DESIGNING MISSION FURNITURE
Boys who have followed the preceding instructions will be able to plan and construct the following designs without detailed explanations.
The two drawings for plant stands are in the nature of suggestions, and although taken from pieces actually made they show the great difference in form that is possible in meeting the same conditions.
Fig. 200. Design for a plant stand
[Fig. 199] is thoroughly representative of the so-called mission style with its mortise and tenon joints and straight square legs.
The shelf for holding the jardinière is indicated by dotted lines, and it is held by cleats fastened to the sides by flat-head screws.
A dark finish, antique or rich brown, is appropriate for either design. [Fig. 200] shows a radically different form. The shelf is octagonal or square with the corners cut at 45 degrees to fit the legs.
The detail view shows the arrangement of lower rails meeting the legs at the same angle. The ends of rails are mitred and secured by wire nails set below the surface and holes filled. The fastening between upper shelf and legs may be either round-head blue screws or dowel pins of the same material as the legs, with the outer ends slightly rounded.
The shape of the legs makes this design weaker than [Fig. 199], but their spread results in a more stable base and makes this stand less liable to upset.
The foot rest ([Fig. 201]) is to be provided with a cushion covered with leather nailed on with large-head craftsman nails.
Fig. 201. Foot rest. Fig. 202. Footstool in mission style
The cushion may be filled with hair, excelsior, or even fine shavings, securely sewed in a cover of ticking and held in place by the leather cover. The leather must be brought down and nailed to the lower edge of the cross rails. Fasten the top to cleats screwed on inside of ends.
[Fig. 202] shows the same problem worked out in straight lines, the leather being nailed to all four top rails.
Photograph by Helen W. Cooke
Assembling and Finishing.
Figs. 203 and 204. Mission desks. A study in design
Each of these pieces of furniture suggests a new one, and chairs, settees, umbrella stands, writing desks, etc., may be made along the same general lines.
The plant stand ([Fig. 199]) suggests the umbrella rack. The shelf is simply shifted from the top to bottom and provided with a brass tray to catch the water. Valuable suggestions for such furniture may be obtained by consulting catalogues of furniture, and by constant observations of well-made pieces.
These designs should never be copied, but used only as aids to the working out of original ideas.
The typical writing desk shown at [Fig. 203] illustrates this point. While fairly well proportioned, the legs could well be heavier. The drawer is also faulty. Its position makes it necessary to move away from the desk in order to open it. The lower cross rail will be a nuisance when sitting close enough to write and other features might be criticised. Whether your design will be a success or not depends on the clearness with which all these details are thought out. [Fig. 204] shows several of the above defects corrected.
[XLII]
THE CHEST
This is one of the most convenient and substantial pieces of furniture about the house. For the storage of linen, furs, or clothing it is invaluable. It may be placed in a corner, and with a liberal supply of sofa cushions makes an ideal cosey corner and seat.
The construction is purposely strong and heavy, and calls for good material like quartered oak, chestnut, walnut, or cedar. The latter wood, especially red cedar, is light in weight, but attractive in colour, and has the further advantage of being moth proof.
[Fig. 205] a shows a well-proportioned chest of quartered oak. The horizontal rails are mortised into the heavy legs, and the panels may be arranged as shown in the detail.
A rabbet is cut on the inner edge of the rails, and a corresponding groove ploughed in the legs. The panel may be of one piece, set into the rabbet and grooves. Its large expanse may be carved, raised, or simply polished plain, allowing the natural grain to furnish the ornamentation.
Fig. 205. The linen chest
The legs may be plain, as shown, or curved slightly at the bottom, as suggested in the detail. The top is too large to be made in one piece, and it should be built up like a table top, and hinged to upper back rail by strong iron or brass ornamental hinges.
If finished in a dark colour with dull surface, the metal corner plates and escutcheon will greatly enhance its appearance.
These may be made out of sheet brass. First lay out the design on paper. Cut out to the outline, and trace upon the surface of the sheet metal. A metal-cutting saw blade obtained from the hardware store can be fitted into the frame of the coping saw.
With this tool, saw on the lines exactly as in thin wood, and file the edges smooth. The holes for the heavy nails are drilled. If suitable big-headed nails cannot be found, brass screws may be used, and when in position, the heads filed to any desired shape.
An ancient green effect can be produced on such brass ornaments by painting with ammonia.
The cover of a large chest like this will need to be reinforced by strong cleats on the under side across the grain. They should be 3 × 7⁄8 inches, just long enough to allow the cover to close readily, and should be secured by five or six screws on each cleat.
The bottom may be pine or white wood, secured by nails or screws to 7⁄8-inch square cleats screwed on the inside of ends and sides. A chest of better proportion, but slightly more complicated in construction, is shown at b. Here the front is broken up into three panels, and a better space arrangement secured. The whole front in this case may be put together with mortise and tenon joints, as in panel door construction, or the simpler method just described may be used. The mortise and tenon form is the better way, and as usual takes more time.
Carved panels suggest a very rich and valuable piece of furniture, but they are not necessary, as a good flat polish showing the natural grain of the wood is very satisfactory.
[XLIII]
THE DRAWING OUTFIT
An equipment for mechanical drawing, except the instruments, can be easily made in the shop by any boy who has had some practice with tools.
The drawing board is the first thing needed, and several makes are in use, the object of all of them being to insure a true flat surface by overcoming the natural tendency of wood to warp.
Shrinkage will take place in spite of all precautions, but this is not a serious matter, and does not affect the usefulness of the board.
All boards, it is conceded, should be "built up," rather than consist of one piece. The idea is that the warping of one piece is somewhat counteracted by that of the adjoining pieces in other directions.
[Fig. 206] shows three forms in common use. At a the ends are united to wide cleats by a tongue and groove joint.
In shrinking and expanding with weather changes, the board is free to slide along the joint, being glued only at the centre.
Fig. 206. The drawing board
At b two dovetail-shaped strips are inserted on the under side across the grain. This is more difficult cult to make on account of the shape of the groove, but it is otherwise satisfactory. At c two strong cleats are fastened across the under side by screws. This is the easiest and least satisfactory method, as the cleats are often in the way, making the board clumsy, and furthermore it does not allow for shrinkage, unless the screws are secured in grooves instead of in plain holes.
A good proportion for a small board is 24 × 18 inches. If the first method of construction is decided on, glue up four or five strips of well seasoned white pine, 7⁄8 inch thick, of the width desired, and four inches shorter than the final length of board. Place in clamps for twenty-four hours, and when dry dress down perfectly true to a thickness of 3⁄4 inch. Test for warp and wind, and square the ends.
Square up two pieces of stock 21⁄2 inches wide, with a length equal to width of board. For the tongue and groove joint, a set of tongue and grooving planes will be necessary. Two cutters for this purpose come with the modern universal plane, and if available this may be used. In either case, set the depth gauge at half an inch, and plow a groove on one edge of each strip 1⁄4 inch wide to the full depth, as shown at d. On both ends of the board, plane the tongue same size as groove at e. Coat the tongue at each end of board with glue for a distance of six or eight inches at the centre, fit the end strips in position, and place in clamps over night. When dry, give the surface a final truing up, and also the ends, as the clamps may have made a slight change.
Go all over the surface with a sand-paper block, using 00 sand-paper, and shellac the board all over. When dry rub flat with the sand-paper block. Make a final test for any possible inaccuracy, and the board is ready for use.
T square and triangles may be made, but as rubber or celluloid triangles are better in some ways than wood, the former are recommended.
The T square is a very pretty little problem in woodwork, and may be made as follows:
Fig. 207. T square and triangles
The design for the head may be either a or b ([Fig. 207]), a being simply a rectangular piece of hard wood, with two rounded corners; b is laid out as shown, sawed near the line and curved side finished with spokeshave. The straight side should be perfectly straight, as any variation will give horizontal lines out of parallel.
The blade may be of one piece, or built up. A very satisfactory combination is to make the head of black walnut, and the blade of hard maple, with black walnut edges. It will pay to make a special shooting board for this work, and to make several T squares at the same time. This shooting board should be slightly longer than the blade. (See [Fig. 206].)
Gauge a line at a distance x from the edge, equal to the width of 2 inches, and tack a straight strip of wood up to this line as a guide. When the blade has been planed to its thickness of 1⁄8 inch, it is to be placed in space x and planed to width.
To plane a piece of hard wood down to an eighth of an inch, tack it to a pine board with three 1-inch brads. The location of these brads can be such that only one hole will be left in the blade to be filled up afterward. One should be in the position of the central screw over the head, the second at the point where hole h is to be bored, the third at about the centre of the blade. Set these brads slightly below the surface, and dress down smooth.
When tested and found true, lift the blade by inserting a knife blade under it, again fasten to the board with unfinished side up, and again dress down. Before removing from the board, lay out the curved end to correspond with the curve of the head, and cut to line with a chisel.
Remove from board, finish curved end with sand-paper block. Bore hole h for hanging up, locate holes for screws, and drill just large enough to allow 1⁄2-inch round-head brass or blued screws to pass through. In attaching the head, make sure that the two parts are at right angles, and use thin copper burrs or washers under the screw heads.
If the blade is to have edges of a different colour, joint the maple on shooting board, and glue the strips to it, before planing to thickness. This should be done on a flat board, with paper between it and the blade. Glue the three pieces together, and drive 11⁄4-inch brads up close to and touching the outside strips, at intervals of four inches. By bending these slightly over the blade, considerable pressure will be obtained, tending to keep the pieces together while glue is hardening.
Then proceed to dress down, and true up as before. When the process is once learned, considerable pin money may be made by disposing of the squares, and that will help to buy material for other things.
Triangles made from single pieces of wood are absolutely unreliable. Referring to [Fig. 207], the 45-degree triangle shows the grain running up and down. As shrinkage takes place m will not change, but n will, and this will alter the angles; and besides a piece of thin wood this size will warp and make the triangle useless for mechanical drawing.
The 30-60 triangle illustrates the usual method of constructing a wooden triangle.
Aside from bisecting the 90, 60, and 30 degree angles to get the mitres, these joints, if simply glued, will be too weak for practical use. The edge view and dotted lines indicate a thin feather of wood glued into a saw cut made through the edge of each corner, the usual method of strengthening. It is a delicate operation, and is only recommended to boys who are fond of fine work.
A very serviceable section liner may be made from a wooden triangle by carefully cutting out of one side a rectangular opening, as shown in the detail. Make a piece of thin wood to fit this space, but 1⁄8-inch shorter, and fitted so as to move freely. By moving this block and the triangle, alternately, vertical or oblique lines can be drawn for sectioning, and they will be equally spaced. Other blocks varying in length will give a variety of spacings.
It is possibly one of the cheapest section liners, and the most satisfactory within the means of any one. Irregular or French curves may be made in thin wood. They should be drawn on the surface, sawed out with the coping saw, and sand-papered smooth. As their thickness should be but a trifle over 1⁄16 inch, they are very frail and easily broken. These curves can be easily made in sheet aluminum, and they will be much more satisfactory. This metal is handled similarly to thin wood, except that the saw must be a metal cutting blade.
Triangles may be made of the same material. Lay out the form with a sharp steel point or scriber, saw as close to lines as possible, and with a fine file finish to line. Then smooth the curves with fine emery paper wrapped around a lead pencil. To make straight edges, as on triangles, lay a sheet of emery cloth on bench, and rub triangle back and forth.