Very interesting and useful pieces of leather work can be done with nothing more for equipment than a cup pointed nail set such as carpenter use, and a nut pick.

The accompanying illustrations show some of the things that can be made.  Beginning at the left and reading to the right they are:  Case for court-plaster, coin purse, lady’s card case, eye glass cleaner or pen wiper (has chamois skin within).  Second row:  Two book marks, note book, blotter back, book mark.  Third row:  Pin ball (has saddler’s felt between the two leather disks), tea cosey, gentleman’s card case or bill book.  Fourth row:  Needle or pin case, tea cosey, lady’s belt bag, watch fob ready for fastenings.

Procure a piece of Russian calf modeling leather. (1.) Make on paper the design wanted. (2.) Moisten the back side of the leather with sponge or cloth with as much water as it will take yet not show through on the face side. (3.) Place the leather on some hard non-absorbent material, such as brass or marble. (4.) Place the paper design on the leather and, holding it in place with the left hand, trace the outline, of the object and the decorative design with the nut pick so as to make a V-shaped groove in the leather. (5.) Take the paper off and working on the leather directly make the grooves deeper. (6.) With the cup-pointed nail set stamp the background promiscuously.  This is done by making an effort to hold the point of the set about 1/4 in. above the surface, at the same time striking light, rapid blows on the top with a hammer or mallet.

[Illustration:  This Work Is Done with a Nail Set and Nut Pick]

With such objects as coin purses and card cases, a sewing machine will be needed to fasten the parts together.  An ordinary machine will do.  Frequently the parts are fastened by punching holes and lacing through these with leather thongs or silk cord.

In making symmetrical designs such as are here shown, draw center lines across the required space, dividing it into as many parts as desired.  Make free-hand one quarter of the design, if four parts are to be alike, or one-half of the design, if but two parts.  Fold over along these center lines.  Put a piece of double-surfaced carbon paper between the parts and trace over the design already drawn.

** How to Make a Simple Still [170]

A still to distill water can be made from a test tube, some heavy rubber hose, and an ordinary bottle.  Secure

[Illustration:  Distilling Water]

a stopper for the test tube, and bore a hole through the center, into which fit a small piece of tube.  The bottle is also fitted with a stopper containing a piece of tube, and both bottle and test tube connected with a rubber tube.

The test tube is partly filled with water and supported or held over an alcohol lamp.  The bottle should stand in a basin of cold water.  When the water in the test tube begins to boil the steam passes over to the bottle, where it condenses.  The basin should be supplied with cold water as fast as it begins to get warm.  The rubber tube will not stand the heat very long and if the still is to be used several times, a metal tube should be supplied to connect the test tube and bottle.