The Boy Mechanic Part 74

These very useful and ornamental draperies can be easily made at home by anyone possessing a little ingenuity. They can be made of various materials, the most durable being bamboo, although beads of gla.s.s or rolled paper will produce good results. Substances such as straw, while readily adaptable

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bamboo and Straw Portieres]

and having a neat appearance, are less durable and will quickly show wear. The paper beads are easily made as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In Figs. 1 and 2 are shown how the paper is cut tapering, and as it appears after rolling and gluing down the ends. A straight paper bead is shown in Fig. B.

The first step is to select the kind of beads desired for stringing and then procure the hanging cord. Be sure to get a cord of such size that the beads will slip on readily and yet have the least possible lateral movement. This is important to secure neatness. One end of each cord is tied to a round piece of wood, or in holes punched in a leather strap. Iron or bra.s.s rings can be used if desired.

Cut all the cords the same length, making allowance for the number of knots necessary to produce the design selected. Some designs require only one knot at the bottom. It is best to make a rough sketch of the design on paper. This will greatly aid the maker in carrying on the work.

When the main part of the screen is finished, the cross cords, used for s.p.a.cing and binding the whole together, are put in place.

This is done with a needle made from a piece of small wire, as shown in Fig. 4. The cross cords are woven in as shown in Fig. 5.

As many of these cross cords can be put in as desired, and if placed from 6 to 12 in. apart, a solid screen will be made instead of a portiere. The twisted cross cords should be of such material, and put through in such manner that they will not be readily seen.

If paper beads are used they can be colored to suit and hardened by varnishing. The first design shown is for using bamboo. The cords are knotted to hold the bamboo pieces in place. The finished portiere will resemble drawn work in cloth. Many beautiful hangings can be easily fashioned.

The second design is to be constructed with a plain ground of either straw, bamboo or rolled paper. The cords are hung upon a round stick with rings of metal to make the sliding easy. The design is made by stringing beads of colored gla.s.s at the right places between the lengths of ground material. One bead is placed at the extreme end of each cord. The rows of twisted cord placed at the top keep the strings properly s.p.a.ced.

--Contributed by Geo. M. Harrer, Lockport, New York.

** Makeshift Camper's Lantern [266]

While out camping, our only lantern was accidentally smashed beyond repair, and it was necessary to devise something that would take its place.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Lantern Made of Old Cans]

We took an empty tomato can and cut out the tin, 3 in. wide, for a length extending from a point 2 in. below the top to within 1/4 in. of the bottom. Each side of the cut-out A was bent inward in the shape of a letter S, in which was placed a piece of gla.s.s.

Four V-shaped notches were cut, as shown at B, near the top of the can and their points turned outward. A slit was cut in the bottom, shaped as shown at C, and the pointed ends thus formed were turned up to make a place for holding the base of a candle. A larger can was secured and the bottom perforated. This was turned over the top of the other can. A heavy wire was run through the perforations and a short piece of broom handle used to make a bail.

--Contributed by Maurice Baudier, New Orleans, La.

** New Tires for Carpet-Sweeper Wheels [266]

The rubber tires on carpet-sweeper wheels often become so badly worn and streched that they fail to grip the carpet firmly enough to run the sweeper. To remedy this, procure some rubber tape a little wider than the rims of the old wheels, remove the old rubber tires and wind the tape on the rims to the proper thickness. Trim the edges with a sharp knife and rub on some chalk or soapstone powder to prevent the tape from sticking to the carpet. A sweeper treated in this manner will work as well as a new one.

--Contributed by W. H. Shay, Newburgh, N. Y.

** Gauntlets on Gloves [266]

When the fingers or palms of gloves with gauntlets wear out, do not throw away the gloves, but cut off the gauntlets and procure a pair of gloves with short wrists to which the old gauntlets can be sewn after the wrist bands have been removed from the new gloves.

The sewing may be done either by hand or on a machine, gathering in any fullness in the bellows of the cuff on the under side. A pair of gauntlets will outwear three or four pairs of gloves.

--Contributed by Joseph H. Sanford, Pasadena, Cal.

** How to Make an Ornamental Bra.s.s Flag [266]

The outlines of the flag--which may be of any size to suit the metal at hand--and the name are first drawn on a sheet of thin paper and then transferred to the bra.s.s by tracing through a sheet of carbon paper. The bra.s.s should be somewhat larger than the design.

The bra.s.s is fastened to a block of soft wood with small nails driven through the edges. Indent the name and outline of the flag with a small chisel with the face ground flat, about 1/16 in.

wide. This should be done gradually, sinking the lines deeper and deeper by going over them a number of times. After this is finished, the bra.s.s is loosened from the block, turned over but not fastened, and the whole outside of and between the letters is indented with the rounded end of a nail, giving the appearance of hammered bra.s.s.

The edges are now cut off and four holes drilled, two for the chain by which to hang the flag to the wall, and two along the side for attaching the staff. The staff is a small bra.s.s rod with a k.n.o.b attached to the top end.

It would be well to polish the bra.s.s at first, if the finished work is to be

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Finished Flag]

bright, as it cannot be done after the flag is completed. A coat of lacquer is applied to keep it from tarnishing. This is done by heating the bra.s.s and quickly applying a coat of sh.e.l.lac.

--Contributed by Chas. Schaffner, Maywood, Ill.

** An Adjustable Punching-Bag Platform [267]

A punching-bag platform, suitable for the tall athlete as well as the small boy, is shown in the accompanying sketch. The platform is securely fastened to two strong wooden arms or braces, which in turn are nailed to a 2 by 12-in. plank as long as the diameter of the platform. This plank, as shown in the small drawing at the upper left-hand corner of the sketch, is placed in grooves or slots fastened against the side of a wall. The plank with the platform attached may be raised or lowered to the desired height and held there by a pin or bolt put through the bolt-hole of the plank and into a hole in the wall.

--Contributed by W. A. Jaquythe, Richmond, Cal.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Adjustable Platform]

** Clasp for Holding Flexible Lamp Cords [267]

A very easily made drop-light adjuster is shown in the ill.u.s.tration. It consists of a piece of copper wire 7/8 in. in diameter, bent as shown. This clasp is capable of standing a strong pull and will hold the lamp and socket with a gla.s.s shade.

--E. K. Marshall, Oak Park, Ill.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Clasp]

** Protect Camel Hair Brushes [267]

Camel hair brushes for painters' use should never be allowed to come in contact with water.

** Home-Made Electric Clock [268]

The clock ill.u.s.trated herewith is driven by means of electromagnets acting directly on the pendulum bob. Unlike most clocks, the pendulum swings

[Ill.u.s.tration: Magnetic Clock]

forward and backward instead of laterally. The construction is very simple, and the result is not only novel but well worth while, because one does not have to bother about winding a clock, such as this one, says the Scientific American.

The clock is mounted on a wooden base measuring 3-3/4 by6-1/2 in., by 1-5/16 in. thick. Secured centrally on this base is a 1/8 by 3/4-in. bar, 6 in. long and at each side of this, 5/16 in. away, is an electromagnet, 3/4 in. in diameter and 1-7/16 in. high. Two uprights, 7-1/2 in. high and 1/4 in. in diameter, are secured in the base bar, and are connected at the top by a bra.s.s yoke piece on which the clock frame is supported. Just below the yoke piece a hole is drilled in each upright to receive the pivot pins of the crosspiece secured to the upper end of the pendulum rod. The pendulum bob at the lower end is adjusted to swing just clear of the electromagnets. Mounted at the right-hand side of the base are three tall binding-posts, the center one being 2-3/4 in. high, and the other two 2-5/8 in. high. Each is fitted with a piece of copper wire provided with a small bra.s.s spring tip. These springs lie in the plane of the pendulum, which serves to swing the central tip first against one and then against the other of the side tips, thereby closing the circuit of first one magnet and then the other. Each magnet attracts the pendulum until its circuit is broken by release of the center tip, and on the return swing of the pendulum the circuit of the other magnet is similarly closed. Thus the pendulum is kept in motion by the alternate magnetic impulses. The clock train is taken from a standard clock and the motion of the pendulum is imparted to the escape wheel by means of a pawl, bearing on the latter, which is lifted at each forward stroke of the pendulum by an arm projecting forward from the pivotal end of the pendulum rod.