The Project Gutenberg EBook of Things To Make, by Archibald Williams This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: Things To Make Author: Archibald Williams Release Date: January 11, 2005 [EBook #14664] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THINGS TO MAKE *** Produced by Don Kostuch Transcriber's Note: If the pdf version of the book is viewed using facing pages with even numbered pages on the left, you will see a close approximation of the original book. Notations of the form "(1,650) 2" appear at the bottom of some pages; they are probably printer's references for assembling to book. The text only version is of limited use because of the many figures used. I recommend the pdf or rtf versions. Some of the projects should be approached with care since they involve corrosive or explosive chemicals, electricity and steam boilers. Do not use lead solder, particularly on cooking utensils. Whether you simply want to travel back into the mind of a young boy at the beginning of the twentieth century, or want to try your hand at some interesting projects in carpentry, machinery, kites and many other areas, have fun. The following four pages have definitions of unusual (to me) terms used frequently in the text. Terms Batten - Narrow strip of wood. Benzoline - An impure benzene; colorless, flammable, liquid aromatic hydrocarbon, C6H6. Bevel (Bevelling) - A cut that is not a right angle. Bradawl - Awl with a beveled tip to make holes in wood for brads or screws. Chamfer - Cut off the edge or corner; bevel. Boss - Enlarged part of a shaft where another shaft is coupled or a wheel or gear is keyed. Broach - To shape a hole with a tapered tool. Carbide - Calcium carbide, used to produce acetylene (C2H2) gas for lighting and welding. Compo - "Composition", like plastic. Creosote - An oily liquid containing phenols and creosols, obtained from coal tar. Used as a wood preservative and disinfectant. Can cause severe neurological disturbances if inhaled. Deal - A fir or pine board of standard dimensions Fish-plate - A plate bolted to the sides of two abutting railroad tracks. Fretworking - Ornamental design, often in relief. Gasholder Gasometer - Storage container for fuel gas, especially a large, telescoping, cylindrical tank. Gland - The outer sleeve of a stuffing box that prevents leakage past a moving machine part. Glass paper - Paper faced with pulverized glass, like sandpaper. Gudgeon - A metal pivot or journal at the end of a shaft or an axle, around which a wheel or other device turns. Joiner - A cabinetmaker. Linoleum - A floor covering made in sheets by pressing heated linseed oil, rosin, powdered cork, and pigments onto a burlap or canvas backing. Lissom - Easily bent; supple Longitudinal - Relating to length. Mortice - Cavity in a piece of wood or other material, prepared to receive a tenon and form a joint. Panel saw - Handsaw with fine teeth. Pinion - Gear with a small number of teeth designed to mesh with a larger gear. Plinth - Architectural support or base. Rasp - Coarse file with sharp, raised, pointed projections. Sleeper - Railroad crosstie. Spanner - Wrench Spirit Lamp - Alcohol lamp; see example on page 188. Spirit - Alcohol Strake - Ridge of thick planking on the side of a wooden ship. Strut - Any part designed to hold things apart or resist compressive stress; Tap - Cut screw threads Tenon - Projection on the end of a piece of wood shaped for insertion into a mortise to make a joint. Tenon saw - Saw with a thin blade for cutting tenons. Tinning - Coating with soft solder. Turner - Person who operates a lathe or similar device. Tyre - Tire Vestas - Matches; Vestai is the Roman goddess of the hearth, worshiped in a temple containing the sacred fire tended by the vestal virgins. Currency Conversion Prices are quoted in old English currency, pounds, shillings, pence. "12s. 6d." is read as "12 Shillings and 6 Pence." Pence/penny Shilling - 12 pence. Crown - 5 shillings. Pound - 20 shillings. Guinea - 21 shillings. The approximate value of 1900 prices in 2002 is: 1900 Unit Value in 2002 Currency English Pound US Dollars Pence .26 .48 Shilling 3.10 5.80 Crown 15.50 29.00 Pound 62.00 116.00 [End Transcriber's note.] Photo: Daily Mirror. Large model locomotive built for one of the royal princes of Siam by Messrs. Bassett-Lowke, Limited. It is one-quarter the size of a modern express engine; weighs two tons, with tender; is fifteen feet long; will pull seventy persons; and has a highest speed of about thirty miles an hour. THINGS TO MAKE BY ARCHIBALD WILLIAMS AUTHOR OF "VICTORIES OF THE ENGINEER," HOW IT WORKS," "HOW IT IS MADE," ETC., ETC. THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, LTD. LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK PREFACE. 3 The making for oneself of toys and other objects of a more or less useful character has certain advantages over buying them. In the case of the more elaborate and costly articles, it may enable one to possess things which otherwise would be unobtainable. Secondly, a home-made article may give a satisfaction more lasting than is conferred by a bought one, though it may be less beautiful to look upon. Thirdly, the mere making should be a pleasure, and must be an education in itself. To encourage readers to "use their hands" the following chapters have been written. The subjects chosen provide ample scope for the exercise of ingenuity and patience; but in making my selection I have kept before me the fact that a well-equipped workshop falls to the lot of but a few of the boys who are anxious to develop into amateur craftsmen. Therefore, while the easiest tasks set herein are very easy, the most difficult will not be found to demand a very high degree of skill, or more than a very moderate outlay on tools. I may say here that I have been over the ground myself to find out its difficulties for my readers, and that I made an engine similar to that described in Chapter XV (the most elaborate mechanism included in the book) with 4 PREFACE. very simple tools. Some of the items which I had on my original list were abandoned, because they presupposed the possession of comparatively expensive machines. My selection has also been guided by the desire to cater for different tastes. In some cases the actual manufacture of the thing described may be regarded as the most instructive and valuable element, and may appeal most forcibly to the "handy" boy; in others--the Harmonograph provides a good instance - the interest centres round the experiments made possible by the construction of a simple piece of apparatus; in some the utility of the article manufactured is its chief recommendation. I feel certain that anyone who follows out the pages of this volume with hand as well as with eye, will have little reason to regret the time so spent. The things made may in course of time be put aside and forgotten, but the manual skill acquired will remain. Nowadays one can buy almost anything ready-made, or get it made without difficulty; yet he who is able to make things for himself will always have an advantage over the person to whom the use of tools is an unprobed mystery. CONTENTS. 5 I. SAWING TRESTLE 7 II. A JOINER'S BENCH 13 III. A HANDY BOOKSTAND 23 IV. A HOUSE LADDER 27 V. A DEVELOPING SINK 33 VI. A POULTRY HOUSE AND RUN 39 VII. A SHED FOR YOUR BICYCLE 49 VIII. A TARGET APPARATUS FOR RIFLE SHOOTING 65 IX. CABINET-MAKING 68 X. TELEGRAPHIC APPARATUS 83 XI. A RECIPROCATING ELECTRIC MOTOR 95 XII. AN ELECTRIC ALARM CLOCK 103 XIII. A MODEL ELECTRIC RAILWAY 109 XIV. A SIMPLE RECIPROCATING ENGINE 127 XV. A HORIZONTAL SLIDE-VALVE ENGINE 136 XVI. MODEL STEAM TURBINES 165 XVII. STEAM TOPS 187 XVIII. MODEL BOILERS 195 XIX. QUICK-BOILING KETTLES 224 6 CONTENTS. XX. A HOT-AIR ENGINE 232 XXI. A WATER MOTOR 247 XXII. MODEL PUMPS 255 XXIII. KITES 267 XXIV. PAPER GLIDERS 290 XXV. A SELF-LAUNCHING MODEL AEROPLANE 296 XXVI. APPARATUS FOR SIMPLE SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS 311 XXVII. A RAIN GAUGE 327 XXVIII. WIND VANES WITH DIALS 334 XXIX. A STRENGTH-TESTING MACHINE 345 XXX. LUNG-TESTING APPARATUS 353 XXXI. HOME-MADE HARMONOGRAPHS 364 XXXII. A SELF-SUPPLYING MATCHBOX 389 XXXIII. A WOODEN WORKBOX 394 XXXIV. WRESTLING PUPPETS 398 XXXV. DOUBLE BELLOWS 402 XXXVI. A HOME-MADE PANTOGRAPH 405 XXXVII. A SILHOUETTE DRAWING MACHINE 410 XXXVIII. A SIGNALLING LAMP 415 XXXIX. A MINIATURE GASWORKS 421 THINGS TO MAKE. 7 I. A SAWING TRESTLE A strong and stable sawing trestle is one of the most important accessories of the carpenter's shop, whether amateur or professional. The saw is constantly being used, and for it to do its work accurately the material must be properly supported, so that it cannot sway or shift. Anybody who has been in the habit of using a wobbly chair or box to saw on will be surprised to find how much more easily wood can be cut when resting on a trestle like that illustrated by Figs. 1 to 3. The top, a, of the trestle is 29 inches long, 4 inches - wide, and 2 inches thick. At one end it has a deep nick, to serve much the same purpose as the notched board used in fretworking; also to hold on edge such 8 A SAWING TRESTLE.