Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-05-20
PRACTICAL HINTS,


HOusekeepers.
The good housekeeper is one who is
ready for emergencies, and in every
family there are bound to be breakages
Things get out of order, pieces of
furniture warp apart, the metal lamp
becomes loosened from its metal socket,
valuable china is broken, or some
similar accident occurs which requires
the use of glue, cement, or plaster-of-
paris paste. Like a stitch in time prompt
attention to such matters saves the
housework from drifting into a state of
disorder. With rickety chairs, disabled
tables, incapacitated lamps, and all the
mischief they can cause, imminent at
any time, no household is safe The
glue pot should be family fixture. 1t
is an inexpensive utensil consisting of
two kettles, one fitting inside the other,
something like double boilers. The
outer part is filed with water, but not
which contains the glue. For the
matter of this common tin saucepan
and a cup to hold the glue will
do very well if you have not the
more elaborate glue-pot made for the
purpose. Purchase the very best glue
from trustworthy druggist The best
is light in color and translucent. Break
it in fine pieces; put it in a perfectly
clean gluc-pot or carthcn jar; pour
enough cold water over to cover the
glue, and lctit stand twcnty-four hours.
At the end of this time pour off any wa
| ter that may have remained. Fill the
outer vessel of the glue-pot with boil
| ing water, and set the one containing
the glue in it. Let the water boil
around it until the glue is thoroughly
melted. Ifyou melt the glue in a jar set
in tin saucepan, covering of pebbles
should be put on the bottom of the
saucepan to make space between the
bottom of the jar and the bottom of the
saucepan. Apply the glue 20 wood with
a soft brush, whileit is hot, pressing the
parts of wood firmly together, or tying
them together with a cord, or in some
cases pressing them together with a
wise or with clamps 1t is very con-
venient to have little china cement to
mend china or glassware. Although no
cement has ever been invented which
will successfully stand boiling water,
yet piece of china which is intended
for decorative use, and not for hard SER
vice in the kitchen, where it will be
frequently washed will be as good as
new when it is once mendcd. When
the handles of steel knives and forks
come off they can be easily mended
with rosin. Pour a little powdered
rosin into the cavity in the handle.
Heat the part of the knife that fits into
the handle until it is red hot and thrust
it into the handle. 1t will become firm
ly fixed by rosin when it becomes cool.
In heating the handle protect the blade
carefully with wet cloths, for if the
blade becomes heated beyond certain
point, it loses it's temper and the keen
ness of the steel once lost can not be
recovered, Plaster of paris should be
kept in the house to mend lamps,
where the metal socket has. be-
| come lOOSencu from lne reservoir,
to mend holes which have been
Clipped out of the plaster, or to iii in
various crevices where it may be paint.
ed over. Few things are more slovenly
than hall with holes in the plaster
yet such disfgurements are very likely
to occur from the blows of heavy furni.
ture, hammering of picture nails in
wrong places and from various other
causes. Such places should be mended
at once with plaster-of-paris, mixed to a
thin paste with water. 1t is best tC
mix only Il little at time as it sets SC
rapidly that it becomes too hare
to handle in few moments, APP
ply il and smooth it down with the
blade of kni lie and cover up the spot
with a piece of wall paper matching
the pattern ON the wall as you paste il
on and the spot will never show. Wher
you mend the socket on a lamp, fill The
sides of the socket with plaster-of-pari'
and press the reservoir in place. Rul
off any plaster-of-paris that may over
flow before it dries.-N. Y. Tribune.