A tin bucket or can makes a good slicer for vegetables when no other slicer is at hand. A number of slots are cut across one side of the can, and the lower edge of each slot slightly turned out to form a cutting edge. The vegetable is placed against the top of the can and pushed down over the slots. Each slot will cut off a slice which falls inside of the can.
Bench Stop for Planing Thin Boards
A bench stop for planing thin boards with a hand plane may be made in the following manner: Procure a piece of strap iron about 1/4 in. thick, 1-1/2 or 2 in. wide, and about 6 in. long. File or grind one edge sharp on top and drill a 1/4-in. hole through the center. Cut a slot in a board or in the workbench large enough to receive the stop A flat. Place enough strips of rubber or fit two coil springs, B, to raise the sharp edge out of the slot. Insert a screw in the hole of the stop and adjust it to the desired height by turning the screw up or down.
In a case of emergency, lemon juice may be used as soldering flux.
A Jardinière Pedestal
The pedestal may be made of any close-grained wood, such as basswood or maple, if the stain is to be walnut or mahogany, but it can also be constructed of quarter-sawed oak and finished in a waxed mission or varnished surface. The material required is as follows: