Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 92.djvu/141

 Popular Scioice Monihly

��where the wire enters. The curtain, when released, rolls down out of the way, being actuated by a spring such as used on window shades. Inside the central por- tion is a switch for shifting the current from one light to the other. The brass, corners ard handle were purchased. TM% case was painted inside and out as a finish. — I. E. Pettibone.

��A Homemade Sawdust-Burning Heating or Cook Stove

HERE is a little new-style stove which will save your coal. It burns saw- dust. You can make the stove yourself if you are handy with tools. It is simply a cylindrical box made of sheet iron, about 7^4 in. in diameter and eight inches deep. It has no lid. The box should be filled wdth sawdust to within an inch of the top, leaving the rim, which is pierced with eight holes ^i in. in diameter, uncovered. Three small pieces of sheet iron, bent at right angles and riveted inside below the top, serve as brackets to support the cooking utensil at the right height above the flame.

Before filling the box with the sawdust, a piece of wood 103^^ in. long, tapering from 1^4 in. in diameter at one end to l}/i in. at the other, is placed, small end downward, in a vertical position at the bottom of the box. Another piece of wood l\i in. in diameter and 6 in. in length is inserted through a hole in the side, at the level of the bottom. One end of this piece is slightly hollowed to fit the lower end of the vertical piece. These two pieces of wood act as a kind of core around which the sawdust is packed and rammed down hard with a wood rammer. After the sawdust is packed in, the pieces of wood should be removed, leaving two holes, one vertical and the other horizontal. Through the vertical hole a few drops of kerosene are poured, and through the horizontal open- ing a lighted taper is inserted. As soon as the sawdust catches the blaze, the cooking utensil may be placed over the top. The fire will burn from three to six hours without replenishing and without flaring up. It gives off a good heat, sufficient for any kind of cooking or for laundry work.— James A. Carter.

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The Animated Match Box on the Back of the Hand

DO this trick before a mirror and you will actually surprise yourself. Al- though exceedingly simple it is very per- plexing to the onlooker. Take an or- dinary match box and lay it flat on the back of your hand. At your command it will "sit up" or "lie down." More- over, it will ac- complish the task slowly or rapidly at your own will. No threads, wires, wax or weights are used. Nothing but your hand and the match box. Try it as you read this. When placing the box on the back of your hand have the drawer open just the slightest bit. Push it together with, the fingers of the hand that is placing the box. This will cause a bit of the loose skin to catch in. The box will lie perfectly flat until you push your closed up fingers into your palm. The slightest strain will tighten the skin and the little box full of matches will gradually rise up in the most amusing manner. To have it "lie down" merely relax the pressure. As you do this not a muscle or vein will move. Only the slight "pinch feeling" of the skin will keep you from fooling yourself.

��The skin on the hand is gripped in the box

��Tire Damage Caused by Driving in Street Car Tracks

ROUGH streets tempt one to drive in car tracks. It is more comfortable for the passengers and may seem more of an economy to protect the car on special occasions from bumps and unusual vibra- tion by running in car tracks, rather than over rough, cobblestone pavements. The tires will not be injured by doing this occasionally; however, to continue the bad practice shortens the mileage of the tire. Quite often the pavement along the inside edges of the rails is very rough and may result in cuts to the rubber and bruises to the fabric. Driving over street car track switches, the pointed frogs may cut the tires beyond repair.

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