Chapter XIX: Part II: A Festooned Kite (5)

All that is required to perform this trick is a box of safety matches. Four matches are removed and three of them arranged as shown in the sketch. The performer then tells his friends that he will light the fourth match and set the cross match on fire in the center, then asks which match of the standing ones will light first. Most persons will not stop to think and guess either one or the other. As a matter of fact, after the cross match is set on fire it soon burns the wood away, and the pressure of the two side matches will cause it to spring out so that neither catches fire.--Contributed by Abner B. Shaw, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

Cutting Glass Bottle with Electricity

Performing an experiment in a laboratory, it became necessary to have some apparatus which we did not possess at the time. A bell jar could have been used, but this we did not have, and as a substitute we used a large glass bottle, 8 in. in diameter, with the bottom removed. In order to do this, we first made a mark around the outside of the bottle near the bottom with a glass cutter. A piece of copper wire, ¹⁄₃₂ in. in diameter, was then wound around the outside on the mark and connected to the circuit.

As the wire would expand enough to make it slip off the bottle when heated red-hot, pliers were used to keep it taut about the bottle when the current was turned on. A current of 110 volts and 5 amperes was run through the wire, heating it red-hot, and this cracked the glass exactly on the line marked by the glass cutter.--Contributed by R. E. Hollis, Chicago, Ill.

Nail Cabinet with Muffin-Pan Trays

Muffin-pan trays used by the housewife in baking make serviceable containers for nails, screws, and other small articles used in a shop. The illustration shows the pans fitted into a box, and sliding in grooves cut into the sides with a saw.

The box is made with the end pieces lapping over the top and the bottom this being a better construction to carry the weight of the trays. The wood used in the sides is ⁷⁄₈ in. thick, in order that a saw cut may be made to a depth of ¹⁄₄ in. without weakening the support. Thinner wood may be used if instead of saw cuts small strips of wood are nailed against the side on which the trays may slide.--Contributed by Harry J. Blacklidge, San Rafael, Cal.

Waterproofing Matches

Dipping ordinary parlor matches into melted paraffin and permitting them to dry thoroughly will enable them to withstand water. The paraffin acts like a wax candle and is unaffected by the moisture. This should be of aid to campers and others who find it hard to keep matches dry.--Contributed by T. W. Lambert, Jr., New York, N. Y.

BY A. E. ANDREW