Caster Board for Scrubbing and Floorwork
A board for use in work that requires tedious kneeling, as in scrubbing, repairing of sidewalk lights, and similar work, may be made as follows: Procure a board, ⁷⁄₈ by 10 by 14 in., and pad it with a section of carpet. Place three casters under it, two being set at the rear and one at the front edge. If desired, small strips may be nailed at the sides to prevent the knees from slipping off. Such a device enables the user to move along the floor easily without injuring the knees.—R. S. Matzen, Fort Collins, Colo.
A Lamp Cooker
An ordinary circular-wick kerosene lamp produces enough heat to do considerable cooking, provided the heat is properly utilized. A simple and practicable method of converting such a lamp into a cooker is as follows: Saw a hole, 12 in. square, in the top of a small table, or packing box of about the same height as a table. Cover this with a piece of sheet metal, having a 4-in. hole in the center. Place a 5-in. flowerpot over the hole in the metal, and plug up the hole in the bottom of the pot with fire clay or plaster of Paris. Vegetables in jars may be set around the flowerpot to cook slowly and a roast in a pan on top of it. A wooden box, or metal pail, large enough to cover the arrangement, should be placed over it. Air holes should be provided in the lower box and in the cover.
This Lamp Cooker will Prepare Meats and Vegetables Satisfactorily, and is Useful for the Camper and in Emergencies
To operate the device light the lamp and when it is burning brightly, place it under the table, elevating it so that the top of the chimney is in the center and barely within the rim of the flowerpot. Use little water in the vegetables and keep the caps loosely on the jars. The roast, if well buttered, will brown nicely, and while the cooking will require considerably more time than it would in a range, the results will be as good, if not superior. The natural juices are preserved by the slow cooking at comparatively low temperature. The cover may be lifted to turn the meat occasionally. This device will appeal to campers, summer cottagers and others.—W. W. Baldwin, New York, N. Y.
Placing a Miter Box on the Workbench
In placing a miter box on a workbench considerable space is often wasted, and the workman is obstructed. By raising the miter box on the bench mounting it upon two blocks, about 6 in. high and set back about 18 in. from the front of the bench, small space is utilized, and the tool may be used as conveniently as otherwise. The space under the miter box and the open space in front of it are available for the disposal of ordinary tools, and there is no danger of the saw striking them. By making another stand, the height of the bearing surface of the miter box, and moving this about on the bench, long pieces may be handled with ease. This stand is removed from the bench when not in use.—Henry Simon, Laguna Beach, Calif.