Fig. 176.—A Home-made Dark-room Lantern.
If it is not possible to have outside light for the dark room,
A Home-made Lantern, such as is illustrated in [Fig. 176], will be found very satisfactory. It is made out of a wooden box about ten by ten by twelve inches. Cut two openings six inches square in two sides of the box and cover one with one sheet and the other with two sheets of orange or red paper, spreading paste over the entire surface of the paper to make it stretch tightly over the openings as it dries. The orange and red wrappers of some makes of printing papers and developing powders can be used for the covering of these openings.
For a chimney, procure a long slender baking-powder can, remove the cover and bottom, and insert it in a hole cut for it in the top of the box. Then an arrangement must be made, as shown in [Fig. 176], to prevent light from emitting from the top of the can. This consists of a tomato-can placed over the baking-powder can, bottom side up, with its edge fastened in kerfs cut in the ends of four wooden stilts (see illustration). Drive the stilts firmly into holes bored for them in the top of the box. The edge of the tomato-can should now be about an inch and one-half above the box, and its bottom an inch or more above the baking-powder can.
Fig. 177.
Below the chimney attach a wooden stilt to the bottom of the lantern, and tack a can cover to the top of it, as shown in the drawing. This forms a cup holder for the candle, which not only catches the drippings, but also makes the lantern fire-proof should the candle burn down to the end before you notice it. Bore a number of holes in the bottom of the box, and nail two strips to the under side, as shown.
The lamp is now completed with the exception of the door, which should be made in three pieces, with the edges cut and bevelled as shown in Figs. [176] and [177]. Nail strips A and C to the back of the box, and slip B between them. A screw-eye near the bottom of B will serve as a lift in opening the lantern. As the edges of the strips are cut on a slant and bevelled, a joint which cannot possibly leak light is obtained when B is slipped into place. All cracks in the box should be carefully filled with white lead.