Boring a Square Hole
You would not consider it possible to bore a square hole in a piece of cardboard, yet such a thing can be done. Take a cardboard or a thin piece of wood, fold and place it between two pieces of board with the fold up; the boards are then put in a vise as shown. Start the bit with the screw point in the fold, using a 1-in. bit, and bore a hole 1/2 in. deep. When the cardboard is taken from the vise it will appear as shown at B and when unfolded, as at A.
How To Make Copper Trays
Articles Made from Copper
Copper trays such as are shown in the accompanying illustration are very useful as well as ornamental about the house. They can be used to keep pins and needles, pens and pencils, or cigar ashes, etc. They are easily made, require no equipment in the way of tools except what are usually found about the house, unless it would be the metal shears, and when the decorations are well designed and the metal nicely colored, they make attractive little pieces to have about.
The first thing to do in preparation for making them is to prepare the design. Simple designs work out better than fussy ones and are more likely to be within the ability of the amateur. Having determined the size of the tray, draw on paper an oblong to represent it. Inside this oblong, draw another one to represent the lines along which the metal is to be bent up to form the sides. Inside this there should be drawn still another oblong to represent the margin up to which the background is to be worked. The trays shown are 5-3/4 by 6-3/4 in., the small ash tray 4 by 4 in., the long pen and pencil tray 4-3/4 by 9-1/2 in. The second oblong was 3/4 in. inside the first on all, and the third one 1/4 in. inside the second on all.
If the decoration is to have two parts alike—symmetrical—divide the space with a line down the middle. Draw one-half the design free hand, then fold along this line and trace the second half from this one. If the lines have been drawn with soft pencil, rubbing the back of the paper with a knife handle will force enough of the lead to the second side so that the outline can be determined. Four-part symmetry will require two lines and two foldings, etc.