If you are at all skilful with your tools you will be able to cut a nice moulding round the edge of the base, and so improve the artistic effect of your model.
Two thin coats of varnish, or of good enamel, will complete this attractive little article.
One little wooden toy, quite interesting in itself, and very useful when playing with "soldiers," is
_The Windlass._--Some odd pieces of lath or cigar-box wood, a cotton reel, a length of string, some stout wire, and some glue and pins, provide all the necessaries. The cotton reel should be the largest obtainable.
Fig. 45 shows the completed work. First of all, make a square base for the windlass. If the reel is 3 in. long, cut off four lengths of lath (or four inch-strips of cigar-wood box) each 4 in. long, and glue these into a hollow square, two under and two over. Now cut off two more lengths, 3 in. long, for the upright supports--making the top ends pointed to hold the slanting covers.
Before these side-pieces are glued and pinned into position, it will be necessary to insert the reel. Get a piece of skewer, or lead pencil, 4 in. long, and glue it into the hole in the reel. At one end of the axle so formed will be placed the handle. This can be made in several ways, either with wood or wire, or a mixture of the two (Figs. 46, 47, 48 show some varieties, which may also be useful in making other toys). Holes just large enough to allow the axle to turn freely must then be cut in the side supports.
The two slanting covers should be about 4 in. long, so as to allow a trifle to project at each end, and should be from 3/4 in. to 1 in. wide. The two edges which meet to form the apex of the cover should be bevelled off so as to form a clean join.
In making this model it would perhaps be as well to use carpenter's glue in place of the prepared stuff.
From the material supplied by one or two empty cigar boxes, many interesting things can be made, especially articles for use with dolls--cradles, carts, furniture, &c. If these articles are of no use to you, they come in very handy for presents to little sisters and friends, especially when well made and carefully finished.
_A Doll's Cradle_ is perhaps one of the simplest to commence with. To a box from which the lid has been removed, it is only necessary to add two rockers. These can be cut out from the lid by means of a fret saw, and then smoothed down with glass-paper. Fig. 49 shows the best shape for the rockers, which should be glued on about an inch from each end of the box (Fig. 50). Great care should be taken that the two rockers are as nearly alike as possible, otherwise the cradle will not swing to and fro freely.