Home-Made Dog Cart

Dog-Power Cart

The accompanying photograph shows a boy with his "dogmobile." The photograph was taken when they were on a new pavement which had 2 in. of sand left by the pavers and a grade of 6 per cent. The machine is nothing more than a boy's rubber-tired wagon on which are mounted a box for a seat and a wheel steering device extending above and below the board of the wagon. The front wheels are guided by ropes attached from each end of the axle and a few turns around the lower end of the steering rod. A pair of shafts are attached to the rear, into which the dog is harnessed.


How to Make a Dry Battery Cell

Dry battery cells are composed of the same materials for the poles, but instead of the liquid commonly used a paste is formed by mixing sal ammoniac and other salts with water and packed in the cell so it cannot spill.

A cell of this kind can easily be made, and to make it the proper size a sheet of zinc 8-1/2 in. long and 6 in. wide will be required. This zinc is rolled into a cylinder 2-1/2-in. in diameter. This will allow for a lap of 5/8 in., which is tightly soldered only on the outside of the seam. Close one end of the cylinder by soldering a disk of zinc over it, making a watertight receptacle. All soldering should be done on the outside and none of the solder allowed to run on the inside of the seam. All seams on the inside should be painted with asphaltum in order to cover any particles of solder. Do not paint any surface, only the joints. Secure three carbon rods 1/2-in. in diameter and 6 in. long which are copper plated. Carbons used in arc lamps will do. File the rods to remove the copper plate, leaving about 1/2-in. of the plate at one end. Tie the three rods in a close bundle with the copper-plated ends together and make a contact with each rod by soldering a wire to the plated ends, allowing one end of the wire to project about 2 in. for a connection. The plated ends of the carbons should be covered with paraffin for about 1 in. This is done by immersing them in a dish of smoking hot melted paraffin until the pores are thoroughly saturated.