This section is from the book "The Boy Mechanic Vol. 1", by Popular Mechanics Co.. Also available from Amazon: 700 Things for Boys to Do.
Procure an ordinary 2-qt. glass fruit jar, break out the porcelain lining in the cover and cut a hole through the metal, just large enough to fit over the socket of an incandescent electric globe, then solder cover and socket together, says Studio Light. Line the inside of the jar with two thicknesses of good orange post office paper. The best lamp for the purpose is an 8-candlepower showcase lamp, the same as shown in the illustration. Screw the lamp into the socket and screw the cover onto the jar, and you have a safe light of excellent illuminating power.
When you desire to work by white light, two turns will remove the jar.
Darkroom Lantern
If developing papers are being worked, obtain a second jar and line with light orange paper, screw into the cover fastened to the lamp and you have a safe and pleasant light for loading and development. By attaching sufficient cord to the lamp, it can be moved to any part of the darkroom, and you have three lamps at a trifling cost.
Occasionally through some accident to the regular ruby lamp, or through the necessity of, developing while out of reach of a properly equipped dark room, some makeshift of illumination must be improvised. Such a temporary safe light may be made from an empty cigar box in a short time.
Remove the bottom of the box, and nail it in position as shown at A. Remove one end, and replace as shown at B. Drive a short wire nail through the center of the opposite end to serve as a seat for the candle, C. The lamp is finished by tacking two or more layers of yellow post-office paper over the aperture D, bringing the paper well around to the sides and bottom of the box to prevent light leakage from the cracks around the edges, says Photo Era. The hinged cover E, is used as a door, making lighting and trimming convenient. The door may be fastened with a nail or piece of wire. It is well to reinforce the hinge by gluing on a strip of cloth if the lamp is to be in use more than once or twice. This lamp is safe, for the projecting edges of A and B form light-shields for the ventilation orifice and the crack at the top of the hinged cover, respectively. Moreover, since the flame of the candle is above A, only reflected and transmitted light reaches the plate, while the danger of igniting the paper is reduced to a minimum.
Lantern slides of a blue tone that is a pleasing variety from the usual black may be made from spoiled or old plates which have not been developed, by fixing, washing well and then dipping five minutes in the following solution:
A.Green Iron ammonium citrate .. 150 gr. ; Water 1 oz.
B. Potassium ferrocyanide 50 gr. ];
Water 1 oz.
Prepare the solutions separately and mix equal parts for use, at the time of employment. Dry the plates in the dark, and keep in the dark until used. Printing is done in the sun, and a vigorous negative must be used, says the Moving Picture World. Exposure, 20 to 30 minutes. Wash 10 minutes in running water and dry. Brown or purple tones may be had by sensitizing with the following solution instead of the above:
Distilled water 1 oz. ; Sliver nitrate 50 gr. ; Tartaric or citric acid 1/2 oz.
Bathe the plates 5 minutes, keeping the fingers out of the solution, to avoid blackened skin. Dry in the dark. Print to bronzing under a strong negative; fix in hypo, toning first if desired.
 
Continue to:
More: