The evening times., 1897-03-29
HOMEMADE MICROSCOPE.
How to Manufacture a Satisfactory
Magnifying Glass for Five Cents.

4
To make microscope for nickle OF
less is a comparatively easy task and an
| interesting one. The fiIst is 10 buy some
little hollow glass balls, with stems to
| them; they are used in the manufacture
| Of artificial flowers AS they are sold
| for song buy several in order to have a
| choice-one tnat is free from scratches oI
| bubbles Make temporary handle FOL
| The little ElObule by cutting a slit through
the middle Of a fiat stick, about as thick as
match and four times as broad, insert
the stem OF the little globe in the slit
candle and cup Of perfectly clean.
boiled water are next needed.
Hold the globe stem upward about three
inches above the candle, until IL Is very
warm, then plunge it stem downward into
the cup of water and hold il there for a few
seconds, or until it is filled with water
Wipe the outside perfectly dry and hold
the globe again over the candle until the
water boils; you must now plunge il once
more into the cold water, when, If the
water was boiling. the little appa atus
becomes completely filled as il cools. II
any air remain n the globe. repeat the boil
ing and plunging into water. Then at
once fill up the end with beeswax and
touch with sealing wax TO make IL water
tight.
The next operation is to fit holder TO
the lens-for such it is now that il is filled
with water.
Take q round smooth coTk-one from
a wine bottle: cut off from the best end
piece trifle larger than the diameter
of the little lens The two flat faces Of
hn nrrLT ha f,rrTfa roll al haI--
wise the image formed by the lens viii
ne indistinct. Next bore a hole through
the center of the cork cylinder, to make
it into a tube. The best way to DO his
is to commence the hole with a red
hot wire and then enlarge it with Il
tiny penknife.
Having made the cork cylinder to your
liking, enlarge the hole at one end. and
cut slit In the flat portion to admit the
stem of the lens, so that the surface of the
globe is almost, but not quite, level with
the other flat surface of the cork.
The lens must first he blackened, so
as to destroy the 'false light which
would have the effect of bluTring the
image. This is done by painting the
lens and it's stem, with the exception of
two circles. which must lie exactly OPP
posite each other, with a mixture of
India ink water. gum arabic, and sugar
When dry, insert the lens in its place
and fix it in its position by a slight
touch of gum here and there.
A neat slip Of cork should be gummed
into the slit, formed for the insertion OF
the stem Now the lens holder must be
fitted with diaphragms. Cut from thin
cardboard two circles. the size Of the ends
of the lens holder and cut from their cen
tiers holes about the size of pea Paint
them black and glue them on each end of
the lens holder
A paper tube and glass slides, for use in
examining the objects to he nagnified,
are made by twisting paper into a tube.
which is glued to the lens holder. About
IN eighth Of an inch from one end OF the
tube cut two Sits, exactly opposite to
each other, a quarter of a n inch in length
and in breadth equal to the thickness Of
two of the slips OF glass, which must be Of
the thinnest quality, a quarter of an inch
wide and an inch and a half long.
After these labors are completed, behold.
a little microscope which magniffes objects
about twenty-five times. To examine a
fly wing, forinstance, and, of course. only
very small objects are adapted to this
microscope, putt ON one of the glass slides,
covering it with the other, fastening the
edges all around with sealing wax. Place
the slide in the object holder, so that the
object is exactly opposite the hole in the
diaphragm aud hold the Whole apparatus
up to the light, sliding the object holder
back and forth until distinct vision is
attained