How to Repair Rubber Gloves
While making a bunglesome job of patching a pair of rubber gloves, which I used to keep the stains from my fingers while developing photographic plates, a physician friend happened along and told me how to do it properly. The method is as follows: Procure a piece of card, such as heavy Bristol board used for filing cards; spread it on one side, rather thick, with ordinary library paste and stick it to the rubber tissue, preferably dentists’ rubber dam of light weight; smooth it flat, and let the paste dry. When a patch is needed cut one out, rubber and card together, and fit it to the cut in the glove. Put the glove on the hand inside out, moisten the patch with cement, let it dry for a few seconds and then press it in place hard. If the tear is large, it is easier to lay the moistened patch down and fit the edges of the tear to it, then press hard in place. After the cement has thoroughly dried out, soak the patch in water and remove the bit of card. This gives a patch fastened securely to the extreme edges; flat, water-tight, and as fit to stand boiling as any patch, for sterilizing. After removing the card, the glove is dusted with talcum.—Contributed by J. S. Hogans, Uniontown, Pa.
Miniature Metal-Bound Chests
By F. E. TUCK
Boys in a manual-training class became very enthusiastic over the making of small chestlike boxes, bound with ornamental metal, and adapted them to a great variety of uses. The boxes were designed to suit the taste of the maker and for use as glove, handkerchief, jewelry, toilet, treasure and other boxes, lined with silk, and finished in wax and varnish, in various stains. Oak was used for most of them, and the metals employed were largely copper and brass, although silver is suitable for small boxes. They are simple in construction, as shown in the [working drawings], and can be made in the home workshop. The [photograph] reproduced shows a group of boxes, for various purposes, and in several styles of metal binding. The long box at the top is for gloves or ties; the larger ones are for the boys’ personal use, caring for collars, handkerchiefs, etc.; the smaller boxes are for the dresser, providing for the care of jewelry and similar small articles. The boxes proved great favorites as gifts, and the monogram of the recipient may be etched into the metal.
These Gift Boxes, Trimmed with Ornamental Metal, were Made by Boys in a Manual-Training Class. A Long Glove Box is Shown Above; the Larger Boxes Are for Handkerchiefs, and the Smaller Ones for Jewelry and Trinkets
Well-seasoned oak is the most suitable material for the making of the boxes, as it harmonizes well with the plain metal trimmings. The quarter-sawed variety is preferable, being more ornamental, and less likely to warp or twist. For most of the boxes, stock ³⁄₈ in. thick is suitable, although this may be cut down to ⁵⁄₁₆ in. for the smaller boxes, if convenient. The method of joining the pieces is similar in all the varieties of boxes, and the jewel box illustrated in the [working drawings] will be taken as a specimen. The sides of the box are butted against the ends, lapping over them, flush, and nailed with small brads. The bottom is fitted between the sides and ends, and nailed so that the nails are concealed by the metal bands, at the four corners, and at other points, if bands are placed near the middle. The stock for the box is cut and finished on all sides to the following dimensions: all pieces to be ³⁄₈ in. thick; top, 4¹⁄₂ by 7¹⁄₂ in.; two sides, 1⁷⁄₈ by 7 in.; two ends, 1⁷⁄₈ by 4 in.; bottom, 3¹⁄₄ by 6¹⁄₄ inches.
All the pieces should be scraped carefully to a smooth finish, and the nails started with an awl, or a slightly flattened nail of the same size, fitted into a hand drill. Extreme care must be taken, in nailing, that the surface of the wood is not marred, which is likely to occur if the nails are driven into the wood too rapidly, or without starting holes for them. The feet are cut from a strip, ³⁄₈ in. thick and ³⁄₄ in. wide, the cut edges being sandpapered smooth without destroying the squareness and the sharp corners. They are nailed to the bottom of the box with brads, care being taken to have the end grain of each block at the end of the box, particularly if the metal trimmings do not cover the blocks.
The cover is fixed in place with small plain butts, countersunk into the wood, one leaf into the top and the other into the back of the box. A simpler method is to set both leaves of the hinge into the edge of the back. Care must be taken in fitting the hinges that they are set in line with the back of the box, and holes for the screws should be made before driving them into place. Too much care cannot be taken with the fitting of the hinges, as the proper fitting of the lid, both as to resting level and being in line with the edges of the box, depends on the fitting of the hinges.
After the construction work and nailing is completed, the box may be sandpapered carefully, rubbing in the direction of the grain, and being careful not to round off the edges unduly. The oversandpapering of woodwork marks the work of the careless novice. The box should be handled as little as possible while the metal trimmings are being fitted, and, before the finish is applied, should be gone over lightly with sandpaper to remove dirt. When the metal pieces are fitted, and ready to be fastened in place, the finish may be applied to the box. Warm browns or other dark-oak finishes, are best suited to the simple style of chest, and the metal fittings. A coat of stain should be applied, and this followed, when dry, by a coat of filler, rubbed well into the pores of the wood. The filler should be permitted to dry hard and the surface is then sandpapered very lightly with a fine grade of paper—No. 00 is best. Do not rub through the filler or stain, particularly at the corners. Wax is the most readily applied outer finish. Several coats may be used to give a substantial finish. A coat of shellac, followed by coats of rubbing varnish, dried well and rubbed between coats with No. 00 sandpaper may be applied for a high-gloss finish. This is a more involved process and requires that the varnish be rubbed down with pumice stone and water, and finished with an oil polish.
Copper or brass, of No. 20 gauge or lighter, is suitable for the making of the trimmings. The details of the handles are shown in the [sketch], at the right. Cut a back plate, ⁷⁄₈ in. by 1¹⁄₄ in., and fit the handle of wire to it by means of a strap, bent from a strip of metal, ³⁄₈ in. by ⁷⁄₈ in. The other bands are merely strips, ¹⁄₂ to ³⁄₄ in. in width and fitted to the size of the box, where applied. Strap hinges of the same metal may be made, but the most convenient method for the amateur is to fit the metal strips into place at the hinges, merely as ornamental features. Various types of locks may be fitted into the box, and for the worker having the necessary skill, it is interesting to make a hasp, as indicated in the sketch.
The designing and making of the metal trimmings affords unlimited opportunity for originality, and a good plan is to fit the desired strips, cut from paper, to the box before making them of the metal. It is well to remember, in this connection, that the simple bands and forms are better suited to the plain box than ornate trimmings. Having determined upon suitable patterns for the metal strips, cut them from the sheet with snips, or tinner’s shears, care being taken to produce a smooth edge. A file may be used to remove roughnesses and to round the edges of the metal slightly. The metal is fastened with escutcheon pins, which add to the ornamental effect if properly spaced. Holes for them must be drilled, or punched, through the metal.
The Construction of the Jewelry Box Is Typical of the Others. The Handle is Shown in Detail. The Nailing of the Bottom and the Fitting of the Lining are Shown at the Right
The metal may be left smooth and polished, or hammered with the round end of a ball-peen hammer, to produce the dented effect shown on several of the boxes in the group. This, as well as other finishing of the metal, must be done before it is fixed in place. Beautiful colors may be given to the metal by heating it, and observing the colors as they “run.” A trial will enable one to judge the proper heat for the various colors, which “run” from a light straw to a deep purple, with various reddish intermediate tones. A brown oxidized finish, or a verd-antique—greenish—finish may also be obtained. The metal should be polished with wax to preserve the finish if other than the latter type is used.
The boxes are lined with silk or other suitable material. The method is as follows: Cut cardboard pieces to fit against the inner sides of the bottom, sides, and ends. Pad one side of them with cotton batting, and cover with silk, gluing the edges of it on the back of the cardboard, as shown in the [sketch]. By bending the pieces slightly, they may be inserted and glued in place. Care must be taken in handling the glue, that the silk is not soiled. Pads of felt, or chamois skin, may be glued to the bottom of the feet of the box, so as not to mar the surface upon which it rests.
The most popular boxes, which are especially suitable for gift purposes, are the jewelry, glove, and handkerchief boxes. Their dimensions are: jewelry box, 2³⁄₄ by 4 by 7¹⁄₂ in.; glove box, 3¹⁄₄ by 5 by 13 in.; handkerchief box, 4 by 6 by 10 in. Other sizes suited to special purposes may, of course, be designed readily, and made in walnut, mahogany, or other cabinet woods.
A Piano or Reading Lamp
By WILLIAM E. FINKERNAGEL
This Lamp of Substantial Construction and Pleasing Design may be Made at Small Cost. The Pedestal Assembled is Shown at the Left and Details of the Parts and of the Metal Frame for the Shade, Above
The lamp illustrated was designed for use in reading, the doing of hand work at which one is seated in a chair away from a table lamp, or for lighting a piano rack. It is light, readily moved about, easily made, and of pleasing design. It combines construction in wood and metal, is inexpensive, and within the range of a careful amateur craftsman. The pedestal is shown assembled at the left, and above are detailed sketches of the parts. The construction of the shade, which is 18 in. square, is shown at the right. The central post is 40 in. long and 2 in. square, and the base measures 16 in. on the arms.
The stock bill for the lamp is as follows:
1 piece, 2 by 2 in., oak, for post.
2 pieces, 1 by 3 by 16 in., oak, for base.
1 piece, 1 by 6 by 6 in., oak, for cap.
1 piece, 1 by 4 by 4 in., oak, for column base.
1 piece, 1 by 2 by 3 in., oak, for braces.
Copper or brass strip, 1 in. wide and ³⁄₃₂ in. thick, for shade frame. Wire braces for shade.
Make all the pieces, smoothing and finishing their surfaces with a scraper, before assembling the parts. The cap A may be made first. Square the piece to 6 in. and cut a ¹⁄₄-in. chamfer around the upper edge. Cut the 2 by 3-in. block on one of its diagonals and smooth it to form the braces B. Square the ends of the post C to a length of 40 in., and smooth up the sides. Square the column base D to 4 in. and cut a ³⁄₁₆-in. chamfer around its upper side.
Square up and smooth the cross arms E and F, for the base, to a width of 3 in. and a length of 16 in. Bevel the upper corners 1 in., at an angle of 45°. Bore holes with a ¹⁄₂-in. bit to form the rounded ends of the portions cut out from the lower sides of the cross braces. Chisel the wood away between the holes and smooth the resulting surfaces. The half-lap joint, by which the cross braces are joined, may then be made. It should not be made until the lower portions are cut out of the cross braces, and the remaining portions are made of exactly the same width, 2¹⁄₂ in., according to the drawing. The joint must be fitted tightly in what is termed a driving fit, or it will not be strong enough.
The construction may be assembled as follows, although several methods may be adopted that will prove satisfactory: Fix the cap A to the top of the post with glue and ¹⁄₂-in. dowels, bored not quite through the cap. Screws may be used for this purpose, but they mar the finish of the upper surface of the cap. Glue the braces B into the corners to support the cap. They should be warmed before applying the glue and rubbed slightly to bring them into place tightly and to distribute the glue evenly. Small brads may be used to nail them in place, but care must be taken not to mar the finish.
The column base D may be fixed to the bottom of the post in the same way that the cap was fixed at the upper end. The cross braces E and F, forming the base, should be glued in the half-lap joint and fixed to the column base with glue and dowels, or screws sunk into sockets from the lower side of the braces.
When the glue has dried, the pedestal should be scraped and cleaned preparatory to a final sandpapering before applying the stain and varnish.
The arms G for the shade holder are made of strips of brass or copper, 1 in. wide and 8³⁄₄ in. long, bent to the proper form, as shown in the sketch. The straight end, 2 in. long, is provided with two holes through which screws are fixed into the top of the cap.
The shade is constructed as follows: Make a 4-in. square, H, of brass strip, 1 in. wide, and solder or rivet it at the joint. Make the lower square J of the same material and in the same way, 18 in. on each side. Solder ¹⁄₈-in. wire, of a length that will give the desired slant to the shade, at the corners of the squares, forming a rigid frame for the covering. Cloth or silk may be used to cover the frame.
The braces for the shade may then be fastened to the top of the cap, as shown in the assembly sketch, and their ends shaped to hold the frame firmly. The pedestal should be smoothed off immediately preparatory to finishing, and the sharp edges removed slightly. Care should be taken in sandpapering, since rubbing across the grain is ruinous, as is too much sandpapering. The latter particularly smacks of the novice. A coat of stain, one of filler rubbed in thoroughly, a coat of shellac, and a finish coat of wax or varnish will give a satisfactory finish. The shellac and varnish coats should be permitted to dry thoroughly and should then be sandpapered lightly before applying other coats.
The electrical connections for the lamp may be made from a cord extension to a socket fixed in the center of the cap. In some instances it may be desirable to connect the cord from a floor socket. In that case the post should be built up of two pieces of 1-in. thickness, and a groove to admit the cord made in the center of it.