614 



Popular Science Monthly 



Making a Reamer from an Old 

 Three Cornered File 



WHEN in need of a reamer in the work- 

 shop one that is very serviceable in 

 an emergency can be made from an old 

 three-cornered or a 

 square file. Grind 

 the faces until they 

 are smooth ; then 

 grind the edges, as 

 shown by the dotted 

 lines in the accom- 

 panying drawing, so 

 as to form good cut- 

 ting edges. Fit a 

 handle to the tang 

 and the reamer is 

 complete. 



When using a large file for a reamer it 

 may be found hard to turn, in which case a 

 small pipe-wrench may be used to good 

 advantage. — Joseph Statler. 



Comers ground off of a 

 file for cutting edges 



A Successful Anti-Leak Device 

 for Paint Brushes 



THE best method I have ever seen em- 

 ployed for preventing the color or 

 wash from running down over the handle 

 of a large brush when overhead work is 

 being done, is to use a sponge attachment 

 as shown in the illustration. Take a good, 

 large sponge, oblong in shape, if possible, 



SPONGE 



I 





CORD 



CUT 



Sponge on brush handle to take up color 

 leakage. It can be wning out on the brush 



and cut a large slit in it to allow it to slip 

 over the brush handle. Push it up as far 

 as it will go and tie a cord on the handle to 

 prevent it from slipping back. The sponge 

 will take care of all the leaking color, and 

 it can be wrung out at any time while on 

 the brush. — James M. Kane. 



Replacing Old Valve-Stems in Auto- 

 mobile Tires 



THE most satisfactory results can be 

 obtained by forcing the old valve-stem 

 back inside the tube and cutting a small 

 hole about i ft. from the valve-hole, 

 through which to draw it out. Insert the 

 new valve-stem through the new hole, 

 vulcanizing the hole shut, and bring the 

 new valve up through the original valve- 

 hole. This prevents the fabric in the valve- 

 patch from being ruptured and strained, 

 and will always hold the valve-stem secure. 



A One-Piece Hanger for a Flaring 

 Pie Tin 



THE accompanying sketch illustrates a 

 form of hanger for pans, especially 

 those not having ears or 

 handles. The hanger is 

 formed from a narrow 

 strip of metal, bent into 

 the form of a rectangle, 

 except that it is left 

 open at the lower left 

 corner, and the ends are 

 curved backward. At 

 the opposite side from 

 this opening, midway 

 between the extremities 

 of the hanger, a hole may 

 be either drilled or 

 punched, to receive a nail or screw, by 

 which it may be attached to a wall. 



Having placed the hanger upon a wall, 

 it is only necessary to introduce the lip of 

 a pan between the downwardly and hor- 

 izontally extending pieces of the hanger 

 and allow the pan to fall against the wall. 

 The pan will rest up in the horizontally 

 extending part. — C. Nielsen. 



A Quick Way to Level the Legs 

 of a Table 



SOMETIMES one leg of a small table 

 is a trifle shorter than the others, 

 which causes a rocking motion when the 

 table is touched. The difference in length 

 may be so small that sawing the others 

 would be a tedious job, and possibly un- 

 satisfactory; but the trouble can be 

 remedied by driving a short large-headed 

 nail like a roofing nail into the short leg. 

 Drive the nail up almost to the head, until 

 the proper length is added to the leg. 



