It frequently happens that more solder is applied to the joints than is needed to cement the work together or that the solder is left in a rather rough or lumpy state due to the inexperience of the worker.

The beginner should be in no wise discouraged if this is so, for there is a certain knack in soldering neatly and this is only acquired by experience and by closely observing the simple rules governing the operation.

The beginner should be sure that enough solder is applied to hold the work firmly together. The surplus solder may be scraped away by using a simple scraper shaped like a hoe. An old knife is also useful for cutting away lumps of solder. An old file or rasp which has very coarse teeth may be used to file away solder. A finely cut file should never be used to file solder as the fine teeth will clog up with solder and the file be rendered useless for any further work.

Making a Hoe Scraper.—A hoe scraper may be made from a cheap screw driver, such as those obtainable from the 5-and-10 cent stores. The end of the screw driver that is applied to the screw is heated red hot (a dull red). It is then placed quickly between the jaws of a vise so that the jaws grasp it about ½ inch from the end and before the steel has time to cool, it is bent over like a hoe, see Fig. 97.

Use a flat fine-toothed file to file the cutting edges to about the angle shown in the enlarged drawing of the working end of the hoe scraper.

When the tool is filed into shape, heat the end again to a dull red and plunge it quickly in a pail of water several times until it is entirely cold. The tool is then ready for use.

The hoe scraper is a very simple tool to use. The cutting edge is simply dragged with slight pressure over the solder to be removed, and will remove a little solder each time it is dragged over it. This tool may be sharpened easily with a smooth file or on a grindstone when it becomes dull.

Do not try to remove too much solder at once and do not take away too much solder from the joint as you will weaken it. Simply smooth up the solder so that it will look well when painted over.

Plumbers’ and Roofers’ Scrapers.—Two very handy scrapers may be purchased from a dealer in tinners’ tools. One of them is called a Plumbers’ Scraper and is shown in Fig. 97. The other is called a Roofing Scraper and is shown in Fig. 97. Either of these tools will prove very useful for removing solder.

Boiling the Toys in a Lye Bath.—When the toys are completely assembled and before they are painted they should be thoroughly boiled up in a lye bath to remove all grease, soldering paste or acid, paper or painted labels, etc.

The lye bath is made by adding two heaping tablespoonfuls of lye or washing soda to the gallon of boiling water. Lye or washing soda may be purchased at any grocery store.

The lye solution should be mixed up in an old wash boiler or a large can or pail, placed over a hot fire and kept boiling gently during such time as the toys are immersed in the lye bath. Enough lye solution should be made up so that at least half of the article to be cleaned will be covered with it. The toy is left in the bath until that part of it which is covered with the solution is clean. It is then removed from the bath, rinsed, and then that part of the toy that remains to be cleaned is placed in the solution. The whole toy should be thoroughly rinsed with warm water when it is finally removed from the lye bath. Make sure that it is thoroughly dry and also that any water or lye solution that may have gotten inside any partially sealed-up parts of the toy is removed before attempting to paint it.

Take care not to place the hands in the lye solution, hot or cold, as it is very injurious to the skin. Any lye solution accidently spilled on cloth will eat holes in it unless washed out with plenty of water immediately. The work should be handled with wire hooks when lifting it out of the lye bath.

A fresh lye bath should be made up occasionally as it loses its cleansing power in proportion to the work boiled up in it. Lye may be added to a bath already made up if this bath has not accumulated too much dirt.

Vent Holes.—If a can is used to represent a boiler or is made up into a drum-like structure, such as a wheel, and is not soldered up air tight, it is apt to fill up with the hot lye solution when placed in it. Unless there are two air holes or vents provided in such a boiler or wheel, the lye or water will not all run out when it is removed from the bath, but it will ooze out from time to time perhaps after the toy has been painted for some time. The lye thus liberated will ruin all paint with which it comes in contact.

At least two vent holes should be punched or bored in all drum-like structures employed about the toys, one hole at the top to admit air and another hole at the bottom to allow the water or lye solution to escape. These vent holes are particularly necessary in wheels that are made from cans, see Fig. 98.