The following description is how a miniature windmill was made, which gave considerable power for its size, even in a light breeze. Its smaller parts, such as blades and pulleys, were constructed of 1-in. sugar pine on account of its softness.
The eight blades were made from pieces 1 by 1-1/2 by 12 in. Two opposite edges were cut away until the blade was about 1/8 in.
thick. Two inches
[Ill.u.s.tration: Details of Miniature Windmill Construction]
were left uncut at the hub end. They were then nailed to the circular face plate A, Fig. 1, which was 6 in. in diameter and 1 in. thick. The center of the hub was lengthened by the wooden disk, B, Fig. 1, which was nailed to the face plate. The shaft C, Fig. 1, was 1/4-in. iron rod, 2 ft. long, and turned in the bearings detailed in Fig. 2. J was a nut from a wagon bolt and was placed in the bearing to insure easy running. The bearing blocks were 3 in. wide, 1 in. thick and 3 in. high without the upper half. Both bearings were made in this manner.
The shaft C was keyed to the hub of the wheel, by the method shown in Fig. 3. A staple, K, held the shaft from revolving in the hub.
This method was also applied in keying the 5-in. pulley F, to the shaft, G, Fig. 1, which extended to the ground. The 2-1/2-in.
pulley, I, Fig. 1, was keyed to shaft C, as shown in Fig. 4. The wire L was put through the hole in the axle and the two ends curved so as to pa.s.s through the two holes in the pulley, after which they were given a final bend to keep the pulley in place.
The method by which the shaft C was kept from working forward is shown in Fig. 5. The washer M intervened between the bearing block and the wire N, which was pa.s.sed through the axle and then bent to prevent its falling out. Two washers were placed on shaft C, between the forward bearing and the hub of the wheel to lessen the friction.
The bed plate D, Fig. 1, was 2 ft. long, 3 in. wide and 1 in.
thick and was tapered from the rear bearing to the slot in which the fan E was nailed. This fan was made of 1/4-in. pine 18 by 12 in. and was cut the shape shown. The two small iron pulleys with screw bases, H, Fig. 1, were obtained for a small sum from a hardware dealer. Their diameter was 1-1/4 in. The belt which transferred the power from shaft C to shaft G was top string, with a section of rubber in it to take up slack. To prevent it from slipping on the two wooden pulleys a rubber band was placed in the grooves of each.
The point for the swivel bearing was determined by balancing the bed plate, with all parts in place, across the thin edge of a board. There a 1/4-in. hole was bored in which shaft G turned. To lessen the friction here, washers were placed under pulley F. The swivel bearing was made from two lids of baking powder cans. A section was cut out of one to permit its being enlarged enough to admit the other. The smaller one, 0, Fig. 6, was nailed top down with the sharp edge to the underside of the bed plate, so that the 1/4-in. hole for the shaft G was in the center. The other lid, G, was tacked, top down also, in the center of the board P, with bra.s.s headed furniture tacks, R, Fig. 6, which acted as a smooth surface for the other tin to revolve upon. Holes for shaft G were cut through both lids. Shaft G was but 1/4 in. in diameter, but to keep it from rubbing against the board P, a 1/2-in. hole was bored for it, through the latter.
The tower was made of four 1 by 1 in. strips, 25 ft. long. They converged from points on the ground forming an 8-ft. square to the board P at the top of the tower. This board was 12 in. square and the corners were notched to admit the strips as shown, Fig. 1.
Laths were nailed diagonally between the strips to strengthen the tower laterally. Each strip was screwed to a stake in the ground so that by disconnecting two of them the other two could be used as hinges and the tower could be tipped over and lowered to the ground, as, for instance, when the windmill needed oiling.
Bearings for the shaft G were placed 5 ft. apart in the tower. The power was put to various uses.
** How to Make a Telegraph Instrument and Buzzer [334]
The only expenditure necessary in constructing this telegraph instrument is the price of a dry cell, providing one has a few old materials on hand. Procure a block of wood about 6 in. long and 3 in. wide and take the coils out of an old electric bell. If you have no bell, one may be had at the dealers for a small sum.
Fasten these coils on the blocks at one end as in Fig. 1. Cut a piece of tin 2 in. long and 1/2 in. wide and bend it so the end of the tin
[Ill.u.s.tration: Home-Made Telegraph Instrurment]
when fastened to the block will come just above the core of the coil. Cut another piece of tin 3 in. long and bend it as shown at A, Fig. 2. Tack these two pieces of tin in front of the coils as shown in the ill.u.s.tration. This completes the receiver or sounder.
To make the key, cut out another piece of tin (X, Fig. 1) 4 in.
long and bend it as shown. Before tacking it to the board, cut off the head of a nail and drive it in the board at a point where the loose end of the tin will cover it. Then tack the key to the board and connect the wires of the battery as in Fig. 1. Now, move the coils back and forth until the click sounds just the way you wish and you are ready to begin on the Morse code.
When tired of this instrument, connect the wire from the coils to the key to point A and the one connected at the point under the key to B, leaving the other wire as it is. By adjusting the coils, the receiver will begin to vibrate rapidly, causing a buzzing sound.
--Contributed by John R. McConnell.
** How to Make a Water Bicycle [335]
Water bicycles afford fine sport, and, like many another device boys make, can be made of material often cast off by their people as rubbish. The principle material necessary for the construction of a water bicycle is oil barrels. Flour barrels will not do-they are not strong enough, nor can they be made perfectly airtight.
The grocer can furnish you with oil barrels at a very small cost, probably let you have them for making a few deliveries for him.
Three barrels are required for the water bicycle, although it can be made with but two. Figure 1 shows the method of arranging the barrels; after the manner of bicycle wheels.
Procure an old bicycle frame and make for it a board platform about 3 ft. wide at the rear end and tapering to about 2 ft. at the front, using cleats to hold the board frame, as shown at
[Ill.u.s.tration: Water, Bicycle Complete]
the shaded portion K. The construction of the barrel part is shown in Fig. 2. Bore holes in the center of the heads of the two rear barrels and also in the heads of the first barrel and put a shaft of wood, through the rear barrels and one through the front barrel, adjusting the side pieces to the shafts, as indicated.
Next place the platform of the bicycle frame and connections thereon. Going back to Fig. 1 we see that the driving chain pa.s.ses from the sprocket driver L of the bicycle frame to the place downward between the slits in the platform to the driven sprocket on the shaft between the two barrels. Thus a center drive is made.
The rear barrels are, fitted with paddles as at M, consisting of four pieces of board nailed
[Ill.u.s.tration: Barrel Float for Bicycle]
and deated about the circ.u.mference of the barrels, as shown in Fig. 1.
The new craft is now ready for a first voyage. To propel it, seat yourself on the bicycle seat, feet on the pedals, just as you would were you on a bicycle out in the street. The steering is effected by simply bending the body to the right or left, which causes the craft to dip to the inclined side and the affair turns in the dipped direction. The speed is slow at first, but increases as the force is generated and as one becomes familiar with the working of the affair. There is no danger, as the airtight barrels cannot possibly sink.
Another mode of putting together the set of barrels, using one large one in the rear and a small one in the front is presented in Fig, 3. These two barrels are empty oil barrels like the others.
The head holes are bored and the proper wooden shafts are inserted and the entrance to the bores closed tight by calking with hemp and putty or clay. The ends of the shafts turn in the wooden frame where the required bores are made to receive the same. If the journals thus made are well oiled, there will not be much friction. Such a frame can be fitted with a platform and a raft to suit one"s individual fancy built upon it, which can
[Ill.u.s.tration: Another Type of Float]
be paddled about with ease and safety on any pond. A sail can be rigged up by using a mast and some sheeting; or even a little houseboat, which will give any amount of pleasure, can be built.
** How To Make a Small Searchlight [336]
The materials required for a small searchlight are a 4-volt lamp of the loop variety, thin sheet bra.s.s for the cylinder, copper piping and bra.s.s tubing for base. When completed the searchlight may be fitted to a small boat and will afford a great amount
[Ill.u.s.tration: Searchlight]
of pleasure for a little work, or it may be put to other uses if desired.
Make a cylinder of wood of the required size and bend a sheet of thin bra.s.s around it. Shape small blocks of boxwood, D, Fig. 1, to fit the sides and pa.s.s stout pieces of bra.s.s wire through the middle of the blocks for trunnions. Exactly through the middle of the sides of the cylinder drill holes just so large that when the blocks containing the trunnions are cemented to the cylinder there is no chance of contact between cylinder and trunnion, and so creating a false circuit.
The trunnion should project slightly into the cylinder, and after the lamp has been placed in position by means of the small wood blocks shown in Fig. 1, the wires from the lamp should be soldered to the trunnions. It is best to solder the wire to the trunnions before cementing the side blocks inside the cylinder.
Turn a small circle of wood, A, Fig. 2, inside the cylinder to fit exactly and fasten to it a piece of mirror, C, Fig. 2, exactly the same size to serve as a reflector. Painting the wood with white enamel or a piece of brightly polished metal will serve the purpose. On the back of the piece of wood fasten a small bra.s.s handle, B, Fig. 2, so that it may readily be removed for cleaning.
In front of cylinder place a piece of magnifying gla.s.s for a lens.
If a piece
[Ill.u.s.tration: Front View; Side View]
to fit cannot be obtained, fit a gla.s.s like a linen tester to a small disc of wood or bra.s.s to fit the cylinder. If magnifying gla.s.s cannot be had, use plain gla.s.s and fit them as follows:
Make two rings of bra.s.s wire to fit tightly into the cylinder, trace a circle (inside diameter of cylinder) on a piece of cardboard; place cardboard on gla.s.s and cut out gla.s.s with a gla.s.s cutter; break off odd corners with notches on cutters and grind the edge of the gla.s.s on an ordinary red brick using plenty of water. Place one bra.s.s ring in cylinder, then the gla.s.s disc and then the other ring.
For the stand fill a piece of copper piping with melted rosin or lead. When hard bend the pipe around a piece of wood which has been sawed to the shape of bend desired. Then melt out the rosin or lead. Make an incision with a half-round file in the under side of the tube for the wires to come through. Make the base of wood as shown in Fig. 1. One half inch from the top bore a hole large enough to admit the copper pipe and a larger hole up the center to meet it for the wires to come down.
If it is desired to make the light very complete, make the base of two pieces of bra.s.s tube--one being a sliding fit in the other and with projecting pieces to prevent the cylinder from going too far.
The light may then be elevated or lowered as wished. On two ordinary bra.s.s terminals twist or solder some flexible wire, but before doing so fix a little bone washer on the screws of the terminal so as to insulate it from the tube. When the wires have been secured to the terminals cover the joint with a piece of very thin india rubber tubing, such as is used for cycle valves. The two wires may now be threaded down the copper tube into the base, and pulled tight, the terminals firmly fixed into the tubes; if too small, some glue will secure them. To get the cylinder into its carriage, put one trunnion into the terminal as far as it will go and this will allow room for the other trunnion to go in its terminal.