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.