THE GRANDFATHERS' CLOCK
One of the most interesting problems in clock case designing is a miniature of the tall clock of colonial times, commonly known as the grandfathers' clock. It is a simple and satisfactory form, but it is very important to have good proportions.
The dimensions used by our boys are given in the drawing. ([Fig. 172]). As in all the other designs, it is based or built up around the ordinary nickel-plated clock, whose outside diameter is 21⁄4 inches. With a circle of this diameter as a starter, the other sizes work out as given in the drawing.
About the only fault likely to be found with this form is top heaviness, as the clock is some fifteen inches above its base. This can be counteracted by boring a hole in the back, two or three inches above the bottom, and pouring in about a pound of shot or other heavy material.
The method of construction is as follows:
All the material is 1⁄4 inch thick, except the base and mouldings, which require 1⁄2-inch wood. Red gum is very satisfactory, but more expensive woods, such as mahogany, can be used, especially if the front panel, which in full-sized clocks is a door, is to be inlaid.
If gum wood is used, this panel can be decorated with chip carving or simply outlined with a veining tool. If an especially elaborate result is desired, it can be accomplished by a raised panel with moulded edges made of 1⁄4-inch wood, fastened to the front with glue and small brads.
Bill of material:
| Base | 81⁄2 × 4 × 1⁄2 | ||
| Box | 2 sides | 171⁄2 × 13⁄4 × 1⁄4 | |
| 1 front | 141⁄2 × 3 × 1⁄4 | ||
| 1 back | 141⁄2 × 21⁄2 × 1⁄4 | × 1⁄4 | |
| Partitions | 2—21⁄2 × 21⁄4 × 1⁄4 | ||
| 1—21⁄2 × 11⁄2 × 1⁄4 | |||
| Moulding | 18 × 3⁄8 × 3⁄8 | ||
| Face | 43⁄4 × 4 × 1⁄4 | ||
| Sides of top, 2 pcs. | 31⁄2 × 21⁄4 | ||
After getting out the material construct the long box which makes the body of the design. This will be 171⁄2 inches long, 3 inches wide by 2 inches deep, and the method of putting together is shown at a. This allows only one joint to show on each side, and the back piece may be of cheap material, such as white wood.
The smallest partition, 21⁄2 × 11⁄2 × 1⁄4 , of white wood, is inserted in the bottom, pushed up 1⁄8 inch, and fastened with 3⁄4-inch brads from the outside. This size of brad will not split 1⁄4-inch gum wood, unless driven in nearer the edge than 1⁄8 inch.
Fig. 172. Grandfathers' clock
One of the remaining partitions is placed in the upper end, as in a box, one edge flush with the back. The entire back of the case must be in a straight line. The end just inserted will project out in front a quarter of an inch. Place the remaining partition 31⁄8 inches down from the extreme top of the box. This will bring it to rest against the front, which is only 141⁄2 inches high.
The compartment for holding the clock is now complete, open front and back.
The base may next be prepared, taking care to have the grain running up and down. The front piece of the base is 4 × 4 × 1⁄2 inches. Side pieces of base are 4 × 2 × 1⁄2 . These three pieces are to be put together with a butt joint, as shown in the bottom view, and fastened with one-inch brads and a little glue. Four 3⁄4-inch brads can be used on each of the three sides to hold the base to the box. It is very important that the bottom be perfectly square. It should be tested and, if necessary, squared with a block plane.
The cove moulding for upper and lower parts may now be prepared. Square up one piece of stock 18 inches or 20 × 3⁄8 inches square. Draw a quarter circle with a radius of 5⁄16-inch on each end, and remove the wood in this space with a gouge. Finish with sand-paper. This moulding is fitted around the three sides at top of base with a back saw and mitre box. Put it in place with 3⁄4-inch brads and glue, and carefully remove any trace of glue that may appear, before it hardens.
The moulding for the upper part cannot be placed until the top is finished.
After squaring up the face, draw the outline directly on the wood. The curves at the top should be first laid out carefully on stiff paper, cut out with scissors, and traced on the wood.
The opening for the clock, 21⁄4 inches diameter, must be bored first. Either a sharp centre bit or an extension bit should be used. If the latter, an 1⁄8-inch hole must be bored at the centre, otherwise the tapering spur of the extension bit will surely split the thin wood. This is the most delicate operation in the whole process, and the circular opening will need smoothing with a sand-paper block.
Having succeeded in getting a satisfactory opening, the outline is sawed close to the lines with a coping saw and finished with sand-paper.
The supplementary pieces s s, 31⁄2 × 21⁄4 × 1⁄4 inches, are next fastened to the sides at the top. They are flush with the top of the box and with the bottom of the face piece just described. It is to these that the front is mainly fastened. Test the bottom edges of these pieces across both the front and back with a try square. Fasten the front to these and to the top of the box with brads, and add the moulding, as shown in drawing. If the front panel is to be carved, that should be done before either the base or the top is put on; and if it is to be inlaid, the front should be increased in thickness to 3⁄8 inches, reducing the sides to 15⁄8 inches in place of 13⁄4 inches.
After the assembling is finished, set all the brads, and fill the holes with putty, coloured to match the wood. Either an oil or wax finish can be used, but a high polish is not advisable. All lines on the front, which are not edges, can be cut with a veining tool.
Several modifications of this method can be adopted. The front panel may be made a real door, put on with small ornamental hinges. This will increase the work, make it more realistic, but result in little real gain.
The door in large clocks was necessary for getting at the weights and pendulum, but as these parts are missing in our model, the door is not necessary, except possibly for hiding things from burglars. It is the last spot they would be likely to think of as a hiding place for treasures.
As in previous designs, the ring at the top of the clock can be removed, if it prevents fitting into the opening provided.
The drawing shows a curve in the front of the base. It is not essential, but may be cut at any convenient stage of the construction with the coping saw, and sand-papered.
By comparing this design with some real old six-foot clocks, the young designer will see that we have taken some liberties for the purpose of simplifying the work. Highly ornamental tops were sometimes used, with metal and carved ornaments. It is never difficult to make elaborate designs, and the young woodworker can go as far as he likes in that direction. It is, however, sometimes difficult to simplify designs, and this we believe is at present highly desirable.
[XXXIII]
FOOTSTOOLS
The making of household furniture is a fascinating employment, and as there are varying styles and fashions in nearly all things which pertain to our homes, it will always be an interesting study. The savage knows nothing of furniture, for the ground is his chair, bed, and table. As we go up in the scale of civilization, we find the characteristics of a people reflected in the details of their home life.
In Japan, the house and its equipment are characterized by directness, simplicity, and subtle beauty.
In America, we find a bewildering display of ever-changing devices, styles, forms, and schemes of decoration, in keeping with our rapidly changing and, we believe, rapidly improving taste in the intimate things of life.
This condition is reflected in our furniture as much as in our clothes and in the pictures we buy. The black walnut furniture, with its hard horsehair upholstering, has been followed by antique oak, fumed oak, golden oak, forest green oak, mahogany, bird's-eye maple, French walnut, etc., and in a very few years we shall probably be using some of the beautiful but almost unknown woods of the Philippines, because fashions in woods are very materially affected by the lumber supply.
Gilt chairs—not made to sit on—have been followed by the more sensible mission style, bringing a much needed simplicity, directness, and strength, together with an unfortunate addition of weight for the housewife to move around when cleaning. There seems to be no great gain without some loss. Modern office furniture, with its simple and strong chairs, tables, and desks, can hardly be improved upon, and it is almost a pity that some of these excellencies cannot be introduced into the home, which is often overloaded, overdecorated, and encumbered with unnecessary articles.
Miss Louise Brigham gives us a fragrant breath of fresh air along this line in her interesting book on furniture made from boxes. What is needed is clear thinking. Never design nor make a piece of furniture without asking, "What is this to be used for? What will be required of it?" etc.
This is the gist of what Ralph said to Harry one day when they were about to launch out into the making of footstools, tabourettes and other small pieces of furniture. Harry would have liked very much to start with a dining-room table, but Ralph suggested diplomatically that it might be a good scheme to try several smaller pieces first.
They decided on a footstool, and this is the catechism Ralph put Harry through as they worked out their drawing:
"What is a footstool for?"
"To rest your feet on."
"Is that all?"
"What else could it be used for?"
"Never answer a question by asking another! I should say that a footstool might have to stand hard usage. For instance, suppose you wanted to reach a shelf high up in a closet. If the stool was handy, you would probably stand on it. Others would do the same, and it is easily possible that somebody weighing over two hundred pounds might some day stand on it. So I should say, that the first requisite of a footstool was strength, and the second that it should not be easily upset.
"When designing furniture, just ask yourself such questions, and you will find that your designs will be affected by them. Now I believe that most footstools are too high and too easily upset."
Fig. 173. First foot stool
The first design tried is shown in [Fig. 173]. The material used was 1⁄2-inch chestnut. After squaring up the top, the two grooves were cut to receive the upper ends of the legs. For grooves of this character, after cutting the lines as deep as possible with the knife, followed by the chisel, the router may be used. The cutter can be adjusted by means of the set screw, and a more uniform depth secured than with the chisel.
There was considerable work on the legs because of the mortise for the shelf, and the two openings above. These were cut out close to the line with the turning saw after a hole had been bored in each space, as in scroll saw work.
The outline of the legs was obtained with the same tool, and finished with the gouge, spokeshave, and sand-paper. Where hard wood, such as oak, is used, the wood file may be applied to curved edges.
To overcome the tendency to spread, the legs were made rigid by cutting the tenons shown on the drawing of the shelf. In each tenon was cut the square hole for the wedges. This shelf, when securely wedged, bound the whole structure rigidly. When the question of securing the legs to the top came up, the boys were inclined to use round-head blue screws from the top, but after considering that they would be in end grain, it looked as if this would be the weakest part of the stool. The solution was an heroic one. Four angle irons were made out of strap iron taken from a packing case, and cut with a cold chisel into pieces 21⁄2 inches long. Each had two holes drilled in it to receive the screws, and was then bent into shape in an iron vise. A monkey wrench can be used as a vise for work as light as this. The screws used were 3⁄8 inch long, one fastened in the top, the other in the leg, for each of the four angle irons.
Fig. 174. Second design for footstool
Chestnut has a very open grain, and takes a stain very well. Our boys bought a small can of paste filler, coloured it with burnt umber, thinned it with turpentine to the consistency of cream, and put it on with a brush. The surfaces were rubbed down with cotton waste, and then it was left over night, to be ready for polishing in the morning.
Fig. 175. Third footstool design
After this stool was finished, the boys looked it over critically, and decided that it could be improved on, that it was too high and not heavy enough.
Footstool number two is shown in [Fig. 174]. In this design, the shelf is dispensed with, and two stretchers or side pieces substituted; stock 7⁄8 and 3⁄4 inch thick took the place of 1⁄2 inch. The two ends were glued together with paper between, cut out as one piece, afterward separated, and the paper and glue planed off. The curved outline was drawn on paper, traced on the wood, sawed out with turning saw, and finished to line as in previous work.
Fig. 176. Fourth footstool design
The joint for fastening the side piece to the legs is shown in the drawing. It makes a strong and rigid combination, calling for a good fit. In putting on the top piece, angle irons can be used, but the boys tried a new method. After gluing the joint, they bored holes and countersunk them through the sides, forcing flat-head screws 21⁄4 inches long up into the top.
Being below the level of the eye, these were invisible, and they saved the time and labour of making angle irons. Two screws on each side are enough to make a solid piece of work. The material was quartered oak with antique finish. To produce this effect, lampblack dissolved in turpentine was added to the filler, and after drying was polished to a dead flat finish. (See [polishing chapter].)
Design number three is shown in [Fig. 175]. The legs run the long way of the stool; joints the same as number two; top fastened by screws through cross piece. The height, being much less than in the first designs, gives it a very massive and substantial appearance. All eight edges of the top have been slightly rounded with plane and sand-paper. This stool is non-upsetable in the direction of its length. Stand on the extreme end of the top and lean backward; the stool will not tilt up in the slightest degree. Harry tried this several times, but it remained on the floor with all four feet. This does not apply to the width, so the boys designed number four ([Fig. 176]), which would not upset from the side, where the feet are usually placed. It is even lower than number three, and as the other dimensions are practically the same, it appears even more massive.
The construction is similar to number three, but the legs are again at the ends, and the whole being made of oak, or ash, it is practically indestructible.
A very beautiful golden-brown finish may be given these stools by first coating them with bichromate of potash.
This chemical comes in crystals, which readily dissolve in water. Put it on with a one-inch varnish brush and, when dry, sand-paper down flat with No. 0 sand-paper. Two or three coats of shellac, each allowed to harden and dry thoroughly before being rubbed down with sand-paper, will give a satisfactory polish. Finish by a rub down with raw linseed oil, and wipe dry.
[XXXIV]
THE TABOURETTE
This is a favourite problem in woodwork for boys, because the tabourette can be put to many uses. It may hold books or magazines, serve as a pedestal for a jardinière, for vases of flowers, for smokers' sets, etc. Its forms are many, and the methods of finishing and decorating infinite.
The five styles shown in [Figs. 177] and [178] are perhaps the most common ones, and they are arranged according to the difficulty of construction.
No. 1. Has a circular top supported by square legs, bound to a lower shelf.
No 2. Has an octagonal top supported by flat legs, which are held together by two strips halved together at the centre, and mortised through the legs. It is stronger than No. 1.
No 3. Is the familiar hexagonal form, with only three legs, made rigid by fastening to an hexagonal shelf.
No. 4. Is the standard square form in mission style, mortised together.
No 5. One of the simplest in appearance, is the most difficult to construct, because of the six long joints mitred at 120 degrees, the well-known Moorish style.
As it is easily possible for any boy to make any of these tabourettes with ordinary tools and ordinary patience, they will be taken up in detail.