The pen is shown in [Fig. 391]. It is made out of a piece of elderberry wood about five inches long, a small glass vial, and a piece of sponge. First push out the pith of the piece of elderberry wood (this you will find easily removed), and then point one end pen-shape, as shown in the illustration, and split it back from the point about an inch in the same manner as a writing pen is made. Whittle the other end of the stick so it will fit tightly in the neck of the glass vial. This bottle, or reservoir, should be filled with ink, and a small piece of the sponge you have procured should be pushed into the hollow of the pen above the point (see [illustration]), as a means of preventing the ink from flowing too freely upon the point.
Fig. 391.—A Home-made Fountain Pen.
Although the pen was originally made with a coarse point for marking heavy figures, you will find that it can be made to write to a reasonable degree of fineness by whittling a fine point upon it.
Fig. 392.—The Magic Pin-wheel.
The Magic Pin-wheel represented by [Fig. 392] can be made with a few minutes' work, and is something entirely new in the line of magic toys. There are probably few persons who will understand this simple yet mysterious toy when they see it properly operated, until the secret is disclosed to them. As you will see by looking at the [drawing], the pin-wheel consists of nothing more than a stick notched along one edge, and a thin piece of wood about an inch in length fastened through its centre to the end of the stick by means of a pin. In cutting the notches it is important to make them of the same length and depth. Locate the exact centre of the chip of wood before pivoting it to the end of the stick, and with your knife make a small hole for the pin to run through at this point. Be careful to drive the pin in straight.