24 APPARATUS AND METHODS. 



24. Hints on Fitting up Apparatus. To be successful in 

 experiments with adapted apparatus, careful attention should be 

 paid to such details as the boring of corks, the bending of glass 

 tubing, the accurate fitting of tubing into corks, etc. Only a few 

 general hints can be given here. Since it is frequently necessary 

 to fit flasks, etc., with corks and to bend glass tubing to various 

 angles, we shall take as an example the making of a wash-bottle. 



(a) Pit a Flask of Medium Size with a Cork. Select a cork 

 a little too large ; wrap it in a piece of paper, and using gentle 

 pressure with your foot, roll it to and fro upon the ground or a 

 cork presser may be used. This softens the cork, and the risk of 

 breaking the neck of the flask is lessened. If still too large, file 

 down the cork equally all round. 



(6) Bore a Cork Lengthwise and Fit a Glass Tube tightly 

 into the Hole made. Select a cork-borer (Fig. 15) slightly less in 

 diameter than that of the tube to be fitted into the cork. The cork- 

 borer is a brass tube about 5 in. long sharpened at one end. At 



Fig. 15. Fig. 16. 



the other are two small holes opposite each other ; through these 

 the accompanying iron rod may be thrust to serve as a handle. 

 The borers are generally put up in sets of three or more. Dip the 

 sharp end of the borer into the water. Place the cork against the 

 edge of your bench, as shown in Fig. 16. Press the borer gently 

 into the narrower end of the cork and twist the borer round (always 

 in the same direction) until it emerges at the other end of the cork. 



Now take the cork prepared in (a) and bore two parallel holes in 

 it similar in position to those in the wash-bottle (Fig. 19). 



Well sharpened borers can also be used for rubber stoppers. In 

 this case they are moistened with either alcohol or glycerine, and 

 pressed through more slowly. 



Glass tubes should always be dipped in water before being pushed 

 through the hole in the cork or stopper. 



(c) Cut some Glass Tubing about in. in Diameter into 

 Lengths 4 to 6 inches. Lay the tube flat on the bench and with 

 a sharp triangular file make a scratch across it where required, the 



