Yesterday's common
sense ideas to help you maintain and enjoy your country home,
garden, landscape and property.
From the book
The Farmer's New Guide, 1893
How to Cut Glass - It is not generally known that glass may be
cut, under water, with a strong pair of scissors. If a round or
oval be required, take a piece of common window glass, draw the
shape upon it in a black line; sink it with your left hand under
water as deep as you can without interfering with the view of the
line, and with your right use the scissors to cut away what is not
required.
To Bore Holes in Glass - Any sharp steel will cut glass with great
facility when kept freely wet with camphor dissolved in
turpentine. A drill may be used, or even the hand alone. A hole
may be readily enlarged by a round file. The ragged edges of glass
may also be thus smoothed with a flat file. Flat window glass can
be readily sawed by a watch-spring saw, by the aid of this
solution. In short, the most brittle glass can be wrought almost
as easily as wood, by the use of drilling tools kept constantly
moist with camphorized oil of turpentine.
From the book Practical Housekeeping, 1883
To Cut Glass Jars - Fill the jar with lard-oil to where you want
to cut the jar; then heat an iron-rod or bar to red-heat; immerse
in the oil; the unequal expansion will crack the jar all round at
the surface of the oil, and you can lift off the top part.
