Workers in the munitions industry frequently devise small useful or ornamental objects in imitation of, or from, discarded parts on which they work. The inkwell shown in the sketch was made from a rejected fuse socket of a shrapnel shell. It was fitted with a glass container and fastened into a wooden base.
Valve-Bottom Pail for Dipping Water
An ordinary pail may be converted into a convenient device for dipping water by fitting a valve into the bottom, as shown in the sketch. Fasten a piece of soft leather to the bottom of a block, 3 in. square, and fix this to the bottom of the bucket by means of a small hinge. By pushing the bucket bottom down into the water, the latter rises up through the valve until the bucket is full. By lifting it the valve is closed. This device fitted to a tall milk pail is especially convenient.—R. S. Matzen, Fort Collins, Colo.
A Shoe-Polishing Strop
It is awkward to shine one’s shoes with a long strip of cloth as is done by a shoe shiner to produce a high polish. An effective substitute method is to suspend from the wall a strip of cloth, about 5 in. wide, doubled to a length of 30 in., and rub the shoes on it before putting them on.
A Magic Cabinet
The performer calls the attention of his audience to a cabinet mounted on short legs and having doors in the front, back, and top. The back door is opened, then the top and front, and an arm is thrust through to show that the cabinet is empty and without double doors or double walls. The performer also puts his wand beneath the box to show that there is no deception there. The doors are then closed, except the top, and reaching down, he takes out any number of articles, from handkerchiefs to rabbits, and then the front door is opened to show the box is empty, but upon closing the front door again, he is still able to produce articles until the supply is exhausted. Wonderful though this trick may appear, it is very simple, and if a person is handy with tools, it can be made from lumber taken from a packing box.
To make the cabinet, nail together, in the shape of a rectangle, two pieces, 16 in. long, 14 in. wide, and ¹⁄₂ in. thick, and two pieces 14 in. square and ¹⁄₂ in. thick. To one of the latter pieces fasten four legs, one at each corner. In the opposite piece, or the top, make an opening in the center, 8 in. square. This opening is covered with a door 8¹⁄₂ in. square, supplied with a knob to open it easily. A piece, 16 in. long and 14 in. wide, with an attached knob, is hinged to the front, for a door; also another for the back hinged in the same manner and with a knob. In the back there is a cutout made, 9 in. long and 7 in. wide, in the center. In this opening a swinging box is hung to hold the articles taken from the cabinet. The swinging box is made of two pieces, 9 in. long and 7 in. wide, and two pieces about ¹⁄₂ in. larger each way, nailed together on ends, cut triangular. This box is hinged in the opening so that it will swing in or out as desired and show a panel on either side of the door. The front door should have a panel nailed on each side of equal size, to make both doors appear alike.