Handicraft for handy boys; practical plans for work and play, with many ideas for earning money

Front matter

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CHAPTER I The Home Workshop

Introduction — What a Boy should be able to Do — Selecting a Suitable Place for a Shop — Gas or Electric Light — Cabinet-made Benches — A Home-made Bench — A Solid Work Bench — The Bench-vise — An Iron Bench-screw — An Iron Vise — A Work Bench with Tool Drawers — A Tool Tray — Home-made Bench-stops — An Adjustable Bench -stop.

Chapter II

Purchasing Tools — A Handy Guide for Purchasing — The Principal Tools Required — A Small Outfit and how it may be added to — Jack-knife — Hatchet — Hammer — Tack Hammer — Crate Opener — Nail-set — Wooden Mallet — Cross-cut Saw — Rip-saw — Compass-saw — Keyhole-saw — Back-saw — Coping-saw — Bracket-saw — Scroll-saw — Jack-plane — Smoothing-plane — Fore-plane — Rabbet-plane — Dado-plane — Ratchet-brace — Auger-bits — Expansive-bit — Wood Drill Bit — Brad-awls — Scratch-awl — Hand Gimlet — Rose Countersink Bit — Automatic Drill — Spiral-ratchet Screw-driver — Hand Screw-driver — Screw-driver Bit — Firmer Chisels — Framing or Mortising Chisel — Gouge — Cold-chisel — Draw-knife — Spoke-shave — Half-round Wood-file — Handiest Forms of Files — Two-foot Folding Rule — Try-square — Carpen-

PAGE I xii CONTENTS ter's Steel Square — Bevel — Marking-gauge — Wing Dividers — Level — Pocket Level — Odd-jobs — Cutting Pliers — Wrench — Wood Handscrews — Cabinet-maker's Clamps — Home-made Clamps — Grindstone — Oilstone — Oiler — Grocery-box Tool-chest

— Tool-cabinet — Tool-rack — Open Shelves — Material Boxes — Partitioned Nail Box — Another Box — Receptacles for Nails, Screws, and Brads — Horse — Saw-bench — Chair Saw-bench — Miter-box

— Bench-hook — Shooting-board.

CHAPTER III Elementary Manual Training 42

Selection of Working Material — Structure of Wood — Cutting up the Log — Plain Sawing — Quarter Sawing — Knots — Cup-shakes and Heart-shakes — Checks — Seasoning — Kiln Drying — Stock or Stuif — Undressed Stuff— Dressed Stuff— Matched Stuff

— Matched-and-beaded Stuff — Boards — Planks or Dimension Stuff

— Timber — Stock Sizes of Lumber — Purchasing Material — A Mill List — Estimating Cost of Material — Laying out Work — Gauging — A Planing Exercise — Winding -sticks — A Sawing Exercise — Joints and Splices — Common-joint — Butt-joint — Common-splice

— Fished-splice — Haived-joint — Halved-splice — Mortise-and-tenon Joint — Pins — Wedging — Rabbet — Rabbet-joint — Grooves

— Housed-joint — Tongue-and-groove Joint — Mitered-joint — Mitered-splice — Dovetail-joint — Dovetail Half-lap Joint — Dowel-joint — Battens — Cleats — Taper — Bevel — Chamfer — Gluing up Work — Screws — Nails — Carriage-bolts.

CHAPTER IV Wood Finishing 75

The Finishes best adapted to Boys' Work — Paint — Mixing Paints — Brushes — Painting — Staining — Water Stains — Oil Stains — Shellacking — Filling — Waxing — Varnishing — Rubbing

— Polishing — Oiling — Sandpapering — Puttying — A Home-made Putty-knife — Caution about Oily Rags.

Chapter V

What a Working-drawing is and its Purpose — Why Some People have Difficulty in Reading Working-drawings — Definitions of

CONTENTS xiii

PAGE

Detail Drawings, Specifications, Plans, Elevations, Cross-sections, Longitudinal Sections, and a Perspective Drawing — Scales — A Drawing Outfit — A Drawing-board — A Drafting Table — A T-square — A 45 -degree Triangle — A 60-degree Triangle — Compasses— A Ruling-pen — A Set of Instruments — A 12-inch Ruler

— A Scale — Drawing Pencils — Pens — Drawing Ink — An Ink Eraser and a Pencil Eraser — An Erasing Shield — A Home-made Pencil Box and Inkstand — Thumb-tacks — Drawing-paper — Blueprints— Tracing-cloth — Tracing-paper — A Home-made Printing-frame — Preparing Working-drawings — Dimension-lines, Dot-anddash Lines, and Dotted Lines — Titles — Marginal Lines — Lettering.

Chapter VI

A Good Test of a Boy's Skill — What Boys generally want to Make — Plan for Earning Money — The Juvenile Manufacturing Company — Choice of Material — A Whisk-broom Holder — A Clock-shelf — A Necktie Rack — A Towel-rack — Book-racks — An Extension Book-rack — Popularity of Tabourets and Plant Stands — ^^A List of Material showing Exact Finished Dimensions

— A Tabouret — Leveling up Uneven Legs — Another Tabouret — A Plant Stand — A Footstool — L^pholstering Material and how to Upholster — A Bench — Two Magazine Racks — A Music-cabinet

— An Umbrella-stand — A Roman Chair — A Mission Chair — A Mission Writing-desk — An Electric Lamp — How to wire up the Lamp with a Socket and Drop-cord — A Drafting Table — A Desk Table.

Chapter VII

Things a Boy can make and Sell — How to sell Home-made Articles — A Fireless Cooker — The Fireless Cooker used by the United States Army — A Pot-cover Rack — A Bottle-rack — How to cut Large Holes — A Flat-iron Rest — A Flat-iron Rack — A Sleeve-board — A Knife-box — A Scrub-pail Platform — A Towel-roller — An Ice-pick and Ice-chisel Rack — How to finish Household Conveniences.

xiv CONTENTS

Chapter VIII Page

A Dividing Partition — A Plumb-line — A Plumb-board — Lockers

— Wainscoting — A Large Clothes Closet — Trousers Hangers — Doors — The Entrance-door Transom — An Old-fashioned Cabin Latch — An Oil Heater or Stove — A Wash-stand — A Broom-handle Towel-rack — Lighting the Room — A Home-made Hanging Lamp — Furnishing the Room — Home-made Picture-frames — The Furniture — A Pirate Chest — A Window Seat — Suggestions for Boys who have no Attic.

CHAPTER IX Box AND Barrel Furniture .... . . . .160

The Possibilities for Making Things out of the Materials at Hand — A Writing-desk — A Shelf for Books — An Office Chair — A Waste-basket — An Arm Rocker — A Barrel Table — A Chiffonier

— How to finish Box Furniture.

CHAPTER X Home-made Gymnasium Apparatus for a Boy's Room . .170

A Chest-weight — A Striking-bag — A Striking-bag Platform — A Chinning-bar — A Hitch-and-Kick — A Wand — A Rack for Dumb-bells, Indian Clubs, and Wand.

CHAPTER XI Cigar-box Toys and Gifts 178

Articles to give away and to Sell — Material — Finish — Cutting

— An Express-wagon — A Cart — An Auto Dehvery-wagon — ^^ A Jack-in-the-Box — A Round-seated Chair — A Round Center-table — A Dining-table — A Square-seated Chair — A Doll's Cradle

— A Key-board — A Corner Clock-shelf — A Whisk-broom Holder

— A Kitchen Match-box — A Cottage Pipe-rack and Match-box — A Cottage Match-box — Suggestions for Other Gifts.

CHAPTER XII Clockv^ork Toys 189

The Necessary Materials — How to prepare the Clockwork — A Merry-go-round^ — The Standard — The Tent — The Tent-poles

CONTENTS XV

PAGE

— The Horses — The Sleighs — The Shafts— The Girl and Boy • ' Riders — The Platform — How to operate the Merry-go-round — Other Animals for the Merry-go-round — A Miniature Ferris Wheel

— The Standard — The Station Platform — How to make the Wheel

— How to make the Cars — The Car Axles — How to mount the Wheel — Steps to the Platform — The "Flying Airships" — The Standard — The Mast — The Cars — How to increase the Speed of the Clockwork.

Chapter XIII

The Tools and Materials Required — Enlarging Designs by Squares — Piercing — Polishing the Brass — A Home-made Antique Green Lacquer — A Tea-pot Stand — A Calendar Board — A Pen Tray — A Lamp-shade — Chain Fringe — A Candle-shade — Shadeholders — A Candle-stick — A " Paul Revere " Lantern.

CHAPTER XIV A Boy's Wireless Telegraph Outfit 2x9

Marconi and his Experiments — What Some Boys have Accomplished— The Chicago Wireless Club — Code Cards, Call Lists, and Aerogram Blanks — Amateur Commercial Stations — Fundamental Principles of Wireless Telegraphy — The Aerial — Masts for the Aerial — Insulating the Aerial — Grounding the Aerial — The Receiving Outfit — Telephone Receivers — Detectors — A Microphone Detector — A Razor-blade Microphone Detector — A Silicon Detector— A Tuning-coil — A Fixed Condenser — A Potentiometer

— The Transmitting Outfit — An Induction-coil — A Spark-gap — A Storage Battery — Dry Batteries — A Wireless Key — A Knife Switch — A Good Arrangement for the Instruments — Operation of Instruments — How to receive a Call — How to make a Call — Codes — A Good Way to learn a Code — Electrical Measurements

— Connection of Dry Batteries.

CHAPTER XV Stunts for a Boys' Vaudeville Show 256

The Best Kind of Stunts for a Boys' Show — Sam Dow, the Strong Man — Holding out a Chair upon which a Boy is Seated — xvi CONTENTS

PAGB

The Dumb-bell Lifting Feat — Juggling with Heavy Balls — Bonehead — The Magical Mortar — The Professor — The Wonderful Hat Trick — Other Mortar Stunts — The Professor's Final Exhibition — The Dummy Assistant — Falsetto, the Boy with a Wonderful Voice — The Ventriloquist — How to make the Ventriloquist's Doll

— Willie Shute, the Crack Shot of the World — The Targets — His Blunderbuss — A Program Board — Admission Tickets.

CHAPTER XVI Moving Pictures 270

A Simple Moving-picture Machine — The Wooden Base — The Cylinder — The Clown and Ball Pictures — The Circus Horse and Hound Pictures — How to operate this Toy — The Automobile — The Revolving Wheels — The Boxing-match.

CHAPTER XVII A Snow Battleship 279

A New Idea for a Snow Fight — The Central Station — The Hull

— A Torpedo Tube — The Superstructure Deck — The Conning-tower — The Forward Turret — The Midship Turret — The Mast

— The Fighting-tops — Rapid-fire Guns — The Crosstree — A Coach-whip Pennant — Paper Signal Flags — A Union Jack — A National Ensign — The Funnels — The Ventilators — The Main-battery Guns — The Secondary-battery Guns — Arrangement of Ammunition Stores — Duties of the Captain — A Naval Battle — Rules for the Battle — A Flag of Truce — The " Torpedo Boats " — Repairing the Ships after a Battle — Marksmanship.

CHAPTER XVIII A Coaster and a Bob-sled 287

A Coaster — How to lay out the Runners — Shoes for Runners

— Connecting the Runners — The Seat — Sled Handles — The Foot-bar — Painting the Sled.

A Bob-sled — The Four Runners — Connecting the Runners — The Sled Seats —The Plank Seat — How to hinge the Seat to the Stern Sled — Check-chains — The Steering Foot-bar — The Steering Lines — Handle-bars — A Seat Cushion — Painting the Bob-sled.

CONTENTS xvii

Chapter XIX Page

Spring Activities — " Aeroplane Time " — Length of Model Aeroplane Flights — Junior Aero Clubs — Model Aeroplane Meets — Types of Machines Used — Support of Aeroplane — A Cardboard Bird Glider — A Simple Monoplane Model — Center-pole — Planes

— A Glider Race — An Easily Made Propeller— Shaft and Shaft Bearing — Motive Power — Winding up the Motor — A French Monoplane Model — Center-pole — Propeller — Running-gear — Skids — Planes — Adjustment of Planes — An Antoinette Monoplane Model — Center-pole — Propeller — Wings — Tail — Fin — Rudder — Running-gear — A More Elaborate Monoplane Model — Center-pole — Material for Binding — Running-gear — Propeller — Shaft and Bearing — Motor — Planes — Bracings — Rudder — Finish — Flights this Monoplane is capable of Making — Field for Experimenting.

Chapter XX

A Safe and Practical "Boy-carrying" Airship — The Framework of the Balloon — Barrel-hoop Ribs — Rib-bands — Stays — The Balloon Envelope — Construction of the Car — The Propeller — A Starting Platform — A Push-off Platform — The Rope Cable — Attachment of Car — Windlass for pulling back the Airship to Starting Platform — An Auto-airship Club.

Chapter XXI

Prices of "A" and Wall Tents — How to make an "A" Tent— ^ The Ridge-pole and Uprights — Tent Stakes — Pitching a Tent — A Tent Ground-cloth — A Pine Twig Mattress — A Sleeping-bag

— Other Equipment — An Electric Flash Lamp — Packing — A Safety Match-box — A Duffle Box — Food Supplies — If you are to xviii CONTENTS

PAGE

be Cook — Making an Open Fire — The Backwoodsman's Camp Fireplace — Pothooks — A Sheet-iron Camp Stove — A Dutch Oven

— A Camp Fireless Cooker — To build a Fire — Camp Furniture — A Camp Chair — A Camp Table — A Good Table Bench — A Comfortable Box Bench — Box Cupboards.

CHAPTER XXII A Home-made Punt 351

Dimensions — Material — The Side Boards — The Stem- and Stern-pieces — The Bottom Boards — An Inner Keel Board — Seats

— Rowlocks — Thole-pins — The Painter — Finishing.

CHAPTER XXIII A Home-made Sharpie . . . . . . . . .356

Dimensions — The Side-pieces — The Stem-piece — The Stern-piece — The Stretcher — To put the Pieces Together — The Bottom Boards — The Skeg — An Inner Keel Board — Seats — Finishing the Bow — The Painter — An Easily Made Rudder — The Rowlock Blocks — Rowlocks or Thole-pins — Finishing.

Chapter XXIV

Where to get Wheels — What a Pushmobile Is — The Flushing Pushmobile Club — The Vanderbilt Cup Race — Description of a Pushmobile Race — Organizing Pushmobile Clubs — To construct a Pushmobile — The Iron Axles — The Wooden Axles — The Wagon-bed — The Steering-wheel — The Hood — The Radiator-front — The Seat — Headlights — Side Lamps — A Clock-case Side Lamp — Paintings The License Number — A Racing Pushmobile.

An Auto Wagon — The Steering-wheel — Another Steering-gear

— The Seat — A Trip Gong.

A Simple Push Wagon — The Wagon-bed — The Rear Wheels

— The Axle for the Front Wheels.

CHAPTER XXV Bird-houses 379

Designing the Bird-house and choosing a Location for It — Materials out of which to make Bird-houses — A Box Bird-house

CONTENTS xix

PAGE

— Another Box Bird-house — A Bird Tower — A Tin-can Bird Tower — A Bird Castle — A Bird Ark — A Wall Bracket Bird Ark

— A House and Swing — A Hanging House — A Shelter.

Chapter XXVI

A Dog-house — A Rabbit-hutch — Galvanized Poultry-netting, Twist Wire Cloth, and Wire Cloth for Fronts of Hutches and Cages

— A Breeding Hutch— A Two-story Rabbit-hutch — A Rabbit Yard — A Cage for White Rats — An Elevated "Race-track" — Painting — Floor Covering — Drinking Receptacles — A Pigeon-cote.

CHAPTER XXVH A Castle Club-house and Home-made Armor .... 404 Material — The Framework — The Floor Joists — The Corner Turrets — Boarding up the Walls — To cut the Openings — The Roof — If the Roof Leaks — The Battlement — Secret Treasure Vaults — The Drawbridge — To counterbalance the Drawbridge — A Windlass — A Moat.

Home-made Armor — A Helmet — A Shield — A Sword.

CHAPTER XXVni

The Neighborhood Parade — Materials out of which to make the Imitation Instruments — A Cornet — A Trombone — A Bass Horn

— A Fife — A Bass Drum — Cymbals — The Drum-stick — Snaredrums — The Drum Major — A Splendid "Bearskin" Cap — The Drum Major's Staff — The Major's Whistle — Uniforms — Organizing a Band — How the Band will be useful in the Home Circus, Vaudeville, and Other Shows — A Boy Scout Band.

Index 427

LIST OF HALF-TONE ILLUSTRATIONS

(In addition to more than five hundred text illustrations.)

PART I

A Boy Craftsman in his Workshop

Factory of the Juvenile Manufacturing Co.

Frontispiece

FACING PAGE

A Basement Workshop ......... 2

A Corner of the Author's Home Workroom ...... 86

Fig. 108. — Whisk-Broom Holder

Figs, no and in.

Figs.

Figs.

Figs. 13

Fig.

Fig.

Fig.

Fig.

Fig.

Fig.

Fig.

Fig.

Fig.

Fig.

Clock-Shelf

Necktie-Racks 1 2-1 14. — Book-Racks 22 and 123. — Tabourets 1

— Plant Stand I .

— Footstool J and 132. — Magazine-Racks

— Music-Cabinet

— Umbrella-Stand

— A Roman Chair

— A Mission Chair

— A Mission Writing-Desk

— An Electric Lamp

— Construct Your Chest-Weights First

— Where to Hang the Striking-Bag

— The Doorway Chinning-Bar is Easily Put Up

— An Express-Wagon |

— A Cart ....

225 and 226. — Two Views of an '^ Auto Delivery-Wagon "

— A Jack-in-the-Box

— The Skeleton of the Jack-in-the-Box

— A Round-Seated Chair

— A Round Center-Table

— A Dining-Table

— A Square-Seated Chair

— A Doll's Cradle

178 180

182-183

XXll

LIST OF HALF-TONE ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING PAGE

Fig. 238. — A Key-Board

Fig. 239. — A Corner Clock-Shelf

Fig. 240. — A Whisk-Broom Holder

Fig. 241. — A Kitchen Match-Box

Fig. 242. — A Cottage Pipe-Rack and Match-Box ,

Fig. 253. — A Merry-Go-Round

Fig. 254. — A Clockwork Motor

Fig. 255. — A Ferris Wheel

Fig. 256. — A Flying Airship

Fig. 360. — The " Torpedo-boats

'» Furnish the Only Means of Attack at Close Range 280

PART II

Aero Club of the Chicago Calumet High School 1

A Model Aeroplane Meet of the Calumet Aero Club J

Some Good Forms of Model Aeroplanes

Wall Tent, Eight Feet by Ten Feet, with Fly

Flapjacks for Two

Some of the Competing Cars in the Flushing Pushmobile Club Races

Winning Car in the Vanderbilt Cup Race 1

At the Start Off. A Flushing Pushmobile Club Race}

— A Bird Tower

— A Bird Castle

— A Bird Ark

— A House and Swing

— The Castle Club-House ....

— A Boy Knight with His Home-Made Armor

— The Cornet ^

— The Trombone I .... .

— The Bass Horn I

297 302 340 364 366

404 412

PART I

Autumn and^\^iitcr Handicraft