CARRIAGE BUILDINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1241, 11 September 1875, Page 3

CARRIAGE BUILDINGS.

_ We have arrived at the point that car-riage-makers, when they see wqrk which they turned out fifteen years ago, ask themselves by what erratic ideas they were then guided. A short time ago, our attention was called to a cabriolet made at that period by a large house, and on the liind carriage part the distance between the shoulder of axles and the springs was 14 to 15 centimeters only ; in other words, it would have been possible to set the springs 10 to 18 centimeters farther apart. If this maker had then been aware of the simple rule that the greater the distance on either side from the body to the spring the better for durability and easy riding, he could certainly not have made this mistake. An error which is still deeply rooted is, ■ that the draught is diminish* d by placing the front carriage.-part as far back under the carriage as possible. Intelligent car-, riage-makers have long since given up, this opinion on the strength' of evidence, but much remains yet to be done to "convince everybody of its fallacy. Still, and it may be well to mention it here, -we gain ground every day.— The Hub.

Green VVood.— A correspondent of Scientific American says : Some of mj brother wood-workers may not know that the difficulty of finishing a small piece of green wood, as is sometimes necessary, may be overcome by scorching the piece after it is shaped out. A few lighted shavings will do, and you can then file and Bandpaper without trouble. • •> How to Make a Quick-drying Putty.; —Make some glue rather tliifintr than used by joiners j mix together dry 'white-' lead and whiting in equal parts by. weight. Keep the glue hot, stir in the mixture with a stick, until it will come out in portions • on ' the -stick. ■ Use as-putt}^" keeping the mixture hot, and do the work as quick us ' possible/ as it sets ; hardas soon as cold.

The following" method is used in Germany for the preservation of wood : Mix 40 parts of chalk, 50 resin, 4 Jinseed oil, melting them together in an iron pot ; then add one part nf native oxide of corper and afterward one part of sulphuric acid. Apply with a brush.' When dry, this varnish is as hard as stone: