A good grade of tough Manila paper should be procured and cut into strips, about 18 in. long and wide enough to build up a tube at least 1/32 in. in diameter. This will require from 4 to 6 in., according to the thickness of the paper. A piece of 1/4-in. round iron or hard wood, 20 in. long, is procured and carefully oiled or greased. Apply a coat of strong fish glue to one of these pieces of paper, omitting a strip along one edge, about 1 in. wide. Using the outspread fingers of each hand, begin with the unglued edge and roll the paper around the wood. As it is impossible to get the paper uniformly tight with the fingers, select a smooth place on the table and then roll the newly formed tube forward by means of a piece of board, as shown in the illustration. On the return stroke lift the board. In this way it is possible to get a tight, smooth tube. Immediately withdraw the core, twisting it slightly in a reverse direction if it tends to stick. Before using the core again, make sure it is free from glue and regrease it. When a sufficient number of tubes have been made and hardened, neatly trim the ends off squarely, and then form an equal number of short tubes, about 2 in. long, by winding a strip of glued paper on a large wire nail until a diameter is reached that will fit snugly into the pipes already made. The joints may then be set up with strong glue and finally wrapped with two thicknesses of paper on the outside. The construction of these joints is shown in the cross section.
The connection with the chandelier can be made by means of a metal tube soldered in at a point where the regular valve will cut off all connection with the paper piping when it is not in use. This metal tube should be coated with thick shellac, and the paper tube slipped over it for 1 in. or more, after which the joint should be given several additional coats on the outside. A small regulating gas cock can be attached to the lower end of the piping, and if this is rigidly fastened to the wall, or casing, the connecting and disconnecting of the rubber tubing will not disturb the piping in any way.—Contributed by John D. Adams.
Rubbing Slats for a Washing Board
In an emergency, and to substitute something for a broken glass rubbing plate on an ordinary washing board, I fitted a series of 3/8-in. dowels horizontally across the board, closely together. This proved to be better than glass or zinc, as fabrics adhered to the wood dowels and caused them to revolve, making a more desirable rubbing surface and accomplishing the work of loosening the dirt in the fabric with far less effort than that necessary on the metal or glass board.—Contributed by H. M. Spamer, Vineland, N. J.
Catching Bugs Attracted by Light
Bugs, moths, and insects attracted by lights on summer evenings can be caught by means of sticky fly paper, suspended as shades around the lamps. Cuts in the shade allow the greater portion of the light to pass through and attract the bugs, which will surely be caught as they travel about the light onto the sticky paper. It is advisable to make two shades at the same time from a double sheet of the sticky paper, pasted, as when bought, with the sticky faces together so that the shades may be cut and handled easier.—Contributed by John J. Kolar, Maywood, Illinois.
Oilcans should be marked to indicate the kind of oil in them.