Home-made Toys for Girls and Boys Part 19

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 329.--Diagram for Making End Pieces of Letter-Drop.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 330.--Diagram for Making Front Piece of Letter-Drop.]

Figure 327 shows the diagrams for

=Making the Sides, Ends, and Bottom= of the mail-box, with the dimensions of every portion marked upon them. Use a ruler with which to guide your pencil in drawing the straight lines, and a compa.s.s or the rim of a 9-inch plate for describing the arcs for the round tops of the end pieces. You will see that the front, one end, and the bottom are made in one piece, and that the back, other end, and a second bottom (to make that portion doubly strong) are cut from another piece.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 325.--THE HOME-MADE MAIL-BOX STRAPPED TO THE FACE OF A DOOR.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 326.--THE HOME-MADE MAIL-BOX STRAPPED TO A CHAIR BACK.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 331.--The Sides, Ends, and Bottom folded ready to be put Together.]

The dotted lines upon the diagram indicate where the cardboard should be folded. Figure 331 shows the sides, ends, and bottom folded ready to be put together. Turn the flaps inside, and glue them to the end pieces, and glue the two bottom pieces together; also sew the cardboard with a double thread to make the joining doubly secure.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 332.--Top, showing how Portion is Bent up for Back of Letter-Drop.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 333.--Ends of Letter-Drop.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 334.--Front of Letter-Drop.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 335.--Top, with Letter-Drop Completed.]

=The Top of the Box=--the diagram for the cutting of which is shown in Fig. 328--has a piece 3 by 7 inches cut out on all but one long side, and bent up to form the top of

=The Letter-Drop= (Fig. 332). The diagram for the ends of the letter-drop is shown in Fig. 329, and for the front in Fig. 330; Fig.

333 shows how cloth flaps are glued to the end piece; and Fig. 335 shows how the end pieces are fastened to the top of the box by means of these flaps. Glue a strip of cloth to each side of the lower edge of the letter-drop front piece for hinges (Fig. 334), and glue one to the inside and the other to the outside of the top of the box (Fig. 335).

Attach rubber-bands to the front and ends of the drop to make it spring shut. Glue and sew the top of the box to the flaps provided on the front and back for the purpose.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 336.--Diagram for Making Collection-drop.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 337.--How the Collection-drop is Folded.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 338.--The Collection-drop Hinged in Place.]

Figure 336 shows the diagram for

=The Collection-drop=, and Fig. 337 how it looks folded. Hinge the drop to the box with a cloth strip (Fig. 338).

=Reinforcement.= When the work has been finished thus far, cut a number of strips of muslin 1 inch wide and reinforce the corners with them.

Then take the 2-yard length of tape, which you procured, and sew it to the back of the box to hang it up by.

=Covering the Box.= Silver paper makes the nicest finish for the mail-box, and can be bought of a stationer; but you may paint the cardboard with aluminum radiator paint instead if you prefer. If you use silver paper, stick it on with flour paste.

After the paper or paint has dried, paste

=A Collection Schedule Card= upon the front of the box. You will need, also, to

=Letter= the words, "Pull Down," "Letters," etc., where they are shown in the ill.u.s.trations.

=Hang up the Mail-box= by means of its tape strap, within easy reach, upon the face of a door (Fig. 325), or to the back of a chair (Fig.

326).

=For a Mail-bag= use a school-book bag, or make one just like a real postman's out of brown denim or cambric. Letter "U. S. Mail" upon the bag with black paint, or cut the letters from black or white muslin and glue them in place. Provide a long strap to reach over the postman's shoulder.

=The Way to Play Post-Office= is for several children to attend to the writing of letters and wrapping of parcels, another to play mail clerk, who puts the post-marks on the mail and sorts it out into "routes" and another to play postman.

Canceled stamps from old letters may be re-used on the play letters, and a rubber-stamp dater such as they sell at the stationer's for 10 cents may be used for printing the post-marks.

CHAPTER XXI

A HOME-MADE REFLECTOSCOPE

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 339.--The Complete Reflectoscope.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 340.--Detail of Ventilator Top.]

This reflecting lantern, shown completed in Fig. 339, is more magical in its operation than a magic-lantern is, because, instead of projecting through transparent slides, it reflects opaque pictures. That makes it possible to use magazine and newspaper pictures, post cards, and photograph prints. You may reflect a greatly enlarged picture of the movements of your watch, and by placing your face against the opening in the reflectoscope, you may show a view of your mouth opening and closing, giant size. The ease with which slides are obtained makes this a desirable lantern to own.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 341.--Plan of Reflectoscope.]

=The Material.= You must get a box about 10 by 10 by 20 inches in size for the case of the reflectoscope, two oil-lamps, or two 16 or 32 candle-power electric lamps with the parts necessary for connecting them to the electric lighting circuit, three 1-lb. baking-powder cans and two tomato cans, two pieces of tin about 6 by 10 inches in size, and a lens from a camera, field gla.s.s, opera gla.s.s, magic-lantern or bicycle-lamp.

The bottom of the box will be the front of the reflectoscope.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 342.--Cross-section of Reflectoscope.]

=Cut the Lens Opening= through this, at the center of its length, and a trifle above the center of its width. Make the hole a trifle larger than the lens.

=Cut Ventilator Holes= 3 inches in diameter through the uppermost side of the box, near to the ends and bottom.

Figures 341 and 342 show

=The Interior Arrangement= of the reflectoscope. Place the lamps in the corners of the box, next to the front, and tack in back of them the pieces of tin for reflectors (_A_, Figs. 341 and 342). Bend the reflectors to the curve shown.

=If Oil Lamps are Used=, their tops will project through the ventilation holes, as shown in Fig. 342. These openings must be inclosed with

=A Hood which will Conceal the Light=, yet allow the heat to escape. The most satisfactory arrangement is that shown in Figs. 339 and 342. A baking-powder can with its bottom removed (_B_) is slipped over the lamp chimney and fitted into the ventilation hole; then a tomato-can (_C_) is inverted over the top of the can and fastened in the slotted ends of three wooden peg stilts (_D_, Fig. 340), and the pegs are fitted into holes made in the top of the box (Figs. 339 and 342). Fasten the can in the slots of the stilts with tacks (Fig. 340).

=If Electric Light is Used=, the hooded ventilators may be omitted. Any boy who understands the wiring of electric-lamp sockets, plugs, and drop-cord will know how to wire up the reflectoscope.

Mount the Lens in a can or mailing-tube jacket (Fig. 343). If you use a can, remove the bottom. If the lens is smaller in diameter, make a band of cardboard strips to fit around the edge, as shown in Fig. 344, and glue these strips to the inside of the can or mailing-tube. The lens jacket should fit loosely enough in the reflectoscope box opening so it will slide back and forth for focusing. Make a tin collar to fit around the jacket, and tack it to the front of the box, to prevent light from escaping (Fig. 339).

Before putting on the back of the reflectoscope box,