Popular Mechanics/Volume 49/Issue 1/Skate-Sailing is Thrilling Sport
Skate-Sailing Is Thrilling Sport
By SAM BROWN
Scudding to leeward with the speed of an ice yacht, tacking to windward with all the nautical nicety of a centerboard skiff, feeling the tug of fifty square feet of taut canvas veering into a spanking breeze—that's the thrill that comes with the skate-sail. You don't have to be a wonderful skater, or a good sailor, either, to go skate-sailing. All you need is the sail, the necessary expanse of slate-gray ice, and a moderately strong pair of ankles, and then, if you hold the sail—no matter how—you are bound to glide off in one direction or another.
And how! Don't be surprised to find yourself "sailing" all over the ice on some portion of your anatomy other than your feet. But don't let that discourage you. Skate-sailing, like skiing and skating, is a sport that comes bump by bump, but it is only through experiencing these beginner's mishaps that you can later enjoy the gliding swiftness, the sensation of flying, and the thrill in maneuvering that comes with the skate-sail.
In taking up skate-sailing, the first thing to do is to make the sail; and the first thing in making the sail is to cut a paper pattern of the sail proper. This can be conveniently done on 36 sheets of newspaper, pasted together as shown in the pattern drawing. Down the center of this pasted sheet, draw a heavy black line. On this line, close to the top, mark a dot to represent the sail top. From this dot, measure down on the line the distances indicated, and make dots B, C and D.
Draw lines at right angles to dots B and D, the upper one 9 ft. long, and the lower 42 in. long. Now. fasten a piece of string to a thumbtack, and insert the tack through the paper at the dot C. Fasten a pencil onto the string at the proper distance to draw an arc through the ends of the 9-ft. line, and then, still using the point C as a center, swing another are through the ends of the 42-in. line. Draw lines connecting the intersections of the cross lines and arcs, and you will have a full-size pattern of the skate-sail.
The actual sail is then sewed together, using this paper pattern as a guide, and allowing 2 in. all around for hem. Material for the sail can be either 3-oz. zephyr cloth, 3-oz. duck, Egyptian cotton, balloon silk, or any other light, strong material.
Next in order come the spars. These should be cut from spruce, to the dimensions shown, and should be shaved down so that they taper slightly from the center to the ends. Pockets of light leather or very heavy canvas should be sewed to the sail to receive the ends of the spars. A stretching harness is made from straps, as shown in the sketch, and fastened to the sail at the lower end. Both the curved portions of the sail, at the top and bottom. are reinforced by having a length of light rattan inserted in the hem. Leather straps, or strong whipcord lashings, fasten the spars together where they cross.
So much for the sail. The other part of your equipment is, of course, the skates. Have these as long as possible: at least nothing shorter than the regulation 15-in. speed skate.
To learn to use the skate-sail, choose as smooth a stretch of ice as possible, and a day with a fairly stiff breeze. Hold the sail at arm's length over your head, both hands grasping the cross spar, and skate out on the ice. Face the wind. Bring the sail upright against your right side, resting the long spar on your right shoulder. Your right hand should grip the cross spar, while your left hand goes behind your body and takes hold of the long spar. The sail is between you and the wind. Swish! Away you go!
As soon as you be gin to feel that you are exceeding the speed limit, or your legs begin to vibrate from the rough ice, swing the sail flat over your head, and you will very soon come to a stop.
One of the first things you will learn in navigating with the skate-sail is that the sail must never be held as a point-blank target to the wind. Why not? Simply because the skate-sailor travels faster than the breeze. To illustrate: Suppose there is a 17-mile wind blowing. The inexperienced sailor, thinking to take full advantage of this, holds the sail directly at his back, presenting a point-blank target to the breeze. Of course he goes off like a shot, and gradually increases speed until he is going about 211⁄2 miles per hour. What happens, then, to the 17-mile-an-hour breeze? It cannot keep up with the sailor, and the result is that there is a sudden vacuum behind the sail, which is often of such intensity as to cause the sailor to lose his balance.
The correct way to sail before the wind is to hold the sail at a very slight angle away from the breeze, so that you zigzag down the wind instead of scudding directly before it. You go just as fast, and, because you are running more or less across the wind, you eliminate the disturbing factor of artificial "air pockets."
When you travel this zigzag course to the right, the sail is carried on the right shoulder, and with the right foot forward. When you desire to veer off to the left, the sail is rolled across your back, keeping the tail end low, so that the long spar comes down on your left shoulder, while your foot position is changed so that the left foot is to the fore.
You will speedily learn that you can go directly across the wind, that is, at right angles to it, by slanting the sail a little and leaning against the wind. When sailing in this manner, your skates, biting into the ice, act in the same capacity as leeboards on a sailing canoe, and prevent you from "drifting."
By slanting the sail still more away from the breeze, you will find yourself practically going against the wind. That is, the breeze will be coming direct from the north, and you will be sailing northeast. This is nautically known as "beating to windward," and your northeast course is called a "tack." After you have covered a fair distance on the northeast tack, you start on the northwest tack, and by alternating these two directions you eventually arrive at your destination, due north.
In beating to windward, it is necessary, when changing tacks, to alter the position of the sail, so that it is always between you and the wind. To do this you swing around into the wind, which frees the sail from your body, then quickly lift the sail, flat, over your head, and lower it on the opposite side to carry you off on the next tack.
Detachable Clothesline Reel
Simple Homemade Clothesline Reel Which Holds the Line Taut and Secure
The clothesline reel shown in the illustration was designed by a woman who knew just what she wanted in the way of such a device. It can be adjusted to hold the line at the proper tension, is simple to make and can be instantly detached from the pole and carried in the house to keep the line dry in damp weather. The reel consists of a hardwood drum, 4 in. in diameter. On the back of the drum a hardwood disk, 10 in. in diameter, is fastened. Two hardwood handles, crossed and mitered at right angles, are fastened across the front of the drum, as shown. Over the handles a second hardwood disk, 8 in. in diameter, is attached. Disks, handles and drum are concentric with each other. A 8-in. hole is drilled through the exact center of the assembly and small holes 1 in. apart are drilled around the edge of the 10-in. disk. A lagscrew is driven into a convenient clothes pole 4 ft. from the ground, the head is filed off and a small hole is drilled through the end for a cotter pin. A pulley is also fastened to the top of the pole above the bolt. With the clothesline reeved through the pulley and run through holes in the other poles, the reel is placed on the bolt and the cotter pin inserted to prevent it from coming off. Then the line is reeled in until tight and a steel pin is inserted through one hole in the back disk into a hole in the pole. This holds the line taut. By removing the cotter, the reel can be instantly removed.—L. B. Robbins, Harwich, Mass.
Squeezing Paste from Tubes
A large percentage of paste used in tubes, such as toothpaste, shaving cream. glue, etc., is wasted, as it cannot be entirely squeezed out with the fingers alone. A device such as the one shown in the drawing will prevent this waste and can be made as follows: A short length of metal rod is slit down one end with a hacksaw. 11⁄2 or 2 in. being sufficient for the average tube. The other end is turned over and bent to form a handle. The slitted end of the rod is slipped over the flat end of the tube and the handle is turned. This will force all of the contents from the tube. When the tube is entirely rolled up, the crank may be pulled out and used for other tubes.—L. J. Flugel, Chicago.
¶ The life of a floor broom can be increased considerably if it is given the following treatment every week: Dip it in a pail of hot soapy water, dash up and down several times and set it some place where air will circulate about it for some time. By doing this the fibers will not break off so easily.
Lamp for Locating Short Circuits in Auto Electric Systems
When locating short circuits in the electrical system of a car, it will be found that if short wires are soldered to the metal ends of a burned-out fuse, and then connected to a lamp of the 6-volt type, an exceedingly useful test lamp can be had. By placing this lamp-bridged fuse in the fuse clips there is no danger of damage to the wiring system of the car, and it will light until the short circuit is located and remedied.—Philip S. Mentz, Jefferson Barracks, Mo.
How to Shrink Darning Wool Before Doing Repairs with It
Method of Shrinking Wool Prior to Using It for the Mending of Clothing
After studying the effects that laundering has on woolen goods, an English expert declares that the greatest deterioration occurs where the garments have been repaired, due to the fact that the wool used in the repair had not been shrunk prior to use. In tests conducted, it was found that stockings, jumpers, pull-overs and the like, when made of wool, were effectively cleaned without damage, but the places repaired by darning showed the new wool about to break away from the surrounding edges. An easy way of shrinking wool is to take a clean tin can, complete with the lid, punch or cut a hole in the latter large enough to receive the end of the kettle spout, and another hole on the top as a steam escape. Now insert the new darning wool in the can. close the lid and connect it to the steaming kettle for a few minutes when the wool will be thoroughly steamed and, after drying, will be shrunk to the same degree as the garment about to be repaired. Two brackets or feet may be attached to the steaming chamber to hold it more steadily if desired.—George H. Holden, Chesterfield, England.
Non-Tipping Baby Chair
Strips of 1-In. Wood Attached to Baby Chair Prevent It from Tipping
A baby usually tries to climb out of his chair, which often causes it to tip over. To prevent this I nailed strips of 1 by 1-in. wood across the legs of the chair, as shown in the drawing. If these strips extend something like 5 or 6 in. beyond the chair legs, there will be no tendency of tipping, and the baby may be left safely alone.—Emil Spona, San Francisco, Calif.
Simple Way of Deodorizing Old Rat Trap
To remove all trace of a former rat or mouse victim from a spring trap. simply dip the front section in melted paraffin. This method eliminates the old trouble of having to wash and scour or burn off the trap in order to get rid of the odor that usually keeps away other mice.―W. P. Glenney, Corona, N. Y.
Blowing Giant Soap Bubbles
Blowing Large Soap Bubbles with the Aid of an Old Inner Tube
Blowing big soap bubbles is a lot of fun, especially if the novel method of blowing them by means of an inner tube is used, as shown in the accompanying drawing. Make a small slit in an inner tube directly opposite the valve stem. Then push a second valve stem through this slit and take up on the nuts so that no air will leak out. Remove the inner section of the valve and force the end of a length of rubber tubing over the end. Insert the stem of a clay pipe in the other end of the tubing. The tube should be held closed with a spring clothespin or clip. Pump up the inner tube with an air pump so that it will be well filled but not so far as to blow out the extra valve stem. Dip the pipe bowl in the solution, and hold it steadily down on a table, bowl up. Then release the air from the inner tube by easing up on the spring clip. When the bubble has formed and is growing nicely under a small stream of air, leave the clip in that position. In this way the bubble will grow without jarring or shaking and reach its maximum size. Use a good soap solution into which a little glycerin has been dropped.—L. B. Robbins, Harwich. Mass.
Natural Gas for Starting Automobile
I have had several cars of the same make and somehow none of them could be started easily in cold weather. The trouble was, however, readily overcome by connecting the natural-gas house line to the intake, as shown in the illustration. Set the choke and turn on the gasoline line for starting and also turn on the gas. A few turns of the engine is all that is necessary to start it. This method saves both battery and temper. The gas connection may be made at any convenient place so that it will suck through the manifold. A convenient way to do this is to replace the elbow on the intake, on the vacuum-tank suction tube, with a tee; into this screw an ordinary gas cock, and above this a nipple, onto which the rubber tube from the house line can be forced. Note the small 1⁄16-in. hole in the nipple to allow air to be taken in with the gas.—Louis F. Busch, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Using Natural Gas to Aid in Starting Auto during Cold Weather