Also make a small wooden plug, and set it in the center, its point touching the pattern, and pour the plaster around it. When the mold is dry remove this plug, thus forming the sprue hole, through which the molten lead is poured into the mold.
Lead Soldiers, and Many Other Small Castings, can be Made by the Use of This Plaster-of-Paris Mold
When the second part of the mold is dry, lift it carefully from the under mold, and remove the pattern. Shellac the surface of the top mold, cleaning away any small bits of plaster around the edges. Trim down the box so that the top mold projects over it about ³⁄₈ in., making it easy to drop the top mold into place over the bolts. To use the mold, make certain that it is clean inside and set the top into place. Fasten down the wing nuts at the washers. Be very careful that the mold is dry, as hot metal poured on a wet surface may cause a dangerous splash. Repeat this process, and if care is taken about 300 castings can be made with one mold. The soldiers can be painted suitably and even sold in sets. The process can be adapted to many forms of other small castings, using other suitable metals, or wax, where the casting is to be molded into shape further.
A Trap Nest for the Poultry House
The Trap Nest Automatically Closes as the Hen Enters the Nest Box, Releasing the Trigger
Poultry raisers find a trap nest useful, and one can be made quickly by fitting an old packing box with a suitable sliding gate. In the arrangement shown, the gate is raised slightly as the hen enters the nest box, releasing the spring and causing the gate to drop. The gate and spring can be adjusted to various-sized breeds of poultry. The two grooved uprights can be cut from flooring and the other wooden parts made from laths or wooden strips. The trigger is made of wire.—A. J. Call, Hartsville, Mass.
A Simple Wireless Detector
