The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1 | Page 4

blocks is laid on the ground and another course
of similar blocks placed on top. The snow blocks are not exactly square
in shape, but about 12 in. long, 6 in. high and 4 or 5 in. thick. Larger or
smaller blocks can be used, according to size of the house and thickness
of the walls.
First, the snow blocks must be packed and pressed firmly into position
out of moist snow that will pack. A very light, dry snow will not pack
easily, and it may be necessary to use a little water. If the snow is of the
right consistency, there will be no trouble in packing and working with
it. As most of the blocks are to be of the same size throughout, it will

pay to make a mold for them by forming a box of old boards nailed
together, minus the top, and with a movable bottom, or rather no
bottom at all. Place the four sided box on a flat board and ram snow in
it, forcing it down closely. Then by lifting the box up and tapping the
box from above, the block will drop out. In this way blocks of uniform
size are formed, which makes the building simpler and easier.
While one boy makes the blocks another can shave them off at the
edges and two others can build the house, one inside of the circle and
the other outside. The Eskimos build their snow houses in this way, and
the man inside stays there until he is completely walled in. Then the
door and a window are cut through the wall.
[Illustration: Laying the Snow Bricks]
[Illustration: Three-Room Snow House]
Each layer of snow blocks must have a slight slant at the top toward the
center so that the walls will constantly curve inward. This slant at the
top is obtained better by slicing off the lower surfaces of each block
before putting it in its course. The top will then have a uniform inward
slant.
The first course of the snow house should be thicker than the others,
and the thickness of the walls gradually decreases toward the top. A
wall, however, made of 6-in. blocks throughout will hold up a snow
house perfectly, if its top is no more than 6 or 7 ft. above the ground. If
a higher house is needed the walls should be thicker at the base and
well up toward the middle.
The builder has no mortar for binding the blocks together, and therefore
he must make his joints smooth and even and force in loose snow to fill
up the crevices. A little experience will enable one to do this work well,
and the construction of the house will proceed rapidly. The Eskimos
build additions to their houses by adding various dome-shaped
structures to one side, and the young architect can imitate them. Such
dome-shaped structures are shown in one of the illustrations.

A fact not well understood and appreciated is that the Eskimo beehive
snow house represents true arch building. It requires no scaffolding in
building and it exerts no outward thrust. In the ordinary keystone arch
used by builders, a, temporary structure must be erected to hold the
walls up until the keystone is fitted in position, and the base must be
buttressed against an outward thrust. The Eskimo does not have to
consider these points. There is no outward thrust, and the top keystone
is not necessary to hold the structure up. It is doubtful whether such an
arch could be built of brick or stone without scaffolding, but with the
snow blocks it is a simple matter.

** Secret Door Lock [6]
The sketch shows the construction of a lock I have on a door which is
quite a mystery to those who do not know how it operates. It also keeps
them out. The parts of the lock on the inside of the door are shown in
Fig. 1. These parts can be covered so that no one can see them.
[Illustration: Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3; The Lock Parts]
The ordinary latch and catch A are attached to the door in the usual
manner. The latch is lifted with a stick of wood B, which is about 1 ft.
long and 1 in. wide, and pivoted about two-thirds of the way from the
top as shown. The latch A is connected to the stick B with a strong cord
run through a staple to secure a right-angle pull between the pieces. A
nail, C, keeps the stick B from falling over to the left. The piece of
wood, D, is 6 or 8 in. long and attached to a bolt that runs through the
door, the opposite end being fastened to the combination dial. Two
kinds