FOR PRACTICAL 

 WORKERS 



A Pliable Metal Screen Fabric as a 

 Substitute for Glass 



AFxABRIC which has the strength and 

 lasting qualities of metal and which 

 may be bent to any shape and used as a 

 substitute for glass in windshields, as 

 screens for lamps and lanterns, and for 

 many o r n a - 

 mental p u r - 

 poses may be 

 easily prepar- 

 ed from ordi- 

 nary' mosquito 

 netting and 

 glue, colored 

 according t o 

 taste and to 

 the use to 

 which it is to 

 be put. 



Take 2 oz. of 

 gelatine or glue 

 and let it stand 

 for one-half 



hour in 32 oz. of water, then 

 place the vessel containing the 

 glue in a saucepan of boiling 

 hot water and let it remain un- 

 til the glue is melted. Do not 

 try to hasten the melting by 

 setting the vessel over the flame, 

 as this will spoil the setting 

 properties of the glue. Strain the 

 liquid through wet cheesecloth 

 into a heated tray. Have at 

 hand several pieces of mosquito 

 netting, 6 or 8 in. wide, and 

 cut across the entire width of 

 the roll, which is usually 30 in. 

 wide. If this netting is previous- 

 ly coated with nickel or zinc by 

 electro-deposition it will make a 

 stronger fabric. Grip the strip 

 at the ends and pass it slowly through 

 the hot glue, so that the formation of 

 air spaces may be prevented. Suspend the 



strip for one hour or until thoroughly 

 dried. 



Having thus prepared several of these 

 strips, take each one singly, bend it into 

 U-shape and pass it backward and forward 

 through a solution composed of 2 oz. of 

 40 per cent formaldehyde and 32 oz. of 

 clear water. Suspend to dry 

 without washing. This will set 

 the glue so thoroughly that it 

 will be insoluble even in boiling 

 water. When the strips are dn,- 

 they may be dyed any color 

 with analine dyes. Common red 

 ink will dye the fabric a brilliant 

 red for the photographic dark- 

 room and blue ink will furnish 

 just the right 

 shade for de- 

 veloping paper 

 prints. 



This fabric 

 is light, pliable, 

 fireproof and 

 waterproof. It 

 is semi-trans- 

 parent and can 

 be rolled up 

 and packed 

 away, and will 

 lend itself to 

 any number of 

 uses. 



Owing to the 

 pliability and 

 texture of the 

 material it can 

 be readily cut 

 into any desired 

 shape or size to 

 fill in a window 

 sash. Large 

 trays may be 

 used and relatively large pieces of the net- 

 ting prepared in a like manner, to be used 

 for porch screens or sun parlors. 



After the netting has been prepared 

 in this way it is non-inflammable 



441 



