Fig. 299. Bending Boards into Shape after Boiling Them.
To upholster a chair seat, a frame should first be made of the shape shown in Fig. 298, C. The strips are about 2" wide and ½" thick with their ends half-lapped. The seat rails are rabbeted ½" deep and ½" wide to receive this frame, which should be ⅛" smaller all around than the place to receive it. The returns at the corners fit around the legs at ⅛" distance from them. This ⅛" provides space for the coverings. After the frame is fitted, it is covered with 3" webbing tacked firmly to the upper side. The webbing which goes back and forth is interwoven with that which goes from right to left. Over this is stretched and tacked (also to the upper side) a piece of unbleached muslin. A second piece of muslin is tacked to the back edge and part way along the side edges, leaving for the time the corners unfinished. In the pocket thus formed horsehair or other stuffing is pushed, care being taken to distribute it evenly and not too thick. When the pocket is filled, the muslin is tacked farther along the sides and more hair put in, until the front is reached, when the muslin is tacked to the front edge. The corners are now drawn in tight, a careful snip with the scissors parting them diagonally so as to lie in well. The partings may be turned down and tacked on the under side of the frame.
Finally the leather or other covering is stretched over the whole as evenly as possible. The corners should be left to the last, then clipped diagonally to the exact inside corner and the partings drawn down and tacked, as was the muslin. The superfluous leather may then be trimmed off, and the seat should fit in its place. Or the seat frame may be omitted, and the coverings tacked directly to the chair rails.
The balloon-frame house is a typical form of framed construction, Fig. 300. The essential parts of a balloon-frame are:
- 1. SILL, 4" × 8", which rests on the foundation.
- 2. BEAMS, 4" × 8", which rest on the cellar posts, 6"×6". (Not shown in illustration.)
- 3. FLOOR JOISTS, 2" × 8", which rest on the sill and beams.
- 4. CORNER POSTS, 4" × 6", with 2"×4" studs nailed to them.
- 5. STUDDING, 2" × 4", which stand 16" between centers.
- 6. WALL RIBBON, or girt, 1" × 8", which supports the upper story joists.
- 7. PLATES, two 2" × 4" nailed together, resting on studs.
- 8. RAFTERS, 2" × 6", which support the roof.
- 9. TIE-BEAMS, 2" × 6", which prevent the roof from spreading the walls. (Not shown in illustration.)
- 10. RIDGE-POLE, 2" × 8", against which the rafters butt.
- 11. BRIDGING, 2" × 2", which stiffens the floor joists.
- 12. SHEATHING, (1" thick), put on diagonally to brace the building. The rest is covering.
- 13. FLOORING, (See also Fig. 301.)
- In flooring, Fig. 301, the boards are made narrow so as to reduce the size of openings at the joints when they shrink, and also to reduce the tendency to warp. They may be laid side by side as in the cheapest floors, or matched to close the joint. For difference between slash- and comb-grain flooring, see Fig. 55, [p. 42].
- 14. BUILDING PAPER.
- 15. SIDING OR CLAPBOARDS, (See Fig. 301.) may either overlap without a joint or be rabbeted to fit. The best siding is rabbeted.
- 16. WATER-TABLE.
- 17. CORNER-BOARD.
- 18. FURRING.
- 19. SHINGLES.
- 20. LATHING.
- 21. CEILING, Fig. 301, consists of matched boards having a "bead" to disguise the joint and give a decorative effect.
Fig. 301. Siding, Ceiling, Flooring.