Angol
ery 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-theHarmonograph provides a good instance-
the interest centres round the experiments made possible by the construc-
tion of a simple piece of apparatus; in some the utility of the article manu-
factured 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
3 ARCHIBALD WILLIAMS
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
I. SAWING TRESTLE II. A JOINER'S BENCH III. A HANDY BOOK-
STAND IV.AHOUSE LADDERV.A DEVELOPING SINKVI.A POUL-
TRY HOUSE AND RUN VII. A SHED FOR YOUR BICYCLE VIII. A
TARGETAPPARATUS FOR RIFLE SHOOTING IX. CABINET-MAKING
X.TELEGRAPHICAPPARATUS XI.A RECIPROCATING ELECTRIC
MOTOR XII.AN ELECTRICALARM CLOCK XIII.AMODEL ELEC-
TRIC RAILWAY XIV. A SIMPLE RECIPROCATING ENGINE XV. A
HORIZONTAL SLIDE-VALVE ENGINE XVI.MODEL STEAM TUR-
BINES XVII. STEAM TOPS XVIII. MODEL BOILERS XIX. QUICK-
BOILING KETTLES XX. A HOT-AIR ENGINE XXI. A WATER MO-
TOR XXII. MODEL PUMPS XXIII. KITES XXIV. PAPER GLIDERS
XXV. A SELF-LAUNCHINGMODEL AEROPLANE XXVI. APPARA-
TUS FOR SIMPLE SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS XXVII.A RAIN GAUGE
XXVIII.WINDVANESWITH DIALS XXIX.A STRENGTH-TESTING
MACHINE XXX. LUNG-TESTINGAPPARATUS XXXI.HOME-MADE
HARMONOGRAPHS XXXII.A SELF-SUPPLYINGMATCHBOX XXXIII.
AWOODENWORKBOX XXXIV.WRESTLING PUPPETS XXXV. DOU-
BLE BELLOWS XXXVI. A HOME-MADE PANTOGRAPH XXXVII.
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 things as doors while
their edges are planed up. Pushed back against the wall the trestle is then "as
good as a boy."
The four legs are made of 2 by 2 inch stuff. To start with, the pieces should
be 24 inches long, to allow for the waste of cutting on the angle.
Cutting the Notches.-Make four marks 7 inches from the four corners of
the top, set your bevel to an angle of 70 degrees (or cut an angle out of a card
with the help of a protractor), and lay a leg against each mark in turn, the
end projecting an inch or so above the top. Move the leg about till it makes
the proper angle at the mark, and draw a pencil line down each side of the
leg as close up as possible. Since the legs may vary slightly in size, use each
once only for marking, and number it and the place to which it belongs.
Lines must now be drawn along the upper and under sides of the top,
