Popular Mechanics 1929-01: Vol 51 Iss 1

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WRITTEN SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT

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10000 Free Mile of Gasoline! On a 3,000- mile trip, J. R. Wood reports that his Oldsmobile ran 30 miles per gallon where before he got only 17 miles—due to an amazing device now used by over three million car owners! runs 23,000 miles he will get 10,000 free miles of gasoline. At this rate, when his car Write the inventor now to test the device on your car at his risk. $75 to $200 in a Wee 1. H. Cummings writes hat he has driven his 1922 Ford 50,000 miles and in- reasect his gas mileage from 14 to 28 miles per gallon of a8. Miles on 14% Galions ‘Yesterday I made a trip of miles and used only 14 allons.’’—L. Robinson. 43 Miles on a Gallon ‘We have tried them out. hevrolet got 43 miles.””— . 8. Carroll. Rex Dean, nother Chevrclet owner, reports he got 25 miles a allon. Took the device off Br mileage dropped to 19. ut it back and mileage moved up to 25. ost Double J. R. Wood writes he in- creased mileage on his Olds- mobile from 17 miles a gal- lon by actual count on 3,000 miles. International Truck Saves I find it better than you recommend it. On the In- ternational Truck we use, we are saving by positive test 41% in gas and our en- ;:ine useslessoil.""—Geo. Bell. “ER three million Stranskys have been in- ( ) stalled on practically every make of automobile, also on trucks, tractors, sta- tionary engines, marine engines and aero- plane. Many of them after three to eight years of constant practical tests report in- creased mileage, more power, Buick, 18 to 32, Studebaker, 23 to 27, Cadillac, 12 to 18—and soon. Are you getting that many miles per gallon now? REDUCES CARBON Not the least remarkable news from car owners is that this amazing device has reduced carbon Naturally when ras is more thoroughly vaporized Taw, wet gasoline cannot enter the and reduced carbon. Seldom has such an invention so taken America by storm. No wonder Williams mace $48 in three hours and Foster $137.50 in a week! HOW IT WORKS J. A. Stransky, former candi- date for Governor of South Da- kota, is the inventor cf this de- vice. It is a simple litt'e piece not much larger than a dollar coin and a 12-year-old boy can install it. It is automatic and $48 IN 3 HOURS My gas bill has been cut in half. moved every particle of carbon from my engine. Since I installed it, my engine runs as good as new, starts easier and quicker. I Saturday about three hours and secured 16 orders. J. A. Williams. earned cylinders to burn and pit—a con- stant menace to every motorist Furthermore, this device permits an easy way to remove carbon already formed; the same cleans- ing principle as used on the famous e. DARING TEST OFFER Mail the coupon now for free test offer. The inventor will pay a cash forfeit if the test fails to save gas Ambitious men—s: $200 in a week is a fair expectation as our distributor. Other men have at this rate, full and spare ti ne. Every car owner wants to see I have re- went out self regulating. It operates on a universally-recognized engineering princi- ple that has been approved, after exhaustive tests, by experienced auto drivers, automobile dealers, and expert mechanics. Official tests have proved that most cars waste 30% of the gasoline power through improper combustion, and we have thousands of unso- licited testimonials like the following: Ford, 20 to 40 miles on a gallon, Star, 25 to 42, Chev- rolet, 30 to 43, Fuudsen, 19 to 21, Overland, 19 to 31, Nash, 19 to 22, Hupmobile, 32 to 37 J. A. STRANSKY MFG. CO. A-10 Stransky Block, PUKWANA, S. DAK. Resources $530,009.00 this nationally advertised propor!- tion; we give you exact plan to follow that can net you $75 to $200 in a wee The pe — you full details without obligation. Act n = == = as FREE COUPON anata s+ ¢ G. Stransky, General Manager, Stransky Mf fg. Co., A- ie Stransky Bik., Pukwana, So. Dakota. Yes, tell me how I can test this way to save my t gasoline at your risk. Also send me your money making distributor's plan. This request does not obligate me to order anything at any time. 1 Name . Street (or rural route) eae J City (P. 0.) ; State ! So oe oe ee ee ee ee oe ee ee oe oe oe 8 tt et rt BR St BD tg LD >> ne

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iliac, 12 ny miles wners is carbon ind spare nts to see | proporl- t can net rings you Popular Mechanics Magazine 200 E. Ontario Street, Chicago, U.S. A. H. H. WINDSOR, Founder H. H. WINDSOR, Jr., Editor and Publisher London: Hachette & Cie., Paris: Hachette & Cie., Melbourne: Gordon & Goede 16-17 King William Street, Charing Cross, W.C. 2 111 Rue Reaumur 509-513 Little Collins St ISSUED MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION: SINGLE COPY, 25 CENTS In United States and its possessions, also Canada, Cuba, and Mexico, per year, postpaid - $2.50 To all other countries in the Postal Union - ° ° ° « ° » ° . All subscriptions are discontinued at exp Please i én dette, Entered as Second Class Matter Sept. 15, 1903, at the Post Office at Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3rd, 1879. Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office Department, Published monthly by POPULAR MECHANICS Co. Copyright, 1925, by Popular Mechanics Co. Copyright in Australia. Copyright in France Vol. 51 Contents for January, 1929 Special Features The Sky Climbers Training the Trotters Fastest Boat Ever Built Electrifying the Holy Land The Automobile of Tomorrow Women of the Air The High Cost of Adventure Hunting Gold Mines from the Air Wealth from Farm Waste The “Inventors” of Tin Pan Alley How Fast Can a Man Fall? Why Hurricanes? Aerial Ferry—mile-high gives travel thrills Automobiles—Tourist—washbasin on running board Agricultural Implements serves corn cutter and shocker . Aviation harvester for sugar beets airpor: with lookout tower Airplanes army experiments in parachute jumping motor silencer for ieee dirigible lands on water to rescue balloonist safety stick saves student accidents ° print town names on roofs to guide aviators test three-blade propeller for speed silent and invisible planes next step in Airships—U. S. building two a larger ‘than targets towed by airplanes for anti-aircraft guns “Graf Zeppelin” Balloons, observation, new type winch for Alcohol—from gas to aid industry Barn—entirely of masonry resists fire Archeology Bees—remain active to keep warm in winter ruins of fire reveal Indian secrets a , Billiards—chilly air spoils game secrets of Pompeii revealed in ancient writings Birds Army, British—repelling an attack on London in oldest pigeon on record, 19 years pease ty lacie leeping on branches exert automatic hold Automobile Bus—skid brakes for ee Automobile Truck—as movie theater serves small towns Boats and Boating Automobiles hand hoist for power : new rocket car develops high speed in test 7 motorboat run by air propeller navigates shallows tester for front ends helps save tires Bridges as shied . thin layer of lacquer guards from sunburn contrast in size of shows steel’s advance trick auto that turns somersault , Grand Canyon auto, an engineering victory Automobiles—Accessories Building Construction—wood-pulp board as tile check spring on increases riding comfort ces Building Material—straw as, gives good insulation heat meter for small cars easily installed Carillon—memorial, has sixty-one bells shock absorber and jack combined Checks—movies of, guard banks from loss Automobiles—Cleaning—with steam from _ portable Children—too much sleep in daytime not good for boiler Clock—turtle tells time on magnetic Automobiles—Design—automatic gear shift eliminates Clothing—automatic sprayer for cleaning anes lever Concrete—air-driven tool smoothes for painting Automobiles—Fuel—fish source of, experiments forecast 78 Cotton—wood press ninety years old ; ; Automobiles—Repairing Crime—bank guard’s bullet shield helps foil bandits auto lifter fitted on wheel nae Diamonds—are purest form of crystallized carbon spring clip for valve parts .... : 23 Dice—easy tricks with ._ tool for lining brakes 73 Door—glass knobs, dyes in match color schemes . [Continued on Page 4]

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[4] [Contents—Continued] Earth—is rotating faster science declares . 109 Telescope—huge, to reveal many new stars ......... Eggs—cardboard jacket for prevents breakage 98 Thermometer—on tall tower visible long distance ... Electric Appliances—take-up for cord prolongs its life 57 Tide—movie camera under sea records actions of . Elephants—Congo farmers find cheaper for plowing Tile—color-glazed building easily kept clean ...... than tractors ae Toboggan—motor, holds four passengers ............ Eyes—magnifying mirror aids in removing dirt from 94 Toys—midget size shooting gallery .............. Fabric—new, metal and paper combined in . 6 Tractor—non-stop runs seventeen days .............. Fireboats—tiny, run by outboard motors ........... 105 Traffic—policemen of the world ................... Fire Fighting Trap Shooting—filying target replaces birds .... private fire truck serves owner and towns .... 66 Truck—twist handle barrel searchlights on fire wagon aid firemen ......... 31 Ventilation—electric air cabinet keeps rooms healthful target practice with water :. a War Maneuvers—motor driven gun battery aids Fires, Forest—wind “‘sock”’ on tail tree aids fighters. 120 Washing Machine—‘“whip” for saves time and soap Football—glasses in helmet aid player 24 Weather—arctic station speeds cold forecasts Furnace—down-draft stops smoke ‘ 95 Women—over 2,000 in U. S. practice dentistry Gambling—old republic to have a Monte Carlo 23 Workshop—without belts run by single motor ...... Garage—auto stored underground to save cost 103 Gas lighting, seek harmless to prevent deaths .. 103 AMATEUR MECHANICS war, projector has long range “a 64 Geology—tiny life cells made to grow aoe ania eas 108 Ashes—sifting with less dust Cae oan TS "ere 81 Automobiles—fording flood with an ; Guns—pistol shoots tear gas ................--055 89 Automobiles—Repairing—repair for leaky gas tank AM Sie Sa oo ccs cisccvivserieees 110 Automobiles—Tires—lock chain covered by bicycle tube House Plan +s Boats and Boating—concrete anchors quickly made Kitchen Cabinet—folding, also serves as screen ..... 17 Bulbs—grown indoors by weet? in dish of water Knife—vegetable peeler on, helps reduce waste ..... 98 Casters—keeping oiled NE rer re 96 Children—safety girdle for .................... Locomotives—the latest thing in, abroad ........... 79 Copper—green finish for ...................... Log Rolling—sport of, affords new thrills ......... 41 Crystals—how to dissolve quickly .... Lumber—moisture gauge for, aids builder .......... 78 Draftsmen’s Kinks—turning ruler upside down to Magnetism—metal made to float in air ............. 32 ce Metals Electric Fan—excessive oil on hard, rivals diamond for cutting work ...... 65 Finger Pad—rubber, for holding hot objects “perminvar” new alloy 112 Furnace—cleaning smoke pipe in platinum extracted from ore 104 Furniture—how te refinish your old ......... Milk—‘“Post Office” serves auto patrons ‘ 49 Garage—handy lighting fixture for Milk Cans—spiral tower loads, saves hand labor 65 Garbage Can—hoist for Motorcycle—leg shield for, allows engine to cool 40 Gate—for garden, made from end section of iron bed. Moving Pictures—table top as movie screen 109 Grinder—washing machine motor runs ....... Musical Instruments—harmonica played with roll 95 Hosiery—longer life for re Ee Raper Oil—in burning tanks, fire old cannons to save 41 Ice Sled—make and sail your own ............... Oil Waste—fuel blocks from give high heat 81 Lamp—homemade hunting .................... Oil Well NE ns co teats amos cwes eae seven-inch motor pumps oil from 89 Needle—threading a darning tunnel diggers fight fire in 119 Paints and Painting—vinegar as substitute for oil in Paints and Painting—secret of Japanese lacquer Pie Tin—holder for hot tins ...............>. guarded for ages ; 73 Pipe—electric toaster thaws out frozen Peaches—best time to pick shown by tester 57 Plants—growing tropical in living room .. Plaster—sifter for building sand improves 63 Pliers—kink for preventing marks with Popcorn—electric popper salts and butters 104 Roofing used as floor covering , Potatoes—canned Ces esecsecsacs 119 Screen Door—improved hook for ; Radio Shoes—half soles made from old cotton belting tips from the eheeatery HeSe Ge espe wes sdin ls 130 Signs—novel “hot-dog” CS, BE co on Ae wad oe baw ebew deeded 122 Tobacco Chest—that you can make yourself Radio—Aerial Typewriter—repair for loose platen captive balloon replaces tower as ............. 48 Ventilation—preheating cold air for furnace draft one antenna serves two homes ............... 129 Radio—Batteries—farm charger for ............... 133 Radio—Broadcasting—bear cub as announcer ..... 109 SHOP NOTES Radio—lInstallation an improvised lightning arrester .............. 134 Automobiles—Radiators—thawing out frozen removing insulation from leads ............ 134 Automobiles—Repairing—patching and prolonging auto simple ground clamp .. hres adeaeehies's 134 tops Radio—Receiver Batteries—coating terminals homemade phonograph pick-up 133 Brass—brush finish for how to add regeneration 129 Building Construction—short cuts and kinks in Re 2dio—Reception—tuning changed by power unit 129 Carrier—convenient ~yraatamated re. Radio—Television—combination power unit for ..... 124 Chi kel AS Rae oa ee Radio—Tubes—overloaded cause distortion 134 Drilling—trigid drill-press stop ................. Railroads—detector for broken rails 80 Dust-Box—cover picks up sweepings ............. Refrigerator—burns oil, saves expense 56 Glass—rubber ball for cleaning .................... Rugs—easy test for antique 120 Gymnasium—how to build your home .............. Safety Devices and Measures Lathe crossing gates operated by approaching train .... 32 a novel job ONE Ore eee to ee en ee oe steel net on oil derricks helps prevent falls 72 shaping in the : ea eee Sand Blaster—washed air in helmet guards . & Measures and Measuring—the di of col Saws and Sawing—endless belt on auto does six men’s Ce ts fate wi iva Ca eRe at Cas work 49 Package Sealer—homemade ...................... Ships and Shipping—radio compass for small 56 Paints and Painting—polishing shellac ............. Signs—‘“‘no smoking” in twenty languages 112 Planer—taper attachment for ................... Sound—‘“dead” rooms best for speech, tests show 48 Printing—make casts type-high ; Sports Saws and Sawing—power, made from buffing head . German boys trained in ski-running on sand 41 Shaft Coupling—emergency, made with belt lacing. walking about maze, outdoor sport in Sweden 105 Smokestack—sling for working on large Storms—detector warns of to increase power 47 Speed Indicator—improvised ................... Stove—kerosene burner for 32 Tool Box—portable for beekeeper ................. Street Car—has auto springs and wheels 108 Wheel—bull, quick repair for ont tal ian t. & Sire Shee

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ae Nor Gy Ted POPULAR MECHANICS ADVERTISING SECTION SAY FELLOWS — Leann Cray yh oee: ye | 10 oh ; > a a: 00 a, 4 Tow DENCE va Lies Books, “gow Leann oa) Aning om real eleolress games Vays. * sai olott HILE ane las i ae Te be q ELECTRICAD- SCHOOL ,H. C. LEWIS, Pres., Dept, 19-72C, Est. 1899 500 So. Paulina St., Chicago

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Testing the Chassis of an Italian Car on an American Automobile Proving Grounds; to Reproduce Actual Operating Conditions of a Finished Car, the Weight of a Complete Body Is Added and a Wind Screen Built to Shape, to Furnish the Proper Amount of Air Resistance—See Page 34

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-_ Popular Mechanics Magazine REGISTERED IN U. S. PATENT OFFICE WRITTEN SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT Vol, 51 JANUARY, 1929 No. 1 BERS ' ie ee, ~~. All Dressed for the Altitude Record; Captain St. Clair Streett, Left, and Captain Stevens, Army Photographer, Ready to Take Off on a Climb of More Than Seven Miles WO army flyers, one an expert pho- tographer, recently broke all world’s al- titude records, both for two men ina plane and for the height from which the world has been photographed. The pair, Capt. St. Clair Streett, test pilot at Wilbur Wright field, and Capt. Albert W. Stevens, famous aerial photographer, ascended 40,200 feet, only a short distance below the world’s altitude mark made by the late Capt. Haw- thorne Gray, army balloonist, who died on a 42,470-foot ascent in a free balloon. 3ecause their engine froze in the ex- treme cold of the upper air and a strong westerly wind blew them far off their course, making a landing at the field from which- they. started impossible, Captains Streett and: Stevens cannot claim the air- plané-altitude record, under the rules of the International Aero Federation. Their achievement, nevertheless, will go down in army annals as one of the greatest flights ever made. Captain Stevens, whose career has in- cluded the highest parachute jump ever made—a feat that cost him a broken ankle —the photographing of all the western na- tional parks from the air, and an aerial photo trip over the Amazon jungles, had just started his electrically heated aerial camera and taken five pictures above the 40,000-foot mark, when the throttle of the plane went out of commission, and a forced descent became necessary. De- spite the handicap of a dead engine and the terrific westerly gale, Captain Streett attempted to glide back to Dayton, but finally was forced down a few miles from

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2 POPULAR Rushville, Ind., where the engine was thawed out, a fresh supply of gasoline taken aboard, and the re- turn trip to Wright field made. : While they failed to capture the coveted alti- tude record, their flight demonstrated the value of the new aerial camera developed for high-alti- MECHANICS performance and other develop- ments. Pocket electrical heaters to warm cold fingers, electrically heated goggles to keep the lenses free from ice, electrically heated oxygen apparatus to warm the life-giving gas, and even an elec- trically heated camera, to keep the oil in its mechanism from freezing at temperatures of more than sixty below zero, were some of the things Streett and Stevens used. Because of their success, the whole system of making altitude records may be radically changed, and the truthful eye of a camera substituted for an arbitrary for- mula that is more often wrong than right. To measure the height tude flying, and the im- provements made in air- planes and safety devices. Altitude rec- ords have always been made in the past by a single flyer, to spare weight for ad- ditional fuel, and lighten the plane to increase its ceiling, the theoretical height to which it can fly. The ability’ of a ship carrying not only two pilots, with their heavy flying clothes, oxygen cylinders and helmets, heating batteries and other para- phernalia, but a camera and all its equip- ment, shows a marked advance in plane construction, engine and supercharger Stevens, Left, and Streett with Their Oxygen Heaters and Electrically Warmed Camera, and a Seven Mile High Picture to which a plane ascends under the present system, recording barometers and ther- mometers are carried, scratching the air pressure and temperature variations on smoked sheets of paper. The sealed in- struments are then sent to the bureau of standards and calibrated by checking them against a purely arbitrary formula of theo- retical air pressures and temperatures at various levels. ‘Unfortunately the theory of the formula and the facts do not always agree. When

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ly it ir yn n- of m O- at la en POPULAR Lieut. John A. MacReady made his alti- tude flight in 1921, his barograph showed 41,200 feet. Bureau of standards calibra- tions reduced the mark to 39,000 feet. Later another method of .computation brought it down to 37,800, and finally the Federation Aeronautique Internationale adjudged it, by another system of figuring, to be 34,509 feet. With Captain Stevens’ pictures a new system is made possible. If three or more known objects on the ground can be picked out from the aerial photograph, the exact height at which the picture was taken can be computed to within one- tenth of one per cent. Knowing the ex- act distance separating the identified points on the ground it is a simple prob- lem in similar triangles to determine the point at which the camera lens must have been to photograph them with the separa- tion shown on the negative. ELECTRICITY AS FARM’S SUN PERMITS NIGHT WORK Electric headlights, similar to those on automobiles, are being used more exten- sively on farming equipment for night work. They are of special service when wet weather has delayed plowing and other tasks to a point where every hour of favorable time should be employed, and consequently work must be done at night. MECHANICS 3 How to Keep from Crying When Peeling Onions; Wear a Gas Mask GAS MASK FOR HOUSEWIVES AIDS ONION PEELERS Fumes from onions are kept from the nostrils and eyes by a gas mask which has been especially adapted to domestic in- stead of war use. It is easily slipped on or off and affords an unobstructed vision through wide lenses, It may also be used by hay-fever victims to avoid dust. Clear Vision Ahead and Light on the Furrows Behind; Tractor Plow Equipped with Strong Searchlights for Night Work; Many Farmers Are Taking Advantage of the Darkness for Emergency Tasks

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POPULAR Cabinet Thea- ter That Shows Talk- ing Movies COIN-IN-SLOT TALKING MOVIES SHOW NEWS EVENTS Days of the “nickel theater” are recalled by a coin-in-the-slot cabinet for the show- ing of talking motion pictures and colored views in three dimensions. For five cents, the patron will see a five-minute show featuring the latest news and sport events. Should the film be too long for a run of only five minutes, the next part will be shown in another cabinet on the deposit of an additional coin. The machines are intended for use in public places. HOLLOW PROPELLERS OF STEEL TO CUT PLANE COSTS Hollow steel propellers, that can be pro- duced at about two-thirds of the cost of the present equipment, are being tested by the navy. They have been made pos- sible through the development of electric welding. Previously, no satisfactory and certain way could be found for fastening the two sides together. The navy has let a contract for six experimental hollow blades. Preliminary tests, with twice the normal load, indicate that the units will meet all requirements, MECHANICS ACTION OF SUNLIGHT ON MILK PRODUCES ODD TASTE Milk exposed to sunlight acquires a linseed-oil odor and a cardboard taste, ex- periments by investigators in the depart- ment of agriculture have shown. Evi- dently, the light acts as an agent to cause oxidization of elements in the milk at a much greater rate than occurs when the fluid is kept in the dark. Milk stored in a cool, dark place developed no offensive odor or taste even after seven to nine days. Other samples, although kept at the same temperature, acquired the unpleasant characteristics in a few hours. In the tests, the milk was never exposed to direct sunlight, proving, the experts declared, that if the odor and taste are to be pre- vented, milk should be kept carefully from any sort of sunlight. AIR-BRAKE SYSTEM FOR AUTO GIVES DRIVING COMFORT Operated by the heel of the accelerator pedal, an air-brake system for the auto is intended to promote greater comfort and safety in driving. With the double-con- trol arrangement it provides, it is not nec- essary to take the foot off the accelerator to manipulate the brakes, as this is done simply by depressing the heel. The sys- tem uses the power created by the vacuum of the engine to stop the car, and so long as the motor is turning over and the car is moving, the brakes are said to work effectively. The installation does not af- fect the foot brake which is retained. Photo-Diagram, to Show Installation of Auto Air-Brake System, and Some of Chief Parts

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POPULAR MECHANICS 5 CANOPY PROTECTS PASSENGERS ON AIR LINERS For the comfort and safety of persons enter- ing and leaving airplanes, an inclosed passageway of angle steel and canvas that can be extended or telescoped, and is ar- ranged on a track, has been introduced at a western airport. It shields persons from the blast of the propellers and also keeps them away from Covered Passageway to the Flane, d and View of the Steel Frame- ~ work That Supports the Canopy the blades. This is an important feature whose value is espe- cially evident with three-motored ships where one of the side propellers is close to the ground, METEORS TELL WIND’S COURSE FIFTY MILES HIGH Meteors tell which way the wind blows fifty or more miles above the earth’s sur- face, Dr. Willard J. Fisher, of the Harvard college observatory, has been demonstrat- ing recently. He does not claim to be the discoverer of the method, but has been making more practical use of the infor- mation, through the press, radio and the public, in supplying data concerning the fireballs or meteors that appear to be as large as the brightest stars. By observing the drift of the glowing train of particles that they leave in their rapid course through the air, facts about the winds at high altitudes are learned. Most of the meteors become visible at this elevation but seldom will reach below thirty miles. Other fireballs burst with a loud report which can be heard on the ground. Check- ing the time between the explosion and the instant the sound is heard, with other observations, gives an idea of the speed at which the sound traveled and so helps to estimate the temperatures at the altitude at which the meteor burst. By other means, the speed of the travelers is deter- mined. Some have been known to fall at the rate of seventy miles a second but those which revolve in orbits controlled by the sun move at about twenty-six miles a second, while those from interstellas space reach the higher speed

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© P. & A. One of the Most Remarkable Photographs Ever Taken at Sea, a View on the Deck of the “‘Vestris” Shortly before the Sinking; It Was Taken by Fred Hanson, the Ship’s Pantryman

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Lifeboat No. 13, Crowded with Passengers and Members of the Crew, as It Reached the S.S. “Berlin,” One of the Rescue Craft, after Nearly Twenty-Four Hours on a Choppy Sea By REAR ADMIRAL T. T. CRAVEN, U.S. N. (As told to J. Earle Miller) HE SINKING of the liner “Vestris” 250 miles off the Virginia capes as an aftermath to a November North-Atlantic gale emphasizes again the little progress that has been made in methods and equip- ment for saving life at sea since the last international conference in London, in 1912, following the “Titanic” disaster. To meet just such situations, the sea- faring nations of the world have already arranged to hold another international conference on saving life at sea, and it will meet in London some time next spring, with representatives of the American navy, the department of commerce and shipping interests in attendance. The United States and her allies during the war learned more about life-saving difficulties than might have been learned in a century of peace. As just one sample of what we learned, it was discovered that men leaping from upper decks into the water were frequently injured by their own life jackets. It was this that caused our navy to change from cork to the softer kapok. It is too early to talk about the faults developed in the “Vestris” tragedy, but it can properly be said that certain things should be done in the interest of the safety of passengers, and that they are all too often neglected. There is a human ten- _dency to settle into a routine and accept danger as a matter of course, and ship of- ficers are not exempt. The result is that lifeboat drill, and the care and inspection of life-saving equipment, may become a mere perfunctory performance. Every ship carrying passengers should be so adequately divided into watertight compartments that it would be practically unsinkable. In the navy we never carry lifeboats for more than half a ship’s com- plement, and in time of war the majority of these boats are left ashore. We depend 7

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8 POPULAR MECHANICS Another View of the ‘“Vestris” Listing Heavily, and Passengers Boarding One of the Lifeboats a Few Momen‘s before the Steamer Sank entirely on the vessel’s watertight compartments to keep her afloat, even though torpedoed. If the navy can subdivide a bat- tleship to that extent, cer- tainly a ship carrying wo- most cases when boats may be swamped. Fourth, I think there should be a much more adequate inspection of lifeboats, their gear and equipment, than custom- ary on many merchant vessels. [ haven’t traveled in many: merchant ships, but I have seen the kind of life-saving gear used in a few, and the manner in which it is often neglected. Frequent inspection and overhaul are especially necessary on ships traveling, as the “Vestris” did, through the tropics, where the hot sun dries out and rots both boats and gear. Fifth, lifeboats should be adequately provisioned with food and water—changed frequently to insure freshness—and with the necessary navigating equipment of compass, oars, signal flares and sail. men and children as pas- sengers should be as adequately protected. Secondly, the equipment for pumping should be sufficient and so arranged that every compartment can be kept free of water. Telltale gauges should be provided to show the amount of water, if any, in every compartment, and the ship also should be equipped with smoke and fire gauges similarly arranged. The third requirement should be enough lifeboats or rafts to carry every passenger. The question of the relative value of boats and rafts is still open, though there is a strong opinion in some quarters that a raft is the better of the two. Passengers may be more uncomfortable on a raft, but you can dump rafts overboard when you can’t launch boats, and they will float in ©P.&A. Sixth I would put the necessity of teaching every passenger how to don and adjust a life jacket. War-time experience showed that sometimes lifebelts were so poorly adjusted they became an actual menace and often came off in the water. Next comes better drilling of the life- boat crews, at least to the extent of in- stilling some sort of discipline, insofar as that is possible, among men who sign only for one cruise, and may jump to another ship at the end of the voyage. Reports are all too common after sea tragedies in the merchant marine, as they were in the “Ves- tris” case, of undisciplined crews getting out of hand, rushing the boats, and leav- ing passengers to perish. Finally, in view of the reports that shift-

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POPULAR MECHANICS FIRE ALARM CONTROL BRIDGE APPARATUS FOR CLOSING BULKHEAD DOORS - AND TELLTALE” WHICH SHOWS AMOUNT. OF WATER RADIO ROOM FLOODED HOLD~ BULKHEAD DOORS L Artist’s Drawing of a Modern Vessel in Cross Section, Showing Some of the Safety and Emergency Apparatus That Can Be Called into Service in Case of Fire, Collision or Other Disasters

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10 ing cargo had something to do with the “Vestris” disaster, it might be possible to extend the present steamship-inspection service for passenger-carrying vessels to include supervision of cargo stowing. The Safety of Life at Sea conference in London, next spring, undoubtedly will go into all these questions, and others, too. When the last conference was held, in 1912, everybody was using the old-time spark sets. Since that day, radio has pro- gressed enormously, and a good part of the work next'year will be the revision of the international radio requirements to utilize the new developments to the great- est possible extent. An automatic receiver which will pick up SOS calls and sound a warning, with- out requiring a radio operator to be on constant watch, is now found on some cargo ships, and a small transmitter, with hand-operated dynamo, has been designed for use in lifeboats, the machine sending, as long as the crank is turned, a constant series of SOS signals. It can be operated by anyone, as it requires no experience, and, while it cannot send the lifeboat’s position, it does enable a rescue ship POPULAR MECHANICS equipped with a radio direction-finding loop to guide itself to the spot. It is possible that these two inventions might have saved many of the “Vestris’ ” passengers, for newspapers related that a small freighter without wireless was with in a few miles of the sinking liner, and passed on without knowing of her danger. Small freighters do not carry radio or maintain a constant watch if they do have one operator aboard, but an automatic SOS receiver might heip to solve that problem. Another development which has come voluntarily in recent years, but which may be made mandatory by the conference, at least for large passenger liners, is the car- rying of fairly big motor lifeboats, capable of towing the ordinary boats, and equipped with a radio-sending set of good range. Such a boat, with the ship’s wireless op- erator aboard, and an officer capable of taking the position at sea, can guide rescue craft and, even if the sea makes it impos- sible to tow the other boats, can keep near them and aid in picking them up when help arrives. One of the big problems to be consid- | Artist’s Drawing of the Sinking of the “‘Principessa Mafalda,” an Italian Liner, off the South American Coast a Year Ago; a Star Shell and Searchlights Mark an Approaching Rescue Ship

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POPULAR MECHANICS 11 © P. & A. Boatload of Survivors Leaving the “Vestris” Just Before She Sank; This Photograph, Taken from the Doomed Liner, Shows the Extent to Which the Vessel Listed before Going Down ered remains the lifeboat equipment and its handling. With new-type dav:.s. capa- ble of handling two rows of nested boats, it is possible to pack considerable more life-saving equipment in a given space, but what is to be done when a vessel lists, as the “Vestris” did, and renders half that equipment unavailable, is a problem. Con- sideration has been given to proposals for moving lifeboats across the ship from one side to the other, but a lifeboat is a heavy thing and hard to handle even un- der normal conditions. Give the ship a pronounced list, have it plunged about in a storm, and the decks crowded with fright- ened passengers, and the problem is well- nigh unsolvable. The officers may have delayed too long, as has been claimed, in sending out their SOS, but it is questionable whether any charge of inefficiency in the launching of the boats might stand. Once the situation becomes desperate and the boats have to be launched down the sloping side of a ship, while the deck is crowded with pas- sengers, including women and children, as well as men equally unversed in lifeboat drill, the situation is almost hopeless, so far as saving everybody is concerned. A lifeboat is a hard thing to handle in a heavy sea, even with a picked and well- trained crew. The tackle must be han- dled expertly, and then cast loose at just the right moment, or the chances are the boat will be dashed to pieces against the .side of the ship, upset by one end being freed before the other, or swamped in the waves if there is a storm. One thing that may come out of the “Vestris” tragedy may be a public demand, like the demand that followed the “Ti- tanic” sinking, for still further improve- ment in ships and ship equipment and in emergency drills on the part of crews. If that demand is sufficient to be reflected in next year’s international life-saving con- gress, it may go a long step toward making such tragedies less likely in the future.

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12 POPULAR Delivering Coal in Boxes of Composition Material as Substitute for Bags, to Prevent Dust from Scattering COAL DELIVERED IN BOXES TO REDUCE DUST As a substitute for the canvas bags usu- ally employed in delivering coal, a Chicago company is using boxes of a composition material. They make less dust, pack better in the truck than bags and are easily handled. Each container has a lid to keep the dust from spreading. DAILY PHONE-CALL INCREASE IS ELEVEN THOUSAND Telephone conversations in the United States are increasing at the rate of over 11,000 every twenty-four hours, recent re- ports show. There are more than 18,- 700,000 phones in this country and some 31,000,000 in the world. More than three- fourths of them can be interconnected. If a person had the time and money, he could sit at home and talk to 230,000,000 different persons by telephone, assuming that he could reach ten on each instrument. In 1854, Bourseuil, a French scientist, pub- lished his idea of how it might be possible to talk over telegraphic distances, Phillip Reis, a German, made a telephone after MECHANICS Bourseuil’s conception, but it was incapable of transmitting any- thing but the pitch of speech or tones and nothing of their other qualities. It lacked the underly- ing principles of a speaking tele- phone, the undulatory current which was finally developed by Alexander Graham Bell, in 1875. Bell’s instrument proved a lim- ited success at first, because it was necessary to shout into it and it could be used but for short dis- tances. Two years later, Emile Berliner invented the microphone or loose contact transmitter, which proved to be a _ needed complement to Bell’s magneto re- ceiver. So the principle of the telephone has remained up to the present day. STOCK CLUB OF CANVAS SAVES MEAT LOSS Beating live stock with heavy clubs or prodding them with goads is condemned as an inhumane practice and is responsible for the loss of large sums each year, for flesh is often damaged by such methods and must be thrown away after the animal is killed. Officials of the western weighing and in- spection bureau have been sponsoring a canvas slapper to take the place ‘of clubs and goads. lt is a flat, paddle- shaped affair, formed from heavy ‘canvas, folded and stitched for easy use. The slapper will not in- jure any animal, no matter how hard the blow is, and has been found effective, as it rouses the herds and makes a loud noise when a wall or other obstruction is hit with it. @iIn Singapore more than fifty languages are spoken,

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POPULAR MECHANICS 13 Practical Lessons in Aeronautics Interest Both Girls and Boys in Chicago High Schools; Demonstrating the Controls with the Aid of a Model Ship HIGH-SCHOOL AVIATION COURSE TO AID FLYING Introduction of aviation courses in many schools throughout the country is ex- pected to prove a stimulus to flying, as the students will be familiar with many of the rudimentary principles when they come to actually learn to fly and devote more time to work with the ships. In Chicago high schools, students taking the courses in aeronautics, are taught to build model planes and are shown many of the secrets of flying from lectures and demonstrations with small craft. SECRETS OF UPPER AIR TOLD BY FIRING BIG GUNS From the explosions made in firing big guns, scientists have learned that the air is warm at a height of twenty-five miles. Using a sensitive electrical device devel- oped to determine the distance of guns by their sound, observers have noticed that the explosion is, of course, easily heard close to the gun, farther away it is inaudible, but still farther on, it can once more be heard. This is said to be the result of a warm layer of air, at least twenty-five miles high, bending the sound waves back to earth again. The persons farthest away hear the reflected sound. The distance is estimated by taking the time required for the reflected sound waves to become audible after the firing of the gun, and is established with fair accuracy. MOTOR EXERCISER IS PORTABLE AND PREVENTS CHAFING Operated from a house-lighting plug, an electrical exerciser is so compact that it may be carried in a small case, and is flexibly anchored. This prevents chafing when the user turns about. Exercising with the Vibrator, Which Fits in a Small Case and Is Flexibly Anchored to Prevent Chafing

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14 POPULAR LIGHT IS TURNED INTO SOUND BY MAGIC MIRROR The Hand’s Shadow Stops the Music, Which Comes from Broadcast Station as a Beam of Light Sound is made visible and light becomes audible by utilization of a process devel- oped by Alexander Graham Bell, fifty years ago. John Nellamy Taylor, . elec- trical engineer, has devised a method whereby a beam of light, traveling silently about the room, may be made to break into music when it hits a mirror target. When the light leaves the target, or when it is intercepted, the music stops. The inventor calls this “narrow casting” as op- posed to the usual radio broadcasting. Phonograph records are used as the source of the sound from the sending apparatus. The energy is sent over a beam of light to the transforming and reproducing ele- ments, mounted on a tripod some distance away. If the hand MECHANICS there is a rattling, crackling sound, lasting during the combustion of the chemicals. The burning wood gives off little sound. Similarly, the varying light from a small dynamo-driven flashlight sounds like the screech of a siren. DUST TREATMENT FOR OATS CURBS DISEASE By treating oats with a special kind of chemical dust, Dr. Benjamin Koehler, of the University of Illinois, has helped curb the spread of the smut disease and has in- creased the yield materially on more than 4,000,000 acres of Illinois farm land. The method is said to be more efficient than the liquid-formaldehyde treatment, and materials cost but a few cents per bushel of oats treated. The dusting process al- ready has proved successful when applied to corn and wheat, but had not been prac- ticed with as good results on oats until recently. FLANGED PIPE FOR WELDING MAKES STRONGER LINE By using a flanged pipe, University of California physicians and engineers of a water company, have found a way to re- lieve the stress of welded joints in forming a pipe line and in making the line consid- erably stronger, according to reports. Un- der the new method, steel-pipe line of any standard size may be laid any length with- out the difficulties of stress and possible failure from this cause. WINDSHIELD KEPT CLEAR INSIDE WITH ELECTRIC HEATER is held in the path of the light, the music stops. As the fingers are spread apart and the rays filter through, the sound begins again and increases in volume. The light of a burning match can be changed into sound by the repro- $$ To prevent the formation of mist on the inside of the windshield, an elec- trical warmer connected to the dash socket, has been introduced. It not only keeps the interior clear but heats the glass so that the outside ducer. When the match is_ struck, Electrically Heated Defroster for the Inside of the Windshield Keeps the Glass Free from Mist cleaner does more effective work.

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POPULAR MECHANICS 15 ATLANTIC TRIP PROVES NEED FOR BIGGER “ZEPPS” Designer’s Sketch of the New All-Metal Dirigible Being Built for the U. S. Navy, and, Inset, Unique Rivet- ing Machine, Unrolling and Riveting Spiral Forming One End Section Regular transatlantic air routes are still several years in the offing, according to Dr. Hugo Eckener, pilot of the “Graf Zep- pelin” and chief exponent of lighter-than- air transportation. That was his considered opinion when he landed the huge new airship at her home port of Friedrichshafen after the first round-trip commercial voyage across the ocean. Before service on a regular schedule can become a fact, bigger, faster and stronger ships will have to be designed. Commander Burney, constructor of England’s new commercial ship, the “R- 101,” which is expected to be ready to take the air early next year, made the same comment on the “Graf Zeppelin’s” trip; more speed, he said, would be necessary before the airship can hope to compete with surface transportation. The “R-101” will have greater passenger accommoda- tions than the German ship. There is nearing completion at Detroit an entirely new type of airship for the American navy. Although the construc- tion has been surrounded with consider- able secrecy, it is known that the new ship is an all-metal dirigible, with thin sheets of a duraluminum alloy, only eight- thousandths of an inch in thickness, re- placing the usual fabric covering. The ship is a small experimental model, only fifty-three feet in diameter and with a gas capacity of but 203,000 cubic feet. An unusual riveting machine, automatic in operation and capable of driving 40,000 rivets a day, in three parallel rows, was developed to build the ship. The duralu- minum covering, in huge rolls, is carried on the machine, which travels on a circu- lar track. Starting at the tip of the nose, the sheets are unrolled as the riveting machine travels around its track, riveting the joints of the spiral covering.

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16 POPULAR MECHANICS things sent by wire. The service is now in two chief forms. One pro- vides for the sending of pictures and _ fac-simile messages, the other per- mits the transmission of photographic reproduc- tions of material that can be photographed. MOVABLE STOP SIGN GUARDS SCHOOL CHILDREN So that one policeman may be able to watch sev- eral intersections and traffic is not impeded dur- ing the free hours, mov- able stop signs, for use at crossings near-~ school- Talking Motion-Picture Screen Erected at Busy Street Intersection during houses, have been -intro- the Recent Political Campaign OUTDOOR TALKING MOVIES AID POLITICIANS Talking pictures in an outdoor booth were used to aid the political campaign in an eastern city. Powerful amplifiers in- tensified the sounds so that they could be heard above the noises of the street, and the screen was so adjusted that a large number of persons could see it. PHOTOS SENT BY TELEGRAPH SPEED UP BUSINESS Transmission of photographs, drawings and other material by wire has become an important factor in business. Not long ago, an engineering firm in New York wanted to send a set of complicated me- chanical drawings to a representative in San Francisco. They were sent by wire, as the ordinary methods were too slow, and arrived in time to enable the firm to complete a contract several days ahead of the specified time. Sketches of the latest fashions, important financial announce- ments transmitted as set up, to save the likelihood of errors.in repetition, physi- cians’ photographs of patients showing conditions that need an immediate diag- nosis, newspaper photographs and chem- ical formulas are among the more common duced in a California city. They are placed in a socket at the center of the intersection and removed when the children have gone to school. When the time comes for their returning home, the signs are replaced and the youngsters use the crossings so guarded. The signals are hollow sheet-metal posts, about fourteen inches square and four and one-half feet high, with the words “Stop School” painted in bright letters. Placing the Mov- able Stop Sign at Crossing; the Peg Fits in a Socket ry

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POPULAR MECHANICS 17 + © Herbert Photos Attaching the Floating Target to Airplane for Anti-Aircraft Practice; a Long Cable Is Provided So That the Mark Can Be Kept a Safe Distance behind the Ship TARGETS TOWED BY AIRPLANES FOR ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS Moving targets are provided for anti- aircraft gunners in sleevelike objects which are towed from an airplane by a long cable. They are open at the ends to catch the wind and maintain an inflated shape as they are dragged along. To pro- tect the pilot, the mark is towed at a con- siderable distance behind the plane, and because it is more mobile than the ship itself and is smaller, it forms a target that tests the skill of the gunners more effec- tively than a real plane would. STRAW AS BUILDING MATERIAL GIVES GOOD INSULATION For centuries, straw has been a principal building material, but its good qualities are being realized more than ever because of the modified forms in which it is now available. It is being widely used in the manufacture of synthetic lumber, as wall- board and in other styles. The material has an abundance of air cells, making it light in weight and of special value as insula- tion against sound and unfavorable tem- peratures. It can be painted or varnished, resists indentation especially well when coated with plaster or stucco, and is less readily inflammable than wood, while it can be made more resistant to fire by spe- cial treatment. By pressing the straw fibers together, a board that rivals the strength of the stoutest woods is prepared. A common form of the strawboard is but seven-sixteenths of an inch thick and is easily worked up to a wide variety of building requirements. FOLDING PANTRY AS SCREEN SAVES ROOM SPACE To save space in small apartments, a folding kitchen cabinet holds many uten- sils and also serves as a screen as the back of it is covered with material of an attrac- tive pattern. The unit is easily moved A Pantry on One Side and a Screen on the Other about and is so constructed that it is not likely to fall ovér.

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(Lr -« e#F *) lesuly@at Gar Wood, Left, and Mechanic Orlin Johnson, in the “‘Miss America VII,” the Fastest Boat in the World; Johnson Wore a Special Life-Belt Hood to Cover Injuries Received When “Miss America VI” Sank A “TEW boat, its varnish still tacky, roared down the Detroit river speed course a few weeks ago, crossed the finish line at the end of thirty miles and thus won the British International Trophy, better known as the Harmsworth Cup, which has had a resting place in America for several years. The next day the boat, “Miss America VII,” which seventeen days before. had not even been designed on paper, stepped out and captured the speed-boat cham- pionship of the world, averaging 92.834 miles an hour in six-mile dashes, three up and three down the river. The old record, made two years ago by Gar Wood in “Miss America V,” was 80.567 miles, so the seventh of the Miss America class had bettered it by more than twelve miles an hour. When George Wood, brother of Gar, the famous boat designer and builder, set the world’s record, the new boat had not been broken in, it had not been tuned up, 18 and its engines had not been and were not turning up to their “peak,” at which the pair of converted aircraft motors, nomi- nally rated at 800 horsepower each, will deliver nearly 2,000 horsepower. When the tuning process is completed, the performance of the boat studied and little refinements in weight distribution and equipment carried out, the craft is expected to do around 105 miles an hour, fulfilling the dream Gar Wood has had for years of a hundred-mile-an-hour boat. Knowing what she will do, “Miss Amer- ica VII” is already obsolete in the de- signer’s mind. He has planned a “Miss America VIII,” better and faster, to be built this winter to defend the cup in the race next year. Two weeks before the Harmsworth race, “Miss America VII” had not even been thought of. Miss Betty Carstairs, an English sportswoman and noted speed- boat pilot, had challenged for the cup and ordered two racing hulls from S. E.

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Two Gar Wood Boats Racing, the “Miss America VII” Leading the “Miss America V” and Setting a New Record in the Harmsworth Cup Race After the Only British Entry Had Gone to the Bottom Saunders, the famous boat builder of Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. To meet the challenge, Gar Wood built the sixth of his America line to see if he could im- prove on the performance of the fifth, which held the world’s speed record. The new boat unofficially did 105 miles an hour, but on a Sunday morning just two weeks before the race, while undergo- ing time trials, the hull cracked up under the strain and went to the bottom. Within a few hours a diver and crane brought the wreck to the surface, the two big Packard aero engines were removed and rushed to the factory to be torn down and overhauled, and Wood sat down to study the accident and design a new boat without the faults that had led to the disaster. Just fourteen days later, the completed craft, with the rebuilt engines, set a world’s record of 68.411 miles an hour over the thirty-mile course and kept the Harms- worth cup in America, after Miss Car- stairs’ “Estelle II,” vainly trying to keep up, had leaped high in the air in the heavy swell as the Wood boat went past, and then plunged, head first, to the river bot- tom. Life belts brought the woman pilot and her mechanic to the surface, the former with several fractured ribs and the latter with broken ribs and other injuries. With all competition gone, “Miss Amer- ica VII” jogged around the course the next day for a technical second heat and won the cup. Then Gar Wood turned her over to his brother, another noted speed pilot, and the world’s mile record was set. “At that speed, nearly ninety-three miles an hour,” says Gar Wood, “the big prob- lem is obstacles in the course, for vision, for all practical purposes, virtually ceases. You can see brush or driftwood as far away perhaps as that buoy (pointing to a navigation marker 800 feet off Grayhaven, his Detroit river-front home) but you are traveling more than 136 feet a second, and you can’t turn fast enough to dodge it. You fix your eyes on some landmark a mile or more away and just steer for it, hoping the water is clear.” Another curious thing brought out by the speed trials is that the boat was almost unaffected by the river current. The water flowing down the Detroit river from the upper lakes‘to Lake Erie has a velocity 19

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POPULAR MECHANICS icas, powered with con- verted Liberty engines, the new boat carried a pair of the latest aero motors, developing twice the power of the war- time Liberty type. The right-hand engine, in front of the pilot, is fitted with a clutch, to conform to the race rules. After it is started and the boat gets under way, the igni- tion is turned on for the left-hand motor. The pilot handles the wheel and the ignition switches, and on a board bolted to the wheel spoke has-a stop watch to time his speed. Between him and the mechanician is the instrument board, carry- ing the oil, water, gas and temperature gauges of both motors. The mechanic’s chief concern is the throttles and the tachometers. The throttle levers for both A Fifty-Mile-an-Hour Seagoing Sedan, One of Gar Wood’s Five Passenger engines, mounted on a Pleasure Boats, Developed from His Racing-Boat Experience of about two and a half miles an hour, so there would apparently be a difference of some five miles in the speed made down the river and the speed against the current. As a matter of fact the six trials, three in each direction, were clocked by the elec- trical timer at speeds ranging from a frac- tion under ninety-two miles an hour to a fraction over ninety-three, so there was an apparent difference of little over a mile an hour. The world’s champion boat, twenty- seven feet over all and with a beam of nearly eight feet, follows much the same lines as her predecessors. She has the long tapering bow with wide flare at the top to take the pounding of the waves and prevent her plunging head first to the bottom, as the British boat did, and a single hydroplane step on which to ride at high speed. The seat for pilot and mechanic is in the stern with the pair of engines in front of them. Unlike the previous Miss Amer- single quadrant, are in front of him, and above them, in line with his eyes, the two revolution counters. It is his job to keep the engines synchro- nized, so one propeller will not turn over faster than the other, and throw the boat off its course. A broad red arrow painted on each tachometer dial marks the en- gine’s peak point, 2,400 revolutions per minute. The motors are mounted backward in the boat, their shafts leading forward to gear boxes near the bow, and from the gear boxes the propeller shafts lead aft, beneath the engines, to the stern. The arrangement permits mounting the en- gines on the level, and yet gets the pro- peller shafts low enough so that they too are not at an angle. A gear ratio of one and a half to one is used, the crankshafts turning one and a half revolutions for each revolution of the propellers. Speed on the water costs enormous sums, and “Miss America VII” represents -an investment of $60,000. The Packard

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d 1- in to 1e it, n- o- 00 ne its or us its ird POPULAR MECHANICS 21 engines cost $15,000 each, and by the time the necessary conversion for marine use is made and the gear boxes and shafts added, the power plant alone cost $36,000. For about $400 an outboard motor and hydroplane hull can be had with a speed of thirty-five miles an hour or better. To get considerably less than three times the speed, “Miss America VII” cost 100 times as much, Gar Wood has devoted a good part of his life to speed, particularly in boats. The invention of the first hydraulic hoist for dump trucks made his fortune, but from the age of twelve he has been interested in boats and gasoline engines. “We build racing boats,” he says, “to get more knowledge for fast, comfortable cruisers for the average owner. A hun- dred miles an hour is in sight for racing boats, and that means more miles will be built into the standard runabouts.” : His home at Grayhaven includes, in 4. addition to the usual garage, a boat - house built under the same roof, with 2 accommodations for two of the Miss Americas and four of the standard boats. Alongside the house is a private slip for an me The Start of a Free- for-All Outboard- Motor Race on the Detroit River as a Prelude to the Big Race ocean-going yacht, seventy-five feet long When it came from the ways, it was and capable of making forty miles an hour. powered with five Liberty engines and

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22 POPULAR did fifty miles an hour. One engine drove one propeller and the other four, geared in pairs, drove two more screws Later two of the engines were taken out to give more room for the en- gineers, cutting the speed ten miles an hour, and saving more than fifty gallons of gasoline in the same time. On the other side of the house, a seaplane slip houses his private airplane, fitted with pontoons, so it can take off from the river in the “front yard” and land in front of the boat plant at Algonac, thirty miles away, in sixteen minutes, Next year, when a “Miss America VIII” appears to defend the British Interna- tional Trophy, the race may be the great- est in history, for it is probable that eight or nine boats, representing four countries, will participate. Miss Carstairs already has challenged officially, and Maj. H. O. Seagrave, the English racing-car driver, is experimenting with a hull which he hopes to enter. Comm. Harry B. Green- ing, of Hamilton, Ont., and Dr. Etche- goin, of France, are prospective chal- lengers, and there is a possibility that Ger- many and Italy will also compete. MECHANICS The boat entered by Miss Carstairs this year was one of the most unusual ever seen in the race. The lines were copied somewhat from airplane pontoons, and the little craft resembled nothing so much as a greatly enlarged Dutch w’ wuen shoe, very pointed and somewhat turned up at the toe. The hydroplane step furnished the instep of the shoe. The power plant was a 900-horsepower Napier aero engine, the same type of motor that won the Schneider cup race in Italy and later, in Capt. Malcolm Campbell’s automobile, set a world’s speed record at Daytona Beach. However, where the Gar Wood hull was double-planked with an inch of mahogany forward, to stand the pounding of the waves, and nearly three-quarters of an inch aft, “Estelle II” was covered through- out with thin veneer, only five-thirty-sec- onds of an inch in thickness. When the little boat—she was only twenty-one feet in length—plunged bow first into the river, the thin planking was stove in, leaving a hole nearly three feet across. The Wood boats are heavily planked, as it has been found that, given sufficient power, the weight of the craft is of no “Tamarack V,” a Fifty-Foot Gar Wood, Sr., Express Cruiser; a Boat of This Type Beat a Train from Florida to New York Several Years Ago; the Boat Is Powered with Liberty Airplane Engines ast.4cshese eee CUCU —_ oon oh oO

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POPULAR MECHANICS 23 Miss Betty Carstairs’ Contender, “Estelle II," Which Dived, Head First, to the Bottom in the First Heat of the Race; It Was Powered with the Same Engine That Won the Schneider Cup great importance, a difference of a thou- sand pounds or so having little effect on the speed. The “Miss America VII” weighs about three tons. OLDEST REPUBLIC IN WORLD TO HAVE A MONTE CARLO Plans to establish a gambling conces- sion in Andorra, the oldest and most iso- lated republic in the world, are under con- sideration, it is reported. The project is being favorably received by officials of the tiny nation, for one of its chief sources of revenue, smuggling, has been greatly reduced of late because of the vigilance of custom officers. Andorra lies high in the Pyrenees, cut off from its neighbors and but little changed since the eleventh century when Charlemagne granted the people an independent government. The population is about 6,000 and it has not fluctuated more than 200 in the last 600 years. The people speak a special dialect, they have crude homes built of native stone and topped with slate roofs. To- bacco, a principal crop, is smuggled into France and sold at a large profit. The president is a farmer when not engaged with the affairs of the country, and politics is a main diversion of many of the men. Issues that appear trivial to other peoples cause great debates in Andorra. Some time ago, the country was on the verge of a civil war because it was proposed by one faction to substitute the violin and cornet for the musette and tambourine, their usual instruments for dance music. SPRING GRIP FOR VALVE PARTS SIMPLIFIES REPAIRS To remove pins and other parts from auto valves, a simple spring gripper has been introduced. It serves as a pair of pliers, but holds the part without pressure from the user so that the work is easier and the pieces are less likely to be lost. @Write our Bureau of Information, if you wish to know who makes or sells any article described in this magazine. Send no postage; the service is free.

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24 POPULAR Thermometer and Barometer Gauges on the Tower of Munich Museum Serve Large Portion of the City TALL TOWER AS THERMOMETER VISIBLE LONG DISTANCE Residents of Munich have little trouble in determining the day’s temperature, for the seventy-foot tower of the German mu- seum has been converted into a giant thermometer, topped by a barometer. The temperature gauge is operated electrically through a smaller instrument and registers from twenty-five degrees below to thirty- five above zero Centigrade. The maxi- mum temperature of the preceding day and the lowest for the night before are also indicated. Each division of ten de- grees on the big thermometer is about as tall as a house story, and the instrument can be plainly read from a distance of sev- eral hundred feet. The barometer dial is divided into millimeter readings. MECHANICS TOO MUCH SLEEP IN DAYTIME NOT GOOD FOR CHILD Children between three and four years of age should not be allowed to sleep longer than an hour and a half during the daytime, psychologists at the University of Toronto have concluded after a series of interesting tests on the effects of slum- ber upon youngsters. More time than that interferes with the night rest and also deprives the child of the proper amounts of fresh air and activity that he should have for his best development. The re- search also revealed that the practice of singing children to sleep is passing. Out of ninety-six examined, only twenty-two were familiar with the sweet but unsatis- factory method of going to sleep to the sound of a lullaby. Marked irregularity in the bedtime hours was also noted. Sleeping in the daytime has but little effect on the night rest of very young infants. GLASSES IN FOOTBALL HELMET AID PLAYER Although one of the players on the University of Nebraska football team has imperfect vision and needs spectacles, he can successfully hold his position as guard because his helmet has been fitted with glasses. They were specially ground and are so placed in the leather that there is practically no danger of their being broken in ascrimmage. A special attachment also protects the wearer's nose. Football Player with Helmet That Is Equipped with , Spectacles and Special Nose Protector _______—___—_— Lwin. tit as Or oa

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POPULAR MECHANICS 25 ©P.& A Rapid-Fire Auto Battery in Action during. Recent Maneuvers of the German Army; These Units Are Quickly Moved About and Can Traverse Rough Country MOTOR-DRIVEN GUN BATTERY AIDS WAR MANEUVERS Motor batteries played an interesting part in recent maneuvers of the German army. With a number of cavalry units, they were brought into action quickly and great distances were traveled. The drill was marked by the absence of tanks, which have been forbidden to Germany. Wooden dummies served as substitutes. OLD RUINS PRESERVED BY FIRE REVEAL INDIAN SECRETS More than 2,000 years ago, a fire de- stroyed an Indian village in southwestern Colorado, and, though it was a disaster to the inhabitants at the time, it has proved a blessing to science, for the flames left the charred ruins in a state particularly favorable to preservation through the cen- turies. Many bone and stone implements, about 250 pieces of pottery and other arti- cles have been found. According to scholars, they may help supply some of the missing links in the history of the Pueblo people. The architecture of the old village is of a style between that of the basket-maker tribes, oldest known Indian settlers in the southwest, and the later Pueblo groups who lived in the cliffs. The fire trapped some of the inhabitants whose charred skeletons were found in the ruins. Jars filled with corn, beans and dried fruit were also discovered. AUTO LIFTER FITTED ON WHEEL SIMPLIFIES REPAIRS A variation of the usual auto jack was shown at a London motor exhibition in a camlike attachment which is quickly fitted ee ae OT eee to the wheel. Its e] protruding por- +e tion lifts the car a | from the ground when the wheel is turned. A patent catch simplifies the adjustment of the lifter. @ Names and ad- dresses of manu- facturers of articles described in this mag- azine will be promptly furnished, free, by our Bureau of Information.

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» , Sane > — The New Power House at Haifa, in Palestine; the Flat Roofs and General Style of Architecture Conform to the Modern Types of Buildings in the Holy Land By HAROLD J. SHEPSTONE HE RIVER Jordan, rightly regarded as the most sacred of rivers because of its associations with Old and New Testa- ment history, is today the scene of much activity. Construction camps have arisen on its banks, and great dredgers are pa- tiently digging out channels and throwing up dams in connection with the power houses which are being built to supply Palestine with cheap electricity. The yearly rainfall in Palestine is ap- proximately the same as in Europe, but the rains are concentrated during a short winter period. This means that the rivers carry very little water during the summer months, but during the winter are great rushing torrents. To utilize this water for power and irrigation purposes, it is essen- tial that it should be stored during the winter months and drawn upon as desired inthe summer. P. Rutenberg, a civil engi- neer whose name has been much to the fore in Palestine development schemes, has worked out a plan for the complete utilization of the power resources of the 26 Jordan from its source to the Dead Sea, including its main tributaries, the rivers Yarmuk and Jabbok. His plan having been approved by the Palestine govern- ment, the work is now being carried out. It calls for the creation of many artificial lakes for storage purposes, the construc- tion of power and irrigating canals and the erection of hydroelectric generating sta- tions. In many respects the Jordan is the most remarkable stream in the world. Rising on the slopes of snowy Mount Hermon in the Anti-Lebanon range, it flows into Lake Huleh, or the Sea of Merom, as it is sometimes called, and thence into the Sea of Galilee, from which it emerges as a rushing torrent, finally emptying into the Dead Sea. Between its source and the Dead Sea, there is a fall of over 3,000 feet, a tremendous drop considering that the total distance of the stream in a straight line is but 104 miles. But the Jordan is one of the most serpentine streams in the world, As the crow flies, the distance be-

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Turbaned Natives in Baggy Breeches Load Very Modern Narrow-Gauge Dump Cars during the Excavation Work at the Power-House Site; the Scene Is Typical of Old and New tween the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea is only sixty-six miles, but owing to its many windings, the river makes almost three times that distance. It flows for the most part between high banks lined with willow trees and tamarisk bushes, Inter- cepting its course are many islands, some fairylike and covered with luxuriant vege- tation, others mere sandbanks and sedi- mentary deposits. Owing to the cataracts in the stream, the river is unnavigable ex- cept for short distances, and for that rea- son the Jordan could never become a highway of commerce. It discharges over five million tons of fresh water into the Dead Sea daily, which up to the present has not been utilized in any way. Now it is to be harnessed not only for power pur- poses, but for irrigating vast unproductive areas in the Jordan valley. Here, on what is today waste land, thriving agricultural settlements will arise on which cotton and tropical fruits will be cultivated. Experi- ments have shown that the cotton plant here changes its character of an annual herb into that of a perennial bush. The first stage of the plan centers about the Sea of Galilee. As a natural storage reservoir, this sacred and historic lake will form the main basis of the regulation of the flow of the River Jordan. The work now in hand comprises the utilization of the fall of 164 feet between the Sea of Galilee and Jisr-el-Mujameh. Topo- graphical and geological conditions render it expedient to divide this fall into two parts, one-half to be developed at Aba- dieh and the other half at Jisr-el- Mujameh. Abadieh lies some two and one-half miles south of the lake and Jisr-el-Mujameh seven miles. Jisr-el-Mujameh will be the site of the first of the three power houses which even- tually are to dot the course of the Jordan. Here, in the heart of the wilderness, a modern construction camp has arisen. Some 400 workmen have taken up their residence here, but before long the num- ber is expected to total 600. Everything is being done for their comfort. They take their meals-in a spacious dining room which is run by the company, while in ad- 27

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ee ee eee alte EI Sie: coed POPULAR MECHANICS Panorama of the Jordan River Development during Construction; the Broken White Water at the Left Marks One of the Many Rapids Which Are to Be Utilized dition there are reading and recreation rooms. The sleeping quarters are concrete bungalows, specially designed to give pro- tection from the heat. As this spot lies 700 feet below sea level, it is inclined to be very hot in summer. Workshops have been constructed, rails laid, and the neces- sary machinery and plant collected for carrying out the work. A_ temporary ‘power house, generating 640 horsepower, has also been installed for lighting the camp and driving the machinery. Work is now to be started on the dams. one across the Jordan and the other across the Yarmuk. The latter will be about thirty feet high. It will result in the for- mation of a lake with a water area of 12,900,000 square feet. This will act as an intermediary reservoir for feeding the Sea of Galilee and assuring the requisite flow for driving the turbines in the power house. The dam will be provided with automatic flood gates with a capacity of 35,000 cubic feet per second. A second dam, slightly smaller than the first, will cross the Jordan at the village of Delha- mieh. It will result in the formation of another lake, but, what is more essential, will raise the waters of the Jordan to the necessary level and permit them to be di- verted by a concrete-lined canal, 6,000 feet in length, into the Yarmuk reservoir. The canal will pass under the Haifa-Da- mascus railway as well as under the Se- makh-Beisan road, necessitating the erec- tion of special bridges at these points. A second concrete-lined canal, 1,600 feet long, with a capacity of 5,600 cubic feet per second, will carry the waters of the Yarmuk reservoir to the penstocks of the power house at Jisr-el-Mujameh. This station will have an output of 24,000 horse- power, generated by three turbines of 8,000 horsepower each, while a fourth unit will be added later, should the de- mand warrant it. The station is expected to be complete and in operation by the end of 1929, or at the beginning of 1930 at the latest. For the present, it will utilize the unregulated waters of the River Yar- muk, supplementing them in summer by the waters of the Jordan. This will neces- sitate the erection of a regulating dam on the Jordan, near Bitania. The second power house will be erected at Abadieh, some five miles above the site of the first station, when the requirements for power approach the maximum capacity of the first station. The penstocks of this second power house will be fed by the flow from the Sea of Galilee. To insure the waters of this lake being maintained at a level to provide this flow, the waters of the Yarmuk will be diverted into the Sea of Galilee. This will mean that the flood waters of the Yarmuk, now going to waste, will be trapped and stored. The Jordan outlet will then be dredged to a depth of 4 to 15 feet so as to conduct all the waters, both of the Yarmuk and the Jordan, stored in the lake, through the turbines of both the Jordan power houses at Abadieh and

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POPULAR MECHANICS 29 The Power-House Site Is Indicated by the Dump Cars on the Narrow-Gauge Line in the Lower Left Corner; the High Banks Confine the River and Provide Storage Space Jisr-el-Mujameh. It will be a case of making a stream fulfill a double purpose. This second power house will be equipped with turbines of the same type and ca- pacity as the first. The railway line from Haifa passes close to the site of the pro- jected works and makes the power sites particularly favorable for the transport and delivery of machinery and requisite materials. The third power house will be situated to the north of the Sea of Galilee, and the turbines here will be driven by the waters of the Jordan, the fall of the stream in its course of some twelve miles between Lake Huleh and the Sea of Galilee being no less than 600 feet. The power station here will be close to the old Roman bridge called Jisir Banah Yakoub (Bridge of Jacob’s daughter), so called from the tradition that it occupies the site of the ford by which the patriarch sent his family over the Jordan when he lingered behind to engage in that famous wrestle “unto the break of day,” which resulted in the change of his name to Israel. These three power houses, all of which will be operated by the waters of the Jordan and its tribu- taries, will cbnstitute the first stage of the project for the comprehensive electrifica- tion of the Holy Land. As already stated, the first of these power houses is expected to be finished and in operation by the end of 1929. When the work it will entail at Jisr is finished, it will be historic not only because of the vast benefit it will bring to the country, but also because of the way in which it will change the face of the map of Pales- tine in the Sea of Galilee-Jordan-Yarmuk area in several important respects. The Jordan itself -will dry up for the length of some four miles, from the dam near the Delhamieh village up to the first power house. In addition, a good portion of the Yarmuk river will be submerged in the large reservoir which will be formed above the canal leading to the first power house, Most interesting, perhaps, is the fact that the Jordan will become a tributary of the Yarmuk, flowing into it at a point imme- diately above the Yarmuk dam. True, it is proposed to change that later by di- verting the course of the Yarmuk and causing it to flow into the Sea of Galilee instead of into the Jordan; but then the change will be greater still. High transmission lines will distribute the coveted energy to all parts of the country. The poles for these are now be- ing fashioned in the workshops at Haifa, and their erection is to commence shortly, when an army of 300 to 400 men will be requisitioned for this work. High tension is essential when it is desired to transmit electrical energy over long distances. For this purpose a step-up-transformer sta- tion will be erected at the first Jordan power station, where the electric current, generated at 6,300 volts, will be trans- formed up to a pressure of 66,000 volts. The overhead transmission of this pres-

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0 nen eT Errore At ort OO aT DO POPULAR MECHANICS Concrete Bungalows, with Enormously Wide Eaves, Have Been Built to House Workers; the Construction Counteracts the Intense Heat of the Summer Season sure will run from here to the main sub- stations at Haifa and Jaffa where the pres- sure will be stepped down to the values required for the distribution in the towns and corresponding districts. The second and third power houses will at a later date be interconnected with the first one. The further development of the transmission scheme will go along the Jordan valley, and will link on to the Jaffa substation from the east, thus giving the possibility to supply any point on both sides. Fuel-power stand-by stations, forming an important element in the assurance of the continuity of the supply of electric en- ergy, have already been erected in Jaffa, Haifa and Tiberias. These stations have an output of 2,500, 1,200 and 150 horse- power respectively. They have served the useful purpose of satisfying existing elec- trical needs and it is to their existence that the main part of the industrial develop- ment of the countrv in the last few years is due. This scheme for the electrification of the Holy Land is unique in that it is de- signed to cover the needs of the whole country. In the near future, every city, town and agricultural settlement will be able to obtain electrical energy for light- ing, heating and power purposes. Further- more, the government will regulate the charges and cheap power will be the result. It should create a great impetus in the general development of the country. For the first time, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Beth- any, Nazareth, and scores of other places famed in sacred history, will be lighted by electricity. Although Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world and Hebron dates back long before the days of Abra- ham, they have not even gas for lighting their streets and dwellings. It is startling to know that the Via Dolorosa, along which Christ passed on his way to Calvary, will be illuminated by modern electric standards operated by the waters of the Jordan in which He was baptized. Thus is the Holy Land, so long neglected, being modernized along western lines. WORKSHOP WITHOUT BELTS RUN BY SINGLE MOTOR Belts, shafting and pulleys are usually required in woodworking and other shops where one or more machines are used, but a five-unit installation that needs none of these has been introduced.’ It is estab- lished on a three-legged table with wooden skids, the five machines being arranged about the motor in the center. This ob- tains its current from any lighting socket and is connected simply by turning it to the machine wanted and pulling a lever which engages it through a friction clutch.

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n <l et [oO er h.

POPULAR MECHANICS 31

ARCTIC STATION SPEEDS COLD FORECASTS Better preparation against cold waves is now possible because of the radio reports of ap- proaching temperature changes, broadcast by Mrs. Beverly A. Morgan from America’s farthest north weather station, at Point Barrow, Alaska. Observations previously taken at this station were sent to the United States by mail, reaching the gov- ernment offices weeks after they were made, and, so, practically use- less except as a matter of record. But now, with the magic aid of the ra- dio, news of the birth of storms will be available instantly, so that shippers, farmers and everyone can be warned of the cold waves days before they arrive. Mrs. Morgan and her husband, who is the

army signal-corps opera- tor at this station, live in primitive surroundings, with only a few score of white persons within hundreds of miles. Mrs. Mor- gan is one of the six white inhabitants of the town. The only communica- tion with the outside world, with the exception of the radio, is a steamer once and sometimes twice a year. The temperature averages nineteen degrees below zero during the coldest winter months, and sometimes reaches fifty-five degrees below. In spite of these hard- ships, Mrs. Morgan has pledged herself to make the routine observations twice a day, regardless of storms, sickness or other conditions. Weather bureau officials are thinking of extending the observation sys- tem into Siberia and islands of the Arctic ocean, so that reports will be available from points which lie even closer to the regions where atmospheric disturbances that affect the United States originate. Searchlight Wagon with Battery of Lamps in Operation, to Help Guide Fire- men on Night Climb among Fire Escapes SEARCHLIGHTS ON FIRE WAGON HELP FIREMEN AT NIGHT To decrease the hazards of fighting fires at night a battery of powerful search- lights, mounted on a truck, has been added to the Chicago department. Current is furnished from dynamos inside the vehi- cle, which are run by a gasoline motor. GUARD AUTOS FROM SUNBURN WITH THIN LACQUER Automobiles are damaged by sunburn and to prevent this, a layer of colored lac- quer, not more than one-thousandth of an inch thick, is spread over the bodies to keep the rays of the sun from damaging the coatings below. The ultraviolet rays work chief havoc with the finish, but the thin film of color effectively stops them.

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32 POPULAR MECHANICS TIRLLELIBLELE Ltt oe Improved Kerosene Burner for Stoves; It Requires No Blower and Produces a Hot Flame KEROSENE BURNER FOR STOVES ALSO WORKS IN FIREPLACE Remarkable heating efficiency and, com- bined with it, ease of handling are claimed for a kerosene-burning unit for stoves and fireplaces. A larger burner is made for furnaces. No blower is employed with either burner, a few pounds’ pressure in the fuel tank being all that is necessary to produce an intensely hot flame. Means are provided for regulating the burner, and it requires practically no attention after once installed. METAL MADE TO FLOAT IN AIR BY ACTION OF MAGNET Making a bar of metal float in the air, suggests a feat of magic, but it is a scien- tific “trick,” the principles of which are early explored in the study of physics. On the desk of R. L. Sanford, chief of the magnetic section of the bureau of standards, is a small piece of metal that remains up in the air all the time. This apparent defiance of the law of gravitation is due to the fact that “like poles of a magnet repel.” Below the floating bar is another exactly like it in size, shape and treatment. Each is made of a special mag- net steel, containing about thirty-five per cent cobalt. When the bars, with their magnetic ends pointing the same way are placed together, they are repelled with such force that they spring apart. Light vertical guides are necessary to prevent the upper magnet from swinging around, bringing together unlike poles which at- tract each other, With this precaution, the steel will stay afloat for days. The lower magnet is hidden so that the phe- nomenon appears mysterious. Ordinary magnets cannot be used for this demon- stration as one of them will lose its strength under the influence of the other. Electromagnets cannot be used for the same reason. The sphere of influence of a magnet is very limited, and therefore the action cannot be applied on a large scale as, for instance, to hold an airplane aloft. CROSSING GATES RUN BY TRAINS PROMOTE MOTOR SAFETY To insure greater safety at grade rail- road crossings, a western man has pat- ented a system of extension gates which are operated electrically at the approach of atrain. In case a motorist should run into one, his car would not be greatly damaged, as the barrier is flexible and turns at such an angle that the automobile could not reach the tracks. In the center of the roadway is a concrete ridge which would raise the car off the road and so stop it in case the driver attempted to straddle the barrier. Warning signals, 200 feet from the crossing, and signal Model of the Crossing-Gate System, Showing the Bar- riers Extended across the Roadway lights that tell the engine crew the inter- section is protected are other features of the installation. 2 aa rr A, ee

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ail- yat- ich ach run itly ind vile iter ich so to als, nal POPULAR MECHANICS 33 NEW ROCKET CAR IS TESTED IN HIGH-SPEED RUNS Undismayed by the destruction of the rocket car that exploded in a speed trial not long ago, German engineers of an- other company are experimenting with a new auto propelled on the rocket princi- ple. It developed high speed during a test run recently and is being prepared for fur- ther trials. Max Valier, inventor of this rocket car, visions the idea applied to air- planes, HUGE TELESCOPE TO REVEAL MANY NEW STARS Nearly half a billion stars that cannot now be seen or photographed with any telescope, and many remote nebulze will be within the gaze of astronomers through the 200-inch glass being made for the California Institute of Technology at.Pasadena. But the telescope will be used espe- cially for study of brighter and closer objects in the heavens, in- cluding many of the spiral neb- ule which now mystify the scholars. The glass may be able to reveal the separate stars of which they are composed and show other interesting data of importance to the astronomer. Nebulz so far away that light from them requires 140,000,000 wa sae ee | Close View of the Rocket Car with Part of Its Propelling Units, and the Vehicle in Action; So Far, the Main Object Has Been Speed without Smoke Elimination years to reach the earth can be seen through existing telescopes, but with the new one, photographs of nebulz, so far away that the light has been a thousand million years in arriving to the earth, can be made, astronomers predict. The new instrument will enable more accurate and more extensive light studies of the stars? that is, analyzing the rays from them and determining the materials of which they are composed. The sun will be subjected to further scrutiny through this aid, a big mirror of quartz, that will not expand dis- tortingly under the rays, being planned for the work. The 200-inch telescope marks the greatest advance in size of such instruments since the reflecting telescope was invented. Sir Isaac Newton’s original reflector had a mirror only two inches in diameter and is one of the prized pos- sessions of the Royal Society in London,

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The Bathtub Test on an Automobile Proving Grounds, Designed to Show Whether the Ignition System Is Waterproof or Is Apt to Be Shorted by Splashing Rain By M. W. GIBNEY MAGINE a world of speed—of blinding lights by night, of choking dust by day —where all automobiles are just “jobs.” It is a world where cars don’t run—they “unwind,” they don’t break down—they “tie up.” A fast car is “well wound up.” A sluggish car is a “dud.” A car that rides unevenly is a “hobbyhorse.” A car that handles with difficulty is a “fighter.” A serious wreck is a “wash-out.” That is the world of the Studebaker proving ground where there is a different language, a different standard of values— a world populated by trained engineers who are never satisfied with perfection, a dissecting laboratory of the great auto- mobile industry. In appearance, it is like a park with a guarded gate and miles of winding roads. Near the entrance is a group of buildings, the “shops.” Here, with front bumpers 34 touching the solid masonry of the build- ing, were several cars, brand-new, of va- rious makes. “Here is a test that may interest you,” volunteered an engineer. The engines, which had been idling, leaped into life. The mechanic in the first car, holding the shifting lever in low and with clutch depressed, pushed the acceler- ator to the floor. In an instant the motor was “on, full gun,” roaring and whining in complaint at such treatment. A wild scream, a terrific wrench, a lurch forward, a shudder—and the car subsided and was quiet. One after another the cars in line repeated this weird performance, surging forward as though to crash through the wall, then falling back with a shriek of grinding metal. The bumper of the car was flush against the building. There was no chance for

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le \- movwwsegwwe oe some of the strain to be dissipated in for- ward motion. And, too, the engine was not merely turning over at moderate speed. It was accelerated to its highest point, and the clutch was not merely let out a little too quickly, the tester delib- erately slipped his foot off the pedal and let it “snap in.” Again came the sound of racing motors; again the wrenching and lurching. Six- teen times the car nearest me went through this performance; then, the up- heaval. The seventeenth time, a rending crash; the car listed, a clatter of broken steel, the smell of hot oil and grease—a sickening mess. “That seems to be that,” quoth the sharp-eyed tester in the disabled car as he climbed out and started making notes. “Clutch washed out. Transmission washed out. Driveshaft warped. Rear axle O. K.” In the meantime the other cars con- tinued the ordeal. At the count of twenty- NTOMOTTOW The Accelerometer, Weighing as Much as an Average Man, Is Mounted on the Seat Cushion to Record, on a Moving Tape, the Riding Qualities of a Car Driven over All Kinds of Roads eight, another job gave up the ghost, rear axle completely tied up. At thirty, the third car literally flew apart somewhere within its chassis, throwing bits of steel all over the concrete yard. Others followed in rapid succession until only one re- mained. Time and again it threw itself against the building, its tires spinning, but nothing gave way. By the count of 100, the tires were virtually worn out. Grooves began to take form in the solid concrete. “That'll do,” said the engineer, “how did she take it ?” “Still tight all around.” “What on earth do you expect to prove by such torture as that?” he was asked. “Who would ever expect to give his car such a dose of poison ?” “No one, naturally,” was the response, “but doesn’t it stand to reason that the clutch, transmission, driving line and rear axle of a car that can stand such torture will endure and remain quiet over a longer 35

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36 POPULAR MECHANICS Top, Testing a Bat- tery of Windshield Wipers ; the Machine at Right Pulls Out Cigar Lighters and Allows Them to Snap Back to Try the Winding Springs; Below Is the Test of Thermostats and Heat Recorders, by Dipping Them in Cold and Boiling Water Alternately -period of driving than the corresponding features of another car that ties up after a short test ?” A driver emerged from the shop and started toward another row of cars. “What are you riding?” queried my host. ““GB’ for roadability,’ was the reply. “This is the trial road,” explained the driver. “It’s pretty bad at times.” And it was. It was full of deep ruts that caught the wheels of the car and shook it as a terrier shakes a rat. “What does all this test?” the driver was asked. “Practically every part of the car, springs, shackles, wheels, engine supports, body supports, the body itself—an infinite number of construction features. “We used this road a great deal in the development and testing of the spring shackles. for our cars. Some were dis- carded because they promoted shimmy, others because they were unstable at some speeds, still others because they wore out too rapidly or demanded too much atten- tion. Then, as the grand finale, we took them out on this road again and—funny thing—three out of the. four remaining types of shackle, that had stood up well for 50,000 miles of testing, went all to pieces in the final test out here. The fourth stood up swell. We tried them 177,000 miles altogether and didn’t get a single failure, so we’re using them now as stand- ard equipment. Better close your hatch now; here comes the bath,” he added. I rolled up the window and _ peered ahead. The road seemed to sink into a pond of unattractive, muddy water. With a swish and a blinding rush of water, we were ineit up to the running board. The car held back slightly, retarded by the volume of the water. Finally we emerged. The exterior of the car was soaked. “That’s a good way to ‘rain-test’ brakes, chassis lubrica- tion and ignition in a hurry,” ex- plained the that muddy water hole was a big factor in helping us to decide what sort of brakes to use.” We turned off the narrow trail onto a good gravel road. The speedometer swung around—fifty, sixty, seventy miles per hour. I hung on for dear life, then grad- ually released my hold. There was no evi- dence of pitching or sidesway. The car held the road perfectly. “Now, just notice this wheel,” said the driver, and I observed that instead of clinging to the steering wheel as might be expected, he was guiding the car with two be a]

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POPULAR MECHANICS The Refrigeration Room, Where the Temperature Can Be Varied from Forty Below Zero to 120 De- grees Above; Right, the Fifth Wheel, an Odom- eter, to Check the Working of the Speedometer Gasoline Gauges Which Measure Fuel Con- sumption Accurately, and, Below, a Special Steering Wheel to Measure the Effort Re- quired to Turn the Front Wheels fingers. “No effort to hold it, no shimmy—it does a real job. But, it took us 65,000 miles to find a steering system that would do it. “Maybe I better let you out ” here,” said the driver as the shops came into view. “I’ve still 5,000 miles to go, but it is just a repeti- tion of what you’ve been through.”

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38 POPULAR MECHANICS of a test and I said so. My companion smiled. “No,” he admitted, “this is no test—yet. Of course, the car can run through without any trouble at all, if you let it. What I propose to do is make the rear wheels dig themselves in and then give her a real test.” He stopped the car, shifted into low gear, raced the engine and snapped in the clutch. As though in complaint of this abuse, the car seemed to crouch down, then a wrack and shudder Weighing a Car Tilted at Various Angles to Locate Its Center of Gravity, a Vital Factor in Building a Well-Balanced Machine A car with another in tow was being checked out of the shop yard. “Making some power tests under full throttle with the car held down to twenty- five miles per hour,” explained its driver. “The trailer is equipped with water-cooled brakes which may be so adjusted as to - provide any desired drag. You can’t beat it for testing the power of a car, its hill- climbing ability, its cooling efficiency un- der heavy duty, gear wear and life under overloaded conditions, and so on.” I glanced around the yard. More tests were going on there. A car turned circles with a stream of water dripping oh the left front tire to mark its turning radius; another car was put through the same test and results were compared. Inside the shop were other, more intricate ex- periments in progress. Various makes of cars were being tipped up and weighed at angles to determine the center of gravity. “Let’s go,” said my host, and we took another car—a “GE” he called it—and started along the hill road. I prepared for another whirlwind descent, but we ambled along at moderate speed. Finally we turned off at a point where two ruts led through a stretch of sand. “This is part of the routine of the frame test,” he said; “better get firmly placed in your seat.” The car was running through the sand smoothly and easily. It didn’t seem much as sand flew up from the rear wheels in clouds. Down went the acceler- ator to the floor, the retching doubled in violence and it seemed that the car must surely fall to pieces. Several bursts of this, and after age-long minutes, it finally reached the other side of the sand hole, climbed out onto solid ground and pro- ceeded quietly to a point where a group of men stood about four cars. “Now,” said the engineer, “you will have a chance to see the complete cycle of the test.” While he conferred with his associates, I looked over the road ahead. Two ditches were cut across the road, perhaps 100 feet apart. The ditches, cut V-shape, were about eighteen inches deep and crossed the road at an angle of approxi- mately forty-five degrees. Could it be that they intended to run cars across those ditches? As though in answer, the first car started forward, gathering speed rap- idly. Its front wheels dropped into the first ditch, the left front wheel bearing the greater part of the shock due to the angle of the excavation. With a crash, the car shivered and leaped into the air coming to earth again with a terrific force and striking on its right front wheel. No sooner had the driver regained complete control than it struck the second ditch and flung itself, half turning, into the air again, to land with another crash and buck like a rodeo horse for several feet. One after another the cars went through

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‘7 6S —~. OOO POPULAR MECHANICS 39 this performance, yet apparently none was affected. “Now I suppose you're disappointed that none of them fell apart,” I ac- cused the engineer. “Well, hardly,” said he. ‘‘We wouldn’t have learned anything had they broken up the first time. We’re not here simply to break up cars, we’re here to find out why they break up. Prob- ably some of those cars will hit the ditches fifty or a hundred times before they show enough evidence of wear to do us much good as specimens.” He turned and traced the course which the cars would take. “Now, they’re running on a ‘good’ rough road,” he pointed out. “Soon you'll see them come through the sand pit as we did. Then they'll hit the ditches again, then around to the sand again, and so on, until they begin to show the effects of the test. The frame in each of those cars is slightly different. The test will show up differ- ently in each case, and by studying the va- rious reactions and combining various strong features, we expect to develop a frame that will approach the ideal.” Every nut and bolt, every welded seam and rivet came in for a part of the strain of those tremendous blows. Visualize for yourself what it meant, Fancy smashing your car into the curbstone from an angle at twenty-five or thirty miles an hour. Forced into a Ditch, Today’s Car Remains Upright Because of Good Design; Below, a Tilting Test, Show- ing the Low Center of Gravity Fancy repeating this little trick fifty or a hundred times —and pounding the car over rough roads and through deep sand between times! Returning toward the shops, we passed a large embank- ment on the other side of which could be heard, at inter- vals, the full-throated roar of cars being driven at top speed. “That’s the speed bowl,” he pointed with his thumb. “The sky’s the limit on speed. That’s where we develop stam- ina. We turn ’em loose and run ’em until they quit. We find out why they quit, make improvements and run ’em again until something else fails. And so on— running, improving—always seeking the perfection we will never find.” “Are all your important tests as har- rowing as those I have seen today?” the engineer was asked. “‘Important tests’ — ‘harrowing’ — I scarcely know what you mean,” he replied. He turned to a bookcase and began toss- ing out volumes of reports, blueprints and experimental data. “There’s a volume on wind resistance. Dull as ditch water to watch on test, but it covers our research on a resistance element that at sixty miles an hour eats up two-thirds the power of the motor. Is it important? Here’s a 100-page report on steering-wheel experi-

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40 POPULAR MECHANICS ments; here’s 10,000 words on ten times as many miles of piston and piston-ring The Stroborama, Working Like a Slow-Motion Movie Camera, “Stops” Rapidly Moving Motor Parts to Study the Action research. Most of it made at twenty-five to thirty miles. Nothing harrowing about those tests. But they are important. “Get over the idea that the proving ground is essentially a place of thrills and drama. This is serious business. The tests which you witnessed today are im- portant, but so are countless others that would bore you to death to watch. The proving ground is merely an outdoor re- search laboratory. If there are elements of drama here, they are merely incidental to the task at hand. If we could learn more easily and more certainly the an- swers we seek through ‘prosaic methods, we would adopt them.’ “Because there is drama in the tests you witnessed today, you may get a distorted idea of what this is all about. Stay with us a week or a month. Ride with the drivers while they run a thousand miles or so at thirty miles an hour, collecting facts which will ultimately benefit you in increased gasoline mileage. Watch the research which is being carried on to cut down your maintenance costs. Your hair won't stand on end, but you'll get a clearer picture of what we are trying to do. “Visit the laboratories. Watch them analyze everything from steels to fabrics. See in action a machine so powerful that it can rend a piece of steel apart, yet so delicate that it can ‘write’ its own com- plete history of the test on a needle-graph. Visit the temperature room and watch them test motors at thirty degrees below zero one day and at 140 in the shade the following. “See the tests that are made on what you might call ‘minor accessories’"—cigar lighters, windshield wipers, thermostatic heat controls, oil purifiers, and such. You may take them for granted, assume. that they must be right—but we don’t. We take a dozen or twenty of each type and make comparative tests, wearing them out. They may be just details to you, but they’re important to us. “Then read of what has gone before. Read that file on carburetors,” and he pointed to a two-inch-thick volume in his bookcase. “You can read in a day the story of carburetor experiments that have required thousands of miles of testing to collect. Read the story of brakes, of springs, lubrication, fuel, ignition—all the rest of them. As examples of prose writ- ing they are not so hot; perhaps they will not appeal to you as being dramatic or ro- mantic, but they will tell you the real story of the proving ground, the endless search for the ‘automobile of tomorrow.’ ” LEG SHIELD FOR MOTORCYCLIST ALLOWS ENGINE TO COOL Efficient protection for the legs of the motorcycle rider is provided by adjustable Leg Shields for Motorcyclist, as They Appear from the Front, and, at Right, Rolled Up shields that may be bound around the han- dlebars when not in use. They do not permit the engine to overheat, as passage for air is afforded through openings be- tween the shields and the forks. The upper portion of the protector consists of a two-section apron, the upper one over- lapping the lower.

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POPULAR MECHANICS 41 SPORT OF LOG ROLLING AFFORDS NEW THRILLS Log rolling is again coming into popularity in some of the northern states as a test of the lumberman’s skill and as a source of entertainment for spectators. It is one of the most dif- ficult but scientific of water games, and calis for daring, nimbleness of leg, quickness of eye and general alert- ness. An acrobat, lying upon his back, juggles a barrel with his feet and makes it revolve rapidly. The log roller does somewhat the same thing except that his position is re- Difficult Stunts That Show Log Rollers’ Skill; Spinning a Ball; Balancing at Full Length, and on a Ghair versed and he de- pends upon his skill to keep from tum- bling into the water, Some of the ex- perts can do amaz- ing things on logs as small as three feet long and seven- teen inches thick. They can often climb on the end of such a stub and turn it end for end like a wheel, keeping their balance almost perfectly during the maneuver. FIRE OLD CANNONS TO SAVE OIL IN BURNING TANKS Old army cannons, discarded for mili- tary purposes, serve a useful end in a Texas oil field. In case one of the huge storage tanks catches fire, shots are fired from the guns to pierce the tank and al- low the oil below the blazing top to flow into a pit, whence it can be drained and saved. Quick action with the guns has often been the means of saving from $50,000 to $75,000 worth of oil. @ German boys are trained in ski running on the sand along the Baltic sea.

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BOUT breakfast time on a July morn- ing sixteen years ago, a model-B Wright plane was rolled out on the old Cicero flying field, at Chicago, and a young woman took her seat at the controls, lis- tened to some final words of advice from an instructor, and hopped off ona solo flight that made her one of America’s two best woman pilots. The date was July 19, 1912, the in- structor was Max Liljenstrand, better known as Max Lillie, and the student was Katherine Stinson. Flying, so far as the public was concerned, was but four years old, practically confined to fairs and ex- hibition meets at which the spectators risked fifty cents to a dollar on the chance of seeing some reckless aviator break his neck, and the odds rather favored the on- looker. Other women had flown; in fact, Harriet 42 Quimby, the first American woman to hold a pilot’s license, had crossed the English channel in the spring of that year, but just two names stand out today from the little list of pioneer women flyers. One is Katherine Stinson and the other Ruth Law, and both have retired after surviving the old barn- storming county fair, death-de- fying days that cost so many lives. One learned to fly a Wright and the other a Curtiss, so they represented the two pio- neer airplane builders of their day. Katherine Stinson’s solo flight, which won her license No. 148 Mme. Sage, Lunardy and Biggen at First Balloon As- cent in England; Ruth Law with Curtiss Biplane - i tn a a Ai

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Ruth Law’s “Handwriting” on the Night Sky over Chicago, an Interesting Record of a Daring Flight, Featur- ing Loops; Insert, the Aviatrix in a Happy Mood of the Aero Ciub of America, not only launched her as: one of the greatest exhi- bition flyers of the day, but started Amer- ica’s most famous flying family, for three other Stinsons followed in her footsteps. Two years later, her younger sister Mar- jorie entered the Wright school at Dayton and came out with license No. 303. Her brother Eddie followed, and got license No. 375, and a younger brother, Jack, grew up to become a flyer, too, with license No. 6765. Four flyers from one family, two of them girls and two boys, is a record that has never been equaled. Inherent flying ability seems to run in families. At the army training schools at Brooks and Kelly fields, San Antonio, which town, inciden- tally, was the home of the Stinsons, there have been several cases of three brothers entering, one after the other, and emerg- ing successful pilots,- while there have been a number of other cases of two brothers in succession failing. In those early days of flying, hardly a dozen years ago, the race between the men and women flyers to see who could be the most daring kept the paper filled with new tales of death-defying stunts. It was only twelve years ago that Katherine Stinson broke into the aviation hall of fame by be- ing the first woman to loop the loop. That was in July, and with that performance she had successfully executed every stunt known to men flyers. But Art Smith im- mediately went up and did some loops at night. So in October, at Los Angeles, Miss Stinson studded her plane with mag- nesium flares and went aloft to duplicate Smith's feat. She etched the letters “Cal” in the air when she touched off the flares, looped, flew upside down, and finally tum- bied down in a spin to within a few hun- dred feet of the earth. Sister Marjorie, in the meantime, had started out to acquire fame as the world’s first flying “school marm.” Graduated from the Wright school in the summer of 1914, she was filling county-fair engage- ments that fall, and the next summer opened her own flying school at San An- tonio. It took two weeks to turn out the first pupil, Joe Gorman, a former news- paper man. Compared to that, a flying 43

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pre Sas NEON Oe POPULAR MECHANICS . ae. og, . Mile. Finet Who Was Responsible for Many Develop- ments in Parachutes after the War course nowadays, including ground school and dual instruction, may last several months. Marjorie was just sixteen when she reached the Wright school, at Dayton, on June 25, 1914. She donned her longest skirt, and skirts were long in those days, -and went out to see Orville Wright. The first question asked was whether she was eighteen, and then she had to wait while the Wrights telegraphed San Antonio to see whether daughter had the parental permission to take up flying. What a flying school was like in those days—the month before the World war started—is described in her diary. The training plane was the Wright Model B, a biplane powered with a Wright thirty- horsepower motor, just a third of the power of the OX-5 used in most training planes the last few years. It was a “pusher” with two propellers behind the wings to drive it through the air. The pilot sat out in front on a little open seat, with nothing in front of him but a skid brace. In either hand he grasped a lever. The one on the left operated the elevator, and the one on the right warped the wings —the system the Wrights developed be- fore the wing flap, or.aileron, was invented by Curtiss. On the top of the elevator lever was a smaller handle, hinged so that it could be turned to left or right. That worked the rudder, before the invention of the rudder bar moved 7) | the turning controls : down to be operated by the feet. The Wright school saved time on flying in- struction by putting students on a “balancing machine” in the hangar, where they learned to work the wing-warping . device. The balancing = || machine was simply a \ Japan’s Women Are Represented in Aviation in the Per- son of Miss Shigeno Kibe real plane balanced on a wooden horse, with an electric-motor drive rigged up to throw it out of balance, whereupon it could be brought back by proper manipu- lation of the warping lever. Three to five minutes in the air and an hour or two on the balancing machine was an average day’s work—provided there was a dead calm. If the wind blew at all, the students got no air work. The history of flying women is more than 100 years old, for it was in 1819 that Mme. Blanchard was killed while experi- menting with a balloon. The first international airplane meet, at Belmont Park in 1910, had one woman ws =F oe -— — wea Oh nt ae

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POPULAR MECHANICS 45 contestant, Mlle. Helene Dutrieu. The French government made her a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor for her daring flights. The first women flyers were French and American, but were quickly followed by German and English women. Elfride Riolte, the only woman member of the German flying corps before the war, became a Zeppelin pilot. Mrs. Maurice Hewlett was the first woman to obtain a pilot’s license from the Royal Aero Club of Great Britain. A woman had a hand in building the first practical flying machine, for Miss Katherine Wright assisted and advised her two famous brothers in their work, and later flew with them as a passenger, though she never took up piloting. A Frenchman was the first to fly across the Eng- Top to Bottom, Miss Laura Bromwell, Killed While Stunting, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Jensen and Katherine Stinson, a Picture Made in 1919 When She Was Carry- ing the Mails at a Celebration in Canada lish channel, but an American wo- man won that honor for her sex. Harriet Quimby’s flight from Eng- land to France, in 1912, was the mar- vel of the year. Her career as a flyer was short, cowering barely a vear, but before her death, in an accident following her return to America, she be- came the world’s best-known woman flyer. Matilde Moisant was the second Amer- ican woman to get a pilot’s license. She had a narrow escape from death on the very day she had decided to give up flying. She had notified the management of her barn-storming tour that she was going to retire, but rather than disappoint a crowd that had gathered to see her at Wichita Falls, Tex., she made one last flight, crashed the ship to avoid striking mem- bers of the crowd who had run onto the field, and was dragged out of the wreck- age with her clothes on fire. Another famous woman fiver of those days, who retired, was Miss Bernetta Miller, probably the only woman ever de- tailed to demonstrate a plane before gov- ernment officials, and one of the first to make a moonlight flight. Unique in the list of feminine aviators is Miss Lillian Todd, believed to be the only woman who ever invented an air-

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PL LATS LN ART ET OI EL LS ET ee Pe Ee POPULAR MECHANICS Detroit to the Pacific coast and back. She had one accident, at Marfa, Tex., when a bad landing washed out her alighting gear, but without injury to Mrs. Omlie or her pas- senger, Mrs. Eddie Stin- son, wife of the famous flyer and airplane manu- facturer. The pilot of another plane similar to Mrs. Omlie’s gallantly surrendered his ship to the only woman pilot in the tour and remained behind to repair the damaged plane, finally catching up in the Paci- fic northwest and deliver- ing the repaired ship to its owner. Though only twenty-six, Mrs. Omlie has had eight vears’ fly- ing experience. She got into flying as a parachute jumper and wing walker at St. Paul, in 1920. Now Fraulein Thea Raschke, of Hamburg, One of Germany’s Foremost Pilots and she is an official of a com- a Leader in Aviation Developments plane. The plane never flew, because a satisfactory engine could not be found, and Miss Todd dropped flying to open a school for boy model builders. The series of transatlantic and transpa- cific flights and attempted flights during the last two summers, ‘while they claimed a toll of several women’s lives, turned other women to aviation, just as they brought a rush of boys seeking to learn to fly. Nearly every aviation school in the country began teaching girl students, and quite a number have graduated. Under the new flying rules, only the holder of a department of commerce license can fly a licensed plane, and only a licensed ship can be flown beyond a state’s borders. To get the lowest grade of license, that of private pilot, requires ten hours of solo flying after the school course, but up to late fall of this year eighteen women had received the coveted pasteboard. Perhaps the best-known woman pilot of the year was Mrs. Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie, of Memphis, Tenn., who piloted a plane in the Ford reliability tour from mercial air line. Mrs. Omlie’s license is for a transport pilot, which requires 200 hours of solo flying and rigorous tests. It permits the holder to fly any type or size of plane anywhere. The only other woman hold- ing such a license up to this fall was Ruth Nichols, who learned to fly in 1922. MIDGET-SIZE SHOOTING GALLERY WORKS AUTOMATICALLY For children, a tiny shootifig gallery af- fords amusement and has the advantage of being practically automatic in action. Wooden balls are fired at the target, an animal figure, and as one ball is ejected from the gun, another rolls into place. Fun for the Children with the Automatic Shooting Gallery That Reloads Itself after Each Shot

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POPULAR DETECTOR WARNS OF STORMS TO INCREASE POWER When electrical storms approach New York City, an automatic detector on the roof of the building where the load-dis- patching office is located, rings a bell to warn operators to notify generating sta- tions to increase their power. This is often done when a sudden storm brings on premature darkness, calling for more light than normally is used. On a huge board in front of them, the attendants have a diagram which shows at every minute of the day, how many feeders or lines are in operation and the voltages generated by the stations. SILENT AND INVISIBLE PLANES NEXT STEP IN AVIATION Airplanes that will be almost soundless and practically invisible from the ground may be the next development in aviation, experiments being conducted in Europe indicate. To eliminate thé propeller noises, tests are under way with screws of six blades or more and of rather small size. These are designed especially to reduce noise at high speed. “Invisible” paints and dopes are being tried to make the MECHANICS 47 Where Part of a City’s Electric-Power “Traffic” Is Routed and Checked; the Load-Dispatching Office in New York with Board That Shows Power Conditions throughout the City planes difficult to see from below. In England, a dark color of a dull greenish hue has been prepared. This makes a big plane almost invisible when moving against a bank of clouds, and is the least conspicuous of all colors so far tested when the ship is flying in the rays of searchlights. One of the biggest problems is the elimination of shadows. Better de- signs are being worked out to cope with this difficulty and also to decrease the visi- bility of the plane when flying toward an observer. One type of monoplane has been built that marks a distinct advance in this direction. Although it has a large wing surface, it is difficult to see when fiving directly toward the eve, and efforts are being made to reduce the telltale shadows under the wings when the ship passes overhead. DYES IN GLASS DOOR KNOBS MATCH COLOR SCHEMES Hollow-glass door knobs, in which col- ored liquids may be poured to harmonize with various schemes of interior decora- tions, have appeared. They are of fancy shapes and have glass stoppers so that the contents may be changed to suit the taste of the occupant of the apartment.

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a qty cert nat POPULAR MECHANICS iF sas a. original tones and so “blur” the impression the listener receives. Sound travels at the rate of about 1,100 feet a second. If an echo from a wall, for instance, bounds back and reaches the hearer’s ear before the next sound from a speaker, there is confusion and impaired reception by the audience. These conditions are not exactly the same in the case of music, as it is pos- sible to have several tones audible at the same time without great disadvan- tage. Most musicians pre- fer to sing or play near a wall and always with a resonant stage. CAPTIVE BALLOON REPLACES TOWER AS AERIAL Used for observations in war time,a captive bal- loon was converted into a transmitting aerial by British engineers re- Double-Pontoon Boat, Skimming Along with Air Propeller; It Will Run in cently. Advantages of the Water Only Nine Inches Deep BOAT RUN BY AIR PROPELLER NAVIGATES SHALLOWS Nine inches of water is said to be deep enough for a motorboat recently tested in London. It is run by an air propeller and, with nine passengers, develops a speed of nearly ten miles an hour. Doors in the side facilitate entrance and exit, and the double hull of canoe-shaped floats pro- motes security. “DEAD” ROOMS BEST FOR SPEECH SOUND TESTS SHOW Speakers can best be heard in rooms as “dead as outdoors,” sound experts have decided after extensive tests. This does not mean absolute deadriess but merely an absence of reverberation to such an extent that the echoes or sound reflections from the walls will not interfere with the idea are that the height of the balloon may easily be varied and that the rope holding the bag to the earth does not shield the aerial as a mass of steel would do. HEAT METER FOR SMALL CARS IS EASILY INSTALLED Quickly attached to the dash or the steering column, a motor thermome- ter for small auto- mobiles is installed without tapping the motor block and without the use of tubing. It is plainly visible night or day and is actuated by means of a thermostat that is attached directly to the water hose.

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POPULAR BIRDS SLEEPING ON BRANCHES EXERT AUTOMATIC HOLD Many kinds of birds have an interesting set of “automatic muscles” that securely lock their feet to the twigs and so keep them from falling when they are asleep, Edward H. Forbush, an authority on bird life, explains. The muscles and tendons of the legs are so arranged that they tighten over the joints of knee and heel and, like elastic cords, automatically clinch the toes around the twig. Thus the weight of the bird holds him safely on the perch with- out any further effort. Ducks and geese preferably sleep on the water with their heads drawn down and often with their bills buried in the feathers of their shoul- ders, Mr. Forbush said, and while dozing, ducks have been seen to paddle lazily with one foot in an evident effort to minimize the drift. The action sends them around in a circle. Some ducks and other water birds sleep on islands or sand bars. Va- rious varieties of small birds slumber in holes in the grass, in heaps of brush or leaves, especially when remaining in the trees would be hazardous, as in fall or win- ter, because of the absence of foliage. Ocean birds sleep on the waves except in nesting seasons or when severe and pro- longed storms drive them to a shore. ENDLESS-BELT SAW ON AUTO DOES SIX MEN’S WORK To saw wood into convenient lengths, an endless-belt rig, operated by a motor truck, has been de- MECHANICS 49 = Set of Delivery Boxes Where Milk Is Left for Patrons Who Call for It in Autos MILK-BOTTLE “POST OFFICE” SERVES AUTO PATRONS Bottled milk is delivered to patrons ina Hawaiian town in a set of lock boxes ar- ranged somewhat like those of a post office. Buyers subscribe for the daily quantity they want and then drive to the “office” for their supply. WOOD-PULP BOARD AS TILE CUTS BUILDING COSTS As a substitute vised by a western man. It consists of three saws and a conveyor that car- ries the sticks against the blades and then dumps the cut pieces for con- venient piling. One man can do all the work required in supplying the saws with uncut wood and stacking the blocks, and the out- for ordinary tile, a wood-pulp board, coated and ruled with a special mate- rial, has been placed on the market for use in kitchens, bathrooms and all other places where tile is commonly applied. It resists moisture, is washa- ble and durable, easily applied and does not crack, fit is easily hauled about. Endless-Belt Sawing Rig, Showing Three Blades graze or chip, the manufacturers say.

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wy Rte ee eS can Ath oe ee <oge oy pe eto te eS nk wR aad tS BA ea

By A. A. ALBELLI [OWN in the teeming, hustle- bustle environs of lower Man- hattan, Anthony Fiala, an old- time arctic explorer and also a companion of Theodore Roose- velt on his River of Doubt expe- dition, toils quietly but tirelessly so that others may penetrate to the unknown. The small shop Fiala conducts has been the starting point of most expeditions of note during the last quarter of a century. It is here that one can obtain any- thing from dog meat to arctic sledges for a polar exploration. All necessary equipment for an equatorial expedition is available here as well as the implements necessary for excavations on sites of ancient cities. It was Fiala who outfitted Captain Wil- kins on his latest arctic trip. He assisted 50 Comm. Richard E. Byrd in preparations for his South Pole expedition. Captain Dyot’s voyage to Brazil was supplied by him. The march of the Roosevelts into the innermost recesses of Asia found its prelimi- naries executed in Fiala’s establishment. Recently he fitted out an exploration party for Palestine where Scriptural cities will be ex- cavated—and there are hosts of others. Anthony Fiala, it is gen- erally conceded, knows more about the. qualifica- tions of a man to under- take exploring and the ac- tual fitting out of an ex-

1 ag New-Type Tent with Funnel Entrance for Byrd’s Antarctic Ex- pedition, and, Above, Camera Which Photographs Sextant Read- ings Automatically, to Be Used to Record Arrival at South Pole

pedition than any other man. Not only from years of observation and study, but

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n h il Fitting Up the Sledges in the Arctic on Fiala’s Expedition; from His Experience as an Explorer He Evolved His Unique Store, Which Outfits Most of the Famous Explorers also from experience. Today he calls the spirit of exploration the counterpart of the medieval craving for crusades. “Exploration today,” said Fiala, “is a commercial enterprise. Not in all in- stances, but in most. Men are lured to the adventure it offers by the underlying element of wealth. “It is surprising how many exploring expeditions are being sent out from the United States. While colleges and museums are actively engaged in this work, the greater number of expeditions by far are those sent out by corporations interested in new oil, mineral and other finds. “Then again, there are hundreds of men —and women, too—who, in search of thrills, organize little expeditions into the wilds. Most of these private expeditions are into tropical lands. “Only the explorer bent on adventure, and not material gain, can know the great glory felt by casting the eyes over a virgin scene—never scanned before by any other mortal. Seldom does this type of adven- turer acquire a fortune. The end of his career nearly always finds him in the grip of poverty.” A brief sketch of Anthony Fiala’s life might be appropriate before describing the caliber of man who should go in for exploring, and the necessaries of an expe- dition. Fiala was born in the ghetto of New York City. At fourteen he went to work at a menial factory job. Nights he studied electricity and chemistry. At eighteen he showed promise as a car- toonist and later he got a job as a litho- graphic artist. His exhaustive devotion to studies in spare time made him a pro- ficient worker in photoengraving. It was at this stage that he showed first signs as an inventive genius. After much experimenting he developed a method of half-tone printing which is now obsolete. 51

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ae ee ee ee 52 POPULAR He installed a complete pho- toengraving plant ina Brooklyn news- paper building. Service in the Spanish - Amer- ican war gave him his first inklings in cop- ing with the in- clemencies of outdoor life. In 1901, fired with the spirit of adventure, he succeeded in winning a place in the first William Zieg- ler expedition to Franz Joseph Land. He went as photographer, being the first to make movies in the arctic zone. The ex- pedition was a failure. About $350,000 was lost. A year later, William Ziegler, whose crowning desire was to link his name with some scientific achievement, particularly the solution of the location of the North Pole, sent out another expedition. This time Anthony Fiala was placed in chief command. Though the expedition failed of its ob- ject through an unprecedented experience of unfavorable conditions, coupled with the loss of the ship, many good results were obtained for future records. It was after his experiences in the course of .the Ziegler expedition that Fiala real- ized the need for a shop. to equip such journeys. Later the Roosevelt trip and his travels around the world gave him an Crossing an Open Lead in the Ice, and the Emergency Heat- ing Plant Set Up After the “America” Vanished in the Ice MECHANICS insight into ex- ploration con- ditions over practically the whole surface of the globe. “The first es- sential in the making of an explorer,” de- clared Fiala, “is money, strange as that may sound. Napo- leon spoke wisely when he said he could conquer the whole world if he had enough money. “The most costly expeditions are those to the arctic regions. They run into the hundred thousands. I would not be sur- prised if, in the final reckoning, the Byrd expedition will total far above a half mil- lion dollars. “Men should not seek to be explorers simply because they are enticed by the glamour of adventure. That soon wears off with the arctic trials and hardships. Men who choose to answer the call of the un- known should be of the hardy, robust, in- dustrious type. “All sorts of emergencies and mishaps are bound to arise. Only the stout-hearted men of the right moral fiber can endure them. It is in these times of peril that men’s souls get the severe acid test. “Take the horrible experience we had on the Ziegler expedition, for instance. How distinctly I remember everything. Our steamer yacht ‘America’ was made

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wr (F =e YW POPULAR The Auxiliary Sailing Ship “America,” Caught Fast in the Arctic Ice, Above; Vessels Are Specially Built to Withstand the Crushing Force of the Ice Pack, but Even Then They Occasion- ally Fail; Shackleton’s Ship Was Lost in This Way in the Antarc- tic; Below, a Rare Photograph from Fiala’s Collection, Showing Men of the Ziegler Expedition at Work in Their Winter Quarters MECHANICS

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a SENS 5 an 54 POPULAR MECHANICS the wave of a mighty earthquake. This time we were compelled to aban- don the ship. “At nightfall, when twenty-four homeless men had to be given a place to sleep, the cheap- est Bowery lodging house would have seemed a pal- ace compared with the little hut we hurriedly had built from material we salvaged from the ‘America.’ “In the few intervals of calm that followed a great storm, we made sledge journeys in the Dismantling and Packing Byrd’s Antarctic Plane, Named for Floyd Bennett, Who Died in the Greenly Island Rescue Attempt fast alongside the ice of Teplitz bay in November, 1903. The days were growing darker. “On the morning of November 12, I was awakened at four o’clock by the shaking and the trembling of the ship. I lay for some minutes listening to the moaning ‘and groaning of the timbers under pres- sure of the ice. I went out on deck, and I could distinguish in the distance the ghostly form of the ice in a jumble of con- fusion, and could see the pressure ridges approaching the bow and stern of the ship and the enormous folds in the ice off to starboard. “At six o'clock, the engineer reported that the water was above the fire-room plates and that he had started the pumps. All hands were ordered to be ready to leave the ship. After all the sledges and material had been placed on the ice, I re- turned to save some furs and records. “At eight o’clock, we received our worst squeeze. The ship was thrown over to starboard and her bow raised up on the ice. After a great struggle, the ship seemed to be safer than before in her new cradle of ice blocks, and a reassured crew carried their blankets back to the warm and cozy quarters aboard. “But on the morning of December 21, I was awakened by the old grinding and crunching of the ice and the trembling of the ship. The ‘America’ seemed to be on darkness over the mile of bay ice between the ‘America’ and our camp. “On the morning of January 23, we dis- covered that the ‘America’ had disappeared in the darkness of the arctic night and shrouded her doom in mystery. “Whether she went to the bottom un- der the blast of an awful gale or whether she was blown toward the northern axis of the earth, where she floated in un- heralded victory, no man ever knew. “Later while we were striving to sur- vive until a rescue ship reached us, I nearly lost my life when I fell into a glacier crevasse. I had fallen into an icy pit. For- tunately my descent was broken by pro- truding ledges. I was saved by a party of companions who lowered a rope to me and lifted me from that fathomless abyss.” Years later, Fiala was to reach the brink of eternity once more when he accom- panied Theodore Roosevelt, by personal invitation, on his Brazilian exploration. “T aided Theodore Roosevelt in making out a list.of the things he needed to take on his expedition to Brazil. He placed me in charge of the equipment and the taking of moving pictures. “Colonel Roosevelt expressed himself as completely satisfied with the equipment I had provided. The Brazilians, however, disapproved of the light freight canoes we brought along. You see, the South Amer- ican Indians do not use light birch-bark canoes like our Indians, They have warm a os = = =

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‘7 VS —_—! ‘¥ POPULAR MECHANICS 55 weather all the year round and conse- quently have never been up against it. Their canoes are cut out of logs and weigh about a thousand pounds each. I mention this as climatic conditions must be thor- oughly understood in the exploring busi- ness. “Their canoes were too heavy and cum- bersome. I won my point in the end. But my great experience, so far as excitement went, came when [ started out on a mule to explore the Papagaio river. I had been close to destruction in an arctic crevasse, but when I was lost, or rather when my mule avas lost, in the Brazilian wilderness, I was really struck with fear and horror, “After several days of wandering, guided by an improvised compass made from strands of wire arranged on a flat piece of wood, I reached the faJls of the Papagaio river. Here I met a member of our party who was stationed there to start me down the river with canoes and guides. “T discarded the log canoes of the na- tives and used my own type of boat I reached our destination a month ahead of the Roosevelt party. With these expedi- tions, one to the arctic lands and the other to the tropics, I believe I am justified in assuming I know what goes toward the making of an explorer and an expedition. “Aside from the physical and moral qualifications I said a man should have be- fore undertaking an expedition, he should be learned in geography, geology and as- tronomy, the degree of his knowledge of these subjects depending on the intensity and extensiveness of his activities when he reaches his destination. “No one should attempt an expedition to the tropics with less than $10,000. About $25,000 is a reasonable amount to set aside for financing such a trip. As far as arctic jaunts are concerned, that is a matter in- volving hundreds of thousands. Arch- eological enterprises may entail the ex- penditure of a million dollars or more, de- pending on the amount of excavation.” The years of fitting out expeditions have made an inventor of Anthony Fiala. He has invented guns, sleeping bags, trop- ical nets, tents, canoes and many knick- knacks which play a part in emergencies of explorations in the unknown corners of the earth. The Nose of a New German Plane, Fitted with a Pair of Movable Headlights to Aid Night Landings USE HEADLIGHTS ON AIRPLANE FOR NIGHT FLYING Powerful headlights have been installed on the front of the fuselage of a German plane to aid the pilot in landing and flying at night. They give the “face” of the ship an almost human expression and have proved a serviceable aid to the wing lights, which have been in use for some time on many kinds of planes. SOCKET WRENCH FITS ANY SIZE OR SHAPE OF NUT Small enough to fit in the overall pocket, a _ socket wrench now on the market adjusts itself to different sizes and shapes of nuts and takes a firm grip. It is especially useful in removing rusty or battered nuts and is quickly converted into an efficient automobile-rim wrench when attached to a_ half-inch square speed handle.

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ee 56 POPULAR MECHANICS gee * Shooting at a Metal Bird, and, Inset, the New Trap Machine Which Discharges a Spinning Target of Steel Propeller Blades FLYING TARGET REPLACES CLAY “BIRDS” FOR TRAP SHOOTS A metal target composed of two two- bladed propellers, which break apart when struck by shot, but can be put back to- gether and used again, is the latest device for the trap shooter. It eliminates the ex- pensive breaking of clay pigeons, as the target is of metal and lasts indefinitely. The target is fired from an ejector, a pow- erful pair of springs pushing it up along a spiral rotator which imparts the neces- sary whirling motion. Leaving the ro- tator, the target rises about ten feet and flies away at a tangent ending in a wide sweeping curve. THREE-FOOT RADIO COMPASS GUIDES SMALL SHIPS Suitable for installation in small craft, a radio compass, three and one-half feet high and with a base but fourteen inches square, has been developed. The standard- size compass up to now has been approximately ten feet high, and because of its bulk and cost, prac- tical only for larger vessels. The new unit has been designed for boats where space is limited, as in yachts and launches, and affords accurate taking of bearings from any of the established radio bea- cons over distances of twenty-five miles and more. These beacons already have been placed on light- ships and lighthouses in harbors and other localities where naviga- tion might be dangerous. The compass can be placed on the wall of the chart room or wheel house and as all the metal in it is of a non-magnetic nature, it will have little or no effect on the ship’s magnetic compass. REFRIGERATOR BURNS OIL AND REDUCES EXPENSES Benefits of iceless refrigeration have been extended to homes not served by gas or electricity in a unit that does its freezing through the action of burners consuming kerosene. The cost of operating is slight, the refrigerator needs attention but once a day to fill the fuel reservoir and light the burners, and the outfit is self-defrosting. Absence of valves and moving parts insures silence and sim- plicity of operation. Oil-Burning Refrigerator Unit ~~ 4. on Top of Ice Box; It Has No Moving P.

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POPULAR MECHANICS 57 Courtesy M. Louis Fradel Drawing of Main Building Proposed for French Airport; Besides Its Observation Tower and Promenades, It Has Offices Where Business Men May Dictate Letters before Sailing AIRPORT WITH LOOKOUT TOWER HELPS DRAW VISITORS To make travel by air still more popular, French engineers are planning an airport with several novel features to attract vis- itors. Besides the offices, waiting rooms and other usual facilities, there will be a tower from which spectators can see the planes arrive and depart, hotel accommo- dations will be provided and also roof gardens and cafes with promenades. The tower is to be located at one corner of the landing field, to afford a wide view. BEST TIME TO PICK PEACHES SHOWN BY TESTER To eliminate guesswork in determining when peaches are ready for picking, a pressure tester has been introduced. It shows the number of pounds required to drive a plunger through the skin of the fruit and thus measure its condition. Peaches that test from three and one-half to five pounds, if picked and handled care- fully, can be sold for immediate consump- tion, but cannot be shipped safely. If the ‘prolonged by an fruit is left on the tree until it tests under three pounds, the grower can expect it to suffer considerable bruising in marketing. The method is considered far more accu- rate than a color test, which is often de- ceptive, and does not damage the peaches as much as squeezing with the fingers. TAKE-UP FOR ELECTRIC CORD PROLONGS ITS LIFE Electric cords to connect accessories such as curling irons and toasters with the wall plug are kept out of the way and their useful life is automatic take-up which pulls them into a case in the wall when they are disconnected. This is done sim- ply by lifting a trip lever, and the take-up, a spring-reel arrangement, reduces the slack when the cord is in use. This also saves the plug from being dropped and broken.

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see ote Necessary Streamlining for the Lens An Aerial Camera with a Five-Mile Range; When the Plane Is in Flight, the Shield Is Folded Back over the Opening, to Furnish the By C. MORAN AFPARTY of government explorers were pushing slowly up the long slopes of ice-covered Mt. Gennis. An _ airplane droned overhead and circled the group be- low, as an automatic camera in the cockpit clicked off exposures at the rate of one a minute. The photographs were dropped to camera experts below, who developed them and turned them over to geologists. These men, aloft and on the ground, were seeking gold, not with pick, shovel and pan of the Forty-Niners, but with the implements of modern science. They were hunting the elusive deposits with airplane, camera, plane table and transit. A hundred groups of government ex- plorers, similarly engaged in search of oil, copper, coal, potash, oil shale, and the like, are scattered from Alaska to the Gulf, 58 from the west coast to the Alleghenies. During the half century of development that followed the discovery of gold in Cal- ifornia, one great bonanza after another was discovered in the west. Gold in many cases was exposed at the surface of the earth, and merely awaited the touch of the miner’s pick. Later it became necessary to mine the enriched sulphides at greater depth, and then the lean primary ores at lower levels, where costs of recovery even with the best modern methods may soon exceed the market value of the product. As time has passed, fewer and fewer new deposits have been found. An occasional strike has been made within the last third of a centurvy—Cripple Creek, in 1891, Ton- opah and other Nevada camps, in 1900 and later—but by far the greater number of

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Mines/en# the big metal mines of the United States were in operation within two generations after the discoveries in California. Leaders in the mineral industry are acutely aware of the necessity of finding more ore, and are calling upon the flyer, the geologist and the mining engineer to help solve their problem. Old-time meth- ods of prospecting are too slow and do not reach out-of-the-way places where rich veins are awaiting. Ore deposits are geologic formations and the task of finding the hidden reserves has become that of the geologist who has established a defi- nite relation of ore bodies to particular rock masses and other features of geologic structure. Army air-service flyers, accompanied by geologists and camera experts, have sur- veyed approximately 10,000 square miles in eight states during the past season in search of prospective ore deposits. Base maps are made which show every physical as well as every artificial feature of a re- gion. These maps are, in effect, picture models which indicate the shapes and the heights of mountains, hills and slopes, and the location and gradient of rivers and creeks. The government program calls for the surveying in this way of 17,000 square miles a year. Each year the geological survey is send- ing flyers, surveyors and geologists into remote regions of Alaska to discover new areas for the exploration of valuable min- erals and to supply fundamental geo- graphic information for development en- terprises. Explorations are being made in extreme northwestern Alaska in search for oil at the request of the navy depart- ment. These investigations include also the study, mapping and reporting on al- ready developed mineral deposits in or ad- jacent to the settlements and in the more accessible and well-known parts of Alaska. One noteworthy project is the photo- graphing from airplanes of a large part of southeastern Alaska by an expedition of the navy department. Nearly 6,000 photographic exposures, each consisting Topographic and Geological Officials Making Map Sur- veys in the Colorado Mountain Canyons under Unusual ifficulties 59

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eke le 60 POPULAR MECHANICS of three separate parts, have been made under conditions and controls to serve as bases for further geologic and topographic investigations. The Alaskan explorations are conducted in extremely wild and difficult country, where the explorers are cut off from all communication with the outside world, and are dependent entirely upon their own resources. Most of the chiefs of the Alas- kan parties—geologists and topographic engineers—are veterans in this work. Colorado, where many of the great min- ing camps were located, has recently taken steps to secure this type of geologic work in an effort to locate new ore deposits. Experienced men from the geological sur- vey have been assigned to the state, and, in addi- tion, topographic base maps are being made where they are needed. The mineral belt of the state is being explored in detail, beginning with the better known areas. During the past sum- mer, there were six par- ties of the geological sur- vey in widely scattered areas of Alaska. Another party made a survey of a part of Admiralty island. Instrument for Measuring Distances on Aerial Photos; Fishing for a Lost Canoe in the Grand Canyon, and a Pack Train in the Sierras

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POPULAR MECHANICS 61 A third group made geologic investiga- tions in the Nizina district of the Cop- per river region, Geologic reconnais- sance in the upper Tanana and Yukon regions west of the international boundary,and in the Alaska range region of southwestern Alaska was simi- larly made. Four geologic groups are in Mon- tana, two of which, under the direction of geologists expe- rienced in the field of metals, are con- ducting surveys in the region tributary lying the various areas. In central Idaho, one geologic party is studying the de- posits of metals which are associ- ated with the great granite intrusions of the central part of the state. An- other geologic party is continuing the mapping of the phosphate deposits, which constitute one of the immedi- ate and prospective sources of fertiliz- ers for the agricul- tural industry of the country. In Nevada, three areas are under ex- to Helena. In southern and east Portable Photographic Laboratory Which Develops Negatives Dropped from Planes, and a Topographic Crew in the Grand Canyon amination—one, the Charleston peak central Montana, two geologic groups are examining the coal fields of that portion of the state. The work includes an examination of practi- cally all outcrops, and will result in reports showing the positions of these outcrops and giving in detail the thickness of indi- vidual beds and the tonnage of coal under- area west of Las Vegas ; another, the Ivanpah region imme- diately to the south; and a third, the Silver peak area west of Goldfield. The Ivanpah region extends across the Nevada line into California, so that a small part of the latter state is included in this study. Associated with the geologists engaged upon these

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q 62 POPULAR projects are two of the experienced sur- vey paleontologists, who are collecting the fossil evidences of extinct life, and through their study are aiding the geologists in identifying from point to point the rock groups in which these fossils are imbedded. In northern California, in Plumas county, an examination of the copper de- posits is under way. In southeastern Utah, systematic work is being done along the canyons tributary to the San Juan and the Colorado. This investigation will ex- tend westward to include Navajo moun- tain. It is a part of the systematic study of the plateaus of the canyon region di- rected to a determination of the structure of the rocks underlying these plateaus, this structure being of keen interest to those who are attempting to develop the oil re- sources of the west. In an adjacent area, in northwestern New Mexico, another geologic party is studying the coals of the great San Juan basin. Work on the Santa Rita mining district, begun some years ago, is being brought to completion, and attention is being given to the existence of potash de- posits in the great salt basin of the south- eastern part of the state. In Texas, prog- ress is reported on the slow task of pre- paring a new geologic map of the state on MECHANICS a scale that will be adequate for the use particularly of the petroleum industry. This work was begun three or four years ago and may take as many more years for its completion. A project in Arkansas in- volves the study of possible lead and zinc deposits in the northern part of the state. The iron ores of the south are receiving more or less constant attention from the survey. An agreement has been entered into with the geological survey of Ala- bama for a co-operative study of the ores of that state. A review is under way of the iron-ore situation in Virginia, and some of those of Tennessee are treated in reports about to be issued. Millions of dollars of wealth in gold de- posits in Alaska, potash fields in New Mexico, phosphate in Idaho, Wyoming and Utah, and oil in Colorado have been uncovered by government geologists in recent years. These discoveries have re- sulted in coiimercial developments such as the Isles and Moffatt oil domes in Colo- rado, the buying of large areas of oil-shale lands, and the establishment of phosphate mines. The government records disclose the story of a geologist who discovered a pre- historic beach in Alaska that yielded vast wealth in pure gold. The deposits on the Putting Together Aerial Photographic Mosaics to Create the-Large Maps Used by Geologists in Locating Possible Mineral Deposits; the Maps Give Much Valuable Information

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POPULAR MECHANICS 63 Nome beaches were about exhausted. The geologist sought inland for the source of the metal, and found it. His story was disbelieved, and it was several years before the deposits were rediscovered. The story of phosphate is one of a dwin- dling Florida supply. Great alarm was expressed, and culminated in a conserva- tion conference at Washington. The geologists were sent west to seek new phosphate deposits and found them in Idaho, Wyoming and Utah, where the value of the deposits, which ran over great areas, had been theretofore unknown. The discovery of potash in New Mexico has been of great importance because of the dependence of American agriculture upon foreign sources of supply. Analysis of samples from the core of a well drilled in Eddy county, shows that within 1,500 feet of the surface there are to be found nine beds or groups of beds of possible commercial interest. Oil shale is now receiving increasing at- tention by the government geologists as a source of the nation’s future oil supply. A ton of shale will yield a barrel or more of oil, and the bureau of mines recently has set up an experimental plant in Colo- rado to develop a commercial method. AUTO IS CLEANED WITH STEAM FROM PORTABLE BOILER To simplify the task of removing grease from the differential housing and trans- mission a jet of steam from a portable heater has been found effective. A gasoline burner generates the steam ina few moments and the vapor passes under pres- sure through a spe- cially made hose and nozzle through the oil-level open- ing. This reduces the grease to a thin oil which flows out through the drain hole. The portable burns little fuel and is simple and safe to operate. boiler Cleaning an Automobile with the Steam Outfit, and Carrying the Rig in Service Station Emergency Cable Control for Instructor in Managing Airplane When Student “Freezes” to Stick SAFETY AIRPLANE STICK STOPS STUDENT ACCIDENTS To avoid accidents due to a student’s “freezing” to the stick while learning to fly, a western inventor has devised a safety control for instructors’ planes. When the pilot feels the pupil freeze to the stick, he merely pulls a cable which disconnects the student’s controls in an instant and gives the instructor exclusive manage- ment of the ship. SIFTER FOR BUILDING SANDS IMPROVES PLASTER Cleaner sand for plaster and concrete is furnished from a sifter which grades the material as to different sizes. The outfit consists of a hopper with in- clined baffle plates and a narrow throat at the bottom. In sliding down the plates, the sand is freed of foreign sub- stances and is then carried into various compartments ac- cording to size by the action of water,

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oF POPULAR MECHANICS stration more realistic, Lieut. Ralph E. Holmes, posing as a balloonist who had been stranded in the lake, was towed out into the water, cling- ing to the fabric of a free balloon. The “TC-52” flew over for bearings and then descended until a weighted rope was tossed to Holmes who caught it and drew in an inflated rubber boat which was attached to it and also tossed from the dirigible. After he had climbed up- on the boat and paddled away from the balloon, the dirigible landed on the water with the aid of two inflated rubber pon- toons which are used to minimize the shock in Sketches of the Smoke Projectors in Place, and Photograph of a Charge at the Moment of Firing WAR-GAS PROJECTOR BATTERY HAS LONG RANGE Gas and smoke screens of long range are projected instantaneously from a bat- tery of steel tubes, fired electrically. Each cylinder contains a drum of the explosive with an electric fuse, connected to an ex- ploder which can fire 550 projectors at one time. After the containers have been set and wired, they are concealed easily and may be left indefinitely without injury. DIRIGIBLE LANDS ON WATER TO RESCUE BALLOONIST ground landings. They were sufficient to keep the car above water, al- though they were of small size. Lieuten- ant Holmes paddled to the side of the diri- gible and was drawn aboard. To compen- sate for his weight, 200 pounds of ballast sand were dumped. The actual “rescue” took but fifteen minutes, and the dirigible sailed away, having demonstrated that such a craft could safely alight on water. TESTER FOR FRONT END OF AUTO HELPS SAVE TIRES Finding the cause of front-end troubles in automobiles is simplified with a testing outfit that eliminates guesswork and saves time. It aids in adjusting the alinement of the front wheels, correcting bent spindles, For the first time in history, a dirigi- ble safely landed and took off from water in an inter- esting test per- formed with the army’s non-rigid sup; the “TC-52,” . on a lake near Granite City, Ill. To wheel wabble, axle tilt and other trou- bles that interfere with smooth driv- ing and shorten the life of the tires. The set consists of three units, one for test- ing wheel aline- ment, an axle level 3 Front-End Testing Outfit Which Discloses a Variety make the demon- of Automobile Ills, Eliminating Guesswork and a gauge to test the wheel pitch. in TO be in sti lil Ww th

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POPULAR MECHANICS 65 HARD METAL RIVALS DIAMOND FOR CUTTING WORK So hard that it will bore smooth holes in concrete, or cut screw threads in a glass rod, a new metal known as carboloy has been introduced, It is near the diamond in hardness, and is a compound of tung- sten, carbon and cobalt. It will cut glass like a diamond and will scratch sapphires, which are next to the diamond in the scale of hardness. Instead of wearing out when held against an emery wheel, it will wear the emery down. It is expected to be of great use in various metal-cut- ting operations, especially in man- ufacturing fiber and metal gears used in automobiles to give quiet- ness, as tools made of it need not be sharpened so often, WASHED AIR IN HELMET GUARDS SAND BLASTERS Instead of using compressed air, a helmet for sand blasters em- ploys air at ordinary atmospheric pressure, which is injected into the headpiece by controls regu- lated by the wearer. In addition, the air is washed with water to insure its cleanness. The helmet is comfortable, easily put on or taken off, and special means have been provided to protect the eyes from dust.

Sand Blaster’s Outfit, How It Is Hung Up, and Cross- Section View Milk Penny Sliding Down Incline from Elevator into Truck

= —_—- a . J BI ee. 'S.:. SPIRAL TOWER TO LOAD CANS SAVES HAND LABOR Milk cans are stored and loaded at an English chocolate factory with the aid of a spiral tower which saves considerable hand labor. The cans are elevated on a spiral staircase and descend by the force of gravity over rollers. They are easily placed on trucks for return to the farms. METAL AND PAPER COMBINED IN NEW FABRIC -One or more metals, paper, and a textile material are combined in a new fabric re- cently introduced in Germany. The top surface has the appearance of metal but the back is like paper, and it may be folded or bent without cracking. It may be em- bossed or printed upon with ordinary ma- terials, will not oxidize or tarnish, and al- ready has been adapted for many uses, such as confectionery boxes, picture frames, book binding, fancy shoes and wall paper.

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66 POPULAR MECHANICS WASHBASIN ON RUNNING BOARD SERVES AUTO TOURISTS When the Auto Running Board Becomes a Lavatory; Compact Washbasin and Outfit for Touring For the convenience of the auto traveler, a compact washbasin is attached to the running board, where it is ready for use without the bother of unpacking other equipment. It is of special service when stops of a day or more are made, AMERICA BUILDING BIG AIRSHIPS TO DWARF “GRAF ZEPPELIN” Two dirigibles for the United States navy are under construction in this coun- try, each to be fourteen feet longer than the “Graf Zeppelin” and to have a gas capacity about 3,000,000 cubic feet greater than the “Graf’s.” They will be inflated with helium, which will permit the installa- tion of the eight motors inside the hull where there will be no resistance to the air, and they are expected to burn heavy oil fuel instead of gasoline. Each dirigible will have space for five airplanes which will be launched from a trapeze, like per- formers at a circus. England’s two air- ships, the “R-100” and the -“R-101,” are both larger than the “Graf Zeppelin,” which differs chiefly from its smaller sister ship the “Los Angeles” in the fact that balloons for the storage of the gas fuel are placed at the bottom of the large envelope and that it has an extra corridor or “cat- walk” running the length of the ship. PRIVATE FIRE TRUCK SERVES OWNER AND TOWNS More completely equipped than many city units of its kind, a privately owned fire truck, built by an eastern man, serves the owner’s estate, and is also sent in answer to calls from near-by towns. It carries 1,000 feet of two-and-one-half-inch hose, and 200 feet of smaller hose; an electric generator for searchlights, trouble lights, and a stove for heating coffee. Blankets, canvas covers, first-aid cabinet, hand fire extinguishers, flares and thawing torches are among the other articles included in the equipment. The owner makes no charge for the services of the truck. AUTO CHANGES ITS OWN GEARS ELIMINATING LEVER An automatic gear-shift arrangement was exhibited recently in London as a substitute for the usual lever apparatus. To change speed, the driver sets a pointer on a quadrant opposite the position de- sired, thereby moving a mechanical finger which selects the proper gear. As the driver presses the pedal, the change is made. The test car was equipped for reverse, medium, normal and fast travel and is said to have made the changes much more rapidly than could be done with the usual controls. Close View of the Gear-Shift Control on Steering Wheel, to Take Place of Old Lever Apparatus

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By PAUL PADDOCK ORNSTALKS and cobs, oat and cot- ton hulls, wheat and oat straw—all the waste of the farm-—are being con- verted into gold. Patient chemists, brew- ing romances in test tubes, have discov- ered the stuff that has been plowed back into the soil is bursting with chemical energy. farm is “bottled sunshine.” Four large plants already are turning cornstalks into lumber, paper, artificial silk, gun cotton and dynamite absorbent. Last year they consumed 24,000 tons of baled stalks, and the industry has hardly got started. Farmers are getting from $5 to $8 a ton for cornstalks. At Cedar Rapids, Iowa, one factory is extracting furfural, and there are enough stalks in the state, according to Prof: O. R. Sweeney, head of the chemical-engi- neering department of Iowa State college, to produce furfural in sufficient quantities to run all the automobiles of the United States. At present, furfural costs too much to be used as a substitute for gaso- line, but it is finding a ready market as’a substitute for formaldehyde in the prep- aration of synthetic resins, in making dyes, in a new anesthetic, as a germicide and an antiseptic, and as a solvent. A year’s crop of cornstalks and cobs would yield 5,- Like coal tar, the waste of the Dr. Sweeney with Samples of Cornstalk Board; Above, Stacking Bales of Stalks for Manufacture 000,000 tons of this valuable substance. The romance-seeking scientists did not stop with the cob or the stalk. They in- vestigated the pith of the matter and found that it, too, was a veritable mine of riches, Insulating material, novelty pottery, pipe covering, pyroxylin varnish, artificial silk and face powder are a few of the products prepared from the pith. And the husks! For years, the hot-tamale man has favored it as a wrapping for his wares. Now the chemist has shown how to make chair cushions, doormats, oilcloth and horse collars from the hot tamale’s coat! 67

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68 POPULAR MECHANICS This amazing sal- vage from a na- tional scrap heap of some 600,000,000 tons in agricultural waste annually, has not been accom- plished overnight. It is the result of years of painstaking research, proving and testing—and of convincing a skep- tical public. An im- portant point of or- igin of the move- Msking Cornstae bum ment is the Iowa irom Small Press, and Stalk and Cob Products State college, at Ames, and Doctor Sweeney is a pioneer in this epic of discovery and application which promises to affect vitally some of the world’s markets. This scientist’s career, in a sense, is as dramatic as the task in which he is engaged. In ill health and otherwise handicapped by poison gases as a result of his work at Washington in the chemical-warfare divi- sion during the World War, he went to Iowa largely to enjoy the benefits of cleaner air. One of his first activities was to aid in the development of successful water-softening methods whereby the laundries and housewives of the state were saved many thousands of dollars each year in soap. Then he turned to the farmers and their problems. He had proved that large quantities of furfural could be extracted from -cornstalks and cobs. Corn is the chief crop in Iowa and disposal of the stalks has been a vexing problem. Couldn’t they be utilized for their chemical and structural value? Dr. Sweeney started an investigation. He planned and had built, as part of the college’s department of chemical en- gineering, a special laboratory, the only one of its kind in the world. Here, all sorts of machines and processes for the preparation of useful materials from stalks and cobs were tested. With the aid of other engineers at the college, special ma- chines were built. The result was a com- pletely equipped mill for the produc- tion of synthetic lumber from corn- stalks and a plant for the treatment of corncobs. A farmer could drive up to this mill with a load of stalks, dump them, return in two hours and take them away again as finished lumber! “One of the chief a f 4 s . MER MACHE AND RAYON 5 3 oni CORN STALKS troubles with the farmer today is that he has been oversold. Too much equipment

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POPULAR MECHANICS 69 has been loaded on him,” Dr. Sweeney said. “With- out the need of much ad- ditional investment, the farmer should be able to realize greater returns from his labor and his products. He doesn’t need more leisure half as much as he needs more money from his toil. Farmers will always have to work; so will most of factory for $8 a ton. Figuring a yield of a ton and a half of stalks to the acre, there would be a return of $12 to the acre for the farmer each year. He could haul the stalks in the winter and at other times when work is slack. The corn belt has good roads and abundant man and elec- tric power, favorable the rest of us. The aim of the modern age should be, not to avoid work, but to derive greater benefits from labor. “Utilization of farm wastes, as repre- sented by cornstalks, cobs, oat hulls, and other materials, opens a way to give the farmer just what he needs—a greater in- come. The United States produces, each year, about 150,000,000 tons of cornstalks and 20,000,000 tons of cobs. Besides this, there are nearly 600,000,000 tons of straw, oat hulls, peanut shells, cotton waste and like materials, all valuable for salvage. In the corn belt alone, about one-third of the land is devoted to the raising of corn. On a plot of 100 square miles, or within a ra- dius of five miles, some 32,000 tons of stalks will be produced each year. If-a plant were centrally located, there would be an average haul of but four miles or so from the producing area to the factory. We have shown by actual tests, that stalks can be gathered, baled and delivered to a Feeding Stalks into a Shredder for Preparing Pulp, and a Mixer That Beats the Stalks into Small Particles factors for the development of the industry. “The importance of such a business to a community can hardly be overestimated It brings money into agricultural centers where it is most needed. A large number of such factories, scattered about the country, would help decrease congestion in the large cities. This would be a great benefit just now, for too many persons are living too far from the sources of food supply. One result is that too much money has to be spent in distribution and transportation of their food. Congestion is undesirable in another way. Think what might happen in New York, for in- stance, if the railroads were completely tied up. How would the people get their milk and other supplies ? “Here is a little instance to show the benefits of a farm industry such as corn- stalk manufacture. Last year, we gath-

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70 POPULAR MECHANICS ered and baled husks to the value of $20,000 in this community. They were bought by a rubber company to make buffers for polishing hard-rubber products. A check for $20,000 was deposited in a hank here in Ames. Distributed among those who gathered the husks, this money did a lot to relieve a temporarily depressed financial situation. “Another interesting thing about the development is that it brings new indus- tries into being and new uses are con- stantly being found for the products. For instance, chopped stalks are now employed as a substitute for much more costly saw- dust in curing cement. Mixed with gyp- sum, pulverized corncobs are used to in- sulate the walls of buildings. In line with the farm-salvage idea, a straw-reduction plant in Minnesota is making paint and other substances from the material. I am told the manufacturer realizes $800 a ton from the straw and cobs. “The facts of lumbering waste, the de- creasing supplies of natural timber and the costly, uncertain methods of refores- tation are too well-known to be repeated. In cornstalk production, there is a fresh crop every year. And taking the stalks from the land has an added advantage just now, for it helps to curb the corn borer. If the corn belt should be called upon to supply synthetic material enough for the entire lumber demands of the country for a whole year, a single season’s stalks would be more than sufficient. This fact does not mean that cornstalk salvage is going to make every farmer rich—not by any means. The supply is too great. But it does show that the farmer has a depend- able source of revenue, as néeds for the products increase and as manufacturing and marketing costs diminish.” A visit to Dr. Sweeney’s laboratory re- veals some of the chief steps in the manu- facture of wallboard and other materials from cornstalks and the essential processes in the treatment of corncobs. The stalks are cut and baled in the field with a com- bination harvester and baler developed by Drs. Davidson and Collins, at the state college. The outfit is pulled by a tractor and only two men are required to operate it. Delivered at the plant, the stalks are shredded and beaten to reduce the fibers to working size, a small quantity of proper sizing is added and the pulp pressed into sheets, to remove excess water, and dried. Stronger boards are made by subjecting them to a great pressure. A fireproof grade is made by mixing gypsum with the stalk fibers. Corncobs are steam-treated in a large retort. The liquids that remain after the useful products have been separated, are good for fertilizer. Dr. Sweeney points out that a corncob-treatment plant costs only about $3,000 and is suitable for small- scale operations. @Congo farmers have found elephants cheaper than tractors for plowing. Re ° Harvesting and Baling Stalks in One Operation with the Tractor Outfit That Requires But Two Men to Operate It; the Stalks Are Gathered from the Ground with a Hay Loader Vv “- © o« n © = A. HH + 6 OD oe a

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POPULAR MECHANICS 71 HANDLING GUNNERS’ AERIAL EYES IN WAR DRILL Crew of a Sausage Balloon with Parachutes at Side of Basket, Closer View of the Ca- bles, and the Winch That Acts as Anchor and Reels In the Lines Observation balloons, which came into their own during the world war with the perfection of the sausage type—so-called be- cause of the curious ballonets which act as fins and stabilizers— are becoming an important part of the army and navy aerial equip- ment. A new type of gasoline winch has been developed to han- dle them in the air. The winch must have enough weight to an- chor the balloon firmly, and sufficient speed to reel the thousands of feet of cable in quickly when enemy airplanes threaten an attack, as well as good brakes to con- trol the ascent. The sausage balloon, un- observers. like the old spherical bags used for cap- tive balloon ascents before the war, heads into the wind and maintains a steady posi- tion, furnishing a stable platform for the Two men compose the crew

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72 POPULAR in the basket, one to spot enemy move- ments and watch the burst of shells, and the other to telephone range corrections to the ground. To facilitate their move- ment in the confines of the basket, the ob- servers do not ¢arry pack parachutes, such as aviators wear. Instead their chutes are hung over the side in tubes. A long line from the bottom of the chute tube is at- tached to the observer’s harness. When forced to jump he leaps over the side, and his falling body pulls the chute out of the lower end of the open tube. TARGET PRACTICE WITH WATER IMPROVES LONDON FIREMEN Water serves as bullets and big lines of hose are the guns used by London firemen at one of the strangest marksmanship con- tests in the world. At a signal, two fire- men run fifty feet with the hose; the MECHANICS water is turned on, and the nozzle is aimed so that the jet will ring a gong in the tar- get, an elevated frame. Contests are held between members of different companies and the drill is considered of great benefit in aiding the men to become expert at handling the lines and directing the water where it is most needed. STEEL NET ON OIL DERRICKS HELPS PREVENT FALLS To keep men from injury by falling off oil derricks, a southern company has rigged a heavy steel netting near the ladder. The netting is riveted to bands of strap steel, which are curved in the mid- dle, and it extends about ten or twelve feet below each working platform, on the side of the derrick where it will catch the climber, should he become dizzy and top- ple backward. Training Firemen to Be Accurate with the Hose; Making the Fifty-Foot Run with a Line and Directing the Stream at the Target; Ringing the Bell Scores a Bull’s-Eye 4 ore jhe imeoaannahaent & aa»

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POPULAR MECHANICS 73 Bullet-Proof Steel Turret Installed in California Bank to Guard against Bandits; the Concealed Marksman Can Cover the Entire Bank Floor with His Automatic Rifle BANK GUARD’S BULLET SHIELD HELPS FOIL BANDITS Following a bank holdup in Oakland, Calif., officials of the institution installed a small “fort” on a balcony back of the cages. It is a steel shield behind which the guard can hide and through which he can fire at robbers. Sliding panels open to afford an aperture for the guns and can be shut quickly, There are two levels of these panels. By firing alternately from the upper and lower openings, a guard would have a distinct advantage over any- one attempting to shoot back. SECRET OF JAPANESE LACQUER GUARDED FOR AGES Lacquering is one of the most famous of the Japanese arts, and although it has been practiced for centuries, many of the details of the craft are still a secret to all but a few of the native craftsmen, It is known that fine gum from the urushi tree furnishes the material for the lacquer var- nish, and that sometimes as many as fifty coats are applied on a base usually of pine or cherry wood. Great care is taken as to the temperature of the room and the substances used, and the work is carefully guarded from dust. When the lacquer is dry, the designs are traced with gold, silver or colored powders, covered with a trans- parent lacquer and then polished by hand with charcoal. TOOL FOR LINING AUTO BRAKES SAVES TIME AND MATERIAL Auto brakes are lined more evenly, and at a saving of time and material, it is claimed, with a simple tool that holds the lining on the band for any drilling, countersinking or riveting that may be necessary. With this unit, the old way of rivet- ing both ends of a piece of lining to the band, leaving a hump, is elimi- nated. The mate- rial is first cut to the exact length desired and then attached. The liner is adaptable to various types of brakes, and on four wheels saves about one and one-half feet of lining.

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Jimmy McHugh Composing a Mel- ody; It’s Often Slow Work, but a Catchy Tune, the Result of Hours of Patient Revising and Testing, Some- times Nets Authors and Producers Handsome Fortunes ~y HREE or four years ago, the life of a popular song; as measured by the dura- tion of its sale, was virtually a year and a half—seventy to seventy-five weeks, to be exact. Today the outside limit for an average hit is a life of six months, The answer, say music publishers, is that radio broad- casters play their songs to death. Before the days of radio, a song hardly got spread over the country in six months, first in piano copies, then in player rolls and records. But since radio arrived, with several hundred stations playing most of the leading songs of the hour at least once 74 or twice each evening, a song is almost dead before the older channels of distri- bution get functioning. Despite that change in the fashions of popular music one fairly recent hit, Irving Berlin’s “Remember,” sold nearly 2,500,000 piano copies alone, in addition to all the piano rolls and talking-machine records. What such a distribution means may be understood by going back a few years to look at some of the previous records. Ber- lin’s “All by Myself,” with a duration of sale of seventy-five weeks, sold only 1,053,493 piano copies, and “Nobody Knows,” while it had a life of but sev-

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[M \FRAI In COME Aoi IN THE DARK Covers of Favorite Songs Known to a Million Piano Racks and Heard around the World; the Popularity of a Ballad Wanes but Few Are Ever Completely Forgotten enty weeks, topped that record slightly with 1,143,690 copies. Curiously, though, the former song sold 1,250,000 records and the latter but 843,000. There is no rela- tion between the popularity of piano music and that of the same song when engraved on wax disks. Another of Berlin’s songs, “Say It with Music,” sold only 374,000 copies in seventy-five weeks, but reached a sale of 1,239,000 records. “Tin Pan Alley,” which stretches along Broadway from Fortieth street to Fifty- Fourth street, gives the world its jazz, but, strangely enough, the greatest song hit of all time, if the number of copies sold is the criterion, came not from one of the hardaworking young men there, but from the dining-room table of a widow in Chi- cago. That song was “The End of a Per- fect Day,” which has outsold even “The Rosary,” and passed far beyond the 5,000,000 mark. The author, Carrie Jacobs Bond, borrowed $250 to add to $300 of her own and set up in the music-publishing business, after all established publishers had refused her various songs. Something over $500,000 has been earned by that song alone. Such success, however, is exceptional, and most of the song hits of the nation are turned out on the tinkling pianos of the “alley of jazz.” Producing songs there is an organized industry in which millions is invested, and in which millionaires have been made. The origins of this vast enterprise are traceable to the region of the old Tony Pastor theater. It was in that vicinity the “Cradle’s Empty, Baby’s Gone” and “Take Back Your Ring” were born. That was in the sob-ballad era of the early 90's. But Tin Pan Alley did not make much 75

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BE es EEE ORT BAT SETI fa nal ieee BL Fb Ds et EES He a Sai ta IN 76 POPULAR racket in the realm of music until the opening of the present century, when a group of fifteen publishers opened up their business houses, all huddled into a radius of 500 feet. It was here that grind- ing out popular music won for their world its nickname. In the sum- mertime, when the win- dows were open, there was such a clank and clatter in the neighbor- hood—with the blatant sounds of all kinds of musical instruments filtering into the street—that it resembled a tin-pan factory going full blast. It was in this encampment that the yodlers fashioned such melodies as “Alex- ander’s Ragtime Band,” “He Done Me Wrong,” “The Little Millionaire,” “You're in the Right Church But the Wrong Pew,” “He’s a College Boy,” “Sadie Salome Go Home,” “I Don’t Care,” “Play That Bar- ber Shop Chord,” and “I’m Afraid to Come Home in the Dark”—which may or may MECHANICS not fall within the range of your memory. The ‘jazz-song age begins in 1911, with Irving Berlin’s offering, “Alexander’s Rag- time Band.” That is universally conceded by all the popular song virtuosos. It was that song which gave a golden echo to the tinkling of Tin Pan Alley which has been ringing down through two decades. Soon after Tin Pan Alley started its march northward. Today song writers and music publishers are scattered through the heart of the Broadway theatrical. dis- trict. It is in this sector that every day 500 pianos, leading 500 voices in 500 dif- ferent melodies, are feeling the nation’s musical pulse. From these establishments songs go out to the country’s 3,000 movie houses, the 2,000 vaudeville houses, the 10,000 dance halls, the 1,000 cabarets, and the thousands that make up the enormous radio audiences. There are 20,000 jazz compositions copy- righted every year. Of this number only twenty become hits. About eighty per cent of them are written by staff members in the various song- publishing houses. Btt this employed " Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields, Lyricist, Working on a Song, and an Engraver Punch- ing Note Marks into Pewter Plate corps does not necessarily turn out hits. The great song sensation of the year might be the brain-child of some writer living far from Broadway. And this has been the case over and over. If a song “clicks,” as they say in Tin Pan Alley, the writer of the lyrics and the composer stand to make handsome fortunes. Sometimes you will hear a snatch of one song incorporated into another and it will seem a palpable bit of thievery. In- vestigation will show that the part of the refrain taken from another song may be

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POPULAR MECHANICS 77 Preparing the Press Plates for Forms to Make Copies of a Song; This Is the Transfer Department of a Large Publishing House Which Prints Millions of Sheets of Music Yearly taken from one already copyrighted by the same publisher or lifted from an un- copyrighted song. The copyright on a song runs for twen- ty-eight years and if it’s not renewed, any- body can use fragments from it. “Sweet Rosie O’Grady” went for many years with- out a copyright. Such songs as “Dixie” and “Swanee River” have never been copy- righted. In “The Rosary,” the lyrics are not copyrighted but the melody is. You can ‘take Kipling’s “Road to Mandalay,” for instance, which is uncopyrighted, write a melody to it and sell the product with full-copyright powers. The jazz song has made a millionaire of Irving Berlin, who used to be a singing waiter in the Bowery. “Over There” brought a fortune to George M. Cohan. The “Prisoner’s Song” and “Yes, We Have No Bananas” have both brought good financial returns. Mabel Wayne has made close to $100,000 on “Ramona.” Jimmy McHugh and Dor- othy Fields have already realized over $50,000 on “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.” Broadway just bristles with stories of successes. Yet, only one song in a hundred clicks. From that one song the publisher must make enough to com- pensate for the failures which mean orig- inal expenditures of $25,000 per song. There is room and great opportunities for inventors in Tin Pan Alley. Com- posers could use with great appreciation something that might be called a har- monophone which would automatically strike up random harmonies, instead of the present method of tinkling away on the ivories in search of a score. Then they could use an instrument which would automatically try out for them that part of the song which they have already com- posed. Tin Pan Alley finds itself with the same primitive tools it started with when “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” made it into an industry of millions. Crude implements are to be found also in the mechanical side of producing the song. There have been no spectacular advances made here either. In the print- ing of the song, the method which is rec- ognized as the best is that of punching the song character on pewter plates by hand. Some firms use characters just as print- ing type is used, but this has not yet met with wide-spread acceptance. After the pewter plates are completed, the work goes through a regular lithographing process not unlike that in any other branch of publishing. Then follows a gigantic selling campaign, with “plugging” and high expectations on what after all is just a gamble.

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wenn go ———————— Aha TOO a ot te rr 78 POPULAR MECHANICS weigh 123,164 pounds. An interesting feature of the campanile is the moat which surrounds it. This serves two purposes: to keep intruders out and to give the sound of the bells additional carrying power. GAUGE OF LUMBER MOISTURE AID TO BUILDERS To determine’ whether lumber ‘is sufficiently sea- soned, a moisture gauge accurately indicates the degree of wetness of the sample tested. It operates on the principle that the electrical conductivity of wood varies with its moisture content, and consists of a simple in- dicator with two contact points and a dial. The needle of this dial is set to show a range of mois- ture content that would be acceptable for that quality of lumber. If the needle is deflected off the scale when the test is made, there is too much moisture in the wood. The outfit is portable, is easily set up and has many uses, For instance, Memorial Carillon in Its Palm and Lagoon Setting in Florida; It Has Sixty- One Bells of Different Sizes TOWER THAT SINGS TO OCEAN BUILT IN FLORIDA Tones from sixty-one bells of a memo- rial carillon in southern Florida, echo over the land between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico from a tower midway between the two on the highest elevation in that state. It is more than 200 feet tall and the musical bells, ranging from a giant one weighing eleven tons to a small one of but sixteen pounds, are set at different heights, so that the effect of the chimes may be improved. Altogether, the bells painters can determine if wood is too damp for paint after a rainstorm, lumber can be accurately tested before be- ing made into furniture or other articles, to prevent shrinking, and, where it is nec- essary to have the lumber damp, the gauge will show if the right condition prevails. FISH SOURCE OF MOTOR FUEL EXPERIMENTS FORECAST Fish, valueless as food, may be used for motor fuel, engineers report. By a special process, a substitute for gasoline has been extracted from waste fish and research in this direction is being continued.

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POPULAR MECHANICS 79 THE LATEST THING IN LOCOMOTIVES FROM ABROAD © 8. W. Clatworthy Foreign Engine Builders Are Turning to Pulverized Coal and Higher Steam Pressures to Improve Their Railroads; at Top Is a Swiss Engine with Water-Tube Boiler Working at 850 Pounds’ Pressure; Below, a German Engine Which Burns Coal Dust, Fed Automatically and Leaving Practically No Ash

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80 POPULAR CONTRAST IN SIZE OF BRIDGES SHOWS STEEL’S ADVANCE Some idea of the improvement in steel and iron making since the middle of the. last century is gained from a comparative sketch of the old Brooklyn bridge, in its MECHANICS men. One of the chief obstacles to a har- vester of this kind is that the beets do not grow to the same height, making auto- matic removal of the tops a difficult prob- lem. The drawback has been overcome by means of a heavy revolving belt that Showing Progress Made in Recent Years in the Art of Building Bridges; Sketch of the Huge- Hudson River Bridge Compared with the Famous Brooklyn Bridge, Once the World’s Largest day one of the marvels of the world, with the new Hudson river bridge, now under construction to connect New York with New Jersey. The difference in size is a fairly accurate measurement of the prog- ress of steel making. One firm, John A. Roebling’s Sons, made the cables for both bridges. The Norway-iron wire used in the Brooklyn bridge had an _ ultimate strength of 90,000 pounds to the square irich. The high-carbon, acid open-hearth steel wire being made for the Hudson river span has a strength of 231,000 pounds. HARVESTER FOR SUGAR BEETS DOES WORK OF TEN MEN Three acres of sugar beets can be har- vested in a single day with a machine that has passed successful tests. This is about equivalent to the work of ten experienced exerts enough pressure on the beet tops to reduce them to the same level. Behind the belt travels a sharp revolving disk that snips the tops off and tosses them aside. Two curved blades, resembling plowshares, pull the beets from the ground, and drop them on a conveyor. DETECTOR FOR BROKEN RAILS PROMOTES TRAVEL SAFETY Broken rails, a common cause of rail- road accidents, are revealed by an electric detector invented by Elmer A. Sperry, of gyroscope fame. The unit is housed in what resembles a covered handcar which is towed slowly over the rails during in- spections. As the machine passes along, it sends an electric current through the rails directly beneath the car. Should a break be encountered, the current is in- ME Sis “oN lees . io a: ot a terrupted. This causes it to pass through other channels and, in so doing, it is amplified sufficiently to actuate a mechanism that squirts a dab of paint on one side of the rail at and near the place where the break has occurred. The chief advantage of the apparatus is that it detects flaws of so minute a nature that they would Sugar-Beet Harvester That Gathers Three Acres a Day, Removing the Beet Tops as It Proceeds not be seen by the un- aided eye.

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POPULAR MECHANICS 81 MOVIES OF CHECKS GUARD BANKS FROM LOSS Principles of the motion picture and electricity have been adapted to take a continuous record of the faces of checks cashed or de- posited in a bank. The appliance can be operated independently or with an adding machine and pho- tographs 600 checks a minute, As the slips are listed, they are dropped into a hopper, carried into the focus of a small camera, and lights flash on to enable the taking of a clear picture. Ona strip of film, five-eighths of an inch wide and 200 feet long, 16,000 checks are recorded. GOGGLES FOR PRIZE BULL HELP WIN PREMIUM Animals entered in live-stock competitions are guarded with the greatest care in shipment, special cars often being prepared for them and other means taken to insure their safety and protection from any injury that might disfigure them. A bull, shown at an Aus- tralian fair recently, was fitted with gog- gles to protect his eyes az.d the horns were carefully covered, while in transit. Goggles and Horn Protectors on Prize Animal, to Pre- vent Injury during Journey to Fair Three-Bladed Propeller Tested to Develop Greater Speed and Lift- ing Power; Note Deep Curve of the Blades TEST THREE-BLADE PROPELLER FOR HIGHER SPEED Experiments are under way at a western flying field with a three-bladed propeller in an effort to give planes greater lifting power and more speed. The tests are di- rected at somewhat the same solution as is involved in a propeller of variable pitch so that the angle of the blades can be changed while the plane is in motion, to aid in taking cff and to secure the most efficient cruising speed and power. A propeller of this kind, which has satisfied aviators and met with their approval, has not yet been introduced. FUEL BLOCKS FROM OIL WASTE GIVE HIGH HEAT Briquettes are being made from the oil- coke residue formed in the various crack- ing processes through which the product passes. They have high heat value for fuel, form but little ash, practically no smoke and no clinkers. No binder is re- quired in making the briquettes. @ More than 2,000 women are practicing dentistry in the United States.

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Sa OE. © Shallcross & London fa speed it A creases that there is a limit- ing velocity beyond which an object of given weight Stem. acceleration of falling bodies. Theoretically a falling body will drop sixteen and a frac- tion feet the first second and attain a velocity of about thirty-three feet at the start of the second second, sixty- six feet at the start of the third, and so on as long as it continues to fall. Actually, a man of aver- age weight—180 pounds, in- cluding equipment—will never attain a speed of more than 120 miles an hour, re- gardless of how far he drops before opening his para- chute. The answer is that the theoretical law applies only to objects dropping in a vacuum, and in practical life the resistance of the air be- comes so great as speed in- Waiting for the Pilot’s Signal to Pull the Rip-Cord Ring and Allow the #4 size cannot pass. Opening Parachute to Drag Him Off into Space WO superstitions have been laid and a scientific law revised as a result of re- cent parachute-jumping experiments at Wilbur Wright field, the army experi- mental aircraft station, at Dayton, Ohio. The superstitions, which received their deathblow when men began jumping from airplanes, were: First, that a person falling from a high building would lose consciousness because of the great speed at which he fell, and, Second, that, because of the same speed, he would be dead before he struck the ground. And the scientific law which will have to be revised, at least so far as its practical application goes, is that governing the 82 Mankind went along for generations believing the two superstitions about unconsciousness and death resulting from long falls, and accepting the law of acceleration, with some vague corrections to allow for wind resistance. It took the invention of the air- plane and the parachute to correct them. The superstitions received their death- blow when Lieut. Harold R. Harris, the first man to make an emergency parachute jump from a disabled plane, dropped 2,000 feet through the air and still was conscious enough to pull the rip-cord ring of his chute and come safely down to earth. Lieutenant Harris wasn’t deliberately try- ing to disprove anything. With a com- panion in another pursuit plane, he was staging a mock dog fight above the Dayton _

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At the Moment of Opening; the Jumper’s Right Hand Has Just Dropped the Rip Cord, Yet the Pilot Chute Is Out and Is Dragging the Bigger Silk behind It field when, after a dive, his plane fell apart at 2,500 feet above the ground. Lieutenant Harris cast off his safety belt and jumped. He fell head first, tumbling through space for hundreds of feet, until his parachute finally snapped open 500 feet above the ground and brought him gently to earth. The reason for the long fall, as he ex- plained it later, was: “After clearing the ship I attempted to operate the parachute rip cord, but was unable to locate the ring for a considera- ble time on account of repeatedly grasp- ing the leg-strap fitting, thinking it was the release ring. I made three attempts before the ring was finally located, and I believe that during this time my body was spinning, head downward, as I distinctly remember looking at my feet three times, with the knowledge that they were point- ing toward the sky.” In the same report, he added: “An interesting feature of the fall, from the time I left the ship until the parachute opened, was that my mental faculties were perfectly active and perfect control was maintained of my arms and legs in spite of the rapidity of descent. I felt no con- scious fear at any time during the acci- dent or during the descent.” Since Lieutenant Harris jumped, dozens of other men have purposely leaped from planes and delayed pulling the rip cord until they had fallen 1,500 to 2,000 feet. Not one lost consciousness, nor did any of them die. Because of that, the army decided to find out how fast a man might fall, or the point at which the air resistance be- came so great there could be no further acceleration of his falling body. To measure the speed of a body, falling from two or three thousand feet to the earth in a matter of a few seconds, is a delicate operation, but the army engineers solved it by letting the falling body do the work itself. A dummy man with a parachute pack was rigged up. The outfit was the same size as a man and of the same weight, 180 pounds. To it was attached a magnesium flare, and the outfit sent aloft in a plane on a dark night. On the ground a camera was focused, equipped with a mechanism which closed the shutter for an instant every second. 83

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Pe sin. he st POPULAR Jumping with a Spare Chute on the Back; Falling Head First, and Mounting Dummies in a Bomber for Testing Speed of Fall The pilot of the plane went up to the de- sired altitude, flew along above a line of markers on the field, touched off the flare of the dummy, hanging below the ship, and after a few seconds released it. As soon as the flare was lit, the camera began recording a line of light, broken at one-second intervals as the shutter was momentarily closed. A straight line of long dashes, which, because of the fore- shortening of the perspective, appeared diagonally across the top of the plate, marked the flight of the dummy while still attached to the plane. As it was released it continued forward and downward in a curve, recorded as more dashes of light. Next two automobiles were placed across the field, turned toward the camera, MECHANICS and their lights turned on. The two head- lights marked the line of the horizon, and when they were connécted and the line projected to one side until it met a line projected from the dashes made by the flare while the dummy was still attached to the plane, the horizons were established. From that point, it was simple to connect each of the black points between the one- second dashes with this distant horizon point and establish the distance the dummy fell in each second. A vertical line, figured according to the known height of the plane before the dummy was released, completed the measurements. First the dummy was dropped from 2,450 feet, and it reached earth in seventeen and one-third seconds. Its maximum velocity was 175 feet a second, or 119 miles per hour. Then the dummy was taken up to 3,000 feet, and it came down in 20.8 sec- onds. Again the maximum velocity was 175 feet a sec- ond, or 119 miles an hour. They tried it then from 2,900 feet, but something in the way in which it was released started the dummy tumbling over and over, and a ee ee

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~\ -- . - ORR. ~< Tony (AD) ; _t » D qd b - O d ; 0 O 4 - — P : O . eo A 0 x * , 4 dlo Six Jumpers in the Air at One Time in Mul- tiple Jump at Brooks Field; at the Army Parachute School at Chanute Field, Rantoul, Illinois, as Many as Ten Men Have Jumped from a Single Cabin Plane to Demonstrate the Speed with Which Pas- sengers Can Get Out of a Damaged Ship

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86 POPULAR Photographed by Itself; a Dummy Carrying a Flare Made the Curving Dotted Line; the Automobile Head- lights Established the Horizon on the Same Film the result was it was 22 seconds coming down; a maximum velocity was attained of only 160 feet a second, and the highest speed therefore was only 109 miles. A second dummy, weighing only 115 pounds, complete with a parachute pack, was tried from 3,200 feet, and, with its much lighter weight in proportion to size, the highest speed reached was but 85 miles an hour. For contrast, a lead weight of 200 pounds, carrying a dummy pack, was dropped from 3,050 feet, and, with its greater weight and much smaller bulk, the air resistance was so much less that ?t reached a speed of 206 miles an hour. More interesting still, however, was the discoveries about the effect of the speed of the airplane on the forward speed of the dummy after it was dropped. Theo- MECHANICS retically, according to another scientific law, if the plane is traveling 100 miles an hour the dummy will have that forward speed when it leaves the plane, and con- tinue to move forward at the same rate while falling, with the result that, when it strikes the ground, it will be directly un- der the position of the plane at that mo- ment. That is true, in a vacuum, but again air resistance plays an important part, as bomb droppers learned long ago. Just what part it plays, the photographic rec- ords of the tests show. Lieut. A. C. Foulk, who conducted the experiments, summed it up in his report when he said that the velocity which the airplane imparts to the dummy diminishes as the velocity due to gravity increases. If a man jumped from a plane moving 120 miles an hour, he would continue to move forward at about that speed until he opened his parachute, Lieutenant Foulk added, but if he left an airplane traveling faster than that rate, his velocity would quickly diminish to that amount. In connection with parachutes, a se- lect fraternity has sprung up in the United States, composed of those men whose lives have been saved by jumps. How it got its name is somewhat vague, but the idea of calling it the Caterpillar club seems to have resulted from the fact that a para- chute is made of silk, which, of course, comes from the caterpillar. The club is not an organization, It has no officers, constitution or by-laws. When a man jumps from an airplane and saves his life he automatically becomes a member. The man who has “joined” the Cater- pillar club most often is Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, who, since March, 1925, has saved his life by jumping no less than four times. Once while in training as a flying cadet at Kelly field, when his plane collided with that of Lieut. C. D. McAl- lister; again while testing a newly de- signed plane at Lambert field, St. Louis; and twice at night while flying the air mail between St. Louis and Chicago, when he ran into fog and was unable to get down any other way. Since 1923, when the air corps bought several Martin bombers, it has been a point of argument whether a pilot and mechanic of a bomber could jump safely in case of fire or a crash in the air. This

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POPULAR MECHANICS 87

A Parachute, Eighty-Five Feet in Diameter, Built to Lower an Entire Plane Safely to Earth in Event of Motor Failure or Other Accident While in Flight type of plane has two motors, one being placed on each wing, far enough away from the fuselage to give the propellers clearance. In case of an emergency, it was obviously impossible for the pilot and his passenger to dive over the side because of the danger of being struck by the pro- pellers. It was equally impossible to jump over the nose, because the ship might dive into the jumper or the parachute after it had opened. The only way was to go back between the wings on the “catwalk” of the fuselage, crawl clear of the maze of wires at the rear edge of the upper wing, and jump. But, of course, such a procedure would require time, and time is most val- uable when it becomes necessary to jump. To Flying Cadets Krider and Shleppy belongs the distinction of being the first men to jump from a bomber. Krider was piloting, with Shleppy as a passenger, in a five-ship formation at about 3,000 feet above the clouds, when, in a turn, Krider pulled up suddenly to avoid smashing into a ship ahead of him. At the instant of pulling up, his ship was struck by the wing of the ship behind him. Krider’s plane lost part of one wing and aileron, went out of control and immediately swung off and started into a tailspin. Shleppy was sitting beside the pilot, eai- ing peanuts. In order to reach his hand into his pocket he had one leg strap of his parachute harness unbuckled, and when the crash came, he had to fasten the strap before he could climb out of the ship. “Shleppy stayed right with me until I tapped him on the shoulder and motioned that it was time to jump,” Krider wrote. “T said to myself that I guessed it was about time to get out of there, so I gave him the signal and we both started back to the wings; Shleppy climbed out ahead of me. The ship was falling steeper and spinning faster all the time. I saw Shleppy leave the plane and his chute open. I could not get out of the ship right away, because I caught my foot in the brace wires of the center section, I thought for a while I was not going to get out. I

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88 POPULAR MECHANICS could feel the wind pressure increasing rapidly. I finally released my foot and fell over the right side of the fuselage, gave the rip cord a good healthy jerk and threw it about ten miles away..... After we landed I saw Shleppy coming out of the mesquite waving his rip cord in his hand - It is the custom at Kelly field for any man making an emergency parachute jump who does not return his rip cord to the parachute office to buy a round of treats for the office personnel. At first thought, it would seem that saving the cord would not be a hard thing to do, but the mental stress of jumping and the fo- cusing of the mind on pulling the ring make it extremely difficult to remember not to jerk so hard that the cord will be pulled through its metal housing and lost. Perhaps the strangest jump ever re- corded happened on Aug. 8, 1926, when a passenger in an airplane fell out of the cockpit during a cross-country flight. The pilot continued on his journey several miles before he became aware that he had lost the passenger, then turned back and hunted frantically for him; but by that time the passenger had folded up his para- chute and was trying to hail a ride to the nearest town. The accident occurred when the ship struck a very violent bump in the air; the man in the rear cockpit was asleep, with his safety belt unfastened, and awoke just in time to pull the magic ring as he slid off the tail of the ship. There is no perceptible delay after the rip cord is pulled until the parachute opens, but since the length of the chute is about fifty feet, and since the jumper must fall at least that far before the chute is fully out of the pack, in which it is nor- mally kept, it is impossible to make live jumps at less than 100 feet above the ground. Contrary to popular opinion, when the rip cord is pulled, the parachute is not flung away from the wearer; the pilot chute, springing open, acts as an anchor in the air, holding the top of the chute almost stationary while the jumper falls away from it. MOTOR TOBOGGAN HOLDS FOUR AND HAS HIGH SPEED For rapid winter travel, a motorized to- boggan develops speeds up to sixty-five miles an hour, carries four persons and runs thirty miles on one gallon of gaso- line. It is but twenty-six inches wide, weighs 450 pounds and is specially adapted for long journeys with heavy loads. Motorized Toboggan That Carries Four Persons and Equipment; Its Slight Width Makes It Especially Serv- iceable in Rough Sledding, and It Gives Generous Mileage to the Gallon

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POPULAR MECHANICS 89

CHILLY AIR SPOILS BILLIARD GAME Ivory billiard balls are sensitive to changes in temperature and humid- ity; therefore, if your game was not as good as you thought it should have been, perhaps the weather was to blame. Ivory spheres “catch cold,” according to Michael Shea, They change their shape with differences in humidity, and during moist summer conditions, they swell in the direction at right an- gles to the axis which is

coincident with the nerve center of the elephant’s tusk. In winter, when the air is drier, the balls contract in the same place, he asserts. If the balls are kept in a temperature of seventy degrees Fahrenheit, they will last five times as long as those stored in a tem- perature of sixty degrees. New ivory balls, exposed to air at fifty degrees, are not likely to last more than three months, the player declares. This sensitiveness of the balls, combined with the effect it has on the game, is advanced as one reason why the temperature and humidity conditions in public and private pool rooms should be carefully regulated. The other reason is, of course, that favorable heat and mois- ture factors insure better health for the players who always perform more satis- factorily, as a general rule, when they feel comfortable. PISTOL THAT SHOOTS TEAR GAS HELPS FOIL BANDITS Capable of % shooting through keyholes or around corners, a pistol that uses tear gas has been introduced. The gas will blind the victim tempora- rily, but causes no lasting injury.

Corn Cutter and Shocker, Showing the Trough That Molds the Pile of Stalks for Dumping as a Shock CORN CUTTER AND SHOCKER SAVES FARM LABOR Corn is cut and shocked at the same time with a power-operated unit that re- quires a crew of but two men. It travels at the rate of five miles an hour, and as the stalks are cut, they fall into a trough on the right side of the machine where a man packs them into a mold to form them into a shock. When a bundle is ready for the ground, the tractor is stopped, a lever is released and the shock is dumped, firmly put together and prop- erly tied. SEVEN-INCH MOTOR PUMPS OIL FROM DEEP WELL Engineers in Oklahoma have been in- terested in an electric motor, seven inches in diameter and approximately twenty feet long, with a pump attachment, also seven inches wide and about ten feet long. It develops fifty horsepower and is being installed in the bottom of an oil well more than half a mile underground. <A heavily armored cable carries electricity to run the motor. The usual fifty-horsepower motor is about three feet in diameter and three-feet long. The peculiar shape and great power of the new motor make it serviceable in oil pumping where it would be impossible to use larger equipment ex- cept at the surface.

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By F. FRANCIS DASHIELL URRICANES, or tropical cyclones, originate to the east of the West In- dies, or in the western portion of the Car- ibbean sea and the Gulf of Mexico. They are intense whirling storms having ex- tremely high velocities. The hurricane is exceeded in violence only by the small, devastating storm of unknown velocity—the tornado. The lat- ter, however, is of short duration and touches only a small area. When tropical cyclones occur near the Philippine islands, they are known as “baguios,” but in the China sea and vicinity they are called ty- phoons. Whether you are on land or sea, the coming of a hurricane is indicated by sim- ilar conditions. However, the mariner feels the long powerful swell of the ocean beneath his vessel even while there is a calm; the landsman sees the same swells break on the shore with heavy seas. The normal air pressure at sea level, as indi- cated by the barometer, is about thirty inches. Barometer readings below this al- ways accompany storms. The intensity and rapidity of the storms are indicated by the degree of fall of the barometer, and if the storm is very intense, the pressure will be well below the sea-level normal. At Mi- 90 ami, Fla., in September, 1926, when a West Indian hurricane caused great damage, the barometer reading was the lowest ever recorded in this coun- try, when a level of 27.6 inches was reached. When you observe a steady and marked decline in the ba- rometer, it may be viewed le tea, we : i Ri eo > } Rare eR Se Movements of the Sounding Balloon Are Telephoned Each Minute to the Computer, Top, and Plotted on the Record Chart

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As Dangerous as a Hurricane, but on a Smaller Scale; a Tornado Passing over Sherman, South Dakota; a West Indian Hurricane May Be a Hundred Miles or More Across with alarm, especially if the location should be in the south during the months of August and September. Once experienced, a hurricane is some- thing never to be forgotten. Consider- ably in advance of the winds of the storm one will observe that the sky is quite clear, but the sea will have a deep rolling swell during a period of calm, and without any apparent reason. Later the sky be- comés covered with a thin veil of clouds or haze which obscures the sun or moon. These heavenly bodies appear a lurid red with the glare of halos or rings about them The air is hot, humid, sultry and oppres- sive. Now the barometer begins its down- ward trend, surely but steadily, and at a rate quite unusual. A: more or less com- plete calm prevails, but the sea continues its ominous roll.. The clouds begin to move rapidly, and the haze is thickening. 3ut the hours slowly pass and one won- ders what all this portends. Everything seems to have a feeling of uneasiness. Even the birds and land animals become restless, the former constantly circling about making distressing cries. Suddenly a puff of wind stirs up the dust or sends ripples across the glassy surface of the sea. The sky now assumes a dark brassy appearance, and the sheet of clouds in- crease their rapid movement. Then the wind arrives with a mighty roar; the vessel shakes, and the rolling sea swells into mighty waves which plunge over one another in their mad race to keep before the irresistible force of the gale. The ship rocks and plunges as its decks are washed repeatedly by the crests of the towering waves. On land, solid buildings rock; the waves crash on the shore, sending their salty spray far inland. And then the rain! It is a devastating, penetrating downpour that defies de- scription. The wind increases in velocity every minute until it reaches its peak at about 150 miles or more an hour. Grad- ually the wind dies down, the rain ceases, and the sky partially clears, but the ba- rometer remains at its low level—a distinct danger signal. This quiet period, how- ever, is the passing of the calm central “eye” of the storm, the vortex about which the hurricane revolves. Again the gale descends without warning, but from the opposite direction. As we watch the ba- rometer this time, we see it begin slowly to rise. The center of the storm has passed 91

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and we are in the rear sector of the cyclone area, The breeding grounds of these devastating tropical cyclones are down in that portion of ‘the Atlantic ocean which lies roughly between South America and Africa, and in the vicinity of, and parallel to, the equator, where there is the ocean belt commonly known as the dol- drums. This is a kind of no man’s land, as it lies between the region of the northern trade winds which constantly blow from the northeast across the Atlantic, and the region of the southern anti-trade winds from the south- west. The region of the doldrums is, therefore, a rather narrow belt of calms, or light variable winds. The air pressure is consistently relatively low, and the moisture content of the air is high. The heat is intense. Vessels have often been becalmed there for weeks at a time. The hurricane is a vast whirl of air rap- idly moving about and toward a calm eye, or central vortex, of from a few to more

MECHANICS than twenty-five miles in diameter. The dangerous diameter of a hurricane varies from about fifty miles to several hundred miles, and the outer extreme diameter of cloudy, windy and rainy weather area may often be as much as 1,500 miles. The direction of the surface winds is always in toward the center, blowing from the extreme outside spirally with increasing velocity as the center is neared. The storm, as a whole, rotates or whirls in a counterclockwise direction. At the same time it moves along, sometimes covering a distance of 400 miles in one day. The velocity of the wind within a hur- ricane becomes greater as the cen- ter is approached. Recorded actual ve- locities have reached about 140 miles an hour, but the instruments have always been blown away before the maximum was reached. But in the center or eye of the hurricane, the winds are nearly calm or shifting, and the sky is quite clear. The eye is often filled with birds of all kinds which are

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The Mechanics of a Hurricane, Bottom, and the Weather Map of the September Storm in Florida; Center, Launching a Weather Kite

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POPULAR MECHANICS Interior View of One of the Weather Bureau’s Kite Stations; This Is the Reel House, with the Motor-Driven Drum of Piano Wire Used at Mt. Weather, Va., to Send Instruments Aloft sucked into it by the terrific spirally whirl- ing winds. Take a day of perfect calm in the dol- drums. The air is sultry. The ocean evaporation is great and the humid air is in a state of vigorous ascension. This condition favors the formation of dense clouds, rains and thunderstorms. But the upward expansion of the moisture-laden air continues to an unusual degree, and its place is taken by descending cooler and heavier air from above. The cooler de- scending air is deflected to a slanting an- gle by the rotation of the earth, and, there- fore, approaches the center of rising air on a spiral. This force, exerted by the spirally descending air in a circle about the area of rising warm air, starts a ro- tation of the air about the center. Thus, the eye, or center, of the storm and future hurricane is created. The tropical hurricane of Sept. 10 to 20, 1928, will go down in meteorological his- tory not only as one of the most violent on record, but as one that was successfully predicted and charted so that sufficient marine and land warnings could be issued to all concerned. Twenty years ago, many vessels would have been lost or damaged, but so efficient were the recent radio warn- ings that not a single ship was in distress or danger on the high seas. The predict ing of this hurricane by the weather bu reau is a thrilling story in itself. Vessel travel to the western doldrums is infrequent, and there are no outposts of civilization except in the scattered lower fringes of the West Indies. But, on this September day, the tenth, a ship was passing through an area of storms and winds. Its navigation officer, knowing he was in the breeding ground of hurricanes, became suspicious and immediately sent a radiogram to the weather bureau, several thousand miles away. Immediately ad- vices were sent out and the weather serv- ices of other American countries called upon for information. The great radio stations broadcast appeals for reports from all ships. Weather observers in the far-off West Indian islands took observations and telegraphed them to Washington. By the following morning the storm was defi- nitely located, its course predicted and warnings broadcast. Great steel cones, a hundred feet high, each shooting a ton or more of gunpow- der and creating gigantic smoke rings ex- tending upward several thousand feet into the air, have been suggested as a control device for combating and dissipating hur- ricanes. Prof, William S. Franklin, of the

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94 POPULAR MECHANICS MOTOR SILENCER FOR AIRPLANE An airplane-motor si- lencer that does not de- tract from the power of the engine but is said to actually increase the speed of the propeller was demonstrated in Germany recently. It utilizes the waste gases from the ex- haust to create a vacuum and so deaden all the noise. When the test was made, the silencer was not at first connected. When the plane had at- tained altitude, the pilot pulled a lever, the silencer was thrown into action, and for a moment the The Weather Bureau Station at Sand Key, Fla., Raised on Piles to Protect It from Occasional Tidal Waves Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has urged that this method of weather control be given a practical trial. Several millions of dollars would be the cost of an adequate test of his method, Professor Franklin esti- “mates, and twenty or thirty of the large explosion cones, distributed thinly over southern Florida and on the Bahama is- lands, would be needed. MAGNIFYING EYE MIRROR AIDS IN REMOVING DIRT Foreign particles are extracted from the eyes with greater ease by using a magni- fying mirror which is attached to the little finger with a clamp. With the glass in this posi- tion and the lids held apart by the thumb and fore- finger, the ob- struction may more easily be lo- cated and taken out with the point of a clean piece of rolled paper or other suitable im- plement. passengers feared that the motor had failed be- cause of the absence of noise. The device does not stop the pro- peller noises and other sounds, but is said to overcome practically all of the motor’s roar. The unit is not expensive. CHECK SPRING ON AUTO HELPS REDUCE BUMPS AND JARS Easily connected to the automobile, a spring control serves as a two- way shock ab- sorber, minimiz- ing the major movements of the springs, but allow- ing free play for the minor actions both on compression and rebound. It is inserted under the main spring, as shown, or attached by a special bracket. Once installed, it requires no attention, is said to make the car easier to steer and, be- sides increasing comfort, promotes safety. @We want all our readers to write us freely and often whenever they wish addi- tional information on articles published in this magazine. Address Bureau of Infor- mation, Popular Mechanics, Chicago. os eS

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POPULAR MECHANICS 95 Up and Over without Hurting the Driver, a Nineteen-Year-Old Girl; Trick Automobile That Turns a Somer- sault on Rocking-Chair Frame to Guard Motor and Driver AUTO THAT TURNS SOMERSAULT DRIVEN BY GIRL While running at about thirty miles an hour, a trick automobile designed for ex- hibition purposes, turns a forward somer- sault, rights itself and proceeds. The driver, a nineteen-year-old girl, is strapped to the seat, and a strong rockerlike frame, in place of the ordinary top, permits the car to roll over. DOWN-DRAFT FURNACE STOPS SMOKE AND SAVES COAL Practically any kind of soft coal, in- cluding slack, can be burned with almost no smoke, no clinkers and but little ash, manufacturers of an improved down-draft furnace now on the market assert. The draft air current enters at a damper in the front of the furnace and passes down through the coal bed. When it reaches the glowing coals, it contains a full supply of oxygen, insuring a higher temperature and a more complete combustion of the gases and particles that otherwise would pass off as smoke. The grate bars are hol- low and are air-cooled, the supply that keeps them at a relatively low tempera- ture in turn being heated and led to the rooms of the house through leader pipes. This air enters from outside the house or from the cellar through a duct that directs a supply of cool air to a manifold in front of the grate bars. The furnace has large coal capacity, is easily fired and occupies less space than the usual unit. HARMONICA PLAYED WITH ROLL REQUIRES NO SKILL Operated with rolls somewhat like those of a player piano, a harmonica now on the market, can be played by anyone. All that is necessary is to blow and turn a crank which winds the roll. Playing the Music-Roll Harmonica Simply Involves Turning a Crank and Blowing

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96 POPULAR MECHANICS other warm, and, in case of digestive disturbances or other troubles that cause them to move too fast, the interior of the hive becomes so warm that the queen starts to laying eggs. SHOCK ABSORBER AND AUTO JACK COMBINED Auto jack and shock absorber are combined in a unit which a former British marine officer has introduced. The jack is essentially a plunger Special Lamp for Skin Treatments; under Expert Direction, It Is Used for Removing Blemishes LIGHT THAT REMOVES THE SKIN LATEST BEAUTY AID One of the most recent units introduced for use in beauty parlors is a special lamp that produces rays which will remove the outer cells of the skin, thus aiding in the treatment of blemishes and other defects. The instrument has been designed for em- ployment only under competent direction. According to experts attending a recent convention, it costs each American woman $55.30 a year to maintain her beauty. BEES KEEP WARM IN WINTER BY CONSTANT EXERCISE Honey bees do not go into a true state of hibernation during the winter but re- main active within the hive, although they do not venture abroad. To keep warm, the colony practices a marvelous system of insulation and exercise. A large num- ber of bees form a more or less spherical cluster, those on the outside having their bodies packed close to each other, parallel and with their heads up. This formation constitutes an insulation shell. Inside, the other bees keep up a constant twisting and squirming motion to create heat. This is so effective that the temperature inside the shell seldom drops below fifty-seven de- grees Fahrenheit. Sometimes the bees wear themselves out and die, keeping each which is unlocked and extended toward the ground so as to raise the car, the action being controlled by a switch on the dash and effected by a compression pump operated by the motor. When the full height has been reached, a red signal warns the operator. To lower the wheel, the pump gear is reversed, sucking the plunger back into position and the bottom cap of the shock-absorber cylinder is again locked. The two front, two rear or all four wheels may be lifted together. Plunger Dropped from Shock Absorber to Show How It Serves as Auto Jack sti lo a th wi th pt lit m

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POPULAR MECHANICS 97 Linking the Sides of an Age-Old Chasm; How the Steel Span across the Grand Canyon Will Appear When Finished; It Will Be 485 Feet above the Level of the River at Center GRAND CANYON AUTO BRIDGE AN ENGINEERING VICTORY Engineers are winning another con- struction triumph in the building of the lofty highway bridge across the Grand Canyon below Lee’s ferry. It is said to be the highest structure of its kind in the world, being 485 feet above the water, and the span is 616 feet in length. The roadway proper is 833 feet long. The bridge will link Prescott, Ariz., more directly with many scenic places in Utah, including Bryce canyon and Zion canyon. ELECTRIC AIR CABINET KEEPS ROOMS HEALTHFUL Dry, stagnant air in rooms is one of the chief causes of discomfort and disease, and to correct these faults, an electric circu- lating cabinet has been introduced. It does not draw air from the outside but simply keeps the air in the room moving, at the same time cleansing and moisten- ing it as it passes over fins which are kept damp from a water supply in the cabinet. The speed of the fan which causes the cir- culation can be regulated, but little cur- rent is consumed, and the entire cabinet is portable. A similar unit is designed for installation with a hot-air furnace to im- prove its heating action. An added ad- vantage of the cabinet is that it helps to keep rooms cool in summer as well as warm in winter. The cabinets are made in various sizes for large offices and for smaller rooms. COLOR-GLAZED BUILDING TILE EASILY KEPT CLEAN In line with the modern trend toward color, building tile for exteriors with a glazed surface in attractive hues have been introduced. The glazing is applied by a special proc- ess and gives a fin- ish that is easily kept clean by washing, does not crack or chip and will not fade. The base of the glazing is cement, and aggregates of different kinds are employed for variety. The materials are applied under high air pressure.

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98 POPULAR MECHANICS ALCOHOL FROM GAS TO AID INDUSTRY Methanol, commonly known as wood alcohol, and a number of other products are obtained from natural gas in proc- esses that have been un- der experiment at the University of Illinois. The method is not a costly or elaborate one and may revive the wood- alcohol industry in this country. It was a thriv- ing business here before the Germans found a cheaper way than we knew, by extracting it from coal. Formaldehyde and formic acid also have Daylight Movies in the Street of a German Village; the Auto Truck Is a Traveling Theater with Four Screens AUTO TRUCK AS MOVIE THEATER SERVES COUNTRY TOWNS Residents of small German villages, where there are no theaters, may still en- . joy the movies, as a truck, equipped to display films on the sides, visits the rural districts with the latest pictures. The films are shown on windowlike screens, two on each side of the truck, which makes it necessary for the outfit to carry four sets of films of each movie shown. The pro- jectors are carried imside the vehicle, the pictures being thrown on the back side of the screens which are of transparent ma- terial. VEGETABLE PEELER ON KNIFE HELPS REDUCE WASTE s Quickly attached to the blade of an ordinary paring knife a special scraping unit fits the tool for peeling vegetables with a minimum of waste. Faster work with less trouble can be done with it. been obtained from the natural gas. The vapor is passed through a glass tube, heated to a temperature of nearly 700 degrees Centi- grade, but without the need of high pres- sure. A special combining agent, or cat- alyst, is the basis of the process. CARDBOARD JACKET FOR EGGS PREVENTS BREAKAGE Individual con- tainers of elastic cardboard have been introduced to keep eggs unbro- ken in shipment. They are easily slipped on and also keep the eggs safe while they are being handled. SECRETS OF POMPEII REVEALED IN ANCIENT WRITINGS Secrets of Pompeii, buried with the ruins of the city when Vesuvius smothered it some nineteen centuries ago, may be re- vealed if scholars succeed in deciphering a number of scarred and scorched records on papyrus. Characters can be seen plainly upon the documents, and attempts are being made to restore them.

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a A we SU eer or ae ' POPULAR MECHANICS 99 REPELLING AN ATTACK ON LONDON IN MIMIC WAR Flares, Signaling the Approach of Hostile Aircraft, Furnish Light for the Defenders to Take Off at Henley, England, to Guard the British Capital; Three Hundred Planes Par- ticipated in the Sham Battle, and Only Two Raids Got Through The Ears of the Ground Force; These Delicate Listening Devices Accurately Locate the Approaching Enemy by Fixing the Direction from Which the Motor Roar Comes A Pilot Ready to Take Off for the Upper Air, Equipped with Mask and Two Oxygen Cylinders, and, Right, an Anti-Aircraft Bat- tery’s Position Plotters About to Locate the Hostile Squadrons in the Sky Courtesy The Sphere

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POPULAR MECHANICS Courtesy An Artist Flying with One of the Bombing Squadrons Made This Picture of an Air Raid on London at Night, Showing the Machine Gunners of His Craft Repelling Defending Pursuit Planes

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POPULAR MECHANICS The Graphic The Mimic Battle Differed from War-Time Air Raids, For London Was a Blaze of Lights Below, Whereas during the War Every Light Was Extinguished at the Approach of German Planes

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2 POPULAR MECHANICS RELEASED ’ PARACHUTES cae ‘ t Old Copyright, The Tilustrated London News Huge Parachutes May Land Armored Cabins Filled with Troops behind the Enemy Lines in Future Wars; Such a Cabin-Carrying Chute Already Has Been Invented in England Be

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POPULAR AUTO IS STORED UNDERGROUND TO SAVE COST Instead of constructing a building in which to keep his car, a London man dug a pit and installed an elevator by which the auto can be lowered into the excava- tion at the touch of a switch and raised in the same manner. The pit is lined with concrete, a canopy covers it when the ele- vator is lowered, and switches are installed in the house so that the lift may be con- trolled from the inside. HAND HOIST FOR POWER BOATS HELPS PRESERVE CRAFT Boats ranging in weight from the light- est up to four-ton craft are raised from the water with a convenient hoist arrange- ment operated by hand. The rig has lifts of eight, ten or fifteen feet, and its load capacity may be changed by a simple alter- ation of the winding drum. It lowers the boat at any speed desired. A similar in- stallation is operated by an electric motor. Either type is easily set up, and the hoists are intended to simplify greatly the task of storing boats for the fall or winter, or taking them from the water for short periods during the sailing season, Boat Elevated for Storing, Hoist; This One Is Operated by a Hand Crank and Close View of the MECHANICS 103 Removing Ring from Clothing after Cleaning; Sprayer Also Distributes Compressed Air for Rapid Drying AUTOMATIC CLOTHING SPRAYER ALSO DRIES SPOTS When spots are removed from clothing, a diluted chemical is often applied to re- move the ring-shaped mark that some- times is formed by the action of the clean- ing compound. An automatic electric sprayer has been introduced for this task. It is operated from a lighting socket and has a two-valve spray gun, one for apply- ing the ring-removing liquid and the other for a blast of compressed air which quickly dries the spot. SEEK HARMLESS LIGHTING GAS TO PREVENT DEATHS ‘Tiluminating gas which can be breathed in quantities without danger or discom- fort may be produced in the near future, chemists predict. It may be derived from water gas, and by-products from its man- ufacture would be oxygen and solid car- bon dioxide, or “dry ice.” This latter sub- stance now sells for five to ten cents a pound, but as a by-product it would be- come much cheaper, thus opening wider fields for its use, particularly as a substi- tute for ice in refrigerators.

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SS Es a a . ae: een = Fk —e er queeeee eA er + aee soe ~~~ 5-5 nn om enti ad ae 104 POPULAR “WHIP” FOR WASHING MACHINES SAVES TIME AND SOAP “Whip” Attachment for Washing Machine, Which Is Said to Cleanse Clothes Quicker and Better Attached without bolts or rivets to the “propeller” of the washing machine, a “whip” unit, by increasing the cleansing action of the machine, is said to increase its efficiency by fifty per cent with a great saving of time and an economy of soap. The device fits any washer that has an up- right “propeller,” is easily put in or re- moved, and is said to reduce the washing time for the average tubful to as little as three minutes. SKID BRAKES FOR AUTO BUS HELP PREVENT ACCIDENTS Adapted especially to heavy motor vehi- cles, a braking unit developed by an Aus- tralian inventor consists of a pair of skids, that can be dropped down in front of the rear wheels by manipu- lating a lever. They offer instant and powerful re- straint to stop the wheels from sideslipping, as they are pressed firmly onto the roadway, and are MECHANICS of special advantage when the vehicle can- not be managed with the usual controls. In tests, the vehicle was pulled up in a few yards. MOVIE CAMERA UNDER SEA RECORDS TIDE ACTION Doing the work of seven men, an auto- matic motion-picture camera, submerged in the sea, was employed by the coast sur- vey in making tidal studies in Chesapeake bay. It contains a compass and revolu- tion dial, of which pictures are made each half hour, and it works continuously with- out attention for a week. By careful anal- ysis of the photographs, observers are able to tell the velocity of the currents be- neath the surface and their direction. The camera was designed to take the place of a regular tide-measuring unit consisting of one officer and six men. The tide studies are of special value to engineers in plan- ning sewage-disposal systems for cities along the coast, and to fishermen, ELECTRIC POPPER SALTS CORN AND BUTTERS IT Salt and butter may be poured in with the corn in- an electric popper that has a tilting holder to dump the contents out after it is popped. The popper oper- ates from a light- ing socket. EXTRACT PLATINUM FROM ORE BY NEW PROCESS Metal experts in South Africa have an- nounced the development of a process for the extraction of platinum from certain kinds of sulphide ores. The experiments show that about seventy-five per cent of the platinum content of the original ore is saved, and the process is applicable to commercial production at a reasonable cost, the engineers declare. Any gold con- tained in the residue after the platinum and related metals have been recovered, can be extracted by ordinary methods.

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POPULAR MECHANICS 105 Walking through the Maze, on the Island of Gotland; the Object Is to Progress from Start to Finish in the Least Possible Time and without Retracing Steps GAME OF WALKING ABOUT MAZE OUTDOOR SPORT IN SWEDEN Among the numerous interesting and unusual pastimes in Sweden is the outdoor sport of walking through a maze, an elab- orate pathway of winding curves and “blind” passages laid out on an open space of ground. An objective is to pass through without retracing one’s steps and in the least possible time. PRINT TOWN NAMES ON ROOFS TO GUIDE AVIATORS foundation in this direction and suggests that they take the matter up with local organizations, such as chambers of com- merce and boards of trade, “MOSQUITO” FIREBOATS RUN BY OUTBOARD MOTORS One of the most effective units of the Boston fire department is an outboard- motor boat equipped with a powerful small pump for extinguishifg fires along the docks. It is speedy and easily guided among crowded craft, and pumps water directly from the harbor. Towns of 1,000 to 50,000 inhabitants will be plainly identified for the benefit of aviators, if the plans of postal officials and the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the promotion of aeronautics are carried out. It is proposed to have the name of the town or city printed on the roofs of one or more buildings where it will be visible from the air. Post- master-General Harry S. New has directed all postmasters to co-operate with the Guggenheim Tiny Fireboat with Outboard Motor, Used in Boston Harbor; the Pump Is Seen toward the Rear

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Traffic Policemen Are Sheltered from Rain and Sun While on Duty at Center Square, Lancaster, Pa.; Sign Board Is Turned by Inside Control and Di- rection Arrows on House Inform Motor- ists How to Reach Other Cities; at Right, Mounted Traffic Po- liceman in France; Except for His War- Style Helmet, He Looks Much Like Our Traffic Officers At Singapore, a Traffic Policeman Carries the Semaphore on His Back, Serving as a Sign Post 106 Husky Sikhs Are among the Dignified Regulators of Traffic of the Motley City of Shanghai; This One Is on Duty in the British Sec- tion of the City Photos by Ewing

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EVERY WHERE! Shanghai Again, but Here We See a Chinese Policeman in the French Concession; There Are Many Different Nation- Policeman in Essen Es- corting Small Boys across Intersection, and, Below, Another Stately Sikh on Duty in Hong- kong, China alities of Law-Enforcing Officers in This City, Which Also Has Courts of Law for Different Countries; Englishmen Are Tried by English Judges, and So On London Is Famous for Its Efficient Policemen; Here a Sergeant of the Bobbies Is Stop- ping a Horse- Far-Off Zanzibar Well-Trained Police Organ- ization Whose Members Al- ways Dress for Comfort Has a Drawn Truck Galloway

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108 POPULAR MECHANICS STREET CAR HAS AUTO SPRINGS AND AUTO WHEELS = ‘A street car mounted on sixty-inch automo- bile-type semielliptic springs, with each of its four wheels carried on a separate steering knuckle, also of auto. type, instead of the a single shaft. Auto- motive-type air brakes, such as are used on large motor busses, are fitted with expanding brake surfaces instead of the conventional brake shoes on ordinary street usual car trucks with Plan of the Car Chassis, Exterior, and a cars. An independent solid axles, has been developed by a motor-coach manufacturer. A forty-four-passenger car weighs but 17,000 pounds, and a fifty-two passenger car 18,000 pounds, whereas the average type street car weighs around 35,000 pounds. Because of the unusual construc- tion, the floor is only twenty-two inches above the rail, while the street-car average is twenty-nine inches to the platform and another eight inches to the body floor. Either two or four motors are used in the new car. If two, they are of fifty horse- power each, with driveshafts leading from both ends to the wheels, which are driven through worm gearing. With four motors, each is of twenty-five horsepower, driving Close View of the Springs set of hand-operated emergency brakes work on the propeller shafts. The wheels can be removed indi- vidually to turn up the treads and flanges, and pneumatic-tired wheels may be sub- stituted, to be used when the cars are op- erated as trackless trolleys, a double trol- ley wire furnishing the return circuit. LIFE DORMANT MANY AGES MADE TO GROW AGAIN Tiny life cells, which have lain dormant for possibly 200,000,000 years, have been revived by Dr. C. B. Lipman of the Uni- versity of California. Some even repro- duced their kind under culture and at — *& 4 oo = & we

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POPULAR least one is totally unlike anything known today, the scientist reports. The experiments are consid- ered of unusual interest because they may lead to new knowledge of the earliest forms of life. EARTH IS ROTATING FASTER SCIENCE DECLARES On the basis of more than 300 observations of the moon and stars from all parts of the world, Prof. Ernest W. Brown, of Yale, declares that the earth is rotating faster than its regular speed of one revolution in twenty- four hours. The cause is believed to be the con- tracting of the crust and the phenomenon is con- sidered more interesting in its possible application to the study of earthquakes, The change has no appreci- able effect on the length of the day. AIR-DRIVEN TOOL SMOOTHES CONCRETE FOR PAINTING To remove form marks and prepare concrete surfaces for paint, a light- weight fast-cut- ting smoother. is easily handled on scaffolds or on the ground. The operator’s hands are close to the work, and the surfacer is designed espe- cially for reaching corners and other places difficult of access. BEAR IS RADIO ANNOUNCER When the hunting season opens in prov- inces around Hudson bay, word is broad- cast by radio from station CNRA, and one of the announcers is a bear cub, induced to growl before the microphone. MECHANICS 109 Card Table with Tilting Top Which, When Raised, Forms a Screen for the howing of Amateur Movies TABLE TOP AS MOVIE SCREEN FORMS HOME THEATER To exhibit motion pictures, the top of a card table, now on the market, tips up to fosm a screen. It has a special surface which assures effective showing of the films. The screen is eighteen by twenty- four inches in dimensions. TURTLE TELLS TIME OF DAY ON MAGNETIC CLOCK Resembling a sundial, a magnetic clock fashioned in Switzerland, has a turtle in- stead of hands to tell the time. It fleats on water on the face of the dial and is moved to the proper posi- tions by the effect of magnets on a small piece of steel in the turtle’s head. The clock is an eight-day instru- ment, rests on a marble base and forms an attractive table ornament,

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For Broiling Steaks on Top of the Burner, the Holder Below with Convenient Lid Saves Heat, Prevents Smoke and Has a Pan under Rack to Catch Drippings; the Pan Slides into a Holder for Easy Removal and Adjustment, While Meat Is Kept Warm with- out Being Directly over the Blaze 110 As Part of Your Kitchen Sink, the Electric Clothes Washer at the Left Saves Steps and Time; the Top Fits Down as a Drainboard. Above, a Hooked Handle for Using Scouring Steel Wool Spares the Hands and Does a Better Job Used like a Waffle Iron, This Dough- nut Cooker Fries Three at a Time and Is Said to Make Them More Di- gestible as They Are Not Prepared in Grease; the Top Swings Back on Hinges, While Two Long Handles Simplify the Operation on Top of the Stove and Protect the Hands

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It’s Easy to Pick Up a Pin from This Convenient Con- tainer, Which Releases One at a Time, Head First, and Holds 300 in One Filling ay 4 Rack Holds Many Different Articles, Large or Small, and When No Longer Needed, It Can Be Folded Up in Small Space; It Is Also Use- ful for Holding Gar- Peeling All Sorts of Veg- ments after Escuing etables Is Simplified with This Curved Blade Which Fits the Surface and Re- duces Waste Duster of Silk Fabric Fits on the Hand or on Long Wire Handle for Cleaning Walls; It Will Not Scratch Surfaces and Rubber Feet on This Small Iron- Can Be Laundered without In- ing Board Protect Surfaces; the * jury to the Fabric Unit Is Designed Especially for ( the Use of Tourists 111

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112 POPULAR ROMNING. Foner n FORBJUDES ANarorPeyet x WIN 2 OF Yess KADIT! PRE at fe Were NO. ‘SMOKING DEFENSE de FUMER Ub Omer No-Smoking Sign Printed in Twenty-Two Different Languages at a Western Lumber Plant NO-SMOKING SIGN IS PRINTED IN TWENTY LANGUAGES Proof as to the cosmopolitan character of visitors at a western lumber plant is seen in the fact that it has been necessary to print a no-smoking sign in twenty-two different languages. The poster is placed at a conspicuous point at the docks where it can be plainly seen by persons getting off steamers for a trip through the plant. NON-STOP TRACTOR RUN LASTS SEVENTEEN DAYS Seventeen days and nights of continuous operation was the record recently made by a tractor at the University of Califor- nia’s farm. The only mechanical diffi- culty experienced during the course of the trial was the loosening of a valve push rod. This was adjusted without stopping. Immediately after the close of the run, the machine was put on maximum power and developed twenty-one horsepower with a maximum pull of 3,000 pounds. In its 408 hours of operation, the tractor ran 1,330 miles and disked 1,280 acres. It con- sumed over 1,151 gallons of gasoline and 117 quarts of oil. MECHANICS COIN NEW WORD TO DESCRIBE IMPROVED METAL ALLOY New words are coined almost every day as scientists make further discoveries, and one of the latest is “perminvar,” to de- scribe a magnetic alloy developed to im- prove the telephone. The term is intended to suggest “permanent” and “invariable,” characteristics of the material, which is a combination of iron, cobalt and nickel. It is expected to add to the carrying power of the voice over the telephone. TWIST-HANDLE BARREL TRUCK HELPS PREVENT ACCIDENTS Handling heavy drums and barrels is sometimes a difficult and dangerous task, but the work is said to be easy with an all- metal truck that has several unusual fea- tures. The handles are made to turn in _ and, as they do so, two toes at the base of the truck’s frame turn outward to al- low the load to be more easily picked up. The toes move in again under the barrel or drum as the truck is tilted down. An- other feature is the hook that slips over the rim of the drum so that the load may more easily be lifted back with the truck. Casks of any size, and weighing up to 1,200 pounds, may be handled without dif- ficulty by one man | with the truck. Views of the Drum-Handling Truck, to Show How Twisting Handles and Hook Simplify Operation S! vie\ pe ate¢ hig sev big des bet! the thir the cel pro stat spe que To spo and top tur the ing two Th. top nin der gle reg no} thr adc Sev sin the tur

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EASY By SAM BROWN INCE long before Adam, dice have been viewed with disgust by people who associ- ated them with nothing higher than “come you seven.” But, and it’s a big but, the ivory cubes deserve something a little better than relegation to the limbo of forbidden things; they can be made the basis for several ex- cellent effects in im- promptu magic. For in-_ stance: The performer turns his back while a spectator rolls the dice. The latter is re- quested to add the top pips of the two dice. To this total, she is then asked to add the spots on the underside of one of the dice, and to roll that dice again, adding the new top to her previous total. And now for the magic: The performer turns around, and after a quick glance at the dice, tells the spectator her final total. And how did he do it? Simply by add- ing the proverbial seven to the total of the two dice as they were left by the spectator. That’s all! To show you: Three and six were the tops of the dice on the first throw. Total, nine. The six was picked up and its un- derside, one, added. Total, ten. The sin- gle picked-up die was rolled again and registered a two-spot. Total, twelve. And now, the performer turns around. He sees the two-spot, last thrown, and the three, which has not been touched. He adds them together—five—and then adds seven to that—well, that’s all there is to it! The next number requires a derby, a single die and a tumbler. Arrange them as shown. The trick is to knock away the derby so that the die falls into the tumbler. The how is illustrated. The % TRICKS hat must be struck a sharp blow with the forefinger in order to pocket the ivory. The fact that the opposite sides of a die total seven in every case is the basis of all mind-reading tricks with dice. In its simplest form, the dice are rolled on a piece of glass, as shown, and the performer, looking down from the top, tells the spec- tator the total on the bottom of the dice. All the performer needs to do is to sub- tract the top total from fourteen, and then dramatically announce the bottom total to the spectators, who, of course, must be only slightly acquainted with the mathe- matics of the ivory cubes. Dice are very magnetic. Fact! In one of the pictures you see the bottom die clinging mysteriously to the upper one, while the performer raises them to a height of six or seven inches. Of course, no one is supposed to know that the ma- gician previously moistens the underside of the top die, for it is in this manner that he gains the necessary magnetism so es- sential to the trick. How’s this? The performer holds a die between his right forefinger and thumb, as shown. He requests a spectator to note the number on top. The performer turns the die over. He requests the spec- 113

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114 POPULAR MECHANICS tator to note that Doggondest thing I ever ” The sim- gi number, also. The per-_ ple secret of this trick lies in a subtle in former now turns the bit of manipulation. Do it like this: Show se die over so that the the top side to a spectator. Now, you ap- in original side is upper- parently turn the die over; really you turn th most, and, “Amos, it a little more than that, for, as you turn ag what do you think, the your hand to show the opposite side, you in number I saw there’ give the die an extra quarter twist between di first was gone, and an- your fingers, as shown, so that what you y( other number was_ exhibit as the opposite side is not the op- in there in place of it! posite side at all, but one square past it. ca And so, the trick is fin- tu ished. Naturally enough, the return journey is a quite legitimate as the O1 opposite side is not the th first side shown, Try it; to it’s really very deceptive. th Can you do this one? di Hold two dice and a tum- TI bler in your hand, as il- to lustrated. Now, can you “y ; pocket the dice in the th glass, using one hand ha only? Why, sure! Plink! In in th Sp th an pre sh; to the spt An Easy Mind-Reading Trick, Top and on Op- posite Page, in Which the Performer Gives the Total Figure Arrived At behind His Back; the Old Lucky Number, Seven, Does the Trick; Try Balancing a Single Die on a Derby, Which in Turn Is Balanced on a Tumbler; Now, Can You Knock the Hat Away and Have the Die Fall into the Glass? A Quick, Sharp Blow Does the Trick

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POPULAR MECHANICS 115 goes the first one after a little upward toss “And what was the number I previously in the air. But when you try to toss the told you to think of very hard ?” second one into the air, and then catch it “Why twent...well, do it again!” in the glass, you invariably throw the first one out again. Darn! By releas- ing the die, however, and dropping the hand quickly, you can easily beat the die in its downward flight and catch it squarely in the tumbler. The next effect demands a pill box similar to the one illustrated. Notice that both the top and bot- tom come off as lids. Into this pill box go the two dice. The box is closed. The performer then turns to a spectator, and says, “Will you please think of the number twenty very hard.” The two dice are shaken in the pill box, after which the lid is removed and the spectator is asked to total the tops of the two dice. The dice are shaken again and the tops added to the previous total. And a third shake, with the total added to the others. After that, the performer asks the spectator what his total is. “Twenty.” “Twenty ?” “Yeah!” C) ea It’s Very Simple to Tell the Total of the Spots on the Bottom by Subtracting the Total of the Spots Show- ing from Fourteen, For Opposite Numbers of a Die Total Seven

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116 POPULAR MECHANICS And the performer does it again and again, always divining the final total before the dice have been rolled. It’s all in the pill box—the secret, 1 mean. You already know that either side can be made the top. The second essential is that the box is high enough to allow the dice to rattle good, but not so high as to let them turn over. Is it still something of a mystery? Well, listen! In the first place, the performer casually looks at the two dice as they rest in the box. We'll say they total eight. Then, going back to our previous mind-reading stunts, you know that the bottoms of the dice total six (eight from fourteen). You add this six to fourteen, and ask the spec- tator to think hard of the number twenty. To get the number twenty, you shake the dice and turn the box over, showing the total six. Then you disarrange the dice and box them up again. The second and third shakes show either side of the dice in succession, a total of fourteen, and this added to the previous six will give the spectator his twenty, the number he was previously told to think of! There are a number of mathematical curiosities which can be demonstrated with dice. One is to invite a friend to roll three dice on the table, and, after a bit of figuring, you can tell, without look-

A Bit of Deception in Which the Die Is Turned in the Fingers, and, Be- low, the Trick of Catch- ing Two Dice in_ the Tumbler, Using Only One Hand

in hi di sl hi to su be pt by p< ha th su ea sh co th th de th fo

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POPULAR MECHANICS 117 ing at them, what each shows. The formula is to have the person rolling the dice double the number shown by the one nearest his left hand, and add five to the total; multiply that sum by five; add the num- ber of the middle die to the product; multiply again by ten, and then add the points shown on the right- hand die. He gives you the total, and from it you subtract 250. The answer will have three digits, and each represents the points shown on the die in the corresponding position on the table. For an example, suppose the three dice show, in or- der from left to right, four, three and seven. Doubling four is eight, adding five THE DICE IN THE Box RATTLE NOISILY BUT CANNOT TURN OVER makes thirteen, and multi- plying that sum by five gives sixty-five. To this you add the center die—three, mak- ing sixty-eight, and multiply by ten, which gives 680. Add the third die, seven, giving a total of 687. The person rolling the dice announces that sum, and from it you BOTH TOP AND BOTTOM OF BOX COME OFF AS LIDS

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118 POPULAR subtract 250, leaving 437 as the answer, or four, three and seven as the dice, in order from left to right. An old game which can be played with seven dice was invented by Knowlton, of Buffalo, in 1883. It is called the game of seven and eight. You first draw an eight- pointed star, number the points from one to eight, and connect them with straight lines, as from point one to six, six to three, three to eight, eight to five, five to two, two to seven, seven to four, and four back to one. The object of the game is to start from an unoccupied point, follow one of the straight lines, and place a die on the point MECHANICS at the other end of the line, until seven of the eight points are covered. For ex- ample: Starting from one, you can follow a line either to four or six, or from point eight you can go either to three or six. The trick is that, after the first die is placed, the previous point of departure is always the next destination. If you start first from point one and move your die to point six, then the next point to be cov- ered is the one from which you first started, that is point one. So the second move starts from four, which is the only open point from which you can reach one, and the third move must start from seven, as four is to be the destination. The fourth move will start from two to cover seven; the fifth from five to cover two; the sixth from eight to cover five; and the seventh from three to cover eight. This covers all points but three, the point from which the last move started. Here and on the Opposite Page Are the Details of the Pill-Box Trick, An- other Simple Bit of Arithmetic That Depends for Its Success on the Fact That the Spots on the Opposite Sides of a Die Total Seven; the Box Allows the Dice to Rattle Convinc- ingly, but Not to Turn Over; the Final Number after Three Shakes Will Be the Total of the Number First Shown, Plus Fourteen—the To- tal of Spots When the Opposite Sides Are Exhibited in the Last Two Shakes—a Deception Made Possible Because the Box Has Two Lids De: Vie Du ste poi the to anc em sea the pro are the WI

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POPULAR MECHANICS 119 Destructive Oil-Well Fire at Its Height, and View of the Barricade and Tunnel Being Dug in Effort to Plug the Well and Thus to Halt the Blaze TUNNEL DIGGERS FIGHT FIRE IN OIL WELL Fighting fire with a tunnel was the method adopted in trying to put out an oil-well blaze that con- sumed 10,000 barrels of oil and 40,000,000 cubic feet of gas daily. Workmen, entrenched behind a steel barricade, dug a passage, 240 feet long, to the well casing at a point more than sixty feet below the surface. There they attempted to tap the pipe and pour in steam and mud to stop the fire. Another way employed to extinguish such blazes is to seal the well under ground after digging the tunnel to a place below the surface. CANNED POTATOES Potatoes are canned like fruit under a process developed by a western man. They are first peeled and quartered, packed in the cans dry and then steam-cooked. When the tins are opened, the potatoes are ready for serving in the same way as cold ones prepared in the usual manner. The originator of the process believes that it will aid farmers in obtaining more stable prices for their produce and will save the housewife time, as the potatoes already are peeled. A further advantage is that it will be unnecessary to take up space in small apartments with bulky bags of potatoes. @The oldest known pigeon of record was nineteen years old.

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120 POPULAR Attaching Wind “Sock” to Tall Tree Stump, to Help Guide Forest-Patrol Airmen WIND “SOCK” ON TALL TREE AIDS FOREST-FIRE FIGHTERS To enable flyers patrolling a forest to see clearly from what direction the wind is blowing, a “sock” similar to that used at landing fields is sometimes tied to the top of a tall tree in the Oregon preserves. If a fire is burning, the aviators can give the fighters better directions as to the course the blaze is likely to take and point out places where they may advantageously at- tack and restrict the fire. EASY TEST FOR ANTIQUE RUGS REVEALS VALUE Visitors to the Orient often purchase rugs in the belief that the articles are an- tiques, when, as a matter of fact, they are of recent manufacture and worth but a fraction of what was paid for them. A genuine antique oriental rug is at least MECHANICS sixty vears old, dating back to a time be- fore the introduction of aniline dyes. To test a rug, one of the most reliable trials is to attempt to straighten a woof thread by soaking it in water. It will take about four times as many hours as the rug is years old. Another effective test is to wet a part of the rug with saliva and rub it. If the rug has been treated with chemicals, it will have a pungent, unpleasant odor. Soap and water will also show up rugs that have been faked with aniline dyes by causing the colors to run. This the gen- uine vegetable dyes will not do, although they are not strictly fast. In faking old rugs, the makers tone down the colors of new fabrics with oxalic acid, chloride of lime or lemon juice. Coffee grounds also give the appearance of age, while the sheen of spurious rugs is sometimes obtained by running them through hot rollers after the application of glycerine or paraffin. Others are buried in the ground for several weeks to assist in the fading process, and spots where acid has acted too vigorously are removed by “rug doctors” who apply water colors to give a uniform effect. MASONRY-ARCH BARN ROOF TO RESIST FIRES Constructed entirely of masonry, a barn roof developed by engineers under the di- rection of Dr. J..B. Davidson, at the Iowa State college, is proof against fires and is built to last a long time without repairs. Concrete ribs every six and one-half feet along the roof provide reinforcing. Barn with Roof of Arched Masonry, Designed to Resist Fires and to Save Repair Expense @ Diamonds are the purest form of crys- tallized carbon. tio iia i ee) ee ee a fe

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POPULAR MECHANICS 121 MILE-HIGH AERIAL FERRY GIVES TRAVEL THRILLS Passengers ride to the top of a mountain in cars somewhat like those of a department store cash-delivery system on an aerial ferry line at Cha- monix, France. The line starts at an ele- vation ot nearly a mile and ends at an altitude of 8,000 feet. The journey takes only a few minutes. The ca- bles, supported by giant concrete pil- lars, can hold a weight of 270 tons. The cars travel at the rate of ten miles an hour and each carries thirty passengers. Wide vistas of mountain scenery, including a clear view of Mt. Blanc, are enjoyed from the line. COTTON PRESS MADE OF WOOD IS NINETY YEARS OLD An interesting reminder of the days be- fore modern machinery was introduced into the cotton industry is preserved in a View at Landing Station; One of the Huge Concrete Cable Supports and a Car in Ascent North Carolina city in an old wooden press made nearly ninety years ago. It was operated by mules hitched to long “sweeps” of pine; the screw and nut are black gum, the screw having been made in halves and then bolted together. All of the nails are hand-made, except those for the shingles over the press. Although the outfit is nearly 100 years old, it is still in excellent condition.

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A New Speaker of the Tension-Diaphragm Type Is Housed in an Attractive Cabinet, the Top of Which Provides a Handy Book Rack Right, New- Type Relay for Full-Rate Chargers Turns On the Charger and ‘Cuts It Off When 6-Volt Batt Is Fully Charged; Left,Compact Unit Supplies A-Power from 32-Volt Farm- Lighting Plant Left, a Small and Sturdy Equalizing Condenser, the Fixed Plate of Which Is of Brass; It Em- ploys Mica as the Di- electric and Spring Phosphorbronze for the Movable Plate The Power-Amplifier Unit Shown at Left Is Designed for a CX-350 Tube and Uses Two CX-381 Half-Wave Rectifiers as Well as a CX-374 Voltage-Regulator Tube; It Will Supply Filament Current and Plate Voltages . for the Rectifier and Power Tubes, and Plate and Grid-Bias Voltages for the Receiver

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i Right, New Device Indicates the Ex- act A. C. Line Voltage When Set Is in Operation; Excessive Voltage May Be Reduced with the Knob Left, an Advanced Type of Superheterodyne Re- ceiver Consists of Three Laboratory-Tested Units That May Be Assembled in Less Than One {'our; All Connections Are Made with Twelve Metal Strips and Ten Wires as Shown in the Lower Photo A Loud-Speaker Unit of the Mag- netic Type, Which Is Claimed to Reproduce Clearly the Harmonics and Overtones Necessary to Good Reproduction; the Coils Are of the Non-Resonant Type and the Unit Is Designed to Handle a Large Sound- Volume Output without the Annoy- ance of Blasting or Chattering Above, This Specially Designed R. F. Transformer for Screen-Grid Tubes Provides the Necessary High-Impedance Primary and Low- Resistance Secondary; the Coils Are Space-Wound and Provided with a Convenient Terminal Strip and Mounting Bracket > Right, a New Tube Checker for A. C. Tubes, Which Provides Sockets for Both Four and Five- Prong Tubes; the Readings Are Taken as Shown in the Sketch Below and Compared with Chart Supplied with the Outfit

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SO Ae AR ae ES ALO RR 50RD oe — Ai RAO 8 EGARDLESS of the method by which television signals will ultimately be transmitted to radio fans and experi- menters, there is one useful unit which they may well prepare in advance. This is a combination power amplifier and B- supply which can be used with any type of receiver for the amplification of tele- vision signals as well as for the efficient operation of dynamic speakers. The unit will furnish sufficient plate voltage for B- supply in receivers of the heaviest drain, and the values are arranged to meet a wide variety of needs for both television and sound reception. The construction of this combination unit is very simple. The a.f. amplifier unit selected is one of the resistance-coupled factory-assembled types especially de- signed for television reception. It takes the place of all audio apparatus after the detector, being complete with all resistors and coupling condensers. This unit is shown in the photo on the opposite page as well as in the full-page wiring diagram. The brilliance of the neon tube is con- tingent upon the current output of the last amplifier tube or tubes and this unit makes possible the use of two power tubes in 124 dination parallel. The unit is so © wired that any type of = power tubes may beused; therefore, in this combi- nation amplifier and power-supply unit, two of the 310-type tubes are employed in parallel and the B-supply is designed amply to provide for the heavy resulting drain. These tubes in parallel re- duce the effective plate impedance and increase the plate current that supplies the a.c. impulses 2 to the neon tube. The filament supply (7% volts) for the tubes is provided in the power unit, the connection being made with the twisted leads shown in the wiring diagram. The filament supply for the two MU-20 tubes in the first and second stages is separate from that in the power stage, and this voltage is supplied by a 6-volt storage battery. The factory-made audio-ampli- fier unit is provided with C-battery con- nections on all stages; these posts are connected with short metal jumper strips, which are removed when the unit is wired, as shown in the diagram. The negative C-post is the one at the end of the grid resistors; note that the negative C-posts for the first and second stages are con- nected with a wire, and a flexible lead is then run to the 1%4-volt negative post on C-battery No. 1. The positive C-post next to the socket of the first tube is not used, the positive lead from the No. 1 C- battery being connected to the post closest to the second tube, which makes the con- nection to the negative A-line in the unit. The positive C-post next to the first 310 power tube is not used for C-battery No. 2, as this connection is made directly to the B-negative post at the front of the control panel of the power-supply unit. The 45-volt negative C-battery No. 2 lead

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by, Frank is taken under the base- board, as shown, and con- nected to the post at the end of the grid resistor for the power tubes. It is well to note here that the -s output is taken to a speaker-coupling trans- former of special design which may be left in the circuit for the neon tube This transformer protects the speaker from the high d.c. voltage employed and happens to be of a design that can be used between the speaker and the amplifier with any type of dynamic unit. If there is a similar transformer already combined with the dynamic speaker, this output trans- former will not interfere with reproduc- tion, and its presence serves to safeguard any type of speaker that rectly to the amplifier input, as desired. Those who wish to build up their own audio amplifier with separate units, may do so by following the complete schematic diagram shown on page 128. The wiring in the commercial unit is omitted in the full-page diagram in order to avoid con- : UNIVERSAL ;CHOKE COIL mngnt be emptoyed. po 4000-OHM 500 v. DC CONDENSER The post marked P at peg | VAR. RESIST. s A” BLOCK ‘ 6 ' the input of the amplifier oureur | | -thw.c ' ' POWER unit is to be connected TRANS. 4} 1 j to the plate post on the socket of the detector tube, and post B to any value between 45 and 90 volts, the best voltage be- ing found by trial. These connections may be run to an open-circuit jack mounted on the front panel of the receiver, if there is no detector-stage jack in the set, or the leads may be taken di- €xX-310 TUBES a OUTPUT A.F. AMP. UNIT TRANS. ' 6-VOLT STORAGE BATTERY

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POPULAR MECHANICS 127 fusion, although the terminals are clearly marked for each external connection. The amplifier and power-supply units are all mounted on a wooden baseboard which is supported at each end by strips of the same material. The length and width of the base allow its use in the tele- vision-receiver cabinet described in the December, 1928, issue, but, when so used, it is necessary to shield the amplifier unit. The rear view of the completed combina- tion unit (lower photo, page 125) clearly shows the arrangement of the various instruments, and the front view on this page shows the simple control panel and tube arrangement. The full-page wiring diagram shows every wire in position, and connec- tions for the neon tube and loud speaker are also shown. The d.p.d.t switch enables the oper- ator to shift quickly from the neon tube to the loud speaker as desired. Use well insulated, flex- ible rubber-covered wire for all connections; this wire should be slightly heavier than the usual type used in re- ceivers. Note the plate-voltage post on the panel for the neon tube; 180 volts are employed for the tube but the voltage may be varied slightly, to suit the particular the voltage at the various terminals. milliammeter employed to check the cur- rent through the neon tube and the 0 to 10,000-ohm variable resistance are almost essential for good television reception. The tube used, by means of the variable 4,000- ohm resistor. The clarostat on the panel is connected in series with the 180-volt post to sup- ply the necessary B-voltage for the first and second a.f. stages; this voltage is often critical and is easily brought to any desired value by means of the clarostat. Use a special B-eliminator voltmeter, having a resistance of 1,000 ohms per volt and a range of 0 to 500 volts, for checking When the current through the tube is changed, due to a change in impressed voltage, the amount of light emitted also changes. This fact is made use of to reproduce the pic- ture. A good back- ground will be ob- tained if the current is limited to 10 or 20 milliamp. More current will cause the tube to glow brighter, but there is no advantage in this so faras the pic- ture goes, and it tends to shorten the life of the tube.

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SPE i 2 NE led «See 128 POPULAR MECHANICS T-2098 @.coNDENSERST 3099, 160 M.A. TRANS. IN BLOCK { CHOKE POWER- SUPPLY UNIT NEON TUBE S500. POWER CLAROSTAT INPUT I 38) 4900 OHMS CLAROSTAT = F! IF OHMS 180 V. * 381 z H _jamro. eer aer , uw J B° 374 ) # VOLTAGE _ F REG. y TUBE rs) J f . ecr 3 iis & We S° > F +2] ° TO DET. TUBE a PLATE ? 01 MFD 01 MFD. mu-20. Mu-20 O1MFD. cx-319 ©] 450 10 500 V. oo G =] 5 F FT Sink] Ze UNIT A.F AMPLIFIER iF 1dr it C xX-310 F »] -Abi+a 6V. STORAGE 75 VOLTS BATTERY A.C. Many experimenters prefer to adjust the d.c. voltage to a point just below the lighting, or starting, value of the tube. In this case, a black background is ob- tained and the image stands out in a con- trasting pink light instead of in varying shades of black on a pink background. The unit described will enable the ex- perimenter to obtain the type of signals re- quired for good television reception. The wide variety of plate voltages available and the simple layout, make it an easy matter to try out various types of a.f. am- plifiers and output devices, for either tele- vision or the operation of power speakers. The unit was designed in Popular Me- chanics radio laboratory for this purpose and will be used as a basis for further ex- periments with new apparatus, the results of which will be given to our readers from time to time. A new television device consisting of a variable resistance, which may be shunted out by means of a push-button arrange- ment, is shown in the lowér photo on page 127. This unit is placed in one side of the 110-volt supply line to the scanning-disk motor and enables the operator to control the speed of the disk. The resistance is adjusted until the proper speed is ob- tained, and the motor may be momen- tarily speeded up by pressing the push button to keep the receiving disk in step with the disk at the transmitter; the con- nections are shown in the schematic dia- gram above. .A further suggestion for the experi- menter is illustrated in the photo on this page. This is a 4-in. condensing lens which may be purchased for a small sum and mounted on the back of the hood de- scribed in the article in the December, 1928, issue. The lens is countersunk flush with the end of the hood, to prevent the entrance of light around the edges, and slightly enlarges the image. The focal distance from the scanning disk will be about 3 or 4 in. and may be determined before mounting by holding the lens above a ne ber cabi if p pro side ser\ end the cuts lens mez scr side The pla and obt dio cag ing be: wil blu to illu of or dia in tar ter be in lea an Lef or go "A va sp

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POPULAR MECHANICS a newspaper half-tone cut. The lens may be mounted in a frame on the front of the cabinet instead of in the end of the hood if preferred, but the method shown has proved entirely satisfactory. The curved side of the lens is mounted to face the ob- server. To sink the lens flush with the end of the hood, it is necessary to place the hood in a vise and make four slanting cuts on the inside with a kevhole saw. The lens is then fitted in and held in place by means of a small strip of thin metal screwed to the edge of the hood at one side and bent over the edge of the-lens. The metal hood-mounting strip is then re- placed, which effectually clamps the lens. Those who wish blueprints of the layout and diagrams illustrated in this article may obtain them from Popular Mechanics ra- dio department, 200 E. Ontario St., Chi- cago, for 25 cents to cover cost and mail- ing. A complete list of all parts used will be sent free of charge to anyone. A postal will bring the list by return mail. Specify blueprint No. 140. How to Add Regeneration A simple method of adding regeneration to a set of the non-regenerative type is illustrated in the diagram. Wind 30 turns of No. 26 d.c.c. wire on a cardboard tube, 3 in. in diameter. Mount this coil above or at the end of the r.f. transformer, imme- diately preceding the detector, as shown in the sketch at the right. The exact dis- tance between the coils will have to be de- termined by test and the coil may have to be reversed to cause the current to flow in the proper direction. The positive B- lead to the detector socket is disconnected and shifted to one side of the special coil —a a. ——

(TICKLER VARIABLE > RESISTANCE em 26 Is PRI. i SEC. I = a < aaa e+e aan

Left, Schematic Diagram of Connections; Right, Sketch, Showing Special Coil above R. F. Transformer or “tickler.” The other side of this coil goes to the P-post on the detector socket. ‘A standard volume control, consisting of a variable resistance, is shunted across the special coil for controlling regeneration. 129 One Antenna Serves Two Homes When two homes are located at a con- venient distance apart and the owners are friendly, a single antenna of the type illus-

Detail of a Simple Antenna Installation That Serves Two Homes with Good Results trated will give good results and eliminate unsightly poles and unnecessary wires. The insulator cut in at the center of the horizontal wire separates the aerial into two independent antennas, and the lead- in wires at either end are connected to the sets as usual. Good heavy-strain insulators should be used and the end insulators should be well anchored at each building, preferably with springs, to absorb wind sway.—John Hinton, Jr., Everglades, Fla. Tuning Changed by Power Unit Receivers operated with the new socket- power devices frequently tune more broadly than when batteries are employed, an effect caused by the power line acting as an antenna and ground system. The set itself is not at fault. This trouble may often be corrected by reversing the plug in the line socket. Humming noises, also caused by power-line pick-up, may be re- duced or eliminated in some cases by slightly changing the position of the power unit in relation to the set. @Popular Mechanics radio department offers its information service free to all readers of our magazine. We will be glad to help you with your radio problems and will promptly answer all inquiries directed to this department.

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a ic att Ree vee +. aA aes aE Mldddddccdadccdddddddddddddddddddddddddadddddddddduddddddd TRV OV WWW WWW ’,wz},WwW WR WWW A ips 000 25-MF D. FIXED CONDENSER TO LIGHT WIRE ———/ ie) QOOSMFD. VAR.CONDENSER ff > ANTENNA COIL OF 4 RECEIVER ~ A Good Antenna for Con- gested Districts May Be Obtained by Capacitive Coupling with the Light- ing System, as Shown in the Sketch Above; This Method Gives Good Re- sults When Commercial Adapters Fail; Capacities Given Are Not Essential, and Slightly Different Values May Be Used Left, Ordinary Mazda Lamps in Series Pro- vide an Efficient Means of Reducing D. C. Voltage in Many Experimental Filament- Supply Devices; the Lamps Pass Plenty of Current and the Resistances Are Approxi- mately 1,400 Ohms for the 10-Watt, 600 Ohms for the 25-Watt and 400 Ohms for the 40-Watt Type JACK A.C. TUBE SOCKET SEALING WAX- Wall-Plate Installation for Concealed Radio . Batteries May Be Made from a Standard Armored Airplane Ignition Wire Plate, the Base of an Old A. C. Tube of the *@ Finds a New Use in Circuits Em- Five-Prong Type, a Socket and Jack as Shown ; ploying Screen-Grid Tubes; the e Armor Is Stripped Back from ‘ the Ends and Soldered to Ground 130 eee T | aa

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in the Manner Shown Twisting Flexible In- sulated Wires for Fil- ament Leads by Hand , Is a Slow Process, = Which May Be Speeded Up with a a Small Hand Drill, as wi Illustrated mr a Upper Left, When Round-Hole Soldering Lugs Cannot Be Placed over a Terminal, Clip the Lug as Shown; Right, a Simple Repair for Broken Bakelite Sockets May Frequently Be Made with a Large Soldering Lug To Use the Four-Prong A. C. Tubes in a D. C. Set without Rewiring the Circuit, Saw Off the Large Prongs as Shown, Solder Flat Lugs to the Stumps and the A. C. Filament Supply to the Lugs A Broken Drill Mounted in a File Handle Makes a Good Centering Tool for Marking Panels, to Prevent the Drill from Creeping 131

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wr epee ere et ie Aga Tips from the Radio Lab. BREAK GLASS OF OLD TUBE REMOVE FILLER Ai FROM BASE uc s/n / y PR \¢ | voUrMETER VA / ae my _——— S wr . 7 wore oes. ruse || a, — THROUGH et yy | SIDE NEXT c-BAT. Vif iy ae PLATE LEAD FROM DET. TUBE TO 1ST. AUD. PRIMARY DETECTOR TUBE STIFF WIRE YOKE FITS \ HORN CORD = 1S AUDIO IN HOLES IN WA ~ SWITCH . TRANSFORMER “EAD PHONE emeegs a TO MICROPHONE ROPHON' \ USING HORN _ e HOW THE MICROPHONE CAN BE USED N SPEAKER UNIT HOW THEADAPTER SOCKET WITHOUT THE ADAPTER SOCKET BY AS MICROPHONE BREAKS THE CIRCUIT OF SET CONNECTING THE LEADS DIRECTLY TO PRIMARY TERMINALS OF IST. AUD. TRANS. | An Old Tube Base, a Subpanel-Type Socket, a Two-Button Switch and Suf- i fF K ficient Lamp Cord Enable You to |{* My Broadcast through Your Set 4, 1 E 4 i Ay / Y vgif = | = iy essed PICTURE FRAME tity Yj, Ye, ALA ¢ Ny is! b i: iF) : $ } 7 cy f 9 A rd | a ’ j by i hie ky Left, an Artistic Table ‘" “ gt aah Speaker, Made from a Tilt- fr ~s } ing Frame; Right, a Log cz joe ee st of Window-Shade Type = ad re et mae 3 i aa 4 a a : el a mm >, Sar a — A pho amf{ a pl pho the cap int side aga and hol mat pho plac face con of | The uni fila: the nec tior mic ten rec be bra the phi tak dis! TO FIL DET Abc det at filt Str gre tov

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POPULAR Homemade Phonograph Pick-Up A good pick-up unit for reproducing phonograph records through the audio amplifier of a radio set may be made from a phonograph reproducer and a 1,500-ohm phone unit. Remove the rubber cap from the phone unit and drill two holes in the cap to correspond to the two tapped holes in the back of the reproducer. The mouth side of the phone cap is then placed against the back of the reproducer unit and screwed in position. Countersink the holes on the inside of the cap so that the machine-screw heads do not touch the phone diaphragm when it is screwed place. When assembled, the phone unit faces the back of the reproducer and the combined unit is then fastened to the arm of the phonograph in the usual manner. The twa phone leads from the pick-up unit are next connected to the plate and filament of the detector-tube socket. If the unit does not work, reverse these con- nections on the socket. Louder reproduc- tion may be obtained by removing the mica diaphragm of the reproducer and fas- tening the actuating lever of this unit di- rectly to the phone diaphragm. This may be done by using a cigar-box nail or wire brad as a connecting link. The head of the nail is soldered to the metal dia- phragm of the phone unit, care being taken not to bend or injure the delicate disk. The alge lever is then sol- sce ME CONTROL maa a OF DETECTOR SOCKET i pas gerinal 008 MFD. ze CAP OF RECEIVER REPRODUCER OF PHONOGRAPH MICA DIAPHRAM BACK Oo REPRODUCER BACK OF RECEIVER? *—NEEDLE Above, Diagram of Scratch Filter; the Unit Assembly Below, Details of dered to the end of the nail. If scratching at the record is objectionable, a simple filter that will eliminate it can be con- structed as shown in the or ese dia- gram above.—George W. Crooks, Norris- town, Pa. MECHANICS 133 + LIGHT 32-V. LIGHT LINE J Nm ‘ =|24-V. WET \ e B- BAT. OUTPUT = ° t ] >» al 4 | a. % 5 ' T a) ’ 2% DIAMETER “ DIAMETER’ ‘ 6-VOLT 40 - . \ BATTERY ‘ 6-V. GEN. MOUNTED } ON A SLIDING BASE Diagram for Charging Batteries from 32-Volt Line, and Details of Generator and Battery Connections Farm Charger for Radio Battery Any make of 6-volt auto generator may be connected as shown in the sketch for * chargirg radio or auto batteries at low cost. Serviceable though discarded gen- erators can be cbtained from the garage or junk dealer for a small sum and are easily belted to the gas engine used for the farm-lighting plant, or any similar source of power. The writer uses an in- expensive auto ammeter for checking the charging rate and employs a 12-amp. charge for bringing the battery up to full charge in about, eight hours. Previous to hooking up this charging outfit, the radio A-battery charged by means of a lamp bank from the 32-volt line, but this placed a heavy drain on the lighting bat- teries and made it necessary to run the plant longer to keep the batteries up. Two 6-volt batteries may be charged at once by means of the generator if they are con- nected in parallel. To do this, connect the positive terminal of one battery to the pos- itive terminal of the other, and the nega- tive to the negative, then connect the bat- teries to the charger as one. The cut-out on the generator must be in the charging line as shown, to protect the generator. The wiring diagram above also shows a simple means of charging wet B-batteries from the 32-volt line by placing a 25-watt lamp in one side of the line to the battery. By this method the B-batteries may be charged without putting any noticeable drain on the lighting batteries. It two or more 24-volt wet B-blocks are to be charged, they must be charged one at a time.—Oscar Schwender, Yorkville, Ohio. was

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POPULAR An Improvised Lightning Arrester The upper half of a strong bottle and a few odds and ends, ; assembled as in- icated, make a : ery satisfac- Decco = . i tory lightning arrester. It is placed just out- side the build- ing and con- nected to the TOP OF aerial and BOTTLE ” ground as shown; the lead to the set is taken from the aerial connection at the top of the bot- tle. The simplest method of cutting the bottle evenly is as follows: Fill the bottle up to the level at which it is desired to cut it with any kind of machine oil. Heat an iron rod red-hot and plunge it into the oil. The glass will break off at the oil level, and the sharp edges may then be ground off on an emery wheel.—D. S. Jenkins, Xenia, Ohio. ,~ MELTED { SULPHUR GROUND --- - Removing Insulation from Flexible Leads Cleaning the end of a flexible lead with a knife preparatory to making a connec- tion is bad practice, owing to the chance of cutting some of the fine wires. A sim- ple and quick method employed by elec- tricians, which eliminates this risk, con- sists in burning off the insulation. A lighted match is held under the end of the wire to be cleaned, the exact amount of insulation to be removed being deter- mined by moistening the covering at the point where the flame is to be stopped. The burned covering is then wiped off with a rag, and the wires cleaned with a strip of emery paper. A stripped end prepared in this manner shows no frayed ends of insulating covering and MECHANICS looks neater than one prepared with a knife—C. A Oldroyd, Barrow-in-Fur- ness, Eng, Overloaded Tubes Cause Distortion Distortion in radio reception in many cases may be directly traced to overloaded tubes. Such distortion usually originates in the last a.f. stage, or in the detector tube, as these tubes are worked at critical points. The trouble at the last stage orig- inates when the peak signal voltage ex- ceeds the limit of the effective grid bias for the tube. The remedy is either to re- duce the input voltage by adjusting the volume control, or to increase the grid bias; it is not advisable, however, to in- crease the bias beyond the limit given by the tube manufacturer for a stated B- voltage, as this introduces another type of distortion that also should be avoided. Detector-tube overloading is caused by excessive signal strength, and detectors biased by C-batteries are practically free from this form of distortion. A Simple Ground Clamp GROUND WIRE NUT SOLDERED TO WASHER WASHER BENT 2x, | The ground connection for the set must be tight. This simple detail is often over- looked and poor recep- tion is fre- quently traced to neglect in this respect. If a manufactured type of clamp is not immediately available, a satisfactory sub- stitute may be made as shown. Merely winding the wire around the water pipe and giving it a twist will not suffice. In order to keep the wire tight the writer bends a washer, 3% in. in diameter, to fit the curve of the pipe, then solders a nut to the underside of the washer as shown. The washer is then placed on the pipe and the bare end of the ground wire is tightly wound around the pipe, over the washer and twisted as close as possible, and a large machine screw or stove bolt is screwed through the nut, as indicated, to make the wire hug the pipe closely.— Harry E. Gifford, Medford, Mass. WATER PIPE ee a eT ee

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A Tobacco Chest De Luxe By A. M. FOWLER I ERE is something finer than anything of the kind you have ever seen offered for sale—a tobacco chest that you can make yourself, but one that will test your mechanical ability and that the most fas- tidious will be proud to own. The material used should be American black walnut, or old, dark rosewood; noth- ing else seems to quite fill the bill. Search for some piece of discarded furniture, the case of an old cottage organ or even the top of a sewing machine; the older the wood the better. Ona sheet of tin or zinc lay out accurate templates of the box and cover, as shown in cross section, Fig. at COVER it is impossible to find a piece of wood of the proper thickness for the cover, glue up two pieces, forming a single piece shaped like the roof of a house. True the bottom and one edge, then square both ends accurately, making the piece 714 in. long. Place the cover template in position against the trued edges and trace the outline with a sharp awl. With the marking gauge, scribe lines along the bottom to mark the inside and out- side edges of the cover. The inside should be worked out before form- ing the outside. The flat surfaces should be worked true before the curves are formed, to insure a better job and make it easier to fit the lining. For the cover ends use two &% by 1 by 5-in. pieces. Scribe to the template and cut accurately to shape. These pieces are to be drilled for No. 18 brads, % in. from the edge, but, before doing this, note carefully where the copper nails will come, so that the brads will not interfere. Glue and brad the ends in place. Make the box sidepieces first, by truing up one side and squaring one edge, then rabbeting to receive the bottom. Square the ends, making the sides 7%4 in. long, and make the bottom 4% by 3% by 7% in. BENT ON DOTTED LINES ' , t tea af —a END, 2 REQ. \ SIDES AND, BOTTOM 135

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POPULAR MECHANICS parallel, there is less than % in. between them. Place them in the METHOD OF =} SPREADING HINGES | LOCK, HAMMERED ide ALL OVER SHACKLE SOLDERED INTO HOLE Hein ae 16 a! Glue and nail the bottom in the rabbets, bradding from the bottom into the sides. From ¥%-in. material, work out the end- -pieces to the template, and drill for No 18 wire brads, % in. from the edge. Be- fore nailing cut two blocks exactly the width of the box inside, at the bottom, and square one end of each. Slip these between the sides and hold firmly against the bottom. This will insure the sides being square with the bottom and parallel. Glue and nail ends firmly in place. Place the cover and see that the joint is perfect; if not, fit carefully with a finely set block plane. The double bead between the chest and the cover is formed of strips of copper busbar, %¢ in. thick and % in. wide. Four pieces, 8% in. long, and four, 4 in. long, are required. Round both edges of the strips by drawfiling, finishing with coarse and fine emery cloth. Carefully miter the ends, making all pieces long enough to low a projection over the wood of a full Ye in. to the extreme rounded edge. The pieces should be 8% and 3% in. long, re- spectively, but it is well to allow %2 in. for filing the joints. Get a pair of l-in. brass hinges. When closed it will be found that, with the wings CENTER STRAP HANDLE, 2 REQUIRED FILED AND HAMMERED AND BENT TO SHAPE vise (Fig. 2), leaving %42 in. be- tween vise jaws and roll of hinge, and set the rolls forward. One smart rap will usually do, but they must be set until there is exactly lg in. between the wings, when parallel. Clamp the two hinge bars together and tin them where the hinges are to come. Tin the 6” inside of the hinge wings and sol- der to the bars. See that the hinge bars work properly, then fold the bars and drill, as shown in Fig. 2, for No. 2 wood screws. Open the bars and countersink, so that the screw slot will not come below the top surface of the bar, as the heads are to be filed off after the bars are screwed down. The front beads may be drilled like the back, and the side beads with three holes, all countersunk. The lining is of No. 36, Stubbs gauge, hard-rolled phosphor bronze. This should be carefully handled to avoid kinks and dents. First make the endpieces, Fig. 3. Form the flange over a_ block, the width of the box inside less twice the thickness of the metal. With this as a form and another, slightly smaller, as backing, clamp the sheet with the flange projecting all around. With another block, push the flange over and hammer down with the block. Make the lining for the sides and bottom, being sure that all sides are straight and angles true. Fit the end linings to this piece, flanges outside, then try the assembly in the box. If correct, solder the joints. Keep the solder off the lining surfaces. A narrow, shallow rabbet is cut in the edge of the chest and cover to receive the flanges. This may be done with a very sharp chisel, or worked down with a fine file. Nail into the rabbet with very fine brads. Cut and flange the cover end linings. These are slightly larger than the inside cover ends, so that they can be pushed up into the knife groove cut into the joints. Cut the main lining for the cover exactly to length. Make two blocks, the shape of the inside of the cover, push the lining into place and, with the blocks, clamp it in place. Now scribe along the edge of the wor joir Cut secre that try high 3 and rub two dow T cop] clea ing per to tl

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POPULAR MECHANICS 137 wood, remove and flange. Fasten the joint beads in place, the front ones first. Cut away the wood for the hinges. After screwing down, file off the screw heads so that no slots show. Close the cover and METHOD OF APPLYING BRONZE LINING BRONZE LINING —— —_ a FE ciquemangeal” \ ‘ \ \ LINE SCRIBED WITH \ KNIFE TO HOLD LINING try the joint. If not perfect, file off the high spots and polish. sefore applying the trim, sand the box and coat with good paste filler. When dry, rub down with No. 00 sandpaper. Give two coats of shellac and, when dry, rub down with pumicestone and oil. The ornamental trim is of soft annealed copper, about No 22 gauge. It is detailed clearly, so little will be said about 1t. Tak- ing the end as an example, scribe the cop- per from the chest end, then cut roughly to the line, but do not cut the inside Peen with a small hammer, lightly and evenly, a little more than 4% in. back from the edge. The copper stretches, so mark off from the chest again, cut and file to the line. Mark the inside line % in. from the outside, cut out and file. Drill, locating the holes as in the drawings, and nail on with copper nails or tacks with- rough heads, 46 in. in diameter. The front trim is of the same stock, cut % in. wide and hammered, with the edges rounded. The hasp and lock are only ornamental, the latter being made from a scrap of copper, ™ in. thick. It will be found advisable to heat the stock for the handles red-hot and plunge it into water to anneal it, both be- fore and during the bending process. Polish the lining to a goldlike luster with a good metal polish, rubbing perfectly dry, glue a piece of billiard cloth to the bottom of the chest, and the job is finished,

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138 POPULAR MECHANICS Quickly Made Boat Anchors Boat-Livery Owner Makes a Number of Concrete Anchors in This Form To reduce the cost of supplying boat anchors for those which were constantly lost during the season by careless fisher- men, one boat-livery owner devised a method of making a number of concrete anchors at a small expense. He made a form box as shown in the drawing so that ‘four units could be made at one time. After filling the compartments with con- crete, he imbedded a horseshoe in each one, letting part of the horseshoe project as indicated. The horseshoes were old ones obtained gratis from a blacksmith, and the lake beach provided plenty of sand, so the only expense was the cement. Improved Screen-Door Hook Screen-door hooks of the usual type can often be unfastened from the outside without the least difficulty, by merely jar- > ring the door. A number of fisher- men, who had a summer cottage, experienced this trouble and noted the insecurity against petty thieves, especially as they were in the habit of throw- ing their valuable fishing tackle and supplies around rather carelessly. One of them devised the double spring hook shown in the drawing, and this was found entirely satisfactory as it could not be jarred loose from the outside.—G. E. Hen- drickson, Argyle, Wis. Fording Flood with an Auto During a flood when the Midland Trail was covered with about 4 ft. of water at Salt Lick, Ky., an enterprising garage man of that town devised a novel method of fording the flooded places with an auto. He raised the front end of the car to rest on the bed of an old truck. The hood of the truck was under water so the motor could not be run, but the auto hood was high and dry. Its motor could thus be used to push the truck. The road was hard so there was no risk of getting stuck in mud. More than 300 cars were taken across the flooded area in this way during the five days the high water lasted. The idea netted the garage owner a good profit. —Eugene Stuart, Louisville, Ky. Keeping Casters Oiled A piece of pipe _ PIPE CLEANER cleaner will be found ‘ ! useful for keeping the casters of furniture well lubricated. The cleaner is simply wound around the shank of the caster as indicated, and some oil is then applied. Quite a bit of oil will be re- tained by the bristles, and it will be supplied to the moving parts gradually. You will have no squeaking casters if this method is followed, one application of oil lasting a long time——Morris G. Miller, New Ro- chelle, N. Y. Repair for Leaky Gas Tank It often happens, especially in the newer type of cars, that a very small leak is found about the seams and welds of the gasoline tank. In cars where the tank forms a part of the body, or cannot readily be re ap lin lov tal ou of ple to the se\ the co} the lov the gri ele the Wis by ber tio: gri pul pin to Swi

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eS SS SSO POPULAR removed, the usual method of repair is not applicable.. In such cases, remove the gas line and drain off the gasoline. Then al- low any residue to evaporate, which will take twelve hours or more. Stop the gas outlet with a cork and pour about. 1 gal. of good orange shellac into the tank. Re- place the cap and shake the car from side to side so that the shellac will splash on the entire surface of the tank. Repeat this several times for five minutes, then remove the shellac, which you will find in good condition for Other uses, and wipe it from the threads and gas gauge. A(fter it is al- lowed to dry out thoroughly, you will find the tank leak-proof—C. N. Bruce, New Castle, Pa. Washing-Machine Motor Runs Grinder Many home owners who have a small grinder do not feel justified in buying an electric motor just to run the machine, al- though they often wish they had one. The wish can be realized by driving the grinder by the washing-machine motor. A small bench is made to hold the grinder and serve as a seat, as shown in the illustra- tion. A grooved pulley is mounted on the grinder shaft and connected to the motor pulley by a round belt. To prevent slip- ping and uneven wear of the belt, it is well to spin the grinder by hand just before switching on the current—Lester P. Young, Culver, Ind. Running a Small Grinder by Belting It to the Washing- Machine Motor MECHANICS 139 Tropical Greenhouse Plants Can Be Grown at Home in This Glass Case Growing Tropical Plants in Living Room For growing tropical plants in the living room under conditions where they will thrive free from dust and drafts, the illus- trated miniature greenhouse has been found successful. It consists of a 12-in. seed pan, a glass case or bell jar to fit just inside the dish, and a 4-in. flowerpot. An electric extension cord, fitted with a porce- lain receptacle, and a lamp are also neces- sary. Make the drainage hole in the seed pan large enough to take the lamp recep- tacle, and cement the latter in place. Cover the lamp with the 4-in. pot, cementing this also firmly to the pan, and then stop the hole of the pot with cement. After the cement has been allowed to set for two days, fill the pan with peaty soil and plant with small crotons, dracenas, tropical pea- cock moss and ferns. These can all be ob- tained from a florist. After they are planted, water the flowers and cover with the glass bell. Heat will be necessary only on cold days and then the current can be turned on for half an hour. Very little water is necessary, only enough to replace that lost by evaporation. In a larger bell, it is possible to grow the pitcher plant and other large vegetation——T. Sheward, Vic- toria, Can.

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' ' ’ fe mS ~C ee 4 Cs om =~ Se DFERENTAL “END OF PIPE unit AND SPREAD OUT —.~ =S Handy, Adjustable Garage-Lighting Fixture Made from Pipe and Fittings Handy Lighting Fixture for the Garage A cifferential cover plate from a junked auto can be made to serve as a base for an electric-light fixture for the garage or workshop. A hole is drilled in the center of the plate to receive the end of a 6-ft. length of %4-in. pipe. The end is split with a hacksaw and, after it is inserted in the plate, spread out. The assembly is then turned upside down and the plate filled with concrete. Lengths of pipe and fit- tings are used to make the rest of the fix- ture as detailed in the drawing. A flexible electric cable is run from a convenient supply socket over pulleys to the lamp, which is balanced by means of a counter- weight, as shown. The worker thus can adjust the light to any position, the cable is never in his way and is kept from com- ing in contact with grease and oil. Longer Life for Hosiery Longer life for hosiery can be assured by immersing the articles, when new, in a solution of four parts water and one part vinegar for about an hour. Then rinse in clean, warm water and dry the hose in POPULAR MECHANICS the usual way before wearing them. This treatment will cause a preliminary shrinkage and at the same time strengthen the fabric.— Frederick L. Minter, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. How to Dissolve Crystals Quickly When dissolving a quantity of crystals in water by first placing ing water over them, one often finds that the solution goes on very slowly, especially if the crys- tals form a heavy solution such as copper sulphate. This is because the heavy solution around the crystals prevents the unsaturated part of the water from coming in contact with them. To overcome this, the best plan is to place the crystals in a small bag of porous material, such as cheesecloth, and suspend this in the water just be- low the surface. In this way the strong solution descends to the bottom as soon as it is formed, and fresh water takes its place to dissolve more of the crystals. Thus the process is con- tinuous, and in a relatively short time the entire quantity will be dissolved.—Darwin Harris, Grand Rapids, Mich. Rubber Finger Pad for Holding Hot Objects Around the laboratory or home, where it is often necessary to hold hot objects, a such as plates, ket- \ tles, etc., a rub- ber finger pad will be found to be very useful. It is made from a 3 o1 4-in. length of % or %-in. rubber \. tubing. Slit the 5 tube lengthwise and then cut away a strip of a width -- LA equal to about one- fourth of the tube’s circumference. In use, the finger is in- serted in the tube.—Philip C. Shera, Co- Iumbus, Ohio. them in a container and then pour- Sc rath jerk out blad lect oil 2 obta reac ‘the iron that slip the | hou: tigh be f than W noti strin ing gatic sage infla Inci did 1 Frat Novel

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POPULAR Excessive Oil on Electric Fans Some lower-priced electric fans are rather noisy due to the armature shaft jerking back and forth, and those with- out a wick-oiling system throw oil on the blades. This, in turn, causes dirt to col- lect on the blades with the result that both oil and dirt fly off. Quiet running can be obtained, and the oil thus prevented from reaching the blades, as follows: Remove ‘the blades and slip on the shaft a small iron washer, which should fit snugly so that it will turn with the shaft. Then slip a fiber washer on the shaft and push the blade barrel lightly against the motor housing. After the setscrew has been tightened and the motor started, it will be found that the oil will not run farther than the iron washer. Novel “Hot-Dog” Sign While going through a small town I noticed a refreshment stand having a string of extremely large “hot dogs” hang- ing in front of it. Upon closer investi- gation it was found that the string of sau- sages was made from a red inner tube, inflated and then tied at 8-in. intervals. Incidentally, I ordered a hot dog and so did many other tourists who came past.— Frank A. Clarici, Trenton, N. J. Novel “Hot-Dog” Sign Which Attracts Attention of Passing Motorists MECHANICS 141 Screen for the Furnace Ash Pit Separates Ashes, Coal and Clinkers with Very Little Dust Sifting Ashes with Less Dust By sifting the ashes through a screen set under the grate, dust in the basement is practically eliminated. The frame of the screen is made of galvanized sheet iron. It must be large enough to fit the ash pit, as shown, and is raised on legs to pro- vide space underneath for the ashes. All unburned lumps of coal and clinkers remain on the screen, from which they can easily be picked and separated once a day. After a heavy shaking of the grates, the screen will be loaded with ashes, coal and clinkers, and it is then necessary to give the screen a few vigorous thrusts to cause the fine ashes to sift through.— Ralph W. Tillotson, Erie, Pa. Threading a Darning Needle Having occasion to use a darning needle, the eye of which was too small to insert the yarn in the usual manner, I doubled a thread and then passed it through the eye, and the loop thus formed was used to pull the yarn through.—Joe Henderson, Eldred, Il.

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in. of which has been bent at right angles to the main stem. This length of pipe is slipped down through the hole just drilled, and secured on either side by means of l-in. collars, as shown in Fig. 1. So much for the rudder stem. The front portion of the boat consists of two old skates which have been bolted to either end of a 3-ft. length of 6-in. wide siding, as shown in Fig. 3. Through the center of this \ piece, bore a 2%e-in. hole with an expan- sion bit, and around the un- derside of the 5 ERE he comes —there he goes! Just like that! Like saying Jack Robinson. That’s the ice sled. If you want speed, if you have a lean- ing toward niceties in navigation, if you want real winter sport, try scudding to leeward in this midget iceboat with a spanking breeze roaring against the “rigging.” Making the ice sled presents no serious difficulties. It is merely a matter of wood, bolts and sail—and there you are! First of all, the backbone. This is an 8 ft. 5-in. length of 2 by 4-in. pine. Two short pieces of similar material, one on either side, are bolted or securely nailed to the backbone, and a 1%¢-in. hole is bored through the three pieces, as shown in Fig. 2. This hole is intended to take the rudder, which is a 3 ft. 3-in. length of 1-in. pipe, the lower 9 — 142

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Your Own Ice dled hole screw on a 2-in. blind floor flange, as shown in Fig. 4. Now, slip a 10-in. length of 2-in. pipe through this hole, screwing the pipe into the flange on the underside of the crosspiece, as shown in Fig. 5. A 2%e-in. hole is then bored through a 6-in. piece of two-by-four and also through the front end of the SOV 2: backbone, and the two pieces <M he AUP are slipped over the pipe, as shown in Fig. 6. The cross- piece carrying the skates is then set at right angles to the backbone, and the three pieces are securely bolted or spiked together to form an immovable joint. So far, so good! Going to the rudder end again, nail a 15-in. length of two-by-two crosswise to the backbone and about 3 ft. from the rear end. To each end of the crosspiece, nail a piece of 2-in. half-round mold- ing, 20 in. long and between these two pieces, at the top, nail a handle | of l-in. dowel stock, as shown in Fig. 7. A large nail is hammered into place through this dowel to serve as an anchor for the main-sheet line. Now for the sail! First of all in the sail construc- ,tion is the mast: This consists of a round stick, 5 ft. long by 1% in. thick. Ten inches of this, at one end, is incased in a piece of brass tubing, and this end is dropped into the 10-in. length of 2-in. pipe that projects, upright, from the front end. For the single lateen sail, which is the rig used on this type of craft, take one 8 ft. 6 in, piece of 2-in. half-round molding and one 9-ft. length and hinge them together with a small strap hinge, as shown in Figs. 8

143

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144 POPULAR MECHANICS | Left, Screwing the Two- Inch Floor Flange to the Underside of the Cross- piece That Carries the Skates; Right, Screwing the Ten-Inch Length of Two-Inch Pipe into the Floor Flange . Left, Assembling the Back- bone and Spacer, Which Is a Six-Inch Piece of Two-by- Four, on Top of the Cross- piece and Pipe; the Three J Members Are Then Securely Spiked Together — and gro ad end cur clot dic: pen Seal run 11. Above, the Construc- : tion of the Handle; Spat Note the Nail in It to lon: Serve as a Cleat for é the Main Sheet; Left, the How the Spars for the ow? Lateen Sail Are t Hinged Together; ors Note, in Fig. 9, the | Two-by-Four-Inch ve | Spacer over the Pipe han on the Crosspiece I I _f bolt

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POPULAR ( HINGED JOINT SPAR, SPAR RUN THROUGH REINFORCED HEMS AS INDICATED Fic. 31 MECHANICS 145 Swingin Body Ready for the Start and 9. Lay the hinged sections on the ground, and spread the two pieces until a distance of 9 ft. 6 in. separates the two ends. That’s the size of your sail. Pro- cure a good grade light canvas, zephyr cloth or sailcloth, and cover the area in- dicated. The usual lashed rigging is dis- pensed with, and, in its stead, two large seams are used, the spars of half-round running through these, as shown in Fig. ll. Bore a small hole through the shorter spar and from this run a light rope 18 ft. long. This is your main sheet. Half of the rope should be doubled back on its own standing part and knotted every foot or so, making a series of nooses which can be looped over the large nail inthe sled’s handle. In mounting the sail in place, a long bolt running through the mast fits into a Fig. 10, Making a Turn by the Rudder with the hile Digging In with the Left-Hand Skate; Fig. 13, | STRAP RUN THROUGH SLIT IN SPAR AND BUCKLED ~ ~ © 65 ene BOLT THROUGH MAST AND SPAR 3 a corresponding hole cut in the lower spar, while a stretcher, made from an old piece of strap, takes the upper spar, as shown in Fig. 12. . An old bicycle seat with the post at- tached is slipped into place over the rud- der stem for a seat. Almost finished! It remains yet to give the sail a coating of light shellac or var- nish in order to make an air-tight rigging. And there.you are! Navigating this midget ice sled is a thing which calls for considerable “sea- manship.” It is extremely narrow of beam, it carries a big spread of canvas in comparison to its light weight, and it offers but very little resistance on a wind- swept sheen of clean ice. To begin, take your place astraddle the

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146 POPULAR MECHANICS ia San | —~ — CROSS WIND QUARTERING re DIRECTION OF WIND oy ae \ Wind on the Quarter; Be- low, Swinging the Sled for a Tack by Lift- ing Up on the A Handle, and Allow- ing Sled and S. Left, Running with a | Fig .14 ail / to Pivot {fi DIRECTION OF q . a ZIG-ZAG i - °*~- START COURSE. BEATING TO WINDWARD Fic .15 = \, WIND 4 DESTINATION ——>e | | rudder stem, as shown in Fig. 13. On your feet are a pair of ice’ skates, the blades of which have been ground to a single sharp edge. These are your “lee- boards.” By digging them firmly into the ice you can prevent any tendency toward side drifting when beating out a tack to windward. In regard to the sailing itself, the sim- plest and most natural maneuver is sail- ing to leeward, that is, sailing in the di- rection the wind is blowing; see Fig. 14. The fullest measure of sailing to leeward comes in sailing with the wind directly behind you. When you are “running free” in this manner. watch out for “jib- bing.” This is caused by sudden puffs of wind which swing the sail from one side of the sled to the other, invariably catch- ing you off balance, and a spill is the result. Sailing against the wind is nautically defined as “beating to windward,” and it is here that real sailing skill is necessary. It is quite evident that you cannot sail directly into the wind, but you can sail at an angle to the breeze and still be go- ing forward. What you do, then, is to make your way forward by a series of zig- zag runs, known as “tacks.” After beating along one tack on your zigzag course into the wind, you come to a place where you wish to turn about and start off in the opposite direction. To do so, you lift up on the handle of the sled, allowing it to swing around on the pivoted rudder, as shown to the right of Fig. 15. Fhe boom will then swing on the pivoted mast to the other side of the sled, the sail fills again, and you are off on another tack. Fig. 15 should make this clear. Needless to say, you will have spills galore in manipulating this ice sled. A puff of wind catches you off balance and the boat goes off in one direction and you slide off in another. But keep at it! You rie in thi co po pr ba bil in: ha be th: mi all let ab th: fo: ro flo th: di: wi sh an in: Clo

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lls nd ou ou POPULAR get a real kick in learning, from expe- rience, just what angle to keep the sail in order to. remain in the vertical and at the same time make good headway. Roofing Used as Floor Covering One of the best and most durable floor coverings for the home workshop, back porch, basement, and similar places, is the prepared roofing commonly used on barns and other buildings. (Its servicea- bility for this purpose is shown by one instance where it survived several years’ hard usage without being worn through.) Roofing which has no crushed stone im- bedded in it, and is not tarry, is used for the purpose. Before laying it down, the material should be unrolled in the sun and allowed to expand, after which it is cut to length and tacked in place. The cost is about one-fourth that of linoleum, and the roofing, which is usually guaranteed for about fifteen vears of service on the roof, seems to last about five years as a floor covering—Harold E. Benson, Den- ver, Colo. Kink for Preventing Plier Marks Although the ordinary plier is one of the most useful household tools, it has the disadvantage of leaving marks on the work, particularly when gripping thin sheets of metal. This can be prevented and a greater contact surface provided by inserting a clothespin between the jaws of the pliers, if the split in the clothespin is large enough to take the work.—Frank W. Bentley, Jr., Missouri Valley, Iowa. ( iN Clothespin Held in Jaws of Pliers Grips Work without ‘ Marring It MECHANICS | 147 Holder for Hot Pie Tins Easily Made Pie-Tin Lifter Which Saves Fingers from Being Burned How many times have you burned your fingers when taking hot pie tins out of the oven? Here is a holder that will prevent it, and anyone can make it in a few mo- ments. It consists of two 12-in. lengths of wood, about % in. in diameter, hinged together by means of staples as shown. Two lengths of No. 12 galvanized-iron wire are bent to fit under the edge of the tins and attached to the handles by drill- ing holes through the wood and, after the ends of the wire are pushed through, bend- ing them over to prevent them from slip- ping out. By turning the handles the tins can be gripped or let loose quickly —Miss Floy Bates, Hardin, Mo. Cleaning Furnace Smoke Pipe I used a poor grade of coal in my fur- nace last winter, which made a thorough cleaning of the smoke chamber necessary. As an experiment I tried a novel method. An ordinary paper bag was inflated and a light string tied around the neck. The bag was placed in the clean-out pipe so that the draft would push it through, and then it was pulled back again. After doing this a few times, the soot was removed.—F. A. Inman, Grand Haven, Mich. @An artistic garden gate can be made by swinging an end section of an iron bed on eyebolts.

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SP Na Te

: } ? Pe IREERS E 148 POPULAR MECHANICS

CHECK —— ELECTRIC FAN) ——_— _= UNDERGROUND: 4 TUNNEL ae

Pot ME a a Underground Tunnel Preheats Cold Outdoor Air Be- fore It Is Drawn into the Furnace Preheating Cold Air for Furnace Draft During severe cold weather, the house owner often has to choose between going without proper ventilation, or opening some windows and thereby losing a great deal of heat. A North Dakota contractor solved this problem by utilizing a novel ventilation system, which warmed up the cold air before it was drawn into the house through the furnace. The furnace was of the ordinary kind with ducts to return the cooled air from the rooms for recircu- lation. A trench was dug at the bottom of the furnace, un- der the basement floor, and was con- tinued outside of the house in a semicircular course. A concrete tunnel

about 8 ft. below the ground, so that it would be below the frost line. The intake at the end of the vertical section was screened to prevent the entrance of in- sects. The tunnel was about 75 ft. long with a cross section of 4 sq. ft. An electric fan was set in the basement end of the tunnel to draw the air through it when necessary. A damper controlled by means of a chain was used for opening and clos- ing the tunnel. Since the installation of this system, the windows did not have to be opened to provide fresh air, and as the air was preheated in the tunnel, which was found to raise the temperature of air 40° on some cold days, it naturally did not take so much coal to heat the house as when the air came directly from the out- side. The owner hopes to cool his house during the summer by drawing the warm outside air through the tunnel. Repair for Loose Typewriter Platen Old typewriter platens sometimes work loose and slip back and forth, throwing the writing out of alinement. To repair such a platen, drill a small hole about 4 in. from one end and drive in a small wood screw, which will hold the platen se- curely on the wooden cylinder. A flat- head screw should be used and should be filed down to conform to the curvature of the platen. Do not use nails, as they may split it. Linoleum Economy My neighbor did not wish to purchase an entire new linoleum covering for his floor just because there was a badly worn section near the a doorway. He tried to get a small piece of the same design from a dealer, but it could not be matched. So he cut

was then built up // QeteSates.. RAN . out the worn part in the trench, as a Nee, LS : carefully and used shown, terminating a oy es (5) Nese this piece as a tem- i icz he ZONe ple ing an- ina vertical SECTION - wopn piece a a a SON plate for cutt g built against the CUT FROM - ~~ other piece out 0 . : LINOLEUM IN ~- 5 -@-@-8-S -- | ‘nore windward side of FRONTOF DOOR <= @ - the center, whe the house. The tun- nel was located Worn Section of Linoleum Exchanged for Good Sec- tion under Rug the linoleum was covered with a rug.

ee Wi WML LOY Fra...

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POPULAR MECHANICS The new piece was placed in the doorway and tacked down, while the worn piece was put under the rug.—Frank Harazim, New York City. Electric Toaster Thaws Out Frozen Water Pipes One cold winter day, I found that a couple of water pipes passing through the wall from the basement to the second floor were frozen. They were so close to the wood that it was impossible to use any kind of flame. I placed a 50-watt lamp in the bottom of a length of stovepipe and mounted this on the top of a stepladder, directly under the frozen pipes. However, after waiting for about 24 hours for re- sults, it became evident that more heat would have to be applied. It occurred to me that my electric toaster provided this, so I got a larger piece of stovepipe, which would fit over the toaster, and placed it on the stepladder in the same position. In about half an hour, the pipes were thawed out. The heat given off by the toaster was not sufficient to ignite the woodwork. If you haven't a toaster, a flatiron will do.— T. H. Miller, East Pittsburgh, Pa. How to Use an Electric Toaster to Thaw Out Frozen ater Pipes 149 fea %, ip Pulley on Porch Eave Permits Hauling Garbage Can Up to Second-Floor Apartment Hoist for the Garbage Can Living in an upstairs apartment with no place for a garbage can, except on the back porch where it was not desired, an enterprising housewife uses the illustrated method of raising and lowering the can. A grooved pulley is attached under the porch eave so that a rope hanging from it and having a garbage can attached will clear the house. A hook on the end of the rope facilitates attachment of the can. When the can is wanted, it is hauled to the top as shown. Halfsoles Made from Old Cotton Belting Will Outiast Leather Halfsoles for work shoes can be cut from old pieces of discarded composition belting. They will stand up under hard wear and will give longer service than many of the leather halfsoles on the mar- ket. Belting made of 30-o0z. cotton duck of closely woven texture, and treated with rubber compound, is the best for this purpose. A neat job can be done by first outlining the sole of the shoe on the piece to be used and then cutting to shape with a sharp knife—lIrvin E. Pippin, Mt. Ver- non, Ind.

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SSR ae perce oe INTRODUCTION of brushing lacquer has madeé it easy to possess artistic furniture in the newest mode. There are few homes that do not have a number of pieces in need of refinishing, or which are out of harmony or very ordi- nary as they are. They may be trans- formed into smartly lacquered pieces to fit in with any decorative scheme. Lac- quer enables you to take one of these old or misfit pieces some night after supper, and, by your usual retiring time, have a voguish occasional piece in its setting, finished, trimmed and decorated, ready for use. Or you can refurnish one of the bedrooms complete, without buying a new suite of furniture, by tying the various pieces now in the room into an up-to-date set, with some delightful color combina- tion—dainty ivory, gay shades of red, orange or blue, restful green, or conserv- ative gray, as you may desire—with a uniform trim scheme and decorative motif throughout. Of course, there will always be stanch admirers of the fine enamel finish, and the craftsman who can lay on a flawless en- amel coat can well be proud of his job. En- amel finish is thoroughly in keeping with the modern decorative vogue, and those who prefer it to the lacquered finish will find complete information for refinishing furniture in enamel in the December, 1928, issue of this magazine. We will now take up the use of brush- ing lacquers. As made today, they are undoubtedly the simplest type of finish 150 How to your Old The Use of Lacquer for the home decorator to use. Yet there are certain principles governing their ap- plication, and the real craftsman, who is keen to demonstrate his ability in what he undertakes and is always aiming for the satisfaction derived from a good result, will be interested in having detailed in- formation about the right use of lacquer. To start with, it should be remembered that lacquer is basically different from oil- paint materials, and naturally, therefore, somewhat different in working qualities and characteristics. We will take for example the lacquering of a table previously stained and finished with varnish, and follow the operation through, having, of course, selected the color scheme to harmonize with the deco- ration of the room in which it will be used. The preparation of the surface, the start- ing point in all fine cabinet finishing, is especially important in the use of lacquer. The preparatory work is really simple and interesting when one knows the why of it all. First, the surface should be spot- lessly clean. Wash the piece thoroughly with soap and water, and rinse off with clear water to remove any remaining. soapy deposits. Allow to dry thoroughly, as moisture is also fatal to good results. Second, it is essential that the surface be free from grease, oil or wax, this being much more important than with the use of the old-line oil-paint and varnish mate- rials. So, the next step should be to wipe over the surface with a cloth saturated in gasoline, benzine or alcohol to remove any substances of this nature which may be present. Third, all defects, cracks, holes, digs and abrasions, should now be filled, but not with ordinary oil putty, which is not well adapted for use on fine

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Refinish Furniture 4y Berton Elliott furniture and is especially undesirable with the use of lacquer, which attacks the oil and tends to make the putty crumbly. A plastic-wood preparation can be ob- tained at most paint stores for this pur- pose, or a very satisfactory crack-filling preparation can be made from fine saw- dust, whiting and prepared glue; sawdust, whiting, and lacquer or shellac. If there should bea break in the piece, it can be fixed by gluing the break and binding it with a rope, twisted with a stick and tied in place until absolutely dry. Fourth, sandpaper the piece. A fine finish requires a smooth surface. The old surface should be smoothed and the crack-filling prepara- tion leveled by sandpapering, which also tends to cut the gloss and provides a good anchorage for the new lacquer coating. One of the fine sandpapers, such as No. 00, should be used, at least for the final smoothing, although coarser grades can be used to start with. Some prefer the use of steel wool, which comes in grades of fineness about corresponding to sand- paper, but if used, care should be taken to clean up thoroughly afterward, so that the small broken-off pieces will not dis- figure the finish. Where there are relief carvings or moldings, the use of steel wool will permit getting into these places. The above four operations are all that is necessary in the way of preparatory ‘work in the refinishing of previously painted, varnished or enameled surfaces with brushing lacquer. But there is one other thing that we will discuss for a mo- ment, That is the use of a thin coat of shel- lac before the application of the first lac- quer coat, which practice is advocated by many. When brushing lacquers first came out, it was practically impossible to apply them over old coatings, if there were breaks or abrasions in the old finish, without first applying a coat of shellac to seal the sur- face and keep the powerful lacquer sol- vents from getting in under the old coating and lifting it. This trouble has been elimi- nated, and the lacquers made today give no trouble when applied over previous finishes that are dry and hard. However, for the finest possible finish over old coat- ings, the use of a thin coat of shellac be- fore the lacquer coats is worth while. When sandpapered lightly, it makes an ideal foundation for the lacquer, which bites into the shellac a little and anchors well on it, and it tends to make the lac- quer stand out with a higher luster. Nev- ertheless, the majority of furniture refin- ishing at home—a great deal of it very creditable indeed—is done without a shel- lac coat, and its use may be said to be un- necessary in refinishing unless the very finest possible finish over old coatings is desired. _ There are, however, two conditions un- der which the use of shellac is essential, namely: If the piece was previously fin- ished in mahogany stain, one or prefer- ably two coats of shellac should be applied to seal in the powerful stain, otherwise it may bleed through and discolor the finish. Also, where it may be desired to apply lacquer over tacky, soft undercoats, or over oil-paint materials that have only been applied a short time and are not dry all the way threugh, one or two coats of shellac will tend to dry up the old coat- 151

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SES IS at an BES Sidhe VE Sls = et RS IS ae eae eT pn me i nee 152 POPULAR MECHANICS ings and keep the abnormally soft ma- terial from being disintegrated by the ac- tion of the lacquer liquids. So much for the preparation of the sur- face. We will now proceed with the fin- ishing of our table. As lacquer covers more solidly than the more transparent enamels, no flat undercoats are. necessary. Two coats of lacquer will ordinarily pro- duce a good finish, although with the very light, delicate colors, three or four coats may sometimes be necessary, especially on larger and more conspicuous surfaces, such as a table top. Lacquer should be flowed on the sur- face with as full a brush as possible with- out causing drips and sags. It should be brushed just as little as possible. If put on and let alone, it will flow together and level out of its own accord. Unlike en- amel finishing, there should be no sand- papering between coats. Lacquer does not sand well, and, while it is possible for the expert to use the very finest sand- paper kept wet with water, the amateur is likely to scratch the sur- face so it will show in the fin- ished effect. The right kind of brushes are important to good results. The First Operation Is a Washing with ap and Water Stiff-bristle brushes are not well suited for lacquering. Soft-hair brushes, such as fitch or bear hair, are best. For the larger surfaces about a 2-in. brush should be used. Legs, rounds, spindles, etc., are most easily coated with an extra-soft brush, such as a camel’s-hair. In addition, the home-furniture finisher should have a small camel’s-hair pencil brush for trim- ming, striping, banding, etc. In using new brushes, the loose hairs, which are always present to some extent even in the highest quality, should be shaken and worked out. In lacquering, the work should be done as quickly as possible, so as to avoid brushing into the material after it has commenced to set. In case, however, any part of the surface has become roughened from brushing or any other cause, it can usually be straightened out by going over the rough place with a full brush of lac- quer. The fresh lacquer will melt into the previously applied material and all level out together. If the coating has be- come too hard to be smoothed out in this way, dip the brush into some lacquer thinner and brush over the surface; if deftly done, it will produce a good job. In case a hair is shed into the work, poke with the brush and pick it up. Keep on the watch for loose hairs, and when one is seen, poke it out at once, as they are very disfiguring in a fine finish. It’s the individual finishing touches that give a smart appearance to the occasional piece. Transfer patterns, art medallions and other designs add interest and charm. They are easily applied, directions for use generally accompanying the particular kind purchased. Carvings may be used to advantage. In the accompanying illustration, the relief design in the molding around the edge of the table top was brought out by wip- ing over the carving with a cloth dipped in the trim color, holding the cloth tight — — ae mm -n ._ > =o es ot ok ~ Fe —~— -— -— Fee a — —s = mi liat & oe

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POPULAR over the fingers, so that a tint of the trim color was applied to the raised parts of the carving, leaving the body color show- ing in the depressions. The border around the table top, which looks difficult for the novice, is really not so hard to do. After the top is lacquered white all over, a line is traced on the sur- face about 1%4 or 2 in. from the edge, fol- lowing the shape of the top. This may be done with a stick through which a nail has been driven, with a hole bored about 1% or 2 in, away, in which a pencil is placed. The stick is then moved around the top, with the nail against the edge; the pencil thus tracing a line following the shape of the top about 1% or 2 in. from the edge. The border color is then painted in be- tween this guide line and the edge of the table, using a small camel’s-hair pencil brush to do a strip, about % or &% in. wide, close to the guide line, and a wider brush to fill in the rest of the border. Reference was just made to lacquer thinner. No lacquering should be started without having at hand a small container of thinner of the same make as the lacquer you are using. While it may be employed for reducing the lacquer, it is seldom needed for this purpose unless the lacquer has been kept on hand for a considerable length of time without being tightly cov- ered, but it will be found a great con- MECHANICS 153 venience in many differ- ent ways while doing the work. Through its use, the finished work can be cleaned up where mis- strokes and spatters have A Good Foundation, Well Sand- papered, Is the Secret of a Fine Finish in a Lacquer Job = WZ gone where they shouldn’t; faulty work can be wiped off and started over; lacquer spilled or dropped on the floor can be wiped up; spots can be removed from clothing; the hands kept clean; brushes cleaned, etc. No other solvent acts so ef- fectively. Alcohol may be used, but it is not anywhere near so satisfactory. With a can of lacquer thinner and a clean cloth right at hand, lacquering can be made a clean operation instead of a dauby, sticky, smeary one. When through lacquering, of course, the brushes should be cleaned. Lacquer thinner will do it quickly and easily. Or- dinarily, it is also a good thing for the amateur painter to foliow this cleaning with a washing with hot water and soap. The professional finisher, it is true, rarely allows water to touch his brushes, but for the average home finisher, who usually has only a limited amount of thinner on

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154 POPULAR MECHANICS especially very soft woods, such as poplar, whitewood, etc., as the shellac coating will sandpaper down to a smooth, level foun- dation for the lacquer, and will seal the absorbent soft wood so that a finish of depth and richness can be produced with a saving of one or two coats of lacquer. When finished with the job, be sure that the cover of the can of lacquer is forced down as tightly as possible, as the solvent evaporates rapidly. If you have been using a mixed color, put it into a can or jar that can be sealed airtight, and that has previously been cleaned with al- cohol or lacquer thin- ner. A mason jar makes a good con- tainer, as the color of the lacquer can be seen at a glance, and the rubber gasket, which you should not The Finished Table; Note How the Carving Has Been Used When Trimming hand, this further cleansing is better than leaving some of the material in the brush to get hard. If wiped dry at once, it will do no particular harm. ~— The brush should then _be placed in a paper bag or wrapped in a newspaper to keep it dustfree. Unpainted breakfast sets and novelty furniture now sold in nearly every locality can be finished in lacquer in essentially the same manner as furniture. The wash- up with soap and water, and the wipe-off with gasoline to insure against the pres- ence of greasy substances are of course unnecessary. The surface, however, should be sandpapered to extreme smoothness, with the grain of the wood. While these pieces, as they come from the store, seem smooth at first sight, they are only machine-sanded, and the surface is really full of tiny scratches which will show in the finished effect, no matter how many coats are applied; therefore, they must be sanded out for a fine finish. And finally, it is advisable to apply a thin coat of shellac over new wood before finishing with lacquer, Lo A Full Brush and a Wet Edge Are Essen- tial to an Effective Job fail to put on, makes it airtight and keeps it in good condition for future use.

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POPULAR MECHANICS 155 Vinegar as Substitute for Oil Makes Paint Stick to Cement When I painted my home, I wanted to touch up the cement rail on the porch. I used the same paint as for the wood trim, but found that it soon peeled off. An old painter told me a trick to prevent this. Let your paint stand a day or so, then draw off the oil that collects on top. Sub- stitute vinegar for the oil, and your paint will stick to the cement as well as ordi- nary paint sticks to wood.—Bjorn Winger, Indianapolis, Ind. Floating “Gardens” of Flowering Bulbs Grown Indoors Bulbs can be grown indoors during the winter by floating them in a dish of water as shown. Obtain a piece of cork bark from a florist and cut this to the shape shown, to form a small “island” fitting in a large dish. Purchase some bulbs of muscari, snowdrops, crocus, scillas or Ro- man hyacinths, and cut holes in the bark so that the bulbs will fit in them tightly. Fill the dish with water and place the cork holding the bulbs on the water. Set the whole in a dark closet until the bulbs are well rooted, after which the “garden” can be taken into the living room for flower- ing. Grass seed sown on the bark when taken into the warm room will soon grow, forming an attractive natural setting for the bulbs. The best effects can be had by planting several small islands, either in one large dish or in several little ones, Bulbs Can Be Grown in This Novel Floating “Garden” Homemade with different bulbs, one variety on each island.—T. Sheward, Victoria, Can. Safety Harness for the Falling Out of the Crib Baby Prevents Him from Safety Girdle for the Child Who Climbs When a child manifests his acrobatic instinct by trying to get out of his crib or high chair, the illustrated safety girdles will be found to prevent painful and often serious consequences. The girdle shown in the left-hand detail was made from a baby’s waist that buttons in the back. On each side of the waist, near the bottom edge, two lengths of strong, soft woven belting were sewed on securely. When the child is put in the crib, the belting is tied at the four corners as indicated. This harness permits the child to turn over, to sit and stand up in the crib, but prevents him from getting out. Another form of girdle, shown in the right-hand detail, con- sists of a belt and bands having snap fas- teners at the ends so that they can be fastened to screweyes on the high chair.— Lester G. Herbert, Auburn, N. Y. Green Finish for Copper To give copper an antique green finish, proceed as follows: Swab the surface with a mixture consisting of equal parts of vin- egar and salt water and let it stand for a few hours. Then repeat until the desired shade of green has been obtained and wash off with clean water.—L. B. Robbins, Har- wich, Mass.

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POPULAR J ¢ / ; = 4 CARBIDE CuP PIPE COUPLING~ ) Homemade Hunting and Camping Lamp Using Car- bide for Illumination Homemade Hunting Lamp The advantages of carrying a carbide- light generator on the belt or in the hip pocket instead of on the head will be ap- preciated by those who-hunt at night. Be- sides, a single charge in a generator of the kind shown in the drawing, will last much longer than a charge in the small miners’ lamp that is customarily used for night hunting. Most of the parts to make this outfit can be picked up around the house, with the exception of the small lava burner and the brass pipe from which the gener- ator is made. The pipe may be bought from a plumber for a few cents and the burner can be obtained at a sporting- goods store dealing in bicycle headlights, or from a hardware dealer. The water- control valve of the generator and its seat are parts of an old Ford carburetor. The gas pipe running up through the water cup and the hose connection at the re- flector are old tire valves soldered in place as indicated. The valves have the inside MECHANICS check removed, leaving a clear hole. The bronze bushing, through which the car- buretor needle valve screws, and the valve seat are also soldered in place as shown. A tire valve is soldered into the hole in the reflector with the flange on the inside. To work out the hole in this end of the tire valve to take the lava burner, use a medium-size three-cornered file, inserting it into the hole as far as it will go. Then twist it around to ream out the hole until the burner can be lightly tapped into it, using a little red lead or shellac to make a tight joint. A 3-ft. length of rubber hose connects the generator and reflector. This can be purchased at an automobile- accessory dealer’s, ordinary windshield- wiper hose being satisfactory for the pur- pose. Each end of the hose is fitted with a tire-pump hose connection. A piece of light tin is soldered to the reflector just below the tire valve, and an adjustable leather or canvas headband is fastened to this piece of tin with short brake-band rivets. It is a good idea to cut down the headlight reflector to about 6 in. in diam- eter. This will decrease the weight yet it will be just as effective as the whole re- flector. Insert a small piece of flannel or woolen cloth into the hole in the gas pipe that runs up through the water cup. This serves as a strainer, keeping the tiny par- ticles of carbide from choking the hole in the burner.—W. T. Clayton, Jr., Mag- nolia, Miss. Bicycle Tube Covers Tire Chain When two tires are carried on the spare rack of an auto, the regular lock and chain will not reach around them. A length of ordinary welded-link chain will be strong enough forall pur- poses, and its ap- pearance can be improved by cov- ering it with a sec- tion of bicycle tire. This will also prevent the chain from rubbing off paint. @When drawing ink lines with a ruler, turn it upside down, and the edge will not smear the fresh ink.

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All Shop Notes published in 1927, in book form—Fifty Cents—from our Book Department Power Saw Made from Buffing Head By W. CLYDE LAMMEY OUBTLESS many home workers have looked longingly at the excellent small power saws now on the market and at the same time felt that they could not in- vest the price asked for a good outfit. Here is a saw rig, a self-contained port- able unit, that may be constructed at a cost less than that of a small saw table alone. Carefully made, it will do the com- mon operations of ripping, crosscutting, Plowing the Groove for the Crosscut Guide; in the Inset, the Buffing Head Is Shown in Position, with Front of Pedestal Removed 157

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158 POPULAR mitering and even dadoing infinitely faster and easier than hand methods, and will turn out work that is accurate enough for any practical purpose. To the worker who owns neither, the first consideration is the motor and the buffing or polishing head, which last is used as a mandrel to carry the saw blade. A good rebuilt 4 or %-hp. motor can be bought at an electrical contracting shop for from $8 to $12, and possibly cheaper, and a buffing head such as a “Millers Falls” No. 252, which is best suited to the purpose, usually costs $3.75 new. Along with the buffing head, get two very small grease cups and a %-in. pipe tap. As the first step, ream out the oil holes in the bearings of the head, and tap out for the cups. As the saw must run at a speed of 3,500 r.p.m. for the best work, it is essential that the bearings should have constant lubrication. Get also at the same time a piece of 4%-in. iron rod, 8 in. long, and, if no die is available in the shop, have a thread, 4 in. long, cut on the rod. Be- low the thread, bend the remaining 4 in. to form a crank, as shown in Fig. 1. Ob- tdin a 4-in. piece of %-in. thick strap iron and tap a \%-in. hole through, to take the threaded end of the crank. Bore two holes in the iron for wood screws. For the pedestal, cut two pieces from 1 by 10-in. pine stock, one 36 in. long, the other 30 in., and from the same stock rip two pieces, 36 and 32 in. long and 3% in. wide. Plane these last to exactly 3% in., making sure that the edges are square with the face. Take the 1 by 10 by 30-in. piece, and, with the marking gauge set to 1% in., scribe lines back 7 in. from the end on each edge. Scribe a semicircle joining the two ends and saw out the waste with the compass saw. This opening allows ample room to get at the motor pulley. Put the long side and end of the pedestal together first, using screws and glue and making sure that the pieces are square. Place the polishing head in its relative position, having the base firm against the narrow upright of the pedestal, and mark the width of a slot to accommodate the bearing. Ascertain the radius of the spin- dle pulley and use this as a measurement in centering the hole for the slot, allow- ing % in. for additional clearance. Saw out the waste and place the head in posi- MECHANICS tion. It will be found that a portion of the iron base must be removed to allow the saw table to drop flat. Mark this care- fully and cut off with the hacksaw. Bore two holes for screws to take the place of the one removed. Mark and saw a slot in the end of the other wide piece, using the same measure- ment as before, and after fastening this piece, tighten the head in position with screws. This assembly is shown in the photo on page 157. Secure the other nar- row piece in place, thus completing the pedestal. The base is 14% in. wide and 18 in. long, the main portion of two pieces, doweled and glued together and supported on four square blocks as shown in one photo. The pedestal is secured to the base with. long screws, using glue for added rigidity. The size of the motor shelf must be determined by the type of motor used. It is cut to a tight fit in the pedestal and further supported by the piece A, Fig. 1, which extends through, under the shelf. Carefully put together, with all edges true, this makes a permanently rigid mounting. The table measures 16 by 19 in. when complete, and is built up of clear yellow pine, the several pieces being: doweled and glued. Rip a piece 6 ft. long and 4% in. wide from ordinary stock, cut into four pieces, 18 in. long, and carefully square the edges with the jointing plane. Using three %-in. dowels, glue the two center pieces together and plow a % by %-in. groove 2\%4 in. from the left-hand edge, planing from the front of the table as shown in photo on page 157. Before al- lowing the glue to set and while in the clamps, glue and screw two pieces, 1 by % by 16 in., one across the ends of the dow- eled table pieces and the other to the lower edge, as shown in the photo, page 160. As the surface must be planed true, it will be found that these pieces, attached in the manner described, will be a great aid in getting a true surface. After plan- ing, the one piece at the front of the table is removed by taking out the screws and hitting it a smart rap with the hammer. The extra labor will be found well worth while, as this surface must be as true as it is possible to make it. Rip a table support from yellow pine stock, 1 by 3 by 14% in., and, after shaping the ends as in the inset photo, page 160,

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POPULAR MECHANICS 159 center a single screw at the lower edge, making sure before tightening that the top edge is even with the top of the pedestal. Place the table carefully in position, hold it with clamps, as shown, and fasten the hinges. Have the clamps fairly tight as this causes the table to bind slightly when dropped flat and tends to hold it rigid. Raise the table, place the motor in line with the spindle pulley, put on the belt and saw blade, and after starting the mo- tor, bring the table down slowly until flat, letting the blade cut a slot in the table top. Place a square against the blade with the table down, bring the blade square with the surface and tighten the two remaining screws in the support at the rear of ‘the table. Rip a piece of yellow-pine stock to 24- in. width and 16-in, length and, centering marking gauge set, first to % in. and next to % in., scribe two lines connecting the holes. Saw out the waste with the com- pass saw and smooth the slot with the rasp. Remove the narrow piece at the front of the table and glue and screw this last in position, It is supported by pieces along the sides of the table, as shown in the photo to the right of Fig. 1. The shape of the piece supporting the rip guide is optional, of course, but it should be at least the length shown in or- der to hold the guide true. Cut it from a seasoned piece of hardwood and, for the guide proper, rip from seasoned stock two pieces, 2 in. wide and 14 in. long, and glue together, squaring one end carefully. Se- cure to the support with screws and, plac- ing the guide on the table, plane the inside face of the support until, when tightened 3%4 in. from one edge and both ends, bore a %-in. hole at the ends. in position, it brings the guide square with the saw. Use a thumbnut on the bolt CROSSCUT GUIDE FRC:.T ELEVATION Fis.! RIP GUIDE Left, View of Finished Saw, with Rip Guide in Position; Right, Table Raised, Showing Mounting of Crank; Note Threaded Strap to Bind Table

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160 POPULAR for adjustment. As will be seen, the guide can be used on either side of the saw, giving a ripping capacity of 7% in. The photo on page 159 makes the mounting of the raising and lowering screw or crank so obvious and its use so apparent, that no further comment is nec- essary save that, in addition to its use with the dado head to regulate the groove, it is well worth: the trouble, as the table can be held solidly on the pedestal by tighten- ing the screw into the tapped plate. - This, together with the binding of the hinges, holds the table rigid at all times. Finish the top of the table with two coats of shellac after sanding smooth. This makes a hard surface that greatly facilitates handling the work. The crosscut guide is made from two pieces fastened together at right angles and held to the narrow guide rod with MECHANICS screws after squaring with the saw. If it is desired to cut a particular miter, an- other guide is easily made for the purpose and set to the required angle with a T- bevel held against the blade. The saw shown in the photo has been used for nearly a year and is accurate enough for any practical purpose. A small dado head has been used extensively, do- ing very fine work, The total cost, ped- estal and base, motor, belt, buffing head, table, and one saw blade, 6 in. in diameter, together with brushing lacquer and shellac finish, was less than twenty dollars. @A good belt dressing can be made by melting beeswax in neat’s-foot oil in the proportion of % lb. of wax to &% gal. of oil; melting the wax first, then adding the oil slowly and stirring constantly to get it thoroughly compounded. “ae — ea Preparing Glued-Up Stock of Table for Planing; Inset, Method of Hinging Table to Support r lov cis we an fac in. lor ins ed ter of the ter thi ins 9 ij ing the tise ter crc Ch to.

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(Continued from the November, 1928, Issue) HE ROWING machine to be described is equipped with a sliding seat which al- lows a 5-ft. stroke and is an excellent exer- ciser, simple in design, yet substantial, and well suited to its purpose. Fig. 1 is a detail of the sills. Cut a piece of sized 2 by 4-in. stock 5 ft. 4% in. long, and choose a good edge and good side as faces. On one end lay out for a tenon, 4% in. thick, centering on the edges, and 2 in. long. Gauge it for a width of 2% in., giv- ing a shoulder, % in. wide, on the lower edge. On the other end lay out for a tenon, 1% in, wide, centering on the width of the piece, and having full thickness of the stock. Gauge for a mortise, % by 2% in., cen- tering on the upper edge, 6 in. from the thin tenon shoulders, and center on the inside face a mortise, 1% in. square, 2 ft. 9 in. from the shoulders of the thick tenon. A triangular notch, 3% in. long and slop- ing % in., is cut in the upper edge, with the deep end 6 in. from the square mor- tise. Cut the notches forming the thick tenon, rip the sides of the thin mortise, crosscut the shoulders and rip to width. Chisel out the narrow mortise in the edge toadepth of 2in. Bore the center of the square mortise 1 in. corners with a chisel. a pair with the first. The sills are tied together by three cross rails. Fig. 2 shows the forward track rail, the tenons of which enter the square mortises near the middle of the sills. It is of 2 by 4-in. surfaced stock, cut 24% in. long, with 1%4-in. wide tenons cen- tering on the width of each end, made by cutting 1 by 1%-in. notches out of top and bottom edges. To carry the ends of the track, make a notch, % in. wide and 1 in. deep, in the upper edge, 4% in. back from the tenon shoulders, The rear track rail, illustrated in Fig. 3, has a notch center- ing on each end, 1% in. wide, which fits over the sill-end tenon. Cut track notches as in the forward rail. The lower weight rail, Fig. 4, being sub- ject to blows from the weight, is of 3 by 4-in. stock, cut 1 ft. 11% in. long, with a l-in. thick tenon, 4 in. long, centering on the thickness of each end. These are 2% in. wide, flush with the upper edge and ¥% in. above the lower edge. Each track is of 1 by 4-in. stock, sized to % by 3% in. and cut 3 ft. long. The upper edge is tapered evenly from both deep, and trim the The other sill forms 161

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162 POPULAR MECHANICS 115 = — == a = — sath i= —— n re ell a hes sear bY Aas Ee HEE atk a4 | Fic.1: SILL, 2 REQUIRED os a | " 1" : i 255 REAR TRACK RAIL Fic.3 ——— . ill. we —— = ATs sal F _— “ ‘ ar e ” e—~ *| 3” aa 235 a a J ~ hoe -" 3 a 1 eh ——— a te it - - ‘taal LOWER WEIGHT RAIL Fi 4 16.4 SS Gh ae + * re as 3 - ¥ a 36° Fic.5 TRACK DETAIL sides, beginning 1 in. down, until the top is % in. thick, and this is rounded off, as in Fig. 5. Notch the lower edge of each end 1% by 1% in., to fit into the rail notches, so that the track projects above the sills and rails 1 in. The pulley posts, detailed in Fig. 6, are of 2 by 3-in. stock, sized to 1%4 by 2% in. Cut a piece 4 ft. 7 in. long, and lay out for a tenon on the lower end, 4 in. thick and 2 in. long, centering on the thickness, full width of the stock, and on the upper end, for a tenon, 1 in. wide and 1% in. long, centering on the width. On the inner face, 2 ft. 4% in. below the shoulder of the up- per tenon, center a mortise, 1 in. wide by 1% in, long, to be cut 1 in. deep. A brace notch, 3% in. long, sloping from nothing at the bottom to % in. deep at the top, is lo- cated 9% in. below the mortise, on the rear edge, while a like notch is cut in the other edge 24 in. above it, or 11% in. from the shoulder of the lower tenon. Each guide post is of 2 by 3-in. stock, cut 4 ft. 10 in. long, with the upper end worked in a tenon, 1 in. wide and 1% in. long, centering on the side. A mortise, % to receive the end tenon of a sill, is centered on the rear edge and hol- lowed out 2 in. deep, while, on the inner face, another, 1 by 23% in., to receive the weight-rail tenon, is made. The brace notch is like those on the pulley posts, the deep upper end being 2 ft. 634 in. below the upper tenon shoulders. (See Fig. 7.) Make the upper weight rail, and the upper and lower pulley-post rails, of 2 by 3-in, stock. The upper weight rail, as in Fig. 8, is notched on each end, centering on the faces, 1 in. wide and 114 in. deep, for fitting over the tenons of the guide posts. Centering on the stock, width and length, bore two %-in. holes 34 in. apart, for bolts to secure the pulley hanger. Make the upper pulley-post rail, shown in Fig. 9, the same, except that the holes are omitted, and in one edge a notch, 3% in. deep and 3%4 in. long, centering on the length, is cut. The lower rail is like it, except that instead of notches in the ends, tenons lin. wide, are made. (See Fig. 10.) by 234 in., Assemble the sills and posts with the to see that the joints are good rails dry, — ‘sent | kt 7 att

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POPULAR ix = =— —32% —— = 22 = Sz == Be kis e— 303 ——#- 35 + 173 t 3 +25 ' ' | ly! i" re, ee

——_ - 4-10" —— — . >| GUIDE POST, 2 REQ. Fic.7 —i- -— —_—_—_— — = Zac ms "2 J 9° >» ES cons EE = - co 2 i —< oe = — rr | 4 e 4 Th a= ——— =) k— 9" +- 35-4 95" 4 UPPER WEIGHT RAIL Fic.8 \

and that no long tenons or shallow mor- Satisfied on this point, apply glue to both mortises and tenons, and clamp together. Square carefully, and drive two or three six-penny finish nails through the edge of the stock tises prevent their closing up. into the tenons, while under pressure from the clamps. Drive two sixteen-penny cas- ing nails into each end ot the lower weight rail. Wipe off surplus glue. Cut two pieces of 2 by 3-in. stock, 6 in. long, squaring the ends carefully, and clamp them between the upper rails of the posts. keeping them back from the ends 2 in., and toenailing the ends into the rails with eight-penny finish nails. Note that these are not shown on the perspec- tive below Fig. 8. Make the braces of 2 bv 3-in, stock,

MECHANICS 163 scribing each piece individually by hold- ing it behind the posts and sills in posi- tion, and marking with a sharp pencil. Cut carefully to make a snug fit. Slip into place and nail solidly with three sixteen- penny casing nails in each end, driven into holes drilled just large enough to give solid nailing without splitting. Using 1 by 4-in. stock, sized to 34 by 34% in., make the pulley stile shown in Fig. 11. It is 2 ft. 7 , 6-in. through » in. long, with a 5g by mortise worked 2!'4 in, from each end, centering on the stock. Bore these out with a %-in. bit. and trim the sides with a chisel. Slip the ends into the notches of the pulley rails and secure with three No. 10 flat-head wood screws, 114 in. long, in each end.

} 253 + <a ea - a. onal eed | fz 32 eS eS t i” i” ‘ ! f S| f He+-95—-+4-33 t-% 415 —— ee “a ' oy pat \ er eee : f — Jit | | i ie" - ail 6 : j ict w a re ee | [indy | J ta Tey UPPER PULLEY-POST RAIL Fic.9 al; _——_gi-{ LOWER PULLEY . Lo —~e RAIL

Bend up‘a pulley hanger as detailed in Fig. 12, using 44 by 1%-in. iron cut 11 in. Bend to a “U” drel, and bend back the ends to a line 314 in. from the lower end. Drill the ends with %6-in. holes, 314 in. apart, to receive 4-in. bolts, and 11% in. long. over a 5g-in, man- from the bottom, centering on the stock, drill a through both sides. to carry a snike for securing the pulley. Jolt the hanger un der the upper weight rail with bolts 2% in. long. 14-1n. hole The weight box (Fig. 14) is 19 bv 18 by 12 in., inside measurements, giving a sand capacity of over 100 lb., or a possible re-

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164 POPULAR MECHANICS $x 25 PULLEY SLOTS7~-—__% > axez t= E> Ghef'stor, keting” ee \ STOCK ) aa §XI2" SLOT

—® 33$'k31} BOARD PULLEY STILE PULLEY POST RAIL\ Fic. ey L Lae

PULLEY HANGER Fic .12

| les —s ihe Fic.14: WEIGHT BOX "i ~ a 24e~ - a akp | . F WEIGHT_2~ 1 ie Bip . ‘ bw i el | ee ut i ri | RAM. : it I fy lg Pe | St t iY ~ [ if i] Led — 255° ~} PULLEY POSTS ~ oy > 4 | haa : \ \ ‘N) Zea || | Sealhlis le”6h—|l6 | \ %» Sti o | } = ' | } { \ ||| __-L puLLey STILE 4 Ij | | | mesial | At | | : ) \}e|---+GuIDE Post —rl))| >. Sas 4 \ =, LOWER xl Js | ae ja \ \ ms PULLEY ~_ _ 128" 1 \ + oe RAIL poeeai ants _ a) | \ eet, <a ne 2 a ao ‘m! - + TEN | N 4 \ + = —_ die | Nie a a} \\ \\ SEAT Fic.15 WHEEL FRAME WE ———} - —-| weient__F)\\\ \ 1s. Nh : =H}. BOX \\ \ SEAT ~~ \y—— ° i)\\ LOWER fi\\/\\ | @ SS ¢! — \ a WEIGHT ~ Ww y {3 NN. HH | ore RAIL || Serer SS <—— ¥ CN % y os Wi = ee at a apt ae ey he __ 2S a ae D Nl ieee Reinert \_ a

Fic .13 sistance of about 60 Ib. to the person using the machine. By the addition of iron, or of lead shot, the weight can be consid- erably increased. Attach the guide strips by means of a single screw at the upper end of each, and swing the lower ends outward so as to slip into the grooves of the box guides, when, they can be pushed back and screwed in place. Raise and lower the box to test the, operation, and make necessary correc- tions. Rub the slides with paraffin or bees- wax for lubrication. The seat (Fig. 15) is of 1 by 12-in. stock, made 11 in. wide and 16% in. long, with the front edge rounded and the near edge beveled, so that the back, which is 3% in. wide, will slope back %4 in. when butted against it. This seat rests on a wheel frame as shown. Make two pieces, 3%

by 121% in., of 1-in. stock, and, centering 2% in. from the outer edges, cut two pulley mortises, 5g by 2% in., 4 in. from each end, Join these by two pieces of 1 by 3-in. stock, 1 ft. 4% in. long, screwed on, edgewise, square across, 3% in. from each end. Make two seat sides as in Fig. 13, 1214 in. long, with the upper edges sloping, the front ends 4¥4 in. wide, and the back edges 6 in. Screw these to the ends of the seat, and put four sash pulleys in their mortises from the bottom, slipping a sixteen-penny common nail through the center of each, to prevent them from dropping out. Nail to the rear end of the machine frame a 3 by 4-in. block, 8 in. long, notched to slip under the rail 1 in., the 1%4-in. projection below forming a foot. The 2-in, pro- jection above acts as a stop for the seat. Cut a piece of 1 by 6-in. stock 2 ft. 1%

=o eye ete — = we

Page 171

ng ny ch, ail a 3 lip ion ro- ly, POPULAR in. long, and notch the ends so that it can be slipped between the sills and under the braces as a footrest, where it is nailed sol- idly. Screw on top two loops of leather as toe clips, to enable the person using the machine to draw the seat forward after a backward stroke. Insert the pulleys in the frame mortises. Pass the end of a piece of sash cord through the box pulley from front to back, and tié it to a heavy screweve driven into the upper weight rail as close as practical to the pulley hanger there. Pass the other end through the two upper pulleys, and through the lower pulley from the back. Block the weight box up from the rail 2 in., and tie a handle of broomstick or an 18-in. length of 1%-in. full-round stock to the cord just below the pulley. To diminish shocks from the weight box, tack three or four short sections of tire casings to the upper sides of the lower rail. Fill the box with sand until the weight desired is reached, put the seat on the track, and the machine is ready for use. The person exercising with it sits down, grasps the handle with both hands, and pulls backward as in rowing, at the same time straightening out both legs Quick Repair on Large Wheel On’ a large bull wheel, which had cracked, the illustrated repair proved en- tirely satisfactory. A hole was drilled in each of two adjacent arms between which the rim was cracked, and pins were driven in to permit the attachment of a turn- TURNBUCKLE ) buckle. It is, es of course, nec- essary that the pins be set at a slight angle, to prevent the turnbuckle from slipping off when it is tightened. Al- though this repair is not intended to be permanent, it will serve ex- cellently in an emergency.—James MclIn- tyre, Hartford, Conn, MECHANICS 165 Convenient Nut-and-Washer Carrier In performing work on which a large assortment of nuts, washers, etc., are re- “ aT | a Simple Carrier Which Holds a Large Assortment of Nuts and Washers quired at widely separated points, the car- rier shown herewith will be extremely use- ful. The base consists of a 10 by 12-in. section of heavy board, with a bolt cross- wise through each end to reinforce it. Numerous %-in. holes are drilled through the base and 10-in. lengths of “%-in. rod inserted in them. One end of each rod threaded for some distance, so that two nuts, one on either side, will hold it to the base. A slightly longer rod, with a loop bent at the top, serves as a handle and is fastened to the center of the base in the same way.—Jos. C. Coyle, Denver, Colorado. Coating Battery Terminals A preparation consisting of three parts of paraffin and one part of sealing wax of the kind used in dry cells, makes an ex- cellent coating for battery terminals, wires etc. The two ingredients are melted to- gether, and the mixture, applied while hot, will flow readily. Paraffin is too thin to be used alone for coating and the sealing wax dries too quickly, if used without the paraffin—John E. Boxtow, Max, N. Dak.

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Short Cuts and Kinks to Besides Being Neat, This Is the Proper Way of Piling House-Moving Jacks; Lengths of Wood Are Used to Hold the Jacks in Tiers Above, Driving Spikes into Pavement Is Rather Hard on It, but When No Other Means Are Available, This Method of Obtaining Anchor- age for the House Mover’s Pulleys Must Sometimes Be Resorted To; Right, Method of Attaching a House Mover’s Pulley to a Beam for Turn- ing a Line at an Angle of Ninety Degrees Left, Triangular Braces Made of Iron and Attached to the Edge of the Trapdoors Hold Them Vertically When They Are Opened 166

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Aid Builder and Contractor Saw-Filing Rack, Knocked To- gether in a Few Minutes, Has Proved to Be a Convenience to the Workers on the Job Large Breaks in the Lathing Should Be Spanned with Wire Lath to Prevent the Finished Plaster from Cracking Two Views of Delivery Apertures to Make Apartinent Buildings Convenient; with the Use of a Combination Frame, Such an Installation Is a Simple Matter

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POPULAR A Novel Lathe Job ANGLE PIECE C How to Turn Down a Shaft to Which Metal Arms Are Welded A short time ago a shaft like the one illustrated was brought to a jobbing shop to be turned down. It was impossible to remove the crossarm because it had been welded to the shaft, and we were about to give the job up as impossible when an old-timer suggested that we bolt an angle piece, C, to the tailstock and fasten the lathe. cross slide to the angle plate as shown, With this arrangement we had no difficulty in turning the shaft.—C. Kugler, Philadelphia, Pa. Smokeless Chimney Top When the wind strikes the top edge of the ordinary straight flat-top chimney, it curls over and enters the chimney, forc- ing the ascending air and smoke down again. This trouble can readily be over- come by topping the chimney as shown CEMENT in the draw- ing, which causes all air currents to move upward and away from the opening. A chimney so built need not be so high as the ordinary type, especially where roofs pitch up and away from it. In repairing old, broken MECHANICS chimneys it is worth while to use a few bricks and cement to make them con- form to this shape. A chimney should have 1 ft. of draft to every 10 sq. ft. of open fireplace, in order to draw properly. —Wnm. H. Berger, Asheville, N. C. Improvised Speed Indicator Many small shops do not possess a speed indicator, although there are many occa- sions when it would be well to know just at what speed a lathe, milling machine or drill-press spindle is running. Here is a simple method that I have used success- fully. Get a long bolt or stud with a nut on it that turns easily. Grip the stud in the chuck and have the nut on the end. Start the machine and grip the nut the moment the second hand of your watch Hold the nut ten seconds and then let it go. The nut starts and stops immediately reaches 60. for exactly when it is gripped and released, so the number of revolutions will be the number of threads the nut moves. By multiplying this num- ber by six the r.p.m, is obtained.—Harry Moore, Montreal, Can. Measuring the Diameter of Columns and Pipes often are confronted with the problem of measur- ing the diam- eter ofacolumn or pipe accu- rately without the use of tools intended for that purpose. Carpenters and mechanics sy using two squares and holding them against the col- umn and each other as shown, the exact diameter of the column at the point where the squares are touching it, can be read. When small pipe diameters have to be measured, and no gauge is handy, take a monkey wrench and tighten it on the pipe. The distance between the open jaws of the wrench is equal to the diameter of the pipe—Louis Ferry, New York City.

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POPULAR Rigid Drill-Press Stop Small drills sometimes break as they come through the work, occasionally when the bottom is a level surface but more often tvhen the bottom of the work is angu- lar, forcing the drill to cut on one side. In the drawing, a cam at- tachment is shown that holds the drill steady when the drill breaks through. The cam is made of flat stock and is attached to the pinion shaft with two screws. The reg- ular stop on the machine is used, but a longer tightening screw is provided. To set the attachment, bring the drill down to the point where it will be when it begins to break through the work. Then tighten the cam attachment in the position shown, and also the stop, so that the tightening-screw head will just enter the slot. As the drill is fed down the screw head is engaged in the slot, and the jump-

MECHANICS 169

ing motion that takes place when For the Beekeeper; Portable Tool Box Divided into Several Com- the spindle is free, is stopped. To locate the position of the cam slot, make the blank first and fasten it in place so that it will just touch the end of the stop screw. Smear the end of the screw with Prussian blue and turn the spindle handle. The result will be a well-defined marking of the slot position. It will be found that a smooth, even feed can be obtained in this manner and that it will be similar to the

\ DRILL HANDLE? DISTANCE OF Cam} . ENGAGEMENT —

a <=\ SN ~Y \ Cam Holds Drill-Press Spindle Steady and Prevents Breakage of Small Drills regular power feed on the larger ma- chines.—Harry Moore, Montreal, Can. partments to Facilitate Finding Tools and Supplies Portable Tool Box for Beekeeper When carrying tools, nails and other supplies in a one-compartment tool kit, it is often necessary to fumble around for a while before finding the particular tool wanted. To eliminate this trouble and waste of time, a Texas beekeeper made the portable box shown in the illustration. A small drawer, divided into several com- partments, holds the nails, screws and sim- ilar small supplies, while the two open ends of the box accommodate tools and larger equipment. Each item has its own place in the kit where the worker can al- ways find it. Two slots, cut in the top of the box, provide handholds for carrying.— David J. Morris, Weir, Tex. Patching and Prolonging Life of Auto Tops After being used for two seasons, the rubber-composition top of an automobile is likely to develop holes where creases occur. To close each opening, and pre- vent water from dripping through, cut a circular patch of canvas, coat one side

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170 POPULAR with tire cement, and also coat the inside of the top around the hole. Let the ce- ment dry for a few minutes, and then coat both the top and the patch again lib- erally. Leave them for 10 or 15 minutes, after which place the patch in position, and hold a heated flatiron over it, thereby curing the cement and making it hold. The cracking and peeling of the rubber is caused by exposure to rain and sunshine. After the first year, the composition looks dry and rusty, and the threads, which hold it together, begin to break; but the top Sling for Working on Large Smokestacks On a job of riveting a huge, round smokestack, the illustrated sling was found to facilitate the work considerably, as it permitted the workers to travel around MECHANICS will last three times as long if it is rubbed with body wax four or five times a year. Do not use liquid polish, but paste, as this has more body and affords more protec- tion, being remarkably effective in shed- ding water, so that the fabric under the When the w dows in the side and rear curtains begin rubber does not decay. In- to look yellow with age, a cloth dipped in vinegar will clean the celluloid, thereby improving the appearance of the windows and affording clearer vision to the driver of the car. the stack. They are mounted between the arms of a U-shaped length of flat iron, which, extending down on both sides of the stack, makes the sling entirely safe. Besides these two rollers another pair is attached to the front edge of the sling so that it will move smoothly around the stack.—M. A. Avers, San Francisco, California. Polishing Shellac The application of shel- lac-varnish by PULLEY \ means of . ‘ a pad mgistened with the varnish is an old-time FLAT i practice, and is called IRON * French polishing. This ‘ ‘ 4 is a tedious and irksome job. It is possible, how- ever, to make a shellac- SECTION varnish which can be put . OF on with a brush and can CHIMNEY then be polished immedi- Sling Having Two Sets of Rollers Makes It Easy to Shove Around a Huge, Round Smokestack detail of the trouble. The arrangement without exact stack the the shows grooved rollers that ride on the edge of ? ately with a dry cloth. This method is practical for large pieces, and gives : a finish that is hardly ex- celled varnish. The main thing is to get the proportions right. Take % lb. of shellac, put it in a can and pour over it 6 oz. of denatured al- cohol. Shake this with a circular motion until the shellac is completely dis- solved. Strain the mixture through a coarse cheesecloth and add 1 oz. boiled linseed oil. After shaking again, it is ready. by any

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Apply the mixture with a brush, putting ona thin coat atatime. Rub lightly with a folded cloth until dry, then apply more, repeating the process until the desired thickness is obtained. The varnish should be brushed on quickly and the rubbing commenced at once: Hence, too much surface should not be covered at one time. There will be no laps in the varnish when it is applied in this way, and no care need be taken to cover the surface evenly with the brush as the rubbing spreads the coat. A great deal depends on the manner of rubbing. If rubbed too hard at first, the varnish will be nearly all wiped off, and very little added to the thickness of the coat. The rubbing should begin just as gently as possible and, with a few very light passes, the varnish begins to set and take on a polish. Then it can be rubbed harder. In this way, quite a thickness is added each time. The varnish may be colored any shade desired. If made black, with dry lampblack or dropblack ground in japan, it is fine for touching up bad spots on your car, especially On the fenders. The latter can be finished off in a few minutes so that they cannot be no- ticed. If there is a break in the enamel so that there is a standing edge around the break, or any roughness, the place should be smoothed off with fine sand- paper. Even though the enamel is cut to the metal, the spot can be repaired per- fectly—J. H. Downie, San Antonio, Tex. Rubber Roll for Cleaning Glass For cleaning glass with soap and water, or other preparation having a slight abra- sive in it, a handy device can be made by cutting a strip of old inner tube, rolling it up and tying it securely as shown in the photo. It can be held easily and facilitates the removal of hard, gummed dirt, which is rather difficult to clean off with a rag in the usual way.— F. W. Bentley, Jr., Missouri Valley, Iowa. POPULAR MECHANICS Thawing Out Frozen Radiator The owner of a small garage combined his servicing of cars with occasional re- pair work. During cold weather, he an- Thawing Out Frozen Radiators Is a Trade-Getting” Feature for the Small Garage nounced a service of thawing out frozen radiators. The garage was steam-heated, so he equipped one of the radiators with a large sheet-iron shield, bent over at the top as shown and extending far enough to cover the front end of acar. The heat directed against the frozen auto radiator melted the ice in a few moments. With the motor left running, the fan helped to draw the hot air through, hastening the process considerably. A small sum was charged for this service, but it was free if the car owner purchased alcohol or other supplies. The shield should be braced by means of two lengths of pipe as indicated. —Dale R. Van Horn, Lincoln, Nebr. Brush Finish for Brass Brass and similar metals may be given a brush finish by rubbing them with steel wool, Care should be taken that the rub- bing is done in one direction, otherwise a scratched surface will result. Lacquer should be applied to prevent tarnishing. A thin solution of white shellac in alcohol, applied with a brush, is satisfactory as a lacquer for large work, and small pieces may be dipped in it—Claude C. Soots, North Salem, Ind.

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Sweepers Will Appreciate This Dust Box Which Com- bines Utility and Novelty Dust-Box Cover Picks Up Sweepings Utility and novelty are combined in the dust box shown in the illustration, as the cover is used as an ordinary dust pan to pick up sweepings, which are then emptied into the box by merely closing the cover. With the cover laid on the floor both hands of the worker are free to use the broom. The box itself may be of either wood or metal, but the lid should be made of galvanized sheet iron, shaped with a V- pocket in the center as indicated. The box handle can be made of round steel rod, bent to shape and sprung into holes in the ends of the box as shown. Emergency Shaft Coupling Made with Rawhide Belt Lacing A machinist found it necessary to cou- ple a motor shaft with a pump shaft, so that the drive would be direct. The coupling at the end of each shaft was provided with a disk, or flange, with bolt holes drilled through it, so that it could be bolted to a corresponding flange on another coupling. In this case, however, the flanges did not match, one of them having six bolt holes and the other four; and the circles forming the center lines of POPULAR MECHANICS the two rings of holes were not of the same diameter, so that none of the holes on one flange came opposite a hole on the other. In addition, the two flanges could not be brought within half an inch of each other. The problem was solved by filling up the gap between them with a rubber disk, or gasket, taken from an old pump, and tying the couplings to- gether’ with rawhide belt lacing. The lacing was passed in and out of the bolt holes, and outside the circumference of the rubber gasket. By utilizing a large quantity of lacing, and fastening it se- curely, an excellent connection was made, which did duty for several months with- out giving any trouble.—G. L. Robertsonville, Que., Can. MacLean, Shaping in the Lathe A cheap tool that will increase the util- ity of any lathe by permitting it to be used for shaping, is shown in the drawing. It consists of a block of machined steel in which a slot is cut to receive a tool holder, the latter being pivoted in the block and provided with a thumbscrew so that it can be adjusted to various heights. For shaping keyways, the work is mounted on the lathe faceplace and the block is at tached to the carriage so that the tool is in position for cutting the slot. The car riage is then run back and forth, and the adjusting screw is turned a little to raise the tool for each cut.—Charles Kugler, Philadelphia, Pa. WORK TOOL HOLDER 7 ADJUSTING SCREW Device Which Enables One to Do Shaping in Any Ordinary Lathe

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a OF Se ly POPULAR MECHANICS The Homemade Package Sealer in Use; Inset, the Container, Showing the Screw Soldered in Center and the Cut in the Side for Letting Out the Tape A Homemade Package Sealer By K. B. MURRAY HE DEVICE shown in the illustra- tions is an efficient little machine for holding a roll of adhesive paper, automat- ically moistening it, applying it securely to the package, or other article to be sealed, and finally detaching it from the device with a saw-edge cut. You can make it in a half hour and the cost is negligible. The use of the device is naturally not lim- ited to packages, but here its greatest use is found, as gummed-paper tape, properly applied, is quicker, neater and consider- ably cheaper than cord. The illustrations form a clear guide. A round can and lid are used. Such cans are obtainable anywhere; discarded elec- tricians’ tape cans, wax-polish cans, or any similar containers, may be used. The type illustrated is a candy container, nicely lacquered on the outside. First, solder a short screw or nail in the center of the can to serve as an axle for the roll of gummed paper. An outlet for the strip of paper is made in the side of the can. Solder a strip of clock spring to the lid, so that, when the can is closed, it will act as a brake on the roll of paper. In the absence of tin snips, a stout short- nosed pair of scissors can be used to cut the opening in the side of the container. The clock-spring tape cutter is soldered to the outlet in the side of the can, a saw edge being filed into it. On the opposite side of the outlet is soldered a spring bar, to bring the moistener into contact with the gummed tape. The moistening de- vice is made from a new lamp wick and a small water container. In one photo will be seen the small bottle used to hold the water supply. The wick is rolled at one end to fit into the bottle, the other end being riveted or otherwise fastened to the spring, as shown. The spring is so bent that, when the device is not in use, it will keep the moistener away from the tape. If a piece of clock spring is not available, pieces of spring-brass strip can be used instead, and will be found somewhat easier to solder than the clock spring. Whatever is used should be light and flexible.

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174 POPULAR MECHANICS It is unnecessary to jam the casts very hard, as most of them are low only to the extent of a sheet or two of paper. Since this method was used, no trouble was ex perienced.—Fred Birch, Jr., Glendive, Mont. Taper Attachment for Planer Steep tapers may be cut on the planer by clamp ing a | bar to it, as shown, the bar being set at the proper taper and then used as a guide. As | found that clamps alone were not sufficient to hold the bar in position securely, I used pins as indicated. The vertical cold-rolled stee Above, Lid Removed to Show Spring “Brake’’; Below, Close-Up, Showing Tape Cutter, Moistener and Moistener-Wick Spring Pressing the device down on the pack age brings the moistener into contact with the gummed paper; pulling on the device brings out the wet paper in the strip, forcing it into contact with the package and making a perfect seal. The paper is cut off on the cutter with a lifting and twisting movement. Making Casts Type-High A weekly newspaper shop, which re- ceived some advertising in the form of mats, had difficulty in getting the finished casts type-high. Much time was spent each week in building them up, until an old- time printer happened to come in just as the paper was going to press, and told of the following method of making the casts type-high with very littletrouble: Lay them face down and, with a nail and hammer, “jam” the cast in various places on the back, thus raising the metal at the jammed places. One jam every half inch is usually sufficient. This will bring the cast up to a little better than type height, but when it is placed in the form and planed, it will become just as high as the rest of the form, feed screw is first re- moved and a short bar, equipped with a roller, is attached to ride against the guide bar. A rope with a weight keeps the roller in con- tact with the guide bar. The depth of cut is adjusted by tapping the cutting tool with a hammer. does good work but will not do for heavy cuts as too much pressure is exerted on the guide bar.—C. Kugler, Philadelphia. This cheaply made jig CLAMP =% HT BAR, . ROLLER —4~ 8-9 | -CLAMP 1 pin? hy 1 r ee _curTine WORK ——-—sfhome With This Improvised Jig You Can Cut Steep T=pers on a Planer

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a nmi i) Copyright, Popular Mechanics F YOU are thirty years old, you may expect to live thirty-five years more, ac- cording to mortality tables. Suppose you are now paying $50 a month rent and continue for the next thirty-five years. You will sweeten some landlord’s bank roll to the tune of $21,000. What do you get for that money? Only the privilege of living in another man’s house and a bundle of rent receipts. Your money spent for rent doesn’t buy ownership in a shingle on the roof. ™& Renters Plan No. 5-W-8 Sounds like easy money, doesn’t it? It can be done without any more strain on your pocketbook than paying rent, accord- ing to Equitable savings and loan figures, compiled by Mr. C. G. Leaper, secretary and treasurer, who says, “home ownership is easy to acquire from a modest pay en- velope if you go at the job systematically and don’t build too costly a house. “What is more,” continues Mr. Leaper, “if you pay a landlord $50 a month rent for eighteen years Why not put that money into a home of your own, beat the rent game by $3,500, and finish your life expectancy with a cash estate of $17,- 500 over and above what you pay for your house? A NEW SERVICE To help our readers get started on one of life’s most glorious experiences—building and owning a home—Popular Mechanics Magazine will sup- ply readers a one-sheet blueprint of the house here illustrated for $2. This blueprint does away with the necessity of first purchasing a com- plete set of plans to find out whether you can afford to build. It contains floor plans, eleva- tions, a section, detail, size of joists, studs, etc., and also a brief specification. Submit it to tradesmen and dealers for building estimates. you make a cash outlay of $16,632. This includes inter- est on the money at six per cent averag- ing nine years. “Now, if you turn the same amount of rent into a loan as- sociation for the 175

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POPULAR W:8 ‘as. ase KITCHEN ke Dining Rem. 10-0940" Stove Living Room I76* FO inst FLoon Pan 8 Bed Room M0" 926" Bed Room 15'-0'« 80" Second Toor FLan same length of time, you can buy or build a modest attractive house, costing around $5,000, and you will spend $3,500 less than if you had continued to pay $50 a month rent to a landlord. “By starting with $500 cash payment and stretching $50 a month over eighteen years your total outlay will amount to $13,024, which includes financing charges, interest and cash payments.” To renters these figures may appear surprising. If, however, you are ambi- tious and continue to save $50 a month rent after your home is paid for, you will have accumulated, at the end of seventeen years, which is the balance of your life ex- pectancy, a cash estate of $17,500 pro- vided your money earns six per cent at compound interest. That’s a small for- tune which otherwise might have dribbled away for nonessentials. Old age is no longer a nightmare to look forward to. MECHANICS To “hop off” on a home-ownership jour- ney, you need as well charted a route map to guide you as an aviator requires to nav- igate a transatlantic flight. You certainly want to reach your goal and win that prize —a home of your own and a cash estate. Your route map is a budgeted income. Experts say the percentages are about right: food, twenty-five per cent; operating expense, ten per cent; shelter, twenty-five per cent; advance- ment, twelve and one-half per cent; sav- ings, twelve and one-half per cent. If you are earning $150 a month, you can safely spend from $2,700 to $4,500 for a house. If your income is $200 a month, then from $3,600 to $6,000. At $250 a month, you would be justified in spending from $4,500 to $7,500. A safe rule to follow is not to spend more money for a house than from one and one-half to two and one-half times your yearly income. Your ability to save will determine what you can afford to spend. The house illustrated is the kind of a dwelling that loan associations are glad to help you finance on the easy-payment plan. Why? It meets the needs of the average family; is of a style that outlasts passing fads; following is economical to build and includes all the comforts and conveniences that most people on limited incomes ask for. These features provide good resale value. That’s why it is a good investment. Under normal conditions this is a $5,000 house; the kind that should appeal to the man with moderate income who wants to get started on the road to independence by the easy-payment plan, or rent money paid to himself rather than a landlord. It is a plan, too, that lends itself to va- rious changes to meet individual needs, and a type of house that can be added to later, if desired. These plans are designed to meet the needs of the greatest number without alteration, but the contractor can work out desired changes and estimate their cost. EDITOR’S NOTE: Popular Mechanics Maga- zine has prepared a new plan book, “Twenty Popular Low Cost Homes and Ten Command- ments for Home Builders.” These are selected homes and show labor, space and time-saving ideas. They are $5,000 homes and less. Send 10 cents in stamps to cover postage. Address Building Editor.

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