An attractive and serviceable inverted-light fixture for a den and study was made at an outlay of about 30 cents, the details of construction being shown in the illustration. The light is distributed thoroughly, and with a 40-watt lamp is ideal for work at a desk. The lower portion A is a tin washbasin, costing 10 cents, and the part C is a cup-cake pan, costing 5 cents. The rim B is made of ⁵⁄₈-in. wood, 13 in. in diameter, and the disk E, 10 in. wide, is the round block cut from the center of the rim B. The uprights D are made of ³⁄₈-in. dowel rods and of a length suitable to the height of the room. They are glued and toenailed to the rim and disk. F is a cup-cake pan, and G is a drawer knob, fastened to the pan F. These parts can be omitted if desired. They are fastened to the top with wood screws.
A Ten-Cent Washbasin was Used as a Reflector for This Light Fixture
The light socket is supported in a metal strap, H, having a rounded offset to match a bolted clamping strip. The inside of the basin, being tinned, acts as an excellent reflector. All parts except the inside of the pan are enameled white. The fixture is fastened to the ceiling with screws through the disk.—A. F. Krueger, Champaign, Ill.
¶The gummed portions of unsealed envelopes are often useful when a gummed strip is desired.
Laying Out a Horizontal Sundial Plate
To make a sundial accurately it is necessary to lay out the lines for the particular locality where it is to be used, as a dial will vary slightly according to the latitude. The parts may be made of wood, metal, or stone. A good method is to have a bronze casting made from a wooden pattern. The lines may be cut with a lathe and planer in a machine shop, or engraved by hand.
Fig. 1
Lay Out the Dial Plate Symmetrically, Allowing Space for the Style
The illustrations show how the dial is made. The lines, as indicated in [Fig. 1], should be laid out very carefully, first on a pattern. Draw a horizontal line near the top which represents the six-o’clock line, A-VI, in [Fig. 2]. Then lay out another line AH, at right angles to A-VI. Take a point C at any convenient place and construct the right-angled triangle ABD. The angle CAB should be equal to the degree of latitude of the place. The angle CBD equals CAB. Take a compass and set it to a radius equal to the side BD, and draw the quadrant DF from E. From D draw the line DG out for same distance and parallel with A-VI. Now divide the quadrant DF into six equal parts. Draw the lines E1, E2, E3, etc., and where they intersect the line DG, draw the lines from A, as A-I, A-II, A-III, etc. These are the hour lines. Divide each of the six divisions of the quadrant into four parts, and draw the lines, as shown between the 3 and 4 divisions. These are the 15-minute parts. Each of these parts may be divided in turn, and this is best done by eye, unless the dial is quite large.