When sketching a plan, if any one of the first few lines drawn is found to be the proper length, then this line can be made into a scale by the geometric rule for dividing a given line into equal parts.
A Scale can be Made for Use on Any Sized Sketch or Drawing
Suppose, for example, the line AB, which is to represent 12 ft., is found to be 1 ft. long. Draw a line, AC, at any angle from the point A and step off on it 12 equal parts, beginning at A. The last point, or the one at C, is connected to the end B, then eleven other lines are drawn parallel with CB. Thus AB will make a scale of 1 in. to each 1 ft.—Contributed by James M. Kane, Doylestown, Pa.
Repairing a Broken Whip
Procure a piece of thin tin—the metal taken from a discarded fruit can will do—and cut it about 2-1/2 in. long and wide enough to encircle the break. Notch the ends like saw teeth and remove any sharp edges with a file. Place the tin on the break and tie temporarily. Wind the whole from end to end with a waxed linen thread, such as used by harness makers. The threads lying alternately on the whip and on metal at the notched ends eliminate any possibility of the parts working loose. A break near the small and flexible end of a whip is repaired in the same manner, using a quill instead of the tin. In either case, do not let the edges of the splicing material meet, and it will clamp tightly on the whip.—Contributed by W. S. Kingsley, W. Gouldsboro, Me.
The Repair on a Whip Made with a Notched Ferrule and a Waxed Thread
Repairing a Worn Thimble
Silver thimbles are easily worn through at the end, and they can be quickly repaired by soldering from the inside. A very neat repair can be made with an alcohol lamp and a blowpipe by using a little silver solder. Borax or resin is used as a flux.