Preparing the Sides.—These are cut to exactly the same length, which we
will assume to be 11 feet 6 inches, planed quite smooth and rounded off
slightly at the corners to make handling comfortable. Before marking
them for the rungs it is important that they shall be so arranged that
both incline equally towards a centre line.
Stretch a string tightly three inches above the ground, and lay the
sides of the ladder on edge to right and left of it, their ends level.
Adjust the bottom ends 8-1/2, the top ends 6-1/2 inches from the
string, measuring from the outside. Tack on cross pieces to prevent
shifting, and then, starting from the bottom, make a mark every 10
inches on the outside corners, to show the position of the tops of the
rungs. A piece of the wood to be used for making the rungs of is laid
up to the pairs of marks in turn, and lines are drawn on both sides of
it.
Cutting the Notches.—The work of marking the ends of the notches will
be quickened, and rendered more accurate, if a template (Fig. 10) is
cut out of tin. The side AC is 3/8 to 1/2 inch deep. Apply the template
to both faces of the side in turn, with its corner A at the line below
the rung, and DE flush with the upper corner. When all the notches have
been marked cut down the AC line of each with a tenon saw, and chisel
along BC till the wedge-shaped chip is removed. Finish off every notch
as neatly as possible, so that the rungs may make close contact and
keep water out.
Preparing the Rungs.—Lay a piece of rung batten across the lowest
notches, the end overhanging the side by a quarter of an inch or so to
allow for the taper of the ladder, and draw your pencil along the
angles which it makes with the sides. Mark the positions of the nail
holes. Cut off the rung at the cross lines; drill the four nail holes
on the skew, as shown in Fig. 10; and round off all the corners. The
other rungs are treated in the same manner, and the sides are then
separated, for the inside top corner and both back corners, which will
be handled most, to be well rounded off and rubbed smooth with glass
paper.
Assembling.—Before putting the parts together give them a coating of
paint, as the contact surfaces will not be accessible to the brush
afterwards. When the paint has dried, lay the sides out as before, and
nail on the rungs with 3-inch nails. To counteract any tendency of the
sides to draw apart, a light cross bar should be fixed on the back of
the ladder behind the top and bottom rungs.
Round off the end angles of the rungs, and apply a second coating of
paint.
Note.—A ladder of this kind is given a more presentable appearance if
the rungs are let in square to the sides and flush, but at the
sacrifice either of strength or lightness, unless narrow rungs of a
hard wood, such as oak, be used. Moreover, square notches are not so
easy to cut out as triangular.
For a short ladder, not more than 9 feet long, the section of the sides
may safely be reduced to 2-3/4 by 1 inch (actual), if good material is
selected.
V.
A DEVELOPING SINK.
Many amateur photographers are obliged to do their developing in odd
corners and under conditions which render the hobby somewhat irksome if
a large number of plates have to be treated. The main difficulty is to
secure an adequate water supply and to dispose of the waste water. At a
small expenditure of money and energy it is easy, however, to rig up a
contrivance which, if it does not afford the conveniences of a properly
equipped dark room, is in advance of the jug-and-basin arrangement with
which one might otherwise have to be content. A strong point in favour
of the subject of this chapter is that it can be moved without any
trouble if the photographer has to change his quarters.
The foundation, so to speak, of the developing sink is a common wooden
washstand of the kind which has a circular hole in the top to hold the
basin. A secondhand article of this sort can be purchased for a
shilling or two. A thoroughly sound specimen should be selected, even
if it is not the cheapest offered, especial attention being paid to its
general rigidity and the good condition of the boards surrounding the
basin shelf.
[Illustration: Fig. 11.—A home-made developing sink for the darkroom.]
The area of the top is generally about 20 by 15 inches; but if a stand
of larger dimensions can be found, choose it by preference.
The general design of the sink and its equipment is shown in Fig. 11.
For the uprights, which rest on the beading of the washstand, use two
boards 9 inches wide, 1/2 inch (actual) thick, and 36 inches long. The
top shelf, to carry the pail or other water container, should be of
1-inch stuff; and the two lower shelves be not more than 5 inches wide
and 3/4 inch thick. Space the shelves at least 11 inches apart, so that
they may accommodate tall bottles. The superstructure will gain in
rigidity if the intermediate shelves are screwed to the uprights, in
addition to being supported on ledges as indicated; and if the back is
boarded over for at least half its height, there will be no danger of
sideways collapse, when a full bucket is put in position.
The top of the washstand, on which the developing will be done, must be
provided with a tray of lead or zinc. Lead is preferable, as lying
flatter; but the jointing at the corners is more difficult than the
soldering of sheet zinc, which, though more liable to chemical
corrosion, is much lighter than the thinnest lead—weighing about 1-1/2
lbs. to the square foot—that could well be used. If lead is selected,
the services of a plumber had better be secured, if the reader has had
no experience in “wiping a joint.”
A zinc tray is prepared by cutting out of a single sheet a piece of the
shape shown in Fig. 12. The dimensions between the bending lines
(dotted) are 1/8 inch less in both directions than those of the shelf.
The turn-ups a, a, b, b, should not be less than 1-1/2 inches wide.
Allow half an inch at each end of b b for the turnover c. Turn a a up
first, then b b, and finally bend c c round the back of a a, to which
they are soldered. A drop of solder will be needed in each corner to
make it water-tight. When turning up a side use a piece of
square-cornered metal or wood as mould, and make the angles as clean as
possible, especially near the joints.
[Illustration: FIG. 12.—Showing how the tray for sink is marked out.]
A drain hole, an inch or so in diameter, is cut in the centre of the
tray. To prevent the hands being injured by the tray, the front should
be covered by a 1/2-inch strip of zinc doubled lengthwise, or be made a
bit deeper than 1-1/2 inches in the first instance and turned over on
itself.
Before the tray is put in position the basin hole must be filled in,
except for an opening to take the waste pipe. The plug is pad-sawed out
of wood of the same thickness as the top, to which it is attached by
crossbars on the under side. The whole of the woodwork, or at least
those parts which are most likely to get wetted, should then be given a
coat or two of paint.
A waste pipe, somewhat larger than the drain hole and 3 inches long,
having been firmly soldered to the tray, beat the edges of the hole
down into the pipe. Then prepare a wooden collar to fit the pipe
outside, and drill a hole on the centre line to take a carpenter’s
screw. If the edges of the tray are supported on slats 3/16 to 1/4 inch
thick, and its centre is kept in contact with the wood by the collar
pressing against the underside of the shelf, any water will naturally
gravitate to the centre and escape by the waste pipe. This automatic
clearance of “slops” is a very desirable feature of a developing sink.
To prevent water splashing on to the sides of the stand and working
down between tray and wood, tack pieces of American cloth on the sides
with their edges overlapping the tray edges by an inch or so.
A small two-handled bath is the most convenient receptacle for the
waste water. It should hold at least a quarter as much again as the
water tank, so as to avoid any danger of overfilling. A piece of old
cycle tyre tubing, tied to the waste pipe and long enough to reach
below the edge of the bath, will prevent splashing—which, when
chemicals are being poured away, might prove disastrous to
light-coloured clothes.
The supply pipe has a siphon-piece of “compo” tubing at the top, to
draw off the water when the tube has been filled by suction, and a
small tap at the bottom. This tap, when not in use, should be held back
out of the way by a wire hook attached to the lowest of the upper
shelves. A piece of linoleum should be cut to fit the bath-shelf and
protect the drawer below.
VI.
A POULTRY HOUSE AND RUN.
This chapter should be of interest to the keeper of poultry on a small
scale, for even if the instructions given are not followed out quite as
they stand, they may suggest modifications to suit the taste and means
of the reader.
The principle of the combined run and house—which will accommodate a
dozen fowls without overcrowding, especially if it be moved from time
to time on to fresh ground—will be understood from Figs. 13 and 14. The
first of these shows the framework to which the boards for the house
and the wire for the run are nailed. Its over-all length of 10 feet is
subdivided into five “bays” or panels, 2 feet long (nearly) between
centres of rafters. Two bays are devoted to the house, three to the
run.
[Illustration: Fig. 13.—Frame for poultry house and run (above).
Completed house and run (below).]
One square (10 by 10 feet) of weather boarding 6 inches wide, for
covering in the house. 44 feet of 4 by 1, for base and ridge. 56 feet
of 3 by 1, for eight rafters. 28 feet of 3 by 1-1/2, for four rafters.
50 feet of 2 by 1-1/2, for door frames and doors. 6 feet of 2 by 2, for
tie t. 45 feet of 2-foot wire netting. Two pairs of hinges; two locks;
staples, etc.
The materials used comprise:— The total cost as estimated from prices
current at the time of writing is 25s. This cost could be considerably
reduced by using lighter stuff all through for the framework and doors
and by covering in the house with old boards, which may be picked up
cheaply if one is lucky. Whether it is advisable to sacrifice
durability and rigidity to cost must be left to the maker to decide.
Anyhow, if the specifications given are followed, an outfit warranted
to last for several years will be produced.
A Few Points.—The vertical height of the run is just under 6 feet, the
tips being cut away from the rafters at the apex. The width at the
ground is exactly 6 feet. The base angles made by AA with B (Fig. 14)
are 63 degrees; that which they make with one another, 54 degrees. The
rafters r1 and r3 at each end of the house are half an inch thicker
than the rest, as they have to stand a lot of nailing.