CHAPTER XXIVMORE OLD-FASHIONED TOYS

Fig. 475

When once the kite is up, it does not keep stationary like an English kite, but is always darting about; a skilful flyer can make a kite dart down and almost touch the roof of a house at a great distance off, and then dart up again almost overhead.

It is not an easy kite to manage, but when once the art of flying it is mastered it is never forgotten.

Gliders.The earliest type of toy flying-machine consisted of a two-bladed tin propeller spun on a frame by unwinding string, as with a top, and suddenly let go. It is easily made, as shown in Fig. 475, whereAis a tin propeller nailed by nailsCandCto alarge reelB. In making this toy the nails must be driven into the reel first, their heads are then cut off and they are tightly fitted into holes in propellerA.Dis the axle on which the reel spins and the handle for holding it;Eis a washer. This flying-machine is worked by smartly pulling a length of string wound around the reel.

Fig. 476

Modern aeroplanes are far more difficult to make than this; they need patience, skill and experiment, and besides a knowledge of how to twist and bend wood by steaming it; plenty of cane and whalebone wire, tissue paper or fine Japanese silk, and catapult elastic, which is generally the motive power used in working model aeroplanes. (Messrs Gamage, Holborn, W.C., stock skeins of specially prepared elastic.)

In this chapter only the simple and well-known types will be very briefly described, the boy who is interested must get special books on this subject from his library. In the first place the beginner must know what the three types of machines used in designing models generally are—viz. (1) the glider or motorless model, a glider being a winged structure, which when released from a height does not fall directly to the ground, but descendsgracefully at a gentle slope; (2) the monoplane, which is constructed more or less on the lines of a bird; and (3) the biplane or double-winged aeroplane.

Gliders may be either of the monoplane or biplane type. Experiments with gliders will enable boys to find out some of the principles on which aeroplanes are built, and will prepare them to undertake the construction of more difficult forms.

In making one's first glider one cannot do better than copy a bird. On a piece of paper draw a circle, fold it in half, draw a bird on one half, as in Fig. 476, cut it out, when the paper is opened it will appear as in the figure. If this bird is thrown head first toward the ground, it will probably fall. If two little bits of cardboard are gummed on each side of his head, he will make a better flight and land on the ground after making a gentle curve. A still better bird may be cut from cardboard, a half cut is then made alonga bto bend it, and the head is weighted with sealing-wax. How well this bird flies depends on the weight, and to some extent on the shape of the bird. Birds of various shapes and with different amounts of sealing-wax should be tried, until one is made that glides to the ground in a long, graceful curve.

In making bird gliders the following points should be remembered:

(1) Draw the bird in a circle as already explained, this ensures that the wings will be exactly balanced.

Fig. 477

(2) If the head in Fig. 476 is not long enough for a graceful flight, a longer head cut from cardboard can be pasted on.

(3) If the bird dives quickly down head first, you know that the head is too heavy, or the neck too long.

(4) If the bird rises and then falls the head is too light and probably not long enough.

(5) The wings can be made larger if necessary by the addition of tissue-paper wings gummed on asAin Fig. 477.

Fig. 478

Fig. 479

Another Glider.Cut out a piece of paper 8 inches by 4 inches,A B C Din Fig. 478. MarkB EandD Feach 1 inch; make cuts along the dark lines atEandFto the depth of 1 inch. Draw the broken lines along the paper, dividing it into four equal strips. Bend sidesA EandC Fdownward along dotted lines. BendE BandF Dupward along middle dotted lines, and press sideC Ftoward sideA E, part way along this line, but leaving the part near the endsA Cflat; to this end planeKwill be gummed (Fig. 479).Kis 6 inches by 1 inch. Cut tail,G, and gum on as in diagrams. It can be weighted atHby gumming several strips of cardboard across or by affixing sealing-wax. Although this is not a very graceful-looking glider it works most successfully, and will describe quite a graceful curve toward the ground.

The child will find it interesting to make a number of these gliders and then go one day to a window or high place and let them glide to the ground and thus find out the bird that has the longest flight. Or a number of children can have glider races and see who can make a glider that alights on the ground farthest from them. Other forms of gliders can be made, but they are all on the same principle, a somewhat long body, wings and weight adjusted to keep them from falling.

Fig. 480 shows a glider made from a dowel rod, with slits in it at each end through which two cardboard planes are passed and fastened. The cardboard must be of light weight and yet stiff enough not to flap. The size of the planes must be found by experiment, for their size will depend naturally upon the weight of the material used. The bigger plane should be in length about twice the smaller one. It is best to fasten the large plane on first and then adjust the smaller one to give a long, graceful flight.

If a split pole can be found it is an easy matter to fasten the planes in. Canes (bamboo) split readily and can be used as centre pole.

This glider can fairly easily be made into an aeroplane and worked with a propeller. It may be mentioned here that model aeroplanes are generally worked with the propeller in front and not in the rear.

To make Propellers.These can be made of tin or wood. A tin propeller can be cut from any old tin with a pair of shears or strong scissors kept for the purpose. Cut two blades to the shape shown in Fig. 481.

Next cut an oblong block of wood (Fig. 482); notice that widtha bin Fig. 482 must equala bin Fig. 481, therefore width ofa bmust be a little less thana bin Fig. 481. Slit each end diagonally as in Fig. 482 for about ½ inch to hold the blades. Drill a hole through centre of block for the wire axled c. Insert the blades in the slots, bend the ends over slightly and nail them in the wood to keep them firm. Fix the wire shaft firmly in the block as in Fig. 482. The propeller is now ready to be attached to the glider.

Before this is done, however, we shall consider the making of a wooden propeller. This is rather more difficult to make. Cut a piece of wood to the shape shown in Fig. 483 with a sharppen-knife. The propeller must then be given the correct twist by means of the steaming kettle. Take hold of the extreme ends of the propeller and hold it over the jet of steam so that steam plays upon the blades at each side of the thick central portion.

Fig. 480

Fig. 481

Fig. 482

Fig. 483

Fig. 484

Fig. 485

Fig. 486

When the wood is supple, twist it as in Fig. 484. This sounds easier to do than it really is, the difficulty being to get the twist on one side exactly equal to the twist on the other. For this reason the tin propellers are more satisfactory to make. However suppose the correct twist has been given, the next thing to do is to sand-paper the wooden propeller carefully and file a groove around the middle atA; now wrap a piece of wire,A C, tightlyaround the propeller in this central groove, and put on the head,B. The propeller is now ready to be fastened to the glider shown in Fig. 480.

To fasten Propeller to Glider.Cut a piece of tin to the pattern shown in Fig. 485, bend along the dotted line; make a hole atFfor axle,B C, to go through. Bend portionEround the front end of the glider, keep it in its place by bending it with thread coated with glue; portionFwith the hole is bent down at right angles as shown in Fig. 486. Now pass axle,A C, through holeF, bend endCinto a hook. Put screw-eyeDin the rod about one-third of length of rod from the other end (see Fig. 486). Fasten strands of elastic from hookCtoD. It is best really to have a hook atDso that the elastic can be slipped over. The strands should be just loose enough to remain taut when unwound. When the propeller is in position the planes will probably have to be readjusted. The tin propeller can be attached in a similar way. These propellers will do for almost any simple design of aeroplanes.

When the motor is wound up for flight, the number of turns to give to the propeller will depend upon the strength and number of the elastic strands used. About a hundred turns is a usual number. Throw the motor forward in a slightly downward direction; because it is a glider it will tend to follow a gentle curve to the ground at first, but the whirling propeller will tend to carry it forward and upward. The first attempts may be failures, but these models are well worth many trials.

The Hawk Aeroplane(Fig. 487) is a common flying toy worked as the above by elastic. Cut two blocks of wood,A,A´; make holes in them as shown. Into the square holes fix and glue two square rodsC. ThroughA´bore a hole for the piece of cane,B B´, to pass through.Fis a wire spindle with a hook at one end for elastic; it passes through the hole in blockA´, through two beads, and through a piece of cork,F, into which it must be fixed.Kis a piece of cane bent as in diagram, passing through a hole in cork,H. The bend is morepermanentif the cane is held to the spout of a boiling kettle; the ends ofKshould be slightly warped in opposite directions. Into blockAanother wire hook is fixed and bands of elastic are passed over this hook and the opposite one, as in the diagram; the more bands the better.

The caneB B´is bent round at each end and fastened to thewooden rods,C C, by thread. The cane,K K, is fastened by thread as in the diagram; the thread can pass through a hole in the cork. SpacesT,T,T,Tare covered with thin tissue paper gummed to thread and cane by means of overlapping edges. The model is wound up and set going like the previous one. Care must be taken to have it properly balanced, and it must be made as light as possible; the blocksA,A´may very well be cut from cork. Light bamboo cane can be used for posts,C C. At its best, however, the Hawk Aeroplane is not so good a flyer as the first model described.

Fig. 487

An ambitious and clever boy who has once grasped the principles on which flying-machines are made can think out many models for himself and copy some of the more elaborate ones. The biplane makes a very effective toy, but is omitted here because it is somewhat difficult to construct.

Jacob's Ladder.This is a very old and ingenious puzzle and an amusing toy. It is very simply made. A number of blocks of wood must be made, 4" × 2½" × 3/8". Any number may be used, but not less than seven; twelve is a very good number.

Fig. 488

Fig. 489

Round the edges of the blocks and make them smooth with sand-paper, as in Fig. 488. Cut strips of tape about ¼ inch wide and long enough to go over the rounded ends of the blocks,a,b,b, etc., in Fig. 488. There are three tapes to each block. Nail and glue tapeato the centre of upper end of blockA; it is then brought over and downward under the middle of the lower end of blockBand fastened.

Tapesb bare now fastened to the opposite end ofAabout ¼ inch from the end on either side, and are then brought round the opposite end ofB, as shown in the diagram. The centre tapecis fastened toBand then brought down underneath to centre of the opposite end ofC. The tapes must be arranged like this throughout the whole set of blocks.

Fig. 490

Fig. 489 shows how the blocks are held when they are all complete. Top blockAmust be turned so as to bring the second block to the same level. The top of this block then falls, and it appears to pass rapidly down first on one side and then on the other, until it reaches the bottom. This is only whatseemsto happen. What really happens is that the second block becomes reversed and falls back again, in its former position. This makes it come level with the third block, which at once falls over on the fourth, and so on to the end of the ladder. A very illusive effect is thus produced. The blocks might be coloured with some bright enamel paint, contrasting colours on opposite sides.

The Trellis Toy(Fig. 490). The strips of wood for this toy should be as thin as possible. They are fastened together at points 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., by small pieces of wire, or by rivets bentdown to prevent their slipping off, but not too tightly, so that the toy works easily. Heads can be cut out of cardboard painted and glued to the wood. StripsAandBshould be wider at one end and have holes made in them for handles.

A Running Mouse.This toy is made of fret-wood, two ordinary reels and elastic.

Choose two reels of about 1½ inches in length, diameter about 1 inch.

Cut out a piece of wood,A, to measurements given (Fig. 491). With a fret-saw cut out the head (Fig. 492); slitBis a little wider than the thickness of the wood, so that the head wags about very easily when wired to the body (Fig. 494). Cut out four legs as in Fig. 493. The reels work behind these so that the shape of the leg partly hides them. Nail the back legs to the body as shown in Fig. 494. Make a round axle to fit one of the reels so that it turns easily on it; cut it the exact length of the distance between the two back legs, pass it through the reel and glue its ends,C, to the legs so that the reel comes slightly below the legs and can run along easily. Now make holes,D, in the front legs, and nail them to the body so that holesDare on a level with the axleC. Make a hole through the bodyA, midway between the front legs, through which the string,E, will pass. Make holes in the other reel and insert wire staples at each end as in Fig. 495. Fasten to and wind round the reel about a yard of string. Pass rubber bands through each staple (Fin Fig. 495) and through the holesDin the front legs and knot on the outside. Pass the string through the hole inA(Fig. 496).

To fasten Head on.Make two holes in the head exactly over each other,GandHin Fig. 492. Slip the head on to the body and make a hole through the body, between holesGandH, as shown in Fig. 497. Bend a piece of wire as in Fig. 498, distance between bent ends being equal to distance between holesGandH; slip the wire through the hole in the body, pass the ends of the wire through holesGandH, then bend the ends over to the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 498; the mouse's head will then swing from side to side. Make a hole in end atL(Fig. 494) and insert a tail of thick string. A piece of wood,M, shaped as in Fig. 494, may be glued along part of the body,A, a little to one side so as not to interfere with string,E. The whole may be suitably coloured.

Fig. 491

Fig. 492

Fig. 493

Fig. 494

Fig. 495

Fig. 496

Fig. 497

Fig. 498

Fig. 499

Fig. 500

The toy works in this way. If it is placed on the floor and the string held, the weight of the toy will make the twine unwind, thus causing the elastic which supports the reel to twist. When the string is slackened, the elastic will untwist again, making the reel revolve and the toy run along the ground.

Figs. 499 and 500 show a black beetle that can be made in the same way; the antennæ may be made of wire. Other suitable animals are a lizard and a crocodile.

Fig. 501

Fig. 502

Fig. 503

A Hygroscope.The cottage is made of thin wood about 1/8 inch to 3/8 inch in thickness, according to measurements given in Fig. 501. The sides are about 3½ inches. The platform or floor on which it stands, 6½ inches by 4 inches. Thesides of the roof are 4 inches by 4 inches, so that it projects slightly.

The doors in front are 1¼ inches wide and 3 inches high, and are cut out with the fret-saw; about half-an-inch of the partition between the doors is cut away to allow the disc on which the figures stand to swing round. Cut with fret-saw a circular disc of wood 1/8 inch thick, diameter 3 inches. Drill a hole through the centre and fit into it quite tightly a piece of wire bent into a loop as shown in Fig. 502. Drill a hole in the floor of the cottage, about an inch from the middle of the partition. The wire axle should fit into this so that it turns easily, but not too loosely, otherwise the disc on which the figures stand will wobble. Just over this hole there must be another hole in the roof. This can be made by filing, with round fret-saw file, a little hollow (Fig. 503) in each of the top sides of the roof, so that when they come together a hole is formed. The back, sides, floor and roof may now be nailed and glued together. Next cut out from three-ply wood with the fret-saw two little figures as in Fig. 501; they should be about 2 inches to 2¼ inches, and should be suitably coloured. These are glued to the wooden disc.

The disc is hung from the roof by a piece of catgut; a knot is made at the end to prevent it slipping through, the other end being tied to the wire loop; the wire passes through the hole in the floor. The catgut must be long enough to allow the disc to turn round completely on its axis. Four pieces of wood or four small reels are glued to the corners of the floor to prevent the wire axle from touching the ground. The front must not be put on until the model is found to work correctly. To do this, hang the disc so that it is parallel to the ground, and so that both figures are looking out of their respective doors; then tie the knot at the top and wait for a change of weather.

Supposing on a damp day the cricketer comes forward and the boy in mackintosh and sou'wester retires indoors, this is because the catgut is twisting the wrong way, therefore the end that is fastened to the roof must be fastened to the wire loop, and vice versa. Now the front can be glued on. It can be suitably painted, showing door-posts, windows, bricks, etc.

Why the Hygroscope works.Catgut has the peculiar propertyof absorbing moisture from the air and twisting up and becoming shorter; when the air is dry it untwists to its original length; the damper the air the greater is the amount of the twist. Hence in the model, as the catgut twists and untwists according to the state of the atmosphere, the little figures swing in and out of the cottage doors.

Fig. 504

A Lift.There are a variety of ways of making a lift. One of the simplest is shown in this chapter. The first essential is a wooden box, oblong if possible, so that there can be many floors.The measurements given in this chapter are for quite a small model made from a shallow oblong box, 9½ inches by 14¾ inches, and about 2½ inches in depth.

Sand-paper the inside and cover it with some pretty paper. Mark off distancesA CandB D(Fig. 504) equal to 2½ inches; rule linesA BandC Dalong the bottom of the box; glue pieces of stripwood ¼ inch by ½ inch (A BandC Din Fig. 504) along the bottom of the box for the lift to run up and down between.

The lift is made next. Cut two pieces of wood 2½ inches by 2¼ inches; nail to the corners of one piece four pieces of stripwood, ¼" × ¼" × 3". Fasten the other piece of wood to these four posts by means of screw-eyes. Now leave the lift for a while.

Cut two pieces of cardboard,A B E FandC D H G, to divide the box into three long divisions, as in Fig. 504. See that they project ¼ inch beyond the box. Divide these strips into three parts and draw and cut out doors as in the diagram; the line for the floors must, of course, be well above the top of the lift, while the height of the doors must correspond to that of the lift. Now glue these strips of cardboard to the pieces of stripwoodA BandC Das in diagram; see that the doors open into the rooms on each side, and not into the lift.

See that the lift runs easily up and down between the cardboard strips; sand-paper it if it does not.

Make four holes in the top of the box,a,b,c,din Fig. 505. Tie thread or black yarn to the screw-eyes, cross it and pass it through the holes as in the figure, then pass the four cables through screw-eyeK. When the lift is on the ground, pull the strings taut and tie a knot below the screw-eye. The lift can be raised by means of winding gear attached to the side as described in Chapter V, on the crane; the weight of the lift will pull it down again, or if this is not enough it can be weighted with lead.

Fig. 505 shows another way of working the model. Screw-eyes can be fastened to the bottom of the lift and thread tied to them as before; these threads must pass through four holes in the bottom of the box, through a hole in the supportL Mand through screw-eyeQ; the bottom strings are then knotted to the top strings atR, and the lift can be lowered and raised by moving knotRup and down.

The supportsN PandL Mare made of pieces of stripwood ½ inch by ¼ inch.

Fig. 505

Fig. 506

Cut a door out of cardboard as shown in Fig. 506 and glue it over the front of the lift. (In Fig. 506 the dotted lines are half cuts, the black lines are cut.)

Nail strips of wood ¼ inch by ¼ inch,E FandH G, in front of the lift and glue the pieces of cardboard to them. They keep the lift from falling forward. If the lift is moved up and down, as shown in Fig. 505, it is best for it to fit fairly tightly so that it stays into whatever position it is pulled.

Cardboard floors, 1, 2, 3, 4 (Fig. 504), are added, and kept in position by pieces of stripwood.

The rooms on each side can be furnished according to taste and according to their size. The lift itself may be finished off with advertisements, directions to travellers, etc., according as it is intended for use in a railway station, a hotel, a store, etc.

This toy, although so simply made, is very effective.

Pont Roulant at Saint-Malo.This is a pretty model to make. First glue four pieces of stripwood, 3/8" × 1/8" × 4½", together (A A A Ain Fig. 507). Nail and glue to the corners of this framework four round rods, 10¼ inches long and ¼ inch in diameter. Dowel rods such as these are somewhat difficult to nail on; however, should the wood of the little frame split, or the hole in the dowel rod be made too large for the nail, and so make the structure unsteady, the discs of cork (Cin Fig. 507), which have a hole filed in the middle of them and are glued to the rods and the framework, help to consolidate the whole. Similar discs of cork are placed round the middle of rods,B, and at the tops of the rods. These serve to hold the black yarn which rigs the structure. The pieces of cork at the top have the additional advantage of making a steadier base for the platform to rest on. If the poles are not all cut exactly the same length, the discs of cork can be raised above the shorter poles and the platform on top made perfectly horizontal. These cork discs also give a larger surface to glue the platform to. Instead of dowel rods, iron wire 1/8 inch in diameter can be used. These wire rods must have cork discs on them like the wooden rods, but they must be glued into holes in the lower framework and in the platform.

Having fixed the rods in position, thread is tied underneath a bottom piece of cork (C5in diagram), passed over the top of rodB3and kept there by the cork disc at the top, round the bottom of postB4and under the bottom cork, over the next post and so on, so that the threads cross each other as in the diagram. Thread is also tied round the middle of the rods just above corksC1,C2,C3, andC4. Thread is also tied fromC2toC3, andC1toC4.

Pieces of stripwood, 3/8" × 1/8" × 4½", are glued across the frameA A A A. Next the platform has to be made; this is a piece of wood 8½ inches square and 1/8 inch in thickness. Before gluingit on to the four posts it is best to make and fasten to it the cabin, railings, etc.

Fig. 507

Fig. 508

The cabin,E, in the middle is 3 inches square and 2 inches high; it is cut out of cardboard. Flanges must be left for gluing it to platform, and for gluing the roof to it. Doors and windows are drawn round it or cut out. The cabin is then glued in the middle of platformD.

The roof is a piece of cardboard 3¼ inches by 8½ inches. Fig. 508 shows how it is cut out, half cuts are made along the dotted lines, andG,K,H,Mare bent up to form the ornamentsG,K,H,Min Fig. 507.

The roof is glued to the top of cabin,E, and to the tops of posts,N, which are pieces of stripwood ¼" × ¼" × 2".

Triangular pieces of cardboard are glued in the corners, asPin Fig. 507.

Fig. 509

The railings are 1 inch high; they can either be made of strips of cardboard 1 inch by 8½ inches supported at the corners and in the middle by pieces of stripwood ¼" × ¼" × 1", with criss-cross lines drawn on them, or be made as in Fig. 509, whereA BandC Dare strips of cardboard ¼ inch wide,Fis stripwood ¼ inch by ¼ inch, and 1, 2, 3, etc., are parts of match sticks glued to the cardboard strips. Seats can be placed round the railings, and round the cabin where there are no doors.

A piece of stripwood,R, ½" × ½" × 1½", is cut and filed as in Fig. 507 and glued to the middle of the roof.

The platform is then glued to the tops of the posts with their surrounding corks. The frame,A A A A, is mounted on wheels 1-1/8 inches in diameter and ¼ inch in width. The axles are pieces of stripwood ¼ inch by ¼ inch, to which the frameA Ais glued.

The rails on which it runs (a bin Fig. 507) are made in a similar manner to those described in Chapter XIII, for the transporter bridge. It is pulled along by thread tied to screw-eyesXandY, and wound up by winding gear similar to that described in Chapter XIII.

Fig. 510

Fig. 510 shows how high tide can be represented by means of boxes and cardboard;D,E,Fare boxes which form a quay into which the car runs.A,B,Care pieces of cardboard resting on pieces of stripwood glued to boxesD,E,F, and similar boxes on the other side, or the cardboard can rest on boxes. If boxes cannot be found big enough forD,EandF, several boxes can be built up. Slotsa bandc dmust be left wide enough for the supports to pass freely, and the threads must be omitted at front and back. The rails must lie exactly under slotsa bandc d. The pieces of cardboardA,BandCshould be coloured blue. The thread from the car underneath the "water" can pass into boxFand up through a hole in the top, where the winding gear can be placed, but, of course, it can be worked from below. Sheets of cardboardAandCcan be surrounded by boxes or fastened in a large box, or have cardboard walls built around it.

Tower Bridge.A very simple and effective model of Tower Bridge can be made, which will prove a delightful plaything.

The measurements given in this chapter need not be followed, but the bridge can be made larger or smaller according to taste. The whole structure can be of wood or of wood and cardboard.

Two small boxes are required, made of wood ¼ inch thick, about 4 inches in length, breadth and height. (If such small boxes cannot be found they must be made.)

Take off one side of box,A B C Din Fig. 511, which shows themechanism of the toy. Into the edgesD FandC Escrew two small screw-eyes,GandH, about ¼ inch from the top.

Fig. 511

Now cut a piece of wood 8¼ inches long for the bridge. The width of bridgea bmust be equal to width of interior of box. For the present model it will be 3½ inches.

The wood used for the bridge should be about 1/8 inch thick.

Now rule a line 5¾ inches from enda b. On this line screw in two small screw-eyes,KandL, of the same size as screw-eyesGandH. The axle,M N, may be either iron wire (in which case the bridge may work rather loosely) or, what is better, a wooden rod that just fits the screw-eyes. Whichever axle is chosen cork discs should be placed at each end to prevent it slipping out. Before the bridge is fastened on, screw-eyesOandPare screwed in it near the endc d. Screw-eyePmust be far enough from the edgeb dtoclear screw-eyeRwhen the bridge is upright. The same with screw-eyeO.

A piece of strong thread is tied to screw-eyeP, passed through screw-eyeR, and through a hole in the drawbridge above screw-eyeR, but clear of axle,M N. A similar piece of thread is tied to screw-eyeO, passed throughQ, and through a hole in the bridge.

Now cover up top,A B C D, with a piece of cardboard, but do not bring this quite up toB C, in order not to interfere with the working of the bridge. Make holes in the cardboard for the strings to pass through. Then cover up the front portion,D C F E, below the bridge with cardboard.

The tower (Fig. 512) must next be made. This is formed of one piece of cardboard: height,a b, 9 inches; width,c d, 3¼ inches.

In the sides facing the bridge large openings,E, are cut about 2½ inches high.

Small openings,FandG, about 1½ inches high and ¾ inch broad, are cut for the overhead foot bridges. These are made of long pieces of cardboard 2 inches broad, bent in three divisions to form the path and sides. The latter are marked to represent railings. They should be long enough to pass well inside the tower through openingsFandG, and through the corresponding openings in the opposite tower. They can be glued into position by pieces of stripwood or left movable.

A door,A, should be made in the top of the tower and a platform put in to make a compartment for working the bridge. The pieces of thread are brought up through holes in this platform and fastened to rodB, which passes through holes in sides of tower, and is kept from slipping out by cork discs. When this rod is turned the bridge will rise or fall.

If a large model is being made a proper little windlass with a handle can be constructed inside the upper room of the tower. The threads pass up on each side of the tower so as not to interfere with the "traffic" passing under the arch of the bridge. The tower is fastened up with flanges and glued to the wooden box with the help of small blocks of wood. A square pyramid is placed on the top of the tower, and the whole is suitably coloured. A picture of the real Tower Bridge is a great help when finishing off the model.

A similar bridge and tower are made for the other side.

Fig. 512

To keep the wooden boxes the right distance apart (that is, so that bridgeXjust touches bridgeY) nail or glue them to a long strip of wood painted blue. There is, however, no need to fasten them permanently.

The ingenious toy-maker will find a hundred ways of improving this toy. There are many additions that can be made if a picture of the Tower Bridge is consulted; cardboard paths can lead tobridgeX, round the outside of the tower; railings can be added to bridgesXandY(but see that they are not in the way when the bridge goes up!), and so on. The method of raising and lowering the bridges is capable of a number of modifications. It should be the pleasant business of the maker to improve this model, and not be content with too slavishly following the directions given.

Bridges are among the most interesting things in the world, and there are countless happy hours in front of the little toy-maker who sets to work to collect pictures and written accounts of bridges, and who tries to imitate these.

Soldering.A knowledge of soldering makes many more toys possible, besides being a useful acquirement in itself. The following are the materials needed:

1. A soldering iron (Fig. 513). This can be bought for sixpence at any ironmonger's. It is best to get one not too long in the stem, as otherwise it is difficult to hold it steady.

2. A strip of soft solder, price about three-halfpence.

3. Soldering fluid or flux. This can be made at home from a pennyworth of spirits of salt (from an oil shop). Put a little of the spirits into a separate bottle and drop a few scraps of zinc into it. When it has stopped "fizzing" it is ready for use.

4. A pennyworth of resin.

5. A piece of sheet tin.

Soldering is not nearly so difficult as people think. There is one thing really essential for its success, and that is unlimited patience in cleaning the metal surfaces to be joined together. Solder will not adhere to dirty metal. The surfaces must be thoroughly scraped and cleaned with an old knife, then filed, rubbed with emery-cloth and protected by a coating of flux. The flux required for use should be kept in a shallow dish (e.g.a meat-paste jar), to prevent it being upset; it can be put on with a small brush.

The copper bit of the soldering iron must be covered with a thin film of solder before any soldering is done; this is to ensure that it is perfectly free from dirt or dust. This process is called "tinning the bit." It is quite simple. Heat the iron to a dull red heat, not quite red hot, as the solder would otherwise be destroyed. Then quickly file the four faces of the point to remove any dirt or oxide that may have got on it and which would prevent the solder from sticking to the bit. Next dip the bit for a second or two inthe soldering fluid and melt off a drop of solder on to the piece of sheet tin on which is put a little piece of resin. Turn the point of the bit round and round in the melted solder until it is completely coated. It is very important that the soldering iron should at no time be overheated, as this tinning would be burnt off; nor can it be repeated too often that the surfaces to be joined must be thoroughly cleaned; failure to do this is in most cases the cause of unsuccessful soldering.

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