Pencil-Sharpening Guide
The sketch shows how a guide for making a true point on a lead pencil may be made of a block of wood. The hole, which should be large enough to allow the pencil to be turned easily, is bored at the proper angle to form the desired point on the pencil. The long side of the block serves as a guide for the knife blade, while the projection at the bottom acts as a stop. The guide insures an even point and is easily manipulated. It is held in the palm of the left hand and the pencil is turned with the thumb and forefinger, while the knife is held against the face of the block, cutting edge downward, and worked up and down with the right hand.
Homemade Hinges
When making a chicken house recently I had forgotten to procure hinges. When searching the "junk" box I found some little metal brackets such as used for holding spring roller shades. Attaching these as shown, I made a good substitute hinge. A pair of the brackets having no slots were selected. A 2-1/2-in. wire nail with a washer was placed in the hole and driven into the top of the door, 1 in, from its back edge. The other bracket was placed on the bottom of the door in a similar manner. The door was placed in an open position and the prongs of the brackets were nailed to the door post. The bottom bracket may also be nailed to the floor and the top one to the lintel.—Contributed by Robert Smith, E. Burnaby, B. C.
Skimmer for Bottled Milk
The cream that rises on the milk in an ordinary milk bottle cannot be removed easily. Where a small family desires to use the cream for coffee, the skimmer shown in the sketch is very handy.
The cone is made of metal—tin, brass or copper—which can be nickelplated, the seam being soldered. The cone is 2 in. deep with a diameter at the top of 1-3/8 in. A handle can be made of a discarded sugar or teaspoon, which is soldered to the cone. Insert the cone in the bottle far enough for the cream to flow into it and then withdraw. Cream will gather about 3 in. deep on rich milk. The milk can be used for cooking. A piece of wire can be used for a handle instead of the spoon.—Contributed by Victor Labadie, Dallas, Texas.