Rack

“ Racks are put on the tables to keep things from falling off, and sometimes the rocking is so bad that even the racks are not altogether satisfactory. In front of you is a rack just wide enough to hold your plate, and, when you are taking soup, the edge of it is just even with the rack. ”

“ It is necessary to fasten three strips two inches wide between the sides in the back of the rack (as shown in [Pg 56] the drawing) for the tops of the plates to rest against. Two holes should be bored in the top strip, by which to hang the rack on nails or hooks fastened in the wall.
After completing the carpenter-work, finish the rack with a stain which will harmonize with the color scheme of the room in which it is to hang.
[Pg 57]
CHAPTER IV SUGGESTIONS FOR A BOY'S ROOM
It is far better for a boy to spend his evenings in the house than out upon the street. ”

“ No. 3. A back is only necessary to give the rack rigidity and to protect the wall. If made solid—i. e., to cover the whole space between ends—it uses a good deal of wood and adds considerable weight. E shows a method of using only top and bottom strips. They will make the rack sufficiently rigid and the strip should be gained into the ends, bringing them flush with the back of end pieces.
No. 4. Find the location of wall studs by dropping a line with weight on it (plumb) from the nails on picture moulding, or by bringing the weight in front of nails on base board. ”

“ If the rack is to be fourteen feet long, three sills are required. The ends of the rack are made by nailing against the side of the sill-boards that reach up as high as it is desired to have the rack; and nails driven through these end-boards into the ends of the side-boards, f f, secure them. The sides may be further strengthened by pieces of board on the outside of them, fitted into the trough. A roof may be put over all, if desired, by means of which the fodder is kept entirely from the weather, and no seeds or chaff can get into the wool. ”

“ Both (2) and (3) are in origin to be connected. The O. E. reccan and Ger. recken mean “to stretch,” and so “rack” means something stretched out, a straight bar or rail, especially a toothed bar gearing with a cog-wheel, a framework of bars, as in the cradle of upright bars in which fodder can be placed for cattle, and the instrument of torture, which in Ger. is Recke or Rackbank. The “rack” for torture was an oblong frame of wood, slightly raised from the ground, having at one end a fixed bar to which the legs were fastened, and at the other a movable bar to which the hands were tied. ”

“ A Kitchen Utensil Hanger
Every cook knows how troublesome it is to have several things hanging on one nail. When one of the articles is wanted it is usually at the back, and the others must be removed to secure it. A revolving rack for hanging a can opener, egg beater and cooking spoons, etc., takes up less space than several nails, and places every article within easy reach as well as providing individual hooks for all the pieces.
The Hook Support Revolves so as to Make Each One Readily Accessible for Hanging Utensils
The rack is easily made of a block of wood, 2-1/2 in. ”

“ When the rack is in gear, the chuck is a universal one, all the jaws moving simultaneously and equally, whether they be set in such position in their slots as may be necessary to grip an oval or round piece of work; when the rack is out of gear the jaws may be moved by their respective screws so as to run true as for round work, or to hold the work to any degree of eccentricity required. ”

“ The rack on a lathe bed should be a cut one, and not simply a cast one, because when a cutting tool is running up to a corner as against a radial face, the self-acting motion must be stopped and the tool fed into the corner by hand. As a very delicate tool movement is required to cut the corner out just square, it should be capable of easy and steady movement, but in the case of cast racks, the rest will, from defects in the rack teeth, move in little jumps, especially if the pitch of the teeth be coarse. ”

“ The Rack-hook is placed above the rack to catch the rack as it is gathered up by the gathering pallets, and when the proper number of strokes has been given this hook falls into a deep tooth, and then, by means of a locking-piece attached to it, causes the train to be locked with the stop-piece on the fly-pinion arbor, this latter piece forming part of both the locking and warning work. The lifting-piece lifts the rack-hook out of the deep tooth in the rack and locking, by means of a snail or eccentric fitted on the set-hand arbor. ”

“ As you know, you cannot nicely work a railway by adhesion only much above a gradient of one in fifty with sharp curves upon it, or one in forty on a straight line, consequently the rack is the thing to use then, I fancy, for on the Abt rack railway the pinions on the engine can be easily put in and out of gear on the rack, and the journey be continued by simple adhesion, as by an ordinary locomotive, and the rack system works all right round moderate curves. ”

“ The racks should be made very strong and substantial to guard against being broken by ice in the winter, for should the rack give way at any inopportune time the admission of sticks and other rubbish might wreck the wheel. ”

“ The teeth of a rack, to work correctly with wheels having involute teeth, should have plane surfaces perpendicular to the line of connexion, and consequently making with the direction of motion of the rack angles equal to the complement of the obliquity of action. ”

“ A Work-table about three feet high. This should be built against the wall and strongly braced, as shown [Pg 156] in the sketch (Fig. 169) . Fasten a shelf to the wall about nine inches below the table, and under this make a rack with three divisions in it for trays. The rack should be fastened to the braces, as shown in the drawing.
Running Water is a great convenience in a dark-room, as it saves the bother of having to carry water in pails, or transferring your plates to a tub or wash-basin for the final bath after development. ”

“ The ladder-rack is constructed from pieces of curtain-pole and side uprights, six inches wide at the bottom and tapered to three inches at the top. The uprights are attached to the inside of the body frame, and the bars on which the ladders rest are let into holes in these uprights and keyed as shown at Fig. 8 A. The end of the bar is cut across with a saw, and when this is passed through a hole in the upright a wedge-shaped key is driven in the cut to spread the end of the bar and expand it so that it will hold. ”

“ Rack is a further corruption; and rack-punch is perhaps not quite obsolete.
1603.—"We taking the But-ends of Pikes and Halberts and Faggot-sticks, drave them into a Racke-house."—E. Scot, in Purchas, i. 184. Purchas also has Vraca and other forms; and at i. 648 there is mention of a strong kind of spirit called Rack-apee (Malay āpī = 'fire') . See FOOL'S RACK.
1616.—"Some small quantitie of Wine, but not common, is made among them; they call it Raack, distilled from Sugar and a spicie Rinde of a Tree called Iagra [Jaggery] ."—Terry, in Purchas, ii. 1470. ”

“ Be sure every piece is in its proper position before driving in the brads and then be positive that no brad is being driven at a point where the dowel must be free to move in the hole. It is always best to assemble the rack completely and by closing and opening it learn clearly just where the brads are to be placed. ”

“ In these two cases, the bowl is work for the gouge, while in rounding, some of the surfaces are done with the file. On general principles, it is not wise to get into the habit of using a file on [273] wood, except in rare cases where the material is very hard, such as maple, beech, and similar woods.
Fig. 166a. Wooden ladle
The towel rack shown in Fig. 167 is suitable for [274] the bath or bed room, and can readily be made by any boy.
Fig. 167. The towel rack
The back piece is made with plane and chisel. The straight bevels are cut with the smoothing plane, and the curves with the chisel. ”

“ A rack lashing consists of a piece of 2-inch rope about 9 feet long, which is fastened to a stick 15 inches long, 2 inches wide at the head, with a hole in it to receive the lashing, and tapering to a blunt point: it is passed round the timber, and sleeper beneath, then twice round itself. ”

“ A locking motion is fitted to the machine by which, when the rack P is released in the manner described, the stop rod is locked in such a way that until the rack has been wound back by hand into proper position the frame cannot be started. ”

“ A useful present for a gentleman is a pipe rack. It is made of a piece of linen lined with some brightly colored silk, and suspended from the wall by three ribbon loops. At the top outline two interlaced pipes, and below, quite in the centre, fasten on a hand of some stiff material, divided into compartments hy rows of strong stitching.
To protect a handsome sofa pillow, a charming and serviceable cover can be made of a square of linen, edged with lace, and bordered below the bem with a drawn work design. Divide the centre into smaller squares by bands of drawn work. ”

“ Useful, but not life-or-death essentials, are a tabouret at, say, $3.25, a footrest for a little less, and a magazine rack for $5 or $10. The problem of keeping periodicals in easy reach without too much of a "litter'ry" effect has not yet been solved. The open rack is the best compromise between sightliness and utility, because it is more apt to be used than the more ambitious arrangements with doors. ”

“ A hay-rack placed within easy reach of the horse, of wood or iron, occupies either a corner or the whole breadth of the stall, which should be about six feet for on ordinary-sized horse. A manger, formerly of wood, but of late years more generally of iron lined with enamel, occupies a corner of the stall. ”

“ A Washing-box, after the scheme of Fig. 172, made to hold the negatives while washing them. This box will [Pg 159] stand on the shelf beside the sink until you are through developing. The rack is made up of strips of wood fastened together with wire brads. Figure 173 clearly shows its construction. Strips A, B, C, and D should be placed three and three-quarters inches apart for four-by-five plates, and kerfs should be cut in their edges as shown. A and D are mounted upon short stilts, and B and C are nailed to the uprights supporting the handle. ”

“ Steevens, in reference to the last quotation, says, "I should explain the word rack somewhat differently, by calling it 'the last fleeting vestige of the highest clouds, scarce perceptible on account of their distance and tenuity.' What was anciently called 'the rack' is now termed by sailors the scud." It is sufficiently obvious from the above what is meant by the word; but I now come to put the question, What authority had Horne Tooke for deriving it from Recan? ”

“ As the revolving rack held the cues in the same way and by the same means as the ordinary rack, if patentable novelty existed at all it must be found in making the racks revolve, when constructed and operating in the manner stated. ”

“ On this rack is laid a guide-frame, D, whose bottom girts are not spaced far enough apart to extend the full length of the rack on which they rest. A cloth, E, large enough to envelop the layer, is then laid on the rack, inside the frame, and opened out to receive the pomace, which is 'struck' level with the gifts of the frame, after which the cloth is folded over the leveled pomace, and the frame is lifted of. The next and succeeding racks are in like manner laid on the first, and filled up, and a follower is placed on the upper one, when the cheese is ready to press. ”

“ At the day’s end, each man takes his work to a rack with numbered compartments, and deposits it in that which answers to his own number, thence the balls (each being put in a clay cup) are carried to an enormous drying-room, where they are exposed in tiers, and constantly examined and turned, to prevent their being attacked by weevils, which are very prevalent during moist winds, little boys creeping along the racks all day long for this purpose. ”

“ 'Tis well: the rack, the chain, the wheel,
Far better had'st thou proved;
Ev'n I could almost pity feel,
For thou art not beloved. ”

“ The rack consists of a row of brackets made of strap iron, bent as shown in the sketch, and the shoes are slipped on them. The brackets are mounted on a strip of wood, which is fastened to the wall with screws. A thin piece of board or sheet metal protects the wall.—Edgar Morgan, Robbinsdale, Minn.
Keeping Scissors Blades Apart Lengthens Their Service
Scissors will wear better and keep their cutting edges longer, if they are kept hanging up with the blades apart when not in use. ”

“ Crosspieces: 2 pieces 3⁄4” thick × 11⁄2” wide × 3” long to be used as top of rack. 2 pieces 3⁄4” thick × 3” wide × 3” long to be used as bottom of rack. Upright pieces: 16 pieces 1⁄2” thick × 1⁄2” wide × 26” long to be used as side pieces 8 on each side. 2 pieces 3⁄4” thick × 11⁄2” wide × 201⁄2” long.
[Pg 29] Dish Rack
[Pg 30] Directions:
Mortise the two end pieces 1⁄4”, to fit tenon. Nail the two crosspieces, measuring (3⁄4” × 11⁄2” × 3”) to them. Make 1⁄4” mortises on the two top pieces (3⁄4” × 3” × 3”) . These mortises are made 3” from the end and the two pieces nailed to crosspieces. ”

“ The back extends up 24 inches from the seat. The lower shelf is midway between the floor and seat, and [Pg 169] is 19 inches wide. This may or may not be upholstered, dependent on the character of the material of which it is made. If upholstered, the boards may be of second-class material, preferably of pine or other light, soft wood.
A towel rack (Fig. 264) is always a needed article in the kitchen. The roller may be an old curtain roller cut down to 18 inches in length. The top piece is 21⁄2 inches wide and 21 inches long. The vertical bars are each 11⁄2 inches wide and 9 inches long. ”