Page:Popular Mechanics 1928 01.pdf/154

 



Campers in the woods can make a serviceable holder for their shaving mirror that can be instantly clamped to a tree or post as shown in the illustration. Remove the adjusting rod from the back of a round rear-vision mirror used on an auto. The attachments differ somewhat for different makes of mirrors. Cut out a section of a small auto tire, about 3 in. wide, and drill or punch suitable holes through the middle of the tread, into which the mirror lugs can be inserted and pinned from the inside of the shoe. This completes the mirror clamp, which can then be pushed over a small tree at any desired height for shaving and other purposes.

 

I recently came into possession of a sheet-metal filing cabinet, which had been a piece of office furniture. This cabinet makes a dustless, mouse-proof and bugproof grocery and food container for my kitchen. The drawers close tightly and are of various sizes, the smaller ones being at the top. The shallow top drawers make excellent storage room for cookies and layer cakes, as they keep in the moisture. The next larger ones hold cereals, cornmeal and bread. The bottom one is for sugar. While I have to stoop to reach the lower drawer, the inconvenience is compensated for in that it can be shut with the foot. The tight construction of these compartments does away with waste, and they are absolutely clean. I painted the outside to match the color scheme of my kitchen. The filing cabinet is a space saver, too, as compared with the commercial types of kitchen cabinets. It stands 47 in. high, 18 in. deep and 15 in. wide.—Miss Hilda Ellyson Allen, Onawa, Iowa.

 



The odor of alcohol, when used as an anti-freeze solution in the winter, is more or less objectionable, especially in a closed car or in a touring car when the curtains are used. The odor is caused by the escape of vapor from the overflow pipe of the radiator. To eliminate this odor from the car, get a length of rubber tubing large enough to fit the lower end of the radiator overflow pipe and fasten it to the latter. Let the tubing extend under the front side member of the frame and for about 6 in. above the bottom edge of the frame side member, where it should be fastened to the front-fender support bracket with tape or a small clamp, as shown in the drawing. In this way the vapors will all be carried away into the outer air and will not reach the inside of the car.—G. C. Douglas, Raleigh, N. C.

¶ A sash lock can be used as a bolt on a door, if the casing is flush with the surface of the door.

