466 



First draw the angular lines, and then with 

 chalk or charcoal draw the sweep freehand. 

 The angular or straight lines serve as a 

 guide. 



Another illustration (Fig. 4) is of the 



Popular Science Monthly 



Fig. 4. A pair of wood dividers are used to 

 make sweep after drawing the angular lines 



same method, but in this latter case the 

 wooden dividers, which are very large and 

 made for the sign painter's work, will 

 usually be found sufficient for making the 

 circular sweep, and if the sweep is to be 

 elliptical, as it most always is, it may be 

 made freehand, with the compass lines as a 

 guide. The compass would do only for 

 small signs. In Fig. 4 the upright lines 

 serve a useful purpose in dividing the 

 sketch. 



Illustration Fig. 5 shows the use of 

 flourish or ornament, sometimes a valuable 

 addition to certain forms of lettering, and 

 these may also be indicated on the scale 

 sketch, getting the form true and just as 



Fig. 5. An ornament added to a sign where 

 it is necessary is laid out from a scale sketch 



it is to be when placed, enlarged, on the 

 sign. The value of a beveled bristle fitch, 

 used in connection with a beveled straight 

 edge, is not "appreciated as it should be for 

 very large lettering work. — A. Ashmund 

 Kelley. 



An Easy Method of Preparing 

 Demar Varnish 



TO prepare demar varnish, place from 4 

 to 10 lb. of the gum in 1 gal. of turpen- 

 tine, and allow it to dissolve. Agitating it 

 in a churn is the best method. You may 

 also use a mixture of turpentine and benzol, 

 or carbon tetrachloride and benzine, for 

 cutting the gum, but just the pure turpen- 

 tine is commonly used. The amount of 

 gum used per gallon determines the body or 

 weight of the product. 



Rubber Plugs in Handsaw Handle to 

 Prevent Its Falling 



WHEN placed against awall a handsaw 

 has a tendency to slide sideways and 

 fall, often injuring the teeth. This is 

 because the handle horns which touch the 

 wall are smooth 

 and polished, 

 thus offering no 

 frictional resist- 

 ance. If these 

 horns are pro- 

 vided with soft 

 rubber tips many 

 a fall will be 

 prevented. 



To accomplish 

 this, drill a small 

 Y % or 3/32-in. 

 hole about % in. 

 deep in the side 

 of the tip of each horn, 

 hole with rubber cement or mucilage and 

 insert a plug of soft rubber cut from an 

 eraser. Set aside to dry. Have each plug 

 project slightly, as shown. These rubber 

 projections come in contact with the wall 

 when the saw is leaned against it. This 

 prevents the saw from falling down or 

 sliding sideways. The same result may be 

 obtained by winding an elastic band tightly 

 around each horn. — Roy B. Snow. 



Rubber plugs in 

 handle to pre- 

 vent saw from 

 sliding away 

 from a wall 



Partly fill each 



I of soap 



Using Ball of Soap to Recover 

 Screw in Spigot 



IN the type of spigot where the washer is 

 secured by a screw the constant turning 

 on and off frequently causes the washer to 

 twist, carrying the screw 

 with it. As a result the' 

 screw finally falls into the 

 bottom of the spigot, from 

 whence it is extremely 

 difficult to re- 

 move it. The 

 usual method 

 is to turn on 

 the water and 

 flow it out, but 

 this is rather 

 uncertain as 



well as inconvenient at times. I found by 

 fastening a ball of soap on the end of a stick 

 I could remove the screw easily by pushing 

 the device down so that the screw would 

 become imbedded in it. Nuts may be re- 

 covered the same way. — James M. Kane. 



Soap on stick end 

 picking up screw 



