Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 92.djvu/800

 784 Popular Science Monthly

A Balancing Ladder for Use in the Home Gymnasium

��Mounting Photographs So That They Will Not Curl

��THE balancing ladder was designed for indoor use. In making it care should be taken to have all the parts properly finished so that it will look neat, as well as give good service. The base consists of a frame made of 2 in. plank and when finished it forms a rect- angle 30 by 48 in. The joint used at the cor- ners is shown at A. The up- right planks are 6 in. wide and are fitted into notches cut on the in- ner edges of the platform pieces. The braces for the uprights are fitted to their own depth.

The ladder proper is made of sound, straight- grained hard- wood, with each rung glued and nailed in place. The pivot is made of a bolt as shown at B. When it is de- sired to main- tain the ladder in a horizontal position, the braces C and D are let into the notches in the blocks as shown at E. The lower ends of these braces are bolted to the upright post and may be quickly taken down. When the device is completed, smooth all parts with sandpaper and ap- ply two coats of spar varnish. For permanent locations, it may be bolted to the floor, but it is preferably left portable. The construction permits this and only ordinary care is necessary to prevent accidents. For healthy, growing boys this apparatus will provide endless fun and exercise. -^A. Aldon.

���A portable balancing ladder and details of its prin- cipal parts. The ladder is tilting or made solid

��THERE are very few amateur photog- raphers who have not encountered the unpleasantness of pasting photographs on mounts and have them curl up, mount and all. The dry mounting method over- comes this difficulty, but one must have

a hot iron. However, the difficulty may be overcome by the use of rubber cement such as is used for patching the inner tubes of bicycle and automobile tires.

The cement is applied in a thin, even coat on the back of the print and the face of the mount. It is allowed to dry, or become "tacky" be- fore placing the print on the mount. When the print is laid in place it is rolled down just as in ordi- nary mount- ing.

As the ce- ment will

��slightly discolor the mount, if it is white, it is best to cover the entire surface, then when the print is in place the uncovered border may be easily cleaned of the cement by rubbing with the finger end. Roll it into a ball and use the ball to clean the edge near the print. If any of the cement gets on the face of the print it can be rubbed off in the same manner. If the print does not stick properly it is because the cement was not left long enough before the print was applied to the mount. Dry the print well after mount- ing, so that the surface of the mount will not peel off in removing the cement.

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