376 



COMB FOUNDATION. 



Fig. J 20. 

 VANDBRVOET IMBEDDING SPUB 



any sharp knjfe. Have a pattern of the size of the pieces 

 wanted, made of hard wood. Take six or eight sheets at 

 one time, arranged in an even pile. Lay your pattern on 

 them, holding it down firmly ; dip your knife in strong 

 soap-suds, and if the wax is at the proper temperature, j^ou 

 will cut the eight pieces at one stroke of the knife. If the 

 sheets have a tendency to slip from under the pattern, you 

 may nail cleats on three sides of it, to encase the pile as in 

 a box. 



696. Are there a right and a wrong way, to suspend 

 foundation in the frames? Or, in other words, should two 

 of the six sides of the cell be perpendicular or horizontal? 

 Huber, and Cheshire after him, call our attention to the 

 fact, that the bees always build their combs, with two sides 

 of the cells perpendicular. Mr. Cheshire explains, at length, 

 the adaptation and advantages of this natural fact, and its 

 bearing on the strength of the comb. From his explana- 

 tions, it results that foundation suspended thus : j»''\ 

 i. e. with two perpendicular sides, would be properly K^J 

 fastened, while if suspended thus: /~^ i. e .with 

 two horizontal sides, it would be \ / improperly fas- 

 tened. 



Most of the machines that are made turn out foundation- 

 Sheets, which are to be hung horizontally, when the cellg 



