The Weight Draws the Towel into the Case Out of Sight When Not in Use
Nothing is more unsightly to a stranger entering a home than a dirty towel in either the bathroom or the kitchenette. To keep the towel out of sight I made a hanger as shown in the illustration. A wire was bent into shape similar to a clothes hanger and a sliding clip made to hold the towel in place. A cabinet was made to accommodate the towel, and the hanger was attached to a cord run over a pulley fastened at the top, through a weight pulley, and then tied to a screw eye at the top. The weight draws the towel into the cabinet. Near the bottom edge a slot was cut and a small panel fitted in it. This small panel is fastened to the lower end of the towel. It is only necessary to pull out the small panel to get at the towel. When through with the towel, let loose of it and the weight will draw it into the opening.—Contributed by Chas. C. Bradley, W. Toledo, O.
Ammonia-Carrying Case for Insect Bites
An old clinical-thermometer case can be easily turned into a vial in which to carry ammonia for insect bites. Fit a small rubber stopper in the case, then push a darning needle into the stopper so that its end will be a little more than midway in the case. Cut or break off the needle end projecting on the outside and attach a small wad of cotton to the inside end. The case is then filled with ammonia. For bee stings this works fine, as the ammonia completely neutralizes the formic acid which the bee deposits.—Contributed by E. Everett Buchanan, Elmira, N. Y.
¶The contact points of a firm-joint caliper should never be struck on hard surfaces to adjust them.
How to Make Combined Kites
By C. M. MILLER
PART II—A Festooned Kite
More than one kite on the same framework is known as a compound kite. The one illustrated consists of three tailless kites on one long stick, called the spine. The upper one is 3 ft.; the center one, 2 ft., and the lower one, 1 ft. in width. There will be needed for the construction of this kite a stick of light wood—spruce is best, but it may be of pine or bass—7 ft. long by ¹⁄₄ by ¹⁄₂ in. If the wood breaks easily it will be better to increase the width from ¹⁄₂ in. to ³⁄₄ in., or the stick might be made ³⁄₈ in. thick without increasing the width, but with a good spruce stick the dimensions first given will be sufficient. The stick should be straight-grained and without a twist. If the spine is twisted, the kites will not lie flat or in a plane with each other, and if one is out of true, it will cause the kite to be unsteady in the air. The bow sticks are three, the upper one being 4 ft. long by ¹⁄₄ by ¹⁄₂ in.; the center one, 2 ft. long by ¹⁄₄ by ³⁄₈ in., and the lower one, 1 ft. long by ¹⁄₄ by ¹⁄₄ in. About five sheets of tissue paper will be required, but more may be needed for color combinations. The so-called French tissue paper is much better, as it comes in fine colors and is much stronger than the ordinary tissue. It costs a trifle more, but it pays in making a beautiful kite. The Chinese rice paper is the strongest, but it comes only in natural colors.
The Spine with the Bow Sticks Properly Spaced as Shown by the Dimensions