II A RD WICKES SCI ENCE- G OSSIP. 



13 



the illustration, A ; they are to be midway between 

 the lines, CD ; these grooves should be about one- 

 eighth of an inch in width, and about one quarter of 

 an inch in depth. Use a good sharp steel chisel, and 

 cut these grooves in a perfectly straight line ; after this 

 is done we proceed to make the four posts, E. 



These posts should be sixteen inches and a half 

 long, and one inch and a half square, the end for 

 the bottom must be cut to fit into the hole tightly, 

 a.- at F. The best way to do this part of the work 

 is to saw to the depth of one-quarter of an inch into 

 the four sides of each post, at the right distance from 



nearest wood-turner, and have him turn off the end 

 of each piece, leaving it one inch and a quarter 

 thick, as at N, and then with a carpenter's brace, 

 and a one and a quarter-inch bit, we can bore four 

 circular holes, as in fig. 9, instead of cutting them 

 square ; this greatly simplifies the work, but it is not 

 as strong as when the square holes are used. Get 

 some good carpenter's glue, and, after putting some 

 in the holes, while still hot, drive your posts well in 

 with a wooden hammer, and fasten them through the 

 bottom of the tank with a one and a half inch screw. 

 The pieces now being all in place, it will perhaps 



Fig. 9. — Bottom of Aquarium. 



Fig. 10. — Details 

 of Posts of 

 Ditto. 



Fig. 13. — Ditto. 



Fig. 11. — Ditto. 



Fig. 12. — Details of Ditto. 



Fig. 14.— Method of fastening Glass in 

 Aquarium. 



th&end, and then cut three pieces off with the chisel, 

 so that it will fit tightly in the holes. Then cut two 

 grooves into each post, running the entire length, as at 

 G, so that they will run directly into the grooves on 

 the bottom board, when the posts are placed in 

 their respective positions. The inside corners can 

 now be planed off of each post, as at G ; this will 

 greatly improve the look of the tank, and you can 

 then proceed to fasten each permanently into the 

 bottom. 



As the cutting of the posts is a very delicate, and, 

 perhaps, the most difficult part of the whole work, it 

 would perhaps be better for me to ask the less skil- 

 ful of my fellow-readers to take their four posts to the 



be best to put them aside for about twelve hours, so- 

 as to let the glue thoroughly harden, and then the 

 glass should be obtained. It will be very necessary 

 to be careful in taking the measurements for the glass, 

 so as to be a neat fit ; neither too tight, as this would 

 cause them to crack, nor too loose, as this would 

 cause a leakage. When inserting the glass plates, 

 carefully lower them into the grooves they are to 

 occupy ; then proceed to fasten the glass. In doing 

 this, I here give a recipe for making a watertight 

 cement, which I have used for two years and a half, 

 which has never allowed one drop of water to escape, 

 and my tank has never been repaired in all this time. 

 Take one and a half oz. boiled linseed oil, four 



