[XII]
CHIP CARVING: Continued
Among the many useful articles which can be made with the knife in thin wood, with carving as enrichment, are the numerous desk accessories, such as envelope holders, letter racks, stamp and pen boxes, pen trays, blotting pads, etc. The boys, after exhausting the subject of pencil boxes for school use, took up the design and construction of letter racks. These, they decided, should be in two compartments for answered and unanswered letters. This called for three uprights, or partitions, and a base. They decided to make them of about uniform dimensions, as shown in the blank form ([Fig. 67]). The problem of the outline was somewhat affected by the fact that the front was to be carved. This called for a simpler outline than would have been the case had they expected to leave the surface plain. Some of the designs they worked out are shown in [Fig. 68].
The form marked a was selected as a beginning, the three partitions cut out exactly alike, and the front piece carved as shown in Fig. 69. The middle partition and back piece were left with plain surfaces.
Fig. 67. Parts of letter rack
The cutting of the grooves in the base was a new problem, and Harry was allowed to try his skill with a chisel. The method used was first to make the drawing shown at a, [Fig. 67]. The long side lines of each groove were scored with the point of the knife, going over each line several times, to make the cut as deep as possible. An under cut was then made, as shown in the figure.
