Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 92.djvu/304

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��Popular Science Monthly

��through the piece of steel while the lathe is running. Countersink the face of this hole.

Clamp a jack plane, bottom up, in a vise and run the cedar sticks across the plane to remove the corners.

Start the lathe on high speed, and then feed the cedar sticks through the hole in the piece of steel. A little pressure may- be required, but if the pieces are not too large, they will feed through nicely and leave a well finished surface.

To make the heads or knobs, rip some cedar into pieces slightly greater than ^ in. square and about 42 in. long. Drive these through a ^^-in. dowel plate. Fasten a piece of pine about 2 in. thick to a face plate, and, while the lathe revolves, drill a ^^-in. hole through the center of the pine chuck. A ^s-in. drill is best, but a ^-in. auger bit will do. Chuck one of the ^-in. pieces of cedar in the hole in the pine piece. With a drill the same size as the needle, drill a hole through the center of the cedar as the lathe revolves. Next, remove the cedar from the chuck and cut it into ^ s-in- lengths. Glue one of these lengths on one end of the needle. When dry, chuck the needle in the hole in the steel plate (a little shellac will hold it) and turn the head down. The needle may be sanded lightly by allowing the free end to turn in the palm of one hand as the lathe runs, and by applying the sandpaper with the other hand.

The needle may now be cut to length and pointed on the side of an emery wheel, or on a revolving disk of sand- paper, glued to a chuck. French polish the needle by hand, with a 'little shellac and a drop or two of linseed oil. The varnish may be rubbed in with a piece of cheesecloth. — Daniel Green.

��Making a Lock Washer from a Coil of Spring Wire

A GOOD lock washer for emergency use can be made by cutting a single coil from a compression spring. This will have the "set" of a regular lock washer. The only difference is that the washer is made of round instead of flat stock. An added point in favor of this device is the reidy availability of springs.

��A Heater for the Sidecar of a Motorcycle

A HEATER for a sidecar can be easily made from a tin can — a gallon oil can will do — and a flexible tube, such as is used to supply warm air to the carbureter in automobiles. Cut a round hole in one side of the can, and in it fasten a tube, which passes through the floor of the car, to serve as the exhaust out- let for the gases.

One end of the flexible tube is slipped over the filler nozzle of the can and clamped in place with a hose clamp or a wire wound around it and .twisted tightly. The other end of the tube is fastened to the tail pipe of the muffler in the same way, a hole being cut in the side of the sidecar allowing the tube to pass through. If some covering, such as a storm apron, is used, the car will be as warm as desired, even in the coldest weather. — N. Drynan.

���Outlet-^

An old can used to heat a sidecar

��Caring for Rubbers to Make Them Wear Longer

RUBBER overshoes, like everything . else just now, are expensive, and sometimes hard to get at any price. Any suggestion as to how to make them last longer, will, therefore, be appreciated. If you will give them a little extra care and attention you will be more than repaid for the trouble.

All oils, fats, milk or acids will cause rubber to blister, soften and wear out quickly. Therefore keep them away from your overshoes. When soiled, wash the rubbers with lukewarm water. Do not put them near a hot stove or steam pipe, as the heat will make them crack. Do not leave the rubbers outside of the house, exposed, for sunlight will heat and crack them. Freezing will also make them brittle, so that they are likely to crack when they are put on. Of course it would be rank foolishness to try to wear high heeled rubbers on low heel shoes, or low heeled rubbers on high heeled shoes. In either case, the rubbers would very soon break out at the heel.

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