W. C. Houghton

Most boys have, or can obtain at a very small expense, a bicycle that has passed its usefulness as such. If the frame, crank shaft, chain and rear wheel are in fair condition, it can be converted into a first-class foot-power for an emery wheel, a dynamo or any high speed machinery.

First remove the front fork, wheel, etc., and cut off the top bar of the diamond close to the steering head. Cut away the lower bar close to the crank-hanger. Remove the rear tire and fasten some strips of lead all around the groove in the wood rim. These can be cut from old lead pipe. Take care to distribute the weight evenly all around. Next plane out a long, thin strip of wood as wide as the rim and a little thicker in the middle than at the edges. Bend this around the rim and secure with small nails or screws. This is for the belt, which does not run properly in the groove.

Next build a frame, as per the drawing. No dimensions are given, as the size and proportion of the parts will vary according to the dimensions of the bicycle used. The drawing is, however, made to a scale of 1 in. = 1 ft. The base board should be about 4 ft. long and 2 in. thick and about 15 or 16 in. wide. The supports, A, should be 2 in. x 4 in and put far enough apart to let the rear axle between them. The axle is to be fastened to blocks F. The supporting block, (7, and saddle post, D, are sufficiently explained by the drawing. The saddle post should be rigidly braced from the base by braces, B. Braces should also be put at G, between the top of the diamond and the main supports, A. The saddle should be rigidly fastened in the post. This may be done by drilling a hole through the wood and the steel tube and driving in a large wire nail. The crank hanger may be fastened to the block, C, with thin steel straps put over it and screwed to the wood. Such a foot power as this this will easily drive an emery wheel 2000 or 2500 r. p. m. with moderate pedaling.