Fig. 4. Fig. 5. Fig. 6. Fig. 7.
On the other sides a conventional design may be worked out with strips of metal cut according to the required pattern.
This box should be treated to several good coats of paint inside, and finished as desired on the outside. Quartered oak with black metal trimmings make a good combination; also mahogany, cherry, or redwood with brass bindings.
A zinc lining should be fitted to the box, with a vent-hole at the bottom to drain off surplus moisture. No other metal than zinc should be employed for the lining, since iron or tin will corrode or rust. Copper tacks must be used to attach it to the wood.
A Coal-box
Fig. 6 gives the design for an old English coal-box.
It is a very simple affair to construct, since it can be made from an ordinary box cut down at one end so as to form a projection or nose.
The structural plan of the box is clearly shown in Fig. 7, and in size it may be made to meet any requirement. For regular use, however, it is fifteen inches wide, twenty inches long from back to end of the nose, and about twelve inches high, not counting the ball feet, which will raise it up two inches more.
The box should be securely screwed together at the joints, and the lid, or cover, must be fastened on with sheet-brass hinges. Paint or varnish will give the wood-work a good finish, and the lining should be made with several successive coats of asphaltum varnish or paint of a dark color.