Writer Hopes to Find Generous Lender

Writer Albert Schoenfeld of Rancho Palos Verdes needs to borrow a portable copying machine for a research project that might take several weeks. The machine, he says, should be small enough to carry and must be able to copy 8 1/2x11-inch pages from a book. Can you help make a copycat out of Schoenfeld, or will he have to wait until somebody throws the book at him?

Sylvia Kroot of Whittier would like to know where she can find some old-fashioned plastic aprons so that she won’t get soaked while doing the dishes. The dime stores used to carry these aprons, she says, but no more. Can you help pull a few strings for Kroot, or will she realize she’s all wet before she starts dishing it out?

T. H. Salzberg of Port Hueneme is looking for an opener /c ap for cans of evaporated milk. The opener Salzberg has in mind has two prongs that pierce the top of the can and, left in place, serve as a cover. If you could help, it would be darn white of you. Otherwise, Salzberg may have to realize that the situation has been milked for all it’s worth.

Mary Lafferty would like to obtain a hot-water bottle (or bag) that is filled not with water but with chemicals, which, when cold water is added, heat up the container. The item, she says, is great for camping and traveling. Can you help with this campy request before Lafferty gets herself into more hot water, or will she just have to keep her frustrations bottled up a while longer?

Reader-to-Reader Help Line: Irene at (805) 498-1306 would like to get an old-time, all-metal Lionel train set for her husband for Christmas. Please be a Santa Claus and make this particular run on rails instead of on a sleigh. . . . Lorraine at (805) 687-0803 is anxious to obtain a wall-hanging, German-made boy’s head sculpture to match a girl’s head she bought 30 years ago. The sculpture is red-brown, made of simulated wood and has the words Achatt Handarbeit on it. Please help, so that Lorraine won’t have to lose her head over an uneven match. . . . Therese at (818) 787-1077 is desperately looking for one or two Dior signature handbags; the style, she believes, is DB69 Navy. It is the smaller of the two satchels made by Dior, and it has off-white-navy blue canvas tapestry with the word Dior printed throughout. Please help, so that Therese will at least have bags in her hand instead of under her eyes. . . . We have another request for Poppytrail Metlox dishes, this time for the Medallion Red pattern . Florence at (714) 526-3595 is trying to complete a service for eight and needs various pieces, mainly plates. Please perform a service before Florence goes completely to pieces.

Note: The Reader-to-Reader Help Line is only for one-time items and for products that are no longer available in stores. And you must give us written permission to publish your telephone number, so that other readers may contact you directly.

Donald Yvaska, who wants script numerals for his street address, may soon be able to see the handwriting on the wall. Peggy Spalding of Tile Art Co., 8445 Colbath Ave., Panorama City, Calif. 91402, (818) 893-2064, says she makes all kinds of address tiles, with custom orders priced at a minimum of $50.

Eva King, who was looking for a Teeter Babe jumping chair, need not jump out of her skin; several products are available, although the Teeter Babe is no longer on the market. Ruth at Strolee says her firm manufactures two models of a jumper chair (144-T and 156-R), and that both are available at Carousel Toys, 1726 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; Lisa Sielen of Sierra Madre also told us about these Strolee products. Julia Hoffman of Rowland Heights says Cosco, 2525 State St., Columbus, Ind. 47201, makes an excellent Baby Jumper chair (when hers showed a defect, they picked it up and replaced it free of charge, she stated). Several readers (Melinda Montano of Glendora, R. Goldman of Los Angeles, Elizabeth White of Torrance, Gina Breeding of Ojai and Susan Spies of Pacific Palisades) told us about a Jolly Jumper, a Johnny Jump-Up and a Jumping Jack, which are available at department stores and baby stores; some of these hang from a door jamb. And Susan Kunze of Bishop is happy with a Sassy Cradle Bouncer by Sassy Co., which she found in a Toys-R-Us store for $16.97.

Herb Hain cannot answer mail personally but will, space permitting, respond in this column to readers who have--or need--helpful information. Write (do not telephone) to You Can Help!, You section, the Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.