Homemade Level
A Bottle Filled with Water and Tied to a Straight Piece of Wood for a Level
Having need of a level, and there being no place to obtain one within several miles, I constructed one as follows: A long medicine bottle was filled with water and tied to a straight piece of wood, 2 ft. long. After setting it properly by turning the piece end for end several times, I found that it could be used with accuracy.—Contributed by Fred L. King, Islip, L. I.
A Tuberculosis Cottage
By N. F. FULTZ
The tuberculosis society of a certain locality needed a demonstration cottage for their crusade against the white plague, and they placed their need before the boys of the public-school shops. One class of eighth-grade boys volunteered, and two days after the job was started the complete cottage was delivered to the society. The material required for its construction was as follows:
| 220 | linear feet of ship-lap, 1 in. thick and 6 in. wide. |
| 80 | ft. of 1-in. flooring. |
| 6 | studs, 14 ft. long. |
| 7 | pieces for plates and rafters, 2 by 4 in., 10 ft. long. |
| 3 | pieces for sills, 2 by 4 in., 16 ft. long. |
| 100 | ft. of sheathing boards. |
| 100 | ft. of tar roofing paper. |
The cottage is constructed in sections and can be assembled or dismantled in 30 minutes. The sections are not so heavy but that they can be handled with ease by two men. There are seven sections, namely, the floor, two sides, two ends, and two roof sections. If the cottage is to be moved only a short distance, it can be loaded into an ordinary dray assembled.
Since the building is made in sections, it is well to construct the floor first, which is a simple matter. Cut two sills of the 2 by 4-in. stock, 10 ft. long. Cap these onto the ends of the five joists, which are cut from 2 by 4-in. stock, to a length that will total 8 ft. when the thickness of the two sills are added. Lay the flooring the long way of the section, bringing it flush with all outside edges. This completes the floor section.
The two side sections are made in a similar manner. Cut the studs—12 of them—6 ft. 4 in. long, and four plates, 10 ft. long. Cap the ends of the studs with the floor and rafter plates, according to the measurement on the floor plan. Nail five pieces of ship-lap, cut 10 ft. 1¹⁄₂ in. long, on the bottom of the section, and one similar board to the top edge. Bore four holes, ³⁄₈ in. in diameter, 1 in. from the outside edge in the floor plate. These are for ¹⁄₂-in. lag screws, to hold the parts together when the sections are assembled.
The front-end section is arranged for a 30-in. door. The top, or rafter, plate is cut 7 ft. 4¹⁄₂ in. long. This makes the allowance for the width of the side studs and plates when they are to be assembled, a very important matter to remember. The floor plate is cut 4 ft. 5 in. long. Provide a dummy, made from a waste piece, to be fastened at the bottom of the door studs until the sections are assembled, when it is removed. Use screws to fasten this piece in place. Nail five pieces of ship-lap, 5 ft. long, at the bottom of the section, and an 8-ft. piece at the top. Be careful to set the end studs in from the end of the board the exact thickness of the corresponding studs on the side section.
Cottage Built by Boys to Fill the Requirements of a Tuberculosis Society for a Demonstration in Their Crusade against the White Plague
The back-end section is much more easily made. The top plate, as well as the floor plate, is cut the same as on the other section. Place the intermediate stud on the center and nail on ship-lap, as in the other construction.
Lap-Joint Corner Construction with Angle-Plate Reinforcement for the Screens or Storm Screens
In making the roof sections, cut four rafters for an 18-in. pitch, or any other pitch desired. These are to be placed at the ends. Note the notch on the lower end of the rafter marked A in the [illustration]. Make allowance for the thickness of the rider marked C. This piece can be made of 2 by 4-in. stock or any convenient material 1 in. thick. The rider must be nailed to the comb end of the rafters of one section, while a dummy, fastened to the under side of the rafters of the other section, will serve the purpose of holding them true until the roof is placed. Nail the sheathing on, closing the cracks between the boards as well as possible. Start at the comb end and bevel the first board for the comb joint. Make allowance for an 8-in. board at the lower end, so that a 4-in. overhang may be had. Cover these sections with the desired roofing. Place two screw holes at the lower end of each rafter to be used in holding the roof in place. Always use screws instead of nails, if the house is to be dismantled. Provide three rafter locks, marked B, and then the roof is ready for assembling.
The Floor Section Consists of Simple Frame Construction of Ordinary Material and Flooring Boards Fastened on the Frame to Make the Edges Flush with the Sides and Ends
The three gable boards, cut from ship-lap, can be more easily made after the cottage is assembled. After they are fitted, each board must be fastened with screws which will find a hold in the rafters. These boards are marked D. Be sure that all lag-screw holes for the corner and floor moorings are bored before starting to assemble the parts.
The screens are made with the half-lap construction at the corners reinforced with angle plates. This construction is shown in the detail sketch. The screens, or storm wings, should be covered with a good grade of oilcloth or canvas. They are hung with an ordinary 3-in. wing hinge.
The adjusting device for these storm wings consists of a piece of 1-in. gas pipe, 4 ft. long, threaded on one end to receive a collar. Two flanges are used, one on each side of the board, above the wings and located centrally. A wood plug is driven into the outer end of the pipe, and a small pulley, suitable for a ³⁄₈-in. rope, hung on it. Place a screw eye centrally into the lower edge of the wing and tie the end of a ³⁄₈-in. rope to it. Run the other end of the rope through the pulley and a hole in the wall. Place screw eyes, to which the rope may be tied, at proper places on the inside of the wall boards. An ordinary screen door is hung in the door opening.
Each Section is So Constructed That It can be Easily Handled and Set Up with the Others to Form a Cottage, Only Screws being Used to Fasten the Joints for Quick Assembling
A house built in this manner was placed in the courthouse lawn as a permanent fixture. Among other things brought out in the construction was the fact that a cottage may be built by a boy at a cost less than $50. Thus a stricken parent, brother, or sister may be provided, by the hands of a young mechanic, with the first means that may bring him or her back to health.