Things To Make

ery simple tools. Some of the items which I had on my original list were

abandoned, because they presupposed the possession of comparatively

expensive machines.

My selection has also been guided by the desire to cater for different tastes. In

some cases the actual manufacture of the thing described may be regarded as

the most instructive and valuable element, and may appeal most forcibly to

the "handy" boy; in others-theHarmonograph provides a good instance-

the interest centres round the experiments made possible by the construc-

tion of a simple piece of apparatus; in some the utility of the article manu-

factured is its chief recommendation.

I feel certain that anyone who follows out the pages of this volume with

hand as well as with eye, will have little reason to regret the time so spent.

The things made may in course of time be put aside and forgotten, but the

3 ARCHIBALD WILLIAMS

manual skill acquired will remain. Nowadays one can buy almost anything

ready-made, or get it made without difficulty; yet he who is able to make

things for himself will always have an advantage over the person to whom

the use of tools is an unprobed mystery.

Contents

I. SAWING TRESTLE II. A JOINER'S BENCH III. A HANDY BOOK-

STAND IV.AHOUSE LADDERV.A DEVELOPING SINKVI.A POUL-

TRY HOUSE AND RUN VII. A SHED FOR YOUR BICYCLE VIII. A

TARGETAPPARATUS FOR RIFLE SHOOTING IX. CABINET-MAKING

X.TELEGRAPHICAPPARATUS XI.A RECIPROCATING ELECTRIC

MOTOR XII.AN ELECTRICALARM CLOCK XIII.AMODEL ELEC-

TRIC RAILWAY XIV. A SIMPLE RECIPROCATING ENGINE XV. A

HORIZONTAL SLIDE-VALVE ENGINE XVI.MODEL STEAM TUR-

BINES XVII. STEAM TOPS XVIII. MODEL BOILERS XIX. QUICK-

BOILING KETTLES XX. A HOT-AIR ENGINE XXI. A WATER MO-

TOR XXII. MODEL PUMPS XXIII. KITES XXIV. PAPER GLIDERS

XXV. A SELF-LAUNCHINGMODEL AEROPLANE XXVI. APPARA-

TUS FOR SIMPLE SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS XXVII.A RAIN GAUGE

XXVIII.WINDVANESWITH DIALS XXIX.A STRENGTH-TESTING

MACHINE XXX. LUNG-TESTINGAPPARATUS XXXI.HOME-MADE

HARMONOGRAPHS XXXII.A SELF-SUPPLYINGMATCHBOX XXXIII.

AWOODENWORKBOX XXXIV.WRESTLING PUPPETS XXXV. DOU-

BLE BELLOWS XXXVI. A HOME-MADE PANTOGRAPH XXXVII.

properly supported, so that it cannot sway or shift. Anybody who has been

in the habit of using a wobbly chair or box to saw on will be surprised to

find how much more easily wood can be cut when resting on a trestle like

that illustrated by Figs. 1 to 3.

The top, a, of the trestle is 29 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 2 inches thick.

At one end it has a deep nick, to serve much the same purpose as the notched

board used in fretworking; also to hold on edge such things as doors while

their edges are planed up. Pushed back against the wall the trestle is then "as

good as a boy."

The four legs are made of 2 by 2 inch stuff. To start with, the pieces should

be 24 inches long, to allow for the waste of cutting on the angle.

Cutting the Notches.-Make four marks 7 inches from the four corners of

the top, set your bevel to an angle of 70 degrees (or cut an angle out of a card

with the help of a protractor), and lay a leg against each mark in turn, the

end projecting an inch or so above the top. Move the leg about till it makes

the proper angle at the mark, and draw a pencil line down each side of the

leg as close up as possible. Since the legs may vary slightly in size, use each

once only for marking, and number it and the place to which it belongs.

Lines must now be drawn along the upper and under sides of the top,