As this is one of the simplest forms into which leather can be wrought, and one that probably gives the most satisfaction when completed, perhaps the description of a dining room panel, made by the writer’s little son, may afford more real assistance to the reader than any general rules which could be given for the work.
He had a sheet of calf-skin, nine by fourteen inches, which he soaked in warm alum water till it was very soft and pliable. Before this, however, he had prepared his foundation, which consisted of a thick piece of pasteboard six by twelve inches. Upon this was nailed or glued a simple design of a duck hanging by its legs, which he had drawn upon a thin slab of wood—a cigar-box cover, I think—and had cut out with a scroll-saw. Before tacking this on, he rounded off the edges of the figure on the right side with his jackknife, and using an old newspaper and a little paste, he built out the body of the bird, molding it with his fingers and an old ivory paper-cutter until he obtained the desired shape. After this had dried he covered his soaked leather with the dextrine paste, and laid it evenly on the form. Beginning at the middle of the panel, he carefully pressed the wet leather upon the figure, using the dull edge of the paper-cutter for the lines and deep places left in the foundation; always working from the center toward the edge, and taking particular care that each part was firmly attached to the wood. After the bird was done to his satisfaction, he proceeded to stamp over the whole background, using for this purpose an old office-seal which was at hand. In regard to the stamp, any ingenious boy can easily make a good substitute, by taking a piece of hard wood with a flat end, and cutting it across in parallel lines, re-cross these lines with other parallel ones, forming a surface of even diamond-work upon the wood. This, when pressed upon the wet leather, makes a very agreeable background for almost any figure you may like. A wet sponge must be constantly applied to the leather while working, to prevent its drying too rapidly. After the surface was well covered with the stamping, the leather was again rubbed with paste and pressed over the edge of the pasteboard background; tiny triangular pieces were snipped from the corners to allow of their lying quite flat on the under-side. Finally, the whole thing was firmly glued upon a black-walnut slab bought for that purpose. This panel is the natural color of the leather, but they are frequently stained black, and for that purpose the “ebony black stain” is the best material to use; but it is not necessary that they should be black; any color can be used, the beautiful bronze powders making very fine effects.
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TO TELL THE HOUR OF THE DAY BY THE LEFT HAND.
For the benefit of those boys who make frequent excursions into the woods, or away from the sight and sound of town clocks and bells, I write the following, which I found in an old book published early in the present century:
Extend the left hand in a horizontal position, so that the inside shall be turned toward the sky; then take a bit of straw or wood, and place it at right angles at the joint, between the thumb and the forefinger. It must be equal in length to the distance from that joint to the end of the forefinger, and must be held upright, as represented in the figure at a. Now turn the bottom of the thumb toward the sun, the hand being extended till the shadow of the muscle which is below the thumb terminates at the line of life, marked c. If the wrist or bottom of the hand be then turned toward the sun, the fingers being kept equally extended, the shadow of the bit of straw or stick will indicate the hour.
When the shadow falls on the tip of the forefinger, it denotes five in the morning, or seven in the evening; at the end of the middle finger, it denotes six in the morning or evening; at the end of the next finger, seven in the morning, or five in the evening; at the end of the little finger, eight in the morning, or four in the afternoon. At the nearest joint of the little finger, nine in the morning, or three in the afternoon; at the next joint of the little finger, ten in the morning, or two in the afternoon; at the root of the little finger, eleven in the morning, or one in the afternoon; in the last place where the shadow falls, on that line of the hand marked d, which is called the table line, it will indicate twelve o’clock at noon.
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