Mount both pieces on a base 4-1/4 by 2-3/4 by 1/4 in., as in Fig. 3, and where
the screw of the knob strikes the base when pressed down, put in a screw or brass-headed tack for a contact. Fasten the parts down with small brass wood-screws and solder the connections beneath the base. Binding posts from an old battery cell are used on the end of the base. The screw on top of the arch is used to adjust the key for a long or short stroke. --Contributed by S. V. Cooke, Hamilton, Canada.
Camps and suburban homes located where ice is hard to get can be provided with a cooling arrangement herein described that will make a good substitute for the icebox. A barrel is sunk in the ground in a shady place, allowing plenty of space about the outside to fill in with gravel. A quantity of small stones and sand is first put in wet. A box is placed in the hole over the top of the barrel and filled in with clay or earth well tamped. The porous condition of the gravel drains the surplus water after a rain.
The end of the barrel is fitted with a light cover and a heavy door hinged to the box. A small portion of damp sand is sprinkled on the bottom of the barrel. The covers should be left open occasionally to prevent mold and to remove any bad air that may have collected from the contents. --Contributed by F. Smith, La Salle, Ill.
Secure a cheese box about 12 in. high and 15 in. or more in diameter. It will pay you to be careful in selecting this box. Be sure to have the cover. Score the wood deeply with a carpenter's gauge inside and out 3-1/2 in. from the top of the box. With repeated scoring the wood will be almost cut through or in shape to finish the cut with a knife. Now you will have the box in two pieces. The lower part, 8-1/2 in. deep over all, we will call the basket, and the smaller part will be known as the tray.
Remove the band from the cover and cut the boards to fit in the tray flush with the lower edge, to make the bottom. Fasten with 3/4-in brads. The kind of wood used in making these boxes cracks easily and leaves a rough surface which should be well sandpapered.
The four legs are each 3/4-in. square and 30-1/2 in. long. The tops should be beveled to keep them from splintering at the edges. With a string or tape measure, find the circumference of the tray or basket and divide this into four equal parts, arranging the lap seam on both to come midway between two of the marks. When assembling, make these seams come between the two back legs.