The Boy Mechanic Part 97

--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 cus.h.i.+on. 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

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 tr.i.m.m.i.n.g 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 ill.u.s.tration 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Leather Tools]

Next place the lining, fold the flies along the lines indicated in the drawing. Hold the parts together and st.i.tch 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

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 gla.s.s 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 subst.i.tute 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 quant.i.ty of small

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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

[Ill.u.s.tration: Made of an Old Fork]

to the shape shown in the ill.u.s.tration. 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. h.e.l.lwig, Albany, N. Y.

** Homemade Telephone Receiver [353]

The receiver ill.u.s.trated 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 f.l.a.n.g.e, F, is cut on the wood, 1/8 in. wide and 1/16 in. deep. A f.l.a.n.g.e 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 f.l.a.n.g.es 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

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 s.p.a.ce 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 bra.s.s use a saturated solution of cyanide of pota.s.sium. 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 pota.s.sium is a deadly poison, care must be taken not to have it touch any sore spot on the flesh.