184 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CUT/rURE. 



Mar. 1. 



In talking with our people this morning who 

 put in foundation, I think perhaps I have 

 omitted one or two essential points in the di- 

 rections. One is, that the foundation should be 

 set in the sun, near a stove, or a coil of pipe, if 



FIO. 1. 



the day is not warm enough to make it soft and 

 pliable. This is quite essential; otherwise, 

 after the edge of the sheet is rolled on to the 

 comb guide, it is liable to pull off. But our 

 people say it is not even necessary to have the 

 foundation warm, providing the ivooden ivheel 

 itself is kept immersed, while not in use, in a 

 cup of hot water. Even if the foundation is 

 cold and hard, the wheel, steaming hot, softens 

 the edge so that a good firm attachment may 

 be made. Perhaps there may ba litiies when it 



will be necessary to warm the foundation and 

 use the hot water too; but ordinarily, in sum- 

 mer weather, when foundation is set near a 

 window where the sun strikes it, the wooden 

 roller will make it stick, even when lubricated 

 with cold water. 



But not all people can be got to place the 

 same estimate on the same device. Some pre- 



FI6. 3. 



fer the melted-wax plan. There are several; 

 and perhaps the best one is simply a tin tube 

 about }4 inch in diameter, six or seven inches 

 long, tapering at the end with a small hole at 



apex. On one side, near the handle, is pricked 

 a small hole so that when the tube is stood up 

 in a cup of hot wax (heated by a lamp) the air 

 will escape and the wax will flow in at the 

 small hole in the apex before referred to. In 

 use the flow of wax may be regulated somewhat 

 by stopping the air-hole with the thumb. (See 

 Fig. 3.) 



The foundation is put into the frame, and 

 laid against the comb-guide. Then the little 

 tool containing the hot wax is drawn out, and 

 the point inserted up into the corner of the 

 frame, and it is then drawn across the whole 

 top-bar, as seen in Fig. 3. The hot wax runs 

 out of the little hole in the end, leaving a train 

 of wax along the edge of the foundation to fas- 

 ten it. 



This Implement is specially serviceable where 

 a groove is made in the top-bar. The founda- 

 tion is inserted in this groove, and then this 

 tool with its hot wax is drawn along the edge. 

 The wax runs out, thoroughly cementing the 

 foundation into the groove. 



A tool for accomplishing the same purpose is 

 shown in the next engraving. This is simply a 

 piece of tin, as shown, and mounted in a wood- 



FIG. 4. 

 en handle. One end of this wooden trough, as 

 it were, is drawn to a small hole or opening. 

 To use, dip it full of hot wax. and draw it 

 quickly along the edge of the foundation, in 

 contact with the top-bar. 



Both of these ideas we got from Mr. J. Van- 

 Deusen, of flat-bottom-foundation fame. He 

 has used these implements for years, and pre- 

 fers this method of fastening to any other he 

 knows of. 



In order that I might myself place a proper 

 estimate on these tools as compared with the 

 Hambaugh pressure method, I tried the tube 

 first described, going to the wax-room, where 

 there is melted wax and plenty of foundation 

 and brood-frames. Yes, indeed, I found I could 

 fasten foundation, and do it quickly, but not 

 any more quickly than with a Hambaugh rol- 

 ler, but not nearly as nice a job, either in looks 

 or in the security of the fastening. The wax 

 had a fashion of streaming over things, and 

 then I found I had to hold the frame still for a 

 full minute in order to allow the streak of hot 

 wax to cool before I could lay it down. And 

 even after it cooled, the sheet would sometimes 

 pull out. But I could readily see that the tool 

 was the best implement we could possibly use 

 providing a groove were cut in the top-bar on 

 the under side, far better than the Hambaugh 

 roller or any similar device. For those who 

 prefer and will have saw-kerfs in the top-bar, 

 this, in my judgment, is the best fastener yet 

 brought out. 



