The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1 | Page 3

the other end securely tied to the ladder, as shown in Fig.
2. They should remain tied to the ladder 48 hours in a moderate
temperature, after which they will hold their shape permanently.
The two straps, Fig. 3, are nailed an a little forward of the center of
gravity so that when the foot is lifted, the front
[Illustration: Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3 -- Forming the Skis]
of the ski will be raised. Tack on a piece of sheepskin or deer hide
where the foot rests, Fig. 4.
The best finish for skis is boiled linseed oil. After two or three
[Illustration: Fig. 4 -- The Toe Straps]
applications the under side will take a polish like glass from the contact
with the snow.
The ski-toboggan is made by placing two pairs of skis together side by
side
[Illustration: Fig. 5 -- Ski-Toboggan]
and fastening them with two bars across the top. The bars are held with
V-shaped metal clips as shown in Fig. 5. --Contributed by Frank Scobie,
Sleepy Eye, Minn.

** Homemade Life Preserver [4]
Procure an inner tube of a bicycle tire, the closed-end kind, and fold it

in four alternate sections, as shown in Fig. 1. Cut or tear a piece of
cloth into strips about 1/2 in. wide, and knot them together. Fasten this
long strip of cloth to the folded tube and weave it alternately in and out,
having each
[Illustration: Fig. 1, Fig. 2; Inner Tube and Cover]
run of the cloth about 4 in. apart, until it is bound as shown in Fig. 1.
Make a case of canvas that will snugly fit the folded tube when inflated.
The straps that hold the preserver to the body may be made of old
suspender straps. They are sewed to the case at one end and fastened at
the other with clasps such as used on overall straps. The tube can be
easily inflated by blowing into the valve, at the same time holding the
valve stem down with the teeth. The finished preserver is shown in Fig.
2.

** How to Make Boomerangs [4]
When the ice is too thin for skating and the snow is not right for skis,
about the only thing to do is to stay in the house. A boomerang club
will help to fill in between and also furnishes good exercise for the
muscles of the arm. A boomerang can be made
[Illustration: Bending and Cutting the Wood]
of a piece of well seasoned hickory plank. The plank is well steamed in
a wash boiler or other large kettle and then bent to a nice curve, as
shown in Fig. 1. It is held in this curve until dry, with two pieces nailed
on the sides as shown.
After the piece is thoroughly dried out, remove the side pieces and cut
it into sections with a saw, as shown in Fig. 2. The pieces are then
dressed round. A piece of plank 12 in. wide and 2 ft. long will make six
boomerangs.
To throw a boomerang, grasp it and hold the same as a club, with the

hollow side away from you. Practice first at some object about 25 ft.
distant, and in a short time the thrower will be able to hit the mark over
100 ft. away. Any worker in wood can turn out a great number of
boomerangs cheaply. --Contributed by J. E. Noble, Toronto, Ontario.

** How to Make an Eskimo Snow House [5] By GEORGE E. WALSH
Playing in the snow can be raised to a fine art if boys and girls will
build their creations with some attempt at architectural skill and not
content themselves with mere rough work. Working in snow and ice
opens a wide field for an expression of taste and invention, but the
construction of houses and forts out of this plastic material provides the
greatest amount of pleasure to the normally healthy boy or girl.
The snow house of the Eskimo is probably the unhealthiest of buildings
made by any savage to live in, but it makes an excellent playhouse in
winter, and represents at the same time a most ingenious employment
of the arch system in building. The Eskimos build their snow houses
without the aid of any scaffolding or interior false work, and while
there is a keystone at the top of the dome, it is not essential to the
support of the walls. These are self-supporting from the time the first
snow blocks are put down until the last course is laid.
The snow house is of the beehive shape and the ground plan is that of a
circle. The circle is first laid out on the ground and a space cleared for
it. Then a row of snow