Make the frame of the pigeon holes of 3/16-in. yellow poplar. The drawing shows an arrangement entirely independent of the sides of the desk so that the frame can be made and slipped in place after the finish has been put on. Two drawers are shown. These are faced front and back alike so as to secure as much room in the drawer as possible.
In the finishing, the poplar wood should be finished with white shellac in the natural light color of the wood. For the oak parts the following is appropriate for this design: Apply one coat of green Flemish water stain. When this has dried, sandpaper lightly until the raised grain has been removed, and apply another coat of stain diluted one-half with water. When dry, sand lightly and apply a very thin coat of shellac. Sand lightly and apply a coat of dark filler, natural filler colored with lamp-black, according to the somberness of the finish desired. Upon this put a coat of orange shellac. After this, put on two coats of a good rubbing varnish. Rub the first coats with curled hair or haircloth and the last with pulverized pumice stone and raw linseed oil or crude oil.
AN OAK COUCH WITH CUSHIONS
This beautiful piece of mission furniture can be made at a very moderate cost, if the material used for the cushions is of good imitation leather. These substitutes for leather last fully as long and the difference can only be detected by an expert. White oak will give the best results except for the frames or slats on which the cushions rest and these may be made of poplar or pine. If a mill or woodworking shop of any kind is handy, the hardest part of the work can be saved by securing the following list of material, cut, planed, sanded and squared up to the exact sizes given:
- 2 posts, 3 in. square by 17 in.
- 2 posts, 3 in. square by 26 in.
- 2 rails, 7/8 by 8 by 82 in.
- 1 rail, 7/8 by 8 by 25 in.
- 1 end, 7/8 by 18 by 25 in.
- 1 piece, 7/8 by 9 by 24-1/2 in.
The last piece on the list when sawed diagonal makes the two slanting pieces at the head of the couch. The corner braces are made from two pieces of straight-grained oak, 2 by 4-1/2 by 4-1/2 in., sawed on the diagonal, and cut as shown in the enlarged plan section to make the four pieces.
First be sure the legs are perfectly square, the two short ones and the two long ones of equal length respectively. Either chamfer or round the upper ends as desired, chisel and plane the taper on the lower ends. Lay out and cut all the tenons on the rails—1 in. is the amount allowed at each end in the stock dimensions given. Arrange the posts and rails in the positions they are to occupy in the finished couch. Number each tenon and the place its corresponding mortise is to be cut in the post. Mark each mortise directly from the tenon which is to fit into it, taking care to have all the rails an equal distance from the floor. Bore and chisel out all mortises and see that all the rails fit perfectly, before proceeding with the work.
