib makes a very effective shade-holder bracket for a gas jet. The ends of the rib are bent to fit around the pendant upright and the support end is shaped into a hook. It can be quickly applied or removed. The outer end is bent into a hook to

[Illustration: The Bracket for Holding the Shade is Made from an Old Umbrella Rib]

hold the shade. The rib can be cut to fit a pendant arm of any length. --Contributed by Edward Keegstra, Paterson, N. J.

** To Longer Preserve Cut Flowers [419]

A good way to keep cut flowers fresh is to place a small amount of pure salt of sodium in the water. It is best to procure this salt at a drug store because commercial salt will cause the flowers to wither, due to the impurities in the soda. Call for pure sodium chloride.

** Glass Blowing and Forming [420]

Fortunate indeed is the boy who receives a stock of glass tubing, a Bunsen burner, a blowpipe, and some charcoal for a gift, for he has a great deal of fun in store for himself. Glass blowing is a useful art to understand, if the study of either chemistry or physics is to be taken up, because much apparatus can be made at home. And for itself alone, the forming of glass into various shapes has not only a good deal of pleasure in it, but it trains the hands and the eye.

Glass, ordinarily brittle and hard, becomes soft and pliable under heat. When subjected to the action of a flame until dull red, it bends as if made of putty; heated to a bright yellow, it is so soft that it may be blown, pulled, pushed or worked into any shape desired. Hence the necessity for a Bunsen burner, a device preferred to all others for this work, because it gives the hottest flame without soot or dirt. The Bunsen burner, as shown in Fig. 1, is attached to any gas bracket with a rubber tube, but the flame is blue, instead of yellow, as the burner introduces air at its base, which mixes with the gas and so produces an almost perfect combustion, instead of the partial combustion which results in the ordinary yellow flame. All gas stoves have Bunsen burners, and many oil stoves.

If gas is not available, an alcohol lamp with a large wick will do almost as well. The blowpipe, shown in Fig. 2, is merely a tube of brass with the smaller end at right angles to the pipe, and a fine tip to reduce the size of the blast, which is used to direct a small flame. Besides these tools, the glass worker will need some round sticks of charcoal, sharpened like a pencil, as shown in Fig. 3, a file, and several lengths of German glass tubing.

To bend a length of the tubing, let it be assumed for the purpose of making a syphon, it is only necessary to cork one end of the tube and heat it near the top of the Bunsen flame, turning the tubing constantly to make it heat evenly on all sides, until it is a dull red in color. It will then bend of its own weight if held in one hand, but to allow it to do so is to make a flat place in the bend. The heating should be continued until the red color is quite bright, when the open end of the tube is put in the mouth and a little pressure of air made in the tube by blowing. At the same time, the tube is bent, steadily but gently. The compressed air in the tube prevents it from collapsing during the process.

To make a bulb on the end of a tube, one end must be closed. This is easily done by heating as before, and then pulling the tube apart as shown in Fig. 4. The hot glass will draw, just like a piece of taffy, each end tapering to a point. This point on one length is successively heated and pressed toward and into the tube, by means of a piece of charcoal, until the end is not only closed, but as thick as the rest of the tube, as in Fig. 5. An inch or more is now heated white hot, the tube being turned continually to assure even heating and to prevent the hot end from bending down by its own weight. When very hot, a sudden puff into the open end of the tube will expand the hot glass into a bulb, as in Fig. 6. These can be made of considerable size, and, if not too thin, make very good flasks (Fig. 7) for physical experiments. The base of the bulb should be flattened by setting it, still hot, on a flat piece of charcoal, so that it will stand alone.

To weld two lengths of, glass tubing together, heat the end of a tube and insert the point of a piece of charcoal in the opening, and twirl it about until the end of the tube has a considerable flare. Do the same to the end of the other tube, which is to be joined to the first, and then, heating both to a dull red, let them touch and press lightly together as in Fig. 8. As soon as they are well in contact, heat the two joined flares together, very hot, and, pulling slightly, the flares will flatten out and the tube be perfectly joined. Tubes joined without previous flaring have a constricted diameter at the joint.

To make a T-joint in two pieces of tubing, it is necessary to make a hole in the side of one piece, as shown at A in Fig. 9. This is accomplished by the aid of the principle of physics that gases expand when heated. Both ends of the tube, which should be cold, are corked tightly. The whole is then gradually warmed by being held near the flame. When warm, a small flame is directed by the blowpipe from the Bunsen flame to a spot on one side of

[Illustration: Glass Blowing and Forming]

the closed tube. As it heats, the air within the tube expands and becomes compressed, and as soon as the hot spot on the side of the tube is soft enough, the confined air blows out, pushing the hot glass aside as it does so, leaving a small puncture. This is to be enlarged with pointed charcoal until it also flares as shown at B. This flare is then connected to the flared end of a straight tube, C, and the T-joint, D, is complete.

Using the blowpipe is not difficult. The lips and cheeks should be puffed out with a mouthful of air, which is ample to blow a flame while the lungs are being refilled. In this way, it is possible to use the blowpipe steadily, and not intermittently, as is necessary if the lungs alone are the "bellows."

Small glass funnels, such as are used in many chemical operations, are made by first forming a bulb, then puncturing the bulb at the top, when hot, with a piece of charcoal, and smoothing down or flaring the edges. Very small and fine glass tubes, such as are used in experiments to demonstrate capillary attraction, water or other liquid rising in them when they are plunged into it, are made by heating as long a section of tubing as can be handled in the flame--2 in. will be found enough--and, when very hot, giving the ends a sudden vigorous pull apart. The tube pulls out and gets smaller and smaller as it does so, until at last it breaks. But the fine thread of glass so made is really a tube, and not a rod, as might be supposed. This can be demonstrated by blowing through it at a gas flame, or by immersing it in colored liquid. The solution will be seen to rise some distance within the tube, the amount depending on the diameter of the tube.

The file is for cutting the glass tubing into lengths convenient to handle. It should be a three-cornered file, of medium fineness, and is used simply to nick the glass at the place it is desired to cut it. The two thumbs are then placed beneath the tube, one on each side of the nick, and the tube bent, as if it were plastic, at the same time pulling the hands apart. The tube will break off squarely at the nick, without difficulty.

The entire outfit may be purchased from any dealer in chemical or physical apparatus, or any druggist will order it. Enough tubing to last many days, the Bunsen burner, blowpipe, file and charcoal should not exceed $2 in cost.

** Cadmium and Solder [421]

The addition of cadmium to soft solder composed of tin and lead, lowers its melting point and increases its strength.

** Telegraph Codes [422]

[Illustration: Telegraph Codes]

** How to Make a Cruising Catamaran [423]

A launch is much safer than a sailing boat, yet there is not the real sport to be derived from it as in sailing. Herein is given a description of a sailing catamaran especially adapted for those who desire to sail and have a safe craft. The main part of the craft is made from two boats or pontoons with watertight tops, bottoms and sides and fixed at a certain distance apart with a platform on top for the passengers. Such a craft cannot be capsized easily, and, as the pontoons are watertight, it will weather almost any rough water. If the craft is intended for rough waters, care must be taken to make the platform pliable yet stiff and as narrow as convenient to take care of the rocking movements.

This catamaran has been designed to simplify the construction, and, if a larger size than the dimensions shown in Fig. 1 is desired, the pontoons may be made longer by using two boards end to end and putting battens on the inside over the joint. Each pontoon is made of two boards 1 in. thick, 14 in. wide and 16 ft. long, dressed and cut to the shape shown in Fig. 2. Spreaders are cut from 2-in. planks, 10 in. wide and 12 in. long, and placed 6 ft. apart between the board sides and fastened with screws. White lead should be put in the joints before turning in the screws. Cut the ends of the boards so they will fit perfectly and make pointed ends to the pontoons as shown

[Illustration: Details of the Pontoons]

in Fig. 3, and fit in a wedge shaped piece; white lead the joints and fasten well with screws.

Turn this shell upside down and lay a board 1/2 in. thick, 12 in. wide and 16 ft. long on the edges of the sides, mark

[Illustration: Completed Boat]

on the under side the outside line of the shell and cut to shape roughly. See that the spreaders and sides fit true all over, then put white lead on the joint and nail with 1-3/4 -in. finishing nails as close as possible without weakening the wood. Slightly stagger the nails in the sides, the 1-in. side boards will allow for this, trim off the sides, turn the box over and paint the joints and ends of the spreaders, giving them two or three coats and let them dry.

Try each compartment for leaks by turning water in them one at a time. Bore a 5/8-in. hole through each spreader in the center and through the

[Illustration: Crosspiece and Rudder Details]

bottom board as shown. The top board, which is 1/4-in. thick, 12 in. wide and 16 ft. long, is put on the same as the bottom.

After finishing both pontoons in this way place them parallel. A block of wood is fastened on top of each pontoon and exactly over each spreader on which to bolt the crosspieces as shown in Fig. 4. Each block is cut to the shape and with the dimensions shown in Fig. 5.

The crosspieces are made from hickory or ash and each piece is 2-1/2 in. thick, 5 in. wide and 6-1/2 ft. long. Bore a 5/8-in. hole 3 in. from each end through the 5-in. way of the wood. Take maple flooring 3/4 in. thick, 6 in. wide, 74-1/2 in. long and fasten with large screws and washers to the crosspieces and put battens across every 18 in. Turn the flooring and crosspieces upside down and fasten to the pontoons with long 5/8-in. bolts put through the spreaders. Put a washer on the head of each bolt and run them through from the under side. Place a thick rubber washer under and on top of each crosspiece at the ends as shown in Fig. 4. This will make a rigid yet flexible joint for rough waters. The flooring being placed on the under side of the crosspieces makes it possible to get the sail boom very low. The sides put on and well fastened will greatly assist in stiffening the platform and help it to stand the racking strains. These sides will also keep the water and spray out and much more so if a 12-in. dash is put on in front on top of the crosspiece.

The rudders are made as shown in Fig. 6, by using an iron rod 5/8 in. in diameter and 2 ft. long for the bearing of each. This rod is split with a hacksaw for 7 in. of its length and a sheet metal plate 3/32 in. thick, 6 in. wide, and 12 in. long inserted and riveted in the split. This will allow 3/4 in. of the iron rod to project from the bottom edge of the metal through which a hole is drilled for a cotter pin. The bottom bracket is made from stake iron bent in the shape of a U as shown, the rudder bearing passing through a hole drilled in the upper leg and resting on the lower. Slip the top bracket on and then bend the top end of the bearing rod at an angle as shown in both Figs. 6 and 7. Connect the two bent ends with a crosspiece which has a hole drilled in its center to fasten a rope as shown in Fig. 1.

Attach the mast to the front crosspiece, also bowsprit, bracing them both to the pontoons. A set of sails having about 300 sq. ft. of area will be about right for racing. Two sails, main and fore, of about 175 to 200 sq. ft. will be sufficient for cruising. --Contributed by J. Appleton, Des Moines, Iowa.

** Alligator Photo Mounts [424]

Rough alligator finished photograph mounts will not receive a good impression from a die. If a carbon paper is placed on the mounts before making the impression, a good clear imprint will be the result.

** How to Attach a Sail to a Bicycle [425]

This attachment was constructed for use on a bicycle to be ridden on the well packed sands of a beach, but it could be used on a smooth, level road as well. The illustration shows the

[Illustration: Bicycle Sailing on a Beach]

main frame to consist of two boards, each about 16 ft. long, bent in the shape of a boat, to give plenty of room for turning the front wheel. On this main frame is built up a triangular mast, to carry the mainsail and jib, having a combined area of about 40 sq. ft. The frame is fastened to the bicycle by numerous pieces of rope.

Sailing on a bicycle is very much different from sailing in a boat, for the bicycle leans up against the wind, instead of heeling over with it as the boat. It takes some time to learn the supporting power of the wind, and the angle at which one must ride makes it appear that a fall is almost sure to result. A turn must be made by turning out of the wind, instead of, as in ordinary sailing, into it; the boom supporting the bottom of the mainsail is then swung over to the opposite tack, when one is traveling at a good speed.

** Removing Iodine Stains [425]

A good way to chemically remove iodine stains from the hands or linen is to wash the stains in a strong solution of hypo sulphite of sodium, known as "hypo," which is procurable at any photographic-supply dealer's or drug store.

There is no danger of using too strong a solution, but the best results are obtained with a mixture of 1 oz. of hypo to 2 oz. of water.

** Drying Photograph Prints without Curling [425]

Having made some photograph prints at one time that I wanted to dry without the edges curling, I took an ordinary tin can and a strip of clean cotton cloth, as wide as the can was long, and wound it one turn around the can and then placed the prints, one after the other, while they were damp, on the cloth, face downward, and proceeded to roll the cloth and prints quite close on the can. I then pinned the end of the cloth to keep it from unwinding and set the whole in a draft for drying.

The curvature of the can just about

[Illustration: Rolling Up the Prints]

counteracted the tendency of the coating on the paper to make the prints curl and when they were thoroughly dried and removed they remained nice and flat. --Contributed by W. H. Eppens, Chicago.

** Piercing Glass Plates with a Spark Coil [426]

Anyone possessing a 1-in. induction coil and a 1-qt. Leyden jar can easily perform the interesting experiment of piercing glass plates. Connect the Leyden jar to the induction coil as shown in the diagram. A discharger is now constructed of very dry wood and boiled in paraffine for about 15 minutes. The main part of the discharger, A B, is a piece of wood about 6 in. long and to the middle of it is fastened a wood handle by means of one or two wood screws. A binding-post is fastened to each end of the main piece or at A and B as shown in the diagram.

[Illustration: Puncturing Glass Plates]

Two stiff brass wires of No. 14 gauge and 6 in. long, with a small brass ball attached to one end of each, are bent in an arc of a circle and attached one to each binding-post. A plate of glass, G, is now placed between the two brass balls and the coil set in

## action. The plate will soon be pierced by the spark. Larger coils

will pierce heavier glass plates. --Contributed by I. Wolff, Brooklyn, N. Y.

** A Home-Made Still [426]

Remove the metal end of an old electric light globe. This can be done by soaking a piece of twine in alcohol and tying it around the globe at the place the break is to be made. Light the string and after it is burned off, turn cold water on the globe. The result will be a smooth break where the string

[Illustration: The Complete Still]

was placed. Purchase a piece of glass tubing from your druggist and secure a cork that will fit the opening in the glass bulb. Bore a hole in the cork the right size for the glass tube to fit in tightly. If you cannot get a glass tube with a bend in it, you will have to make a bend, as shown in the illustration, by heating the tube at the right place over an alcohol lamp and allowing the weight of the glass to make the bend while it is hot.

Insert the short end of the tube in the cork and place the other end in a test tube that is placed in water as shown. The globe may be fastened in position by a wire passed through the cork and tied to a ring stand. If you do not have a ring stand, suspend the globe by a wire from a hook that is screwed into any convenient place.

A neat alcohol lamp may be made of an old ink or muscilage bottle. Insert a wick in a piece of the glass tubing and put this through a hole bored in a cork and the lamp is ready to burn alcohol or kerosene. Alcohol is cleaner to use as a fuel. Fill the globe about two-thirds full of water or other liquid and apply the heat below as shown. The distilled liquid will collect in the test tube. --Contributed by Clarence D. Luther, Ironwood, Mich.

** Old-Time Magic

** Balancing Forks on a Pin Head [427]

Two, three and four common table forks can be made to balance on a pin head as follows: Procure an empty bottle and insert a cork in the neck. Stick a pin in the center of this cork so that the end will be about 1-1/2 in. above the tap. Procure another cork about 1 in. in diameter by 1-3/4 in. long. The forks are now stuck into the latter cork at equal distances apart, each having the same angle from the cork. A long needle with a good sharp point is run through the cork with the forks and 1/2 in. of the needle end allowed to project through the lower end.

The point of the needle now may be placed on the pin head. The forks will balance and if given a slight push they will appear to dance. Different angles of the forks will produce various feats of balancing. --Contributed by O. E. Tronnes, Wilmette, Ill.

[Illustration: Balanced Spoons]

** The Buttoned Cord [427]

Cut a piece of heavy paper in the shape shown in Fig. 1 and make two cuts down the center and a slit as long as the two cuts are wide at a point about 1 in. below them. A string is put through the slit, the long cuts and back through the slit and then a

[Illustration: Removing the String]

button is fastened to each end. The small slit should not be so large as the buttons. The trick is to remove the string. The solution is quite simple. Fold the paper in the middle and the part between the long cuts will form a loop. Bend this loop down and pass it through the small slit. Turn the paper around and it will appear as shown in Fig. 2. One of the buttons may now be drawn through and the paper restored to its original shape.

** Experiment with an Incandescent Lamp [427]

When rubbing briskly an ordinary incandescent lamp on a piece of cloth and at the same time slightly revolving it, a luminous effect is produced similar to an X-ray tube. The room must be dark and the lamp perfectly dry to obtain good results. It appears that the inner surface of the globe becomes charged, probably by induction, and will sometimes hold the filament as shown in the sketch. --Contributed by E. W. Davis, Chicago.

[Illustration: Lamp]

** How to Make a Small Motor [428]

The accompanying sketch shows how to make a small motor to run on a battery of three or four dry cells and

[Illustration: Details of Small Electric Motor]

with sufficient power to run mechanical toys. The armature is constructed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by using a common spool with 8 flat-headed screws placed at equal distances apart and in the middle of the spool. Each screw is wound with No. 24 gauge iron wire, as shown at A, Fig. 1. The commutator is made from a thin piece of copper, 1 in. in diameter and cut as shown in Fig. 3, leaving 8 points, 1/8 in. wide and 1/8 in.- deep. The field is built up by using 8 strips of tin, 12 in. long and 2 in. wide, riveted together and shaped as shown at B, Fig. 4. Field magnets are constructed by using two 3/8-in. bolts, 1-1/2 in. long. A circular piece of cardboard is placed on each end of the bolt, leaving space enough for the bolt to pass through the field B, and to receive a nut. Wind the remaining space between the cardboards with 30 ft. of No. 22 double-wound cotton-covered copper wire. A light frame of wood is built around the magnets, as shown at C, Fig. 4. Holes are made in this frame to receive the axle of the armature. Two strips of copper, 1/4 in. wide and 3 in. long, are used for the brushes. The armature is placed in position in its bearings and the brushes adjusted as shown in Fig. 4, one brush touching the shaft of the armature outside of the frame, and the other just touching the points of the commutator, which is placed on the shaft inside of the frame. Connect the outside wire of one magnet to the inside wire of the other, and the remaining ends, one to the batteries and back to the brush that touches the shaft, while the other is attached to the brush touching the commutator. In making the frame for the armature bearings, care should be taken to get the holes for the shaft centered, and to see that the screws in the armature pass each bolt in the magnets at equal distances, which should be about 1/8 in.

** Aluminum Polish [428]

An emulsion of equal parts of rum and olive oil can be used for cleaning aluminum, says Blacksmith and Wheelwright. Potash lye, not too strong, is also effective in brightening aluminum, and benzol can be used for the same purpose.

A good polish for aluminum consists of a paste formed of emery and tallow, the finish luster being obtained by the use of rouge powder and oil of turpentine.

** Homemade Blowpipe [428]

Procure a clay pipe, a cork and a small glass or metal tube drawn to a small opening in one end. Make a hole in the cork just large enough to permit the tube to pass through tightly so no air can pass out except through the hole in the tube. Put the tube in the hole with the small opening at the top

[Illustration: A Pipe Blowpipe]

or projecting end. Push the cork into the bowl of the pipe and the blowpipe is ready for use. --Contributed by Wilbur Cryderman, Walkerton, Onto

** Substitute Sink or Bathtub Stopper [429]

Milk-bottle caps make good substitutes for the regular rubber stoppers in sinks and bathtubs. The water soon destroys them, but as a new one usually is had each day, they can be used until a regular stopper is obtained.

A good permanent stopper can be made by cutting a hollow rubber return ball in half, using one part with the concave side up. It will fit the hole of any sink or bathtub. One ball thus makes two stoppers at a cost of about 5 cents.

** Safety Tips on Chair Rockers [429]

Some rocking chairs are so constructed that when the person occupying it gives a hard tilt backward, the chair tips over or dangerously near it. A rubber-tipped screw turned into the under side of each rocker, near the rear end, will prevent the chair from tipping too far back.

** How to Make a Toy Flier [429]

While a great many people are looking forward to the time when we shall successfully travel through the air, we all may study the problem of aerial navigation by constructing for ourselves a small flying machine as illustrated in this article. A wing is made in the shape shown in Fig. 1 by cutting it from the large piece of an old tin can, after melting the solder and removing the ends. This wing is then given a twist so that one end will be just opposite the other and appear as shown in Fig. 2. Secure a common spool and drive two nails in one end, leaving at least 1/2 in. of each nail projecting after the head has been removed. Two holes are made in the wing, exactly central, to fit on these two nails. Another nail is driven part way into the end of a stick, Fig. 4, and the remaining part is cut off so the length will be that of the spool. A string is used around the spool in the same manner as on a top. The wing is placed on the two nails in the spool, and the spool placed on the nail in the stick, Fig. 5, and the flier is ready

[Illustration: Homemade Flying Machine]

for action. A quick pull on the string will cause the wing to leave the nails and soar upward for a hundred feet or more. After a little experience in twisting the wing the operator will learn the proper shape to get the best results.

Be very careful in making the tests before the wings are turned to the proper shape, as the direction of the flier cannot be controlled and some one might be injured by its flight.

** How to Make an Ironing-Board Stand [429]

Secure some 1 by 3-in. boards, about 3 ft. long, and plane them smooth. Cut the two pieces A and B 30 in. long and make a notch in each of them, about one-third of the way from one end, 1 in. deep and 3 in. long. These

[Illustration: Ironing-Board Stand]

notches are to receive the piece D, which has a small block fastened to its side to receive the end of the brace C. The brace C is 36 in. long. The upper ends of the pieces A, B and C are fastened to a common ironing board by using iron hinges as shown in Fig. 1. As the piece D is fitted loosely, it may be removed and the brace, C, with the legs, A and B, folded up against the board. --Contributed by Bert Kottinger, San Jose, Cal.

** A Home-Made Electric Plug [430]

[Illustration: Plug]

A plug suitable for electric light extension or to be used in experimenting may be made from an old electric globe. The glass is removed with all the old composition in the brass receptacle, leaving only the wires. On the ends of the wires, attach two small binding posts. Fill the brass with plaster of paris, and in doing this keep the wires separate and the binding-posts opposite each other. Allow the plaster to project about 3/4 in. above the brass, to hold the binding-posts as shown. --Contributed by Albert E. Welch, New York.

** How to Make an Electric Fire Alarm [430]

On each end of a block of wood, 1 in. square and 1 in. long, fasten a strip of brass 1/4 by 3 in., bent in the shape as shown in the sketch at A, Fig; 1. These strips should have sufficient bend to allow the points to press tightly together. A piece of beeswax, W, is inserted between the points

[Illustration: Fire Alarm Device]

of the brass strips to keep them apart and to form the insulation. A binding post, B, is attached to each brass strip on the ends of the block of wood. The device is fastened to the wall or ceiling, and wire connections made to the batteries and bells as shown in the diagram, Fig. 2. When the room becomes a little overheated the wax will melt and cause the brass strips to spring together, which will form the circuit and make the bell ring. Each room in the house may be connected with one of these devices, and all on one circuit with one bell.

** Home-Made Boy's Car [430]

[Illustration: Boys' Home-Made Auto]

The accompanying cut shows how a boy may construct his own auto car. The car consists of parts used from a boy's wagon and some old bicycle parts. The propelling device is made by using the hanger, with all its parts, from a bicycle. A part of the bicycle frame is left attached to the hanger and is fastened to the main board of the car by blocks of wood as shown. The chain of a bicycle is used to connect the crank hanger sprocket to a small sprocket fastened in the middle of the rear axle of the car. The front axle is fastened to a square block of wood, which is pivoted to the main board. Ropes are attached to the front axle and to the back part of the main board to be used with the feet in steering the car. To propel the auto, turn the cranks by taking hold of the bicycle pedals. --Contributed' by Anders Neilsen, Oakland, Cal.

** Photographs in Relief Easily Made [431]

Relief photographs, although apparently difficult to produce, can be made by any amateur photographer. The negative is made in the usual way and,

[Illustration: Reproduced from a Relief Photograph]

when ready for printing, a positive or transparency is made from it in the same manner as a lantern slide or window transparency, says the Sketch, London. Use the same size plate as the negative for the transparency. To make the print in relief place the positive in the frame first with the film side out and the negative on top of this with the film side up in the usual manner. Put in the paper and print. This will require a greater length of time than with the ordinary negative on account of printing through double glass and films. In using printing-out papers care should be taken to place the printing frame in the same position and angle after each examination.

** Wireless Tip [431]

Place the transmitting instruments of a wireless outfit as close together as possible.

** How to Make a Wireless Telephone [432]

A noted French scientist, Bourbouze, was able to keep up communication with the outside during the

[Illustration: Details of Wireless Phone Installation]

siege of Paris by making practical application of the earth currents. The distance covered is said to have been about 30 miles. Another scientist was able to telephone through the earth without the aid of wires. Nothing, however, has been made public as to how this was accomplished.

It is my object to unveil the mystery and to render this field accessible to others, at least to a certain degree, for I have by no means completed my researches in this particular work.

In order to establish a wireless communication between two points we need first of all a hole or well in the ground at each point. In my experiments I was unable to get a deep well, but the instruments worked fine for a distance of 200 ft., using wells about 25 ft. deep. As in ordinary telephone lines, we require a transmitter and receiver at each point. These must be of the long-distance type. If a hole is dug or a well is found suitable for the purpose, a copper wire is hung in the opening, allowing the end to touch the bottom. To make the proper contact an oval or round--but not pointed--copper plate is attached to the end of the wire. If a well is used, it is necessary to have a waterproof cable for the part running through the water. The top end is attached to the telephone transmitter and receiver, as in the ordinary telephone, to the batteries and to a zinc plate, which is to be buried in the earth a few feet away from the well or hole, and not more than 1 ft. under the surface. A battery of four dry cells is used at each station.

Both stations are connected in the same way, as shown in the sketch. This makes it possible for neighbors to use their wells as a means of communication with each other. --Contributed by A. E. Joerin.

** Eyelets for Belts [432]

If eyelets, such as used in shoes, are put into the lace holes of a belt, the belt will last much longer. The eyelets, which may be taken from old shoes, will prevent the lace from tearing out. I have used this method on several kinds of belts, always with entire satisfaction. --Contributed by Irl R. Hicks.

** How to Make a Life Buoy [432]

Any boy may be able to make, for himself or friends, a life buoy for emergency use in a rowboat or for learning to swim. Purchase 1-3/4 yd. of 30-in. canvas and cut two circular pieces, 30 in. in diameter, also cutting a round hole in the center of them, 14 in. in diameter. These two pieces are sewed together on the outer and inner edges, leaving a space, about 12 in. in length, open on the outer seam. Secure some of the cork used in packing Malaga grapes from a grocery or confectionery store and pack it into the pocket formed between the seams through the hole left in the outer edge. When packed full and tight sew up the remaining space in the seam. Paint the outside surface and the seams well with white paint to make it water-tight. --Contributed by Will Hare, Petrolea, Onto

[Illustration: Buoy]

** A Home-Made Microscope [433]

A great many times we would like to examine a seed, an insect or the fiber of a piece of wood but have no magnifier handy. A very good microscope may be made out of the bulb of a broken thermometer. Empty out the mercury, which is easily done by holding the bulb with the stem down over a lamp or candle. A spirit lamp is the best, as it makes no smoke and gives a steady heat. Warm the bulb slowly and the mercury will be expelled and may be caught in a tea cup. Do not heat too fast, or the pressure of the mercury vapor may burst the glass bulb, cautions the Woodworkers' Review. To fill the bulb with water warm it and immerse the end of the tube in the water. Then allow it to cool and the pressure of the air will force the water into the bulb. Then boil the water gently, holding the bulb with the stem up; this will drive out all the air, and by turning the stem or tube down and placing the end in water the bulb will be completely filled. It is surprising how much can be seen by means of such a simple apparatus.

[Illustration: Making a Microscope]

** A Novel Electric Time Alarm [433]

All time alarms run by clockwork must be wound and set each time. The accompanying diagram shows how to make the connection that will ring a bell by electric current at the time set without winding the alarm. The bell is removed from an ordinary alarm

[Illustration: Electric Time Alarm]

clock and a small metal strip attached, as shown at B. An insulated connection is fastened on the clapper of the bell, as shown at A. The arm holding the clapper must be bent to have the point A remain as close to the strip B as possible without touching it. The connection to the battery is made as shown. When the time set for the alarm comes the clapper will be moved far enough to make the contact. In the course of a minute the catch on the clapper arm will be released and the clapper will return to its former place.

** How to Make a Phonograph Record Cabinet [433]

The core, Fig. 1, consists of six strips of wood beveled so as to form six equal sides. The strips are 3 ft.

[Illustration: Phonograph Wax Record Case]

long and 3 in. wide on the outside bevel and are nailed to three blocks made hexagon, as shown in Fig. 2, from 7/8-in. material. One block is placed at each end and one in the middle. A 1/2-in. metal pin is driven in a hole bored in the center of each end block. The bottoms of the pasteboard cases, used to hold the wax records, are either tacked or glued to this hexagon core, as shown in Fig. 3, with their open ends outward.

Two circular pieces are made of such a diameter as will cover the width of the core and the cases attached, and extend about 1/2 in. each side. A 1/2-in. hole is bored in the center of these pieces to receive the pins placed in the ends of the core, Fig. 1. These will form the ends of the cabinet, and when placed, one on each end of the core, heavy building paper or sheet metal is tacked around them for a covering, as shown in Fig. 4. A small glass door is made, a little wider than one row of cases, and fitted in one side of the covering. The outside may be painted or decorated in any way to suit the builder.

** Experiments with a Mirror [434]

Ask your friend if he can decipher the sign as illustrated in the sketch, Fig. 1, which you pretend to have read over the shop of an Armenian shoemaker.

He will probably tell you that he is not conversant with Oriental languages. He will not believe it if you tell him it is written in good English, but place a frameless mirror perpendicularly on the mysterious script, right across the quotation marks, and it will appear as shown in Fig. 2. We understand at once that the reflected image is the faithful copy of the written half.

With the aid of a few books arrange the mirror and the paper as shown in Fig. 3 and ask your friend to write anything he chooses, with the condition that he shall see his hand and read the script in the mirror only. The writer will probably go no farther than the first letter. His hand seems to be struck with paralysis and unable to write anything but zigzags, says Scientific American.

Another experiment may be made by taking an egg shell and trimming it with the scissors so as to reduce it to a half shell. In the hollow bottom roughly draw with your pencil a cross with pointed ends. Bore a hole, about the size or a pea, in the center of the cross. Place yourself so as to face a window, the light falling upon your face, not upon the mirror which you hold in one hand. Close one eye. Place the shell between the other eye and the mirror, at a distance of 2 or 3 in. from either, the concavity facing the mirror as shown in Fig. 4. Through the hole in the shell look at the mirror as if it were some distant object. While you are so doing the concave shell will suddenly assume a strongly convex appearance. To destroy the illusion it becomes necessary either to open both eyes or to withdraw the shell away from the mirror. The nearer the shell to the mirror and the farther the eye from the shell the more readily comes the illusion.

[Illustration: Experimenting with a Mirror]

** Miniature Electric Lamps [434]

After several years' research there has been produced a miniature electric bulb that is a great improvement and a decided departure from the old kind which used a carbon filament. A metallic filament prepared by a secret chemical process and suspended in the bulb in an S-shape is used instead of the old straight span. The voltage is gauged by the length of the span. The brilliancy of the filament excels anything of its length in any voltage.

Of course, the filament is not made of the precious metal, radium; that simply being the trade name. However, the filament is composed of certain metals from which radium is extracted.

[Illustration: Types of "Radium" Lamps]

The advantages of the new bulb are manifold. It gives five times the light on the same voltage and uses one-half of the current consumed by the old carbon filament. One of the disadvantages of the old style bulb was the glass tip which made a shadow. This has been obviated in the radium bulb by blowing the tip on the side, as shown in the sketch, so as to produce no shadow.

** How to Make a Magazine Clamp [435]

This device as shown in the illustration can be used to hold newspapers and magazines while reading. Two pieces of wood are cut as shown, one with a slot to fit over the back of a magazine and the other notched to serve as a clamp. The piece, A, may be slotted wide enough to insert two or three magazines and made long enough to hold several newspapers.

[Illustration: Clamp]

** Pewter Finish for Brass [435]

A color resembling pewter may be given to brass by boiling the castings in a cream of tartar solution containing a small amount of chloride of tin.

** Drowning a Dog's Bark with Water [435]

The owner of two dogs was very much annoyed by the dogs barking at night. It began to be such a nuisance that the throwing of old shoes and empty bottles did not stop the noise. The only thing that seemed to put a stop to it was water.

[Illustration: Water Treatment for Dog's Bark]

Being on the third floor of the house, and a little too far from the kennel to throw the water effectively, a mechanism was arranged as shown in the sketch.

A faucet for the garden hose was directly below the window. An 8-in. wooden grooved pulley was slipped over an axle which had one end fitted on the handle of the faucet. A rope was extended to the window on the third floor and passed around the pulley several times, thence over an iron pulley fastened to the wall of the house and a weight was attached to its end. By pulling the rope up at the window the large pulley would turn on the water and when released the weight would shut off the flow. The nozzle was fastened so as to direct the stream where it would do the most good. --Contributed by A. S. Pennoyer, Berkeley, Cal.

** Cost of Water [435]

The average cost of supplying 1,000,000 gal. of water, based on the report of twenty-two cities, is $92. This sum includes operating expenses and interest on bonds.

** How to Make a Wondergraph [436] By F. E. TUCK

An exceedingly interesting machine is the so-called wondergraph. It is easy and cheap to make and will furnish both entertainment and instruction for young and old. It is a drawing machine, and the variety of designs it will produce, all symmetrical and ornamental and some wonderfully complicated, is almost without limit. Fig. 1 represents diagrammatically the machine shown in the sketch. This is the easiest to make and gives fully as great a variety of results as any other.

To a piece of wide board or a discarded box bottom, three grooved circular disks are fastened with screws so as to revolve freely about the centers. They may be sawed from pieces of thin board or, better still, three of the plaques so generally used in burnt-. wood work may be bought for about 15 cents. Use the largest one for the revolving table T. G is the guide wheel and D the driver with attached handle. Secure a piece of a 36-in. ruler, which can be obtained from any furniture dealer, and nail a small block, about 1 in. thick, to one end and drill a hole through both the ruler and the block, and pivot them by means of a wooden peg to the face of the guide wheel. A fountain pen, or pencil, is placed at P and held securely by rubber bands in

[Illustration: An Easily Made Wondergraph]

a grooved block attached to the ruler. A strip of wood, MN, is fastened to one end of the board. This strip is made just high enough to keep the ruler parallel with the face of the table, and a row of small nails are driven part way into its upper edge. Anyone of these nails may be used to hold the other end of the ruler in position, as shown in the sketch. If the wheels are not true, a belt tightener, B, may be attached and held against the belt by a spring or rubber band.

After the apparatus is adjusted so it will run smoothly, fasten a piece of drawing paper to the table with a couple of thumb tacks, adjust the pen so that it rests lightly on the paper and turn the drive wheel. The results will be surprising and delightful. The accompanying designs were made with a very crude combination of pulleys and belts, such as described.

The machine should have a speed that will cause the pen to move over the paper at the same rate as in ordinary writing. The ink should flow freely from the pen as it passes over the paper. A very fine pen may be necessary to prevent the lines from running together.

The dimensions of the wondergraph may vary. The larger designs in the illustration were made on a table, 8 in. in diameter, which was driven by a guide wheel, 6 in. in diameter. The size of the driver has no effect on the form or dimensions of the design, but a change in almost any other part of the machine has a marked effect on the results obtained. If the penholder is made so that it may be fastened at various positions along the ruler, and the guide wheel has holes drilled through it at different distances from the center

[Illustration: Diagrams Showing Construction of Wonder graphs]

to hold the peg attaching the ruler, these two adjustments, together with the one for changing the other end of the ruler by the rows of nails, will make a very great number of combinations possible. Even a slight change will greatly modify a figure or give an entirely new one. Designs may be changed by simply twisting the belt, thus reversing the direction of the table.

If an arm be fastened to the ruler at right angles to it, containing three or four grooves to hold the pen, still different figures will be obtained. A novel effect is made by fastening two pens to this arm at the same time, one filled with red ink and the other with black ink. The designs will be quite dissimilar and may be one traced over the other or one within the other according to the relative position of the pens.

Again change the size of the guide wheel and note the effect. If the diameter of the table is a multiple of that of the guide wheel, a complete figure of few lobes will result as shown by the one design in the lower right hand corner of the illustration. With a very flexible belt tightener an elliptical guide wheel may be used. The axis may be taken at one of the foci or at the intersection of the axis of the ellipse.

The most complicated adjustment is to mount the table on the face of another disc, table and disc revolving in opposite directions. It will go through a long series of changes without completing any figure and then will repeat itself. The diameters may be made to vary from the fraction of an inch to as large a diameter as the size of the table permits. The designs given here were originally traced on drawing paper 6 in. square.

Remarkable and complex as are the curves produced in this manner, yet they are but the results obtained by combining simultaneously two simple motions as may be shown in the following manner: Hold the table stationary and the pen will trace an oval. But if the guide wheel is secured in a fixed position and the table is revolved a circle will be the result.

So much for the machine shown in

[Illustration: Specimen Scrolls Made on the Wondergraph]

Fig. 1. The number of the modifications of this simple contrivance is limited only by the ingenuity of the maker. Fig. 2 speaks for itself. One end of the ruler is fastened in such a way as to have a to-and-fro motion over the arc of a circle and the speed of the table is geared down by the addition of another wheel with a small pulley attached. This will give many new designs. In Fig. 3 the end of the ruler is held by a rubber band against the edge of a thin triangular piece of wood which is attached to the face of the fourth wheel. By substituting other plain figures for the triangle, or outlining them with small finishing nails, many curious modifications such as are shown by the two smallest designs in the illustrations may be obtained. It is necessary, if symmetrical designs are to be made, that the fourth wheel and the guide wheel have the same diameter.

In Fig. 4, V and W are vertical wheels which may be successfully connected with the double horizontal drive wheel if the pulley between the two has a wide flange and is set at the proper angle. A long strip of paper is given a uniform rectilinear motion as the string attached to it is wound around the axle, V. The pen, P, has a motion compounded of two simultaneous motions at right angles to each other given by the two guide wheels. Designs such as shown as a border at the top and bottom of the illustration are obtained in this way. If the vertical wheels are disconnected and the paper fastened in place the well known Lissajou's curves are obtained. These curves may be traced by various methods, but this arrangement is about the simplest of them all. The design in this case will change as the ratio of the diameters of the two guide wheels are changed.

These are only a few of the many adjustments that are possible. Frequently some new device will give a figure which is apparently like one obtained in some other way, yet, if you will watch the way in which the two are commenced and developed into the complete design you will find they are formed quite differently.

The average boy will take delight in making a wondergraph and in inventing the many improvements that are sure to suggest themselves to him. At all events it will not be time thrown away, for, simple as the contrivance is, it will arouse latent energies which may develop along more useful lines in maturer years.

** How to Make a 110-Volt Transformer [439]

Secure two magnets from a telephone bell, or a set of magnets wound for 2,000 ohms. Mount them on a bar of brass or steel as shown in Fig. 1. Get an empty cocoa can and clean it good to remove all particles of cocoa and punch five holes in the cover, as shown in Fig. 2. The middle hole is to be used to fasten the cover to the brass bar with a bolt. The other four holes are for the wire terminals. A piece of rubber tubing must be placed over the wire terminals before inserting them in the holes. Fill the can with crude oil, or with any kind of oil except kerosene

[Illustration: Parts of the Transformer]

oil, and immerse the magnets in it by fitting the cover on tight (Fig. 3). The connections are made as shown in the diagram, Fig. 5. This device may be used on 110-volt current for electro-plating and small battery lamps, provided the magnets are wound with wire no larger than No. 40. --Contributed by C. M. Rubsan, Muskogee, Okla.

** Experiment with a Vacuum [439]

[Illustration: Experimental Apparatus]

Take any kitchen utensil used for frying purposes-an ordinary skillet, or spider, works best-having a smooth inner bottom surface, and turn in water to the depth of 1/2 in. Cut a piece of cardboard circular to fit the bottom of the spider and make a hole in the center 4 in. in diameter. The hole will need to correspond to the size of the can used. It should be 1 in. less in diameter than that of the can. Place this cardboard in the bottom of the spider under the water. A 2-qt. syrup can or pail renders the best demonstration, although good results may be obtained from the use of an ordinary tomato can. The edge of the can must have no indentations, so it will fit perfectly tight all around on the cardboard. Place the can bottom side up and evenly over the hole in the cardboard. Put a sufficient weight on the can to prevent it moving on the cardboard, but not too heavy, say, l lb.

Place the spider with its adjusted contents upon a heated stove. Soon the inverted can will begin to agitate. When this agitation finally ceases remove the spider from the stove, being careful not to move the can, and if the quickest results are desired, apply snow, ice or cold water to the surface of the can until the sides begin to flatten. The spider with its entire contents may now be lifted by taking hold of the can. When the vacuum is complete the sides of the can will suddenly collapse, and sometimes, with a considerable report, jump from the spider.

The cause of the foregoing phenomenon is that the circular hole in the cardboard admits direct heat from the surface of the spider. This heat causes the air in the can to expand, which is allowed to escape by agitation, the water and the cardboard acting as a valve to prevent its re-entrance. When the enclosed air is expelled by the heat and a vacuum is formed by the cooling, the above results are obtained as described. --Contributed by N. J. McLean.

** The Making of Freak Photographs [440]

An experiment that is interesting and one that can be varied at the pleasure of the operator, is the taking of his own picture. The effect secured, as shown in the accompanying sketch, reproduced in pen and ink from a photograph, is that made by the photographer himself. At first it seems impossible to secure such a picture, but when told that a mirror was used the process is then known to be a simple one.

The mirror is set in such a way as to allow the camera and operator, when standing directly in front of it, to be

[Illustration: Photographing the Photographer]

in a rather strong light. The camera is focused, shutter set and plate holder made ready. The focusing cloth is thrown over your head, the position taken as shown, and the exposure made by the pressure of the teeth on the bulb while held between them.

** Hand Car Made of Pipe and Fittings [440]

Although apparently complicated, the construction of the miniature hand car shown in the accompanying

[Illustration: Boy's Hand Car]

illustration is very simple. With a few exceptions all the parts are short lengths of pipe and common tees, elbows and nipples.

The wheels were manufactured for use on a baby carriage. The sprocket wheel and chain were taken from a discarded bicycle, which was also drawn upon for the cork handle used on the steering lever. The floor is made of 1-in. white pine, 14 in. wide and 48 in. long, to which are bolted ordinary flanges to hold the framing and the, propelling and steering apparatus together. The axles were made from 3/8 in. shafting. The fifth wheel consists of two small flanges working on the face surfaces. These flanges and the auxiliary steering rod are connected to the axles by means of holes stamped in the piece of sheet iron which encases the axle. The sheet iron was first properly stamped and then bent around the axle. The levers for propelling and steering the car work in fulcrums made for use in lever valves. The turned wooden handles by which these levers are operated were inserted through holes drilled in the connecting tees. The working joint for the steering and hand levers consists of a 1/2 by 3/8 by 3/8 in. tee, a 1/2 by 3/8 in. cross and a piece of rod threaded on both ends and screwed into the tee. The cross is reamed and, with the rod, forms a bearing.

The operation of this little hand car is very similar in principle to that of the ordinary tricycle, says Domestic Engineering. The machine can be propelled as fast as a boy can run. It responds readily to the slightest movement of the steering lever.

** How to Make a Rustic Seat [441]

The rustic settee illustrated in Fig. 1 may be made 6 ft. long, which will accommodate four average-sized persons. It is not advisable to exceed this length, as then it would look out of proportion, says the Wood-Worker. Select the material for the posts, and for preference branches that are slightly curved, as shown in the sketch. The front posts are about 3-1/2 in. in diameter by 2 ft. 4 in. long. The back posts are 3 ft. 4 in. high, while the center post is 3 ft. 8 in. in height. The longitudinal and transverse rails are about 3 in. in diameter and their ends are pared away to fit the post to which they are connected by 1-in. diameter dowels. This method is shown in Fig. 4. The dowel holes are bored at a distance of 1 ft. 2-1/2 in, up from the lower ends of posts. The front center leg is partially halved to the front rail and also connected to the back post by a bearer, 4 in. deep by 1-1/2 in. thick. This bearer is tenoned to the back post.

Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of the bearer joint to front leg, and also the half-round seat battens resting on the bearer, also showing them with their edges planed. It is advisable to have a space between the edges of each batten, say about 1-8 in., to allow rainwater to drain. The ends of the seat battens are pared away to fit the transverse rails neatly as shown in Fig. 2. The struts for the post range in diameter from 1-1/2 in. to 2 in. The ends of the struts are pared to fit the posts and

[Illustration: Rustic Seat and Details of Construction]

rails, and are then secured with two or three brads at each end.

Select curved pieces, about 2-1/2 in. in diameter, for the arm rests and back rails; while the diagonally placed filling may be about 2 in. in diameter. Start with the shortest lengths, cutting them longer than required, as the paring necessary to fit them to the rails and posts shortens them a little. Brad them in position as they are fitted, and try to arrange them at regular intervals.

** Heated Steering Wheel [441]

Motorists that suffer with cold hands while driving their cars may have relief by using a steering wheel that is provided with electric heat. An English invention describes a steering wheel with a core that carries two electrically heated coils insulated one from the other and from the outer rim.

** Homemade Workbench [442] By C. E. McKINNEY, Jr.

The first appliance necessary for the boy's workshop is a workbench. The average boy that desires to construct his own apparatus as much as possible can make the bench as described herein. Four pieces of 2 by 4-in. pine are cut 23 in. long for the legs, and a tenon made on each end of them, 1/2 in. thick, 3-1/2 in. wide and 1-1/2 in. long, as shown

[Illustration: Details of Construction of Homemade Workbench]

at A and B, Fig. 1. The crosspieces at the top and bottom of the legs are made from the same material and cut 20 in. long. A mortise is made 1-1/4 in. from each end of these pieces and in the narrow edge of them, as shown at C and D, Fig. 1. The corners are then cut sloping from the edge of the leg out and to the middle of the piece, as shown. When each pair of legs are fitted to a pair of crosspieces they will form the two supports for the bench. These supports are held together and braced with two braces or connecting pieces of 2 by 4-in. pine, 24 in. long. The joints are made between the ends of these pieces and the legs by boring a hole through each leg and into the center of each end of the braces to a depth of 4 in., as shown at J, Fig. 2. On the back side of the braces bore holes, intersecting the other holes, for a place to insert the nut of a bolt, as shown at HH. Four 3/8 by 6-in, bolts are placed in the holes bored, and the joints are drawn together as shown at J. The ends of the two braces must be sawed off perfectly square to make the supports stand up straight.

In making this part of the bench be sure to have the joints fit closely and to draw the bolts up tight on the stretchers. There is nothing quite so annoying as to have the bench support sway while work is being done on its top. It would be well to add a cross brace on the back side to prevent any rocking while planing boards, if the bench is to be used for large work.

The main top board M, Fig. 2, may be either made from one piece of 2 by 12-in. plank, 3-1/2 ft. long, or made up of 14 strips of maple, 7/8 in. thick by 2 in. wide and 3-1/2 ft. long, set on edge, each strip glued and screwed to its neighbor. When building up a top like this be careful to put the strips together with the grain running in the same direction so the top may be planed smooth. The back board N is the same length as the main top board M, 8-1/2 in. wide and only 7/8 in. thick, which is fitted into a 1/2/-in. rabbet int back of the board M. Thes boards form the top of the bench, and are fastened to the top pieces of the supports with long screws. The board E is 10 in. wide and nailed to the back of the bench. On top of this board and at right angles with it is fastened a 2-1/2-in. board, F. These two boards are 7/8 in. thick and 3-1/2 ft. long. Holes are bored or notches are cut in the projecting board, F, to hold tools.

Details of the vise are shown in Fig. 3, which is composed of a 2 by 6-in. block 12 in. long, into which is fastened an iron bench screw, S. Two guide rails, GG, 7/8 by 1-1/2 in. and 20 in. long, are fastened into mortises of the block as shown at KK, and they slide in corresponding mortises in a piece of 2 by 4-in. pine bolted to the under side of the main top board as shown at L. The bench screw nut is fastened in the 2 by 4-in. piece, L, between the two mortised holes. This piece, L, is securely nailed to one of the top cross pieces, C, of the supports and to a piece of 2 by 4-in. pine, P, that is bolted to the under sides of the top boards at the end of the bench. The bolts and the bench screw can be purchased from any hardware store for less than one dollar.

** Forming Coils to Make Flexible Wire Connections [443]

When connections are made to bells and batteries with small copper wires covered with cotton or silk, it is necessary to have a coil in a short piece of the line to make it flexible. A good way to do this is to provide a short rod about 3/16 in. in diameter cut with a slit in one end to hold the wire and a loop made on the other end to turn with the fingers. The end of the wire is

[Illustration: Forming Wire Coils]

placed in the slit and the coil made around the rod by turning with the loop end.

** Photographing the North Star [443]

The earth revolving as upon an axis is inclined in such a position that it points toward the North Star. To an observer in the northern hemisphere the effect is the same as if the heavens revolved with the North star as a center. A plate exposed in a camera which is pointed toward that part of the sky on a clear night records that effect in a striking manner. The accompanying illustration is from a photograph taken with an exposure of about three hours, and the trace of the stars shown on the plate by a series of concentric circles are due to the rotation of the earth.

The bright arc of the circle nearest the center is the path of the North star. The other arcs are the impressions left by neighboring stars, and it will be noticed that their brightness varies with their relative brilliancy. Many are so faint as to be scarcely distinguished, and, of course, telescopic power would reveal myriads of heavenly bodies which leave no trace on a plate in an ordinary camera. The North or pole star is commonly considered at a point directly out from the axis of the earth, but the photograph shows that it is not so located. The variation is known astronomically to be 1-1/4 deg. There is a slight irregularity in the position of the earth's axis, but the changes are so slow as to be noticed only by the lapse of a thousand years. Five thousand years ago the pole star was Draconis, and in eighteen thousand years it will be Lyrae. We have direct evidence of the change of the earth's axis in one of the Egyptian pyramids where an aperture marked the position of the pole star in ancient times, and from this it is now deviated considerable.

[Illustration: Photograph of the North Star]

This experiment is within the reach of everyone owning a camera. The photograph shown was taken by an ordinary instrument, using a standard plate of common speed. The largest stop was used and the only requirement beyond this is to adjust the camera in a position at the proper inclination and to make the exposure for as long as desired. On long winter nights the exposure may be extended to 12 hours, in which event the curves would be lengthened to full half-circles.

The North star is one of the easiest to locate in the entire heavens. The constellation known as the Great Dipper is near by, and the two stars that mark the corners of the dipper on the extremity farthest from the handle lie in a line that passes across the North star. These two stars in the Great Dipper are called the pointers. The North Star is of considerable brilliancy, though by no means the brightest in that part of the heavens. --Contributed by O. S. B.

** How to Relight a Match [444]

A match may be a small thing on which to practice economy and yet a great many times one wishes to relight a match either for economy or necessity. The usual method is to place the burnt portion of the match in the flame to be relighted as shown

[Illustration: Relighting a Match]

in Fig. 1. It is very hard to relight the charred end and usually burnt fingers are the result of pushing the match farther in the flame. Hold the burnt end in the fingers and place the other end in the flame as shown in Fig. 2. A light will be secured quickly and the flame will only follow the stick to the old burnt portion.

** Home-Made Hand Drill [444]

In the old kitchen tool box I found a rusty egg beater of the type shown in Fig. 1. A shoemaker friend

[Illustration: Details of Hand Drill Construction]

donated a pegging awl, Fig. 2, discarded by him due to a broken handle. With these two pieces of apparatus I made a hand drill for light work in wood or metal. By referring to Fig. 3 the chuck, A, with stem, B, were taken from the awl. The long wire beater was taken from the beater frame and a wire nail, 0, soldered to the frame, D, in the place of the wire. The flat arms were cut off and shaped as shown by E. The hole in the small gear, G, was drilled out and a tube, F, fitted and soldered to both the gear and the arms E. This tube, with the gear and arms, was slipped over the nail, 0, then a washer and, after cutting to the proper length the nail was riveted to make a loose yet neat fit for the small gear. The hand drill was then completed by soldering the stem, B, of the chuck to the ends of the flat arms E. Drills were made by breaking off sewing-machine needles above the eye as shown in Fig. 4 at A, and the end ground to a drill point. --Contributed by R. B. J., Shippensburg, Pa.

** How to Make a Stationary Windmill [445]

A windmill that can be made stationary and will run regardless of the

[Illustration: Runs in Any Wind]

direction of the wind is here illustrated. Mills of this kind can be built of larger size and in some localities have been used for pumping water.

Two semi-circular surfaces are secured to the axle at right angles to each other and at 45 deg. angle with that of the axle as shown in Fig. 2. This axle and wings are mounted in bearings on a solid or stationary stand or frame. By mounting a pulley on the axle with the wings it can be used to run toy machinery.

** Electric Anesthesia [445]

It is a well known fact that magnetism is used to demagnetize a watch, and that frost is drawn out of a frozen member of the body by the application of snow. Heat is also drawn out of a burned hand by holding it close to the fire, then gradually drawing it away. The following experiment will show how a comparatively feeble electric current can undo the work of a strong one.

I once tried to electrocute a rat which was caught in a wire basket trap and accidentally discovered a painless method. I say painless, because the rodent does not object to a second or third experiment after recovering, and is apparently rigid and without feeling while under its influence.

To those who would like to try the experiment I will say that my outfit consisted of an induction coil with a 3/8-in. iron core about 3 in. long. The primary coil was wound with four layers of No. 20 wire and the secondary contains 4 oz. No. 32 wire, and used on one cell of bichromate of potash plunge battery. The proper amount of current used can be determined by giving the rodent as much as a healthy man would care to take. Fasten one secondary electrode to the trap containing the rat and with a wire nail fastened to the other terminal, hold the vibrator of the coil with your finger and let the rat bite on the nail and while doing so release the vibrator. In three seconds the rat will be as rigid as if dead and the wires can be removed.

Now connect your wires to the primary binding-posts of the coil and wind the end of one of them around the rat's tail and start the vibrator. Touch the other terminal to the rat's ear and nose. In a few minutes he will be as lively as ever. --Contributed by Chas. Haeusser, Albany, N. Y.

** A Simple Battery Rheostat [445]

A spring from an old shade roller is mounted on a board 4 in. wide, 9 in. long and 3/8 in. thick. A binding-post is fastened to this board at each end, to which is attached the ends of the spring, as shown in Fig. 1. The temper of a small portion of each end of the

[Illustration: Battery Rheostat]

spring will need to be drawn. This can be accomplished by heating over an alcohol lamp or in a fire and allowing it to cool slowly. The ends are then shaped to fit the binding-posts. A wire is connected to one of the binding-posts and a small square piece of copper is attached to the other end of the wire, as shown in Fig. 2. When this device is placed in a circuit the current can be regulated by sliding the small square copper piece along the spring. --Contributed by H. D. Harkins, St. Louis, Mo.

** A Frame for Drying Films [446]

[Illustration: Frame]

No doubt many amateur photographers are troubled about drying films and to keep them from curling. The problem may be solved in the following way:

Make a rectangular frame out of pine wood, 1/4 by 1/2 in., as shown in the sketch. It is made a little wider and a little shorter than the film to be dried. This will allow the end of the film to be turned over at each end of the frame and fastened with push pins. Do not stretch the film when putting it on the frame as it shrinks in drying. The film will dry quicker and will be flat when dried by using this frame. --Contributed by Elmer H. Flehr, Ironton, Ohio.

** A Home-Made Novelty Clock [446]

This clock that is shown in the accompanying engraving is made in scroll work, the cathedral and towers being of white maple, the base is of walnut with mahogany trimmings, all finished in their natural colors. It has 11 bells in the two towers at the sides and 13

[Illustration: Clock]

miniature electric lamps of different colors on two electric circuits. The clock is operated by a small motor receiving its power from dry cell batteries. This motor turns a brass cylinder over which runs a continuous roll of perforated paper similar to that used on a pianola. A series of metal fingers, connected by wires to the bells, press lightly on this brass roll and are insulated from the roll by the perforated paper passing between. When a perforation is reached a finger will make a contact with the brass roll for an instant which makes a circuit with the magnet of an electric hammer in its respective bell or forms the circuit which lights the electric bulbs as the case may be.

At each hour and half hour as the clock strikes, the motor is started automatically and the chimes sound out the tunes while the colored lights are turned on and off; two small doors in the cathedral open and a small figure comes out while the chimes are playing, then returns and the doors are closed. --Contributed by C. V. Brokenicky, Blue Rapids, Kansas.

** Fourth-of-July Catapult [447]

Among the numerous exciting amusements in which boys may

## participate during the Fourth-of-July celebration is to make a

cannon that will shoot life-sized dummies dressed in old clothes. Building the cannon, as described in the following, makes it safe to fire and not dangerous to others, provided care is taken to place it at an angle of 45 deg. and not to fire when anyone is within its range. The powder charge is in the safest form possible, as it is fired with a blow from a hammer instead of lighting a fuse. If the cannon is made according to directions, there cannot possibly be any explosion.

The materials used in the construction of the catapult may be found in almost any junk pile, and the only work required, outside of what can be done at home, is to have a few threads cut on the pieces of pipe. The fittings can be procured ready to attach, except for drilling a hole for the firing pin.

[Illustration: Homemade Cannon Which will Hurl a Life-Size Dummy 100 Ft. through the Air]

Secure a piece of common gas pipe, 4 to 6 in. in diameter, the length being from 18 to 24 in. Old pipe may be used if it is straight. Have a machinist cut threads on the outside of one end, as shown in Fig. 1, and fit an iron cap, Fig. 2, tightly on the threaded end of the pipe. The cap is drilled and tapped in the center for a 1-in. pipe. Thread both ends of a 1-in. pipe that is 4 in. long, Fig. 3, and turn one end securely into the threaded hole of the cap. This pipe should project 1/4 in. inside of the cap. Fit a cap, Fig. 4, loosely on the other end of the 1-in. pipe. A hole is drilled into the center of this small cap just large enough to receive a 6-penny wire nail, B, Fig. 4.

This completes the making of the cannon and the next step is to construct a dummy which can be dressed in old clothes. Cut out two round blocks of wood from hard pine or oak that is about 3 in. thick, as shown in Fig. 5. The diameter of these blocks should be about 1/8 in. less than the hole in the cannon, so they will slide easily. In the center of each block bore a 1/4-in. hole. Secure an iron rod, about 4 ft. long, and make a ring at one end and thread 4 in. of the other. Slip one of the circular blocks on the rod and move it up toward the ring about 14 in. Turn a nut on the threads, stopping it about 3-1/2 in. from the end of the rod. Slip the other circular piece of wood on the rod and up against the nut, and turn on another nut to hold the wooden block firmly in its place at the end of the rod. If the rod is flattened at the place where the upper block is located, it will hold tight. These are shown in Fig. 5. Take some iron wire about 1/8 in. in diameter and make a loop at the top of the rod for the head. Wire this loop to the ring made in the rod and make the head about this loop by using canvas or gunny cloth sewed up forming a bag into which is stuffed either excelsior, paper or hay. The arms are made by lashing with fine wire or strong hemp, a piece of wood 1 in. square and 20 in. long, or one cut in the shape shown in Fig. 6, to the rod. Place the wood arms close to the bottom of the head. Make a triangle of wire and fasten it and the cross arm securely to the top of the rod to keep them from slipping down. A false face, or one painted on white cloth, can be sewed on the stuffed bag. An old coat and trousers are put on the frame to complete the dummy. If the clothing is not too heavy and of white material so much the better. To greatly increase the spectacular flight through the air, a number of different colored streamers, 6 or 8 in. wide and several feet in length made from bunting, can be attached about the waist of the dummy. The complete dummy should not weigh more than 6 lb.

The cannon is mounted on a board with the cap end resting against a cleat which is securely nailed to the board and then bound tightly with a rope as shown in Fig. 8. Lay one end of the board on the ground and place the other on boxes or supports sufficiently high to incline it at an angle of about 45. deg. Enough of the board should project beyond the end of the cannon on which to lay the dummy. When completed as described, it is then ready to load and fire. Clear away everyone in front and on each side of the cannon, as the dummy will fly from 50 to 100 ft. and no one must be in range of its flight. This is important, as the rod of the frame holding the clothes will penetrate a board at short range. An ordinary shot gun cartridge of the paper shell type is used for the charge and it must be loaded with powder only. Coarse black powder is the best, but any size will do. When loading· the rod with the wooden blocks, on which the dummy is attached, do not place the end block against the breech end of the cannon, leave about 2 or 3 in. between the end of the cannon and the block. Insert the cartridge in the 1-in. pipe. The cartridge should fit the pipe snug, which it will do if the proper size is secured. Screw on the firing-cap, insert the wire nail firing pin until it rests against the firing-cap of the cartridge. If the range is clear the firing may be done by giving the nail a sharp rap with a hammer. A loud report will follow with a cloud of smoke and the dummy will be seen flying through the air, the arms, legs and streamers fluttering, which presents a most realistic and life-like appearance. The firing may be repeated any number of times in the same manner.

** How to Make a Miniature Volcano [448]

A toy volcano that will send forth flames and ashes with lava streaming down its sides in real volcanic action can be made by any boy without any more danger than firing an ordinary fire-cracker. A mound of sand or earth is built up about 1 ft. high in the shape of a volcano. Roll up a piece of heavy paper, making a tube 5 in. long and 1-1/2 in. in diameter. This tube of paper is placed in the top of the mound by first setting it upon a flat sheet of paper and building up the sand or

[Illustration: Volcano in Action]

earth about the sides until it is all covered excepting the top opening. This is to keep all dampness away from the mixture to be placed within.

A fuse from a fire-cracker, or one made by winding some powder in tissue paper, is placed in the paper tube of the volcano with one end extending over the edge. Get some potash from a drug store and be sure to state the purpose for which it is wanted, as there are numerous kinds of potash that will not be suitable. An equal amount of sugar is mixed with the potash and placed in the paper tube. On top of this put a layer of pure potash and on this pour some gun powder. This completes the volcano and it only remains for the fuse to be lighted and action will begin with an explosion which sends fire, smoke and sparks upward. Flames will follow and the lava pours down the sides of the mound.

** Wire Loop Connections for Battery Binding-Posts [449]

The trouble with battery binding post connections can be avoided by winding the bare end of the connecting wire around the binding-post screw and then back around its extending length as shown in the sketch. Always screw down permanent connections with pliers.

[Illustration: Loop]

** Melting Metal in the Flame of a Match [449]

The flame of an ordinary match has a much higher temperature than is generally known and will melt cast-iron or steel filings. Try it by striking a match and sprinkle the filings through the flame. Sputtering sparks like gunpowder will be the result of the melting metal.

** Russian Squirrels [449]

The squirrel slaughter of Russia amounts to 25,000,000 per year.

** Landscape Drawing Made Easy [449]

With this device anyone, no matter how little his artistic ability may be, can draw accurately and quickly any little bit of scenery or other subject and get everything in the true perspective and in the correct proportion.

[Illustration: Drawing with the Aid of Reflecting Glasses]

No lens is required for making this camera-just a plain mirror set at an angle of 45 deg., with a piece of ordinary glass underneath, a screen with a peek hole and a board for holding the drawing paper. The different parts may be fastened together by means of a box frame, or may be hinged together to allow folding up when carrying and a good tripod of heavy design should be used for supporting it. In order to get the best results the screen should be blackened on the inside and the eyepiece should be blackened on the side next to the eye. A piece of black cardboard placed over the end of the eyepiece and perforated with a pin makes an excellent peek hole.

In operation the rays of light coming from any given object, such as the arrow AB, strike the inclined mirror and are reflected downward. On striking the inclined glass a portion of the light is again reflected and the rays entering the eye of the operator produce the virtual image on the paper as shown. The general outlines may be sketched in quickly, leaving the details to be worked up later. This arrangement may be used for interior work when the illumination is good.

** Irrigating with Tomato Cans [450]

The following is an easy and effective way to start plants in dry weather: Sink an ordinary tomato can, with a 1/8-in. hole 1/2 in. from the bottom, in the ground so that the hole will be near the roots of the plant. Tamp the dirt around both plant and can, and fill the latter with water. Keep the can filled until the plant is out of danger. --Contributed by L. L. Schweiger, Kansas City, Mo.

[Illustration: Irrigation]

** Fountain for an Ordinary Pen [450]

Take two steel pens, not the straight kind, and place them together, one above the other, in the penholder.

[Illustration: Two Pens In Holder]

With one dip of ink 60 or 70 words may be written. This saves time and the arrangement also prevents the ink from dropping off the pen. --Contributed by L. M. Lytle, Kerrmoor, Pa.

** Homemade Mousetrap [450]

Bore a 1-in. hole, about 2 in. deep, in a block of wood and drive a small nail with a sharp point at an angle so it will project into the hole about half way between the top and bottom, and in the center of the hole, as shown.

[Illustration: Hole In Wood Block]

File the end very sharp and bend it down so that when the mouse pushes its head past it in trying to get the bait at the bottom of the hole, the sharp point will catch it when it tries to back out. Almost anyone can make this trap in a short time, and it will catch the mice as surely as a more elaborate trap.

** Clear Wax Impressions from Seals [450]

A die must be slightly damp to make clear impressions on sealing wax and to keep it from sticking to the wax. A very handy way to moisten the die is to use a pad made by tacking two pieces of blotting paper and one of

[Illustration: Blotter Pad]

cloth to a wooden block of suitable size, and saturate the blotters with water before using. Stamp the die on the pad and then on the hot wax. The result will be a clear, readable impression. --Contributed by Fred Schumacher, Brooklyn, N. Y.

** A Window Stick [450]

Although the windows in factories and houses are usually provided with weights, yet the stick shown in the sketch will be found very handy in case all of the windows are not so equipped. It is made of a piece of pine wood long

[Illustration: Notches In Stick]

enough to hold the lower sash at a height even with the bottom of the upper, and about 1-1/2 or 2 in. wide. Notches may be cut in the stick as shown, each being wide enough to firmly hold the sash. Thus, with the stick illustrated, the sash may be held at three different heights on the side A, and at still another on the side B. --Contributed by Katharine D. Morse, Syracuse, N. Y.

** How to Make a Canoe [451]

A practical and serviceable canoe, one that is inexpensive, can be built by any boy, who can wield hammer and saw, by closely following the instructions and drawings, given in this article.

[Illustration: Canoe and Molds Details]

It is well to study these carefully before beginning the actual work. Thus an understanding will be gained of how the parts fit together, and of the way to proceed with the work.

Dimensioned drawings of the canoe and molds are contained in Fig. 1. The boat is built on a temporary base, A, Fig. 2, which is a board, 14 ft. 1 in. long, 3 in. wide and 1-1/2 in. thick. This base is fastened to the trestles and divided into four sections, the sections on each side of the center being 4 ft. long.

The next thing to be considered are the molds (Fig. 3). These are made of 1-in. material. Scrap pieces may be found that can be used for these molds. The dimensions given in Fig 1 are for one-half of each form as shown in Fig. 3, under their respective letters. The molds are then temporarily attached to the base on the division lines.

Proceed to make the curved ends as shown in Fig. 4. Two pieces of

[Illustration: Shaping the Canoe]

straight-grained green elm, 32 in. long, 1-3/4, in. wide and 1 in. thick, will be required. The elm can be obtained from a carriage or blacksmith's shop. The pieces are bent by wrapping a piece of wire around the upper end and baseboard. The joint between the curved piece and the base is temporary. Place a stick between the wires and twist them until the required shape is secured. If the wood does not bend readily, soak it in boiling water. The vertical height and the horizontal length of this bend are shown in Fig. 4. The twisted wire will give the right curve and hold the wood in shape until it is dry.

The gunwales are the long pieces B, Fig. 2, at the top of the canoe. These are made of strips of ash, 15 ft. long, 1 in. wide and 1 in. thick. Fasten them temporarily to the molds, taking care to have them snugly fit the notches shown. The ends fit over the outside of the stem and stern pieces and are cut to form a sharp point, as shown in Fig. 5. The ends of the gunwales are fastened permanently to the upper ends of the bent stem and stern pieces with several screws.

[Illustration: Construction of the Various Parts]

Two other light strips, C and D, Fig. 2, are temporarily put in, and evenly spaced between the gunwales and the bottom board. These strips are used to give the form to the ribs, and are removed when they have served their purpose.

The ribs are now put in place. They are formed of strips of well seasoned elm or hickory, soaked in boiling water until they bend without breaking or cracking. Each rib should be 1-1/2 in.

[Illustration: Paddle Parts]

wide, 3/8 in. thick and long enough to reach the distance between the gunwales after the bend is made. The ribs are placed 1 in. apart. Begin by placing a rib in the center of the base and on the upper side. Nail it temporarily, yet securely, and then curve the ends and place them inside of the gunwales, as shown in Fig. 6. Fasten the ends of the rib to the gunwales with 1-in. galvanized brads. This method is used in placing all the ribs. When the ribs are set, remove the pieces C and D, Fig. 2, and the molds.

A strip is now put in to take the place of the base. This strip is 1-3/4 in. wide, 1/2 in. thick and long enough to reach the entire length of the bottom of the canoe. It is fastened with screws on the inside, as shown in Fig. 7, and the ends are lap-jointed to the stem and stern pieces as shown in Fig. 4. When this piece is fastened in place, the base can be removed. The seats are attached as shown in Fig. 8, and the small pieces for each end are fitted as shown in Fig. 9.

The frame of the canoe is now ready to be covered. This will require 5-1/2 yd. of extra-heavy canvas. Turn the framework of the canoe upside down and place the canvas on it. The center of the canvas is located and tacked to the center strip of the canoe at the points where ribs are attached. Copper tacks should be used. The canvas is then tacked to the ribs, beginning at the center rib and working toward each end, carefully drawing the canvas as tightly as possible and keeping it straight. At the ends the canvas is split in the center and lapped over the bent wood. The surplus canvas is cut off. A thin coat of glue is put on, to shrink the cloth and make it waterproof.

The glue should be powdered and brought into liquid form in a double boiler. A thin coat of this is applied with a paintbrush. A small keel made of a strip of wood is placed on the bottom to protect it when making a landing on sand and stones in shallow

[Illustration: A Single Paddle]

water. When the glue is thoroughly dry the canvas is covered with two coats of paint, made up in any color with the best lead and boiled linseed oil. The inside is coated with spar varnish to give it a wood color.

The paddles may be made up in two ways, single or double. The double paddle has a hickory pole, 7 ft. long and 2 in. in diameter, for its center part. The paddle is made as shown in Fig. 10, of ash or cypress. It is 12 in. long, and 8 in. wide at the widest part. The paddle end fits into a notch cut in the end of the pole (Fig. 11).

A shield is made of a piece of tin or rubber and placed around the pole near the paddle to prevent the water from running to the center as the pole is tipped from side to side. The complete paddle is shown in Fig. 12. A single paddle is made as shown in Fig. 13. This is made of ash or any other tough wood. The dimensions given in the sketch are sufficient without a description.

** Thorns Used as Needles on a Phonograph [453]

Very sharp thorns can be used successfully as phonograph needles. These substitutes will reproduce sound very clearly and with beautiful tone. The harsh scratching of the ordinary needle is reduced to a minimum, and the thorn is not injurious to the record.

** Tool Hangers [453]

A tool rack that is serviceable for almost any kind of a tool may be made

[Illustration: Tool Hanger]

by placing rows of different-size screw eyes on a wall close to the workbench, so that files, chisels, pliers and other tools, and the handles of hammers can be slipped through the eyes.

A place for every tool saves time, and besides, when the tools are hung up separately, they are less likely to be damaged, than when kept together on the workbench.

** Child's Footrest on an Ordinary Chair [453]

Small chairs are enjoyed very much by children for the reason that they can rest their feet on the floor. In many households there are no small chairs for the youngsters, and they have to use larger ones. Two things result, the child's legs become tired from dangling unsupported or by trying to support them on the stretchers, and the finish on the chair is apt to

[Illustration: Footrest on Chair]

be scratched. The device shown in the sketch forms a footrest or step that can be placed on any chair. It can be put on or taken off in a moment. Two suitable pieces of wood are nailed together at an angle and a small notch cut out, as shown, to fit the chair stretcher.

** Drying Photo Postal Cards [453]

A novel idea for drying photo postal cards comes from a French magazine. The drying of the cards takes a long time on account of their thickness, but may be hastened by using corrugated paper for packing bottles as a drying stand. Curve the cards, printed side up, and place the ends between two

[Illustration: Card on Dryer]

corrugations at a convenient distance apart. They will thus be held firmly while the air can circulate freely all around them.

** Preserving Key Forms [454]

After losing a key or two and having some difficulty in replacing them, I used the method shown in the sketch

[Illustration: Key Forms Cut in Paper]

to preserve the outlines for making new ones. All the keys I had were traced on a piece of paper and their forms cut out with a pair of shears. When a key was lost, another could thus be easily made by using the paper form as a pattern. --Contributed by Ernest Weaver, Santa Anna, Texas.

** Renewing Typewriter Ribbons [454]

Roll the ribbon on a spool and meanwhile apply a little glycerine with a fountain-pen filler. Roll up tightly and lay aside for a week or ten days. Do not apply too much glycerine as this will make the ribbon sticky--a very little, well spread, is enough. The same application will also work well on ink pads. --Contributed by Earl R. Hastings, Corinth, Vt.

** Drinking Trough for Chickens [454]

A quickly made and sanitary drinking trough for chickens is formed of a piece of ordinary two or three-ply roofing paper. The paper is laid out as shown, and the edges are cemented with asphaltum and then tacked to the side of a fence or shed.

[Illustration: Trough of Roofing Paper]

** Ordinary Pen Used as a Fountain Pen [454]

It is a very simple matter to make a good fountain pen out of an ordinary pen and holder. The device is in the form of an attachment readily connected to or removed from any ordinary pen and holder, although the chances are that when once used it will not be detached until a new pen is needed.

Take the butt end of a quill, A, from a chicken, goose or turkey feather--the latter preferred as it will hold more ink--and clean out the membrane in it thoroughly with a wire or hatpin. Then make a hole in the tapered end of the quill just large enough to pull through a piece of cotton string. Tie a knot in one end of this string, B, and pull it through the small end of the quill until the knot chokes within, then cut off the string so that only 1/4 in. projects. Shave out a small stopper from a bottle cork for the large end

[Illustration: Fountain Attachment]

of the quill. This completes the ink reservoir.

Place the quill on top of the penholder C, so that its small end rests against the pen immediately above its eye. Pull the string through this eye. Securely bind the quill to the pen and holder with a thread, as shown, first placing under it a wedge-shaped support of cork or wood, D, hollowed on both sides to fit the curved surfaces of the quill and holder. The illustration shows the detail clearly.

To fill the reservoir place the pen upright on its point and dip a small camel's-hair brush or cloth-bound toothpick into the ink bottle and "scrape" off the ink it will hold on the inner edge of the quill. Cork tightly, and the device is ready for use. When not in use place the holder at an angle with the pen uppermost. --Contributed by Chelsea C. Fraser, Saginaw, Michigan.

** How to Construct a Small Thermostat [455] By R. A. McCLURE

It is a well known fact, that there is a change in the dimensions of a piece of metal, due to a change in its temperature. This change in dimensions is not the same for all materials; it being much greater in some

[Illustration: Simple Thermostat; Couple and Mounting Strip]

materials than in others, while in some there is practically no change.

If two thin, narrow strips of different metals, that contract or expand at different ratio due to a variation in temperature, be rigidly fastened together at their ends, and the combination then heated or cooled, the combined piece will have its shape changed. One of the pieces will increase in length more than the other, due to a rise in temperature, and this same piece will decrease in length more than the other when subjected to a decrease in temperature.

If one end of this combined piece be rigidly clamped to a support, as shown in Fig. 1, and the combination then have its temperature changed, the free end will move to the right or left of its original position, depending upon which of the pieces changes in length the more. If there is a rise in temperature and the right-hand piece B increases in length faster than the left-hand piece A, the free end of the combined piece win move to the left of its original position. If, on the other hand, there is a decrease in temperature, the right-hand piece will decrease in length more than the left-hand piece, and the upper or free end will move to the right of its original position.

Such a combination of two metals constitutes a simple thermostat. If the movement of the free end of the combination be made to actuate a needle moving over a properly calibrated scale we have a simple form of thermometer. If two electrical contacts, CC, be mounted on the right and left-hand sides of the upper end of the combined piece, as shown in Fig. 1, we have a thermostat that may be used in closing an electrical circuit when the temperature of the room in which it is placed rises or falls a certain value. These contacts should be so arranged that they can be moved toward or away from the combined piece independently. By adjusting the position of these contacts, the electrical circuit will be closed when the temperature of the thermostat has reached an experimentally predetermined value.

The following description is that of a thermostat, constructed by the author of this article, which gave very satisfactory results. First obtain a piece of steel, 6 in. long, 5/8 in. wide and 2/100 in. thick, and a piece of brass, 6 in. long, 5/8 in. wide and 3/100 in. thick. Clean one side of each of these pieces and tin them well with solder. Place the two tinned surfaces just treated in contact with each other and heat them until the solder on their surfaces melts and then allow them to cool. A better way would be to clamp the two thin pieces between two heavy metal pieces, and then heat the whole to such a temperature that the solder will melt, and then allow it to cool. This last method will give more satisfactory results than would be obtained if no clamps are used, as the thin metal pieces are liable to bend

[Illustration: Support for Couple, and Needle-Mounting Strip]

out of shape when they are heated, and as a result they will not be in contact with each other over their entire surfaces. After these pieces have been soldered together forming one piece, which we shall for convenience speak of as the couple, two small holes should be drilled in one end to be used in mounting it, and a notch cut in the other end, as shown in Fig. 2.

Cut from some thin sheet brass, about 2/100 in. in thickness, two pieces, 1/4 in. wide and 1/2 in. long. Bend these pieces of brass over a piece of hatpin wire, thus forming two V-shaped pieces. Cut off a piece of the hatpin, 5/8 in. long, and fasten it across the notched end of the couple by means of the U-shaped piece of brass, which should be soldered in place as shown in Fig. 3. All superfluous solder should then be cleaned from the couple and the steel pin. Now bend the couple so as to form a perfect half circle, the brass being on the inside.

The base upon which this couple is to be mounted should be made as follows: Obtain a piece of brass, 7 in. long, 3/4 in. wide, and 1/4 in. thick. In this piece drill holes, as indicated in Fig. 4, except A, which will be drilled later. Tap the holes B, C and D for 1/8-in. machine screws.

Cut from some 1/8-in. sheet brass a piece, 1-7/8 in. long and 3/4 in. wide, to be used as a support for the couple. In one end of this piece drill two small holes, as indicated in Fig. 5, and tap them for 3/16-in. machine screws. In the opposite end cut a slot, whose dimensions correspond to those given in Fig. 5. Now bend the piece, at the dotted line in Fig. 5, into the form shown in Fig. 6, making sure that the dimension given is correct. This piece can now be mounted upon the piece shown in Fig. 4, by means of two brass machine screws placed in the holes B. The slot in the support for the couple will permit its being moved along the mounting strip, the purpose of which will be shown later.

Next cut another piece of 1/8-in. brass, 2-3/4 in. long and 5/8 in. wide. In this piece drill two 1/8-in. holes, as indicated in Fig. 7, and then bend it at the dotted lines into the form shown in Fig. 8. Mount this strip upon the main mounting strip by means of two brass machine screws placed in the holes C, so that the upper part is over the center-punch mark for the hole A in the main mounting strip.

You are now ready to drill the hole A, which should be done as follows: Remove the piece you last mounted and then clamp the main mounting strip in the drill press so that the center-punch mark for the hole A is directly under the point of the drill. Then remount the piece you just removed, without disturbing the piece you clamped in the drill press, and drill a small hole through both pieces. This hole should be about 3/64 in. in diameter. After this small hole has been drilled through both pieces, a countersink should be placed in the drill chuck and the hole in the upper piece countersunk to a depth equal to half the thickness of the metal in which it is drilled. Unclamp the pieces from the drill press, turn them over, and countersink the small hole in what was originally the lower piece. The object of countersinking these holes is to reduce the bearing surface of a small shaft that is to be supported in the holes and must be as free from friction as possible.

We may now construct the needle, or moving portion of the thermostat, which should be done as follows: The shaft that is to carry the moving system must be made from a piece of steel rod, about 3/32 in. in diameter. Its dimensions should correspond to those given in Fig. 9. Considerable care should be used in turning this shaft down, to make sure that it fits perfectly in the small holes in the supporting pieces. The shaft should turn freely, but it must not be loose in the holes, nor should it have but a very small end play.

Cut from some 1/32-in. sheet brass a piece whose dimensions correspond to those given in Fig. 10. Drill a 1/8-in. hole, A, in this piece, and cut a slot, B, from one side of the piece into this hole, and a second slot, C, along the center of the piece as indicated in the figure. Considerable care should be exercised in cutting the slot C, so that its breadth is exactly equal to the diameter of the piece of steel wire fastened on the end of the couple. Also make sure to get the sides of this slot perfectly smooth. Cut from some 1/8-in. brass a disk having a diameter of 1/2 in., and solder it to the end of the needle. The dotted line in Fig. 10 indicates the proper position of the disk. Now drill a hole, D, through the disk and needle, of such a diameter that considerable force must be applied to the steel shaft you have already made, in order to force it through the hole. Force the shaft

[Illustration: Shaft for Needle and Needle]

through this hole until the needle is exactly in the center of the shaft.

The parts of the thermostat thus far made can now be assembled. Place the steel shaft in its bearings and see that it turns perfectly free. Then place the steel pin, on the end of the couple, in the slot C, and fasten the

[Illustration: Wiring Diagram for One and Two Bells]

other end of the couple, by means of two machine screws, to the support made for the couple. Increase or decrease the temperature of the thermostat and note the results. If everything is working all right, the end of the needle should move when the temperature of the thermostat is changed. The amount the end of the needle moves can be easily changed by moving the support or the couple toward or away from the shaft supporting the needle, which changes the position of the steel pin in the slot C. The nearer the steel pin is to the shaft supporting the needle, the greater the movement of the end of the needle due to a given change in temperature.

A small piece of white cardboard can be mounted directly under the end of the needle by means of small brass strips, that in turn can be attached to the lower ends of the main mounting holes D, Fig. 4. A scale can be marked on this piece of cardboard by noting the position of the needle corresponding to different temperatures as determined by a thermometer. When this scale has been completed, you can use the thermostat as a thermometer.

Two contacts may be mounted, one on each side of the needle, in a manner similar to the method suggested for mounting the cardboard. These contacts should be so constructed that the end of the needle will slide over them with little friction, and so that their position with respect to the end of the needle may be easily changed.

[Illustration: Assembled Thermostat]

Both contacts must be insulated from the remainder of the thermostat, and may or may not be connected together, depending on how the thermostat is to be used.

It would be advisable, if possible, to have the part of the needle that touches the contact points, as well as these points, of platinum, as the arc that is likely to be formed will not destroy the platinum as easily as it will the brass. A small wooden containing case can now be made and the thermostat is complete. There should be a large number of holes drilled in the sides, ends and back of the case so that the air inside may be always of the same temperature as the outside air.

In adjusting, testing, or calibrating your thermostat, make sure that it is in the same position that it will be in when in use.

The connections of the thermostat for ringing one bell when the temperature rises or falls to a certain value, are shown in Fig. 11. The connections of the thermostat for ringing one bell when the temperature rises to a certain value and another bell when the temperature falls to a certain value, are shown in Fig. 12. The complete thermostat is shown in Fig. 13.

** A Tailless Kite [458]

The frame of a 3-ft. kite is made of two sticks, each 3 ft. long. These are tied together so that the cross stick will be at a distance of 15 per cent of the full length of the upright stick, from its end, or in this case 5.4 in. The sticks may be made of straight grained pine, 3/8 in. square, for small kites, and larger hardwood sticks, for larger kites.

The cross stick is bent into a bow

[Illustration: Plan and Dimensions for Kite]

by tying a strong cord across from end to end. The center of the bend should be 4-1/2 in. above the ends. The bend is shown in the sketch. Connect all four ends or points with a cord, being careful not to pull the bend of the cross stick down, but seeing that it remains straight across the kite. When this is done the frame is ready for the cover.

The cover will require 2-1/2 sheets of tissue paper, 20 by 30 in., which should be pasted together as the sketch indicates. Cut out the paper, allowing 2 in. margin for lapping over the cord on the frame. Place the frame on the cover with the convex side toward the paper and paste the margin over the cord, allowing the paper to bag a little to form pockets for the air to lift the kite. The corners should be reinforced with circular pieces of paper pasted over the ends of the sticks.

The flying cord is attached to the points A and B of the frame. There is no cross cord. The kite will fly at right angles to the flying cord. It is easily started flying from the ground by laying it with the head toward the operator and pulling it up into the wind. --Contributed by Chas. B. Damik, Cooperstown, N. Y.

** The Levitation - A Modern Stage Trick [459]

This illusion has mystified thousands of the theater-going public, in fact, it has been the "piece de resistance" of many illusion acts. The ordinary method of procedure is as follows: The person who is to be suspended in the air, apparently with no support--usually a lady--is first put in a hypnotic (?) sleep. She is placed on a couch in the middle of the stage, and in most cases the spotlight is brought into play. The performer then takes a position close to the couch and with dramatic

[Illustration: Raising the Subject in Midair]

effect makes a few hypnotic passes over the subject. She then slowly rises from the couch until she has attained a height varying from 4 to 5 ft. above the stage, as shown in Fig. 1. The couch is then taken a way and a hoop is passed over the floating lady. The performer now causes the lady to float back to the couch or board that she may have been resting on, after which the so-called hypnotic spell is withdrawn.

In spite of the claims that the illusion owes its origin to Hindoo magic, it is nothing more nor less than a clever mechanical contrivance, the construction of which will be readily understood by a glance at the accompanying illustrations.

The bottom of the couch, if one is used, contains a cradle-like arrangement which fits the recumbent form of the lady and is connected to a heavy sheet of plate glass by means of a rod, D, Fig. 2, attached to one end, and running parallel to the side of the cradle. When the glass is lifted, the body of the subject is also raised, seemingly at the will of the performer. This is accomplished by the aid of an assistant beneath the stage floor. The plate of glass, E, Fig. 3, passes perpendicularly through the stage down to a double block and tackle. The end of the cable is attached to a drum or windlass and the plate glass held steady with guides at the sides of the slot in the stage floor, through which it passes. The winding up of the cable naturally forces the plate glass and cradle up, causing the lady to rise.

Some illusionists place the lady on a board on two ordinary trestles and cause the board to rise with the lady

[Illustration: Direction the Hoop Takes In Passing over the Board]

on it, as shown in the illustration, thus obviating the use of heavy paraphernalia as in the cradle attachment. The cradle attachment is also generally accompanied by a 2-in. iron bar, used in the place of the plate glass, the performer or operator standing at the rear of the couch to conceal the bar as it comes from beneath the stage. However, the method illustrated is the one generally used.

The solid hoop is passed over the body in the following manner: Start at the end, B, Fig. 2, passing the hoop as far as C with the hoop on the outside of the back horizontal rod. The side of the hoop toward the audience is then turned and swung clear around over the feet at A and entered between the rod and board on which the lady rests. The hoop is then carried as far as it will go back toward the end B. Then the side nearest the operator is passed over the head of the body apparently the second time and passed off free at the feet. Thus to the closest observer the impression is given that the hoop has encircled the lady twice. The illustrations give in detail the working of the illusion above the stage floor. No set rule is used for the tackle and drum below the floor.

CONTENTS

A Accelerometer, Simple 93 Acid Burns, Treating 126 Acetylene Gas Generator, Homemade 57 Acetylene Lamp, Lighting 401 Aerating Water in a Small Tank 241 Aeroplane, Paper, How to Make 329 Aeroplanes, Model, Equilibrator for 11 Alarm, Burglar, How to Make 368 Alarm, Callers' Approach 87 Alarm Clock Chicken Feeder 79 Alarm Clock to Pull Up Furnace Draft 107 Alarm, Electric 94 Alarm, Electric, Door Bell and 114 Alarm, Electric Fire, How to Make 430 Alarm, Electric, That Rings Bell and Turns On Light 337 Alarm, Electric Time 433 Alarm, Fire 47, 359 Aluminum Polish 428 Aluminum, Satin Finish on 198 Aluminum Wire, Insulating 306 Ammeter, How to Make 49, 203 Amusement-Boys Representing the Centaur 173 Amusement Device--Merry-Go-Round Thriller 209 Amusement Device--Merry-Go-Round, To Build 359 Amusement Device--Teeter Board. Revolving 297 Anesthesia, Electric 445 Animals, Small, Trap for 82 Annealing Chisel Steel 362 Annunciator, How to Construct 57, 416 Aquarium, How to Make 64, 210 Arbor, Grape, How to Build 73 Arc Lamp, Homemade 132 Arc Searchlight, Self Lighting 9 Arms and Armor, Imitation:

## Part I 235

## Part II 242

## Part III 248

## Part IV 263

## Part V 271

## Part VI 279

##