Lamps are now to be made and fixed on the space in front; they are best made out of pieces of wood—the remainder of that used for axles will be useful for this if cut down; they should be about three-eighths of an inch wide and thick, and half an inch high. Paint the front side of one white, of the other green; when dry, make a circle on this front, and paint all black except within the circles; make two similar for the back, but these paint vermilion for the centres. In the top of each insert a bent pin with its head cut off for a handle.
Now make the buffers, the instructions for making steam-funnel will tell you how: the only difference is that there is to be no hole in the circular card at the end. The front part is painted vermilion, the rest black. Two are required at each end; they are placed on the bearing-shafts front and rear, about three-eighths of an inch from the sides.
The ‘FUNNEL’ now requires our attention. It is made of paper, long enough and wide enough, when tightly rolled, to form a cylinder about half an inch in diameter and two inches long. Gum the edge down. For the top, cut a circular ring, of medium card, three-quarters of an inch in diameter outside, half an inch in diameter inside. Fit this neatly on the top of the cylinder. Paint it black and gum in the centre of the funnel-box, previously described. A gold line or strip of gilt paper round the top of the funnel improves the appearance.
Fig. 17.
Funnel top.
A circular piece of medium card three-quarters of an inch in diameter, with a black cross or diamond painted on it, should be placed in front of the funnel-box. ([Fig. 17]).
Safety-valves, connected with the ‘dome,’ should now be put. Obtain two rather thick sewing-needles, about two inches long; make with the points two small holes, one-eighth of an inch apart, just behind the red strip at the back of the ‘dome;’ push the eye end of one of these needles carefully through these holes, so as to allow them to stand out about an inch and a half. They should incline to each other at the top, but otherwise be perpendicular. They are connected with the dome by pins with the heads cut off, but whose points are stuck into a little cube of cork gummed on the top of the dome.
The engine is now tolerably complete, and only requires to be varnished. For this purpose, obtain some ‘crystal’ varnish, of good quality, and apply it with a large camel-hair brush. One good coat should suffice. Let it thoroughly dry before handling.