A NOVEL METHOD OF ENGRAVING .sx By H. F. Atkinson .sx Engraving on metal is an expensive operation , yet the average person who can solder may easily achieve success in this new process .sx If you desire your initials on a metal box ( see Fig. 1 .sx ) , first write them on paper the exact size that they are required on the box .sx Take a length of bar copper wire , clean it with emery cloth , bend it to the shape of the written initials and smear it with a good soldering flux .sx The most convenient flux to use is killed spirits or spirits of salt , which may be brushed on the letters with a small paint brush .sx Determine the position at which the initials are required , clean the surface , paint with flux , and then coat with solder ( see Fig. 2) .sx Place the wire initials in their correct positions , mount a few drops of solder on them and warm with a blow-pipe or bunsen burner until the solder melts and " runs " over the letters , securing them firmly to the box .sx If the initials are fixed on a new piece of work , paint over them and when quite dry , rub with fine emery cloth until the initials appear in copper .sx Lettering may be done on copper plates , which may then be screwed on wooden articles .sx The appearance of a glove or handkerchief box is greatly enhanced when one's initials are in the corner .sx House names look very attractive , and are very inexpensive when done in this way ( see Fig 3) .sx Write the name in the correct size and style , and using thick wire , No .sx 14 S.W.G. , form the letters as before .sx Take a sheet of copper for the base and drill it at the corners to take round-headed wood screws , frame the name with straight pieces of wire and paint and finish off as before .sx HOBBIES .sx How many of our readers have ever tried to play a one-stringed fiddle ?sx Not many probably , because they always imagine that an instrument like this must cost a lot to buy and take a frightful lot of practice to learn .sx All the same , the outlay is worth it because an endless amount of enjoyment can be obtained from it , and the popularity amongst one's friends is increased considerably .sx The fellow who can sit down and play out half a dozen tunes on the quaint instrument illustrated , is always sure of a welcome .sx The question of cost may have worried those who wish to have one before , but now we are going to show the handyman how he can make one quite easily for himself at a total cost of 5s .sx 6d .sx This sounds absurd in view of the fact that bought instruments are usually about 20s .sx , but there is really very little in the making , and less still in the finishing and fitting .sx After all , the instrument consists merely of a long neck and body to which a cross strut is added to hold the whole thing between the knees .sx At one end is fitted a metal arm and a horn , whilst along the whole of one edge is placed the single string which produces the music when played with an ordinary violin bow .sx A group of the parts necessary is given here , and the finished instrument is pictured both complete and being played by one of our readers .sx The later illustration is helpful as showing the correct position in which the fiddle is held .sx The Neck Cut Ready .sx A little time ago we presented a free design and instructions how to make a banjo ukulele , and it is impossible to estimate the large number of our readers who successfully made this up .sx The fiddle this week is even more simple to construct than that , and a reference to the design sheet on which all the patterns are given will show how little there is to do .sx The body of the instrument consists of a piece 31in .sx long cut from wood in .sx thick , and can be cut from beech or any similar hard wood .sx There is , however , really no need to do this because this part is supplied by Hobbies Ltd. , cut to the shape required , so that it only needs a few small operations to finish it off .sx If , however , one prefers to cut out the shape with a fretsaw from an ordinary piece of wood , the method of pasting the paper patterns down is illustrated by the drawing on the sheet .sx The lower end of the instrument is pasted to the wood , and then the pattern of the upper end of the neck is put on so that the line AA is exactly over the line BB , which will make a continuation of the two outer edges of the wood parallel .sx The work of cutting is not recommended to the user of a handframe because the wood is so thick .sx The owner of a machine , however , again has the advantage of being able to complete the work quite easily because of the extra power provided by the and the constantly upright saw .sx The easiest way , however , is to by the whole parcel of wood and fittings so that one only has a few minor operations to perform to complete the instrument .sx The instrument is supplied with the body portion cut ready to the shape required , and with the necessary recess over which the sound box is screwed .sx If you Cut Your Own Fiddle-Neck .sx The only cutting to be done with a tension saw is to make a recess for the knee piece .sx If one is cutting out the neck from a plain piece of wood , the sound box recess , of course , will have to be taken out by the worker .sx This is 1 in .sx diameter , and its position indicated by the pattern pasted down to the wood .sx The hole is with an expanding centre bit to drill the hole deep ( see Fig. 1) .sx If a larger bit is not handy , the hole can be made by boring eight or nine smaller ones ( see Fig. 2 ) with a in .sx bit , and then cleaning up with chisel and gouge .sx The square recess on the edge ( for the knee piece ) is cut with a tenon saw .sx The Hole for the String .sx Through the thickness of the wood we now have to bore a in .sx hole to carry the string from the neck to the end .sx Fix the wood in a vice so that the dotted lines on the pattern come upright .sx Use a brace with a sharp in .sx bit and drill a hole through the end of the wood straight downwards .sx Be very careful to see that this goes down dead straight and passes through the recess opening before it goes in again to the thickness of the wood the other side .sx An extra long bit must be used for the purpose as the hole passes right through , as shown at Fig.3. This hole must be accurately in line with the finger board edge of the neck , and this can be tested out by putting a piece of wire through the holes and laying it along the neck .sx The wire should be able to vibrate without touching any side .sx It has to be fixed at the end by tying it on a round headed screw driven in below the hole for that purpose ( see Fig. 1) .sx At the other end of the neck a hole has to be made to accommodate the peg , which is supplied in the parcel of fittings .sx This peg tapers from in .sx outwards , and if the hole is made with a in .sx bit it can be enlarged at one end by turning a piece of sandpaper round a pencil or the end of a file , and rubbing the outer edge until it accommodates the peg comfortably .sx The actual position of the peg is given by the dotted lines on the pattern , and it will be understood that the hole must be driven through the edge of the wood centrally where shown .sx The little hole in the peg for the string thus comes immediately in the centre of the finger board .sx A bridge is provided by cutting a narrow groove just below the peg with a tenon saw , and the groove cut out with a ?sx in .sx chisel .sx A little bridge to the pattern shown is cut from any hard wood , and sunk and glued in place very firmly in the groove provided .sx The little nicks shown along the top edge of the patterns indicate the position of the notes , but they should not be made at present .sx The Shape of the Neck .sx The underside of the neck has to be rounded off to make it shapely and comfortable to handle .sx A section half way down is given on the design sheet , whilst the drawing at Fig. 4 also indicates this shape .sx This shaping is done with a small plane , finishing off with a coarse file and finally smoothed down to the correct curve with sandpaper .sx All the edges of the wood , of course , should be smoothed down with sandpaper too , in order to produce a flat and semiglossy surface .sx The wood as supplied is rough cut , but is soon cleaned up with a medium-grade paper .sx The edges on which the notes are to be indicated are , of course , left perfectly flat .sx To provide a holding piece for the knees , the pattern of the sheet has to be cut out from in .sx wood and screwed into the recess cut for it in the neck ( see Fig. 1) .sx See that it is glued and screwed at right angles with the neck midway across its surface .sx The curved ends are to accommodate the knees , and in some instruments these are padded with strips of green baize glued along the edge .sx This , however , is a matter of choice .sx Fitting the String .sx The actual instrumental part consists of a horn and the reproducer , which are supplied with the parcel .sx The reproducer is screwed on centrally over the recess and the horn is added to the short neck .sx It is made detachable in order that it can be taken off when the instrument is not in use .sx The single steel wire string is tied around the screw at the lower end , and then threaded through the two small holes and across the recess in the bridge part of the body .sx The long piece is carried to the peg threaded through the hole and tied in position there , after the peg , of course , has been put through the hole in the neck .sx The string thus fitted should rest on the bridge , but pass clearly through the hole and across the recess at the other end .sx Tuning Up .sx A violin bow is needed to tune up and play the instrument , and the most satisfactory way to getting the notes is to tune them in with the piano .sx The nicks made on the design patterns are not guaranteed accurate , as for many reasons there may be a slight variation .sx They are , however , a rough indication of where the playing notes should be , and will serve as a good guide from which to build up the whole range .sx The completed fiddle should not , of course , be left in its natural state , but given a polished surface by means of a Hobbies Lightning Polish .sx NOVEL IDEAS FOR SHELVES AND RACKS .sx A few odd pieces of wood can serve to turn a workshop or den into a neat and tidy place if you make up these novel sets of shelves .sx Some original ideas for tool racks which can be made from stripwood and odd pieces .sx The handyman who works without bothering to have his tools in order , is working under difficulties , and such difficulties will detract from the quality of his work .sx Much time is lost looking for a certain tool , especially small ones , which have a way of eluding discovery .sx Such time is far better spent on the job .sx It is a good and sound maxim to have a place for everything , and everything in its place .sx The remedy is a tool box , but even here we are apt to have things in untidy order .sx