Chapter XXIX: Part I

Leather work is one of the most interesting of the crafts, first, because the material is so pliable that anyone can work it, and secondly, because any ordinary article can be made by simply following the directions carefully, although each of the various kinds of leather demands a different process.

The equipment necessary is simple, consisting of two special tools costing 50 cents each, one with a narrow edge for lining patterns, and one with broad ends for tooling; and a piece of tin, plate glass, or very smooth hard wood, which should not be smaller than 9 by 12 in. A soft sponge, a triangle, a rule, tracing paper and a hard pencil are also needed.

The first attempt should be made on a piece of Russian calfskin. This may be purchased at any leather store or craft shop and costs about 50 cents a square foot, if cut to measure. Whole skins contain from 8 to 12 sq. ft. and cost about 35 cents a square foot. Calfskin may be had in almost any color.

The coin purse will be the first article described. The size, pattern and design must first be determined. It consists of three parts, the front, back and flap, as shown in the sketch. This purse will require a piece of leather 4 by 8 in., in order to allow an extra 1/4 in. outside of the pattern to pin the leather on the board while transferring the design. The upper flap C folds over the front of the purse D. The design must be divided, the part belonging to C placed on the flap, and the part belonging to the front D, on the lower part of the front.

Take a piece of paper and fold it in accordance with the desired proportions of the purse, taking care that the design for the front D is on the same side of the paper as that of the flap C. The space F under the flap is without any design. The design for the front D is on the lower part of the upper division of the pattern. Fold the part F behind H, and then the part C behind H and F. Turn the pattern over for the proper position of the purse. Draw the entire design on tracing or tough tissue paper. Wet the leather on the wrong or unfinished side with a soft sponge. Pat the leather and endeavor to moisten, but not soak it, with water. On some leather the water, if it comes through, leaves a stain. When the leather is too wet it is very hard to tool, as the tool sticks and makes an uneven background.

Pin the design firmly down against the leather and fasten the leather with thumb tacks on the outer margin. With a hard pencil go over every line of the design with a firm, even pressure. If the leather is properly moistened, this will leave a clear outline of the design when the tracing paper is removed. Then with a lining tool--the tool with the narrow edge--go over the lines on the leather with a strong, firm stroke. Should a line design only be desired, this operation finishes the decoration.

Two other methods may be used: tooling or stamping. The design shown does not go to the edge of the pattern. A margin of at least 1/8 in. between the edge of the pattern and design must be left for tooling and stamping. For tooling, after lining the pattern, use the broad end of the tool and make even, long strokes to press down the background. If the background is not easily pressed down, the leather is too dry. Take it off the board and moisten the back again, move the tool back and forth and around until the background is comparatively smooth. Keep the edges very sharp between parts pressed down and those that remain raised. The depth of pressing down the background is a matter of taste, but it should be tooled down enough to make the design stand out plainly. Fold the parts together and line with silk to match the leather and then stitch up the front and back parts of the purse close to the edge. This can be done on any sewing machine, or by a shoemaker. The circle M in the pattern is the catch or button which can be furnished and put on by a shoemaker, or at a trunk store.

Any ordinary article of leather can be stitched on a sewing machine in the home. To do this successfully the stitch must be long and the needle of a large rather than a small size. Try the stitch on a scrap of leather before sewing the article. If the foot or feed of the machine mars the leather, place tissue paper or a plain piece of paper over the leather and stitch through both. After making the stitch the paper can be pulled away. Use as heavy a silk as the needle will take. The card case, coin purse, stamp case and bags can all be stitched on an ordinary machine, if the above directions are followed. In stitching any soft leather, such as ooze cow or ooze calf, if paper is not put between the leather and the machine, the stitching will stretch the leather. In making bags, instead of stitching on a machine one can punch holes close together with a small punch, and then with strips of leather sew the sides together over and over, or in any manner desired. If no machine is at hand, nor a shoemaker's shop nearby, a large pin or awl may be used to prick holes in the leather, and then the parts sewed together with needle and silk. Use a running or over-and-over stitch. An over-and-over stitch from one end of the seam to the other and back to the beginning of the seam, makes an X-shaped stitch which gives a very good finish.

The second method after tooling is stamping. Line the pattern as described. Purchase a common carpenter's nail set, with the head not too large. The smaller sets fit the patterns better and make smaller circles. Moisten the leather as described. Use a wooden mallet to strike the tool in stamping the background. This may be done either along circular lines or in a more irregular manner, but avoid striking the tool too hard, as too much pressure cuts through the leather. Other stamping tools of good patterns may be purchased at hardware stores or crafts shops.

A needle book or stamp case is another handy article to make in leather. The sketch shows the design. A piece of Russian calf, 6-1/4 by 3-3/4 in., is necessary. This allows 1/4 in. on each side and end for pinning down the pattern. Fold a piece of paper into three parts as A, B and C, the front being A; the back, B, which is folded underneath the part A. The flap C folds up with B and then over A toward the front. When the pattern is open, the design for all parts must be on the same side of the paper. The design for the back B is put on the leather upside down. When the pattern is folded this makes the design upright. The parts A, B and C are equal in length and width. The part C may be cut in any shape desired, but keep the tongue D long and narrow. Make two horizontal cuts in the front A about 3/16 in. apart.

These cuts must be at the same distance from the bottom of the front as the narrowest part of the tongue is from the end. The tongue will then fit the cuts. Make the horizontal cuts a little wider than the tongue. The design is put on the leather in the same manner. It can be worked out in line, tooling or stamping. The parts A and B are sewed together.

The mat illustrated is another useful article and easy to make. Any size may be used, and the method of lining or tooling the design, or both, gives a very beautiful effect.

How to Make a Wood Lathe

A strong, substantial lathe in which wood and light metal articles may be turned can be made by carefully following the description below and the detailed drawings of the parts.

The bed is made of two pieces of straight-grained, smooth, 2 by 4-in. hard wood, 5 ft. long. They are held apart at each end by blocks of wood 2 in. wide. The bed can, of course, be made longer or shorter if desired, but the above dimensions are very satisfactory. The frame of the headstock, Figs. 1 and 2, is made of hard wood. The two end pieces have the dimensions and shape shown. These are fastened with screws to the base.

The base has a slider, a strip of wood 1 in. thick and 10 in. long, wide enough to slide smoothly between the bed pieces, nailed to its bottom, 2 in. from the rear end. Two 1/2-in. holes are bored through the baseboard and slide. Two 1/2-in. bolts are run through these holes and through another slide and board which runs on the under side of the bed.

When the nuts on these bolts are tightened, the headstock is firmly clamped to the bed. A half-round, wedge-shaped piece is fastened with screws in the frame against the front end, to serve as a brace against any strain, and will also add to its appearance. The spindle is of tool steel or steel tubing, 3/4 in. in diameter and 14 in. long. Threads are cut on one end.

A hardened steel collar, 1/4 by 1-1/2 in., is riveted on the spindle so it may turn against another collar of the same size on the headstock. Another collar is fastened with screws to the rear end piece, and a collar with a removable pin is fixed on the spindle. These should be fitted so as to revolve easily against each other and yet have no end play. The bearings are of brass tubing drilled for a spindle. These are inserted and wedged in the headstock, 6 in. from the bed.

Care should be taken to see that they are in line. Small holes are drilled from the top for oil. The pulleys are 2 in. wide with the diameters given in the drawing. They are fastened to the spindle with a removable pin.

A good chuck for this lathe is made, as shown in Fig. 3, of a piece of shafting 1-1/2 in. in diameter and 2-1/2 in. long. A 1/2-in. hole is drilled through its center and one end reamed out and threaded to fit the threads on the end of the spindle. A setscrew is fitted over the 1/2-in. hole. A center for turning wood is also shown. Many centers, drills, etc., can be made of 1/2-in. tool steel.

The tailstock, Figs. 4 and 5, is built up of three pieces of hard wood, 2 in. thick, and one piece, 1 in. thick, shaped as shown. These are held together with four bolts, 7-1/2 in. long. It has sliders and is clamped to the bed in the same manner as the headstock, but only one bolt is used. A handle is welded to the nut. This will make the clamping easy.

A piece of tubing, 2 in. long, is drilled for a 1/2-in. dead center and inserted for 1-1/2 in. between the two upper pieces, as shown in Fig. 6. A hole for a 1/2-in. bolt is bored through the sections so as to allow the bolt to slide freely in the tubing. The top section is taken off and a place chiseled out just back of the tube for a 1/2-in. nut. A bolt, 7 in. long and threaded for 2 in. of its length, is turned into the nut and tubing. A handle or wheel is riveted on the end of the bolt. The center is made of tool steel, 1/2 in. in diameter, with a tapering point. Other centers can be made of 1/2-in, tool steel.

The tool rest, Figs. 7, 8 and 9, has a slide, 3/4 by 3 by 13 in., with a slot 1/2 by 6 in. The base of the rest is bolted on this slide so it can be adjusted. The rest is fastened on this base with screws. The height of the rest can be varied. It can be raised or lowered by inserting wedges between the slide and the rest base. The tool rest is clamped to the base the same as the tailstock.

The power for this lathe can be supplied by means of a countershaft, although a foot-power arrangement may be attached.--Contributed by E. E. Hulgan, Marion, Ind.

To Reduce the Gasoline Consumption of an Automobile

Quite recently I tried out a method of reducing the consumption of gasoline in my automobile, and, as a result, have higher efficiency without resorting to any of the numerous and exceedingly costly devices on the market.

I procured a piece of wire screen, cut it in the shape of the gasket between the carburetor and the intake manifold, but leaving it blind, that is, with the screen across the inlet. I put this between two gaskets and fastened the whole back in place. The result was an increase of 3 miles per gallon of fuel.--Contributed by W. J. Weber, New York City.

Cutting a Tin Ball from a Child's Finger

A three-year-old child found a globe of tin with a hole cut through the center, and--it is hardly necessary to state--immediately thrust his finger into the hole. But he could not get it out again, and the mother, accompanied by several other small children, brought the screaming child to my office. I found the hole had been punched, which caused three harpoon-like fragments to be carried into the center of the globe.

The mother in her attempt to remove it had caused the sharp points to enter the flesh of the finger in two or three places. Any attempt to pull the ball off, drove the points of the harpoons deeper into the finger, and it was therefore a question of cutting the tin or the finger. But what kind of an instrument could I use on this tin globe?

I had nothing in my case that would cut it. My 35 years of medical experience gave me no help. The tin was as hard and smooth as a glass marble. Yet, it would have been ridiculous to be thus conquered by a tin whistle, so after some meditation I called to mind that I had a pair of heavy tinner's snips in the basement. By using the utmost care I succeeded in cutting a small incision in the round ball, and then with the points of the shears I cut the metal away from the finger.

Such an accident may come under the observation of any parent, and if so, he can use the same method to relieve the child where medical assistance is not near at hand.--Contributed by R. W. Battles, M. D., Erie, Pa.

Child's Seat for Theaters

As children must hold tickets for theaters the same as adults, but the ordinary chair is too low to permit a child to see the performance, an auxiliary seat such as shown in the sketch would sometimes be desirable as it elevates the child so its head will be on a level with those of other spectators. The seat is made of a strip of canvas with eyelets for wire hooks that fit over the arms of the ordinary theater chair. It is necessary to have extra eyelets at one end of the canvas to adjust it to varying widths of seats.--Contributed by W. A. Jaquythe, Richmond, Cal.

Holding Spoon on a Hot Dish

After repeatedly burning my fingers in the attempt to prevent the spoon from sliding into the hot dish, I decided to do a little inventing on my own hook. Taking a clean, straight hairpin I bent it to the shape shown in Fig. 1, and after hooking it over the edge of the dish, I placed the spoon in it as shown in Fig. 2, and my troubles were at an end.--Contributed by Miss Genevieve Warner, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Locating Gas and Electric Fixtures in the Dark

A gas or electric fixture in the center of a room is quite hard to locate in the dark; more so if it is a single-light pendant. The location may be easily found if the fixture is marked as follows: Coat small pieces of cardboard on both sides with phosphorus and suspend them from the fixtures with small wires. No matter how dark the room may be, the phosphorus on the cardboard can be readily seen. The phosphorus is the same as used on matches and can be obtained from any druggist. The phosphorus, being poisonous, should be handled as little as possible, and, after using, should be returned to the water-filled jar in which it was received when bought. If left in the open, it may cause fire.--Contributed by Katharine D. Morse, Syracuse, N. Y.

A Pea-Shooting Gun

The gun consists of only two parts. The barrel may be either a piece of bamboo fishing pole or a section of sweet alder. The spring is a piece of corset steel, such as can be usually found about the home.

Sweet alder can be found in the summer growing along the fences in the country almost anywhere. Find a stalk, about 1 in. in diameter, which is good and straight, and cut it off to a length of 6 or 7 in. Make a ram rod of wood and use it to punch out the pith of the alder, rendering the bore as smooth as possible. An old bamboo pole of like dimensions may be used instead.

Cut out a section of the wood, 2-1/2 in. long, beginning 1-1/2 in. from one end of the tube. The depth of this cut should be almost halfway through the piece. The corset steel is then inserted into the short end of the tube and bent over so that its other end will touch the bottom of the open part of the bore. A nick is made with a knife across the bottom of the bore at this point, to let the spring catch a little. The ammunition is placed before the caught end of the spring, as shown, and discharged by hooking the forefinger over the spring at the point A and pulling backward as when pulling the trigger of a gun.

It is necessary to keep the muzzle elevated a little after the ammunition is placed in position, otherwise the pea will roll out before the spring has a chance to strike it.

Coloring Electric-Light Globes

Often it is desired to produce certain effects in lighting which demand a different-colored light than that given by the modern tungsten lamp. As an example, a soft, mellow light is sometimes desired similar to that given by the old carbon-filament lamp. In such cases it is a great mistake to install the carbon lamps on account of their exceedingly poor efficiency.

The ordinary tungsten lamp has an average efficiency of about 1.2 watts per candlepower, while the carbon-filament lamp requires about 3 watts per candlepower. Therefore, it is much more economical to color the globe of the tungsten lamp so as to produce the required color than to use the carbon lamp. Of course, both lamps must be colored when any color other than a soft, yellow light is desired.

A cheap coloring solution may be made as follows: Soak a small amount of gelatin in cold water for several hours, then boil it and strain it through a piece of fine cloth. While the solution is still hot, add a small quantity of aniline dye of the desired color that has been previously mixed in a small quantity of cold water. The lamps are dipped in the solution and then allowed to cool in a vertical position so that the coating will be more uniform.

A more satisfactory coloring solution may be made from celluloid. Obtain quite a number of old photographic films and remove all the gelatin by washing them in hot water. Then dissolve them in a solution of equal parts of ether and alcohol. Add the coloring solution and dip the lamps. The coating produced by this method is impervious to water.

Support for an Open Book

When a book is laid on a table for reading the pages at the beginning or end, it will not stay open flat on account of the difference in the thickness of the open parts. One person, doing a great deal of reading, uses a small card, with the corner cut out, which is placed under the side of the book having the smallest number of leaves, as shown.

Arts-Crafts Leather Work By Mary C. Scovel