Darkroom LanternDarkroom Lantern
Procure an ordinary 2-qt. glass 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 illustration. 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.
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.
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 space 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.
Folding Clothes RackFolding Clothes Rack
A clothes-drying rack that has many good features can be made as shown in the illustration. When the rack is closed it will fit into a very small space and one or more wings can be used at a time as the occasion or space 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 finishing 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.
A Shower Bath That Costs Less Than One Dollar to MakeA 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.
As I needed several small sprocket wheels and had none on hand, I made them quickly without other expense than the time required, from scrap 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.
FIG. 1FIG. 2Closet for Holding Pot Covers
The sides of the cover closet are cut as shown in Fig. 1 and shelves are nailed between them at a slight angle. No dimensions are given as the space 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.
Bottle in StandBottle in Stand
Some cooks find it a very difficult matter to prepare salad dressing, principally 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 assists 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.
In using developing papers, either for contact printing or enlargements, you are, by all rules of the game, entitled 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 rushing 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 accumulation 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."
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 washing completes the process. This washing 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.
Stand Attached to TableStand Attached to Table
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 is pressed down against the outer notch which jams against the table, thus holding the board rigid and in such a position as to give free access for ironing dresses, etc.
Contributed by T. L. Gray, San Francisco, Cal.
Fig 3 Paper Corners for Blotter PadsFig 3 Paper Corners for Blotter Pads
Procure four sheets of blotting paper, preferably the colored kind, as it will appear clean much longer than the white. The size of the pad depends on the size of the blotting paper.
Fold four pieces of ordinary wrapping paper, 5 by 15 in. in size, three times, to make it 5 by 5 in. Fold each one from corner to corner as shown in Fig. 1 and again as in Fig. 2. Paste the last fold together and the corner holders are complete. Put one on each corner of the blotting paper. They can be fastened with a small brass paper fastener put through the top of the holder. The blotting paper can be easily changed by removing the holders and fasteners. Corners complete are shown in Fig. 3.
Contributed by J. Wilson Aldred Toronto, Canada.
Wires Attached to a LavatoryWires Attached to a Lavatory
A very handy article is an attachment on wash basins or lavatories for holding the sleeves back while washing the hands. It is very annoying to have the sleeves continually slip down and become wet or soiled. The simple device shown herewith can be made with bent wires or hooks and attached in such a way that it can be dropped out of the way when not in use.
Contributed by L. J. Monahan, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
A pencil eraser will remove the tarnish from nickel plate, and the ink eraser will remove the rust from drawing instruments.
The Pattern and the Finished BookmarkFig. 1 Fig. 2The Pattern and the Finished Bookmark
Secure a piece of brass of No. 20 gauge, having a width of 2-1/4 in. and a length of 5 in. Make a design similar to that shown, the head of which is 2 in. wide, the shaft 1 in. wide below the head and the extreme length 4-1/2 in. Make one-half of the design, as shown in Fig. 1, freehand, then trace the other half in the usual way, after folding along the center line. Trace the design on the metal, using carbon paper, which gives the outline of the design Fig. 2.
Drilling and Sawing the MetalDrilling and Sawing the Metal
With the metal shears, cut out the outline as indicated by the drawing. With files, smooth off any roughness and form the edge so that it shall be nicely rounded.
The parts of the design in heavy color may be treated in several ways. A very satisfactory treatment is obtained by etching, then coloring. Clean the metal thoroughly with pumice stone and water or with alcohol before the design is applied. Cover all the metal that is not to be lowered with a thick coating of asphaltum. Allow this to dry, then put on a second coat. After this has dried, thoroughly immerse the metal in a solution composed as follows: 3 parts water, 1 partsulphuric acid, 1 partnitric acid.
Allow the metal to remain in this solution until the exposed part has been eaten about 1/32 in. deep, then remove it and clean off the asphaltum, using turpentine. Do not put the hands in the solution, but use a swab on a stick.
For coloring olive green, use 2 parts water to 1 part permuriate of iron. Apply with a small brush.
The lines at A and B will need to be cut, using a small metal saw. Pierce a hole with a small drill, Fig. 3, large enough to receive the saw and cut along the lines as in Fig. 4. A piece of wood with a V-shaped notch which is fastened firmly to the bench forms the best place in which to do such sawing. The teeth of the saw should be so placed that the sawing will be done on the downward stroke. The metal must be held firmly, and the saw allowed time to make its cut, being held perpendicular to the work.
After the sawing, smooth the edges of the metal with a small file and emery paper. The metal clip may be bent outward to do this part of the work.
The cover from a cheesebox can be converted into a tea tray that is very dainty for the piazza, or for serving an invalid's breakfast.
First sandpaper the wood until it is smooth, then stain it a mahogany color. The mahogany stain can be obtained ready prepared. After the stain has dried, attach brass handles, which can be obtained for a small sum at an upholsterer's shop. A round embroidered doily in the bottom adds to the appearance of the tray.
Contributed by Katharine D. Morse, Syracuse, New York.
Drill a 1/2-in. hole through a block of pine or other soft wood 2 in. thick. Tack over one end of the hole a piece of pasteboard in which seven coarse sewing-machine needles have been inserted. The needles should be close together and pushed through the pasteboard until the points show. The hole is then filled with melted babbitt metal. When this is cold, the block is split and the pasteboard removed. This tool makes neat pierced work and in making brass shades, it does the work rapidly.
Contributed by H. Carl Cramer, East Hartford, Conn.
Knife Attached to the BoardKnife Attached to the Board
Cooks can slice, chop or mince vegetables and various other food rapidly by placing the little device, as shown, on a chopping board. Ii is an ordinary staple, driven in just far enough to allow a space for the end of an ordinary pointed kitchen knife to fit in it. The staple is driven in the edge of the chopping board. The knife can be raised and lowered with one hand, as the material is passed under the blade with the other. Great pressure can be applied and the knife will not slip.
Contributed by M. M. Burnett, Richmond, Cal.
Sew straps to the sides of mattresses and they can be handled much easier.
Round Stick In a SpoolRound Stick In a Spool
The home workshop can be supplied with a carpenter's gauge without any expense' by the use of a large spool and a round stick of wood. The stick should be dressed to fit the hole in the spool snugly and a small brad driven through one end so that the point will protrude about 1/16 in.
The adjustment of the gauge is secured by driving the stick in the hole in the direction desired. A better way and one that will make the adjusting easy is to file the point end of a screw eye flat and use it as a set screw through a hole in the side of the spool.
Board or Wall Iron RestBoard or Wall Iron Rest
The iron rest and wall hanger shown in the sketch is made of sheet iron. The upturned edges of the metal are bent to fit the sloping sides of the iron. The holder and iron can be moved at the same time.
Contributed by W. A. Jaquythe, Richmond, Cal.
When groceries are delivered, save the paper bags and use them for staring bread and cakes. Tie the neck of the bag with a string and it will keep the contents fresh and clean.
Contributed by Mrs. L. H. Atwell, Kissimmee, Florida.
If a little chalk is rubbed on a file before filing steel, it will keep the chips from sticking in the cuts on the file and scratching the work.
Details of the TurbineDetails of the Turbine
Procure some brass, about 3/16 in. thick and 4 in. square; 53 steel pens, not over 1/4 in. in width at the shank; two enameled, or tin, saucers or pans, having a diameter on the inside part of about 4-1/2 in.; two stopcocks with 1/8 in. holes; one shaft; some pieces of brass, 1/4 in. thick, and several 1/8-in. machine screws.
Lay out two circles on the 3/16-in. brass, one having a diameter of 3-1/2 in. and the other with a diameter of 2-3/4 in. The outside circle is the size of the finished brass wheel, while the inside circle indicates the depth to which the slots are to be cut. Mark the point where a hole is to be drilled for the shaft, also locate the drill holes, as shown at A, Fig. 1. After the shaft hole and the holes A are drilled in the disk, it can be used as template for drilling the side plates C.
The rim of the disk is divided into 53 equal parts and radial lines drawn from rim to line B, indicating the depth of the slots. Slots are cut in the disk with a hacksaw on the radial lines. A small vise is convenient for holding the disk while cutting the slots. When cutting the disk out of the rough brass, sufficient margin should be left for filing to the true line. The slots should be left in their rough state as they have a better hold on the pens which are used for the blades. The pens are inserted in the slots and made quite secure by forcing ordinary pins on the inside of the pens and breaking them off at the rim, as shown in Fig. 4.
When the pens are all fastened two pieces of metal are provided, each about 1 in. in diameter and 1/32 in. thick, with a 3/8-in. hole in the center, for filling pieces which are first placed around the shaft hole between the disk and side plates C, Fig. 1. The side plates are then secured with some of the 1/8-in. machine screws, using two nuts on each screw. The nuts should be on the side opposite the inlet valves. The shaft hole may also be filed square, a square shaft used, and the ends filed round for the bearings.
The casing for the disk is made of two enameled-iron saucers, Fig. 2, bolted together with a thin piece ofasbestosbetween them to make a tight joint. A 3/4-in. hole is cut near the edge of one of the saucers for the exhaust. If it is desired to carry the exhaust beyond the casing, a thin pipe can be inserted 1/4 in. into the hole. Holes are drilled through the pipe on both inside and outside of the casing, and pins inserted, as shown in Fig. 5. Solder is run around the outside pin to keep the steam from escaping. At the lowest point of the saucer or casing a 1/8-in. hole is drilled to run off the water. A wood plug will answer for a stopcock.
If metal dishes, shaped from thick material with a good coating of tin, can be procured, it will be much easier to construct the casing than if enameled ware is used. The holes can be easily drilled and the parts fitted together closely. All seams and surfaces around fittings can be soldered.
Nozzles are made of two stopcocks having a 1/8-in. hole. These are connected to a 3/8-in. supply pipe. The nozzles should be set at an angle of 20 deg. with the face of the disk. The nozzle or stopcock will give better results if the discharge end is filed parallel to the face of the disk when at an angle of 20 deg. There should be a space of 1/16 in. between the nozzle and the blades to allow for sufficient play, Fig. 3.
The bearings are made of 1/4-in. brass and bolted to the casing, as shown, with 1/8-in. machine screws and nuts. Two nuts should be placed on each screw. The pulley is made by sliding a piece of steel pipe on the engine shaft and fastening it with machine screws and nuts as shown in Fig. 6. If the shaft is square,leadshould be run into the segments.
The driven shaft should have a long bearing. The pulley on this shaft is made of pieces of wood nailed together, and its circumference cut out with a scroll saw. Flanges are screwed to the pulley and fastened to the shaft as shown in Fig. 7.
The bearings are made of oak blocks lined with heavy tin or sheet iron for the running surface. Motion is transmitted from the engine to the large pulley by a thin but very good leather belt.
Brass Key on a Wood BaseBrass Key on a Wood Base
A simple and easily constructed telegraph key may be made in the following manner: Procure a piece of sheet brass, about 1/32 in. thick, and cut out a strip 3-1/2 in. long by 3/4 in. wide. Bend as shown in Fig. 1 and drill a hole for the knob in one end and a hole for a screw in the other. Procure a small wood knob and fasten it in place with a small screw. Cut a strip of the same brass 2-3/4 in. long and 5/16 in. wide and bend as shown in Fig. 2. Drill two holes in the feet for screws to fasten it to the base, and one hole in the top part for a machine screw, and solder a small nut on the under side of the metal over the hole.
Mount both pieces on a base 4-1/4 by 2-3/4 by 1/4 in., as in Fig. 3, and where the screw of the knob strikes the base when pressed down, put in a screw or brass-headed tack for a contact. Fasten the parts down with small brass wood-screws and solder the connections beneath the base. Binding posts from an old battery cell are used on the end of the base. The screw on top of the arch is used to adjust the key for a long or short stroke.
Contributed by S. V. Cooke, Hamilton, Canada.
Camps and suburban homes located where ice is hard to get can be provided with a cooling arrangement herein described that will make a good substitute for the icebox. A barrel is sunk in the ground in a shady place, allowing plenty of space about the outside to fill in with gravel. A quantity of small stones and sand is first put in wet. A box is placed in the hole over the top of the barrel and filled in with clay or earth well tamped. The porous condition of the gravel drains the surplus water after a rain.
The end of the barrel is fitted with a light cover and a heavy door hinged to the box. A small portion of damp sand is sprinkled on the bottom of the barrel. The covers should be left open occasionally to prevent mold and to remove any bad air that may have collected from the contents.
Contributed by F. Smith, La Salle, Ill.
Work Basket
Secure a cheese box about 12 in. high and 15 in. or more in diameter. It will pay you to be careful in selecting this box. Be sure to have the cover. Score the wood deeply with a carpenter's gauge inside and out 3-1/2 in. from the top of the box. With repeated scoring the wood will be almost cut through or in shape to finish the cut with a knife. Now you will have the box in two pieces. The lower part, 8-1/2 in. deep over all, we will call the basket, and the smaller part will be known as the tray.
Remove the band from the cover and cut the boards to fit in the tray flush with the lower edge, to make the bottom. Fasten with 3/4-in brads. The kind of wood used in making these boxes cracks easily and leaves a rough surface which should be well sandpapered.
The four legs are each 3/4-in. square and 30-1/2 in. long. The tops should be beveled to keep them from splintering at the edges. With a string or tape measure, find the circumference of the tray or basket and divide this into four equal parts, arranging the lap seam on both to come midway between two of the marks. When assembling, make these seams come between the two back legs.
The tray is placed 1-1/4 in. from the top end and the basket 6-3/4 in. from the bottom end of the legs. Notch the legs at the lower point about 1/8 in. deep and 1-1/4 in. wide to receive the band at the lower end of the basket. Fasten with 3/4-in. screws, using four to each leg, three of which are in the basket. Insert the screws from the inside of the box into the legs.
Stain the wood before putting in the lining. If all the parts are well sandpapered, the wood will take the stain nicely: Three yards of cretonne will make a very attractive lining. Cut two sheets of cardboard to fit in the bottom of the tray and basket. Cover them with the cretonne, sewing on the back side. Cut four strips for the sides from the width of the goods 5-1/2 in. wide and four strips 10 in. wide. Sew them end to end and turn down one edge to a depth of 1 in. and gather it at that point,—also the lower edge when necessary. Sew on to the covered cardboards. Fasten them to the sides of the tray and basket with the smallest upholsterers' tacks. The product of your labor will be a very neat and useful piece of furniture.
Contributed by Stanley H. Packard, Boston, Mass.
Paper Aeroplanes in DraftPaper Aeroplanes in Draft
A novel and attractive aeroplane window display can be easily made in the following manner: Each aeroplane is cut from folded paper, as shown in the sketch, and the wings bent out on the dotted lines. The folded part in the center is pasted together. Each aeroplane is fastened with a small thread from the point A as shown. A figure of an airman can be pasted to each aeroplane. One or more of the aeroplanes can be fastened in the blast of an electric fan and kept in flight the same as a kite. The fan can be concealed to make the display more real. When making the display, have the background of such a color as to conceal the small threads holding the aeroplanes.
Contributed by Frederick Hennighausen, Baltimore, Md.
Fig.2 Fig.3 The Stone Chipped into Shape
If you live where flints abound, possess the requisite patience and the knack of making things, you can, with the crudest of tools and a little practice, chip out as good arrowheads as any painted savage that ever drew a bow. Select a piece of straight-grained flint as near the desired shape as possible. It may be both longer and wider than the finished arrow but it should not be any thicker. The side, edge and end views of a suitable fragment are shown in Fig. 1. Hold the piece with one edge or end resting on a block of wood and strike the upper edge lightly with a hammer, a small boulder or anything that comes handy until the piece assumes the shape shown in Fig. 2.
The characteristic notches shown in the completed arrow, Fig. 3, are chipped out by striking the piece lightly at the required points with the edge of an old hatchet or a heavy flint held at right angles to the edge of the arrow. These heads can be made so that they cannot be distinguished from the real Indian arrowheads.
Contributed by B. Orlando Taylor, Cross Timbers, Mo.
Handle on CoverHandle on Cover
A stamp pad is a desk necessity and the cleanliness of one depends on keeping it closed when it is not in use. The opening and closing of a pad requires both hands and consequently the closing of a pad is often neglected in order to avoid soiling the fingers. This trouble can be avoided if the pad is fitted with a small handle as shown in the sketch. Take the ordinary pad and work the hinge until it opens freely. If necessary apply a little oil and spread the flanges of the cover slightly.
Saw off the top of a common wood clothespin just above the slot, saving all the solid part. Fasten this to the cover near the back side in an upright position with a screw. A tap on the front side of the pin will turn it over backward until the head rests on the desk thus bringing the cover up in the upright position. When through using the pad, a slight tap on the back side of the cover will turn it down in place.
Contributed by H. L. Crockett, Gloversville, N. Y.
Finished KennelFinished Kennel
Concrete FormsConcrete Forms
The kennel shown in the illustration is large enough for the usual size of dog. It is cleanly, healthful and more ornamental than the average kennel. This mission style would be in keeping with the now popular mission and semi-mission style home, and, with slight modifications, it could be made to conform with the ever beautiful colonial home. It is not difficult to build and will keep in good shape for many years.
The dimensions and the manner of making the forms for the concrete, and the location for the bolts to hold the plate and rafters, are shown in the diagram.
Contributed by Edith E. Lane, El Paso, Texas.
Photograph in the ShellPhotograph in the Shell
Split an English walnut in the center, remove the contents, and scrape out the rough parts. Make an oval opening by filing or grinding. If a file is used, it should be new and sharp. After this is done, take a small half round file and smooth the edges into shape and good form.
The photograph print should be quite small—less than 1/2 in. across the face. Trim the print to a size a little larger than the opening in the shell, and secure it in place with glue or paste. It may be well to fill the shell with cotton. Mount the shell on a small card with glue, or if desired, a mount of different shape can be made of burnt woodwork.
Contributed by C. S. Bourne, Lowell, Mass.
Spoon HolderSpoon Holder
In making marmalade and jellies the ingredients must be stirred from time to time as the cooking proceeds. After stirring, some of the mixture always remains on the spoon. Cooks often lay the spoon on a plate or stand it against the cooking utensil with the handle down. Both of these methods are wasteful. The accompanying illustration shows a device made of sheet copper to hold the spoon so that the drippings will return to the cooking utensil. The copper is not hard to bend and it can be shaped so that the device can be used on any pot or kettle.
Contributed by Edwin Marshall, Oak Park, Ill.
Some time ago I received two gramophone records that were cracked in shipment but the parts were held together with the paper label. As these were single-faced disk records, I used the following method to stick them together: I covered the back of one with shellac and laid the two back to back centering the holes with the crack in one running at right angles to the crack in the other. These were placed on a flat surface and a weight set on them. After several hours' drying, I cleaned the surplus shellac out of the holes and played them.
As the needle passed over the cracks the noise was hardly audible. These records have been played for a year and they sound almost as good as new.
Contributed by Marion P. Wheeler, Greenleaf, Oregon.
An amateur mechanic who had been much annoyed by the insects which were attracted to his electric lights found a solution in the pneumatic moth trap described in a recent issue of Popular Mechanics. He fixed a funnel to the end of the intake tube of a vacuum cleaner and hung it under a globe. The insects came to the light, circled over the funnel and disappeared. He captured several pounds in a few hours.
Contributed by Geo. F. Turl, Canton, Ill.
In filtering a large amount of solution one usually desires some means other than a large funnel and something to make the watching of the process unnecessary. If a considerable quantity of a solution be placed in a large bottle or flask, and a cork with a small hole in it inserted in the mouth, and the apparatus suspended in an inverted position over a small funnel so that the opening of the cork is just below the water level in the funnel, the filtering process goes on continuously with no overflow of the funnel.
As soon as the solution in the funnel is below the cork, air is let into the flask and a small quantity of new solution is let down into the funnel. The process works well and needs no watching, and instead of the filtrate being in a large filter paper, it is on one small piece and can be handled with ease.
Contributed by Loren Ward, Des Moines, Iowa.
Finished RackFinished Rack
Details of the RackDetails of the Rack
The illustration shows a rack for postcards. Those having houses with mission-style furniture can make such a rack of the same material as the desk, table or room furnishings and finish it in the same manner.
The dimensions are given in the detail sketch. The two ends are cut from 1/4-in. material, the bottom being 3/8 in. thick. Only three pieces are required, and as they are simple in design, anyone can cut them out with a saw, plane and pocket knife.
Contributed by Wm. Rosenberg, Worcester, Mass.
A good substitute for a shoe horn is a handkerchief or any piece of cloth used in the following way: Allow part of the handkerchief or cloth to enter the shoe, place the toe of the foot in the shoe so as to hold down the cloth, and by pulling up on the cloth so as to keep it taut around the heel the foot will slide into the shoe just as easily as if a shoe horn were used.
Contributed by Thomas E. Dobbins, Glenbrook, Conn.
In building a photographic dark room, it is necessary to make it perfectly light-tight, the best material to use being matched boards. These boards are tongued and grooved and when put together effectually prevent the entrance of light.
The next important thing to be considered is to make it weather-tight, and as far as the sides are concerned the matched boards will do this also, but it is necessary to cover the roof with felt or water-proof paper.
The best thickness for the boards is 1 in., but for cheapness 3/4 in. will do as well, yet the saving is so little that the 1-in. boards are preferable.
The dark room shown in the accompanying sketch measures 3 ft. 6 in. by 2 ft. 6 in., the height to the eaves being 6 ft. Form the two sides shown in Fig 1, fixing the crosspieces which hold the boards together in such positions that the bottom one will act as a bearer for the floor, and the second one for the developing bench. Both sides can be put together in this way, and both exactly alike. Keep the ends of the crosspieces back from the edges of the boards far enough to allow the end boards to fit in against them.
One of the narrow sides can be formed in the same way, fixing the crosspieces on to correspond, and then these three pieces can be fastened together by screwing the two wide sides on the narrow one.
Lay the floor next, screwing or nailing the boards to the crosspieces, and making the last board come even with the ends of the crosspieces, not even with the boards themselves. The single boards can then be fixed, one on each side of what will be the doorway, by screwing to the floor, and to the outside board of the sides. At the top of the doorway, fix a narrow piece between the side boards, thus leaving a rectangular opening for the door.
The roof boards may next be put on, nailing them to each other at the ridge, and to the sides of the room at the outsides and eaves. They should overhang at the sides and eaves about 2 in., as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
One of the sides with the crosspieces in place will be as shown in Fig. 2 in section, all the crosspieces and bearers intersecting around the room.
The door is made of the same kind of boards held together with crosspieces, one of which is fastened so as to fit closely to the floor when the door is hinged, and act as a trap for the light. The top crosspiece is also fastened within 1 in. of the top of the door for the same reason.
Light traps are necessary at the sides and top of the door. That at the hinged side can be as shown at A, Fig. 5, the closing side as at B, and the top as at C in the same drawing. These are all in section and are self-explanatory. In hinging the door, three butt hinges should be used so as to keep the joint close.
The fittings of the room are as shown sectionally in Fig. 6, but before fixing these it is best to line the room with heavy, brown wrapping paper, as an additional safeguard against the entrance of light.
The developing bench is 18 in. wide, and in the middle an opening, 9 by 11 in., is cut, below which is fixed the sink. It is shown in detail in Fig. 7, and should be zinc lined.
The zinc should not be cut but folded as shown in Fig. 8, so that it will fit inside the sink. The bench at each side of the sink should be fluted (Fig. 9), so that the water will drain off into the sink. A strip should be fixed along the back of the bench as shown in Figs. 6 and 9, and an arrangement of slats (Fig. 10), hinged to it, so as to drop on the sink as in Fig. 6, and shown to a larger scale in Fig. 11.
Details of the Dark RoomDetails of the Dark Room
A shelf for bottles and another for plates, etc., can be fixed above the developing bench as at D and E (Fig. 6) and another as F in the same drawing. This latter forms the bottom of the tray rack, which is fixed on as shown in Fig. 13. The divisions of the tray rack are best fitted loosely in grooves formed by fixing strips to the shelves and under the bench and sink as in Fig. 13.
Extra bearing pieces will be wanted for the shelves mentioned above, these being shown in Fig. 14. The window is formed by cutting an opening in the side opposite the door, and fixing in it a square of white glass with strips of wood on the inside and putty on the outside, as in Fig. 15. A ruby glass is framed as shown at G, Fig. 16, and arranged to slide to and fro in the grooved runners H, which makes it possible to have white light, as at I, or red light as at K, Fig. 16. The white glass with runners in position is shown at L in the same drawing, but not the red glass and frame. Ventilation is arranged for by boring a series of holes near the floor, as at M, Fig. 6, and near the roof as at N in the same drawing, and trapping the light without stopping the passage of air, as shown in the sections, Fig. 17.
The finish of the roof at the gables is shown in Fig. 18, the strip under the boards holding the felt in position when folded under, and the same is true of the roll at the top of the roof in Fig. 19.
The house will be much strengthened if strips, as shown in Fig. 20, are fastened in the corners inside, after lining with brown paper, screwing them each way into the boards.
The door may have a latch or lock with a knob, but should in addition have two buttons on the inside, fixed so as to pull it shut tightly at top and bottom. A waste pipe should be attached to the sink and arranged to discharge through the floor. A cistern with pipe and tap can be fastened in the top of the dark room, if desired, or the room may be made with a flat roof, and a tank stand on it, though this is hardly advisable.
It is absolutely necessary that the room be well painted, four coats at first is not too many, and one coat twice a year will keep it in good condition.
A brick foundation should be laid so that no part of the room touches the ground.
Querl Made of WoodQuerl Made of Wood
"Querl" is the German name for a kitchen utensil which may be used as an egg-beater, potato-masher or a lemon-squeezer. For beating up an egg in a glass, mixing flour and water, or stirring cocoa or chocolate, it is better than anything on the market.
This utensil is made of hardwood, preferably maple or ash. A circular piece about 2 in. in diameter is cut from 1/2-in. stock and shaped like a star as shown in Fig. 1, and a 3/8-in. hole bored in the center for a handle. The handle should be at least 12 in. in length and fastened in the star as shown in Fig. 2.
In use, the star is placed in the dish containing the material to be beaten or mixed and the handle is rapidly rolled between the palms of the hands.
Contributed by W. Karl Hilbrich, Erie, Pennsylvania.
Occasionally one finds a piece of soldering to do which is impossible to reach with even the smallest of the ordinary soldering irons or coppers. If a length of copper wire as large as the job will permit and sufficiently long to admit being bent at one end to form a rough handle, and filed or dressed to a point on the other, is heated and tinned exactly as a regular copper should be, the work will cause no trouble on account of inaccessibility.
Contributed by E. G. Smith, Eureka Springs, Ark.