Before beginning work read carefully Marking, Rule, Square, Saw, Plane, Nailing, Painting, in [Part V]., and look up any other references.
The construction is simple. The frame can be of 2" × 3" stock (planed), except the sills, which had best not be smaller than 2" × 4" (on edge). Cross floor-beams can be inserted, as in the floors of the little houses first shown.
The upright members can, however, rest upon posts set in the ground and the floor be dispensed with. Where the parts of the frame cross they can be halved (see Halving). The square joints can be nailed together. The roof can be solid or made of slats several inches apart, resting upon rafters.
Fig. 401.
The strips for the lattice-work can be about 3/8" thick, and from 7/8" to 1¼" wide. These can be got out at any mill in long or short strips, which you can cut off as you put them on. Do not lay them too closely together. Put one strip on at the desired angle. Then cut off one or more short pieces by which to gauge the distance for laying the next strip, or get out a piece of light thin boarding of the width of the space between the lattice strips and hold it beside each strip as a guide by which to lay the next one.
This lattice-work, although each strip is so slight, will give the frame great stiffness and strength.
Fig. 402.