BUILDING UP THE DESIGN
It pays to make a full-sized drawing of the design, as the relation of the inlaid work to the space it is to occupy is important. For a box proportioned like the one just described, 11 × 7 inches, the inlaid design should be in about the same general proportion. A square centre piece in such an oblong space would not look well; it should be about one and a half times as long as the width. The best plan is to draw the box top full size and then carefully work up the design.
This sort of designing will be a new experience, as the veneering is all cut in a mitre box, no tool but a saw being used, and this fact limits the designs.
Several pieces of the veneer are glued together and placed in hand screws over night.
Suppose the combination shown at [Fig. 182] is used. Five thicknesses composed of two 1⁄16-inch walnut, next two of 1⁄16-inch holly, and in the centre one 1⁄8-inch ebony, will make a strong combination 3⁄8 inch thick.
Fig. 182. Inlaid designs cut in a 45-degree mitre box
The dimensions should be about 18 inches long by 3 inches wide. These five pieces when glued together make a solid piece 18 × 3 × 3⁄8 inches. This built up board is sawed into strips 1⁄8 inch thick, and these strips 3⁄8 × 1⁄8 inch form the basis of the design.
In drawing the centre piece, border, or whatever form the inlay is to take, it must be constantly kept in mind that 3⁄8 inch is the width of the pieces. [Fig. 182] shows the shapes possible on a 45-degree mitre box. Four pieces like a make a square. To make an oblong design from this shape, ten pieces will give b. Four pieces like d will give a hollow square, in which may be fitted a piece of fancy wood such as rosewood, snake wood, satinwood, or some other South American wood.
The Greek cross is a favourite figure, and it is composed of twelve pieces, eight like f, and four like a. Some of its variations are shown in c c.
This design can be elaborated as shown at e. Some of the most pleasing combinations are extremely simple. An oblong piece of beautiful wood such as bird's-eye maple, with a simple mitred frame, is far more satisfying than the more complicated figures.
The Swastika is a favourite among boys, and it is shown at [Fig. 183] applied to an oblong box design. In such a figure the border strips are not put on until all the pieces for the Swastika are cut out, fitted, and glued.
In many of these designs two, three, and sometimes four gluings are necessary. The pieces, having been cut and fitted, are all brought together on a piece of paper and glued with liquid glue. The hot glue dries too quickly. The paper holding the design is laid on a piece of pine 7⁄8 inch thick, and wire brads driven into the pine up close to the inlay to hold the design together while it dries. Two nails should be used against each piece of the outside border. These nails may be used to exert pressure by bending them with the fingers over the design to force the pieces together.
Fig. 183. The Swastika used as an inlay
When each piece has been pressed into place, allow it to stand over night. Next day bend the nails back, and lift the design, paper and all, out of its nail fence, tear off the paper and cut away any glue that projects beyond the edges with a knife or chisel.
You now have a solid inlaid design 1⁄8 inch thick ready for use. Find by measurement the exact place where you want this figure, lay it on the surface and with a sharp knife scribe a line around the design. Place the inlay to one side, and cut out to a depth of 1⁄8 inch the whole space inside the knife lines. This can be done with socket chisel and mallet, or with a router. The final cut should be made with the chisel, bevel side in and straight down.
You now have a space cut in the surface the exact size of the design, except possibly the depth. Coat the bottom of this space with glue, press the design down into the space and hammer it tight with the mallet and block of soft wood.
Allow the glue to harden thoroughly, plane the design down to the surface, scrape, and sand-paper.
This is one of the things much more easily done than described on paper.
Instead of the solid designs just described, an inlaid border is sometimes preferable. [Fig. 182] at g gives a good idea of a very neat one. In this case, the groove to receive the inlay is drawn directly on the surface of the box, and cut out to the usual depth, 1⁄8 inch. The pieces of inlay are sawed out in the mitre box and fitted into the groove individually, but not glued until the entire border has been fitted. They are done all at one time, and then a piece of board is laid over the whole top, and it is placed in hand screws over night.
Fig. 184. Built up borders for inlaying
The number of combinations which can be obtained from three or four veneers of different thicknesses is astonishing, but perhaps the most interesting form is called built up work. [Fig. 184] shows several forms of built up borders. The method of making a is as follows:
Ebony and holly 1⁄8 inch thick are required and two separate combinations are glued up, one containing two pieces of holly with one ebony, and the second two of ebony with one holly.
When dry, saw out of each combination a strip an inch or an inch and a quarter wide. From strip No. 1 saw a dozen or more pieces an inch or so long. To make these pieces exactly alike, drive a nail into the bottom of the mitre box an inch from the 90-degree saw cut. By pushing the strip up to this nail each time a cut is made the pieces must be the same length.
For combination No. 2, shift the nail to 3⁄8 inch from the saw cut, and saw out an equal number of pieces as from No. 1.
By gluing these pieces together alternately, border a will result. It is necessary on these built up combinations to add an outside retaining strip of thin veneer to hold the pieces rigidly together.
Fig. 185. Method of making an Inlaid checker-board
When the final gluing has dried, the usual 1⁄8-inch strip should be sawed out. This is best done on a power, band, or circular saw, but it can be done by hand if the rip saw is good and sharp.
Other built up combinations may be handled in the same way. For square spaces, the checker-board is a great favourite. It calls for a dark and light veneer of 1⁄8 inch thickness. Glue up four light and four dark pieces in alternation as shown in [Fig. 185]. When hard, saw out eight strips as wide as the veneer is thick. Glue these eight strips together, reversing four of them, so that the black and white squares come together. The result will be a solid piece one inch square, and by sawing off 1⁄8-inch slices, each slice will be a checker-board composed of 1⁄8-inch cubes.
The very best glue obtainable is needed for this work, especially if the woods are ebony and holly, as these are so hard that the glue cannot penetrate.
When a 30-60-90-degree mitre box is used to cut the strips, an entirely different class of designs is obtained. [Fig. 186] shows some of the endless possibilities of these combinations. They are suitable for the top and shelf of an hexagonal tabourette, and the oblong figures are suitable for the top of an oblong box or the space between the wells of an inkstand.
Some of the simplest yet most effective forms give the impression of overlapping shown at a, [Fig. 183], this being an oblong piece of fancy wood with a narrow mitred frame around the four sides; b b are pieces of the same kind of wood but different from a, with a narrow frame on three sides; a appears to be laid over b, and c c, still another kind of wood, both cut from the same piece.
It looks more uniform and harmonious if the frames of the five pieces representing three distinct kinds of wood are the same.
It is important in choosing these borders to see that the outside veneer be in marked contrast to the surface into which the design is to be set.
A very simple centre piece may be made interesting by surrounding a plain oblong or rectangle of rare wood with an interlaced border.
Inlaying of curved designs means some difficulty in accurately cutting out the opening to fit the design; but this is overcome by reverting to the ancient art called marquetry work. Three or more veneers 1⁄16 inch thick are glued together at the corners and the design drawn or glued on the top layer.
Suppose the figure is that of a butterfly. Assume that the veneers are holly, mahogany, and rosewood. With a fine fret saw cut or saw directly on the lines. The three thicknesses being sawed at one time, the pieces must exactly fit. The rosewood may be used for the outer edge of the wings, the holly for the main part of the wings, and the mahogany for the body. As all these parts fit accurately, they may be glued to a 1⁄4-inch backing piece and dried under the pressure of hand screws. Flowers, birds, etc., in infinite variety, and even landscapes, can be cut out and used in this way. Veneers coloured green are on the market and may be used for leaves or foliage effects.
Fig. 186. Designs cut on 30-60-90-degree mitre box
A great deal might be written about this old style of ornamental woodwork, but it would deal almost entirely with questions of design, as the method would be practically the same in every case. One form of this interesting art is called buhl work, in which sheet brass, German silver, or even the precious metals are used. Brass and ebony were a favourite combination at one time, the two layers being glued together with paper between. The design was sawed out, and then a sharp knife blade inserted into the joint to separate the brass from the ebony. That gave two distinct designs. In one case it was a brass background with ebony inlay. In the other, an ebony background with brass inlay.
There will always be as many resulting combinations as there are original layers of material. A backing of cheap material is always necessary to support the finished work to which it must be securely glued. In polishing the finished surface, a steel scraper must first be used, followed by fine sand-paper; then polish.
Some of the newer forms of decoration, while lacking the richness of inlaid work, admit of greater freedom. Pyrography, for example, is closely akin to drawing, and in the hands of a careful worker may be made to produce very artistic effects. Like all arts, it also has its limitations. In woods of the pine family, it will not do at all, on account of the pitchy sap. In dark-coloured or very hard woods, it is equally unsatisfactory, so that it is used almost exclusively on basswood, because of the white colour, softness, even grain, and freedom from pitch.
Outfits for pyrography may be purchased quite reasonably. They consist of a glass bottle containing benzine; the vapour from this is forced through a rubber tube by means of a bulb held in the left hand out to a platinum point. This point is first heated in the flame of an alcohol lamp sufficiently to ignite the benzine vapour as it comes out through openings in the point.
While the left hand keeps pumping the vapour, the right hand guides the point along the lines of the design, which has been drawn or traced on the wood.
Many articles made and stamped with designs are to be had at the art stores; but the joy and satisfaction in achievement come from making the articles and originating the designs.
Basswood is very easily soiled by handling and a coat of white shellac should be applied after the burning is finished. Sometimes staining is used on certain parts of the design, as for flowers or fruit, and in that case the staining must be done before the shellac is applied.
[XXXVII]
THE CHECKER-BOARD
A favourite project among young woodworkers is the checker-board. While it is closely akin to inlaying, the method of making it to avoid unnecessary labour is here suggested. As the checker-board consists of sixty-four squares of equal size and divided equally between two kinds of wood, one dark and the other light, some way must be devised to insure their being exactly alike to make the board a success. Considerable care should be used in the selection of the woods, for while they must present a strong contrast in colour, they should be as nearly as possible of the same degree of hardness, to make the working uniform.
If soft woods are used, red gum and basswood make an agreeable contrast in colour. Basswood is not a very satisfactory wood to polish in its natural colour, however.
Among the hard woods, a combination of black walnut and rock maple, or mahogany and maple, or even cherry and maple, can be used. Any one of these combinations will be more satisfactory in the finished work than the soft woods mentioned. The work will be harder of course, but in woodwork as in other things, nothing really good is obtained without effort.
Assuming that the woods have been selected, four strips of dark and the same number in light coloured wood should be squared up to a width of 11⁄4 or 11⁄2 inches according to the size of the squares to be made.
Fig. 187. Method of making a checker-board
As in other woodworking problems, have a full-sized or half-sized mechanical drawing ready before using a tool.
A checker-board built up of 11⁄4-inch squares will be ten inches square without the frame. (See [Fig. 187].) With 11⁄2-inch squares, it will be twelve inches on each side. This is amply large and a satisfactory working size. The material should be either 1⁄4 inch or 3⁄8 inch thick. Plane the strips about sixteen inches long by one inch and a half wide.
Lay the four strips of dark wood on edge on the bench top and carefully fasten the four in the vise. Remove a light shaving to insure their width being all alike.
Treat the light strips the same way.
Next place all eight strips together and examine for inequalities. Too much care cannot be exercised at this point, as the success of the problem depends on it.
To make doubly sure, reverse every alternate strip end for end, and if inequalities appear place all eight strips in the vise and remove a light shaving. One of the best methods for making these strips of equal size and with perfectly square edges is to construct a shooting board, or arrange one already made, as shown at a.
The strip s is set to a gauge line made 11⁄2 inches from the edge. The strips are laid in this space and planed in the usual way, until the plane touches the stop. This makes the width of all pieces the same and gives true edges.
These eight strips placed alternately light and dark are now glued upon a backing of soft wood, 1⁄4 inch or less in thickness. Gluing must be done thoroughly, each strip being rubbed back and forth until a good joint is made with its neighbour.
A piece of newspaper is spread over the top, heavy pieces of flat stock placed top and bottom, and the pressure from several hand screws applied while the glue is drying.
The best liquid glue obtainable should be used, and the paper on top prevents the hand screws being glued to the wood.
This combination must stand until the glue is thoroughly hard, if it takes forty-eight hours, which it does sometimes in damp weather.
When dry, remove hand screws and tear off paper. Square outside edges if backing projects or glue adheres. With a large try square or steel square lay out parallel lines across the combination 13⁄4 inches apart. Saw on the lines with cross cut saw, unless a mill is handy, when it can be done more accurately with a circular or band saw.
The new strips will be 13⁄4 inches wide, less the amount removed by the saw. Dress them down to a width of 11⁄2 inches on the shooting board. This should bring the eight pieces on each strip to squares 11⁄2 inches on a side.
Eight of these strips make the checker-board. The original pieces, being sixteen inches long, allow for two or three extra strips in case any are spoiled in sawing or planing.
These finished strips are now to be glued together on the permanent backing, which should be 1⁄4 or 3⁄8 inch in thickness, of the same material as the frame is to be and about eight inches each way longer and wider than the checker-board proper.
This should be placed carefully in the centre of the backing, joints rubbed and fastened by cleats 1 × 1⁄2 inch tacked to the backing on all four sides.
While this is drying under pressure of the hand screws as in the first gluing, square up the moulding which is to act as a frame: d shows two styles. In both mouldings, a rabbet 1⁄2 inch or so wide and 1⁄8 inch deep should be made with rabbet plane. The outer edges may be square, rounded, or bevelled.
When the checker-board is removed from its final gluing, this moulding is to be mitred and fitted about it as in making a picture frame. Before doing this, remove all glue from edges with a chisel so that the frame will fit snugly to the checker-board.
The frame is to be glued to both backing and checker-board and again placed in hand screws. While this is drying, an inlaid border strip as wide as the rabbet, either plain or built up, should be prepared.
Fig. 188. Checker-board tables
This strip, as well as the rabbet, may be omitted entirely, but should the frame be of the same material as one of the woods used in the checker-board it is necessary, and in any case it adds a finish to the work that is very pleasing. Inlaid designs may be set into the frame and a very elaborate result obtained, if desired.
After this last gluing, set in the inlay, and when dry, plane, scrape, and sand-paper the whole surface flat, and square the edges of the frame.
This makes a very substantial and heavy board, worthy of any woodworker and worthy of being used as a table top. Such a table may be constructed as shown in [Fig. 188]. It calls for mortise and tenon joints cut at an angle, and if this style of work is considered too difficult vertical legs can be used. This under structure should be of the same kind of wood as the frame of the checker-board, and if oak is used the stain should be applied before placing the inlaid border. Bay wood is preferable to oak for inlaying but is more expensive.
On a small table of this size, where vertical legs are used, the base is so small that the structure is top-heavy and easily upset, so that the problem becomes a very interesting study in design.
When the entire table has been put together, polish it. If mahogany, finish in natural colour; if oak, any of the styles described in the chapter on staining may be used, with care taken to keep the checker-board itself in the natural colours.
[XXXVIII]
TOOL CASES AND CHESTS
After our boys had made several dovetailed and inlaid boxes, Ralph announced that his pupil was ready to attack the construction of a tool cabinet. It was to be fastened to the wall over the bench, designed to hold most of the small tools, and to be in such a position that it could be reached from the front of the bench.
The cabinet designed was really a dovetailed box 30 × 20 × 6 inches over all. It was made of 1⁄2-inch quartered oak except the back, which was 1⁄2-inch pine. The bill of material was:
| 1 piece pine 30 × 20 × 1⁄2 | 2 pieces oak 20 × 51⁄2 |
| 1 piece oak 30 × 20 × 1⁄2 | 2 pieces oak 30 × 51⁄2 |
The front and back, each 30 × 20 inches, were made of two pieces 30 × 10 inches, jointed and glued, placed in clamps over night and the joints planed down to take off the excess glue which had oozed out under pressure of the clamps. While these two parts were gluing, the sides and ends were dovetailed as in previous boxes.
Fig. 189. A tool cabinet
When the front and back pieces were glued in place on the box, they were further fastened by 1-inch brads, set below the surface, and the holes filled with putty, coloured to correspond with the stain. The colour of the finish was a dark, handsome green. The box was sawed in two along a line 21⁄2 inches from the front.
This divided the cabinet into two parts, the door or front section having a clear depth of 2 inches, and the back or wall section a depth of 3 inches.
After hinging the door section in position, the cabinet was stained inside and out, the outside polished and a hook for fastening the door shut was placed in position.
The cabinet was fastened to the studding of the shop by four strong screws 11⁄2 inches long. The various nails, hooks, and tool racks were next added and the cabinet was ready to use.
Patent racks for holding chisels, gouges, etc., are sold in hardware stores, but our boys preferred to make their own. Their chisel rack is shown in [Fig. 189].
After squaring up and cutting out the recesses at the ends, holes were bored, the opening from the front cut with back saw, and the sharp edges rounded with chisel and sand-paper.
Holes for the screws at the ends were bored and countersunk.
In locating a tool cabinet of this kind, while it should be very easily reached, and is usually open during work hours, it should be placed high enough so as to be easily opened or closed without striking tools and work on the bench. In other words, it should not be necessary to clear the bench top in order to open the cabinet. About 6 inches between under side of tool cabinet and bench top is about right.
An old-fashioned tool chest, suitable for shipping a whole kit of tools any distance, is shown in [Fig. 190]. These chests were usually fitted with trays divided into compartments for small tools and hardware. Such a chest may be made of either hard or soft wood and its construction is as follows:
After making out a list of material, square up sides and ends exactly as in making any box. Lay out, cut and fit the dovetails. The bottom, on account of its width, will have to be made of two pieces. These may be jointed, glued and placed in clamps or put together with a tongue and groove joint. The latter plan calls for a special plane. Having prepared the bottom by either of these methods, bore and countersink holes about 6 inches apart in the bottom and secure rigidly to sides and ends by 11⁄2 or 13⁄4 inch flat-head screws.
For the top, make a frame from 5⁄8 to 3⁄4 inch thick and 3 or 4 inches wide, putting the ends together with end lap or mortise and tenon joints.
Secure this frame to top of box by screws. These may be round-heads, or if it is desirable to hide them, the method shown in [Fig. 190] can be used. This is accomplished by boring a 3⁄16-inch hole through the top frame. At the same centre a 1⁄2-inch hole is bored partly through. The screw is driven home and a round wooden plug glued into the 1⁄2-inch hole. When dry, this plug is sawed off and planed smooth.
The top frame having been secured, two gauge lines are made for sawing the cover, as in previous boxes, and the two parts dressed to gauge lines, ready for hinging.
Fig. 190. The old-fashioned tool chest
Before putting on the hinges, the top is to be finished with a raised panel. Square up a piece of stock two inches longer and wider than the open space in the top frame. Round upper edges, and secure to frame by flat-head screws from the under side through holes bored and countersunk.
Next put on hinges, which should be large and strong, the variety known as strap hinges. Cut out space for lock, and fit. The holes for key are bored with a gimlet bit and cut out enough to allow the key to enter freely; or hasp, staple and padlock may be used.
Fig. 191. Suit case tool chest
The bevelled base is mitred at corners, and brass corner plates to protect these lower corners are added.
The strip at the top corresponding to the base may be mitred and protected with corner plates, or the ordinary butt joint can be used. The bevel on this strip may be omitted. A chest of this variety, made of pine and painted, will stand a great deal of rough usage. Iron or brass handles at the ends are recommended for convenience in carrying. Our boys were not satisfied with this form of tool chest, as it required two people to carry it, and after some experimenting they evolved one in the form of a dress suit case, long, narrow, and high, that could be easily carried. It is shown in [Fig. 191].
They first made a solid box 30 × 15 × 7 inches over all. It was put together with butt joints securely nailed, using 1⁄2-inch white wood.
One quarter of the box was sawed out, as shown on the end view, and hinged to the body by ornamental brass hinges. This quarter was fitted for two saws by making two blocks as shown in the drawing. The rip and cross cut saws were fitted into the saw kerfs cut in these two blocks, placed securely in the cover, and were held in place by a small piece of leather strap taken from a school book strap and nailed to inside of cover. A tray for small tools was made of 1⁄4-inch stock the full length and width of the inside of the chest 11⁄2 inches deep and made to rest flush with the top of lower section on little corner strips glued in the four corners.
For handle, two pieces of leather strap were secured, one to each top section, by screws. When the box was closed, these two straps came together and made a good handle. The objection to a solid handle is that it must be entirely on one section and that takes it out of the centre, so that the weight is not evenly distributed.
This is one of the most satisfactory styles of tool carrier devised. It will hold practically the whole kit and may be picked up like a dress suit case and transported just as readily. A hook and eye or hasp, staple and padlock should be used to hold the case securely closed.
For carrying bits of various kinds and sizes, a roll of ticking or denim divided into separate spaces is very desirable. These rolls with straps are sold in tool houses, but may be made at home by the sewing department. Besides protecting the cutting edges, they help to keep out dampness and rust.