Mother's Bi-Monthly Almanac

A nice slicer; Strapped for time; A make-do magnifying glass; A yolk yoke; The come back can; Don't shell out any money; Spring time; A top popper.

By the Mother Earth News editors

March/April 1979

A NICE SLICER
An old, sharp knife blade can- with the addition of a soldered-on handle at one end and a similarly fastened wood screw at the other-be used as a slicer for firm fruits and vegetables. The screw "feeds" into the potato, apple, etc.-as in the drawing-while the blade slices an even, spiraled curl

A MAKE-DO MAGNIFYING GLASS
A crude, but serviceable, magnifying glass can be made by bending a small piece of wire (or even the stem of a leaf!) to form a "water-drop-sized” loop. When this is done, drip a little clear water into the hoop ... you'll be able to examine the eye of a grasshopper or-on a very sunny day-perhaps you can even focus enough heat to start a fire!

A YOLK YOKE?
A strainer-fashioned from some strips of wire and a can-will make egg separation (for those special baked goodies) an easy task. Just bend the wire strips as shown, then cut and fold one side of the can to form a ramp. Finally, fit the wires into matching (5/16" apart) holes in the can's upper back and "flap". When a cracked egg is gently poured onto the "grill", its white will fall through while the yolk will slide down into a waiting cup.

STRAPPED FOR TIME?
If so, you can make a temporary (but solid) repair on any broken leather strap or harness with two nails and an old buckle or harness ring. This quick fix will hold things together until the work is done and the strap can be securely sewn or riveted.

THE "COME BACK" CAN
You probably remember this toy from your own childhood, and- chances are-today's young'uns will enjoy the easy-to-make plaything as much as you did. Simply tie a rubber band through holes punched in the bottom and lid of a tin can as shown (a plastic-topped coffee can will work just fine), then knot a short length of string to the middle of the elastic, and fasten a fishing sinker, a small stone, or some other weight to the cord. The toy will "boomerang" back to its original position whenever it's rolled!

DON'T SHELL OUT ANY MONEY...
... for a pocket-sized box to hold your fishhooks, matches, etc. instead, make your own handy container from two discarded shotgun shells! All you have to do is cut the paper (or plastic) from one shell-as shown-and use the remaining brass "butt" as a cap for the other empty cartridge.

SPRING TIME!
A fence around your newly started garden will discourage rabbits and such, but-as often as not-chickens will use the fenceposts as roosts... in order to look over your seeds and tender young plants before movin' in to feast on 'em. To discourage the brazen biddies, just nail an old bedspring to the top of each post. The birds will be unable to light on the flexible coils, and are unlikely to try to clear the fence in "a single bound".

A TOP POPPER
If you file a small notch in the heel of your pocketknife's blade -as shown in the drawing-you'll be able to remove crimped bottle caps easily ... and this modification won't do your "whittlin' iron" any harm, either!

THE Mother Earth News', P.O. Box 70, Hendersonville, N.C. 28739. Subscription rates: 1 year, $12.00; 2 years, $23.00; 3 years, $33.00. Outside U.S.A.: 1 year, $27.00, $39.00.