The Boy Mechanic Part 4

** A Darkroom Lantern [14]

Procure an ordinary 2-qt. gla.s.s fruit jar, break out the porcelain lining in the cover and cut a hole through the metal, just large enough to fit over the socket of an incandescent electric globe, then solder cover and socket together, says Studio Light. Line the inside of the jar with two thicknesses of good orange post office paper. The best lamp for the purpose is an 8-candlepower showcase lamp, the same as shown in the ill.u.s.tration. Screw the lamp into the socket and screw the cover onto the jar, and you have a safe light of excellent illuminating power.

When you desire to work by white light, two turns will remove the jar.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Darkroom Lantern]

If developing papers are being worked, obtain a second jar and line with light orange paper, screw into the cover fastened to the lamp and you have a safe and pleasant light for loading and development. By attaching sufficient cord to the lamp, it can be moved to any part of the darkroom, and you have three lamps at a trifling cost.

** Preventing Vegetables from Burning in a Pot [14]

Many housekeepers do not know that there is a simple way to prevent potatoes from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pot. An inverted pie pan placed in the bottom of the pot avoids scorching potatoes. The water and empty s.p.a.ce beneath the pan saves the potatoes. This also makes the work of cleaning pots easier as no adhering parts of potatoes are left to be scoured out.

** A Clothes Rack [14]

A clothes-drying rack that has many good features can be made as shown in the ill.u.s.tration. When the rack is

[Ill.u.s.tration: Folding Clothes Rack]

closed it will fit into a very small s.p.a.ce and one or more wings can be used at a time as the occasion or s.p.a.ce permits, and not tip over. The rack can be made of any hard wood and the material list is as follows:

1 Center post. 1-1/4 in. square by 62 in. 4 Braces. 1-1/4 in.

square by 12 in. 16 Horizontal bars. 1 by 1-1/4 by 24 in. 4 Vertical pieces. 1/4 by 1 by 65 in.

Attach the four braces for the feet with finis.h.i.+ng nails after applying a good coat of glue.

The horizontal bars are fastened to the vertical pieces with rivets using washers on both sides. The holes are bored a little large so as to make a slightly loose joint. The other ends of the bars are fastened to the center post with round head screws. They are fastened, as shown in the cross-section sketch, so it can be folded up.

--Contributed by Herman Fosel, Janesville, Wis.

** Homemade Shower Bath [15]

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Shower Bath That Costs Less Than One Dollar to Make]

While in the country during vacation time, I missed my daily bath and devised a shower bath that gave complete satisfaction. The back porch was enclosed with sheeting for the room, and the apparatus consisted of a galvanized-iron pail with a short nipple soldered in the center of the bottom and fitted with a valve and sprinkler. The whole, after filling the pail with water, was raised above one's head with a rope run over a pulley fastened to the roof of the porch, and a tub was used on the floor to catch the water. A knot should be tied in the rope at the right place, to keep it from running out of the pulley while the pail is lowered to be filled with water, and a loop made in the end, which is placed over a screw hook turned into the wall. If the loop is tied at the proper place, the pail will be raised to the right height for the person taking the shower bath.

The water will run from 10 to 15 minutes. The addition of some hot water will make a splendid shower bath.

--Contributed by Dr. C. H. Rosenthal, Cincinnati, O.

** How to Make Small Sprocket Wheels [15]

As I needed several small sprocket wheels and had none on hand, I made them quickly without other expense than the time required, from sc.r.a.p material. Several old hubs with the proper size bore were secured. These were put on an arbor and turned to the size of the bottom of the teeth. Hole were drilled and tapped to correspond to the number of teeth required and old stud bolts turned into them. The wheels were again placed on the arbor and the studs turned to the required size. After rounding the ends of the studs, the sprockets were ready for use and gave perfect satisfaction.

--Contributed by Charles Stem, Phillipsburg, New York.

** Pot-Cover Closet [16]

The sides of the cover closet are cut as shown in Fig. 1 and shelves are nailed between them at a slight angle.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 1 FIG. 2 Closet for Holding Pot Covers]

No dimensions are given as the s.p.a.ce and the sizes of the covers are not always the same. The back is covered with thin boards placed vertically. The front can be covered with a curtain or a paneled door as shown.

--Contributed by Gilbert A. Wehr, Baltimore, Md.

** Aid in Mixing Salad Dressing [16]

Some cooks find it a very difficult matter to prepare salad dressing, princ.i.p.ally mayonnaise dressing, as the constant stirring and pouring of oil and liquids are required in the operation. The simple homemade device shown in the accompanying sketch greatly a.s.sists

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bottle in Stand]

in this work. It consists of a stand to hold a bottle, the mouth of which rests against a. small gate directly in the rear of the attached tin trough. The weight of the bottle and the contents against the gate serves as a check or stopper. If the gate is raised slightly, it will permit a continuous flow of liquid of the desired amount.

** Saving Overexposed Developing Prints [16]

In using developing papers, either for contact printing or enlargements, you are, by all rules of the game, ent.i.tled to a certain number of overexposed prints, says a correspondent of Camera Craft. But there is no reason why you should lose either the paper or the time and trouble expended in making these prints.

By using the following method, you can turn these very dark prints into good ones.

First: these overexposed prints must be fully developed. Do not try to save them by rus.h.i.+ng them out of the developer into the short-stop or fixing bath. The results will be poor, and, if you try to tone them afterward, the color will be an undesirable, sickly one. Develop them into strong prints, thoroughly fix, and wash until you are sure all hypo is removed. In my own practice, I carry out this part of the work thoroughly, then dry the prints and lay aside these dark ones until there is an acc.u.mulation of a dozen or more, doing this to avoid too frequent use of the very poisonous bleaching solution. The bleacher is made up as follows and should be plainly marked "Poison."

Cyanide of pota.s.sium ....... 2 oz.

Iodide of pota.s.sium ....... 20 gr.

Water ..................... 16 oz.

Place the dry print, without previous wetting, in this solution.

It will bleach slowly and evenly, but, when it starts to bleach, transfer it to a tray of water, where it will continue to bleach.

When the desired reduction has taken place, stop the action at once by immersing the print in a 10-per-cent solution of borax.

The prints may be allowed to remain in this last solution until they are finished. A good final was.h.i.+ng completes the process.

This was.h.i.+ng must be thorough and a sponge or a tuft of cotton used to clean the surface of the print.

With a little practice, this method of saving prints that are too dark becomes easy and certain. The prints are lightened and at the same time improved in tone, being made blue-black with a delicate and pleasing quality that will tempt you to purposely overexpose some of your prints in order to tone them by this method for certain effects. The process is particularly valuable to the worker in large sizes, as it provides a means of making quite a saving of paper that would otherwise be thrown away.

** An Ironing-Board Stand [17]

An ordinary ironing board is cut square on the large end and a slot cut 1-1/2 in. wide and 4 in. long to admit the angle support.

The support is placed against the table and the board