474
��Popular Science Monthly
��coat of glue, and push the core down into place. Coat the core with glue and push the reel-seat down over it, forcing the metal edge well into the cork to make a water- proof joint.
The upper grasp is now formed on the butt above the reel-seat in the same manner as the lower grasp. Make this iYl in. long. When all corks are glued in place, lay the rod aside for 24 hours to harden, before attempting to shape it.
The cork may be turned in a lathe, or roughly shaped with a sharp knife — a sloyd knife is a handy tool for this work — and sandpapered to make it smooth. A swelled or oval grasp is the best, and the writer prefers to form a ring }/i-'vn.. from the reel- seat to make a rest for the forefinger when casting, thus doing away with the metal finger hook. This and many other points may be seen by referring to the cut shown in Fig. 5.
To prevent the reel-seat and butt-cap from turning, a small hole is drilled in the hooded end of the reel-seat, and on the edge of the butt-cap, and a small brass pin is driven in. To avoid weakening the wood, drive the pin in a little way, and file off flush.
The tip is planed and rounded in exactly the same manner as the butt-joint. The metal taper which finishes off the upper hand grasp, the ferrule, closed-end centers and casting tops, are first carefully fitted by filing down the wood. Use ferrule cement to hold it in place, first melting the cement and then smearing a little on the wood and in the tube.
The final varnishing is done after the guides and whippings are in place, but a thin coat of varnish should be brushed on and allowed to become thoroughly dry before the rod is whipped. This makes the wood waterproof beneath the whippings. Any good outside spar varnish may be used, or extra light coach varnish.
Two guides are needed on a rod up to 6 ft. in length, the first being affixed to the tip 7 in. from the closed-end center, and the second 15 in. from the first. No guide is required on the short butt-joint of a casting rod, as the line renders more smoothly without it.
Smooth off the rough spots of the bases of the guides with a fine file, and affix roughly in place by a few turns of common thread around one half of the base. Common sewing silk in size "A" may be used, but 00 size is better for small rods. This size can
��only be obtained from a dealer in rod- making or fly-tying supplies. Red and green or red and yellow are the favored color combinations.
Guides and whippings are put on with the invisible knot, shown in Fig. 6. A good way to wind the rod is to hold the spool of silk in one hand and rotate the rod with the other, letting the strands of silk coil closely against each other. A loop of waxed silk is inserted as shown, and through it the end of the whipping is carried beneath its coils to make a strong and invisible finish. Whip- pings may be wound on at any desired distance, but many narrow turns will make a neater appearance than wide bands of color. Red and green, red and black, with an occasional edging of yellow, always prove satisfactory.
When all windings are on, coat with orange shellac dissolved in alcohol to make a medium thick varnish. Do not shellac the rod, and let the silk dry well before varnishing the rod.
A camel's hair brush about K-i n - wide answers for this work. If varnishing is done outside, select a warm, sunny day, otherwise do the work in a warm room, free from dust. Warm the varnish by putting the can in a dish of hot water before using. It will now spread smoothly, and every bit of the wood should be touched. Hang up to dry by the tip, and allow at least three days before brushing on the second and final coat. If the rod is much used, it is a good plan to brush on a third coat later on in the season.
��An Emergency Burning Glass Made of Match Crystals
SOMETIMES the need for a burning glass arises where one is not obtainable — for instance, in the woods to light a fire without matches. Two watch crystals, fitted together and filled with clear warm water, will prove very effective. Smear the edges with thick mud to keep the water from running out. — E. D. Ries.
��The Trick of Burning a Lump of Sugar
APPLY a match to an ordinary lump l\ of sugar such as you find in little cubes for table use, and it will not burn. But, strange to say, if you cover the cube of sugar with cigar ashes and then apply a lighted match it will begin to burn.
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