Every conjurer who has in him, as all conjurers should have, the creative
instinct of the artist, and aims therefore at putting something of
himself into his work, must of necessity be to some small extent an
amateur mechanic. The hints which follow are addressed to the reader in
that capacity. I have no pretension to teach him how to do things in the
way of construction, but merely to make the doing of them easier. Though
relating to matters in themselves small, the “tips” which follow may
safely be said to come within the scope of Captain Cuttle’s celebrated
counsel, “when found make a note of.” It often happens that the amateur
mechanic has to take considerable trouble and pains in procuring some
special requirement, while there is already on sale, at small cost, just
the thing he wants, if he only knew what to ask for, and where to get
it. The paragraphs which follow will, in some at any rate of such cases,
supply the needful information.
1. For woodwork on a small scale, an old cigar box will often be found
suitable material. Where such a box is not available or not suitable for
the particular work in hand, what is called “three-ply” may supply the
need. This consists of three layers of thin wood glued together under
pressure, with the grain of the intermediate layer running crossway
to that of the other two, the tendency to warp being thereby greatly
reduced. Drawing-boards are, for this reason, now usually made of wood
so combined, and a drawing-board makes for many purposes a good enough
_extempore_ work-bench. For a finer class of work, the amateur mechanic,
if he is willing to take the trouble, may make his own three-ply. For
this purpose he should procure a supply of what is called “knife-cut”
veneer, _i.e._, thin sheets of walnut, mahogany, satin,--or other
hard wood, and glue them together with the white glue to be presently
described. Veneer merchants form a distinct trade, and are comparatively
few in number, but the resident in London can obtain veneer and thin
woods of all descriptions from Messrs. McEwan & Son, 282 Old Street,
E. C. In country districts the shops which hold agencies for “Hobbies”
materials also sell planed-up woods of various kinds, ranging like veneer
from one-sixteenth to half an inch in thickness.
2. As a handy substitute for glue, most people are acquainted with the
virtues of Seccotine, in its way a most useful preparation. But there
are many purposes for which Seccotine is too aggressively viscous, while
ordinary paste is not adhesive enough. In such cases I can strongly
recommend _Pastoid_, a composition midway between glue and paste. For all
purposes for which paste (in small quantity) is ordinarily used, Pastoid
may be substituted with advantage. I myself came across it accidentally
two or three years ago, “since when,” like the gentleman in the soap
advertisement, “I have used no other.” The maker is Henry Roberts,
Middlesborough, but it should be obtainable of any up-to-date stationer
or fancy dealer. It is supplied in glass jars, at sixpence and a shilling.
3. Where an actual glue, of fine quality, is needed, procure sheet
gelatine, to be had of any grocer. Cut into small pieces and melt in
an ordinary gluepot using water enough to make the resulting solution
about as thick as ordinary gum water. It should be used as near boiling
point as possible, and the joined surfaces left to dry under the
heaviest pressure available. A joint made with this glue is practically
invisible.[22]
4. For dividing up thin stuff (wood or cardboard), into rectangular
slabs, the handiest tool is the “cutting gauge.” This is practically
identical with the better known “marking gauge,” save that the “marker”
is replaced by a little spade-pointed cutter. This tool is only available
for cutting wood up to say eight inches in width, but to the amateur
attempting small work only, it will be found invaluable.
5. For staining wood or cardboard a deep dead black I have found nothing
better than the “Record Jet Stain,” manufactured by the Record Polish
Company, Eccles, Manchester. It is normally designed for staining leather
only, the makers not having apparently realised its usefulness in other
directions. It is to be had of any dealer in leather goods, in twopenny
and sixpenny bottles. In many cases I have found it best to rub it in
with a pad, rather than to apply it with a brush, but this will of course
depend largely on the nature of the article to be treated.
6. An excellent polish for use after staining, or for other purposes,
is made by dissolving _white_ wax in turpentine, to the consistency
of cream. Applied sparingly, with plenty of friction to follow, this
produces a clean hard gloss, free from the stickiness which is sometimes
left after the use of other polishes.
7. For enamelling small articles use Maurice’s Porceleine (the makers of
which are Walter Carson & Sons, Grove Works, Battersea, S. W.) procurable
at “oil and colour” men in tins from three-halfpence upwards.
8. For any article to be made of flat card or mill-board, without
folding or bending, preference should be given to “Bristol” board, sold
by artists’ colour-men. This is somewhat more expensive but is stiffer
and harder and has a better surface than the commoner articles.
9. For joining wood to wood without glue where there is no great
thickness to be penetrated, “needle-points,” procurable of any
ironmonger, will be found useful. These are stout eyeless needles, of
very brittle steel, about two inches in length. To use them, bore with
a fine bradawl a hole partially through the wood, then drive in the
needle-point by gentle tapping with a hammer, and when it has penetrated
the desired depth snap off all that remains above the surface.
10. Also useful for many purposes are what are called by drapers
“blanket” pins. These are of brass, and a card of such pins in
three sizes, ranging from two to three inches in length and varying
proportionately in thickness, may be bought for a penny. Pins a trifle
shorter and thinner than the above are known as “laundry” pins. Apart
from their normal uses, pins of these kinds are very useful for bending
into hooks, or to cut up into short lengths of stiff straight wire for
pivots or otherwise.
11. For all effects dependent upon a thread pull use, in place of
ordinary thread, _plaited_ silk fishing line. This is procurable of
any sports’ outfitter or fishing tackle dealer, in twenty and forty
yard lengths, and in half a dozen grades of thickness, the finest being
not much thicker than a hair line. The breaking strain of this is much
greater than that of ordinary thread, and it has the further advantage
that being plaited instead of twisted it does not unroll or “kink” in
use. Allcock, of Redditch, a name familiar to all anglers, is a noted
maker of such line, but he has no monopoly of its manufacture. It is
usually sold white, but may be easily dyed any desired colour.
For this last valuable “tip” I am again indebted to my often-quoted
friend, Mr. Holt Schooling, who, as an enthusiastic angler, is an expert
as to lines of all descriptions. The reader will find numerous instances
of the practical use of such line in the earlier part of this book.
A good way of dyeing line is to thread a needle on to one end, and pass
it by the aid of the needle through one corner, moistened with the
appropriate dye, of a soft sponge, and then back again through the dry
part of the sponge to clean off any excess of moisture. When dry, if
necessary, repeat the process.
12. Square envelopes, for the purpose of forming “nests” or otherwise,
are now and then needed by the conjurer, but envelopes precisely square
(save the small variety known as “pence” envelopes) are not kept in
“stock” by stationers in the ordinary way. When such are needed the
readiest plan is to take an envelope of the long “bag” shape and shorten
it to an exact square, closing the lower end as before. Envelopes of
the above kind are procurable in many varieties of paper, and in widths
ranging by various fractions of an inch from four inches upwards.
13. To make a line, thick or thin, run freely over a pulley-wheel or
through an eyelet, use as a lubricant powdered talcum, otherwise known
as French chalk. This is equally useful for minimising friction between
wooden surfaces, or between wood and metal, say between a pulley-wheel
and the pivot on which it turns. Where the slight extra cost is not an
obstacle the use of ivory as the material of a pulley-wheel secures the
perfection of easy running.
* * * * *
It is, I trust, hardly necessary to say that wherever I have mentioned
an article to be had by purchase, my recommendation is based solely
upon practical experience of its merits. I have no interest, direct or
indirect, in any of the articles mentioned, and my knowledge of their
manufacturers is derived solely from their respective labels.
[21] This book having been written primarily with a view to British
readers, some of my recommendations will naturally be of no value to my
American friends, but I have not thought it necessary to delete them. L.
H.
[22] For the information contained in this paragraph, as also that
relating to the use of Veneers I am indebted to Mr. Holt Schooling, who
is an expert in such matters. My own essays in the direction of fancy
cabinet-making have for the most part been limited to rough models to be
reproduced in finished shape by more practised hands.