A Number is Mentioned and the Performer Gives the Washers a Twist to Set the Concealed Weight so That the Hand When Hung on the Dial will be Drawn to Point Out the Number Selected
The dial can be made of a piece of thick cardboard, or thin wood, with the numbers from 1 to 12 painted on, like a clockface. A pin, ¹⁄₁₆ in. in diameter, or an ordinary large pin, is run through the center so that it will project on the face side on which the hand is to revolve.
The washer D with the weight is placed on the rear side of the hand with the fixed stud run through the hole in the center of the hand; then the washer C is placed on the square part of the stud, and the nut J, which should have a round, knurled edge, is turned on the threads. This will cause the projection on the spring E to engage one of the small holes on the disk B. In turning the two washers, C and D, with the thumb and first finger of the right hand, the projection snapping into the holes of the disk B can be felt. The hand is placed on the pin of the clockface, and the washers are turned so that the weight will make it point to 12. Scratch a mark on the hand at H, also mark a line on the front washer at this point. These lines are necessary, as they enable the performer to know how many holes to snap the spring over to have the hand point at any desired number.
By reversing the hand it will point to a different number; for instance, if set for 8 and put on the pin backward, it will point to 4, and so on, with other settings. The dial can be held in the hand, hung on a stand, or fastened to a wall, and can be used to tell the day of the week, time of day, cards selected, etc. The audience can call for any number on the clockface, and the setting of the disks is an easy matter while holding the hand, or pointer, in the hands, so that it cannot be detected.
Uses for Steel Wool
The use of steel wool in place of sandpaper when finishing off new or old work, when preparing it for varnishing or other finishes, will be found very helpful. It is put up in small packages and can be obtained in several grades of fineness. It is especially useful when removing old finishes, in and around moldings, etc., since it conforms to irregular shapes as sandpaper will not. Put on a pair of heavy canvas gloves when using steel wool. They will keep the fine slivers out of the skin. These gloves will also be found useful when varnishing and painting.
Turning Long Wood Rods
To turn a long wood rod of small diameter is not an easy job for the amateur, and a suitable tool for the purpose is seldom found in the amateur’s outfit. The tool illustrated can be easily made from materials that are always at hand. A block of hard wood, A, is first provided, and a hole, B, large enough to admit the square strip from which the rod is to be turned, is bored in the end, whereupon the hole C, which has the diameter of the finished rod, is bored through the block. The hole D is next bored at right angles to the axis of the hole C, and so placed that its edge just touches the outer edge of the hole C. This hole is to receive an ordinary gouge, and must be of such size as to receive the gouge snugly.
A Block of Wood Fashioned to Hold an Ordinary Gouge for Turning Small Wood Rods