Part II

[242]

Imitation swords, stilettos and battle-axes, put up as ornaments, will look well if they are arranged on a shield which is hung high up on a wall of a room or hall, says the English

[Illustration: FIG 1; FIG 2; FIG 3; Three Fifteenth Century Swords]

Mechanic, London. The following described arms are authentic designs of the original articles. A German sword of the fifteenth century is shown in Fig. 1. This sword is 4 ft. long with the crossguard and blade of steel. The imitation sword is made of wood and covered with tinfoil to produce the steel color. The shape of the sword is marked out on a piece of wood that is about 1/8 in. thick with the aid of a straightedge and pencil, allowing a little extra length on which to fasten the handle. Cut the sword out with a saw and make both edges thin like a knife blade and smooth up with sandpaper. The extra length for the handle is cut about 1 in. in width and 2 in. long. The handle is next carved and a mortise cut in one end to receive the handle end of the blade. As the handle is to represent copper, the ornamentations can be built up of wire, string, small rope and round-headed nails, the whole finally having a thin coat of glue worked over it with a stiff bristle brush and finished with bronze paint.

The crossbar is flat and about 1 in. in width. Cut this out of a piece of wood and make a center hole to fit over the extra length on the blade, glue and put it in place. Fill the hole in the handle with glue and put it on the blade. When the glue is thoroughly dry, remove all the surplus with a sharp knife. Sheets of tinfoil are secured for covering the blade. Cut two strips of tinfoil, one about 1/2 in. wider than the blade and the other 1/4 in. narrower. Quickly cover one side of the blade with a thin coat of glue and evenly lay on and press down the narrow strip of tinfoil. Stick the wider strip on the other side in the same way, allowing equal margin of tinfoil to overlap the edges of the blade. Glue the overlapping edges and press them around on the surface of the narrow strip. The crossguard must be covered in the same manner as the blade. When the whole is quite dry, wipe the blade up and down several times with light strokes using a soft rag.

The sword shown in Fig. 2 is a two-handed Swiss sword about 4 ft. in length, sharp on both edges with a handle of dark wood around which is wound spirally a heavy piece of brass or copper wire and held in place with round-headed brass nails. The blade and crossbar are in imitation steel. The projecting ornament in the center of the crossguard may be cut from heavy pasteboard and bent into shape, then glued on the blade as shown.

In Fig. 3 is shown a claymore, or Scottish sword of the fifteenth century. This sword is about 4 ft. long and has a wood handle bound closely around with heavy cord. The crossbar and blade are steel, with both edges sharp. A German poniard is shown in Fig. 4. This weapon is about 1 ft. long, very broad, with wire or string' bound handle, sharp edges on both sides. Another poniard of the fourteenth century is shown in Fig. 5. This weapon is also about 1 ft. long with wood handle and steel embossed blade. A sixteenth century German poniard is shown in Fig. 6. The blade and ornamental crossbar is of steel, with both edges of the blade sharp. The handle is of wood. A German stiletto, sometimes called cuirass breakers, is shown in Fig. 7. This stiletto has a wood handle, steel crossbar and blade of steel with both edges sharp.

In Fig. 8 is shown a short-handled flail, which is about 2-1/2 ft. long with a dark handle of wood, studded with brass or steel nails. A steel band is placed around the handle near the top. The imitation of the steel band is made by gluing a piece of tinfoil on a strip of cardboard and tacking it to the handle. A large screw-eye is screwed into the top of the handle. The spiked ball may be made of wood or clay. Cover the ball with some pieces of linen, firmly glued on. When dry, paint it a dark brown or black. A large screw-eye must be inserted in this ball, the same as used on the end of the handle, and both eyes connected with a small piece of rope twisted into shape. The rope is finished by covering with tinfoil. Some short and heavy spike-headed nails are driven into the ball to give it the appearance shown in the illustration.

A Russian knout is shown in Fig. 9. The lower half of the handle is of wood, the upper part iron or steel, which can be imitated by covering a piece of wood that is properly shaped with tinfoil. The whole handle can be made of wood in one piece, the lower part painted black and the upper part covered with tinfoil. A screw-eye is screwed into the upper end. A length of real iron or steel chain is used to connect the handle with the ball. The ball is made as described in Fig. 8. The spikes in the ball are about 1 in. in length. These must be cut from pieces of wood, leaving a small peg at the end and in the center about the size of a No. 20 spike. The pegs are glued and inserted into holes drilled into the ball.

In Fig. 10 is shown a Sclavonic horseman's battle-axe which has a handle of wood painted dark gray or light brown; the axe is of steel. The blade is cut from a piece of 1/4-in. wood with a keyhole saw. The round part is made thin and sharp on the edge. The thick hammer side of the axe is built up to the necessary thickness to cover

[Illustration: Ancient Weapons]

the handle by gluing on pieces of wood the same thickness as used for the blade, and gradually shaping off to the middle of the axe by the use of a chisel, finishing with sandpaper and covering with tinfoil. Three large, round-headed brass or iron nails fixed into the front side of the handle will complete the axe.

At the beginning of the sixteenth century horseman's battle-axes shaped as shown in Fig. 11 were used. Both handle and axe are of steel. This axe is made similar to the one described in Fig. 10. When the woodwork is finished the handle and axe are covered with tinfoil.

** How to Make a Round Belt Without Ends [243]

A very good belt may be made by laying several strands of strong cord, such as braided fishline, together as shown in Fig. 1 and wrapping them as

[Illustration: Method of Forming the Belt]

shown in Fig. 2. When wrapped all the way around, the ends are tied and cut off. This will make a very good flexible belt; will pull where other belts slip, and as the tension members are all protected from wear, will last until the wrapping member is worn through without being weakened. --Contributed by E. W. Davis, Chicago.

** Old-Time Magic - The Growing Flower [244]

This trick is performed with a wide-mouthed jar which is about 10 in. high. If an earthern jar of this kind is not at hand, use a glass fruit jar and cover it with black cloth or paper, so the contents cannot be seen.

[Illustration: Flower Grows Instantly]

Two pieces of wire are bent as shown in Fig. 1 and put together as in Fig. 2. These wires are put in the jar, about one-third the way down from the top, with the circle centrally located. The wires can be held in place by carefully bending the ends, or using small wedges of wood.

Cut a wire shorter in length than the height of the jar and tie a rose or several flowers on one end. Put a cork in the bottom of the jar and stick the opposite end of the wire from where the flowers are tied through the circle of the two wires and into the cork. The dotted lines in Fig. 3 show the position of the wires and flowers.

To make the flowers grow in an instant, pour water into the jar at one side of the wide mouth. The cork will float and carry the wire with the flowers attached upward, causing the flowers to grow, apparently, in a few seconds' time. Do not pour in too much water to raise the flowers so far that the wire will be seen. --Contributed by A. S. Macdonald, Oakland, Calif.

** Water and Wine Trick [244]

This is an interesting trick based on the chemical properties of acids and alkalies. The materials needed are: One glass pitcher, filled with water, four glass tumblers, an acid, an alkali and some phenolphthalein solution which can be obtained from your local druggist. Before the performance, add a few drops of the phenolphthalein to the water in the pitcher and rub a small quantity of the alkali solution on the sides of two of the tumblers and repeat, only using as large a quantity of the acid as will escape notice on the remaining tumblers. Set the tumblers so you will know which is which and proceed as follows: Take hold of a prepared tumbler with the left hand and pour from the pitcher, held in the right hand, some of the liquid. The liquid turned into the glass will become red like wine. Set this full tumbler aside and take the pitcher in the left hand and pour some of the liquid in one of the tumblers containing the acid as it is held in the right hand. There will be no change in color. Repeat both parts in the same order then begin to pour the liquids contained in the tumblers back into the pitcher in the order reversed and the excess of acid will neutralize the alkali and cause it to lose its color and in the end the pitcher will contain a colorless liquid. --Contributed by Kenneth Weeks, Bridgeton, N.J.

** Cheap Nails are Expensive [244]

The life of iron shingle nails is about 6 years. An iron nail cannot be used again in putting on a new roof. Solid zinc nails last forever and can be used as often as necessary. As zinc is much lighter than iron, the cost of zinc nails is only about 2-1/2 times that of iron nails.

** Cutting Lantern Slide Masks [245]

It has long been a puzzle to me why round cornered masks are almost invariably used for lantern slides, when most works of art are included within rectangular spaces, says a correspondent of Photo Era. Certainly the present commercial masks are in very poor taste. The worker who wishes to make the most of every slide will do well to cut his own masks, not only because of the fact just mentioned, but also because he can suit the size of the opening to the requirements of each slide. Slides can be works of art just as much as prints; so that masking a slide becomes just as important as trimming a print, and equally worthy of individual treatment. It is folly to give each slide a mask opening of uniform size and shape.

When many slides are to be masked, it becomes tedious work to treat each one separately, unless some special device is used. The accompanying drawing shows a way to mark masks which is simple, practical and costs nothing. The drawing is exactly lantern slide size.

Lay the slide over such a guide and note the size of the opening best suited to the picture. This will be determined by the intersection of the ruled lines, which are numbered for convenience in working. If the size wanted is No. 4 for width and No. 2 for height, place the guide over a piece of black mask paper and prick through the proper intersections with the point of a pin. This outlines the desired

[Illustration: Form for Marking Out Rectangular Lantern Slide Masks]

opening, which may then be cut out easily with a knife and straight edge.

The black paper from plate boxes and film rolls is excellent for making masks. It should be cut up in pieces 3-1/4 by 4 in. and kept ready for use at any time.

** Relieving the Weight of a Talking Machine Reproducer [245]

Too loud reproduction from a record, the scratching noise sometimes heard and the forcing of the needle into a soft record, because the extension arm and reproducer are too heavy, can be remedied in the following manner: Attach a small ring to the under side of the horn and use a rubber band to lift the extending arm slightly. --Contributed by W. A. Jaquythe, Richmond, Cal.

** How to Make a Thermometer Back in Etched Copper [246]

Etching copper is not a very difficult process. Secure a sheet of No. 16 gauge copper of the width and length

[Illustration: Copper Thermometer Holder]

wanted for the back of the thermometer. In the design shown the extreme width is 3-1/2 in. and the extreme length 7 in.

Draw a design. The one shown is merely suggestive. The worker may change the outline or proportions as desired. The decoration, too, may be changed. The essential thing is to keep a space upon which to place the thermometer. This design is in what is known as two-part symmetry. A line is drawn down the paper and one-half of the outline and decoration worked out. This done, the paper is folded along the center line, a piece of carbon paper is inserted between the folds and the design transferred on the inner surfaces by tracing with a pencil over the half of the outline previously drawn. Trace the design and outline upon the metal, using the carbon paper.

Cut out the outline with metal shears and file the edges smooth.

With a small brush and ordinary asphaltum or black varnish, paint the design, the margin and the entire back of the metal. When this coat has dried put on a second and then a third. The asphaltum is to keep the acid into which the metal is to be immersed later from eating any part of the metal but the background. Two coats or more are needed to withstand the action of the acid.

The acid bath is composed of nitric acid and water, about half and half, or, possibly, a little less acid than water, the mixture being made by pouring the acid into the water, not the water into the acid, which is dangerous. Keep this solution off the hands and clothes, and do not inhale the fumes.

Put the asphalt-coated metal in the bath and allow it to remain for four or five hours, depending upon the thickness of the metal and the strength of the acid. With a stick, or a pair of old tongs, take the metal out of the acid occasionally and examine it to see how deep the acid has eaten it--1/32 in. is about right for the No. 16 gauge.

When etched to the desired depth, remove the piece and with an old knife' scrape off the asphaltum. Finish the cleaning by scrubbing with turpentine and a brush having stiff bristles.

If the metal is first covered with turpentine and then heated over a flame, all the colors of the rainbow will appear on its surface. These colors fade away in the course of a long time, but they can be easily revived. Another way to get these colors is to heat the metal and then plunge it into the acid bath quickly.

A green finish is obtained by painting the background with an acid stain composed as follows: 1 part ammonia muriate; 3 parts ammonia carbonate; 24 parts water. If one coat does not give the depth of color desired, repeat as many times as is necessary, allowing each coat time to dry before applying the next.

To "fix" this color so that it will not rub off, and to keep the metal from tarnishing, apply a coat of banana oil or lacquer.

Thermometers of suitable size can be bought in either brass or nickel. They have holes through their top and bottom ends through which metal paper fasteners can be inserted, and these in turn put through holes punched in the copper back.

** To Make an Electric Piano [247]

Make or buy a table, about 3 ft. long and 1 ft. or more wide, and about 2-1/2 ft. high. Nail a board, A, Fig. 1, about 8 in. wide and of the same length as the table, to the table, as shown in the illustration. Paint the table any color desired.

Purchase a dozen or so battery electric bells (they are cheaper if bought by the dozen) and screw them to the board, as in Fig. 2. Arrange the bells in the scale shown at B, Fig. 2. Bore two holes near the posts of each bell for the wires to pass through.

Buttons for the bells may be purchased, but it is cheaper to make them in the following way: Take a piece of

[Illustration: How the Electric Piano is Constructed]

wood and cut it round, about 2-1/2 in. in diameter and 1/4 in. thick, Fig. 3, and bore two holes, C and D, through it. Then get two posts, about 1 in. long, (battery posts will do) and put them through the holes as in Fig. 4. Cut out a piece of tin, 3/8 in. wide, punch a hole through it and put in under post E, so that when it is pressed down, it will touch post F. It may be either nailed or screwed down.

Make two holes in the table for each button and its wires, as at H, Fig. 2. Nail or screw the buttons to the table, as shown in Fig. 5, with the wires underneath. The connections are simple: I, Fig. 5, is a wire running from one end of the table to the other end, attached to a post at each end; J is another wire attached in the same way; L is the carbon wire running from the batteries to I; M is the zinc wire running from the batteries to wire J; 0 indicates the batteries; P is a wire running from J to one post of a button; Q is another wire running from the other post of the button to one of the posts of the bell; R is a wire running from I to one post of the bell. When the button S is pressed, the bell will ring. Each button should be connected with its bell in the same way. --Contributed by Vincent de Ybarrondo.

** Imitation Arms and Armor -