While it is still hot strain it through a piece of cheese cloth; this done, grease a clean sheet of glass and build up the edges with some putty; warm the glass and pour on the gelatine to a thickness of ¹⁄₈ inch. Now lay another greased and hot sheet of glass on top of the gelatine and let it stay there until it is cold. The sheets of gelatine can be given any color by adding a little aniline to the gelatine while it is hot.
How to Silver a Mirror.
—While it is much cheaper to buy a mirror than it is to make one still there are times when it is useful to know how to make one.
As you know, a mirror is a sheet of clear glass free from air bubbles and upon the back of which is a film of silver. The silver bath is made by mixing a weak solution of silver nitrate with ammonium hydroxide until the solution is clear and then adding a little caustic potash to it. This done, put in a few more drops of ammonia and finally a very little glycerine.
Now float the glass on this mixture when the surface will soon be coated with silver. When the film is thick enough take the glass from the bath, wash the film of silver on the back of it with clean, cold water, dry and varnish it and your mirror is done.
CHAPTER X
TOYS FOR THE KIDDIES
If there is as much pleasure in giving as there is in receiving you can get twice as much pleasure out of making toys with your own hands and giving them to your little brothers and sisters—if you have any, and if you haven’t, then I’m truly sorry for you.
Since you know how to use wood and metal working tools it will be easy for you to make any and all of these toys I have described in this chapter and some of them are quite useful too. And when you are making them let the little folks watch you for this will please them greatly and make them doubly happy.
Now some grown-ups don’t know it but however small a kiddie is he or she likes to play with things that look like those the older folks work with. Of course all toys cannot be of this kind for some of them are made to be funny and others are made to be lifelike, but these are the three chief kinds of toys.