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.
A good aquarium can be made from a large-sized street lamp globe and a yellow pine block. Usually a lamp globe costs less than an aquarium globe of the same dimensions.
Procure a yellow pine block 3 in. thick and 12 in. square. The more uneven and twisted the grain the better for the purpose, it is then less liable to develop a continuous crack.
Illustration: Lamp Globe as an Aquarium
Cut out a depression for the base of the globe as shown in Fig. 1. Pour in aquarium cement and embed the globe in it. Pour more cement inside of the globe until the cement is level with the top of the block. Finish with a ring of cement around the outside and sprinkle with fine sand while the cement is damp. Feet may be added to the base if desired. The weight of the pine block makes a very solid and substantial base for the globe and renders it less liable to be upset. --Contributed by James R. Kane, Doylestown, Pa
 
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