Part 88 (1/2)

When the designs have been worked on the leather, paste or glue the leather to the two sides of the belt, and punch a hole in the center through which to place a cord for hanging up the ball.

** Cleaning Woodwork [315]

An easy method of removing the dirt and old varnish at the same time around a kitchen sink is told by a correspondent of National Magazine as follows:

Make a soft soap from common yellow laundry soap, and when it is almost cold stir in one tablespoonful of concentrated lye and one-half cupful of kerosene. When the mixture becomes a heavy paste, it is ready to be spread over the woodwork with a paint brush. Allow the soap to remain for a day and a half, then wash it off with plenty of hot water. The woodwork will be clean and ready for varnis.h.i.+ng when it dries out.

** Bill File Made of Corkscrews [315]

An ordinary corkscrew makes a convenient file for small bills or memoranda. It may be thrown in any position without danger of the papers slipping off. A rack to hold a number of files can be made of a wood strip (Fig. 1) fitted with hooks or screw eyes cut in a hook shape, as shown in Fig. 2,

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bill File]

Single bills may be separated from the others and will remain separated as in Fig. 3.

--Contributed by James M. Kane, Doylestown, Pa.

** Ornamental Metal Inkstand [315]

The metal required for making this stand is 3/16 in. in width and may be

[Ill.u.s.tration: Inkstand and Details of Frame]

steel, bra.s.s or copper. The shaping is done as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. There are, in all, eight pieces to be bent. The two supports are each formed of one piece of metal with the exception that the end scroll pieces on the under side are made separately.

Eight rivets are required to fasten the two horizontal rings to the supports. The gla.s.s receptacle can be purchased at a stationery store.

** Holding Eyegla.s.ses Firm [315]

Persons who wear nosegla.s.ses and who are troubled with excessive perspiration, should chalk the sides of the bridge of the nose before putting on the gla.s.ses. The latter will then never slip, even in the warmest weather. If the chalk shows, use a pink stick, which can be purchased from any art school or supply store.

Subst.i.tute for Gummed Paper [315]

Gummed paper is a great convenience in the home especially for labels, but it is not always found among the household supplies.

The gummed portions of unsealed envelopes in which circulars are received can be utilized for this purpose. Quite a large label may be made from these envelope flaps.

** Repairing a Broken Phonograph Spring [316]

As I live a great distance from a railroad station, I did not care to pay the price, and await the time necessary to deliver a new phonograph spring to replace one that broke in my machine, and I repaired the old one in a creditable manner as follows:

I forced the two ends of the break out where I could get at them, then heated each end separately with a pair of red hot tongs and turned a hook or lap on them the same as the joints in knock-down stovepipes. When the ends were hooked together, the spring worked as good as new. The heated portion did not affect the strength of the spring.

--Contributed by Marion P. Wheeler, Greenleaf, Oregon.