Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 88.djvu/950

 922

Dress them clear and clean with a good sharp plane. Now mark them as just described. Make six brass clips, of No. 22 or 24 gage brass, as in Fig. 3. Also make six as shown in Fig. 4.

The bolt in the clip on the upright should be tight enough to pull it into the wood, and the wires on the trans- verse stick should do the same so that clips will not slip, but at the time avoid bruising the wood more than necessary. The twisted ends of wire can then be turned in, and soldered. The ends of each stick should then be wrapped with several turns of wire, keeping about % in. from the extreme end. These wrappings should also be soldered. The ends of the cross-stick should then be notched for the bow- string, as in Fig. 7. The bowstring when applied should pull the cross- stick as in Fig. 8. Always leave the bowstring so it can be slipped. The distance X should be about 6 ins. for a

very light
 * ^_j-'4*, wind, and

/51yo\ about 10 ins.

for a lo-mile breeze. If not satisfac- tory at first adjust after trial.

Finally make a saw cut about 34 in. deep in the end of each stick, sawing the

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��on the upright. Then take a string, strong enough to stand consider- able pull, and pass around the frame through the saw cuts. Make a slip- knot where you join and hold in your hands or fasten temporarily. Square your frame by measuring this string till corresponding parts on each side are exactly equal, moving the sticks in relation to each other till you get the frame true. The cross-stick will now be exactly at right angles to the vertical, and the bowstring should pass about 10 ins. behind it.

The center lines of the two sticks

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��must cross exactly 18% of the length from the top of the vertical stick. Be exact if you want your kite to balance. So, 72 ins. X 18% = 12.96 ins. = distance from the top. Mark 13 ins. with a pencil, and shade this slightly upward. Now mark the exact center of the cross- stick.

The best material for making the sail is known as silesia or cambric in the dry goods stores. Any combination of colors can be used if desired, but they must join in a straight line up the keel. Blue and yellow, white and red, green and pink, etc., are all strong contrasts. However, the colors seen most distinctly at great heights are red and white, black and white, orange and red, and blue and white. Whatever the colors you select, and plain ones are as good as any, start by marking out on the floor with chalk the four points of your frame. Sew your cloth firmly on a sewing machine, and lay it out as in Fig. 9-

Sew a brass curtain ring, i in. diameter, in each corner, so it can be hooked into the saw-cut. Tie a stout string from ring to ring, putting the rings in place on the frame and pulling into position till both sides are exactly the same

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���length. The extra length on the cross- stick must be fulled on the string to- ward the top of the upright so as to

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