Cages and Cage-making. 11 



WIRE-STBAIGHTENER. Fig. 6 is a contrivance for straight- 

 ening wire, and it not only saves a great amount of 

 time, but, if properly made and used, a pound of wire can be 

 made quite straight in a marvellously short space of time, 

 which would take anyone a long while to do with the old- 

 fashioned method of straightening on a block of hard wood, 

 with a wooden mallet, and by using pliers. This instrument 

 is made of hard wood, mahogany or oak, and wire. The one 

 from which I have made a sketch is constructed of a piece 

 of well-seasoned mahogany, 14in. by 3in., and fin. in thick- 

 ness. At one end is a wire hook, fastened to the under-side 

 first, by the wire being bent and sharpened at both ends and 

 then driven into the wood, and afterwards secured by two 

 small wire hooks in the form of staples, one placed over 



FIG. 6. WlRE-STRAIGHTENER. 



each wire separately and driven home. This wire hook is to 

 secure the machine during the operation of drawing the wire, 

 and it is placed over a nail or hook driven into the work- 

 bench or otherwise. The wire loops are for the purpose of 

 guiding the wire and keeping it in its place during the opera- 

 tion of straightening. The wire is passed through one of the 

 front loops first, and then between the uprights and beneath 

 the inner loop which prevents it from jerking out of its place. 

 In making an instrument of this description, you must use a 

 piece, or pieces, of wire the same gauge as those you wish to 

 straighten; bend them over at one end of the wood, the one 

 opposite to the one containing the hook, and bend them thus : 



