Figs. 1 and 2 show a useful mailcart. To make this, first get out the shafts from a piece of stuff, 4ft. 4 in. by 8 in. by l 1/4 in., preferably of ash (Fig. 3). Saw with the grain of the wood, following the sweep as nearly as possible. The finished shafts are 4ft. 4in. long, l 1/2 in. deep on the straight part, and 1 1/4 in. thick at the centre bolt hole, and tapering in thickness to tin. at the front ends and 1 in. at the handles, which are shaved up to fancy. The shafts are bolted on so that, by taking out the centre bolt, the handles can be raised to a height more convenient for an adult, the holt fastening through the next rail ahove. For one side, seven pieces are required. The two uprights are 26 in. long, 3/4 in. thick, and about 1 3/4 in. wide, with edges bevelled as shown, and five rails are 1 1/2 in. wide and hare 1/2 in. thick. The top rail is 26 in. and bottom rail 31 in. long. The rails are fixed inside the uprights with?-in. bolts, and the two sides of the cart are held together by the seats (with back) and the steps, which are 4 in. wide and 1/2 in. thick. The peat boards are 9 in. wide and full 3/8 in. thick.

For the seat back, the two upright pieces, seen endways in Fig. 2, are 14 in. long, 1 1/2 in. wide, and full l/2 in. thick, and the two rails which connect them together are oval in section, the top one being 2k in. and the lower one 1 7/8 in. wide, and both about h in. thick at the centre. When together, the cart, outside the uprights, is 19 in. wide at top and 12 1/2 in. at bottom. A pair of 22-in. rubber-tyred wheels with axle will, of course, have to be purchased. The springs, which fasten the wheels and axle to the body, and which raise the steps 5 in. from the ground, can be made of 1-in. iron about Jin. thick, the ends being fixed with small coach screws either to blocks fixed inside the lower rails, or under the seat boards as seen in Fig. 2. In finishing, round off all the corners and edges with sandpaper; black enamel the ironwork, and give the wood two or three coats of good oak varnish. Almost any kind of wood might be used, walnut and birch being the most serviceable and deal the cheapest.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3. How To Make a Mailcart.