HINTS AX I) HELPS. 487 



To Malte an JEolian Harp. — This inshunient, w^-cti placed in a win- 

 dow in a draft of air, prodncea the most pleasing music. We here give 

 directions whereby any one may construct one for himself: Length, thirty- 

 two inches by six inches; depth, one and three-quarter inches. The strings 

 are attached to the small hooks at the end, corresponding to the pegs. The 

 strings must be about the thickness of the first string of the violin. These 

 strings answer well, but if to<j expensive the small gut used by whip manu- 

 facturers may be used. The bottom plank of the harp should be oak, three- 

 quarters of an inch thick, length three feet, breadth ten inches. The bridges 

 may be any sonorous wood (but steel will give the best sound), half an inch 

 in height, cut angular to a blunt point. They must not be flattened down, 

 but must be made to fit very flat to the bottom board, or it will jar and never 

 play well. This is the great defect in all harps made by amateurs. The 

 ends of the haq;s should be oak, one inch thick, and must be fixed very 

 firmly to the bottom board, but not with metal screws or glue; and in the«e 

 the pins are fixed for tiKhtening the strings. Use fiddle pine, half at each 

 end. The top should be half an inch thick, and sycamore wood is the best, 

 and may be polished; it should be very slightly fastened on, for it has to be 

 removed every time to tnne. Common catgut does nearly as well u Ger- 

 man. Get as thick a string as you cau for one side, and a thin one for the 

 other; then graduate them from the thick to the thin, so as net to have two 

 alike. They are in general tuned to treble C, but it is preferable to tune to 

 low C, and then each string an octave higher. This is easily altered, if 

 desirable. The instrument must be very strong in all respects, for the 

 strings exert almost incredible strength. The position for placing 

 the harp at the window to be with the upper aorface inclined towards 

 the draft of air. 



Staiming Woods. — Roseicofxl. — Boil eight otincea of logwood in three 

 pints Of water until reduced to half; apply it boiling hot two or three times, 

 letting it dry each time. Put in the streaks with a camel's hair brush dipped 

 in a solution of copperas and verdigris in a decoction of logwood. 



Ligfit Mahogany. — Brush over the surface with diluted nitrons acid, and 

 when dry apply with a soft brush the following: Four ounces of dragon's 

 blood, one ounce of carbonate of soda, three pints of alcohol. Let it stared 

 in a warm place, shake it frequently and then strain. 



To vnu Musical Instruments. — Boil one ponnd of ground Brazilwood 

 in thri 1 quarts of water for one h«ur; strain it, then add half an ounce of 

 cochjiu al; boil a half hour longer. This makes a crimson stain. 



i:/„,;,^._Wash the wood several times with a solution of sulphate of ircn; 

 let it dry, then apply a hot decoction of logwood and nutgalls. When dry 

 wip«|ik with a wet sponge; and when dry again polish it witk linseed oil. 



Sack Walnut. — Pine may be stained to represent black walnut in the 

 following manner: Put pulverized asphalttim into a bowl >»-ith about twice its 

 bulk of turpentine and set where it is warm, shaking from time to time until 

 dissolved; then strain and apply with either a cloth or a stiff brush. Try a 

 little firet, and if the stain be too dark, thin it with turpentine. If desirable 

 to bring out the grain still more, give a coat of boiled oil and turpentine. 

 When the wood is thoroughly dry, polish with a mixture of two parts shellilc 

 varnish and one part boiled oil. Apply by putting a few drope at a time on 

 a cloth and rubbing briskly over the wood. 



Oak.— A. very fair oak stain may be produced by equal parta of potash 

 aud pearlash, say two ounces of each to about a quart of water. Keep it 



