.Seek Wealth In These Needed Inventions
IT IS gratifying to the Editor of this Department to note the rapidly increasing interest in inventions on the part of the readers of Modern Mechanix and Inventions. The mail recently received proves that many fellows have come to realize that the same effort that they put in on the construction of various gadgets “just for the fun of it” can be used to create some truly novel article.
.Fan Builds Stovepipe Telescope
USING a section of stovepipe for a tube, Arnold Oswald, Los Angeles amateur astronomer, has constructed a remarkably efficient reflecting telescope at a surprisingly low construction cost.
The total expense of constructing the stovepipe instrument, including the pipe, lens, reflector, tripod, counterbalance and other accessories, was slightly more than ten dollars, according to its builder.
.Enter this Workshop Contest! $150 IN CASH PRIZES
ALL aboard! There is still time for you to get your entry in on the novel contest announced in last month’s Modern Mechanix and Inventions! For the benefit of those who missed the first announcement we repeat: We are looking for the most practical and at the same time the most novel cigarette holder we can get so that plans can be run in the magazine.
.Four Novel Toys You Can Make With Rubber Balloons
These drawings show the construction of four novel toys made from circus balloons that will prove highly fascinating. Fill the balloon with hydrogen and attach to it a postcard bearing your name, and a request to return it from whatever point it falls to earth.
.Hair Drier Blast from Vacuum Cleaner
FOR a cost of less than $1.00, a very satisfactory hair-drying attachment may be constructed for use in the home. Results obtained from the device are very commendable and entirely worth he cost and effort of construction.
.MAKING PLASTIC RINGS
MAKING plastic rings is an interesting, inexpensive hobby requiring little skill and the use of only a few household tools. Ideal for making these striking rings is Catalin, a trade-marked resin commonly used in the manufacture of trinkets and other novelties. Catalin comes in a multitude of colors, sizes and shapes and may be procured from any hobby store.
.Simple Tricks for April Fool Jokesters
Anything in the way of a joke is excusable on April Fool’s day, but your tricks have to be original if they are to bring a laugh. The main thing is to take your unsuspecting victim by surprise, and for that these simple stunts sure fill the bill. Not only will they do duty on April first, but they will also liven up any party when things get dull.
.PERFORATED STRIPS ELIMINATE SOLDERING
A NEW system of wiring up radio sets has been devised by a London engineer who conceived the idea of using perforated metal strips instead of wire. The strips can be bent and joined together at will, eliminating the need for soldering the joints. The photograph shows the strips being used in wiring up a home-made set.
.COO-COO Contest Number 4
Names of the Winners of Coo-Coo Contraptions Contest No. 1 and Details of Contest No. 4 are Printed Below.
LISTEN in now, all you folks who sent in entries in Coo-Coo Contraptions Contest No. 1! The winners have been picked and we’re all set to announce the names of the seven lucky contestants. Before doing so, however, the harassed judges wish to thank all the entrants in the contest for the ingenious contrivances which they submitted. It was a Herculean task to select the seven winners from the avalanche of submissions which descended on the editorial office.
First prize of $25 went to H. Palmer, 11548 95th Street, Edmonton, Alberta, one of our Canadian readers, for his ingenious cider press shown on the opposite page. We think you will agree with us that the press classifies as a Coo-Coo Contraption of the first water. Second prize of SIO was awarded Alexander M. Adams, 313 Reed St., Clearfield, Pa., for his nutcracker shown on this page. Mr. Adams’ contraption winds up to a snappy finish, the idea being, as shown, that the goldfish sneeze and awaken the squirrel in his cage. The nut to be cracked sees the squirrel and in a frenzy of fear at the proximity of its deadly enemy the hapless nut dashes out its brains on the floor—thereby accomplishing the purpose of the contraption.
The five third prizes of $3 each were awarded as follows: Donald C. G. Mac-Kay, Queens University, Kingston, Ont; R. A. Reedy, U. S. S. Concord, Charleston, S. C; Clarence E. Hill, Groton, Conn.; Paul Ranck, 1125 E. 16th St., Santa Monica, Cal., and 0. B. LaFlair, Box 3287, Honolulu, T. H.
Now that Contest No. 1 has been disposed of, try your luck in the current contest, No. 4, announced herewith. Prizes will total $50 and will be divided as follows: First prize, $25; second prize, $10; five third prizes, each $3. Contest No. 4 will close March 1, 1929. Manuscripts received after this date will be entered in Contest No. 5. The Coo-Coo Contraptions Contests will run every month until further notice.
Manuscripts will not be returned. In case of a tie, duplicate prizes will be awarded the tying contestants. Address all manuscripts to Coo-Coo Contraptions Editor, Modern Mechanics Magazine, Contest No. 4, Robbinsdale, Minn. Decision of the judges must in all cases be accepted as final. There is still time to enter your Contraption in Contest No. 3 if you wish; this contest closes February 1. Prize winners will be announced as soon as possible after the closing date of the contest.
It is not necessary to make a finished sketch of your contraption, although it will be helpful to our artists if you wish to submit one. Study the prize winner on the opposite page and design some device just as coo-coo and just as funny. Remember that the prize winners will be judged on a basis of humor and originality. Anybody except employees of the magazine can compete in the contest; it is not necessary to be a subscriber to Modern Mechanics.
That used to be my nick name in high-school. I was a lonely child.
.“Wind Wagon” Made From Ford
JOE BAIRD of Arcadia, Neb., got tired of driving an ordinary Model T Ford, so he got busy and converted it into the “wind wagon” shown above. The motor is raised above the chassis, the radiator turned sideways, and a four-blade propeller attached to drive the vehicle.
