The doors are now made by mortising the top and bottom pieces to take the 3/8-in. panel which is glued in place. The drawers are made as shown in the sketch. The front board should be oak, but the remainder can be made of soft wood. The joints are nailed and glued. Suitable hinges for the doors and handles for the drawers should be provided. Antique copper trimmings look very well with this style of furniture and can be secured at most any hardware store.
The back is made of soft wood and is put on in the usual manner. Scrape all surplus glue from about the joints, as stain will not take where there is any glue. Finish smooth with fine sandpaper, then apply the stain you like best. This can be any one of the many mission stains supplied by the trade for this purpose.
OAK STAIN
An easy and at the same time a good way to stain oak in imitation of the fumed effect, is to boil catechu in the proportion of 1/4 lb. to 6 lb. of water, after which cool and strain. Apply this to the wood, and when dry treat with a solution of bichromate of potash in the same proportion as with the catechu. Bichromate of potash alone in water will give a good stain. A solution of 2 oz. of pearl ash and 2 oz. of potash mixed in a quart of water makes a good stain. Potash solution darkens the wood, and when applied very strong will produce an almost ebon hue, due to what we might describe as the burning of the wood fiber.
A PLAIN OAK HALL CLOCK
The hall clock shown in the illustration should be made of plain oak. The following pieces will be needed to make it:
- 2 back posts, 1-1/2 by 1-1/2 by 81 in., S-4-S.
- 2 front posts, 1-1/2 by 1-1/2 by 21 in., S-4-S.
- 2 front posts, 1-1/2 by 1-1/2 by 44 in., S-4-S.
- 10 front and back horizontals, 1-1/2 by 1-1/2 by 15 in., S-4-S.
- 10 side horizontals, 1-1/2 by 1-1/2 by 11 in., S-4-S.
- 1 face, 3/8 by 14 by 14 in., S-4-S.
FRONT DOORS