The Boy Mechanic Part 7

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 circ.u.mference 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 a.s.sembling, 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

[Ill.u.s.tration: Work Basket]

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, Ma.s.s.

** A Window Display [22]

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

[Ill.u.s.tration: Paper Aeroplanes in Draft]

a color as to conceal the small threads holding the aeroplanes.

--Contributed by Frederick Hennighausen, Baltimore, Md.

** How to Make a Flint Arrowhead [23]

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 a.s.sumes the shape shown in Fig. 2.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig.2 Fig.3 The Stone Chipped into Shape]

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.

** An Opening Handle for a Stamp Pad [23]

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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Handle on Cover]

If necessary apply a little oil and spread the f.l.a.n.g.es 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.

** Concrete Kennel [23]

The kennel shown in the ill.u.s.tration is large enough for the usual size of dog. It is cleanly, healthful and more ornamental than the average kennel.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Finished 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

[Ill.u.s.tration: Concrete Forms]

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.

** Nutsh.e.l.l Photograph Novelty [24]

Split an English walnut in the center, remove the contents, and sc.r.a.pe out the rough parts. Make an oval

[Ill.u.s.tration: Photograph in the Sh.e.l.l]

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 sh.e.l.l, and secure it in place with glue or paste.

It may be well to fill the sh.e.l.l with cotton. Mount the sh.e.l.l 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, Ma.s.s.

** Spoon Holder on a Kettle [24]

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 ill.u.s.tration 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Spoon Holder]

** Repairing Cracked Gramophone Records [24]

Some time ago I received two gramophone records that were cracked in s.h.i.+pment 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 sh.e.l.lac 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.