1878. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



75 



sized pieces, such as we use for section 

 boxes, make a frame of thin pieces of wood, 

 like the following cut : 



FRAME FOR CUTTING FDN. STARTERS. 



Lay it on top of your sheet of fdn. and 

 run your tin wheel in each crack. Care- 

 fully, lift your frame, place it at right 

 angles, cut through as before, and you will 

 have a great number of square pieces, ex- 

 actly of a size, square and true, and yet 

 they are all made by a few long cuts. If 

 you wish your pieces oblong, make two 

 frames, with the strips of wood of different 

 widths. If you wish them triangular, place 

 your frame at an angle the second time you 

 cut. 



To cut sheets for the brood fi-ames, make 

 a board just the size you wish, lay it on 

 your sheet, and run tlie cutter round it. 

 You can cut two or more sheets at once, 

 but they are not done quite as nicely as 

 when you cut but one at a time. I think 

 we all" owe friend Carlin a vote of thanks. 



HO\r TO hiakb; a smoker. 



ET a soft smooth piece of sheep skin, 

 IW' 2i inches wide, and 22 inches long. 

 ^'"^ You will also want two narrow strips, 

 i inch wide, and the same length as the 

 above. The three should not cost over 10 

 or 15c., for a whole piece of the leather larga 

 enough to make six smokers, costs only 50c. 

 Two boards 5x6 inches, and about 5-16 

 thick, are all that is necessary to tinish the 

 bellows. 



A strip of wood i inch wide, and the same 

 thickness as the boards, is securely bradded 

 to one end of each board, as shown in Fig 

 1. These strips are somewhat thinner at 

 one edge, as shown. 



BOARDS FOR S3IOKER BELLOWS. 



Figure 2 shows the upper board, with the 

 single i inch hole bored near one end. Fig. 

 3, show^s the tw^o in place, just ready to tack 

 the leather on. The springs shown at Fig 

 1, are made of bits of clock spring, to be 

 had of any jeweler. You can get a whole 

 clock spring for 20c., which will make 6 

 smoker springs. Bend the springs to the 

 shape shown in the cut, and rivet the end 

 to the wood, by two secure rivets. Steel 

 springs sometimes break, it is true, and 

 you can use similar ones made of brass if 

 you choose ; these never break, but they al- 

 most alw^ays lose their elasticity sooner or 

 later. For my own use I prefer the light 



springs called alarm springs, because they 

 are softer, and it is easier to work the bel- 

 lows. As others generally prefer a stiff 

 spring, those we sell are made that way. 

 Bend your springs so that the boards will 

 come up promptly, as far as the leather 

 will allow. To make a neat job, you should 

 put on the leather with tinned tacks, 

 about 7-16 in length. Put the boards as 

 closely together at the end where the hinge 

 is, as the two strips will allow them to 

 come, and tack one end of your long piece 

 of leather. The boards should be separated 

 at the other ends, as far as the width of the 

 leather will allow. Draw the leather close 

 up to the wood, and tack at intervals. Now 

 tack the i inch strip on for a binding ; if 

 you wish a pretty job, use red morocco for 

 these last. When your tacks are all in — I 

 w^ould drive them a little more than i inch 

 apart — you are ready to pare off the surplus 

 leather with a A'ery sharp knife. Finish off 

 everything neatly with sandpaper, and your 

 bellows is done. The leather has cost us 10c, 

 the two boards, possibly 5c, and the springs 

 5 more. Allowing 5c for your time in tack- 

 ing on the leather and sand-papering, and 

 you have a good bellows for 25c. It should 

 be as good as anything in the market, for 

 this price. The sample that I had to work 

 after, was purchased from a bellows manu- 

 factory, and they charged 40c each for them, 

 by the hundred. Theirs contained a v^ilve, 

 but after carefully trying those with valves 

 and those without, for bee smokers, I have 

 decided I can see no advantage in having a 

 valve. Fasten the valve so it can not work, 

 in your best smoker, and see if it does not 

 answer just as well. 



As liquids or gasses flow more rapidly 

 through an orifice that is made smooth, with 

 the corners rounded off, the hole in the up- 

 per board, should be rounded off on the in- 

 side corners, or wiiat is better, a short tin 

 tube with a slight taper and the inside end 

 made flaring, might be inserted ; this may 

 project through the board, J or t of an inch. 

 I think you will lind it will blow "right 

 smart," and it will probably look something 

 like this : 



BELLOWS COMPLETE. 



Now, if you choose, you can have a tall 

 tube made, placed at one side of the bellows, 

 like Quinby's and Bingham's ; but I decided- 

 ly prefer the compact, more nearly spherical 

 form, as showai over the leaf. 



I And it easier to build a fire in, less liable 

 to go out, and I like better having the jet of 

 air go out of the bellows and through the 

 fire, without having to turn a corner. The 

 obtuse nozzle is easier to clean, and if the 

 fuel is cut small, it may be fed without ta- 

 king off the cap at all, wiiich is quite an 

 item wiien the case is hot. The tin cup 

 shown below, is 4 inches in diameter, and 2i 

 high, and the nozzle is made to shut closely 



