Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 88.djvu/802

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��Popular Science Monthly

��A Lathe Polishing Kink

���TO polish small round boxes, napkin rings, and the like, after they have been taken ' from the lathe, take a board. A, and with an expansion bit bore a hole the size of the object to be polished, B, and place it in this hole so that part of it projects.

Screw the board to the face-plate, C and put it on the lathe. The edges of the board may be turned down with a chisel and the object given its final smoothing and polishing without grip- ping it in metal. — R. F. Cummings.

Tapping Blind Holes

EFORE tap- ping blind holes, much time and trouble can be eliminated by first making sure that the holes have been drilled to the right depth. This is done by placing a leather washer on the spout of an oil-can so that the end will just touch the bot- tom of the hole, the washer resting on the face of the work. — C. H. Anderson.

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��How to Cut Metal and Not Cut Yourself

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��HEN making a long cut in a strip of sheet metal, the metal is likely

to bend up be- hind the shears and cut the hand of the worker. A guard can be made from a rectangular piece of sheet metal. Cut off the two corners of one end and bore two holes as shown in the diagram. Bend the smaller end along a longitudinal line through the middle. Fasten to the bottom handle of the shears by means of a small bolt.

J. LlEBMAN.

�����Handling Small Brads

AN ordinary . pen greatly facilitates the handling of small brads or pins. The brad should be placed be- tween the blades of the nib and then hammered in part way, after which the pen may be removed. — Joseph Braff.

Using Ice to Lower Heavy Stones

THE placing of finishing stones, weighing several tons, is often difficult be- cause spikes can- not be used, ow- ing to the posi- tion of the stone in the building. The stone can be easily lifted to the de- sired level with ropes, but it cannot be lowered with them, since they would wedge in the sides. By placing several cakes of ice in the hole, the stone can be lowered on to them, directly above the opening. Streams of hot water will melt the ice and let the stone sink into place easily. — A. J. Cowen.

An Emergency Pipe- Cutter

PIPES of brass or other soft metal can be threaded with a lock-nut of the proper size. A lock-nut is cut at opposite places across the threads, the two threaded halves thus formed comprising a very crude pipe- cutter. The pipe should be held by a vise and the nut gripped with a monkey- wrench. — C. A. Faiman.

Whistle on Engine of Motor-Boat

A WHISTLE in place of the pet-cock or priming cock, of a twin cylinder marine engine will be of use in signaling from a motor-boat.

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