Concealing the House Key
The time-honored custom of concealing the house key under the door mat, or in the letter box, when the family has not enough keys to go around, is so well known that an unauthorized person seeking to enter the house would look in these places first of all.
A simple and effective hiding place for the key can be quickly and easily made with the aid of an auger and two pieces of tin. Pick out an obscure section of the porch railing, and in the edge of this bore a ³⁄₄-in. hole, about ¹⁄₄ in. deeper than the length of the key. Make a piece of tin into a cylinder, the same length as the key, so that the latter will slide easily into the hole. At one end of this cylinder solder a 1-in. disk of tin, which will make it appear as in the illustration.
If the key is placed in the cylinder and the latter pushed into the hole until it is flush with the surface, it will scarcely be noticed by anyone not in the secret, and by painting it the same color as the railing it will become still more inconspicuous.—Contributed by Frank L. Matter, Portland, Ore.