On special occasions when company is entertained or in large families, it is almost impossible to wash all the dishes in an ordinary dishpan; in fact, the large platters will not go in at all, so I devised the following method as a substitute for a larger pan. A tin disk was cut from the top of a tomato can with a can opener so as to be as round as possible, then a piece of cheesecloth was folded into an even square, the disk placed in the center and all four corners of the cloth drawn over to the center of the disk. A nail was driven through the center of the disk, to make a hole, through which a string was drawn with the nail and tied to it to form a loop on the head. This is used to stop the sink drain.
When this is put over the drain outlet the sink may be used as a dishpan. The same result could be obtained a little better with a piece of an old rubber boot or rubber coat, but usually this material is not at hand, and the cheesecloth will do almost as well.—Contributed by Hannah Jennings, Chicago.
How to Make Small Coil Springs
Procure a nut, having a small thread that will admit the size of the wire to be used in making the spring. Cut a small notch to the depth of the thread where the thread starts, and procure a smooth rod that will pass snugly through the threads of the nut. Shape one end of the rod to fit a carpenter's brace, if there is no drill chuck at hand, and drill a hole in the other end to admit one end of the spring wire.
The Threads in the Nut Will Guide as Well as Coil the Spring Evenly
Bend the wire at right angles and insert the end in the hole. Place the end of the rod in the nut, which should be gripped in a vise, and turn the rod, at the same time seeing that the wire is guided into the notch cut at the start of the thread. The wire will follow the thread of the nut and make a perfect spring of an even opening throughout its length. Closed or open coils can be made by using a nut having the proper number of threads.—Contributed by A. Spencer, Kinston, N. C.
A Pruning-Saw Guard
The double-edged pruning saw with coarse teeth on one side and fine on the other would be far more widely used, if it were not for the fact that the unused edge so often injures the bark of the trunk when the saw is being used. A very satisfactory guard may be quickly made of a brass curtain rod by prying it apart slightly at the seam and cutting a suitable length to fit over the edge, as shown in the sketch. This will cling to the saw blade by its own tension.—Contributed by James H. Brundage, Katonah, N. Y.
