A compact outfit, which the soldier or camper will appreciate, consists of a comb, brush, and mirror, clamped together, as shown in the sketch. Two long staples are set into the back of the brush handle, as indicated. From a board, ¹⁄₄ in. thick, the backing for the metal “trench mirror” is made, with the handle portion small enough to fit into the staples. A small brass strip acts as a spring when placed near the end of the mirror handle, and holds the outfit snugly.
Preserving Leaves in Specimen Book
The common method of preserving leaves by pressing them with an iron rubbed on beeswax may be improved by substituting the following process. Paint the under side of each leaf with linseed oil, ironing it immediately, and then paint and iron the upper side in the same way. This treatment gives the leaves sufficient gloss, while they remain quite pliable. It is not necessary to press and dry the leaves beforehand, but this may be done if desired. The tints may even be well preserved by painting only the upper side of the leaves with the oil and then placing them, without ironing, between newspapers, under weights, to dry.—Caroline Bollerer, New Britain, Conn.
Removable Drawer Stop
When I least expected it, the small-tool drawers of my tool chest have often dropped out, after I had left them partly open. The result was a waste of time in picking up the tools, not to mention the possible injury to them. I made small clips, like that shown in the sketch, and fitted them to the back of the drawers, as at A. When it is desired to remove the clips, the portion that extends above the drawer may be bent forward. This is necessary only where the space above the drawer is small. The clips may be made large enough to fit drawers of various sizes.—J. Harger, Honolulu, H. I.
Pole Supports Rug Handily for Cleaning
A rug may be handled easily for cleaning if the pole on which it is rolled when purchased is used as a support, as shown in the illustration. Two stout wires are fastened into the ends of the pole and hooked over the tightly stretched clothesline. The rug is suspended on the roller and is thus kept straight while it is cleaned, the tendency being, when only a clothesline is used, to crumple at the middle.—John V. Loeffler, Evansville, Ind.
The Roller on Which the Rug is Rolled When Purchased is Used to Advantage as a Support While Cleaning It