Popular Science Monthly 



443 



Cutting Stencils from a Discarded 

 Photographic Film 



PHOTOGRAPHIC films, which are usu- 

 ally destroyed when they are spoiled, 

 make excellent material for stencils. Pic- 

 tures or other designs to be stenciled may 

 be pasted on the film and the outline cut 

 out with a sharp knife. It is necessary to 



The stencil is cut with the dull side of the 

 film down, to prevent it from slipping 



use care in selecting a design suitable for 

 stencil work. For large designs it is neces- 

 sary to leave binding strips to secure a 

 satisfactory stencil. The films are used 

 with the dull side down to prevent their 

 slipping. A large variety of designs may 

 be made from pictures clipped from publica- 

 tions of various kinds. 



Ironing a Four-in-Hand Tie Without 

 Making Glossy Streaks 



IT is not an impossible task to wash a 

 four-in-hand tie. The difficulty comes 

 in ironing it in such a way that its 

 original shape will be restored. To 

 do this it is necessar>^ to proceed 

 carefully. Start by placing the 

 wide end of the tie upon the 

 board with the seam up, then 

 thrust in the finger and take hold 

 of the lining. Grasp the silk cover 

 in the other hand and pull it back 

 from over the lining for about half 

 of its length. Then with a hot iron 

 run over the lining to straighten it out. Cut 

 a piece of stiff cardboard to fit into the wide 

 end of the tie and long enough to reach to 

 the narrow band. Slip this in between the 

 lining and the seam side of the outer layer. 

 Then dampen a clean cloth, lay it over the 

 tie and iron in the usual way. 



The cardboard form will prevent the 

 pressure of the iron from causing a glossy 

 mark to appear on the silk front opposite 

 the seam. When through, put the form 

 aside for another time. — Emile Parent. 



Pulverizing the Powder in Fire 

 Extinguisher Tubes 



WHEN the powder in fire extinguisher 

 tubes becomes caked, the inspector 

 usually empties the contents of the tube 

 on a paper and re-pulverizes it with a 

 crusher. It is more convenient to use a 

 sifter like the one illustrated and screen 

 the extinguisher powder through it. 



Take an ordinary one-quart flour sifter 

 and a funnel of sufficient size to fit over the 

 lower end of the sifter. Remove the spout 

 of the funnel so that an opening of at least 

 ^ in. is formed. Make a cylinder of tin, 

 slightly tapered toward one end, about 

 3 in. long and of sufficient diameter to fit 

 snugly into the mouth of the dr>' powder 

 tube. Make %-'m. slits, about ^ in. apart, 

 around the larger end of the cylinder and 

 press it over the lower end of the funnel 

 so that the flanges, formed by cutting, bend 

 outward to conform w^ith the shape of the 

 funnel. Solder firmly in this position. 



The powder should be emptied from one 

 of the tubes into a convenient receptacle. 



The ordinary floiu- sifter with a funnel at- 

 tachment for pulverizing caked powder 



Then place the end of the funnel into the 

 empty tube and sift the powder from a full 

 tube into the empty one. Fill the last 

 tube with the powder from the first one. 



