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The Boy Mechanic Vol. 2 1000 Things for Boys to Do



How to construct devices for winter sports, motion-picture camera, indoor games, reed furniture, electrical novelties, boats, fishing rods, camps and camp appliances, kites and gliders, pushmobiles, roller coaster, ferris wheel and hundreds of other things which delight every boy. With 995 illustrations.

TitleThe Boy Mechanic Vol. 2 1000 Things for Boys to Do
AuthorPopular Mechanics Co.
PublisherPopular Mechanics Press Chicago
Year1948
Copyright1948, By H. H. Windsor
AmazonThe Boy Mechanic, Vol2: 1000 Things for Boys to Do
-Plane-Table Surveying
[In the training of a boy for a trade or profession there is none so profitable for outdoor work as that of a surveyor. This article sets forth how to accomplish surveying and the making of simp...
-Machine For Sketching Pictures
An ordinary drawing board, with the attachments shown, provides an easy way to sketch pictures, even if one is not proficient in this line of work. It is only necessary to look through the sight and m...
-Camera Surveying
[This article explains the preparation of the camera for taking the pictures at each of the three stations, after which the plates are developed, printed and kept until a convenient time may be ...
-Camera Preparation
To prepare a camera for surveying, it is necessary to arrange that the axial center line through the lens to the plate shall be level, and that the location of the horizontal and vertical center lines...
-To Make Transparent Paper
Transparent paper of parchmentlike appearance and strength, which can be dyed with almost all kinds of aniline dyes and assumes much more brilliant hues than ordinary colored glass, can be made in the...
-Toasting Bread over an Open Fire
Having experienced some difficulty in obtaining good toast over a gas or open fire I tried the following plan with good results: An old tin pan was placed over the flame and the ordinary wire bread to...
-Adjustable Stilts
The beginner with stilts always selects short sticks so that he will not be very far from the ground, but as he becomes more experienced, the longer the sticks the better. Then, too, the small boy and...
-Grape Arbor Built of Poles
In building outdoor structures, such as grape arbors, pergolas, or arches, it is not necessary to use sawed lumber, as they can be built as substantial, and frequently more artistic and cheap, o f pol...
-Forcing Fruit Blossoms for Decorations
Twigs trimmed from the fruit trees rather late in the season had quite large buds on them, and we experi-mented with them in this way: A large box was filled with wet sand, and the twigs were stuck in...
-Corner Cleaner Attached to a Scrubbing Brush
Dirt will accumulate and harden in the corners of a floor and the baseboard just because the end of the scrubbing brush will not enter them. The water gets in with the dirt and leaves a hard crust. Th...
-Plotting a Camera Survey
[The camera records pictures that can be taken in camp or on a vacation trip and kept until more leisure may be had in winter for plotting the ground. - Editor.] A PREVIOUSLY measured base tr...
-How To Build A Skiff
The following is a description of an may be easily pushed through marshes, easily constructed 12-ft. skiff, suitable It is constructed of 3/4-in. dressed pine, for rowing and paddling. This is the or ...
-Double-Swing Gate with Common Hinge
Ordinary hinges can be easily bent and so placed on posts that a gate can be swung in either direction. As shown in the illustration, hinges can be made to fit either round or square posts. The gate h...
-Testing Out Induction Coils
While winding an induction coil, I found it necessary to test the sections for continuity. Having no galvanometer, I connected a battery and low-resistance telephone receiver in series with the sectio...
-How To Make A Surveyor's Transit
By Bennett Blacklidge A boy who likes to do the things that grown ups do can derive considerable pleasure from the making of a transit, which will enable him to start in surveying railroads, layi...
-To Enlarge Or Reduce Plots
Sometimes it is necessary to enlarge or reduce A plot to a different scale. This can be easily and quickly accomplished without resorting to the slow process of protracting the angles and scaling the ...
-A Lathe Bench
While working at a bench, or foot-power lathe, it is quite convenient to have some sort of a seat to sit on while at work, or between operations. In making such a seat, I used a board, 27 in. long and...
-Shaving Cabinet Mounted on an Adjustable Pedestal
The illustration represents a shaving cabinet mounted on an adjustable pedestal, whose style and size are such that it may easily be moved about or set away without requiring much room. The material r...
-Four-Passenger Coasting Bobsled
By R. H. ALLEN COASTER bobs usually have about the same form of construction, and only slight changes from the ordinary are made to satisfy the builder. The one shown has some distinctive fea...
-To Prevent Drill from Catching As It Passes through Metal
The regular slope of a drill will cause the cutting edge to catch as it breaks through the metal on the opposite side of the piece being drilled. But if a twist drill is ground more flat like a flat d...
-An Ice Boat And Catamaran
By Robert K. Patterson This combination is produced by using the regular type of ice boat and substituting boats for the runners, to make the catamaran. In constructing the ice boat, use two pol...
-Mind-Reading Effect with Cards
Five cards are shown, and some one person is asked to think of two cards in the lot, after which the performer places the cards behind his back and removes any two cards, then shows the remaining thre...
-An Air Pencil to Make Embossed Letters
The device illustrated is for making embossed letters on show cards, signs, post cards, etc. A small bulb, such as used on cameras, is procured, also the spout from a small oilcan. The bulb is fastene...
-An Endless Dish or Floor Mop
A good way to use up cord that collects about the house, is to make an endless dish or floor mop of it. Procure a thin board that will make a good length and wind the cord around it, then remove it fr...
-Combination Tie Rack And Collar Holder
An unusual though simple tie rack can be made by supporting the tie bar in the center. By this arrangement the ties can be placed on it from either end, thus avoiding the tedious threading through, re...
-Skates Made of Wood
Skates that will take the place of the usual steel-runner kind and which will prevent spraining of the ankles, can be made of a few pieces of 1/2 -in. hardwood boards. Four runners are cut out, 2 i...
-An Ice Glider
By Mildred E. Thomas The enthusiastic pushmobilist need not put aside his hobby during the winter, as an amusement device for use on ice, which will surpass the very best pushmo-bile, can be easily...
-Prony Brake for Testing Small Motors
The ordinary prony brake is not, as a rule, sensitive enough to make an accurate test on small motors, such as those used in driving sewing machines, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, etc. The arrang...
-A Mystic Fortune Teller
Fortune telling by means of weights striking glasses or bottles is quite mysterious if controlled in a manner that cannot be seen by the audience. The performer can arrange two strikes for no, and t...
-Holding Prints In A Liquid-Filled Tray
After having considerable trouble in keeping my paper prints in the hypo fixing bath from curling, which would force the edges out of the liquid, I found the plan here illustrated a success. I procure...
-Cellar-Door Holder
A cellar door that opened up against a wall required a catch of some kind to keep it open at times. As I did not want a catch to show on the wall, I devised a holder as shown. Three pieces of wood wer...
-An Emergency Pencil Compass
The need of a compass when none was at hand caused me to quickly devise a substitute for the work. A piece of stiff wire, about the length of the pencil, was procured, and several turns were made arou...
-Renewing Carbon Paper
When carbon paper has been used several times, the preparation becomes almost worn off on some parts, while other parts of the paper are as good as new. The process of renewing is very simple and it c...
-How to Clinch a Finishing Nail
A wire or finishing nail may be clinched as nicely as a wrought nail, if a nail punch or piece of iron is placed along the side of it, as shown at A, and the nail hammered into an arched form, as at B...
-To Prevent Washbasin Bottom from Wearing Out
The ears from some sirup buckets were removed and three of them soldered, at equal distances apart, on the bottom of the washbasin near the outside edge of the lower part. These prevented the wear fro...
-How To Make And Use Snowshoes. Shapes of Snowshoes
To the inventive mind of the North American Indian we owe the snowshoe, and its conception was doubtless brought about through that prolific source of invention - necessity. The first models wer...
-Soldering And Riveting
By JOHN D. ADAMS There are two simple processes that every experimenter should master: soldering and riveting. The large soldering copper will find only a very restricted use with the amateur on ac...
-A Whistle
Cut a circular piece of tin any convenient size, preferably 3 in. in diameter, and bend it across the diameter so that it will be in a narrow U-shape. Then drill or punch a hole through both parts as ...
-Card-and-Coin Trick
If a card is balanced on the finger and a coin placed on the card directly over the finger, one would not think that the card could be flipped out leaving the coin on the finger end. This is easily ac...
-How to Make a Costumer
With but little skill, and such tools as are ordinarily found around a home, a plain but serviceable costumer can be made, as shown in the sketch. The necessary materials for it are: One main post, l ...
-Window Catch Used for Locking an Extension Table
To prevent the two ends of an extension table from pulling apart when not desired, an ordinary window catch can be fastened and locked in place to the under side of the table top with one part on each...
-Relieving Pressure on Heated Canned Foods for Opening
In opening a can of food that has been heated, the instant the cover is punctured the steam will force out a part of the contents, which is very annoying. To avoid this, pour a little cold water on th...
-Clothespin Bag
Clothespins are usually kept in a bag, and the one our home possessed had a draw string which would always stick and hold the bag shut. The remedy for this, and a time saver also, was to remove the dr...
-How to Make and Use Snowshoes. Making the Shoe
[In making the snowshoe it may be necessary to refer to the previous chapter to select the style, or to locate the name of the parts used in the description. - Editor.] SNOWSHOE mak-ing is an...
-Combination Settee Rocker and Cradle
By fastening a frame with hinges to the front of a settee rocker, a combination piece of furniture can be made, which may be used either as a regular settee or as a cradle. For this purpose, a covered...
-A Snowball Thrower
By ALBERT BATES, Jr. The snow fort with its infantry is not complete without the artillery. A set of mortars, or cannon, placed in the fort to hurl snowballs at the entrenched enemy makes the battl...
-Springs on the Chains of a Porch Swing
Two coil springs of medium strength placed in the chains of a porch swing will make it ride easier and also take up any unpleasant jars and rattles occasioned when a person sits heavily in the. swing....
-Homemade Water Meter
Where it is necessary to measure water in large quantities the meter illustrated will serve the purpose as well as an expensive one, and can be made cheaply. The vessel, or bucket, for measuring the w...
-A Snowball Maker
Snowball making is slow when carried on by hand, and where a thrower is employed in a snow fort it becomes necessary to have a number of assistants in making the snowballs. The time of making these ba...
-An Inexpensive Bobsled
Any boy who can drive a nail and bore a hole can have a bobsled on short notice. The materials necessary are four good, solid barrel staves; four blocks of wood, 4 in. long, 4 in. wide, and 2 in. thic...
-Motor Made Of Candles
A tube of tin, or cardboard, having an inside diameter to receive a candle snugly, is hung on an axle in the center Tallow Dripping from the Ends Alternately Lessens the Weight of the Arms and Caus...
-Kettle-Handle Support
The handle of a kettle lying on the kettle rim will become so hot that it cannot be held in the bare hand. To keep the handle fairly cool it must be supported in an upright position. To do this, form ...
-How to Make a Monorail Sled
A monorail sled, having a simple tandem arrangement of the runners, is very easily constructed as follows: The runners are cut from 1-in. plank An Exhilarating Glide Accompanied by a Buoyan...
-Binding Magazines
To bind magazines for rough service, proceed as follows: Place the magazines carefully one on top of the other in order, and space the upper one, near the back edge, for two rivets, marking off three ...
-A Shellac Cement
As shellac is the basis of almost ail cements, a good cement can be made by thickening shellac varnish with dry white lead. The two may be worked together on a piece of glass with a putty knife. ...
-A Blackboard For Children
Take a wide window shade and attach it to a roller as if hanging it to a window. Cut it to about 3 ft. in length, hem the lower edge and insert in the slot in the usual manner. Procure some black slat...
-How to Make A Ski Staff
A ski staff will greatly assist progress over level stretches and is an aid to the ski runner in preserving his balance. A homemade staff that is easy to construct is shown in Fig. 1. At the upper end...
-A Game Played On The Ice
A novel and interesting winter game for young and old, described as a novelty by a Swedish paper, is played as follows: Two poles of convenient height are erected on the ice; if skating on a shallo...
-An Electric Display for A Show Window
A novel window display that is very attractive, yet simple in construction and operation, can be made in the following manner: First, make a small watertight chamber, A, as long as the focal length of...
-Strainer for a Milk Pail
Even though a milker may be careful, small particles of dirt, hairs, etc., will fall into the milk pail. It is true that the Amilk is strained afterward, but a large percentage of the dirt dissolves a...
-Baking Bread in Hot Sand
A driving crew on the river wanted to move camp, but the cook objected as he had started to bake. One of the party suggested using a modified form of the method of baking in vogue more than a century ...
-How to Make Small Cams
In making models of machinery or toy machines, cams are very often required. A simple way of making these is to lay out the cam plate, or drum, and then bend pieces of brass to the correct shape and s...
-Display Holder for Coins
If the luster of coins fresh from the mint is to be preserved, they must be immediately placed so as to be protected against contact with the hands. A good holder that will display both sides of a coi...
-Holder for Skates while Sharpening
The base of the holder is cut from a board and should be about 3 in. longer than the skate. Two clamps are cut as shown at A, from metal of sufficient thickness to hold the skate firmly, then bent to ...
-A Homemade Direct-View Finder for Cameras
Every hand camera and most of the tripod cameras are equipped with finders of one type or another, and usually one in which the image of the field is reflected upward on a small ground glass - being, ...
-A Non-Rolling Spool
Bend a piece of wire in the shape shown in the illustration and attach it to a spool of thread. The ends of the wire should clamp the spool slightly and the loop in the wire will keep it from rolling....
-How to Make a Cartridge Belt
Procure a leather belt, about 2 1/2in. wide and long enough to reach about the waist, also a piece of leather, 1 in. wide and twice as long as the belt. Attach a buckle to one end of the belt and rive...
-Removing Iodine Stains
A good way to chemically remove iodine stains from the hands or linen is to wash the stains in a strong solution of hyposulphite of sodium, known as hypo, which is procurable at any photographic-sup...
-Bed-Cover Fasteners
The arrangement shown in the sketch is easily made and will keep the bed covers in place. The covers are provided with eyelets, either sewed, A, or brass eyelets, B, 6 or 8 in. apart along the edge. A...
-Collar Fasteners
An excellent fastener to be used on soft collars can be assembled from an ordinary paper fastener and two shoe buttons of the desired color. This device keeps the soft collar in good shape at the fron...
-Operating a Bathroom Light Automatically
A device for automatically turning an electric light on and off when entering and leaving the room is illustrated in the sketch. A pull-chain lamp socket is placed upon the wall or ceiling, and is con...
-A Finger-Ring Trick
A coin soldered to some inexpensive ring, or a piece of brass cut from tubing, will make an interesting surprise coin for friends. The ring when placed on the middle finger with the coin in the palm m...
-Preventing Marks from Basting Threads on Wool
In making up woolen garments it is necessary to press portions of them before removing the basting threads. Sometimes the marks of the basting threads show after the pressing. This can be avoided by u...
-Skating Merry-Go-Round
By HENRY BURICH After once making and using the ice merry-go-round as illustrated, no pond will be complete unless it has one or more of these devices. To construct an amusement device of this kind...
-Relieving Air Pressure When Closing Record Boxes
The ordinary pasteboard boxes for holding phonograph records are very hard to close, due to the air pressure on the inside. I overcome this difficulty by making three small holes in the cover with a p...
-A Steering Sled
An ordinary hand sled can be easily converted into a sled that can be guided like a bobsled by the addition of one extra runner. To attach this runner, a piece of wood is fastened to the under side an...
-To Hold a Straw Hat on the Head
On windy days it is almost impossible to make a straw hat stay on the head. To avoid this trouble, place rubber bands through the sweatband. Before inserting, make them into loops, as shown, and draw ...
-Carrying Fishhooks in a Cane Pole
The person using a cane pole for fishing can easily provide a place for the hooks and sinkers in the first large joint of the pole. Cut the cane off just above the first large joint, and it will leave...
-Drying Small Laundered Articles
Where mechanical drying is not in use it takes considerable time to hang out a number of handkerchiefs, laces, collars, etc., and very often the wind will blow away many of them. The task of drying th...
-Decorative Wood Panels
Procure an unplaned board that is deeply scored by the teeth of the saw and mark an outline of the desired figure on its surface. Sandpaper the background lightly, cut in a moon and smooth down the tr...
-Fishing-Rod Making And Angling. A One-Piece Casting Rod
By Stillman Taylor Part I THE pleasures of outdoor life are most keenly enjoyed by those sportsmen who are familiar with all the little tricks - the ins and outs - of the open. It is the active p...
-Automatic Watering System for Poultry Yards
Where a large number of poultry is cared for, the annoyance and attention necessary to furnish a constant water supply can be overcome by using the system shown in the illustration. For this purpose a...
-Changing Pip on a Card
Cut out the center pip on the five-spot of spades with a sharp knife. Cut a slot centrally in another card, about 3/8in. wide and l 1/4 in. long. Glue the surfaces of both cards together near the edge...
-To Make a Special Envelope
Any size of envelope for mailing special papers or documents can be made as follows: All envelopes are of the same shape as shown in Fig. 1; the size for the papers to be inclosed is represented by th...
-Automatically Extinguishing a Candle
Candles can be easily fitted with attachments to extinguish the light at a set time. To determine the length of time, it is necessary to mark a candle of the size used and time how long a certain leng...
-Clothespin Newspaper Holder
A simple newspaper holder can be made by cutting away a portion of one side of an ordinary clothespin, drillingshaping a Clothespin Head and fastening It to a Wall Provides a Holder for Newspapers a h...
-Holder for a Dory Rudder
The rudder of a sailing dory or row-boat often comes off in rough water, and in order to keep it in place and yet have it easily detachable at will, the following method is useful: Procure a 10-in. ie...
-Trimming Photographs
In trimming small photograph prints I experienced some difficulty in getting them square, and I did not care to invest in a trimming board. By following a line drawn around the print with a triangle, ...
-A Metal Polish
A metal polish that is sate to use about the home is composed of 30 parts alcohol, 3 parts ammonia water, 45 parts water, 6 1/2 parts carbon tetrachloride, 8 parts kieselguhr, 4 parts white bole, and ...
-Fishing-Rod Making And Angling. Various Two and Three-Piece Rods
By Stillman Taylor While the action of the one-piece rod is undeniably better than when the rod is made in two or three pieces, it is less compact to carry. To make a 5-ft. two-piece bait-casting r...
-Homemade Ball Catch for Cabinet Doors
To make a ball catch, procure a piece of brass, 1 in. long, 1/2 in.wide, and about 1/16in. thick, and an old gas burner having a diameter o f 3/8 in. A s de-scribed by Work, London, the threaded part ...
-Combination Needle and Thread Tray
When any attempt is made to keep sewing material, such as needles, spools, or buttons, separate, each of the articles is usually kept in some special drawer, or by itself, and when necessary to use on...
-Repairing Worn Escapement Wheel of a Clock
When the ordinary clock has served its usefulness and is apparently worn out, the jeweler's price to overhaul it frequently amounts to almost as much as the original purchase price. One weak place in ...
-Fishing-Rod Making And Angling. Trout Fishing With Fly And Bait
By Stillman Taylor Part III Angling is generally viewed as one of the world's greatest recreations, and while each and every phase of fishing may be said to possess certain charms of its own, fly f...
-Selecting a Good Fly Rod
The ordinary fishing pole may be bought offhand at almost any hardware store, but a well-balanced rod for fly fishing should be well tested out beforehand. The requirements call for a rod of comparati...
-The Proper Kind of Reel
For fly fishing nothing is so good as the English style of click reel, which is made with a one-piece revolving side plate and with the handle affixed directly to it. Any kind of a balanced-handle ree...
-A Fine Leader Marks the Expert Caster
The leader for trout is preferably of single gut, and as fine as the angler's skill will allow. The fly caster's rule is to use a leader whose breaking strain is less than the line, then, when the tac...
-Flies for Trout Fishing
The standard selection of artificial flies numbers about 60, but the average fisherman will find about 24 selected patterns to answer every need. For making up the most killing flies for the trout s...
-Catch to Hold Two Joining Doors Open
Where two open doors meet, a catch to keep them open can be made of a piece of wire, shaped as shown. The hooks at the ends of the wire are slipped over the shanks of the knobs. - Contributed by W. A....
-Bicycle Oil Lamp Changed to Electric Light
The desire for an electric light for my bicycle caused me to change a fine oil lamp, too good to be thrown away, so that an electric globe could be used in it. The oil cup of the lamp was removed, and...
-Fishing-Rod Making And Angling. Trout Fishing with Fly and Bait
By Stillman Taylor Part IV How to Cast the Fly 'TO be able to cast the artificial fly a distance of 50 ft., or more, and let the feathered lure alight upon the desired bit of water as lightly as a...
-Handling The Flies In The Water
As a general thing the veteran fly fisherman prefers to wade with the current and fishes the water in front of him by making diagonal casts across the stream. A good fisherman will system atically cov...
-Houses Made of Poles
[In this article descriptions are given of several shelters suitable for a resort, but the reader may select any one of them that answers his needs and build a camp house, or fit up a more...
-An Electric Water Heater
An Electric Water Heater #1 Procure the barrel and cap from a hand bicycle pump and prepare them as follows : Make a tube of paper, about double the thickness of a postal card, to fit snugly in the...
-Camps
By F. S. CHARLES Tents A good site, pure water in abundance, and a convenient fuel supply, are the features of a temporary camp that should be given first consideration when starting out t...
-A Drinking Tube
When on a walking tour through the woods or country, it might be well to provide a way to procure water for drinking purposes. Take with you several feet of small rubber tubing and a few inches of hol...
-Washing Photographic Prints
The usual way of washing photographic prints is to place them in a shallow tray in which they will become stuck together in bunches, if they are not often separated. A French magazine suggests that a ...
-Camp Furnishings
By CHELSEA CURTIS FRASER When on a camping trip nothing should be carried but the necessities, and the furnishings should be made up from materials found in the woods. A good spring bed can be made...
-A Fruit Stemmer
In the berry season the stemmer shown in the sketch is a very handy article for the kitchen. It is made of spring steel and tempered, the length being about 2 1/2 i n. T he end used for removing the s...
-A Homemade Fountain Pen
A very serviceable fountain pen can be made from two 38-72 rifle cartridges and a steel pen. Clean out the cartridges, fit a hardwood plug tightly in the end of one shell, and cut it off smooth with t...
-Destroying Caterpillars on Grapevines
The grapes in my back yard were being destroyed by caterpillars which could be found under all the large leaves. The vine was almost dead when I began, to cut off all the large leaves and those eaten ...
-A Camp Provision Box
While on a camping and canoeing trip recently, I used a device which added a touch of completeness to our outfit and made camp life really enjoyable. This useful device is none other than a provision ...
-Wall Pockets in a Tent
When camping I find a few wall pockets sewed to the tent walls at the back end provide a convenient means to hold the soap, mirror, razor and other small articles liable to be lost. The pockets can be...
-Camp Stoves
The camp stoves illustrated are different forms of the same idea. Both can be taken apart and laid flat for packing. Iron rods, 1/2 in. in diameter, are used for the legs. They are sharpened at the lo...
-Attractor for Game Fish
A piece of light wood, shaped as shown and with four small screweyes attached, makes a practical attractor for game fish, such as bass, etc., by its action when drawn through the water or carried by t...
-Simple Photographic-Print Washer
The ordinary washbowl supplied with a faucet may be easily converted into a washing tray for photographic prints or film negatives. Procure a medicine dropper from a druggist, and attach it to the fau...
-How to Make an Electric Fishing Signal
A unique electric fishing signal, which may be rigged up on a wharf or pier, and the electric circuit so arranged as to operate an electric bell or buzzer, located in the fisherman's cottage, or any o...
-A Chair Swing
A comfortable porch or lawn swing can be easily and quickly made with a chair as a seat, as follows. Procure some rope of sufficient strength to bear the weight of the person, and fasten one end secur...
-Another Broom Holder
Of the many homemade devices for holding a broom this is one of the simplest, and one that any-handy boy can make. It consists of a string, about 1 ft. long, with a knot at one end and the other ti...
-Squaring Wood Stock
The device shown in the sketch is a great help to the maker of mission furniture as a guide on short cuts. It consists of two pieces of wood, A and B, preferably of oak, fastened together at right ang...
-A Wind Vane
A novelty in wind vanes is shown in the accompanying sketch. The vane can be made of sheet metal or carved from light wood. The wings are so set on the body as to cause the dragon to rise when the win...
-How To Make A Flutter Ring
The flutter ring is for inclosing in an envelope and to surprise the person opening it by the revolving of the ring. The main part is made of a piece of wire, A, bent so that the depth will be about 2...
-A Kitchen Utensil Hanger
Every cook knows how troublesome it is to have several things hanging on one nail. When one of the articles is wanted it is usually at the back, and the others must be removed to secure it. A revolvin...
-Homemade Hinges For Boxes
A very simple form of hinge can be made as shown in the sketch. It is merely a matter of cutting out two pieces of flat steel, A, punching holes in them for screws or nails, and fastening them to the ...
-To Remove Odors From Ice Boxes
An easy way to prevent odors in an ice box is to place a can of coke in the box. This will take up All gases and prevent milk from tasting of onions or vegetables which May be kept in the box. In f...
-Preventing Window Sash from Freezing to the Sill
When it is cold enough to cause the window sash to freeze fast in the bathroom and bedrooms not having double sash, much discomfort will be experienced and the health may even be menaced. I have disco...
-A Hanger for the Camp
A garment, or utensil, hanger can be easily made for the camp in the following manner: Procure a long strap, about l 1/4 in. wide, and attach hooks made of wire to it. Each hook should be about 4 in. ...
-Locking Several Drawers with One Lock
A lock for a number of drawers in a bench or cabinet may be applied with a strip of wood hinged to the cabinet edge so that it will overlap the drawer fronts, as shown. A hasp and staple complete the ...
-A Lightning-Calculation Trick
By means of a simple arrangement of numbers, a calculation can be made which will easily puzzle any unsuspecting person. If the two numbers 41,096 and 83 be written out in multiplication form, very fe...
-An Adjustable Nutcracker
The advantage of the nutcracker shown in the illustration is that it can be adjusted to various-sized nuts. The handles are similar to those usually found on nutcrackers except that they are slotted a...
-Substitute for a Rubber Stamp
A large number of coupons had to be marked, and having no suitable rubber stamp at hand, I selected a cork with a smooth end and cut the initials in it. I found that it worked as well, not to say bett...
-A Furniture Polish
A Furniture Polish #1 A good pastelike furniture polish, which is very cheap and keeps indefinitely, can be made as follows: Mix 3 oz. of white wax, 2 oz. of pearlash, commonly known as potassium c...
-A Hanging Vase
A very neat and attractive hanging corner vase can be made of a colored bottle. The bottom is broken out or cut off as desired and a wire hanger attached as shown. The opening in the neck of the bottl...
-Filing Soft Metals
It is well known to mechanics that when lead, tin, soft solder or aluminum are filed, the file is soon filled with the metal and it will not cut. It cannot be cleaned like the wood rasp by dipping it ...
-Locking Screws in Door Hinges
When screws once work loose in hinges of doors they will never again hold firmly in the same hole. This trouble can be avoided if the screws are securely locked when they are first put on the door. Th...
-To Remove Grease from Clothing
Equal parts of ether, ammonia and alcohol make a solution that will readily remove grease from clothing. The solution must be kept away from fire, and should be contained in corked bottles as it evapo...
-A Canoe Stove
By F. V. WILLIAMS Limited space ana the rocking motion of salmon-fishing boats in a heavy sea on the Pacific coast brought about the construction of the canoe stove shown in the illustration. It is...
-To Prevent Washboard from Slipping in Tub
The modern stationary washtubs are box-shaped, with one side set at an outward angle or slope. The washboard, when used in these tubs, will slide up and down against the sloping part of the tub while ...
-Clips to Hold Magazine Pages Together
When a magazine is placed in a bookcase the outer pages are liable to turn back if it is inserted with the back on the outside. To overcome this difficulty I made clips for each magazine to hold the o...
-Slide-Opening Cover For A Plate Holder
The length of time required for the slide of a plate holder to be removed on a reflecting camera spoiled many of my plates, because strong light would enter the unprotected slot when the camera was in...
-Magnetic-Suspension Pendulum
When a pendulum is not periodically supplied with energy its amplitude grows smaller and finally the motion ceases, due to the resistance of the air and the friction at the point of suspension. Usuall...
-Use for Pencil Stubs
In mechanical drawings cast iron is indicated by a series of straight lines across the parts made of this material. These lines can be quickly made with the usually discarded pencil stubs, if these ar...
-How To Build A Paddle - Wheel Boat
By P. A. BAUMEISTER THE paddle-wheel boat, illustrated herewith, was built in the spare time I had on rainy afternoons and Saturdays, and the enjoyment I derived from it at my summer camp more than...
-A Camp Loom
The camper who desires to rough it as much as possible and to carry only the necessities will find it quite a comfort to construct the bedding from grass or moss by weaving it in the manner of makin...
-A Milk-Bottle Carrier
Carrying a milk bottle by the rim is tiresome work for the fingers, so I constructed a handle, as shown in the sketch, from a piece of wire. The carrier can be easily placed in the pocket. The part...
-How To Make A War Kite
By PARK SNYDER The material required for the making of a war kite is three pine sticks, each 60 in. long, one stick 54 in. long, one stick 18 in. long, all 1/2 in. square; 4 yd. of cambric; a box o...
-Paper Glider That Loops The Loop
By C. A. THOMPSON Ill: Fig 1 The usual paper glider shaped a s shown in Fig. 1 can be made to loop the loop and make corkscrew flights if prepared according to sketches herewith. It sh...
-A Water Filter
A cheap and very effective water filter can be made of a flower pot by plugging the hole in the bottom with a piece of sponge and fitting it as follows: Place powdered charcoal on top of the sponge to...
-A Combination Electrically Operated Door Lock
The illustration shows a very useful application of an ordinary electric door lock in the construction of a combination lock and alarm to be operated from the outside of the building. Ill: Th...
-Lock For A Fancy Hairpin
To avoid losing a fancy hairpin, bend one leg of the pin as shown in the illustration. The hair caught in the notch formed by the bend will prevent the pin from dropping out. - Contributed by W. C. Lo...
-An Aeroplane Kite
By W. A. Reich After building a number of kites from a recent description in Amateur Mechanics I branched out and constructed the aeroplane kite shown in the illustration, which has excited conside...
-Distilling Apparatus for Water
Pure water, free from all foreign sub-stances, is frequently wanted for making up photographic solutions and many other purposes. An apparatus for distilling water can be very easily made from galvani...
-Telephone Stand for a Sloping Desk
Having a sloping-top desk and being compelled to use the telephone quite frequently, I devised a support for the telephone so that it might stand level and not fall off. The sides of the stand were cu...
-Tandem Monoplane Glider
By GEORGE F. MACE The monoplane glider illustrated has better fore-and-aft stability than the biplane, is lighter in proportion to the supporting surface, simpler to build, and requires very little...
-Carrier For A Suitcase
Where it is necessary to carry a well filled and heavy suitcase the light truck shown in the sketch will be a great assistance. The truck is constructed on the folding plan, similar to a go-cart, and ...
-Light In A Keyhole
Remove the lock and cut the mortise deep enough to admit a 3-volt battery lamp with a suitable socket attached. The lamp is then connected to wires which are concealed and run to a battery of three dr...
-How To Make A Monoplane Glider
By WILLIAM GROTZINGER A simple glider of the monoplane type can be easily constructed in a small workshop ; the cost of materials is not great and the building does not require skilled workmen. Sel...
-Exerciser For A Chained Dog
The exerciser consists of a disk, 5 ft. in diameter, pivoted in the ground near the kennel. The disk revolves on a 5/8-in. pin set in a post made of a 4 by 4-in. piece of timber. The disk is made of c...
-A Laboratory Gas Generator
The sketch illustrates a gas generator designed for laboratories where gases are needed in large quantities and frequently. The shelf holding the large inverted bottle is of thick wood, and to reinfor...
-Holding Small Armatures For Winding
Procure a strip of sheet metal, 6 in. long, 1 in. wide, or as wide as the armature core is long, and 3/32 in. thick. Bend this into a U-shape, as shown, and file each end similar to the barb on a fish...
-Armature Cores are Easily Revolved to Fill the Core Openings with Insulated Wire
Ill: Footstool For Cement Floors A clerk finding the cement floor of the office uncomfortably cold to the feet, devised a footstool in the following manner: A shallow box was procured, and fo...
-Homemade Telegraph Sounder
The material required to construct a telegraph sounder, like the one shown in the sketch, consists of two binding posts, magnets, a piece of sheet metal, and a rubber band. These are arranged as shown...
-Laboratory Force Filter
The sketch represents a force filter which is well adapted for use in small laboratories. The water is turned on at the faucet and draws the air through the side tube by suction, which in turn draws t...
-Beginner's Helper for Roller Skating
One of the most amusing as well as useful devices for a beginner on roller skates is shown in the sketch. The device is made of 3/4-in. pipe and pipe fittings, with a strip of sheet metal 1 in. wide f...
-Atmospheric Thermo-Engine
The device illustrated has for its object the production of power in small quantities with little attention and no expense. All that is needed to produce the power is common ordinary water, and the de...
-A Mirror an Aid in Rowing a Boat
The young oarsman is apt to experience difficulty in keeping a straight course until he has had some practice. Rowing a boat in a narrow channel calls for considerable skill to hold a course in mid-st...
-Developing Tray Made of a Tin Can
Obtain a tomato or other can, 5 or 6 in. long and i in. in diameter, which should be secured before it has been opened, says Camera Craft. Cut both ends exactly half way around, keeping close to the e...
-White Rubber on Croquet Arches
A white cloth is usually tied to croquet arches when the game is played late in the evening. A much better plan is to slip a piece of white rubber tubing about 1 ft. long on the arch. This tubing can ...
-Illuminating an Outside Thermometer
During the season of furnace fires the thermometer outside the north window becomes of added interest and usefulness in helping one to judge the proper draft adjustments of the furnace for the night. ...
-Locating A Droplight in the Dark
It is very hard to locate an electric-light globe in a dark room. Anyone trying to find one by striking the air in its vicinity with one hand, usually finds that the globe is not there, although the h...
-Lighting a Room for Making Photographs
When it becomes too cold for the amateur photographer to take pictures outdoors, he generally lays aside his camera and thinks no more about it until the coming of another spring or summer. While some...
-Detachable Hinged Cover for Kettles
A kettle cover equipped with the hinge shown in Fig. 1 will not fall off when in place, and can be raised or removed entirely when desired. One wing of an ordinary hinge is soldered or riveted to t...
-A Use For Discarded Wafer Razor Blades
A paper trimmer and mat cutter can be made from a wafer razor blade. As a paper trimmer, place the blade C over the part A of the razor, as shown, with only two of the holes engaging in one post and t...
-Armatures for Small Motors
Without the proper tools and material, the amateur electrician will find it quite difficult to construct a small armature for a battery motor that will run true, without vibration and have a neat appe...
-Ice Creeper for Shoe Heels
Many persons, young and old, have falls every winter on the ice or snow which can be avoided if their shoes are fitted with ice creepers. A very efficient device of this kind, which any boy can make a...
-Opening Screw-Top Fruit Jars
Screw-top fruit jars may be easily opened in the following manner: Secure a strap with a buckle and place it around the top as if it were to be buckled, but instead draw the loose end back and hold it...
-Lamp-Chimney Cleaner
Lamp chimneys of various makes are very difficult to clean quickly and thoroughly. The simple device shown in the sketch makes the cleaning process a simple matter. The cleaner is made of a round rubb...
-A Pop-Corn Popper
The accompanying sketch shows the construction of a pop-corn popper for thoroughly flavoring the corn with the hot butter or lard, and at the same time mixing it with the necessary amount of salt. Pro...
-A Homemade Floor Polisher
An efficient and cheap floor polisher may be readily constructed in the following manner: Make a box about 4 by 6 by 12 in., or the exact size may be determined by building it around the household fla...
-Simple Way to Mark Poison Bottles
A way to prevent any possible mistake of taking bottles containing poisons is to mark them as shown in the sketch. This method provides a way to designate a poison bottle in the dark. The mark...
-Removing Varnish
A good and easy way to remove varnish from old furniture is to wash the surface thoroughly with 95-per-cent alcohol. This dissolves the varnish and the wood can then be cleaned with a strong solution ...
-Curling-Iron Heater
The curling-iron holder shown in the sketch can be made of metal tubing having the size to fit both iron and gas jet. One-half of the tubing for a portion of its length is removed, as shown in Fig. 1....
-Preserving Flowers In Color And Form
One of the most distressing sides of botanical study is the short life of the colors in flowers. Those who have found the usual method of preserving plants by pressure between paper unsatisfactory wil...
-Reading Pulse Beats With The Sun's Rays
The pulse beats may be counted by this unusual method. On a clear day, when the sun is shining brightly, darken a room and select one window toward the sunlight, which should be prepared as follows: D...
-Artistic Wood Turning
Some very odd and beautiful effects can be obtained in lathe work by making up the stock from several pieces of various kinds of wood glued together. The pieces can be arranged in many pleasing combin...
-A Variable Condenser
A simple variable condenser for receiving in wireless, which will give good results, was made by a correspondent of Modern Electrics as follows : Each clip on the switch was made of ribbon brass or co...
-Adjustable Baking-Pan Shoes
At times bread, meat, or other food, placed in ordinary baking pans in the oven becomes burned on the bottom. If the detachable metal strips shown in the sketch are placed on the pan, this will not ha...
-A Pushmobile Race
Ill: Cars Lined Up Ready for the Start and the Course Patrolled by the Boy Scouts, All Traffic being Halted For the Race and the Roadway Made Clear for the Entire Half Mile of Track Pending t...
-Pencil Rack
The simple pencil rack shown in the sketch can be easily made from any suitable strip of metal, preferably brass of about No. 15 gauge. Mark off a number of rectangles corresponding to the number of p...
-Reducing Size of a Hat Sweatband
Very often a hat has been worn for some time and it becomes too loose on the head, then paper is used in the sweatband to reduce the size. A better, easier, and neater method, as well as one that will...
-A Catapult
The catapult shown in the sketch is one I constructed some time ago and found to be amusing and very inexpensive. The catapult consists of a small piece of dowel or pine, whittled into the shape of a ...
-Growing Clean Strawberries
A very good method of growing individual strawberry plants that will produce large clean berries is to provide a covering constructed from a board 10 in. square with a 3-in. hole bored in the center. ...
-A Magic Change Card
Procure two cards, the 5 of diamonds and the 3 of spades, for example. Bend each exactly in the center, with the face of the cards in, and then paste any card on the back, with its face against th...
-Cleaning Pearl Articles
A good way to clean pearl articles or ornaments is to moisten them with alcohol and then dry in magnesia powder or French chalk. These last two articles may be purchased at any drug store and the proc...
-Bed For A Camp
A quickly made bed for a camp is shown in the illustration. The corner posts consist of four forked stakes driven in the earth so that the crotches are on a level and about 1 ft. from the ground. Pole...
-Sail For A Boy's Wagon
Every boy. who loves a boat and has only a wagon, can make a combination affair in which he can sail even though there is no water for miles around. One boy accomplished this as shown in the illustrat...
-Extracting A Broken Screw
A screw Will often break off in a piece of work in such a manner that it is quite impossible to remove it by using a pair of pliers or a wrench. In this case the following method is very efficient and...
-Keeping Out Dampness
A good way to keep a bed from becoming damp, if left for any length of time, is to place a blanket on the top after it is made up. Take the blanket off before using and the bed covers will be quite dr...
-A Double-Claw Hammer For Pulling Nails Straight
A nail pulled with an ordinary claw hammer will be bent in the operation, and for this reason the double claw is used to draw the nail straight out of the wood. An ordinary claw hammer can be easily c...
-A Cyclemobile
By FRANK PFEFFERLE The cyclemobile is of the three-wheeled type and can be easily constructed in the home workshop with ordinary tools. The main frame is built up of two sidepieces, AA, Fig. 1, eac...
-How to Make a Humidor
The humidor is an ideal gift for any person who smokes. The wood for making one, as shown in the illustra- tion, may be of Spanish cedar, mahogany, or quartered oak, as the builder desires. The box an...
-Telephoto Attachment for a Hand Camera
It is not necessary to purchase an expensive telephoto lens for a box or hand camera if the owner has a pair of opera or field glasses. First focus the glasses on the distant object to be photographed...
-A Turn Feeding Table for Birds
Never in the past has the public at large taken so great an interest in protecting and furthering the well-being of birds as at present. In addition to protective legislation, clubs everywhere are org...
-A Sack Holder
An old granite kettle or tin pail with the bottom cut out and three 8-penny wire nails bent and fastened on with rivets, as shown at A, makes as good a sack holder as one could desire. A chain attache...
-Time Indicator For Medicine Bottles
The time to give a patient the next dose of medicine can be set on the indicator, as shown in the sketch, and retained without fear of its being changed until the dose is again given. The indicator co...
-A Washtub Stand
Usually two old chairs or an old box makes the stand for the washtub, and these are not always the right height. A stand, like that shown in the illustration and having the proper height for the one w...
-Pipe Used as a Leather Punch
The sketch shows how A very cheap and serviceable leather punch can be made of an old pipe nipple. Pieces of pipe of almost any size can be found around a shop, and it is, therefore, usually possible ...
-To Prevent Oilcloth from Cracking
A good method to prevent oilcloth from cracking, when it is used on shop tables or counters, is to first cut a paper cover for the table on which to place the oilcloth and prepare it as follows: The p...
-How To Make A Flymobile
By EDWARD SIEJA The boy owning a pushmobile, or even a power-driven auto car, is often very much disappointed because motion soon stops when the power is not applied. The car illustrated is of a li...
-The Die-and-Box Trick
The die-and-box trick, so often performed on the stage, is a very interesting and mystifying one. The apparatus, however, is simple, consisting of a box, die, a piece of tin in the form of three adjac...
-Homemade Pantograph
The pantograph consists of four pieces of wood, the dimensions depending somewhat on the size of the work to be drawn. A convenient size for ordinary drawing and enlarging is constructed of four piece...
-Trapping Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes that light on the ceiling may be easily destroyed with the instrument shown in the sketch. It consists of a cover, such as used on jelly glasses, nailed to the end of an old broom handle A ...
-Pen Rack on an Ink Bottle
A piece of wire, about 1 ft. long, is bent into the shape shown and slipped over the neck of the ink bottle. The ends forming the loop around the neck should fit tightly. The upper part of the wire is...
-Substitute For A Broken Bench-Vise Nut
It is frequently the case that the nut on a bench-vise screw breaks from being subjected to a too violent strain. If one is working in a place where a new nut cannot be obtained, the broken part may b...
-Scissors Sharpener
Procure an ordinary wood clothespin and drill a 1/8-in. hole through its blades, then insert a piece of hardened 1/8-in. drill rod, which should be a driving fit. In using this device, take the scisso...
-Floor Push Button
An ordinary electric push button can be used for a floor push button by placing it on a bracket or shelf attached to a joist, as shown, and using a nail for the extension push. A 1/4-in. hole is bored...
-A Wrist Brace
To strengthen a weak wrist, take a piece of leather, preferably white oak tanned, 2 in. wide and 14 in. long, and carefully shave it down with a sharp knife, until it is 1/16 in. thick. Then cut it as...
-Brace Made Of Leather
and saves time in adjusting. When complete and on the wrist, it will appear as in Fig. 2. - Contributed by J. H. Harris, Berkeley, Cal. ...
-Protecting a Kettle Handle from Heat
The wood handle of a kettle or cooking utensil when not in use usually comes in contact with the side of the vessel and it will absorb enough heat each time to finally char and crack the wood. The hea...
-How to Make a Hurdle
The hurdle consists of two standards, a reach, and a swing. The swing is first made in the shape of a rectangle of four pieces of wood, about 7/8 in. thick and 1 1/2 in. wide, of which two are 36 in. ...
-Oil Burner for a Cook Stove
The parts of the burner consist of ordinary gas pipe and fittings. The pipe in which the kerosene oil is converted into gas is 1/2in. in diameter and is connected to a supply tank of oil with 1/4-in. ...
-A Fish Stringer
The illustration shows a very simple and inexpensive device for the angler to string and carry fish. It is made of a pail handle through which is passed a piece of soft wire, having sufficient length ...
-Substitutes For Drawing Instruments
Three of the most used draftsman's instruments are the compass, ruler and square or triangle. When it is necessary to make a rough drawing and no instruments are at hand, common and easily obtainable ...
-How to Make an Aspirator
A simple aspirator that may be used for a number of different purposes, such as accelerating the process of filtering, emptying water from' tubs, producing a partial vacuum in vessels in which coils a...
-A Key-Holder Hook
A good hook for hanging keys, toothbrushes and other small articles can be made from ordinary wire staples, as s h o w n at A. One leg' of the staple is cut away as shown at B and the other leg driven...
-A Hand Hoe
A hand hoe, especially adapted for weeding or cultivating small truck, particularly onions, can be made of a piece of hard wood, 7/8 by 1 3/4 in. by 4 ft. long, and a piece of old bucksaw blade. A bla...
-Seed Receptacle For Bird-Cages
A handy seed and water container for a bird-cage can be made of a common spice tin. The receptacle can be filled without removal by simply taking off the cover. Thus the seed will not be scattered. ...
-Kitchen-Utensil Scraper
A flexible utensil scraper is one of the most useful articles I have in my kitchen. It covers such a large surface in scraping pans, kettles, etc., that this most disagreeable part of the kitchen work...
-Anchor Posts For A Lawn Swing
A very substantial and convenient base for a lawn swing can be made by using four anchor posts of cement, as shown in Fig. 1. The posts are made with a recess, A, to receive the legs of the swing, and...
-Automatic Filter
This funnel-filling filter automatically prevents the solution from running over if the filtering is slow or the filter substance becomes dogged. The upper inverted bottle holds the solution to be fil...
-Grinding Scissors
Whether a pair of scissors be ground or filed, the marks or scratches left from the contact with the abrasive should all extend across the bevel in the direction of the line ED, Fig. 1, and never in t...
-To Repair A Leak In A Canoe
After striking some rocks with our canoe, it sprung three very bad leaks. These were effectively patched with pieces of cheesecloth, well soaked in liquid shellac, which were pasted on the outside of ...
-Holder For Loose Window Glass
When the putty becomes loose and the glazing points work out on window glass, temporary repairs may be made by using a small piece of tin or sheet iron bent as shown in the sketch. The clip is inserte...
-A Cover Strainer
Quite frequently the cook or housewife wishes to pour the hot water or liquid from boiling vegetables or other foods without removing the solids from the kettle. This is easily accomplished, if small ...
-Homemade Corn Shelter
Where there is but a small quantity of corn to he shelled a shelter can be made of a few scraps of wood usually found on a farm. A block of wood having a sloping notch cut from one end is mounted on t...
-An Ornamental Metal Flatiron Holder
This antique iron holder or stand can be easily constructed by the amateur bent-iron worker. A strip of iron is bent over at the ends to form the side legs, and the front leg is formed of another piec...
-How to Make a Watch Demagnetizer
A watch demagnetizer that will give excellent satisfaction may be made as follows: Procure a sheet of 1/16 in. brass, 3 1/4 in. by 7 in. Bend this piece of brass around a piece of hard wood having ...
-Remodeling A Talking Machine
Having a talking machine of an old model with a tapered horn I decided to change it into a more modern type, and this was accomplished as follows: An auxiliary base was constructed of 1/2-in. wood on ...
-Needle for Sewing Burlap
A needle for sewing burlap can be easily made of the ordinary opener that comes with sardine cans. All that is necessary to convert this tool into a needle is to grind the blunt end to a sharp point, ...
-A Mysterious Revolving Wheel
The mystery of this wheel is that it seems to revolve automatically without any visible external power. It is at the same time an amusing trick and an instructive experiment. The apparatus required is...
-How to Make a Rabbet Plane
A rabbet plane is very little used by mechanics, but when it is wanted for a piece of work, it is wanted badly. While doing an unusual piece of work I needed a rabbet plane, and having none, I made a ...
-Eye Shield For A Microscope
The difficulty and discomfort amateurs experience in learning to use a microscope with both eyes open, or in trying to keep one eye shut, can be easily overcome by attaching a piece of cardboard, simi...
-Transferring Magazine Pictures
Select pictures from newly printed papers and magazines. Rub wax from a paraffin candle over a sheet of clean white paper, covering a space as large as the picture to be copied. Place the paper, waxed...
-A Homemade Egg Separator
Secure some small wire and a very large can. Cut the wire into several pieces and bend them as shown at A cut the can and bend the side down as shown and punch holes to receive the upper ends of the w...
-A Glue-Spreader Holder
The spreader that is supplied with bottles of liquid glue should not be placed on anv surface , as it will soon stick to it. A holder that will keep the spreader in a safe place can be made of a piece...
-Stop On A Chair Rocker For A Baby
For a baby, too small to rock with out tipping the chair over a small willow or other suitable rocking chair. The strip on the rocker prevents the child tipping the chair too far either way...
-Homemade Countersink for Wood
A round or flat-head bolt can be made into a good rosebit or reamer for countersinking holes for screw heads. Ill: Round and Square Heads of Bolts Shaped and Notched to Make Cou...
-To Maintain a Constant Level of Liquids in Vessels
It is frequently desirable in laboratory experiments, and in practica4 work as well, to maintain a constant level in a tank without allowing it to become full. In many cases an outlet pipe at a certai...
-Homemade Electric Bed Warmer
The heat developed by a carbon-filament lamp is sufficiently high to allow its use as a heating element of, for instance, a bed warmer. There are a number of other small heaters which can be easily ma...
-A Flash-Light Telegraph On A Kite Line
An ordinary pocket flash lamp is prepared in the following manner: A brass spring, as shown in the sketch, is bound tightly to the flash lamp with a cord, and two wires, one at each end, are twisted a...
-Hangers for Barn Tools
Means should be provided to have a place for all the tools used in and about a barn. The forks and shovels are usually stood up in a corner, but they can be more conveniently taken care of by making a...
-Guide Ropes on a Bobsled
The sketch shows the front end of a bobsled or double runner made of a plank bolted upon two sleds. The front sled is so pivoted on the bolt A that it may be turned to steer the bob, and to accomplish...
-Brush Hanger For A Dark Room
Necessity may be the mother of invention, but it is also the grandmother of application, and application is the practical side of invention. Both the amateur and the professional photographer have bee...
-Lighting A Basement Light
There was no switch at the basement door and it was difficult to find the droplight in the dark. Instead of going to the expense of placing A switch, the contrivance illustrated and described was rigg...
-Projecting Protractor Readings
A simple and efficient means of projecting protractor readings to a larger size is shown in Fig. 1. One point of the compass is placed at the center of the protractor and an elastic band is looped bet...
-Removing Grease from Paint
When removing grease from paint by using ordinary cleaners, the paint is liable to come off in the washing. A good and cheaply applied method is to rub the painted surface with a paste of ordinary whi...
-A Door Stop
A very good door stop can be easily made of a piece of metal as shown in the sketch. The metal is bent and fastened with screws to the wall against which the door swings. The extending end fits under ...
-Stretching A Curtain Without A Frame
A good way to avoid using the ordinary four-pole curtain stretcher is to make use of the following method. Ill: A Lace Curtain Hung Double on a Line with A Pole Inserted in the Fold Take...
-Welding Small Resistance-Wire Connections
In making connections, especially in electrical heating devices subject to high temperatures, it is out of the ques tion to use solder, since the tempera ture reached in the device would cause the sol...
-Bench with Folding Seats
To provide a bench with seats, or shelves, which cannot easily be taken away unless the table is brought along, hinged brackets are attached to stationary crosspieces, which are fastened on the extend...
-Rim of Wire Wastebasket Wrapped with Felt
In offices where wire wastebaskets are used, the finish of the desks is often marred by the top rim of the baskets rubbing against them. This can be overcome by wrapping strips of felt around the rim ...
-A Homemade Roller Coaster
By J. H. SANFORD THE popular roller coaster that furnishes untold amusement for the multitudes that patronize amusement parks during the summer can be easily duplicated in a smaller way on a vacant...
-Door-Bell Alarm
A simple door-bell alarm for informing one when the door of a shop or dwelling is opened is shown in the accompanying sketch. It consists of a piece of spring brass, A, bent into a circle in the cente...
-A Playground Ferris Wheel
The whole wheel is carried on two uprights, each 3 by 4 in., by 10 ft. long. In the upper ends of these pieces, A, a half circle is cut out to receive the main shaft B. The end of the uprights are sun...
-A Merry-Go-Round Pole
An inexpensive merry-go-round can be made of a single pole set in the ground where there is sufficient vacant space for the turning of the ropes. The pole may be of gas pipe or wood, long enough to ex...
-A Theatrical Night Scene with the Appearance of Fireflies
Use small shining Christmas-tree balls, about the size of a hickory nut, strung on strong black linen threads. The thread is put loosely over a hook at the back of the stage among the evergreens that ...
-Hulling Walnuts
Hulling Walnuts #1 Procure a barrel that is water-tight and mount it on a shaft so that it runs between standards like a barrel churn. Fill the barrel about half full of walnuts, cover them with wa...
-Stick for Lowering Top Sash of a Window
To make it easy to raise and lower the upper sash of a bathroom window which is behind the bathtub I devised the following: Procuring two screw-eyes I opened one sufficiently to slip it into the other...
-An Adjustable Hacksaw Frame
The frame is constructed of cold-rolled steel, 1/4in. in diameter and 17 1/2 in. long, bent into the shape shown and then cut in two parts at A. Starting at a point about 5/16in. from the ends made by...
-A Bedroom Cabinet
The cabinet shown in the illustration can be made an ornament with a little care in workmanship and a choice selection of materials. The cabinet may be either fastened to the head or foot of the bed, ...
-A Dull Black for Cameras
Such parts of a camera that are apt to reflect light must be covered with a dull black. A mixture for this purpose is made of lampblack, about a teaspoon-I'ul, and enough gold size to make a paste as ...
-A Door Fastener
Sometimes it is necessary to fasten a door in a manner to prevent children from opening it, yet so that it is easily opened from either side. This can be done by putting a screw or curtain hook on the...
-Umbrella Used As A Flower Trellis
Procure a discarded umbrella and remove the cloth, leaving only the steel frame. Join the ends of the ribs by running a fine wire through the tip of each rib and giving it one turn around to hold them...
-Combined Shade And Awning
An ordinary window shade makes A good awning as well as a shade, if it is attached to the outside of the window with the device shown in the illustration. The shade and spring roller are put into a bo...
-Vaulting-Pole Attachments
Some means must be provided on vaulting-pole standards to allow for the free release of the pole should the vaulter strike it in going over. One of the simplest of the many devices that can be used fo...
-Separating Drinking Glasses
When two thin glasses are put one into the other they often become stuck and cannot be removed. To separate them with ease, set the lower glass in warm (not hot) water and pour cold water in the upper...
-A Magic String
Procure a few pieces of cotton string, each about 1 1/2ft. long, and fill them well with soap. Prepare a brine by dissolving three tablespoonfuls of salt in a cup of water. Place the strings in the br...
-Edging Flower Beds
To improve the appearance of a flower bed, it must be edged evenly and quite often. As this became a tiresome task, I constructed an edger, as shown in the sketch. It consists of a wheel on a 4-ft. le...
-An Electric Stirring Machine
Desiring a stirring machine for mixing photographic chemicals, I set about to design the one shown in the illustra- tion. The base and upright are made of pine, 1 in. thick, the former 8 in. wide and ...
-A Clothes Rack
The rack is constructed of hard wood throughout, and as each piece is made, it should be sandpapered and varnished or otherwise finished. The plan view is shown in Fig. 1; the construction of an arm, ...
-How to Make a Pair of Foot Boats
On ponds or small lakes not deep enough for a boat one can use the foot boats, as illustrated, for walking on the water. The boats are made of white wood, known as basswood, as this wood is easily ben...
-A Green-Corn Holder
Neat and attractive green-corn holders for table use can be made of small-sized glass drawer knobs, having a bolt 1 in. in length. The bolt head is cut off with a hacksaw, and its body is filed to mak...
-Inflating Toy Balloons
The inflation of rubber balloons may be accomplished with manufactured gas by using the simple pipe arrangement shown in the sketch. The connection A is for the gas hose, which is similar to those use...
-Electric-Light Mystery
A novel attraction for a window display can be made of a piece of plate glass neatly mounted on a wood base, and an electric light which is placed on the top edge and may be lighted apparently without...
-An Oar Holder
Persons rowing boats, particularly beginners, find that the oars will slip out of the oarlocks, turn or fall into the water. This may be avoided by turning a screweye of sufficient size to prevent bin...
-Cooking Food in Paper
A flat piece of paper is much more convenient to use than a paper sack in cooking, as it can be better fitted to the size of the article to be cooked. Wrap the article as a grocer wraps sugar, folding...
-Washing Photograph Prints
Photographic prints may be washed in a stationary washbowl with just as good results as if washed in a high- priced wash box, by cutting off the upper end of the rubber nipple on a bent glass medicine...
-Combination Lock For A Drawer
The principal parts of the combination lock are the five disks shown in Fig. 1. These are best made of sheet brass, about 1/16in. thick and 1 1/2, in. in diameter. The pins for turning the disks are e...
-How To Start Small Machine Screws
Small machine screws are sometimes very difficult to start, especially when used in parts of a machine that cannot be easily reached with the fingers. A good way to start them is by means of a piece o...
-An Umbrella Holder for Display Purposes
A holder that is especially adapted for use in hanging umbrellas for display in a store can be easily made of a piece of wire wound in a coil, as shown in the sketch, to fit over the end on the umbrel...
-Holder For A Milk Card
It is the general practice of milkmen to furnish a monthly card on which the housewife marks the needs of the day and then hangs it outside of the door for the information of the driver. This card als...
-Frame for Printing Post Cards From Negatives
As I desired to print only a portion of some of my 5 by 7-in. plates on post cards and the part wanted was near the edge of the plate, I cut out the printing frame, as shown at A in the sketch, to acc...
-Finger Protection on Laboratory Vessels
A simple way of protecting the fingers against being burned by laboratory vessels in which liquids are boiling or chemical reactions producing great heat are going on, is shown in the sketch. A rather...
-Inlaying Metals By Electroplating
Very pretty and artistic effects of silver or nickel inlay on bronze, copper, Etc., or copper on dark oxidized metals, may be obtained by means of etching and electroplating. The metal on which the...
-A Novel Show-Window Attraction
This moving show-window attraction can be simply and cheaply made. The things necessary are a small battery motor, a large horseshoe magnet and a large polished steel ball, perfectly true and round, s...
-How to Make A Mop Wringer
A mop wringer may be made and attached to an ordinary pail in the following manner: Two pieces of metal, A, are attached securely at opposite sides of the edge of the pail, holes being drilled in thei...
-A Vise Used as a Caliper Gauge
Not infrequently it is desired to know the distance from one side to another of some part that cannot be directly measured with a rule, and when no calipers are at hand. But with a vise handy, the mea...
-Homemade Tack Puller
A very handy tack puller can be made of a round-head bolt. On one side of the head file a V-shaped notch and screw a wood handle on the threads. This makes a very powerful puller that will remove larg...
-Fountain For An Ordinary Pen
Fill the hollow end of an ordinary penholder with cotton - not too tightly - and one dip of the pen will hold enough ink to write a full page. The cotton should be changed each day. A small piece of s...
-Pulling Wire through Curved Electric Fixtures
To facilitate the running of electric wires through curved fixtures, nick a heavy shot, A, and fasten it on a cord, Ill: A Shot That will Pass through the Fixture Arm will Carry a Cord for ...
-An Automatically Closing Drawer
A very ingenious way to have a drawer close automatically is to attach a weight so that the rope or cord will pull on the rear end of the drawer. The sketch clearly shows the device which is an attach...
-A Cork Puller
A Cork Puller #1 The stopper of any ordinary bottle can be easily removed with a puller such as shown in the sketch. The puller is inserted between the stopper and the neck of the bottle until the ...
-Uses for a Bamboo Pole
Select a good bamboo pole, about 18 ft. long, and cut it into three lengths as follows: A piece from the top, 2 1/2 ft. long; the next length, 5 1/2. ft. long, and the remaining end of the pole, about...
-Making Common Lock Less Pickable
The ordinary lock can be readily changed so that it will be quite impossible to pick it with a common key. Ill: The Small End Cut from the Key is fastened on the Pin of the Lock The way ...
-To Color Tan Leather Black
An inexpensive and effective way to blacken tan leather is as follows: The leather is first rubbed with a 10-percent solution of tannic acid, which may be purchased at any drug store. This treatment s...
-To Prevent Corks Sticking In Bottle Necks
Corks will always adhere to the necks of bottles containing glue or other sticky liquids, with the result that it becomes necessary to cut or dig the cork into small pieces in order to remove the cont...
-To Remove Rust Stains From Clothing
Many times when working around machinery, the clothes will come in contact with iron and get rust stains. These may be removed by using a weak solution of oxalic acid which must be applied carefully a...
-Eraser Holder
Any small piece of steel with a point, similar to that shown in the sketch, will make a good eraser holder. The saving of erasers is nothing compared to the convenience of having a small eraser with a...
-Bleaching Ivory
A good method to bleach ivory ornaments is to rub on a solution made of a small quantity of unslaked lime, bran and water. The mixture should be wiped off after the ivory has become sufficiently bleac...
-A Soap Shake
To utilize scraps of soap, make a soap shake of a medium-size baking-powder can, as shown in the sketch. Punch holes in the can with an ice pick or some other sharp-pointed instrument, and attach a la...
-Ear Repair On A Bucket
A broken ear for a bail on a metal pail or bucket can be replaced with a window-shade fastener, such as shown at A in the sketch. The base of the fastener is turned down flat and attached with screw b...
-Cleaning Dirt from Tufts in Upholstering
A handy device for cleaning furniture upholstering and vehicle-seat tuft-ings may be easily made as follows: Take a n ordinary round paintbrush and cut the handle off, leaving it about 1 1/2 in. long,...
-Painting Lead Pipe
The paint applied to lead pipes will chip and peel off, and to prevent this I first cover the lead surface with a thin coat of varnish, then apply the paint on the varnish. A lead pipe painted in this...
-Attaching A Vise Jaw To A Bench
Procure a toothed metal rail or rack, A, such as is used for small ladder tracks, and mount it on the lower the Rack on the Lower Guide Rail Provides a Means To Keep the Vise Jaws Parallel edge of the...
-Removing Vegetable Stains
To remove stains of vegetables or fruits of any kind from cloth or wood, the following method is very good: The stained piece is first moistened with water and then placed in a jar or pail that can be...
-Picture-Frame Corner Joints
Very often the amateur craftsman comes across a picture which he would like to have framed, but the difficulty and insecurity of the ordinary miter joint for the corners discourage him from trying to ...
-Hunting-Knife Handles
Very artistic handles for hunting knives and carving sets can be made by using disks of horn. Procure some cowhorns from a slaughter house and split them with A saw, using only the large portion of th...
-Holding Wood In A Sawbuck
Anyone who has used a sawbuck knows how inconvenient it is to have a stick roll or lift up as the saw blade is pulled back for the next cut. With the supplementary device, shown in the sketch, which c...
-A New Pail-Cover Handle
The handle of the cover, instead of being attached to the center, is placed near the edge and bail of the pail. On the bail and just above the handle of the cover there is formed a loop large enough t...
-Drip-Pan Alarm
The trouble caused by overflowing of the drip pan for an ice box or refrigerator can be overcome by attach- ing a device that will sound an alarm when the water reaches a level safely below the overfl...
-A Live-Bait Pail
Every fisherman knows that live bait will soon die if they do not receive sufficient air. I have succeeded in keeping bait alive and healthy by using a pail of my own construction, which is provided w...
-A Mouse Trap
A Mouse Trap #1 After using various means to catch the mice in my pantry, I finally decided I could not catch them in the ordinary manner. Knowing that mice are not afraid of dishes but will run al...
-Quickly Made Rheostat
A short time ago I found it necessary to melt some silver, and in setting up an arc light to obtain the heat I made a rheostat by winding wire around a large earthenware jar. As the jar is a non-condu...
-Sunlight Flasher For The Garden
By CLAUDE L. WOOLLEY The following apparatus is likely to be novel, and certainly very striking when erected on country estates, particularly on high lands, hillsides, and along the seashore, where...
-An Automatic Blowpipe
A fine-pointed flame can be used to advantage for certain work, and the alcohol flame and blowpipe have become a necessity, but these may be improved upon so as to make the apparatus automatic in acti...
-Homemade Steam-Turbine Engine
Select a tomato can, or any can in which vegetables or fruit is sold, and carefully unsolder the small cap on the end when removing the contents. When the can is empty, clean it well and solder the ca...
-Electric Switch for Exposing Photographic Printing Papers
The proper time to expose a printing paper under a negative should be determined and the negative marked for future printing. When this time has been found some means should be provided for making the...
-How to Make a Wing Nut
Finding that I needed some wing nuts and not being able to purchase them in the size I wanted, I made them from the ordinary nuts. A hole was drilled through opposite corners of each nut and a staple ...
-Cork-Covered Clothes Peg
When screws or nails are used to hang clothes or other articles on, run the nail or screw through a bottle cork as shown. The cork will prevent the nail or screw from tearing the article and also insu...
-Shaping an Old Broom
A broom, having the straws bent and out of shape, yet not worn out, can be fixed up like new in the following manner: Slightly dampen the straw with water and wrap with heavy paper, then place a weigh...
-Method Of Straightening The Straws
a new broom. Paint brushes can be treated in the same manner, but in that case linseed oil should be used instead of water. ...
-How to Make a Bolster
The sketch shows a simple bed bolster which I have made and which can be constructed at very little cost. Three circular pieces of poplar or pine, 10 1/2in. in diameter, are required. These may be mad...
-A Fish-Scaling Knife
A useful fish-scaling and skinning knife can be made of an old broken hacksaw blade. This must be at least 6 in. long and will make a knife with a 3-in. blade. Grind the blade to the shape shown and m...
-To Prevent Moles from Damaging Growing Seeds
The food most liked by the ground mole is the sprouts of peas and corn. A way to protect these growing seeds is to dip them in kerosene just before planting. The mole will not touch the oil-covered se...
-How To Make A Heliograph
By R. B. HUEY The heliograph which is used in the army provides a good method of sending messages by the reflection of the sun's rays. In the mountains there are stations from which messages are se...
-Twine Cutter For Use at a Wrapping Counter
A cutter for use at the wrapping counter in a drug or confectionery store may be easily made from a double-edged razor blade and a piece of thin board - a piece of cigar box will do. Cut the wood in t...
-Frosting Brass
A very fine ornamental finish, resembling brushed work, may be applied to brass articles by boiling them in a caustic-potash solution, then rinsing in clear water, whereupon they are dipped into dilut...
-A Cupboard-Door Spice-Box Shelf
To keep the spice boxes in a handy place where they would be together and not behind larger articles on the cupboard shelves, I made a special spice-box shelf, as shown, to hang on the inside of the c...
-Starting a Siphon
It is often necessary in a laboratory to siphon acids and poisonous liquids. If a pump is used there is always danger of the liquid entering the pump and damaging it, and, besides, a pump is not handy...
-A Window-Seat Sewing Box
The combined window seat and sewing box shown was made by using a shoe-packmg box for the foundation Ill: A Window-Seat Workbox lor Sewing Materials Made of an Ordinary Shoe-Packing Box ...
-Cutting a Glass Bottle
It is sometimes necessary to cut a heavy glass bottle or cylinder. Four methods are in use. A carborundum disk having a thin edge, if kept wet and rotated at a high speed, will cut heavy glass, but th...
-To Clean Painted or Frescoed Walls
Use a paste made of vinegar and baking soda with a small amount of salt added. The ingredients should he mixed in a large dish and applied to the wall with a cloth. The grease and fly specks as well a...
-Securing Papers in a Mailing Tube
The illustrations show two methods of securing papers or photographs in a mailing tube. In Fig. 1 the mailing tube A is shown in cross section and the manner of running the string through the pasteboa...
-Cooling Tube for a Laboratory Still
A simple and very effective device to replace the cumbersome cooling or condensation coil of a still for the amateur's laboratory can be easily made as follows: Procure an ordinary straight g...
-A Comb Cleaner
A good comb cleaner that does the work easily and quickly can be made from a worn-out varnish brush. The brush selected should not be over 2 in. wide; i t should be thoroughly cleaned with benzine and...
-Scraping Off Surplus Water on a Grindstone
When using a grindstone, an ample flow of water is desirable in order to insure good cutting, and the objectionable spattering may be overcome by fastening a piece of leather to the grindstone frame s...
-A Paper Drinking Cup
The cup is readily made of a piece of paper 8 in. square. Lay the paper on a flat surface, turn the point A over to meet the point B and crease on the dotted line CD, Fig. 1, then turn the corner D up...
-Homemade Brush for Cleaning Upholstered Furniture
A durable brush for cleaning upholstered furniture can be made in the following manner: Procure a piece of haircloth, which is made of horsehair woof and linen warp. Strips of haircloth, cut lengthwis...
-Removing Calcium Deposits On Glass
A good way to clean glass vessels in which hard water is boiled is to use the following mixture to remove Not only the calcium deposits, but also rust or sulphur stains that may be present. The soluti...
-A Cold-Chisel Guide
When making long cuts with a cold chisel, it is almost impossible to guide the chisel edge along a line made with a scriber or pencil and have a straight cut. I find that it is much easier To use a gu...
-Care Of Paintbrushes
When laying aside paintbrushes, the usual custom is to place them in water and then forget All about them until needed again, with the result that the water usually is found more or less evaporated an...
-Filter In A Pump Spout
The sketch shows how to place an ordinary sponge in a pump spout, to filter out sand and dirt particles that may come up with the water as it is pumped. A wire is fastened in the sponge so that it can...
-Brown Stain For Wood
Bichromate of potassium gives a lustrous, rich, light to dark brown stain on woods. The crystals are first dissolved into a saturated solution, which is then diluted with water. The stained surface ne...
-An Egg Boiler
In boiling eggs the usual method of dropping the eggs from a spoon into the boiling water often results in a burn, as well as in cracking of the eggs by the fall. In removing the eggs from the hot wat...
-Removing Black Deposit an Bathtubs
A good way to remove the black deposit left on bathtubs by the water is to use a strong solution of sulphuric acid. The acid should be poured on the discolored enameled surface and washed around with ...
-A Stocking-Stretcher Form
A simple as well as inexpensive device for preventing the shrinking of stockings, more particularly those of children, after they have been washed, thus saving great wear and tear on the fabrics and i...
-Stick Holder for a Chopping Block
Having a lot of branch wood, from 1/2in. to 1 in. in diameter, to saw, and not wishing to bother with a sawbuck, I rigged up a chopping block, as shown in the sketch, by fastening a piece of board to ...
-Cleaning Gold and Platinum
A good way to clean gold or platinum jewelry is to first brush with soapsuds, then dust magnesia powder over the article and allow it to dry. A few rubs with a cloth makes the article shine with great...
-A Twine Spool
The pieces of twine used in tying parcels delivered to a residence are either thrown away or tied together and wound into a ball for future use. The method I use for keeping the pieces of twine is to ...
-A Novelty Chain
An inexpensive chain for hanging painted glass panels, transparencies or photographs can be made by joining paper clips together to form the links. A box of 100 clips will make a chain about 10 ft. lo...
-Closet Holders for Linen
A combination drawer and shelf for a linen closet is much better than a shelf or a drawer. It is constructed in the manner of a drawer with sides and a back, the front being open and the ends of the s...
-Preserving Dry Batteries
The life of dry batteries, which are to be used in wet or damp places* may be considerably lengthened by being treated in the following manner: The batteries are placed in glass jars a little wider...
-A Cleaner for Brass
In some recent laboratory experiments the following solution was found to cleanse brass very quickly without harm to the hands or the metal. An ounce of alum was put into a pint of boiling water and t...
-Homemade Graduate
If a certain quantity of liquid is to be frequently measured out, it is best to have a graduate marked for this amount without any other markings upon it. To make a graduate for this purpose, procure ...
-Mending a Break in Felt
A good way to mend partially broken felt or a felt hat is to hold a lighted match under the break and smooth out the crevice with the hand. The shellac in the felt is melted by the heat and runs toget...
-Imitating Ebony on Oak
The wood is immersed for 48 hours in a warm solution of alum and sprinkled several times with the following mixture : One part of logwood of the best quality is boiled with 10 parts of water, then it ...
-Tongue Holder for A Boy's Wagon
To prevent any mishap when coasting in a boy's play wagon fasten the tongue with a coil spring so that it will be kept in a vertical position. The tongue is always out of the way when it is not used f...
-Gluing Small Mitered Frames
The mechanic who attempts to fasten a mitered frame in the home workshop usually comes to grief. This is due to lack of proper facilities for holding the frame straight and out of wind, and for clampi...
-Handle Attachment for a Sickle
For cutting around flower beds or bushes and in close places I find that an extension handle for a sickle is quite an assistance. The auxiliary handle is bound to the sickle handle with wire at the en...
-A Clothesline for Small Goods
Handkerchiefs and small pieces included in the week's laundry are usually quite troublesome to hang with the larger pieces, and for this reason I constructed a special line for the small goods. A line...
-Automatically Controlled Ice-Box Lights
Often the ice box is placed in a dark closet or some out-of-the-way place, and it is almost impossible to locate articles already in the box or put others away without considerable inconvenience on ac...
-A Bottle-Cap Lifter
To remove the crimped bottle cover so extensively used requires a special lifter, the corkscrew being of little use for this purpose. When a cap-cover remover is not at hand, prepare a pocketknife in ...
-A Mechanical Bicycle Horn
The body of the horn A is made Of metal, about 3 in. in diameter, with a screw cover. The shaft B, to which is attached a driving pulley, C, and a ratchet wheel, D, Is fitted in holes drilled through ...
-Retarder For Plaster Of Paris
When it is desired to lengthen the time of setting after preparing plaster of Paris, dissolve 1 oz. of citric acid in water used for mixing 100 lb. of plaster, and it will retard the setting for about...
-An Inkwell Stopper
A good way to keep an inkwell of the type shown in the sketch clean is t o place a marble over the opening. The marble keeps out flies and dust, is easily rolled aside and is no obstacle to the pen en...
-A Grass Rake
This adaptation of an ordinary iron rake for use on a lawn was the outcome of not having a lawn rake at hand. Two spools, each 1 1/2 in. in diameter, were procured and one forced on each end tooth of ...
-A Staple Puller
A Staple Puller #1 A very simple way to pull a staple is to use the claws of an ordinary carpenter's hammer and a nail, as shown in the sketch. The staple can be removed quickly without being bent,...
-To Remove Acid Stains from Cloth
Apply pearlash directly to the stain, allowing it to set a minute or two, then boil the article in soap water for several minutes. The method is harmless and inexpensive, and can be used by anyone. ...
-Repairing Rocker on a Chair
The tenons on the posts of a rocking chair being broken off so close to the rocker that it was impossible to make the ordinary repairs, four window-shade - roller brackets were used in the following m...
-Electric-Lamp Reflector for a Target
An ordinary 1-lb. coffee can may be quickly fashioned into a most effective reflector for an electric bulb. The light is projected upon the target while the marksman's eyes are shielded. Of course, th...
-Making Small Taps
The owner of a private workshop has need for taps and occasionally wishes to make them, not because they are cheaper, but for the sake of experience or to get some special thread. In cutting the flute...
-Sink A Substitute for A Dishpan
On special occasions when company is entertained or in large families, it is almost impossible to wash all the dishes in an ordinary dishpan; in fact, the large platters will not go in at all, so I de...
-How To Make Small Coil Springs
Procure a nut, having a small thread that will admit the size of the wire to be used in making the spring. Cut a small notch to the depth of the thread where the thread starts, and procure a smooth ro...
-A Pruning-Saw Guard
The double-edged pruning saw with coarse teeth on one side and fine on the other would be far more widely used, if it were not for the fact that the unused edge so often injures the bark of the trunk ...
-Home-Made Motion-Picture Camera and Projector. Part I
Motion pictures are made and reproduced by means of a camera and projector, each having a similar mechanism that would seem entirely too complicated for the average person to construct at home, ...
-Home-Made Motion-Picture Camera And Projector. Part II
Developing After having exposed the film in the camera, the next steps are to develop and make a positive film from the negative. The developing and exposing of the film for the positive are the sa...
-Home-Made Motion-Picture Camera and Projector. Part III
The Projector The film positives are projected on a screen with the same kind of a lantern as is used for lantern slides, with the addition of the device for stepping the film through, one picture at ...
-A Swimming Raft
Swimming is learned only by experience and to get this experience one must not be afraid to trust himself in the water. This is sometimes accomplished by the use of a swimming raft or water wings. As ...
-Removing Finger Marks on Books
Dampen a piece of wash leather and use it to rub pumice on the spot to be cleaned. Brush off the pumice and rub again with a piece of dry wash leather. ...
-Tightening a Tennis Net
Anyone who has ever played tennis will readily see the advantage of the net-tightening device shown, in preference to the old method of pulling the net tight by hand. All that is necessary to make the...
-Holding Fishing-Rod Joints Together
The addition of two or three screw-eyes properly placed in a jointed fishing rod of the ordinary type will prove decidedly worth while, as the joints will often pull out easily when they should not an...
-Roller Skate on a Bicycle Wheel
When the front tire on a bicycle will not hold and needs to be taken to a repair shop, strap or tie a roller skate to the rim of the wheel, as shown, and no trouble will be experienced in wheeling 01 ...
-Rope Oarlocks
Having considerable trouble because of breaking of oarlocks, I devised a successful way by which the difficulty was overcome. The device is extremely simple and is nothing more than a piece of rope fa...
-An Emergency Clamp
While making an extra large guitar I did not have clamps large enough to hold the top and bottom onto the sides while gluing, so I fastened three pieces of wood together, each piece being about 1 by 2...
-Homemade Graining Tools
Desiring to do some fancy graining and having no tools at hand, I hastily made two of them from pieces of ear- den hose, as shown in the sketch. Two pieces were cut from the hose, each 5 in. long, and...
-Needle for Repairing Screens
In attaching patches to window or door screens, the work requires a continual shifting from one side to the other, or two persons, one on each side, must be present to pass the threaded needle back an...
-An Emergency Tourniquet
A valuable addition to any shop medicine cabinet is the tourniquet. A device that will answer the purpose of the tourniquet can be made from an ordinary clothespin and a piece of binding tape, about 3...
-Mechanical Aid to Singers
Procure a large cigar box, of the square variety, and three ordinary drinking glasses with very thin walls and of different sizes, and place them in the box, as follows: Space them evenly, and drive t...
-Model Boat with Aerial Propeller
Procure or make a small model boat, 12 or 18 in. long, and place in the hold one or two cells of dry battery. Make a small platform in the stern and mount on it a small battery motor with the shaft pa...
-Lantern-Slide Binding Machine
The machine shown in the illustration is very simple to make and when complete is one of the greatest time savers that a photographer can possess. The base is made of a piece of board, 9 in. long, 2 i...
-Adjustable Film-Developing Machine
The simple homemade developing machine, shown in the illustration, can be easily made with three film spools, Developing a Roll Film in a Tray with a Machine That Drives the Film around Rol...
-Preventing Loss of Fish from Covered Baskets
In the cover of fish baskets an opening is frequently made permitting the fish to be put in without lifting the cover. In traveling over rough places, or when the basket is full, some of the fish are ...
-Repair For A Broken Lock Keeper
Having broken the recess half of a common cupboard lock, or latch, which was used to fasten a hinged storm window, I used a round - head wood screw as shown. The screw was easily placed, and it serves...
-Lantern For Spot And Colored Lights
The school play in pantomime is not complete unless the different parts of the play are illuminated in different colors, especially if the performers are clad in glittering garments. A spot light is a...
-Homemade Palette Knife
A corset steel makes a good substitute for a palette knife because of its flexibility. It gives better satisfaction if cut in the shape shown than if left straight. Should a handle be desired, one can...
-Self-Closing Gate
This gate is suspended from a horizontal bar by chains, and swings freely about a 1-in. gas pipe, placed vertically in the center of the gate. The chains are of the same length, being fastened equidis...
-A Poultry Shade
If a poultry yard is in an open space where the sun's rays will strike it squarely, a shade can be put up as follows: A piece of old carpet, rug, or canvas, fastened to the wire mesh with clothespins,...
-Reflector For Viewing Scenery From A Car Window
Construct a box of pasteboard or thin wood, about 9 in. long, 3 in. wide and 2 in. thick, and fasten two pieces of mirror in the ends at an angle of 45 deg., both sloping in the same direction with th...
-A Muskrat Trap
It is difficult to catch muskrats in an ordinary steel trap, as a broken bone allows them to sever the flesh and es- cape. During the summer these rats build a shelter for the winter constructed of mo...
-A Casein Glue
Casein glues are splendid in woodworking, making cardboard articles, and when the composition is varied somewhat, make excellent cements for china and metals. Casein is made from the curd of soured mi...
-The Mile-O-View Camera
By T. B. LAMBERT Many have tried, but heretofore no one has succeeded in taking panoramic views from the side of fast-moving trains or street cars. Motion pictures are easily obtained from ...
-A Photographic Worktable For Small Quarters
By K. V. REED FLAT dwellers have no space at their disposal for a person to work at photography, and the bathroom must take the place of a dark room. As this was very inconvenient in my case, I con...
-Back Thrust Prevented on Skis
To overcome the difficulty of skis slipping back when walking uphill either of the two devices shown is good, if the attachments are fastened to the rear end of the skis. The first represents...
-Crystallization Shown on a Screen
The formation of chemical crystals can be shown in an interesting manner as follows: Spread a saturated solution of salt on a glass slide, or projection-lantern glass, and allow it to evaporate in the...
-Furniture Polish for Fine Woods
Boiled olive oil, to which a few drops of vinegar has been added, makes an excellent furniture polish for very fine woods. It will be found to work nicely on highly polished surfaces, and also for aut...
-Enlarging Photographs
By A. E. SWOYER When the photographer wishes to make an enlarge 'print from a small negative, he arranges a suitable light and condensers back of the negative and by means of a lens projects the re...
-Homemade Screen-Door Spring
A screen or storm-door spring can be easily made of spring-steel wire. The wire is bent to the shape shown in the sketch and two turns given to the coil as shown at A. The ends of the wire are fastene...
-A Surprise Water Bottle
The performer produces a bottle and gives it with a glass to anyone in the audience, asking the person selected to take a drink of a very delicious concoction. When the person attempts to pour out the...
-A Graduate Holder
A simple and easily constructed graduate holder in the form of a bracket placed in the corner of a dark room is shown in the sketch. The bracket not only holds the graduates securely, but allows them ...
-Homemade Enlarging Camera
The ordinary hand camera of the focusing type can be used to enlarge pictures from negatives of its own make. The requirement is a device to hold the negative rigid in a position in front of the camer...
-An Easy Way to Make a Shelf
Procure an ordinary packing box and mark a line from corner to corner on both ends, as shown, from A to B in Fig. 1. Pull out all the nails from the corners that may cross the line. Nail the top to th...
-Multiplying Attachment For A Camera
By J. C. MOORE The hand camera suitable for this work is the kind commonly known as the reversible back, which is a detachable part that carries a ground glass for focusing and a place to insert th...
-Connecting a Pipe to Sheet Metal
In the absence of a waste nut, an iron pipe can be easily fastened to sheet-metal work as shown in the sketch. The end of the pipe, Fig. 1, is slotted with a hacksaw to form four projections, which ar...
-An Acid Siphon
When siphoning off acids or other disagreeable or poisonous liquids, it is very important that none of it touch the flesh or mouth. It is almost impossible to do this when starting the ordinary siphon...
-Bottle-Opening Trick
A local junk dealer, who was also known as the strongest man in town,' used to mystify the folks by opening a bottle, apparently with a stroke of his index finger. His audience saw his index finger ...
-Setting Colors in Fabrics
The colors of fabrics or other materials of any kind may be set by boiling the articles in the following solution: To 1 gal. of soft water add 1 oz. of ox gall. This solution should be boiling when th...
-Towel-Roller Brackets
Very serviceable brackets for a towel roller can be made by using ordinary wire clothes hooks, as shown in the illustration. The roller is made of wood and two nails with their heads cut off, one in e...
-A Developing-Tray Rocker
The tank method of photographic development is acknowledged as the best, yet there are many who, for vari- ous reasons, still use the old-style tray method. For those who use the tray, a splendid and ...
-An Adjustable Bookholder
A very satisfactory adjustable holder for books or letters can be constructed of ordinary materials. A board is used for the base, and two pieces, C, cut from the grooved edges of flooring boards, are...
-An Old-Oak Stain
To make old oak of ash, elm, box alder, chestnut, maple, yew, and sycamore wood use a solution of copper acetate, or iron acetate. Either of these can be made by allowing a strong acid to come in cont...
-Tablespoon End Used as Lemon Squeezer
In an emergency, the ordinary tablespoon can be used as a lemon squeezer by turning the lemon around the end of the spoon. This produces the same result as obtained with the regular squeezers, which a...
-A Back Stop for a Workbench
In planing small pieces on a bench, they usually have a tendency to tip up or slide around. This difficulty can be easily overcome by providing the bench with an extra back stop. For this purpose a di...
-Croquet Mallets Protected by Metal Rings
Due to the severe service they are subjected to, croquet mallets very frequently split off at the ends, which spoils them for further use in accurate driving. To prevent this, metal bands may be place...
-Distance Marker for Printing Photographs
A convenient homemade printing device, or distance marker, for printing photographs by artificial light consists of a smooth board on which twelve 1-in. marks are drawn, as shown. A wall-base electric...
-A Five-Pointed Star
There are many ways of making a five-pointed star, but the one illustrated is new and easy to apply. A long strip of paper, which should be transparent, is tied into a knot. When the ends A and B are ...
-Fastening Portiere Pole In A Doorway
A pole can be fastened between two supports, posts, or in a door casing neatly and without fixtures in the following manner: The pole is cut 1/8 in. shorter than the space between the casings, and a 5...
-Trick With Knives And Glasses
An interesting trick may be performed with three tumblers and three table knives. Place the tumblers in an equilateral triangle on a table so the knife ends, when the knives are laid between them, as ...
-A Scraper Handle
In using the ordinary steel-plate scraper, much inconvenience and cramping of the hands is experienced unless some suitable handle is attached. If a piece of scrap wood is taken and cut to a convenien...
-Photographic Tray-Rocking Stand
Films develop better if the tray holding the solution is kept in motion or rocked. This is inconvenient and tiresome where a great many films are to be developed. The trouble may be overcome by the us...
-Kite-Line Traveler
The amusement of kite flying can be broadened by adding the kite-line traveler shown in the sketch. The frame of the traveler is made of poplar, spruce or soft pine, 1/4 in. square. The horizontal pie...
-How to Make a Small Electric Furnace
The furnace consists of a large flower pot containing an ordinary clay crucible about 6 in. in height, the space between the two being packed with fireclay. Two 3/4-in. holes are bored through the sid...
-Repairing a Broken Knife Handle
A piece was broken from the pearl handle of my knife and I repaired it in the following manner: After cleaning both the edges of the pearl and the brass beneath, I run in enough solder to fill the pla...
-Picture-Frame And Triangle Clamp
A picture frame or triangle is quite difficult to hold together when fitting the corners. It is still more difficult to hold them together while the glue dries. The clamp illustrated will be found qui...
-Exterior Sliding Fly Screen
The method shown for fitting fly screens on the outside of the upper and lower sash permits the screen to be raised and held at different heights. Screweyes are turned into the outer strips, as shown ...
-Bushing a Stovepipe in a Chimney Hole
When a stovepipe is too small for the hole in the chimney, a bushing can be made of the kind of metal tobacco boxes that are curved to fit in a pocket. Remove the tops and bottoms of the boxes and sho...
-Copying Stand for Photographic Enlarging and Reducing
A camera stand or table, which can be put to many uses, is easily made and, when made, will be of particular service, says Work, London, for enlarging, reducing, copying, and, with a slight modificati...
-To Make Whitewash Stick To Surfaces
In using whitewash much difficulty is experienced in making it stick to the substance covered. A good way to prevent the coating from cracking and peeling off is to add 2 oz. of pure sodium chloride t...
-A Mechanical Camera
The young person who likes to draw will find the device illustrated of great assistance for outlining a portrait or a bit of scenery which can be filled in to make the picture. The camera consists of ...
-Gauge Attachment For A Pocket Rule
The base of the gauge A is cut from A block of hard wood, about 2 1/2 in. long, 1 in. wide and % in. thick. A notch is cut in one side to admit the rule and the wedge B, which has a slot that slides o...
-Plate Hangers
In hanging old china plates for decorative purposes use three large white dress hooks, placed at equal distances apart on the edge of the plate. The hanging wire or cord is run through them from the b...
-An Electrically Operated Camera Shutter
It is often quite desirable to operate the shutter of a camera from a distance, especially in photographing birds and animals. The device shown in the accompanying sketch serves the above purpose very...
-Electroplating without a Tank
Electroplating without a plating tank is made possible with the following easily homemade apparatus described in a German scientific magazine. It consists of a rubber ball, A, fitted at one end with a...
-A Milk-Bottle Tray
Bottled milk is difficult to deliver without knocking the bottles together when carrying them or while in a wagon. There are several kinds of wire baskets for carrying the bottles, but they all have t...
-A Springboard
Select straight-grained hickory or ash for the springboards. These can be of any width to make up the board to 18 in. wide. The frame part may be of any material of the dimensions given in the sketch....
-Planing Rough-Grain Boards
The surface of a board having a grain that runs both ways is very hard to smooth with a plane. By sharpening the plane iron to a keen edge, then placing it in the plane with the cap reversed and set a...
-Braces for Aeroplane Frames
In making model aeroplanes or gliders the brace shown will serve the purpose admirably. The size and strength of the metal used will depend on where it is to be used. The metal is bent into the shape ...
-A Puzzle Purse
The puzzle purse is made of four pieces of chamois, two of the pieces being merely flaps, one on each side at the upper edge. One of the pieces forming one side of the purse extends upward for about t...
-An Emergency Sandpapering Machine
While doing some work I had several small pieces to be finished with sandpaper. They were so small and of such a shape that it was impossible to do the work by hand. Not having a sanding machine, I us...
-A Developing Machine
The base of the developing machine consists of a wood tray with sloping ends and high sides, which is placed at the center and provides bearings for the wheel axle. The dimensions given in the sketch ...
-A Stove-Wood Carrier
A handy wood carrier, for bringing wood and kindling from the basement or yard to the wood box in the house, may be made from a grain sack, as shown in the sketch. Use a complete sack and make rope ha...
-A Pencil Sharpener
A pencil sharpened with the device shown will have a better point and one that will not break easily while being sharpened. The lower arm A is made from a strip of sheet steel, 1/16in. thick. An exten...
-Cleaning an Oilstone
Use kerosene oil and a sprinkling of emery flour and proceed to sharpen tools. It is not necessary to clean A stone thus treated before placing the tool on it, as the emery and kerosene will make a go...
-Landing For Small Boats
Not having a landing for my small boat, I made a series of sectional platforms, rising 2 ft. above the bottom, which served the purpose well and were inexpensive. Each section is about 15 ft. long, 3 ...
-Bearings For Model Work
For experimental work I use hangers or bearings made of sheet brass or copper, bent at right angles for strength and capped with a box. The main part of the bearing A is shaped as shown, and the box B...
-Holding the Tongue Of a Shoe in Place
The tongue in a shoe will often slip down or over to one side or the other and expose the hose. To overcome this and have the tongue fit snugly in the right place, fasten a common lace clasp or hook n...
-A Photo Vignetter
Procure a piece of heavy wire, one that is fairly stiff, says Camera Craft, and a pair of pliers and bend the wire with the pliers as shown in the illustration. After the loop is made to fit around th...
-Pocket for the Inside of a Book Cover
Students or anyone wishing to retain notes on a subject will find it quite handy to have a large envelope pasted in the back of each textbook. Instead of having notes all through the book, they can be...
-Cleaning Steel Of Grease And Stains
Grease and stains can be easily removed from steel with a mixture of unslaked lime and chalk powder, by rubbing it on the steel with a dry cloth. The best proportion for the mixture, which is easily p...
-An Electrically Ignited Flash Light For Making Photographs
The results obtained in a great many cases in trying to take pictures by flashlight are exceedingly unsatisfactory, as the expression on the faces of the people in the picture usually is strained or u...
-A Simple Twine-Ball Holder
In looking for a place to put a twine ball I happened to see a tin funnel and it gave me the idea which I put into practice. I punched three holes at equal distances apart in its upper edge and attach...
-A Toy Popgun
A toy popgun can be easily made of two blocks of hard wood, 1/2 in. thick; a joint of bamboo, about 7/8 in. in diameter and 6 in. long; a small hinge, a piece of spring steel, 1/2in. wide and 1 in. lo...
-A Non-Rolling Thread Spool
A spool of thread may be kept from rolling by gluing squares of cardboard to the ends. The squares should be a little larger than the spool. This will save many a step and much bending over to pick up...
-Shoe-Shining Stand
To anyone who finds it tiresome to shine his shoes while putting the foot on the rim of a bathtub, on a cook- stove or chair with a newspaper on it, the stand here described will afford relief and at ...
-Cutter Made of a Wafer Razor Blade
A useful instrument for seamstresses and makers of paper patterns and stencils can be made of a piece of steel or iron and a wafer razor blade. The end of the metal is flattened and two holes drilled ...
-To Hold A Negative In A Printing Frame
When printing postal cards and working fast, it always bothered me to hold the negative in the printing frame while removing the card. To overcome this trouble I decided to contrive some arrangement t...
-How To Make An Electrolytic Interrupter
Obtain a glass jar or wide-mouth bottle about one-quart size. An ordinary round bottle will serve very nicely by having the top cut off, thus forming a glass jar. Make a top for the jar from a piece o...
-A Homemade Hand Drill Press
The little use I had for a drill press did not make it advisable to purchase one, so I constructed a device for drilling iron and brass which answered all purposes. A broken carpenter's brace furnishe...
-A Hose Nozzle
The nozzle shown in the accompanying sketch was made from an empty tobacco can having an oval shape. I cut the can in two near the center and punched small holes in the bottom. I then cut a piece of 1...
-Frosting Glass
Procure a piece of flat iron similar to an iron hoop, bend it, as shown in the sketch, to make a piece 3 in. long and 1 1/4 in. wide and file one edge smooth. Sprinkle some fine lake sand over the gla...
-Long Handle for a Dustpan
The dustpan is a rather unhandy utensil to use, especially for stout persons. One porter overcame this difficulty by attaching a long handle to the pan as shown in the illustration. The handle was tak...
-To Fasten Chair Legs
Chair legs often become loose when chairs are handled roughly, so that the glue is broken up. A small device made from a piece of pointed metal, A, which is securely fastened to the end of the chair l...
-Disk-Throwing Pistol
A pistol for throwing small disks of paper or metal balls, can be easily made at almost no expense as shown in the sketch. Two pieces of board, one of which is shaped to the form of a pistol, are hing...
-Displaying Dye Colors
A certain druggist utilized old electric bulbs for displaying dye colors. Water was colored with a dye and the end of a bulb dipped into the liquid. Then the tip end was broken off, and the bulb being...
-A Homemade Bench Vise
A Homemade Bench Vise #1 A serviceable and inexpensive bench vise can be made in the following manner: Procure a piece of hard wood, 1 in. thick, and shape it into an eccentric with an extending ha...
-Timing Photo Printing
Having hundreds of postals of a single subject to print, I made a perfect timing apparatus for exposing the prints from an old metronome and an old gong magnet. A disk, B, 20 in. in diameter, was made...
-Pail Hook for a Pitcher Pump
When pumping water from the ordinary pitcher pump, the bucket must either be held to the spout or placed on the ground. The accompanying sketch shows how I arranged a hook, fastened over the collar of...
-Shade Roller Attached To Upper Window Sash
Free circulation of air cannot be obtained through a window when the shade is attached to the window cas- ing, as it partly fills the opening caused by lowering the upper sash. If the shade roller is ...
-Flashing Hook
Having occasion to do a large amount of counter-flashing in a new wall where the mortar was soft and the joint too large to use an ordinary nail or the regular flashing hook, I made hooks from No. 24 ...
-A Homemade Dibble
A dibble made of a round and sharp-pointed stick is the usual tool for making holes when setting tomato and other plants. I found by experience that a dibble made of a flat board would work much bette...
-Liquid Court-Plaster
A good liquid preparation for cuts and bruises that forms A covering like liquid court-plaster is made by mixing 3/4 oz. of flexible collodion with 1/4 oz. of ether. When this solution is applied to c...
-A Substitute for Candles
One evening our electric light was cut off by a storm, and having no gas, candles, or oil lamps, a very good light was made in the following manner: A tablespoonful of lard was melted and poured in th...
-A Poultry Coop
A barrel makes a good protection for a hen with a brood of chicks, if it is arranged as shown in the sketch. Procure a good barrel with a bottom and cut off each alternate stave at both ends close up ...
-Preventing Mildew on Canvas
To prevent mildew on canvas, soak it in bluestone water, or if the mildew is already present, coat the parts well with ordinary soap and rub on powdered chalk, or whiting. A solution of corrosive subl...
-Holder for Books in a Case
Very often it is found, after arranging the books in a case, that the rows are not complete and the books at the end are continually sliding down on the shelf. The sketch shows a very useful type of w...
-Laying Out a Dovetail Joint
With dividers and compass lay off the width of the board into twice as many parts as the dovetails wanted. Draw a light line, AB, across the board as far from the end as half the thick-ness of the boa...
-Oiling Bright Parts Of Machinery
It is my duty to go over the bright parts on the machinery in my father's shop and give them a coat of oil late in the afternoon to prevent any rust accumulating over night. As the work took considera...
-Window Ventilator To Prevent Drafts
The ventilator consists of a piece of wood, about 8 in. wide, 3 in. thick and as long as the window is wide. Holes, 1 3/4in. in diameter, are bored at regular intervals into one edge and these are con...
-A Chisel Rack
Turn two large screweyes into the under side of a shelf, as far apart as is necessary, and slip a rod into the eyes. The rod may be kept from slipping out by threading each end and turning on a nut af...
-Homemade Snap Hooks
Having had occasion to use several snap hooks of various sizes and being unable to find anything suitable for my purpose on the market, I pro-cured several cotters of the desired sizes and by bending ...
-A Dropper And Cork For Medicine Bottles
A convenient way to accurately drop medicine and liquids without any other appliance than the cork is the following: Simply burn or puncture a smooth hole in the cork as shown. Pull the cork out sligh...
-Repairing A Broken Oilstone
A broken oilstone can be repaired and made as good as new in the following manner: Warm the pieces by heating them on the top of a stove or gas heater, with a piece of heavy sheet metal placed on it s...
-Homemade Towel Roller
The towel roller is made of a piece of broom handle, 16 in. long, squared on both ends and a nail driven in the center of each end. Procure two small pieces of tin - disks about 1 in. in diameter w i ...
-Clothesline Reel
The usual method of reeling up a clothesline and taking it in is quite a task and many times the lines are left out in the open from one wash day to another, due to neglect o r forgetful-ness. I made ...
-A Candle-Shade Holder
A holder for either round or square shades can be easily constructed from a piece of heavy copper wire to fit on a Two Forms of Shade Holder Made of Copper Wire for a Candlestick c...
-Wire Mesh Used As A Shelf
In covering a window back of my lathe with wire mesh as a protection I also made a shelf for the tools between the window sill and the lathe bed of the same material. The mesh used was 1/4-in. The she...
-Heel Plates
A good heel or toe plate can be made by driving ordinary thumb tacks into the leather of the shoe heel or sole. The shape can be varied by using tacks the Heads of the Tacks Form a Wearing Surface Equ...
-A Bright Dip For Metal
Articles of brass, copper and bronze may be given a bright luster by dipping them into a solution composed of 50 oz. of nitric acid, 25 oz. of sulphuric acid, liquid measure, and 1/2 oz. of soot and 1...
-An Interesting Vacuum Experiment
A very interesting experiment may be performed with two drinking glasses, a small candle end and a piece of blotting paper, says the Path-finder. The glasses must b e the same size and of the thin-gla...
-A Sliver Extractor
If a clipper for the finger nails becomes dull do not throw it away, but keep it in the tool box in a handy place. It is very useful for extracting slivers from the flesh. - Contributed by G. Wokenfus...
-Night Croquet Playing
Croquet playing became so interesting to us that we could not find time to do all our playing during the day. So at night we attach a candle to each of the wickets and also use one at each corner of t...
-A Nursing-Bottle Holder
The ordinary nursing bottle with nipple necessitates holding the bottle in a certain position, and when the valve nipples are used, the bottle should be held far enough away to allow this valve free a...
-Milk-Ticket Holder
An ordinary spring mousetrap makes a good bread or milk-ticket holder. The wood part of the trap can be easily nailed or screwed to a door or window casing. The way the tickets are held is clearly sho...
-Joint For Cabinet Work
In making a cabinet containing 5( drawers of various sizes, I used the method shown in the sketch for making the frame. The horizontal strips A should be all fastened together wher sawing the notches ...
-Starting a Saw Cut
A fine piece of woodwork is often spoiled by the amateur craftsman when starting a cut with a saw. As the first stroke of the saw on the edge of the board is made, the teeth often break a splinter fro...
-A Substitute Penholder
One evening when my wife was using the only penholder in the house I desired to do some writing and being in a hurry, I hastily made a substitute holder of a pencil. Two cuts were made in the butt end...
-Protecting Binding Posts on Wet Batteries from Corrosion
When recharging the cells of a wet battery it is best to procure the best grade of sal ammoniac, the kind that is put up in boxes having a sufficient amount for one cell. Then, before putting the solu...
-Holder for a Garden-Hose Nozzle
When sprinkling a lawn with an automatic spraying device on a hose nozzle it is necessary to have some kind of an arrangement to tilt the end at the proper angle. I find that a holder made of a heavy ...
-Alarm to Designate a Filled Storage Battery
When a storage battery is recharged, the completion of the recharging is marked by the development of gas in the cell. This fact is the basis of a simple electrical device which will ring a bell when ...
-Stretching Poultry Fencing
The woven-wire poultry fencing is an unusually difficult thing to handle and fasten on posts so that it will be taut and evenly stretched. The best method I have ever seen for drawing this fencing and...
-A Centering Gauge
The centering gauge consists of a piece of celluloid on which several circles are drawn having different diameters, but all drawn from the same center. A small hole is made at the center to admit the ...
-Homemade Letters for Marking Bags
An initial marker for bags can be made of a beet or potato. Cut off enough of the vegetable to provide a flat surface of sufficient size and then cut out the letter as shown in the sketch, and use sho...
-To Keep a Crease in a Soft Hat
The crease in a soft hat can be kept in proper shape with the aid of a paper clip. The clip is slipped over the fold inside of the hat which forms the bottom part of the crease. - Contributed by Jas. ...
-A Shoe Scraper
A good boot and shoe scraper for a step can be made of a worn-out and discarded broom. Cut off the straws and strings as shown in the sketch, al-lowing one string to hold them together, and make the n...
-A Vegetable Slicer
A tin bucket or can makes a good slicer for vegetables when no other slicer is at hand. A number of slots are cut across one side of the can, and the lower edge of each slot slightly turned out to for...
-Bench Stop for Planing Thin Boards
A bench stop for planing thin boards with a hand plane may be made in the following manner: Procure a piece of strap iron about 1/4 in. thick, 1 1/2 or 2 in. wide, and about 6 in. long. File or grind ...
-A Jardiniere Pedestal
The pedestal may be made of any close-grained wood, such as basswood or maple, if the stain is to be walnut or mahogany, but it can also be constructed of quarter-sawed oak and finished in a waxed mis...
-A Lawn-Tennis Marker
The liquid receptacle is a metal biscuit box, about 9 in. square and mounted on a wheel with a handle, the whole being similar to a wheelbarrow. The wheel is 7 in. in diameter and 2 1/2 in. thick. The...
-Removing Tannin Stains from Teacups
A small portion of hyposulphite of soda mixed with vinegar will make a good cleaner for teacups having tannin stains. This process does not injure the finest china and is inexpensive. The same solutio...
-Woven-Top Stool
The material necessary for this stool is as follows: 4 legs, 1% by 1% by 16 in. 4 bottom rails, % by 1 3/4by 1G in. 4 top rails, % by 2by 16 1/2 in. 4 diagonal braces, % by. 1 3/4 by 6 in....
-Preserving Shafting from Rust And Corrosion
In a laboratory it was very difficult to keep the line shaft and countershafts bright and free from rust, owing to the fumes and gases issuing from the several fume closets within the same room. the f...
-A Reed Basket
Inasmuch as there is a great de-mand for reed furniture and since good weavers are comparatively few in number, it would be well to learn the process of reed weaving. The weaving operations can ...
-Wireless-Lighted Lamp Deception
Window displays of puzzling nature usually draw crowds. A lighted globe lying on its side in full view, yet apparently not connected to any source of electricity, could easily be arranged as a window ...
-Live Bait Used in Fishing
With the simple device illustrated, no fisherman need worry over running short of bait or even regarding the usual repeated baiting of the hook. A small clear-glass bottle should be procured, and seve...
-Bookrack
The material necessary for the illustrated bookrack is as follows: 2 end pieces, 5/8by 5/i by 6 in. 1 shelf, 5/8s by 5 1/4by 13 in. The shelf is cut rectangular, 5 1/4 in. wide by 14 1/2 in....
-A Paper Gas Pipe
When one fits up an attic or a back room as a workshop, it is seldom that A gas connection is available on about the same level as the workbench so that a Bunsen burner and soldering apparatus may be ...
-Rubbing Slats for a Washing Board
In an emergency, and to substitute something for a broken glass rubbing plate on an ordinary washing board, I fitted a series of 3/8-in. dowels horizontally across the board, closely together. This pr...
-Catching Bugs Attracted by Light
Bugs, moths, and insects attracted by lights on summer evenings can be caught by means of sticky fly paper, suspend e d as shades around the lamps. Cuts in the shade allow the greater portion of the l...
-Needle Box for Talking Machines
An empty cigarette box can be easily changed to a useful container for talking-machine needles, as shown in the sketch. Take a fairly heavy card, trim it to the same length as the box, then bend and c...
-Trick of Taking Dollar Bill from Apple
A rather pleasing, yet puzzling, deception is to pass a dollar bill into the interior of an examined lemon or apple. This can be accomplished in several ways, either mechanically or purely by sleight ...
-Guide for Making Buttonholes
It is almost impossible to make a perfect buttonhole in the ordinary manner by hand without a guide. The illustration shows a very simple guide that can be easily made by anyone. Procure two pieces of...
-A Child's Playhouse
The child's playhouse is an expensive luxury, if it is purchased ready to set up, but by following the instructions given herewith a large and inexpensive one may be constructed. Procure about 100 ...
-Removing Basketball from Closed-Bottom Receptacle
The closed-bottom basket used in the game of basketball is so high that it is difficult to remove the ball after a goal is made. Generally a long stick is used for this purpose, but I desired to have ...
-Testing Dry Batteries
For testing dry batteries or any low-voltage current, take an ordinary thermometer and wind around the mercury bulb enough wire to make about 10 ohms resistance. This will make a good tester. A dry ce...
-A Wall-Paper Cleaner
To 1 qt. of flour add about 2 oz. of 90-per-cent ammonia and enough lukewarm water to make a dough. Wipe the paper with this preparation while turning and kneading it as in making dough. This will tak...
-A Trunk Mystery
Doubtless every person has seen the trunk mystery, the effect of which is as follows: A trunk, mounted upon four legs, is brought out on the stage and proven to be empty by turning it all the way arou...
-How to Make a Candy-Floss Machine
Every person is familiar with candy floss, made at stands on fair grounds, or carnivals, in an expensive whirling machine. It is not necessary to wait for a fair or a carnival to have a bunch of candy...
-Enlarging Pictures
A very simple and sufficiently accurate way of enlarging pictures by means of a pencil holder and elastic is shown in the illustration. The picture to be enlarged is fastened to a table top or drawing...
-Distance Chart for Wireless Stations
The amateur wireless telegrapher may be troubled more or less regarding distances from other stations. The difficulty can be overcome by following a plan similar to that of a parcelpost map. A map sho...
-A Carrier for Fishhooks
Hooks that are attached to gut or short strings are difficult to carry and to keep in good shape for use on a line. I made a carrier that overcame this trouble, from a block of wood. The block is 1/2 ...
-A Substitute for a Pen
Recently I was hard pressed for a pen, and as none could be found and the hour was late it was necessary to find a substitute. I fashioned a pen from a piece of boxwood, and was agreeably surprised at...
-A Dissolving Coin Trick
This is a very simple and, effective trick. The articles required to perform the trick are, a glass of water, a silver dollar, a handkerchief and a watch crystal, or round piece of glass, the size of ...
-A Fruit-Jar Opener
The accompanying sketch shows a handy device for turning up and unscrewing the covers on glass fruit jars. The loop is slipped over the cover and the handle turned in the direction of the arrow. To un...
-Anti-Tangle Safety Pin
A small disk of rubber or leather, placed on a safety pin as shown in Fig. 1, will prevent the fabric which is fastened by the pin from becoming tangled in the spring loop. The manner of using the pin...
-How to Nickel or Silverplate Iron by Friction
The following methods of plating iron with nickel and silver appeared in a recent issue of a German paper. In nickelplating iron, a thin coating of copper is first produced on it by rubbing on a solut...
-A Homemade Cradle
The cradle shown in the sketch can be made quickly and easily at home and will be found far more serviceable than, and possessing several advantages over, the ones purchased. It is made of a clothes b...
-A Removable Post
It is often desirable to have football and baseball grounds in public parks roped in during the game, but after the game the ropes and stakes must be removed. To drive in iron stakes and then remove t...
-String-and-Ball Trick
The stopping of a ball on a string at any desired point is understood by almost every person, but to make one that can be worked only when the operator so desires is a mysterious trick. Procure a wood...
-Wall-Paper Cleaner
The following mixture I have used with the best results for years. Thoroughly mix together 3 pt. of wheat flour and 1 pt. of powdered whiting, then add sufficient water to make a dough. To clean a dir...
-Revolving Shaft without Power
The device illustrated seems paradoxical for it apparently works without any power being applied to it, making from two to three revolutions per hour, which, though slow, is nevertheless motion, requi...
-A Paper-Bag Holder
A holder, to accommodate the different-sized bags used in a store, can be easily made of a board, 6 in. wide and 30 in. long. One edge of the board is cut with notches similar to the teeth of a ripsaw...
-Covering for Chalk Trays
The chalk trays fitted at the lower edge of blackboards soon collect considerable chalk dust and the chalk sticks dropped into it are, therefore, disagreeable to handle. A simple way of keeping the st...
-A Curtain Hanger
A close-coiled spring, about 1/4 in. in diameter, makes a much better hanger for a short curtain than a small rod. The spring should be about 1 in. shorter than the width of the window and fastened wi...
-Joints for Model Aeroplane
In constructing model or toy aeroplanes the strips used are so slender that it is difficult to join them at the ends with brads without splitting them. If glue is used, there is danger of breaking two...
-An Indoor Baseball Game
An indoor game of baseball may be played on a board 5 ft. long and 3 ft. wide. A diamond is laid off at one end of the board and pins represent- ing the hits are attached to the board so they will pro...
-A Lantern for the Camp
A very desirable lantern for camp use is one that utilizes a candle instead of a lamp. Such a lantern can be made of an ordinary oil-lantern globe, a block of wood, some galvanized wire, a few nails, ...
-Electric Lights Controlled from Two or More Switches
Many times it is quite an advantage to have a lamp or group of lamps so connected that the current may be turned on or off by any one of a number of different switches. For example, the lights in a lo...
-Electric Score Board For Indoor Games
A very satisfactory electric score board, for use in scoring basketball and other games played indoors, is shown in the illustration. It is constructed entirely of wood, but should be lined with asbes...
-A Mission Frame for an Alarm Clock
The old nickelplated alarm clock which usually adorns the kitchen mantel is, to say the least, not ornamental, and I improved the appearance of mine without lessening its usefulness by making a small ...
-Mixing Sulphuric Acid
One of the first lessons given a student in chemistry is how to mix sulphuric acid with water. This would naturally be supposed to be very easy, yet, if it is not done right, it will surely result in ...
-A Chinese Pagoda
Fold the end of a long and narrow strip of paper over several times as shown in Fig. 1 and roll the entire length over a stick, then remove the roll and crease, or make it flat, as shown in Fig. 2. M...
-A Cuspidor Carrier
The task of handling cuspidors under all conditions is anything but pleasant, but the carrier shown in the sketch makes quite an improvement over ordinary methods. The carrier consists of an iron rod,...
-Guide for Grinding a Plane Iron
When a plane iron has been sharpened a number of times, it often becomes so out of square that the edge cannot be made parallel with the bottom of the plane block, even by using the lateral adjustment...
-To Prevent Torch Lights from Smoking
In the shop or factory oil torches are sometimes used and much trouble is experienced by the excessive smoking of the flame. This occurs because too much carbon remains unburned, and can be remedied b...
-A Lard and Fruit Presser
A very simple but handy device for pressing out lard, juices for jelly, or fruit for marmalade, is made from two boards, each 18 in. long, 3 in. wide and 1/2in. thick, formed into the shape of paddles...
-An Electric-Light Bulb as Barometer
To use a discarded electric bulb as a fairly reliable barometer the point is broken off with a pair of pliers while holding the bulb under water. As the bulb is a vacuum, it completely fills with wate...
-A Swinging-Pendulum Trick
To swing a pendulum, picked out from a number of them at random, without touching it is a very puzzling trick. The articles necessary are a medium-sized table and a number of pendulums, some of which ...
-Applying a Strap Hinge
An ordinary strap hinge can be applied to a door or box cover in such a way that only one wing will show. Ordinarily the hinge opens as at A, and. on reversing it, the hinge will open to the limit as ...
-Tricks Performed With Thumbs Tied Together
To have one's thumbs securely tied together by any person in an audience and examined by the spectators, then have some one throw a hoop or bicycle rim on one of the performer's arms as if the thumbs ...
-A Way to Keep Home Accounts
An easy way to keep track of all the home expenses is by the popular card system. The index cards can be had at any stationery-supply house. Place the cards in a box on end and have a good supply of b...
-How to Make a Blowgun
Either a 12-in. length of a small curtain-rod tubing or a straight piece of small bamboo pole, cut off between the joints, can be used for the gun part of this simple device. If bamboo is used, see th...
-A Brush for Applying Soldering Acid
A good brush for applying acid to articles for soldering can be made of a piece of small copper pipe for the handle, and fine copper wire for the brush. To make the brush part, take a piece of cardboa...
-Inkwell and Penholder
An empty paste pot with a water well in the center makes an excellent inkwell and penholder. Fill the exterior well A with cement or plaster of paris, push the number of penholders to be held into the...
-A Homemade Loose-Leaf Pocket Memorandum
The little memorandum illustrated herewith is very handy to carry in the coat or vest pocket for taking notes, etc. Loose leaves may be supplied with very little trouble. It consists of a fold of pape...
-Rubber-Band-Change Trick
The trick of changing a rubber band from the first and second fingers to the third and fourth, if done quickly, can be performed without detection by any one. The band on the first two fingers is show...
-A Swinging Electric-Light Bracket
The light bracket shown is both ornamental and useful and can be swung from one side of the room to the other in an instant, a feature that is of great value in a dimly lighted kitchen. It can be made...
-Match Safe to Deliver One Match at a Time
A match safe that will deliver only one match at a time is constructed of two parts, the box or holder and the base, with slider. The box is diamond-shaped and of the size shown by the dimensions. The...
-Cartridge Shells Used for Electrical Contacts
In making small switchboards, rheostats, and other electrical devices, I found a good use for old center-fire cartridge shells as shown in the sketch. A hole a little smaller than the diameter of the ...
-A Dowel-Turning Tool
The owner of a wood or metal lathe can easily construct a tool that will turn dowels of any size quickly. This tool, as described by a correspondent of Work, London, consists of a block of wood, shape...
-To Tie A Hammock
A method not generally known to quickly and securely hitch up a hammock between two trees, in camp or elsewhere, is shown in the sketch. Each end rope is given one or more turns around a tree trunk an...
-An Inexpensive File
Envelopes make a very inexpensive as well as a neat file for papers and letters if they are arranged and fastened together so that they can be kept in one packet. In making such a file procure as many...
-Window-Shade Guides
The annoyance of a shade that will not run true on the roller and flops in the wind coming through an open window can be overcome by using guide wires as follows: The stick in the hem on the lower ...
-Watering Plants at the Roots
An effective way to water rose bushes, shrubs or plants is to place an old cowhorn in the earth so that the small end will be near the roots of the plant and the large end level with the surface of th...
-How to Clean Jewelry
To cleanse articles of silver, gold, bronze and brass use a saturated solution of cyanide of potassium. To clean small articles, dip each one into the solution and rinse immediately in hot water; then...
-Runner for a Go-Cart
As the wheels of a go-cart do not push through the snow very easily and the cart, therefore, does not run in a straight direction, and as I did not care to purchase a sled, I instead fitted the go-car...
-A Ring-Throwing Game
The board for this game is made of a cover from an old candy or lard pail, washed and painted black. When the paint is dry, place 50 pegs on the surface as shown and number them with white paint or by...
-A Pen and Brush Holder
A sheet of corrugated paper is a handy thing to have on the writing desk, for the purpose of placing wet pens or brushes in its grooves. The paper absorbs the liquid, and the corrugations hold the pen...
-Supporter For A Double Clothesline
A double clothesline of any length should have a supporter in the center to keep the line from sagging when the clothes are hung on the lower one. The supporter shown in the sketch saves the wear from...
-Pincushion for The Arm
Those that have trouble in keeping the pincushion within reach while sewing, can remedy the trouble by making one to fit the wrist or arm. An ordinary pincushion is attached to a piece of cardboard an...
-Electric Test For Fixtures
A very useful device for testing out fixtures before they are connected up can be easily made as follows: Two wires are run from a plug, A, one to A socket, B, and the other to terminate at C. The lin...
-Opening For Steam In A Utensil Cover
When cooking certain foods the ordinary cover on a vessel confines too much steam, while if no cover at all is used, too much will escape, hence a cover which is provided with a vent is very desirable...
-Drying Seeds
A good way to dry tomato, cantaloupe, and other seeds is to put them on blotters. They will quickly dry in this manner and will not become moldy, as the blotter soaks up the moisture. - Contributed by...
-Cleaning Clothes by Boiling Them
When cleaning clothes by boiling them in a boiler over a fire, fit in a false bottom to keep the clothes from touching the bottom. The false bottom should be perforated with holes, 3/8 -in. in diamete...
-An Emergency Tack Puller
One day I had to pull some tacks but had no tack puller at hand. An idea came to me to use the kitchen spoon, and I found that it worked even better than a regular tack puller. The ordinary kitchen sp...
-A Puzzle with Figures
This puzzle is to arrange all the figures or digits, from 1 to 9 inclusively, in two rows, each containing all the digits, so that the sum in addition as well as the remainder in subtraction will have...
-To Fasten Loose Table Legs
When legs of an ordinary table become loose and unsteady they may be easily repaired as shown in the sketch. Ill: A Piece of Wire Bent around the Leg of a Table will Make It Rigid Nail...
-Washbasin Holder
A piece of wire formed into the shape shown in the sketch makes a handy hook to hold a washbasin when it is not in use. This keeps it out of the way and out of the dirty water which might be thrown in...
-A Cleaner for Canvas Shoes
One of the most economical cleansers for canvas shoes is oxide of zinc. Mix a small quantity of the powder with water, to the consistency of thin paste, and apply it to the canvas with an old toothbru...
-How to Demagnetize a Watch
Quite often the attendants or a visitor to an electric-light plant discovers after a few days that his watch is losing a half hour or more a day by having become magnetized by the dynamos. In stations...
-A Pencil Holder
Procure a piece of paper, 7 in. long and 4 in. wide, and roll it one time around a lead pencil, then coat the remaining surface of the paper with glue. Roll this around the pencil and a tube is formed...
-A Poultry-Food Chopper
The illustration shows a handy device for cutting roots for food, and for chopping and mixing stale bread, potatoes, peelings, refuse fruit, etc., for poultry. Any blacksmith can make the chopper at l...
-A Small Spring Hinge
Box covers or small doors that are seldom used can be supplied with a small spring hinge as shown in the illustration. The hinge is made of a piece of spring wire which is formed similar to a staple w...
-Shoestring End
When the tips slip from shoelaces, new ones may be readily made of fine wire. The wire is run through the end of the lace, Fig. 1, and the two ends are twisted tightly together as shown in Fig. 2. Thi...
-Threads on Wood Shafts
In model making it is quite necessary at times to have threads on a wood shaft. These can be made quite satisfactorily by coiling a wire around the shaft where the threads are wanted, and driving the ...
-A Glass Breaker
After cutting glass, and especially where a small strip is to be removed, the part must be broken away in small pieces. The accompanying sketch shows a very useful tool for this purpose. The tool is m...
-Wood Postal Cards
The card consists of three pieces, or three-ply, veneer. The grain of the outside veneer runs lengthwise, while that of the inside piece runs crosswise. This makes the card straight and keeps it from ...
-Fastening Screws in Tile and Brick Walls
A simple way to fasten screws in tile or brick walls is to drill holes, not too large, for the screws, then tear up some paper, wet it and make a pulp. Pack this pulp tightly in the hole and turn in t...
-Shoe Pull Made of an Eyelet
The pulling-on strap at the back of a shoe often comes loose, or pulls out, and even if it does not, the trousers will sometimes catch on it if the strap is not tucked inside of the shoe. A very simpl...
-Holder for a Set of Sadirons
A very attractive holder for a set of sadirons and their handle can be made as shown in the illustration, although the design may be changed if desired. The holder consists of a shield-shaped back, wh...
-A Garden Roller
A garden roller for digging the earth and crushing clods is easily made of the following material: One round piece of wood, 10 in. in diameter and 18 in. long; two pieces of wood, each 56 in. long,...
-A Substitute for Glaziers' Points
Ordinary small staples make good substitutes for glaziers' tacks. The points of the staples should be drawn apart slightly, as shown at A, to give them a greater holding area and at the same time make...
-Water-Heating Coil In A Furnace Pipe
The accompanying sketch shows a plan I adopted for conserving the waste heat from my furnace. I found that I was able to put a coil into the smoke pipe, which was about 8 in. in diameter, and thus hea...
-A Homemade Marking Gauge
A %-in. bushing is turned into the side outlet of a %-in. tee. The bushing is then tapped to receive a 7/16-in. wing bolt. A tight - fitting wood plug is driven into the through way o f the tee and th...
-A Tie-Pin Holder
Having lost several tie pins by theft or by their falling out I made a little device to securely hold the pin in the tie. This device makes it almost impossible t o pull the pin out and it cannot be l...
-How to Make a Small Vise Screw
Procure an ordinary lag screw, as shown in Fig. 1, cut off the pointed end and file the threads into the shape shown in Fig. 2. A hole is drilled through the head and a handle put in, as shown in Fig....
-A Medicine-Spoon Holder
When a dropper is not at hand it is difficult to drop medicine in a spoon while holding it, and the shape of the spoon will not permit its being set down. A shoe horn used as shown in the sketch will ...
-Knife Holder on a Frying Pan
Instead of laying a knife on the stove or carrying it to a table or elsewhere while frying anything in a pan, make a clip to fit the edge of the pan for holding the knife when it is not in use. The cl...
-A Broom for Sweeping Out Corners in Steps
Sweeping the corners of steps is one of the greatest difficulties of the housewife, or others who have a number of stairs to sweep. I have made this task easy in a very simple manner. I secured a used...
-Removing a Cork from a Bottle
A cork that has been pushed into a bottle accidentally or otherwise can be easily removed in the following manner: Tie several knots in one end of a string to form a large cluster and drop it into the...
-Filing Flat Surfaces
Anyone who has used a file knows what skill is required to produce flat surfaces. A fixture which is nothing more than a mirror properly placed enables the operator to sight along the file and see at ...
-Tacking a Screen on a Frame
Screen wire is very difficult material to fasten on a frame so that it becomes taut. To make it taut and even drive the tacks as follows: First tack the screen on one side of the frame, taking care to...
-Safety Tips on Chair Rockers
Some rocking chairs are so constructed that when the person occupying it gives a hard tilt backward, the chair tips over or dangerously near it. A rubber-tipped screw turned into the under side of eac...
-Portable and Folding Bookcase or Closet
Two packing boxes hinged as shown and fitted with casters make a very convenient portable closet. It can be folded flat against a wall or fitted into a corner. If furnished with shelves, it can be use...
-A Curtain Stop
A small screweye turned into the bottom part or wood strip inclosed in the lower end of the curtain will prevent this end from winding over the top roller when the curtain is quickly released and roll...
-An Alarm for a Sleepwalker
A little girl in our family would walk in her sleep and it caused us no little worry lest she might leave the house without our knowing it. I therefore rigged up an alarm device to ring a bell should ...
-A Kraut and Root Grinder
The grinder is intended mainly for chopping cabbage when making sauerkraut, but it is also of much service in grinding vegetables and roots to be cooked for poultry. The base A is made of a plank, ...
-Opening For Air At the Top Of A Shade
Procure an extra long shade and cut two openings in the end to be used at the top. The openings may be cut square or ornamental as desired, leaving a strip at each side and one in the center. These st...
-Hose Attachment for Watering Window Plants
The window garden of the house has its watering difficulties which one owner overcame in a neat and handy manner. A hose on a weighted reel was attached to the joists in the basement under the floor n...
-Removing Paint from Glass
Paint may be easily cleaned from glass by using a 50-per-cent solution of acetic acid. The acid should be heated and applied with a cloth. The hot acid will not hurt the hands or fabrics, nor the glas...
-To Prevent Baking Ovens From Scorching
A good method to prevent baking ovens from scorching or burning pastry is to sprinkle a mixture of sand and salt on the bottom where the pans are placed. This affords a way of radiating the heat evenl...
-Horn Candle Sconce
The person who cares for things unusual will find the candle sconce made of a cowhorn a suitable fixture for the den. A well shaped and not too large cowhorn is selected, and prepared by first partly ...
-How to Make a Copper Stencil For Marking Laundry
A stencil suitable for marking laundry may be easily made as follows: First procure a small sheet of stencil sheet copper, about 1 in. wide and 4 in. long. Dip this sheet of copper in a vessel co...
-A Brass Pin Tray
A novelty pin tray can be easily made of a piece of No. 24 gauge sheet brass or copper, 5 in. in diameter. The metal is annealed and polished with fine emery cloth, which is given a circular motion to...
-A Homemade Exerciser
A weight machine for exercising the muscles of the arms is easily constructed by using two screw hooks, 5 in. long, and two small pulleys, 2 1/2 in. in diameter. An awning pulley can be used for this ...
-A Book Covering
New books can be quickly and neatly covered to keep them clean by cut- ting a paper large enough to cover the back and sides when the book is closed, allowing 1 in. extra at each end to be turned over...
-A Tilting Inkstand
An ink-bottle stand, that can be tilted or adjusted so that the pen will always be filled with a sufficient quantity of ink even when little of it remains in the bottle, as shown in the sketch, can be...
-A Ring Trick
The trick to be described is one of the simplest and at the same time one of the most effective, and but little make-ready is required to perform it. The magician, while sitting in a chair, allows h...
-Removing Old Putty
A very effective way to remove old putty from window panes or other articles is to apply a red-hot iron, as follows: The iron should be made of a broken file or cold chisel and the point heated quite ...
-How To Make A Water Wheel
The materials used in the construction of this water wheel are such as the average amateur mechanic may pick up or secure from a junk pile. The drawings in Fig. 1 clearly show the way the wheel is bui...
-An Interesting Experiment
Take an ordinary board, 2 or 3 ft. long, such as a bread board, and place it on the table so that about one-third of its length will project over the edge. Unfold a newspaper and lay it on the table o...
-Ironing-Board Holder
An ironing board that had been used on two chairs was cut off square on one end and a piece of heavy sheet metal cut and bent into the shape shown in Fig. 1. The square end of the board was fitted int...
-How To Make A Water Motor
By EDWARD SILJA After making several different styles of water motors I found the one illustrated to be the most powerful as well as the simplest and most inexpensive to make. It can be constructed...
-An Application for Small Wounds
Pure wintergreen oil makes a good local application for all small wounds, bites, scratches, abrasions, etc. There is no germ or microbe, animal or vegetable, dead or living, that can withstand this oi...
-Cores for Use in Babbitt Metal
It is often necessary in making things of babbitt metal to core out some of the parts. A very good core is made of common salt and glue. Mix just enough of the glue into the salt to make a stiff paste...
-How To Build A Wind Vane With An Electric Indicator
Quite often it is practically impossible to ascertain the direction of the wind by observing an ordinary wind vane on account of the necessity of locating the vane at such a height that it may give a ...
-Planting Seeds In Egg Shells
When growing flower plants from seeds, start them in halves of shells from hard-boiled eggs. When the time comes to transplant them, they can be easily removed by allowing the dirt in the shell to bec...
-Locating Drip Pan Under A Refrigerator
In replacing the drip pan of an ice box or refrigerator it is often necessary to bend over in locating it under the drip pipe. This trouble may be done away with by fastening two strips of wood in a V...
-Windmill For Light Power
The windmill shown In the sketch is one that will always face the wind, and it never requires adjustment. It consists of a vertical shaft, A, provided with a number of arms, B, on which are hinged squ...
-A Small Bunsen Burner
An excellent bunsen burner for small work can be made as follows: Draw a glass tube to the shape shown, to produce a fine hollow point. Mark carefully with a file and break at A and then at B. Bore or...
-The Hindoo Sand Trick
This is one of the many tricks for which the Hindoos are famous, and was long kept a secret by them. It consists of placing ordinary sand in a basin full of water, stirring the water and taking out th...
-A Kite-Line Cutaway For Toy Parachutes
The cutaway is made of a small piece of board, a cigar-box lid, an old yardstick or a piece of lath, which should be about 6 in. long. Common carpet wire staples are used to hold it on the string. The...
-A Cherry Pitter
Procure an ordinary quill feather and cut the tip off to form a small hole. Do not remove so much of the end that the cherry stone can stick in it. The hole must be slightly smaller than the cherry st...
-To Hold A Fish While Removing The Scales
Insert A screwdriver or Ice pick in A fish as shown, and the scales can be removed much better and quicker than in any other way. The handle of the screwdriver affords an efficient grip so that the fi...
-Carrying Stone Jars
The handholds on stone jars are usually not large enough to carry the jars safely when they are full. If the handles of an old galvanized tub are riveted to a leather strap long enough to reach under ...
-Vibrator For A Spark Coil
If you do not have the time to make A vibrator or electrolytic interrupter for A spark coil, A common electric doorbell makes a good substitute. Connect one of the primary wires to the binding-post of...
-Head Rest For A Chair
While seated In A Chair A person very often desires to lay the head back In resting. A support for the head Is lacking in the low-back rockers and ordinary chairs. A detachable, padded support can be ...
-Lighting a Lawn Mower for Use at Night
Those who desire to do so, or must, for lack of time during the day, may use their lawn mower at night and light the front of their machine with an ordinary bicycle lamp. The arm to hold the lamp can ...
-Tying a Rosette in a Couch-Cover Corner
In the accompanying illustration is shown a very simple method of tying a rosette in the corner of a couch cover. The use of the average couch cover as a throw-over leaves a large corner which drags u...
-Different Stages In Tying The Rosette
same time make an artistic corner, the Upholsterer suggests the following method: Spread the couch cover on the couch so that the surplus is evenly divided between the sides and ends, and pass a pi...
-Driving Screws
A wood screw having the threads hammered flat on two sides can be easily driven in with the flattened sides parallel to the grain of the wood. When the screw is turned a quarter turn the remaining thr...
-A Power Windmill
The windmill shown is somewhat different from the ordinary kind. It is not a toy, nor does it approach in size the ordinary farm windmill, but is a compromise between the two, and in a good strong win...
-Telegraph Code On Typewriter Keys
A very simple and practical method of transcribing wireless time and other messages on the typewriter without having such perfect knowledge of the Morse system as to be able to immediately translate i...
-An Aid in Sketching Profiles
The means usually employed by most beginners to obtain the correct outline of an object, such as tracing or a pantograph, make them dependent on mechanical help rather than train the eye to form and p...
-A Small Hydroelectric-Power Plant
Wherever a water pressure of over 30 lb. is available a small hydroelectric-power plant will produce sufficient electric current for any light work, such as charging storage batteries, operating sewin...
-Paper Shades for Electric-Light Globes
The appearance of an electric-light globe can be very prettily improved by making a shade of crepe paper of any desired color for each one. Canary-colored crepe produces a soft, mellow effect. Pale bl...
-Renewing the Markings on Graduates
Graduates that have been in use a long time, especially for measuring alkalies, become unreadable. The graduations are easily restored in the following manner: Moisten a small piece of absorbent cotto...
-Repairing a Broken Ball-Clasp Purse
Having occasion to repair a purse of the ordinary ball-clasp kind where one of the stems was broken off and lost, I first had some trouble in finding a way to repair it. I started to take off the rema...
-Automatic Valve for a Funnel
Where liquid is run through a funnel into an opaque bottle or earthen jug, the filling cannot be watched, and if not watched constantly, the vessel will overflow. This can be obviated by applying the ...
-Chisel Holder for Whetting
To obtain the proper slope and apply a fine cutting edge, the plane iron or chisel must be held at the proper slope while grinding, and especially so when whetting. The illustration shows a holder to ...
-A Large Hole in a Small Piece of Paper
It would seem impossible to cut a hole in a piece of paper, 2 in. wide and 3 in. long, large enough to allow a person's body to pass through it, but if carefully cut as shown by the lines in the sketc...
-Homemade Bunsen Burner
The amateur craftsman, at some time or other, needs a hot flame for certain kinds of work, and a Bunsen or alcohol flame is brought into service. The gasoline and alcohol flames have their drawbacks, ...
-Cane-Seat Cleaner
A rapid and practical method of removing stains and discolorations from the cane seats of chairs, wickerwork, etc., is to use oxalic acid and powdered pumice. Dissolve oxalic-acid crystals in hot w...
-Shade-Roller and Curtain-Pole Bracket
The main advantage of this shade bracket is that a person can lower it for adjusting the shade or in changing curtains while standing on the floor, thus eliminating the use of a step ladder and the da...
-Planing Arrow Sticks
While making some bows one day I discovered I had no suitable dowel sticks for the arrows, so I started to make them out of 1/4-in. square stock. I found it rather difficult to plane these pieces unti...
-To Clean Shellac from a Brush
Put the brush in a strong, warm solution of borax and water, and then wash in clean, warm water. If the bristles have become hard, allow the brush to remain in the solution until soft, keeping the sol...
-Lathe Dogs
In the absence of a full equipment of lathe dogs the amateur can make them cheaply from pieces of iron pipe. Ill: Two Forms of Lathe Dogs That are Quickly and Cheaply Constructed One o...
-To Remove a Splinter from the Flesh
Quite frequently small particles of steel, splinters, or thorns are run into the flesh and cannot be removed with the fingers. These can be readily removed in the following manner: Press the eye of an...
-Holders for Displaying Magazines
Papers and magazines often are sold in drug stores where the display space usually is limited, especially in the window. The method used by one druggist gave space for the magazines in the window with...
-Waste-Paper Basket
The covering of a broken demijohn was used in the manner shown as a waste - paper basket. The glass was broken out and the covering soaked in water, after which the splints were turned down and tied w...
-Lettering Photographs
Amateur photographers often write, or print, the names of the subjects on the mounts, or in the albums, with white ink or scratch it on the negative so that it will print in the picture. A very goo...
-A Stamp Moistener
A handy stamp moistener and envelope sealer can be made by procuring a small medicine bottle or glass vial and inserting a piece of felt or other wicking material in the place of the stopper, and fill...
-A Window Lock
A very neat window lock can be made of sheet steel, 1/2in. wide. One piece, shaped like a saw tooth, is fastened to the sash, and the other, which is bent to form a catch over the tooth projection and...
-Varnished Candles Burn Longer
The heated tallow or wax of a candle runs down the sides and this results in a considerable waste. This waste can be stopped by coating the new candles with white varnish and laying them aside for a f...
-Guides for a Mill File
Having a large number of wires to file true on the end I devised a way to do this with the use of some old worn-out and discarded files that had good cutting edges. A piece of sheet copper, about the ...
-A Simple Motion-Picture Machine
The drum A is a piece of wood, 1 3/4 in. long and l 3/16 in. in diameter, supported on the end of a round stick, B, which can be made in one piece with the drum, if a wood lathe is at hand, but a piec...
-Substitute For Cleats on Boards
The necessity for using more than one cleat for fastening two boards together may be done away with by using the device shown in the sketch. The center cleat prevents the boards from buckling while th...
-Attaching Door Knobs to Locks
When putting a lock on a door it is often difficult to press the two knobs together tightly enough to prevent them from rattling and still be able to insert the screw into the shank. By using a piece ...
-A Finger-Nail Buffer
The flywheel on a sewing machine is usually turned with a semicircular face and this makes a good base on which to apply a piece of chamois skin for use in buffing nails. A strip of the chamois is cut...
-Grinding Chisel Edges
A cold chisel ground with a rounding edge, as shown, will last twice as long and do better work than one that is ground straight, because it will not wedge, and the cutting edge, having a better suppo...
-Reducing Amperage of a Fuse Wire
It is sometimes necessary to use an electrical fuse of smaller amperage than those at hand, and for experimental work this is often the case. A smaller amperage may be readily made from a larger-size ...
-Dip-Plating Process
The various ways of doing dip plating are practically the same method, the coating fluid consisting of essentially the same materials. The tank or crucible, as it may be called, consists of a piece...
-A Model Steam-Turbine Boat
A piece of thin board, or shingle, is cut to the shape of a boat and two standards are fastened to it. The standards have notches cut in them to hold an ordinary baking-powder can which is used for th...
-Plant Shelf for a Window
An ingenious and simple method of putting up window shelves for winter plants so that the window casing and facing are not marred is shown in the sketch. The materials required are one shelf, about 8 ...
-A Camera Support
A device which, in many instances, will take the place of a tripod, can be made of a brass wood screw and can be carried in the pocket as easily as a pencil. The screw should be 3 or 4 in. long a...
-Combination Tool for Amateur Draftsmen
A common 6-in. mill file can be converted into a very useful tool for an amateur draftsman. Grind the end of the file as shown in the sketch and use it for prying out thumbtacks that are driven in too...
-Varnishing Bases for Electric Apparatus
It is quite difficult to keep from making finger marks on freshly varnished boards used as bases on electric devices. It is easily avoided, however, by procuring a large spool and fastening it to the ...
-Waterproof Shoe Dressing
Melt some tallow and, while it is hot, put in some scraps of rubber from old rubber shoes or boots. Be careful to select rubber that is free from cloth. Put in as much of the rubber as the tallow will...
-An Adjustable Bench Stop
A simple adjustable bench stop for light work may be made from a piece of 1-in. broom handle and a piece of piano wire. Plane a flat surface on the broom stick and drill two 1/16-in. holes, about 1/4 ...
-A Crochet Hook
In making some kinds of lace work different-sized hooks must be used as the work proceeds. Considerable time will be lost in changing from one hook to another, if they are separate. The best way is to...
-Writing Board for Children
A writing desk for a child can be easily made as shown in the sketch. The materials necessary are a board of suitable size, two screwhooks, four screweyes and a pair of rods for braces. The hooks are ...
-Geometric Principle In Line Division
When sketching a plan, if any one of the first few lines drawn is found to be the proper length, then this line can be made into a scale by the geometric rule for dividing a given line into equal part...
-Repairing A Broken Whip
Procure a piece of thin tin-the metal taken from a discarded fruit can will do - and cut it about 21/2 in. long and wide enough to encircle the break. Notch the ends like saw teeth and remove any shar...
-Repairing A Worn Thimble
Silver thimbles are easily worn through at the end, and they can Be quickly repaired by soldering from the inside. A very neat repair can be made with an alcohol lamp and a blowpipe by using a little ...
-A Small Torch
A small torch, that will give a very fine and hot smokeless flame, can be made from a piece of glass tube, about 4in. long, and 4 ft. of rubber tubing. The glass tube is heated in the center A Torc...
-Fountain Attachment For An Ordinary Pen
A quite efficient fountain pen may be quickly made by bending an ordinary pen, as shown at A, and inserting it In the holder opposite to the regular pen, as shown at B. For best results, the point of ...
-Homemade Cut Press
The person who has a little ability in making wood cuts with a knife will find it very interesting to make the press shown in the sketch. A fair job of printing can be done with the press, using print...
-An Electrical Testing Instrument for Experimenters
The amateur having an ordinary flash light can make an instrument that will serve for a variety of purposes. It is only necessary to solder a piece of lamp cord to the spring of the battery which come...
-Softening The Tone Of A Talking Machine
An effective mute, for use on any disk talking machine, can be made by clamping an ordinary wood clothespin on the head of the setscrew that holds the needle. Thus the tone will be softened a great de...
-A Musical Doorbell
By H. MARCELLE IN the construction of this doorbell I it is best to purchase a small instrument known as the tubaphone. It consists of a rack with several pieces of brass tubing cut to different ...
-Replacing Buckle Tongues
Having several buckles without tongues I tried to repair them with pieces of wire, but could not get them to bend short enough to fasten around the buckle frame. Some cotters were at hand and seeing t...
-Drying Towels in Photographer's Dark Room
In doing a large amount of photographic work the towel becomes wet, and to dry the hands on it is impos- sible. To obviate this annoyance, I made a galvanized-iron pipe, about 2 ft. long and 8 in. in ...
-An Electric Chime Clock
By JOHN E. MAHLMEISTER IN the construction of this clock one perfectly good and accurate alarm clock and the works of an old or discarded one are used. The clock for the accurate time is set into a...
-Hinges Used to Substitute Night Bolt
One of the safest devices for bolting, or locking, a door against intruders is to use two sets of hinges. The extra set is fastened to the door and frame in the same way but directly opposite the regu...
-Propellers for a Hand Sled
Desiring to propel my hand sled with power transmitted by cranks and wheels, I set about to procure the necessary materials. Two medium-sized buggy wheels were found in the back yard of a blacksmith s...
-A Self-Feeding Match Box
With the addition of the simple device here illustrated, any match box can be converted into one of the self- feeding type. A piece of tin, or cardboard, is cut, as shown at A, the exact size dependin...
-Corks-in-a-Box Trick
Procure a pill box and a clean cork. Cut two disks from the cork to fit in the box, and fasten one of the pieces centrally to the inside bottom of the pill box with glue. To perform the trick, put ...
-A Disk-Armature Motor
One of the simplest motors to make is the disk motor, its construction requiring a wood base, a brass disk, a 3-in. horseshoe magnet, and some mercury. Ill: Parts of the Disk Motor Sho...
-Repairing Marble
With a little practice any mechanic can repair holes, cracks or chipped places on marble slabs, so that the patched place cannot be detected from the natural marble. Use the following mixture as a bas...
-The Construction Of A Simple Wireless Telephone Set. Part I
By A. E. Andrews Among the various methods for the transmission of speech electrically, without wire, from one point to another, the so-called inductivity system, which utilizes the principles of...
-The Construction Of A Simple Wireless Telephone Set. Part II
By A. E. Andrews If two coils of wire be placed parallel to each other as shown in Fig. 6, and a current be passed through the winding of one of them, say A, a part of the magnetic lines of force c...
-How to Lock a Tenoned Joint
A tenon placed in a blind mortise can be permanently fastened, when putting the joints together, by two wedges driven in the end grain of the wood. In some cases, where the wood to be used is very dry...
-Fitting a Large Cork in a Small Bottle
When necessary, a large cork may be made to fit a small bottle, if treated as shown in the sketch. Two wedge-shaped sections are cut from the cork, at right angles to each other, as shown in Fig. 1. T...
-A Homemade Wet Battery
Procure a large water bottle and have a glass cutter cut the top off so that the lower portion will form a jar about 8 1/2 in-high. Next obtain two pieces of carbon, about 8 in. long, 4 in. wide...
-An Electric Incubator
Where electric current is available, it can be used to heat an incubator much better and cleanlier than the kerosene lamp. The materials are inexpensive and the cost should be no more than for the ord...
-A Cover For Magazines
As soon as Popular Mechanics, or any other magazine of similar size, arrives and before any member of the family looks through it, strip off the front cover and carefully remove the narrow strip on th...
-Cloth Cover And Paper Cover Attached
the left corner of the picture are neatly pasted on, Fig. 4, and the narrow strip is glued to the back. The book is put under a heavy weight for several hours. Thus a neat, strong cover, which look...
-An Optical Illusion
A very deceiving illusion can be contrived with a bit of wire, a rubber band and a toothpick. An ordinary straight hairpin will serve instead of the wire. The hairpin or wire is bent as shown in the i...
-Temperature Alarm
The falling temperature of a room during the night may result in a very bad cold for the occupant. This may be prevented by the use of an alarm to awaken the sleeper and warn him to close the window. ...
-Paper Smoother and Penwiper
A convenient paper smoother and penwiper can be easily made as follows: Procure a common celluloid harness ring, A, about 1 1/2in. in diameter and fasten a penwiper, B, to it. The wiper is made of art...
-Stereoscopic Pictures with an Ordinary Camera
Make a small table as wide as the camera is long and 3 in. longer than the camera is wide. Sink a screw nut in the center of the under side to en- gage the regular tripod screw. Fasten a double or two...
-Table on Tripod for Camera
As the negatives must be sized, it is necessary to use films. A camera using films 31/2 by 31/2 in. will make negatives that can be trimmed 1/4 in. on each side to make prints 3 by 3 1/4 in. Each two ...
-How to Make a Paper Drinking Cup
Every person should understand the simple method of making a paper drinking cup. It may be necessary at times to make quick use of medicine and with no cup or spoon convenient, the pyramid-shaped cup ...
-A Hand Corn Sheller
A very handy device for shelling corn, and especially popcorn, can be made of a 1-in. board on which is fas- tened a piece of metal lath. The edges of the metal lath are bound with a strip of wood nai...
-A Shaft Coupling
In connecting a small 1/8 -hp. motor to a small air pump where both shafts were % in. in diameter, I quickly made a coupling that would save the wear on the machines, as follows. The coupling was made...
-Reading the Date of a Worn Coin
The date and denomination of a coin worn smooth can be determined in the following manner: Take an ordinary coal shovel, or a piece of sheet metal, and place it in a hot fire. Allow it to become red h...
-Making a Knife an Easy Opener
The large blade of my knife being so hard to open placed me in constant risk of breaking my thumbnail. To overcome this difficulty, I ground a notch in the handle as shown in the sketch. After smoothi...
-Construction Of A Small Bell-Ringing Transformer. Part I - Fundamental Principles
By A. E. ANDREWS The transformer in its simplest form consists of two separate and electrically independent coils of wire, usually wound upon an iron core. Ill: Fig. I - Two Coils on a...
-Construction Of A Small Bell-Ringing Transformer. Part II - Construction
By A. E. Andrews Transformers may be divided into two main groups, the classification being made according to the relation between the magnetic circuit of the transformer and the primary and second...
-Spirit Photographs
Print some photographs in the usualway on printing-out paper, then fix them in a solution of 1 oz. hyposulphite of soda and 8 oz. of water, and wash them thoroughly. While the prints are still wet, im...
-Mirror Hinged To Window Casing
A shaving mirror is usually placed on a window sash to avoid shadows as much as possible. This is very inconvenient and many times the mirror is broken by a fall. A good way to avoid shadows and have ...
-A Cleaning Bath for Silverware
A good way to clean silverware of all coloring by eggs or other substances is to place the silver articles in a kettle of boiling water containing a few pieces of zinc, An electrolytic action is produ...
-To Prevent Poultry Water From Freezing
The method shown in the sketch is used by me in cold weather to keep the drinking water for the poultry from freezing. The device consists of a part of a barrel inverted and set over the fountain, and...
-How to Make a Letter Scale
A reliable letter scale that can be easily made is shown in the sketch. It consists of a wide-neck bottle filled with water into which the weighing device is inserted. This latter part is made of a li...
-Summer Dish Washing
A labor-saving method in dish washing for a summer day is as follows: Construct a substantial wood frame and cover it with galvanized wire mesh. Attach legs and put it in a convenient place on the bac...
-Nozzle Angle for Lawn Sprinkling
Where there is no prop or water sprinkler at hand for tilting the nozzle of a hose, start to tie a knot in the hose, as shown in the sketch. but do not draw it up tightly. The hose nozzle can be tilte...
-Simple Methods Of Connecting Call Bells
The following diagrams will indicate a few of the various methods that may be employed in connecting up electric bells for different purposes, A, B and C representing the push buttons ; D, the bells; ...
-Wiring Diagram For Two Or More Bells
in Fig. 4. The two bells, D, are shown connected in parallel, which requires more wire than if they were connected in series. If they be connected in series, one or the other should have its make-and-...
-Refrigerator For Dry And Warm Climates
Set a bowl containing butter, cream or fruit in a saucer and cover the bowl with a moistened napkin, allowing the edges to hang in a larger saucer filled with water, and place the whole in the air out...
-Pencil-Sharpening Guide
The sketch shows how a guide for making a true point on a lead pencil may be made of a block of wood. The hole, which should be large enough to allow the pencil to be turned easily, is bored at the pr...
-Homemade Hinges
When making a chicken house recently I had forgotten to procure hinges. When searching the junk box I found some little metal brackets such as used for holding spring roller shades. Attaching these ...
-Skimmer for Bottled Milk
The cream that rises on the milk in an ordinary milk bottle cannot be removed easily. Where a small family desires to use the cream for coffee, the skimmer shown in the sketch is very handy. The co...
-How to Preserve Putty
Having some putty left over after a job of glazing and wishing to keep it without its becoming dried up, I tried wrapping it in paraffin paper such as used to wrap butter. I found this method to be a ...
-How To Build A Simple Electric Motor
By A. G. McCLURE An exceedingly simple and inexpensive motor that may be used in operating small toys can be constructed as follows: First procure a good permanent magnet, about 5 in. long and abou...
-How to Make a Humidity Indicator
A simple weather indicator that may be used in determining the condition of the atmosphere may be made as follows: Dress a small figure, in the form of a doll, with a piece of cloth, previously dipped...
-The "Q" Trick
Lay out the form of the capital letter Q with coins on a table and ask someone in the audience to select a number and then ask that person to count up from one until the number is reached, beginning a...
-To Keep Ants Away From Food
Suspend a shelf, breadbox or rack with wire around which is tied a piece of cotton cloth, saturated with a mineral oil. The ants will not cross the oil-soaked cloth. Some strong wire hooks attached...
-Vaulting-Pole Holder
An adjusting device for a vaulting pole that can be easily fixed at any point on a round pole by using a wedge and ring, is shown in the sketch. The wedge carries a pin on which to place the cross pol...
-Flying Model Aeroplane for a Display
A novelty for a window display is made of a model aeroplane flying by its own power. To control the direction and make the model fly in a circle it is fastened to a long stick or beam which is pivoted...
-An Electric Time Light
Although the modern alarm clock is a wonderfully effective piece of mechanism, it is, to say the least, very abrupt in its manner. It seldom confines its efforts to the chamber of its owner, but...
-Inflating Handballs
When handballs become dead, or no longer bounce freely, they may frequently be restored by inflating them with air. This can be done by means of a bulb attached to a hypodermic needle. The needle mu...
-A Garden-Bed Scarecrow
A very neat and successful scarecrow for garden beds can be made as follows: A number of corks are pro- cured, and a feather is stuck in each end of them, as shown. These are tied to a string, spacing...
-Measuring the Length of Wire Wound on a Spool
When winding magnet spools on a lathe, the exact amount of wire used can be easily determined by means of the device shown in the illustration. The large reel from which the wire is obtained is conven...
-Homemade Lawn Sprinkler
With a short length of old hose, a serviceable lawn sprinkler can be quickly and easily made. One end is provided with a regular coupling for connecting it to the line of good hose. The other end is t...
-Homemade Toy Bank
The little bank illustrated is not exactly burglar-proof, but once put together it cannot be opened except by the destruction of one of the units of which it is composed. It requires but little skill ...
-An Electric Anemometer
By Wm. H. DETTMAN The construction of this instrument is so simple that any amateur can make one, and if accurate calibrations are desired, these can be marked by comparison with a standard anemome...
-How to Make Stick Shellac
It is often desired to use shellac in solid or stick form, and to get it into this shape by melting and molding requires considerable time. A much quicker method is to place the shellac in a shallow b...
-Substitute for a Hose Reel
Not having the room to spare for the ordinary hose reel, I used as a substitute a piece of wire bent into the shape of a letter S and with its aid coiled the hose in a manner to expel the water and le...
-Addressing A Roll Of Papers
When addressing rolled-up papers it is difficult to write on the curved surface. The papers also have a tendency The Roll of Paper is Placed in the Curved Edge of a Book for Addressing t...
-Repairing the Bruised Sides of a Motorboat
When the sides of a boat become scored or bruised scrape the parts clean and fill the depressions with wood cement. The wood cement or stick cement, as it is called, can be procured from a paint store...
-How To Make An Electric Lamp Flasher
Procure two pieces of metal, one of brass and the other of sheet iron, 5 in. long, 1/2 in. wide, and 1/32 in., or just a little more, in thickness. Bend the brass strip into the form shown in Fig. 1, ...
-Timing Photograph Prints
An amateur photographer insists :hat a timing clock in the darkroom is a needless luxury. In order to time printing exposures, which he does with a pendant tungsten light under a refecting shade, he s...
-Supports for Camp-Fire Utensils
The sketch shows how to make a standard or support to hold cooking utensils over a camp fire. The main part or stake is made of a piece of gas pipe, on one end of which is turned an ordinary coupling,...
-A Rotary Tuning Coil
The rotary tuner shown in the sketch was designed by a correspondent of Modern Electrics. The circle is cut from 3/4-in. stock, 1 in. wide and well covered with insulating material. It is then wound w...
-Preparing Sheet Music for Turning
Each page on sheet music having three or more pages should be cut 1/4in. shorter than the preceding page, as shown by the dotted lines in the sketch. This will enable the player to quickly turn the pa...
-Toy Parachute Cut-Away for Kite Lines
An interesting pastime while flying kites is to attach large toy parachutes to the lines and have some device to drop them when they are at a great height. In Fig. 1 is shown how the parachute is drop...
-Two Parachute Drops
Another method is shown in Fig. 2. It is only necessary to send a piece of paper or cardboard along the line and when it strikes the wire coil A (Fig. 2) the part B slides out of the loops C, the end ...
-How To Make An Electric Furnace
A small electric furnace that will be very serviceable in a laboratory may be made as follows: First procure a small clay flowerpot, about 4 in. in diameter at the bottom, and also a small clay cru...
-Cleaning Brass Articles
Embossed or undercut brass work may be easily cleaned by boiling the pieces in a strong solution of caustic soda or lye, and then immersing them in a mixture of hydrochloric acid, 6 parts ; water, 2 p...
-A Whetting Block
A handy tool gauge for sharpening the various tools about the household is made of a block of wood with the sides of one end cut sloping in different degrees so that each will serve to secure the prop...
-Submarine Photographs
A photographer at a seashore resort, wishing to increase his sales of souvenir postal cards, rigged up a device for producing negatives to make submarine pictures. The device consisted of an aquariu...
-A Homemade Mailing Tube
A photograph or manuscript may be sent through the mail unmounted without the danger of being broken by placing it in a tube made as follows: For an 8 by 10-in. photograph procure a piece of cardboard...
-Cutter For Lace Leather
Lace leather may be easily cut with an ordinary pocket knife having a U-shaped block fitted on the edge of the blade. The width of the opening should be exactly the same as the thickness of the leathe...
-Refinishing Chairs
When refinishing chairs, a good way to get at the bottom part is to turn the chair upside down and place its seat on the seat of another chair. The legs and rungs can thus be easily cleaned and varnis...
-An Electric Gas Lighter
A very simple and inexpensive electric gas-lighting device is shown in the accompanying illustration. The gas is ignited by means of an electric spark which is produced between the two parts A and B o...
-Stretching Tight-Fitting Shoes
A tight-fitting shoe can be stretched by filling it tightly with oats dampened in water and packing some old paper in the top. The grain will quickly swell and, as the leather will get softened by the...
-Pad for a Percolator
To prevent heating the bowl of a percolator and burning the handle, as often happens when it is placed on a stove, use an ordinary asbestos pad with a hole cut in the center as shown, just large enoug...
-Compass Time Chart
A very instructive little instrument can be easily made for telling the time of any location on the globe. Its construction is extremely simple. Draw a circle, about 1 1/2in. in diameter, on a piece o...
-Reversing Switch for Small Motors
A reversing switch made as follows will be found very serviceable in reversing the direction of the rotation of small motors, changing the polarity of electromagnets, etc. A diagram of the connecti...
-Adjustable Rod for Potted Plants
Procure a brass sash-curtain rod of the telescoping kind and stick the solid part into the soil close to the plant and tie it to the rod. As the plant grows move the tubular part of the rod upward to ...
-Wrench for Different-Size Nuts
A very handy wrench can be made from a piece of square bar, shaped as shown and fitted with a handle. The joint at A may be halved and riveted or a weld made as desired. The size of the bar and the sp...
-A Simple Sextant
A sextant for measuring the latitude of any place can be easily constructed as follows: While a board, 1 in. thick, 6 in. wide, and 12 in. long is about right for the instrument, any dimensions can be...
-How to Make a Taper Ferrule
Having occasion to make a taper ferrule of irregular form, a pattern from which to cut the material was made as follows: A mandrel of the desired shape was made, a piece of writing paper, soaked in wa...
-How to Make a Continuously Ringing Bell
The bell shown in the accompanying diagram is known as the continuously ringing type, and has quite a field of usefulness in connection with burglar alarms, door-bell signals, telephone signals, etc. ...
-A Mission-Style Inkstand
Having a couple of good-sized ink bottles of the ordinary type lying around, I fashioned a mission-style stand for them out of a piece of yellow pine, 2 in. wide and 3 in. long, set on another piece o...
-Raising Dents in Wood
The imprint of a hammer on finely finished wood caused by a glancing blow, or otherwise, may be removed in the following manner : Pour enough wood alcohol on the dented spot to cover it, then light th...
-Carrying Two Pails in One Hand
When it is necessary to carry two small filled pails in one hand and a package in the other it will be found a very difficult job, if the contents are liquid. Procure a stick of sufficient size to car...
-Preserving Paint in Open Cans
To keep paint from drying out in an open can it is necessary to exclude the air from the oil. This can be done by procuring an air-tight paper sack, which is tested by blowing into it. Set the can int...
-Jelly-Straining Stand
Procure a board, 7/8 in. thick and 13 in. square, and cut a hole, about 1 ft. in diameter, in the center. Fasten posts, 4 ft. long, to each corner. Screw hooks are located around the edge of the hole ...
-Renewing Dry Batteries
It is a well-known fact that dry cells commence to deteriorate from the time they are manufactured, and it is a matter of considerable uncertainty in purchasing cells to know whether they will continu...
-Workbench Equipment for a Table Top
The average home mechanic with a few tools seldom has a place to work and is usually without a workbench. As this was my case, I constructed a bench equipment that I could easily damp to the kitchen o...
-A Nonsticking Drawer Guide
The guide shown is nonbinding and has been found thoroughly practical after several years' use on furniture. The guide A consists of a piece of wood, about 1 1/8 in. square, with a concave cut in its ...
-A Milk Stool
The stool is made of three pieces of board and a piece of round, or stake, iron. The appearance and manner of construction are clearly shown in the illustration. The seat board is sawed out to fit the...
-Sounder for Wireless-Telegraph Messages
The owner of an amateur wireless outfit often has reason to regret that he cannot let some of his friends listen to a message at the same time as he himself. The magnifier described in the following p...
-Joint for Mission Furniture
The mortise for this joint is made in the usual manner, the only requirements being that the mortise is run through the piece, and the tenon is cut 1/8in. shorter than the depth of the mortise or the ...
-A Towel Roller
A substantial, convenient and non-rusting towel roller can be made from 8 or 9 of the familiar wood handles on bundle carriers and a length of brass curtain rod. The bracket ends can be shaped from an...
-An Electric Shaving Mug
The general use of electricity in the home has opened up a new field in the way of heating and cooking utensils. While these utensils are sold by electric-supply houses, some of them can be easily mad...
-A Handbag Lock
The pickpocket finds it easy to un-snap a handbag and remove some of the contents, especially in crowded places. To make it less easy for the pickpocket, I fixed my mother's handbag as shown in the sk...
-An Emery-Cloth Holder
Emery cloth in sheets is very easily spoiled around a workbench. Oil or other fluids used on work are apt to drop on it and when wet for a short time the abrasive is useless. The illustration shows a ...
-The Operation of the Compass
After trying to tell a few small boys what a compass is, they wanted a practical illustration - something they could see. Not having a compass or knowing where to locate one handily, I used a piece of...
-Thawing Out Frozen Pipes
When the water pipes connecting a range boiler become frozen, get a plumber and avoid an explosion of the water back. If, however, the frozen pipe is a cold-water pipe in no way connected with the hot...
-A Wire Clothespin
The pin is made of galvanized wire, A, 8 or 10 in. long, wound spirally, B, on a round surface, such as a broom handle, to make the holding part. The ends are fastened together as shown. The space bet...
-Vent for Pouring Heavy Liquids
A tube placed in a jug or bottle as shown in the sketch will assist greatly in removing molasses or heavy liquids. The tube can be placed in the receptacle without getting the liquid inside by holding...
-A Hat Hanger
Procure A piece of 1/8-in. wire, about 3 ft. long, bend it into the shape shown in the sketch, and sharpen the projecting end. Drive this into the wall above a coat hanger. This provides a better hat ...
-Repairing A Broken Tenon On A Chair Post
Instead of cutting off the four posts to make new tenons where one tenon was broken I used a metal piece made from a short length of bicycle tubing, as shown. The tube was slotted two ways to make fou...
-Substitute for an Iron-Holder Knob
The wood knob on the holder for my irons became charred from the heat and finally broke away from the pin. The pin would get so hot in continued use that it could not be moved without burning my finge...
-An Egg-Frying Pan
The frying of eggs in an ordinary frying pan is accompanied with some difficulty in removing them when they are cooked without breaking the yolk. Then, sometimes, the pan is too hot and the egg sticks...
-A Sander Mandrel for the Lathe
A cylindrical sander for use in the lathe can be easily made of two pieces of wood, turned to a diameter that will take the stock size of sandpaper, and clamped together with pinch dogs At the ends. O...
-How To Construct A Simple Galvanometer
A galvanometer is an instrument used to detect the presence of an electrical current in a circuit or to measure the value of the current in amperes. The operation of practically all galvanometers is b...
-Experiments with Camphor
Place a few scrapings from gum camphor in a tumbler of water and watch the phenomenon. The scrapings will go through all kinds of rapid motions as if they were alive. A drop of turpentine, or any oil,...
-Boiling Cracked Eggs
Eggs with the shells cracked can be boiled in the ordinary manner without danger of the white boiling out, if they are first wrapped in tissue paper. As soon as the paper becomes wet it will cling so ...
-A Trousers Hanger
A very serviceable hanger can be easily made of two clothespins of the clip type and about 2 ft. of large wire. Ill: Clothesline Clips Joined Together with a Wire and Used as a Trousers Han...
-Removing Tight-Fitting Can Covers
Tight-fitting covers on lard and similar pails can be readily removed by tying a stout cord loosely below the cover, then placing an ordinary nail under the cord and twisting it. This will tighten the...
-A Skimming Spoon
A handy skimming spoon can be made very quickly of an ordinary spoon of any size desired. Slits are sawn across the bowl in the manner shown, using a hacksaw. The illustration is self-explanatory. - C...
-How To Make Falling Blocks
Procure a thin board large enough to cut six blocks, 2 in. wide and 3 in. long; also 2 yd. of cotton tape, 1/4in. wide, and some very small tacks. Cut the board into pieces of the size mentioned,...
-Writing Name Reversed on Paper Placed On Forehead
The following is an entertaining experiment in a party of young people. One of those present is asked if he can write his name, and will, of course, answer yes. He is then subjected to the following...
-Use for an Old Table
An old table of the extension type, that may have a post broken, can be used against the wall in a kitchen as a work table. If there is a damaged part, that side is removed by sawing the crosspieces o...
-How To Make A Small Rheostat
In operating small motors there is as a rule no means provided for regulating their speed, and this often is quite a disadvantage, especially in the case of toy motors such as used on miniature electr...
-Folding Arms for Clothesline Posts
The inconvenience of using a number of clothesline posts and the limited space available resulted in the making of a clothesline post as shown in the sketch. The entire line is supported on two posts,...
-A Folding Bookrack
Having need of a bookrack which I could pack away in my trunk and still have room for my clothes, I made one as follows: I procured a piece of pine, % in. thick, 6 in. wide and 18 in. long, and laid o...
-A Simple Balance
Having use for a balance in a laboratory and being unable to procure any scales at the time, I hastily rigged up a device that served the purpose as well, as the work did not require very great precis...
-An Ink Eraser
A good knife eraser for ink can be made from a discarded or broken ruling pen. One of the parts, or nibs, is cut off close to the handle and the remaining one sharpened on both edges at the point. Thi...
-Gate Fasteners
Buttons on gates or small doors are apt to become loose and then drop down, thereby allowing the gate or door to become unfastened. The ordinary button is shown at A where it is loose and turned by it...
-A Compensating Siphon
The homemade siphon shown in the sketch consists of two rubber corks and a glass tube with a rubber hose connected to it. The cork A is used as a bearing and support on the edge of the tank. The posit...
-A Polarity Indicator
Lines in a cable or the ends of connections at a distance from the battery must be tested to determine the polarity. Where a large amount of this work is to be done, as in automobile and motorboat rep...
-Small Steam-Engine Cylinders Made from Seamless Brass Tubing
In making a small steam engine it was desired to use seamless brass tubing for the cylinders. To have them exactly alike a piece of tubing of the right size and of sufficient length for both cylinders...
-A Pocket Direct - Current Voltmeter
The assembled drawings of a very simple voltmeter are shown in Fig. 1, and its operation is as follows: The moving portion consists of a pointer, or needle, A; a small permanent magnet, or armature, B...
-Falling Leaves in a Nature Scene
Use an ordinary pasteboard box, a shoe box or larger, and cut out one end. Fasten the box to the ceiling by means of pasteboard strips. One end of these strips is pasted on the bottom of the box and t...
-Home or Traveling Utility Bed Pocket
The pocket is made of cretonne with wire hooks attached on the upper edge. Ill: Various Pockets for the Change Garments for Use At Home Or In Traveling The compartments are arranged as...
-A Paper Perforator
In an emergency an ordinary hacksaw blade may be made to serve very acceptably as a paper perforator. The toothed edge is applied to the paper and the reverse edge tapped with a mallet or hammer. A co...
-Turning Brass Rings
Occasionally an amateur has need of brass rings of round cross section, and if their construction is not understood, the task is a difficult one. If a piece of brass tubing, an old bushing or a cored ...
-An Electric Fountain
By WALTER P. BUTLER To make the grounds as attractive as possible for a lawn party given one night, I constructed an electric fountain which at first appeared to be an expensive proposition, but wh...
-A Mystery Coin Box
The effect of this trick is as follows: A small metal box, just large enough to hold a half dollar and about 1/2 in. high, with a cover that fits snugly over the top, is passed out to be examined, and...
-How To Make A Small Series Motor
The motor here described has been constructed and found to give very good results. It is simple to build and the materials required can be easily obtained. The armature core and field, or frame, are m...
-Cooler for Milk and Butter
An earthen jar or crock, with a cover, set in a box containing moist sand will keep butter and milk in hot weather better than a refrigerator. The sand must be kept moist at all times. - Edwin J. Bach...
-Rubber Bumper on a Water Faucet
Sometimes a dish is broken by striking it on the faucet. This is easily remedied by cutting a rubber washer from a rubber-boot heel with a sharp chisel and a hammer. The washer is pushed into place on...
-Boring a Clean-Edged Hole
When boring a hole in wood, withdraw the bit as soon as the worm shows, then start the worm in the hole on the opposite side and finish boring the hole. It will then have clean edges on both sides of ...
-Drilling Thin Metal
In drilling very thin stock the drill, if not properly ground, will tear the metal and leave a ragged edge. To cut a hole through neatly the drill should be ground as illustrated. The center A should ...
-Flexible-Cord Adjuster for an Electrical Flatiron
When using an electrical flatiron the flexible cord frequently gets under the iron, causing much trouble for the user, and mussing up the clothing. The cord can be kept out of the way by fastening a p...
-A Wood Clothes Peg
If clothes that are slightly damp are hung on a nail or metal peg, a rust stain that is almost impossible to remove will be the result. To prevent this, drive a nail with the head removed into the wal...
-To Make Scratch Pads of Old Labels
Labels and blank paper of uniform size, that would otherwise be cast aside, can be turned into handy scratch pads by placing them between blocks of wood, secured by a wood clamp, and applying paste on...
-How To Make An Electric Heater
The electric heater described in this article is very simple to construct, its operation exceedingly satisfactory, and the necessary material easily procured at a small cost at most electrical-supply ...
-A Molding-Sawing Block Used on a Bench
Having occasion to saw some short pieces of molding, I experienced considerable trouble in holding them without a vise until I made a block, as shown in the sketch. This answered the purpose as well a...
-Pipe Caps Used as Castings for Engine Pistons
Desiring to make a small piston for a model engine and not caring to make a pattern and send it away to have a casting made, I thought of using ordinary pipe caps, these being both in expensive and of...
-An Electric Horn
A simple electric horn for use on a bicycle, automobile, or for other purposes, can be constructed as shown in Fig. 1. The size will of course depend somewhat on the use for which it is intended, but ...
-Combination Meat Saw and Knife
A very handy combination knife and meat saw can be made of an old discarded saw blade. The blade is cut on a line parallel with the toothed edge, allowing enough material to make a good-sized blade, t...
-Clamp Used as a Vise
A carpenter's wood clamp fastened to the edge of a bench, as shown in the sketch, makes a good substitute for a vise for many kinds of light work. If the clamp is located over or in front of the bench...
-Wire Expansion Meter
When there is a current of electricity in an electrical conductor a certain amount of heat is generated due to the opposition or resistance of the conductor to the free passage of the electricity thro...
-How To Make A Fire And Burglar Alarm
A very serviceable fire and burglar alarm may be installed by anyone who can work with carpenters' tools and who has an elementary knowledge of electricity. Fire and burglar alarms are divided into tw...
-Removing a Rear Bicycle Sprocket
If a bicycle rider desires to remove the rear sprocket for changing the gear, or for any other reason, and there is no large pipe wrench at hand, a piece of tube or pipe, as shown in the sketch, can b...
-Hand Propeller-Wheel Attachment for a Rowboat
The rear fork of an old bicycle frame, with the crank hanger attached, and the rear hub constitute the main parts of the propelling device. One of the cranks is cut from the hanger and a bracket attac...
-An Attached Back for a Photographic Printing Frame
In using the ordinary photographic printing frame with a spring-pressure back, the back must be entirely re- noyance, I placed at one end of the frame, as shown in the sketch, a second hinge made of c...
-Repairing a Worn Stop Cock
The plug of a worn stop cock, or one that has been reground, of the type shown in the illustration will project Removing a Portion of the Plug and Shortening the Screw Allows the Parts to b...
-Tool Holders Made of Brass Clips
Hangers to grip tool handles can be easily formed of sheet metal in any desired material. The clips are shaped as shown at A in the sketch. Any number of the clips may be fastened with screws to a woo...
-Removing Perspiration Stains from Delicate Cloth
Lay the stain in the cloth over some blotting paper, and sponge the cloth with a grain-alcohol and ether solution, which should be made by mixing equal portions of each. The sponging should be quite v...
-Buttonhole Cutter
If the buttonhole scissors are mislaid or there are none at hand, the holes may be cut in the manner shown in the sketch. Place a piece of wood, having a width equal to the length of the buttonhole, o...
-Filing Small Rods in a Lathe
Reducing the diameter of a small rod by filing while it is turning in a lathe is a difficult thing to do, as the pressure of the file on one side bends the rod. The filing may be easily accomplished b...
-A D'Arsonval Galvanometer
A galvanometer in which the moving part of the instrument is a permanent magnet controlled by the action of the earth's magnetic field and the magnetic effect of a current in a coil of wire, that usua...
-How to Make Advertising Lantern Slides
Procure some old discarded photographic films and remove the gelatin coating by soaking them in hot water. When dry, write the desired words on the thin celluloid and place it between two pieces of gl...
-Utilizing Old Brush Handles
The handle cut from an old dusting brush, fitted with the brass end of a shotgun shell, makes a first-class tool handle. The handle is cut off at A and the wood cut down to fit tightly into the brass ...
-Preserving Paints And Pastes
White lead, thick shellac, and pastes that are used occasionally may be preserved by laying a piece of leather over the exposed surface. When these materials are kept in cans, cut A piece of leather f...
-A Burner For Soldering Small Work
As It was necessary for me to solder the joints of fine wires on electrical instruments, and other small work, I found myself in need of a blowpipe that gave A small but very hot and easily directed f...
-A Safety-Match-Box Holder
A holder, as well as a tray, for safety matches can be made from any ordinary tobacco can. The metal on one side is cut as shown and the pieces bent up to form standards for holding the match box in a...
-Removing Ink Stains From Book Leaves
When the leaves of a book are accidentally stained with ink it can be removed quite readily by the following process: After removing as much of the ink as possible with a camel's-hair brush dipped in ...
-A Needle-Spray Nozzle
To make a needle-spray nozzle, either insert a 22-cali-ber cartridge in a small tube, or place a 45-caliber shell over the end of the tube and solder it in place. The end is perforated to make one or ...
-How To Make An Electrotype Stamp
The method described in the following produces a very good metal stamp for any name, initial, drawing, etc. Procure a smooth and perfectly level sheet of brass about 1/16 in. thick and about 3 by 4...
-Making the Copper Shell
An ordinary stamp pad will do for inking, but the best ink to use is printer's slightly thinned, as the ordinary rubber stamp ink is not suitable for a metal stamp. - Contributed by S. V. Cooke, Hamil...
-A Cover for a Bottle
If a glass medicine bottle is to be carried constantly in the pocket, it is best to cover it with leather or rubber. Ill: Pattern for Making a Bottle Cover of Leather or Rubber for Bottles ...
-Boring a Long Hole
The usual method of boring a hole through a piece of wood longer than the bit is to bore from each end. To make the hole straight by this method, split the wood or saw it in halves, then make a knife ...
-Covering for a Gas-Stove Top
While frying or cooking on a gas stove the grease will spatter over the top and make the cleaning rather difficult, especially where there are many crevices. A simple method of avoiding this trouble i...
-Homemade Skis
Not having a bent board suitable for a pair of skis, I proceeded to make the skis in the following manner: A cheese box was procured and two pieces cut out of the side, each 15 in. long and 3 in. wide...
-How To Make A Dry Cell
The containing vessel for the cell should be made from sheet zinc. It should be cylindrical in form, approximately 21/2 in. in diameter and 6 in. long. This vessel is to form the negative terminal of ...
-A Hose-Nozzle Handle
A handle for a garden-hose nozzle is easily made of a piece of wire and the wooden part of a package carrier. The wire is bent to receive the hose at A, and, after the handle is slipped on, the other ...
-Guide for Cutting Mortises
After spending considerable time in cutting one mortise in a piece to make the settee described in a recent issue of Popular Mechanics Magazine, I devised the plan shown in the sketch which enabled me...
-Insect-Proof Poultry Roost
To protect the poultry from mites and other insects while roosting, I constructed a roost hanger, as shown, with oil cups made of empty shoe-polish cans. The cover of the box was nailed to the roost a...
-To Prevent Shade Rollers from Unwinding
Obtain a stick for the hem on the lower end of the shade that is 2 in. longer than the shade is wide. Place two small wood screws in the window casing below the shade roller in such a position that th...
-A Screen and Storm-Door Cushion
A good cushion that will prevent a spring door from slamming can be made out of material cut from an old rubber boot or, better still, from an old hollow rubber ball. Three strips of heavy rubber, 1 1...
-Repairing a Coaster Brake
Anyone having a bicycle coaster brake that is apparently useless because it will not brake, can easily repair it in the following manner: Remove the inner hub by unscrewing the cones and insert a piec...
-Flypaper Holder
The ordinary method of using sticky flypaper is quite annoying, as it cannot be easily removed from anything that may come in contact with its sticky surface. The best way to avoid this trouble is to ...
-A Fish Rake
The fish rake can be made in any size, for minnows or salmon, but it is especially adapted for fish that run in schools, like smelt, herring and minnows. Procure a piece of wood, 7 ft. long, 4 in. wid...
-To Harden Small Blocks of Wood
Small blocks of wood can be hardened so that they will not split so easily when small screws are inserted by boiling them in olive oil for about 10 minutes. The olive oil can be kept for future use. I...
-Homemade Clothesline Reel
It is much better to make a small reel, like the one shown, for a clothesline than to wind the line on the arm, the usual method of getting it into shape for putting away. The reel con-si s t s of ...
-Gear-Cutting Machine
Perhaps the last thing that would be thought within range of the amateur who lacks a full equipment of machinery is the cutting of gear wheels. The device shown in the sketch is very practical, and, w...
-A Potato Peeler
The guard is made of a piece of wire about 1 in. shorter than the blade of an ordinary table knife. The ends of the wire are turned into a coil to re- semble a coil spring with coils close together. A...
-Guard Made of Wire
When this device is placed on the knife, the contrivance works on the same principle as a spokeshave. The first setting peels the potato without any appreciable waste, the other setting may be as desi...
-An Easy Way to Develop Roll Film
This is simply a different motion to the tiresome seesaw one usually employs when films are being developed. In wetting them down previous to immersion in the developer, do not keep them in the water ...
-A Shoe Hanger
An inexpensive shoe hanger can be made of a strip of tin, about 1/2 in. wide and as long as the space will permit. Cut notches along one edge and bend the tin and tack or screw it on a strip of board ...
-How to Make a Small Vertical Drill
A small hand drill with a three-jaw chuck that will take the smallest drill can be purchased very reasonably. For ordinary work these drills do very well, but for comparatively deep holes, or when usi...
-Decorating Candles
Candles can be easily decorated by the following method: The designs can be selected from paper prints which are tightly wrapped around the candle with the design in contact with the wax. Strike a mat...
-Homemade Hacksaw Frame
A home workshop not having a complete set of tools may be supplied in many ways with tools made by the owner. The hacksaw frame illustrated is one of these. The frame is made of hard wood. The saw end...
-Drill Press On An Ordinary Brace
As the greater part of the energy required for drilling metal by hand is used for feeding the drill, I made what I term a drill box in which the brace is held perfectly true and pressure is applied by...
-Homemade Picture-Frame Miter Box
Any person wishing to make a picture frame, or to cut down an old one, requires a miter box for that purpose, so that the molding may be properly held while sawing it, and also for nailing the corners...
-Tank-Development Methods Used In Tray Development
If there are a number of plates To be developed, place a rubber band, about 1/8 in. wide, around the ends of each plate and put them together in a tray. The bands keep the plates apart. The developer ...
-A Pushmobile Racer For Ice
The pushmobile shown in the illustration takes the place of the one with rollers that is now so popular with the boys. The materials required, usually found about any home, consist of a foot board, 1 ...
-Homemade Ellipsograph
By CHELSEA CURTIS FRASER An efficient ellipsograph is the only-device that will make true ellipses of various sizes quickly, and such a machine is in demand on some classes ot work in a drafting ro...
-Protector Cap for a Chisel Handle
The ordinary chisel handle will soon split and break under the continuous blows of a mallet. A very good and inexpensive method of preventing this is to procure an ordinary patent bottle cap and place...
-Sweeping Compound
A good sweeping compound may be made as follows: Mix 1/2 pt. of warm paraffin oil with 2 oz. of melted paraffin wax and add 2 oz. of artificial oil of sassafras. Then pour the mixture into 10 lb. of s...
-Freezing A Basin To a Chair
Fill a basin or pot half full of snow, and secretly put a handful of table salt in it and place the vessel on a chair or table, wetting the space where it is to be set. After holding the basin in plac...
-An Envelope and Stamp Moistener
A moistener for postage stamps or envelopes can be easily made from a screw-top jar. A strip of felt cut as wide as the jar is deep and made into a roll large enough to fit the neck of the jar serves ...
-A Homemade Drill Press
An ordinary breast drill is used in the construction of this drill press, it being rigidly secured to a piece of oak, A, 2 in. square and 18 in. long, which is a sliding member on the pipe B. In attac...
-Arts-Crafts Leather Work
By MARY C. SCOVEL Part I Leather work is one of the most interesting of the crafts, first, because the material is so pliable that any-Coin Purse - Back one can work it, and secondly, because any o...
-Arts-Crafts Leather Work. Part II
By MARY C. SCOVEL Part II When laying out designs for leather work, avoid making them too small and intricate. Bold, simple designs are the best. The relation between the shapes of the background a...
-Furnace Electrodes of Lead Pencils
Furnace electrodes frequently consist of carbon rods, and if there is a short gap between them, forming a break in the circuit, the current jumps across that gap, forming an arc. The intense heat of...
-How To Make A Wood Lathe
A strong, substantial lathe in which wood and light metal articles may be turned can be made by carefully following the description below and the detailed drawings of the parts. The bed is made of ...
-To Reduce The Gasoline Consumption Of an Automobile
Quite recently I tried out a method of reducing the consumption of gasoline in my automobile, and, as a result, have higher efficiency without resorting to any of the numerous and exceedingly costly d...
-Cutting a Tin Ball from a Child's Finger
A three-year-old child found a globe of tin with a hole cut through the center, and - it is hardly necessary to state - immediately thrust his finger into the hole. But he could not get it out again, ...
-Child's Seat for Theaters
As children must hold tickets for theaters the same as adults, but the ordinary chair is too low to permit a child to see the performance, an auxiliary seat such as shown in the sketch would sometimes...
-Holding Spoon On A Hot Dish
After repeatedly burning my fingers in the attempt to prevent the spoon from sliding into the hot dish, I decided to do a little inventing on my own hook. Taking a clean, straight hairpin I bent it to...
-Locating Gas And Electric Fixtures In The Dark
A gas or electric fixture in the center of a room is quite hard to locate in the dark; more so if it is a single-light pendant. The location may be easily found if the fixture is marked as follows: Co...
-A Pea-Shooting Gun
The gun consists of only two parts. The barrel may be either a piece of bamboo fishing pole or a section of sweet alder. The spring is a piece of corset steel, such as can be usually found about the h...
-Coloring Electric-Light Globes
Often it is desired to produce certain effects in lighting which demand a different-colored light than that given by the modern tungsten lamp. As an example, a soft, mellow light is sometimes desired ...
-Support for an Open Book
When a book is laid on a table for reading the pages at the beginning or end, it will not stay open flat on account of the difference in the thickness of the open parts. One person, doing a great deal...
-Coat and Trousers Hangers
The hanger is simple in construction and can be easily made by following the dimensions given in the drawing, and the directions given below. Ill: Details of Hangers The back is first ma...
-Mending Broken Fountain-Pen Barrels
Broken fountain-pen barrels may be mended by the use of melted shellac. This can be done by heating some dry shellac and applying it to the fracture. Do not scrape off the surplus shellac, but shape i...
-Jig-Saw Blades
The ordinary form of jig-saw blade has a tendency to pull the fiber of the wood in one direction, thereby producing a jagged cut. To overcome this I made several blades with teeth as shown in the sket...
-Leaded-Glass Panels For Furniture
Certain kinds of furniture may be greatly improved in appearance by the use of simple glazed panels in the door frames. It would be inappropriate to have anything elaborate in a small cabinet for the ...
-Raising Cucumbers on A Trellis
A novelty in cucumber culture, tried recently with great success, is as follows: As soon as the vines are about 18 in. long, stretch wire mesh 24 in. wide on poles alongside the row of plants and trai...
-A Barrel Boat
A boat that any handy boy can easily make is constructed of a barrel which is kept with the opening cut in one side up by two 4 by 6-in. timbers and two tie pieces, 2 by 4 in. The lengths of these pie...
-Homemade Wing Nuts
A handle taken from a worn-out faucet, drilled out and threaded for a bolt, makes a good wing nut. A discarded gas-bracket key, cut off on the line AA and with the part within the dotted lines filed o...
-A Spool-and-Ball Puzzle
Procure an empty basting-thread spool and make a hole in its side, at A, just large enough to receive a 1/4-in. steel ball. A piece of celluloid, B, is wrapped around the flanges, as shown, and fasten...
-To Start the Ink Flowing from a Drawing Pen
In order to keep the ink flowing readily from a drawing pen it must be kept clean and not allowed to stand with the ink in the nibs. A good plan is to have a small piece of velvet fastened to the draw...
-A Pencil-Sharpener Stick
Do not discard the sandpaper stick or pencil sharpener used by a draftsman just because all the abrasive sheets have been removed. Make use of it indefinitely by fitting a wedge in one edge, as shown ...
-Splice for Round Belts
Sash cords or round belts are easily spliced with a coil spring, and for belts this joint will run smooth and noiseless. The coil should be a close fit on the belt, and after turning one end halfway i...
-Amateur Mechanic's Combination Lathe
By JOE V. ROM1G The thing most desired by a young mechanic is a lathe, but the cost of these machines is usually too high to be considered by the average boy, and consequently he is hampered in exe...
-Hanging a Clothesline Taut
The line is equipped with rings, one at each end, used for convenience in quickly hanging the line, which is then drawn taut with a lever. A screwhook is fastened in one end post and at the other end ...
-A Double Latch for a Door
This latch is suitable for outbuildings, small shops and sheds, as it can be opened from both sides of the door and is easily applied. It consists of a rod of suitable size which is bent in the shape ...
-Maulstick Used as a Ruler
Procure a cork having the same diameter as the knob on the maulstick and make a hole in the center so that The Sliding Cork and Knob Raises the Stick so that It may be Used as a Ruler it will ...
-Hinge with a Wide Swing
In constructing a box I needed a hinge that would carry the cover farther away from the top than the or- dinary double-leaf hinge. I found that two pieces of 1/4i by 5/8-in. wrought iron, attached in ...
-A Detachable Clamp for Stairway Handrails
The sketch shows a handrail clamp, or holding device, which is detachable, for use on stone stairways in the winter when there is ice or snow on the steps. The clamps are made of 3/16-in. strap iron, ...
-A Homemade Leather Punch
An empty bottle-neck rifle cartridge can be easily made into a leather punch by grinding the edge of the opening sharp and cutting a hole near the top in one side. The hole is for removing the leather...
-A Wood-Scraper Handle
In using a plain scraper on the surface of wood the task grew exceedingly tiresome and I lightened the tedious work to some extent by making a handle for the scraper. The handle consisted of a piece o...
-Polishing Gunstocks
The fine polish applied to gunstocks and wood parts of tools will not wear well, and if one cares for a fine finish, a much better and more durable polish can be applied as follows: Soak the wood in l...
-A Prick-Punch Center Gauge
A simple instrument for finding and marking the center of shafting, etc., can be easily made of three pieces of sheet brass and a small prick punch. Ill: The Point of the Punch is Quickly A...
-A Whirligig Clapper
A good noise maker for Halloween or any other occasion, can be made by carefully following the directions here given. The box is the first thing to make. It is constructed' of wood pieces, 1/2in. thic...
-Box Partitions
As I needed a box with a number of narrow partitions and it was impossi- ble to cut grooves for the sections without removing the bottom, I spaced off the places for the partitions with pieces of thin...
-Safety Catch For a Flour Bin
A flour bin, counterbalanced to swing closed at all times, is liable to catch the arm of the one taking out flour. To make it safe, I applied the device shown in the sketch. The bin, at rest, is shown...
-A Homemade Whistle
Procure two empty No. 30 gauge brass cartridge shells. Cut one shell % in. shorter than the other, then flatten and bend them as shown in the sketch. The mouthpiece should be at an angle of GO deg. Fi...
-How to Emboss Stationery
A person's monogram or any special lettering embossed on stationery is quite expensive. The engraving of the dies by experts commanding high salaries, and the subsequent presswork necessary to give re...
-A Homemade Hydrometer
The hydrometer is an instrument used in determining the specific gravity of a liquid, such as acids, etc. The specific gravity of any material is the ratio of the weights of equal volumes of the mater...
-A Stirring Stick
The stirring, or mixing, stick shown in the sketch deserves its name, as it will stir evenly all the way around. It consists of two flat sticks, one two-thirds the width of the other, which are nailed...
-A Telescoping Support for a Hinged Shelf
The supporting arm of the hinged shelf is constructed of a piece of gas pipe and a length of iron rod which slides snugly into the pipe. A spring catch is set in the pipe at the proper height to...
-A Bug Powder
To secure a nonpoisonous roach and bug powder mix dry 3 lb. plaster of Paris with 2 lb. of sugar, then add 1 oz. of pulverized aniseed. The addition of a little corn meal will help to draw the pests. ...
-How The Capacity Of An Incubator may Be Doubled
About 10 days after setting the incubator one may easily start another hatch by placing more eggs on top of the incubator in the following manner: Make a pad about 1 in. thick of any cotton material a...
-Homemade Rivet Set
Desiring to rivet some pieces of leather together and having no rivet set, I hastily made one from a strip of heavy sheet tin, 3/4 in. wide. This was rolled at one end, as shown in the sketch, and the...
-Wash Bottle For Laboratory Use
A large-mouth bottle neck is provided with a stopper, having three brass or glass tubes as shown, the tube A being fitted with a thick piece of rubber tubing, B, stoppered at its lower end. A slit ...
-Typewriting on Card Stock
Anyone having tried to typewrite on cards or heavy stock has doubtless experienced much trouble in getting the card to feed properly. If at all heavy, it will resist the curving so strongly that it wi...
-Pointed End On A Hoe
The rounding end on the ordinary hoe is useless in many instances for getting under growing plants, to cut out the weeds and to loosen up the earth. I find that shaping the hoe ends as shown in the sk...
-Starting A Siphon Roll
Starting A Siphon Roll up a soft rubber hose tightly so that it will be flattened to force out all the air and drop one end into the liquid, then let the coil unwind as it falls down on the outside. T...
-A Homemade Blowtorch
The torch shown in the sketch requires no air pump. Instead of forcing a small stream of gasoline into a heated burner it converts the gasoline into gas in the chamber and blows a small jet of i...
-A Rule Gauge
The method of using the thumb as a gauge on a rule in scribing long boards is not always satisfactory, especially if the board has a rough edge. It is always best to have a regular gauge, but in the a...
-A Match Holder
The holder consists of a small box, the same size as a match box, with a sloping spring bottom and spring wires covering the lower part of the front side. One end of the match box is removed and the c...
-Trick Bottles And Glasses
By George W. Catlin The performer presents to his audience two pasteboard covers, one bottle and one glass. Saying that he wishes to secure the safety of the bottle and glass, he places covers over...
-Short How-Tos, Tips and Advice
White spots on furniture can be removed by rubbing the wood with ammonia. Georgia pine should be filled with white shellac. Indistinct but not entirely worn-off dates on coins may be read by hea...







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