A Homemade Whistle
Procure two empty No. 30 gauge brass cartridge shells. Cut one shell 3/8 in. shorter than the other, then flatten and bend them as shown in the sketch. The mouthpiece should be at an angle of 60 deg. File a slot, 3/16 in. in width, about 1/2 in. from the end. File off the flange on the shorter shell so that it will fit snugly against the side of the other and solder them together. A ring may be soldered on the end of the long shell to fasten it on a chain or string. To give the whistle a shrill sound place a large shot in each shell before flattening them.—Contributed by Peter Veneman, Paterson, New Jersey.
The Tapering End of a Cartridge Shell is Flattened and Bent to Make a Whistle
How to Emboss Stationery
A person's monogram or any special lettering embossed on stationery is quite expensive. The engraving of the dies by experts commanding high salaries, and the subsequent presswork necessary to give relief to the design upon the paper cause an expense which the economical person hesitates to accept, much as the refinement and individuality of the embossed work may be admired. But there is a way by which almost anyone may emboss stationery at home with one's own design at no expense whatever. The work is easy and the results pleasing, and monograms or lettering thus done will compare very favorably with the printer's work, especially if there is a good design to follow and the work is done with care. A little artistic ability will, of course, aid one in preparing a design, but is not essential, for the letters required may be cut from printed matter and used as a guide for tracing. There is no limit to the varieties of work possible by this process. Single letters, monograms, words or designs are suitable for reproduction in raised characters.
All the materials required for embossing the stationery are the envelope or paper on which the design is to appear, a stylus and a blotter. The paper should be of fair quality. If it is too thin the stylus point is likely to push through it. The linen-finished papers of medium weight and tough texture give excellent results, although almost any grade of good writing paper can be used successfully. As embossing by this process can be done well only through one thickness of paper, in working on envelopes it is best to put the design on the central portion of the flap, or turn it up and make the design in the left-hand corner of the envelope.
The stylus may be any kind of a pencil-like instrument, easy to grip between the fingers, with a hard, smooth point, rounded slightly so that it will not cut the paper. The ordinary bone stiletto, used in embroidering, makes an ideal tool for this purpose. If this is not to be had, a substitute is easily whittled from a piece of hard wood. Even a wire nail, with its point smoothed with a file, may be used, the upper portion being wound with string to afford a better grip.
The blotter should be white, perfectly clean, and of good weight. A thin, hard blotter will not produce a good raised letter as a softer one will. When the surface of a blotter has become covered with creases from repeated use, it should be discarded and a new one substituted.
