274 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
A Tool for Winding Coiled Springs. 
CONVENIENT tool for winding 
coiled springs may be made as 
shown in the accompanying 
illustration. Procure a block 
of hard wood of any convenient size, say 
about four inches wide, about two inches 
thick and about eight inches long. Bore 
a hole through it near the upper end to 
receive the cranked rod as shown. This 
rod may be of the size that the spring is 
to be made, or a little less in size, as the 
spring will open some after being wound. 
Saw a slot down through the centre of 
the block and the centre of the hole bored 
to receive the rod. Let this slot extend 
about half the length of the block. At 
the upper end put in two common wood 
screws, that do not quite reach through 
the wood. These screws, when turned in, 
will serve to keep the rod steady, espec- 
ially if it be a little smaller than the hole ; 
or, if one rod is of little less diameter 
than another. One end of the rod is bent 
in form of a crank as a means of turning 
it, and the other end has a small slot made 
in it to receive the end of the wire, and so 
hold it when beginning to form the coil. 
A small staple is driven into the block 
through which to pass the wire. To coil 
a spring, draw the rod back so that only 
the slotted end projects, pass the wire 
through the staple, and insert the end in 
the slot of the rod. Now turn steadily, 
and as the wire is wound it will draw the 
rod endwise through the block. This will 
form a close wound and even spring. 
To malve an open spring, two wires can 
be wound side by side, and the opening 
will be of the diameter of the wire. To 
make a greater or less opening, hold a 
hooked piece of iron on the rod, and let 
this come between the wire as it is wound 
on the rod. Its width will determine the 
opening of the coil. 
To have larger or smaller springs, wire 
of greater or less size must be used, and 
different sized holes to receive these rods 
may be made in the same block. The 
length of the rod will govern the length 
of the spring, although w^hen wound as 
long as the rod will permit, the sprii:]g 
can be pushed off, and the lost turn 
•caught in the slot at the end of the rod, 
and another length made. 
The block can be held in a vise, or it 
can be held to a bench or ijlank by means 
of screws put through the lower end. 
Strange Weapons, and Stranger Ways 
of Using Them. 
" KOM the stick, stone, or club 
carried by many a savage hun- 
ter to the intricate and care- 
1 fully-fmished piece of mechan- 
ism wuich forms the equipment of the 
sportsman of civilized countries, is a 
very long stride, but between these two 
extremes are to be found a number of 
weapons and devices for capturing and 
destroying the various wild animals — or 
even man himself — which, as the inven- 
tion frequently of beings who occupy a 
very low position in the human scale, 
cannot but raise a feeling of admiration 
and astonishment. It is of some of these 
I purpose to speak in the present a.rticle. 
We will coinmence by a description of 
the hunting of horses by means of that 
terrible weapon of Central America, the 
lasso. Without the lasso, the Mexican 
owner of large herds of half-wild horses 
would find it utterly beyond his power to 
capture the members of his flock, either 
for the purposes of sale or of ridding 
them of the numerous insect pests which 
in many cases would make short work of 
the unfortunate animals whom they per- 
secute with their attentions. 
Let us see how the vaquero goes to 
work. Armed with his lasso— which is 
composed of three strips of raw leather, 
plaited, and is about forty feet in length— 
and mounted on a powerful horse, he fol- 
lows the animal he has selected until he 
finds himself within a proper distance for 
tlirowing his weapon with the best effect. 
Seizing the iron ring which is attached to 
one end of the lasso with his left hand, 
he draws the lasso through it with his 
right, and, stretching out his arms so as 
