MOTHER'S FLUORESCENT TUBE SOLAR COLLECTOR

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A length of T-bar (ordinarily used to support a suspended ceiling) is next added to the center of each completed tube holder to keep the 5-mil UV-X film that will be used to cover the collector from sagging down onto the tubes. Mortise a groove and cut a slot into the middle of each tube holder so the T-bar will set down flush with the tops of the pieces of wood. (Don't be afraid to file away the "bulb" on the bottom of the T-bar's "leg", if that's what it takes to make it fit down into the slot.)

Now's the time (before you close your collector up and make it too difficult to work on) to cut inlet and outlet air holes into one side of the box with a 3" hole saw. Smooth the edges of the holes with sandpaper, clean the sawdust out of the box, and slap a good coat of wood sealer onto al! the wood—inside and out—that's still exposed on your collector.

Then stretch and staple the UV-X film to the box's top. The plastic covering should be further secured and protected—all the way around the face of the collector—with 3/4" X 3/4" outside corner molding. In addition (to keep air from blowing past, rather than through, the painted collector tubes), lengths of 1/8" X 3/4" screen molding should be cut to fit, laid down across the UV-X film, and securely screwed in place along the tops of the tube holders.

That's it. If you now hook a scrounged-up small (100- to 200-cubic-feet-per-minute) blower to your new collector's inlet hole, attach a flexible hose to its outlet, and aim the energy catcher at the sun . . . you'll find that the unit will give you up to 6,250 Btu's per hour on a clear day. Which is enough to heat a room, dry your clothes, or dehydrate food in a bin. Experiment a little! And let us know how you come out.

Mother's "Flourescent Tube Cutter

The principle of this amazing little cutter is quite straightforward: A stainless steel wire, which can be heated electrically, encircles the tube. When the current is on, the wire heats and melts into the glass. Then, when the power is turned off, the glowing wire immediately cools . . . which causes the glass to cool unevenly and break apart on the melted "score line".

You can build your own cutter in about an hour with a drill, some assorted bits, a handsaw, a hammer, a center punch, a tap and die set, a chisel, a hacksaw, a pair of wire cutters, and a screwdriver.

Start by cutting the 1 1/4" X 7" wooden dowel exactly in half lengthwise. Then temporarily nail a short scrap of wood to the rounded side of each dowel half and clamp them—one at a time—in a vise so that the flat side of each half faces up.

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