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MISSION FURNITURE

HOW TO MAKE IT

PART TWO

POPULAR MECHANICS HANDBOOKS

CHICAGO

POPULAR MECHANICS COMPANY

Copyrighted, 1910

By H. H. WINDSOR

This book is one of the series of handbooks on industrial subjects being published by the Popular Mechanics Co. Like the magazine, these books are "written so you can understand it," and are intended to furnish information on mechanical subjects at a price within the reach of all.

The texts and illustrations have been prepared expressly for this Handbook Series, by experts; are up-to-date, and have been revised by the editor of Popular Mechanics.

The dimensions given in the stock list contained in the description of each piece of furniture illustrated in this book call for material mill-planed, sanded and cut to length. If the workman desires to have a complete home-made article, allowance must be made in the dimensions for planing and squaring the pieces. S-4-S and S-2-S are abbreviations for surface four sides and surface two sides.

Contents

List of Illustrations

AN OAK BUFFET

Finished Buffet

Details of Buffet

The accompanying sketch and detail drawing show a design of a buffet wherein refinement of outline and harmony of details are conspicuously regarded. Quarter-sawed oak is the most suitable wood for this handsome piece of mission furniture. The material should be ordered from the mill ready cut to length, squared and sanded. Following is a list of the stock needed:

Start to work on the four posts by squaring them up to the proper length in pairs and beveling the tops as shown. Clamp all four pieces on a flat surface with the bottom ends even, then lay out the mortises for the rails and panels on all four pieces at once with a try-square. This insures getting the mortises all the same height. The back posts also have a mortise cut in them at the top for the back board as shown. Lay out the tenons on the ends of the front and back rails in the same manner. Cut them to fit the mortises in the posts, also rabbet the back rails for the backing. Cut tenons on the end rails and rabbet them and the side pieces for the panels.

Lay out the top and bottom boards to the proper size and notch the corners to fit about the posts. These boards are fastened to the 1-1/2-in. square rails with dowels and glue. They can now be glued together and set away to dry. The top board is of oak, and be sure to get the best side up, while the bottom one can be made of soft wood if desired.

The partitions are made of several boards glued together. Be careful to get an oak board on the outer edge. The drawer slides are set into the partitions as shown and are fastened in place with screws from the inside.

The top back board has a tenon on each end that fits into the mortises in the back posts and is rounded at the top as shown. The shelf is also rounded at the ends and is fastened to the back with screws.

A plate glass mirror should be provided for the back. This is fitted to the back board as shown, then the brackets put up at the ends of the mirror frame.

The main parts are now ready to be assembled and glued together. Before applying any glue, see that all the joints fit together perfectly. The end rails and the panels are glued together first and allowed to dry. Be very careful to get the parts clamped together perfectly square and straight, else you will have trouble later on. When these ends are dry slip them on the tenons on the front and back rails which are already fastened to the top and bottom boards.

The back board and the partitions must be in place when this is done. Pin and glue the joints and clamp the whole together square and leave to dry.

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:

FRONT DOORS

BACK

TOP SIDE PANELS

LOWER SIDE PANELS

If the worker will take the trouble to combine the different lengths of pieces having like thicknesses and widths into pieces of standard lengths, he will be able to save himself some expense at the mill with no more work for himself.

Begin work by shaping the ends of the posts as indicated in the drawing. Lay out and cut the mortises for the tenons of the horizontals or rails. These mortises need not be deep if the joints are to be reinforced later with lag screws as is the clock shown. They may be what are known as stub tenons and mortises. The tenons are not more than 1/2 in. long, just enough to keep the rail from turning about.

Next lay out and cut the tenons on the rails. Bore the holes for the lag screws, being careful to bore on adjacent surfaces so that the holes will miss each other. Use a 3/8 by 3-in. lag screw, boring the hole in the tenon with a 1/4-in. bit the full depth the screw is to enter.

The side panels should be fitted into grooves in the rails, and before the frame is put together these panels should be squared up and the grooves cut in the rails and posts at the proper places.

Hall Clock Complete

Details of Hall Clock

The mullions of the lower side panels, it will be noted, are specified 5/8 and 3/4 in. wide. The 5/8-in. pieces are for the central parts of the frame and the others for the outside. The frame is to be made 1/8 in. larger all around than the distance between the posts and between the rails so that it may be set in grooves cut in the posts and the rails to a similar depth, 1/8 in. This is true, also, of the mullions of the front doors. Square up the shelves so that they may be set into grooves in the adjacent rails. The middle shelf is to have an overhang and will rest upon the rails.

The mullions of the top side panels are all of the same width, and it is not intended or necessary to set their frame into grooves in the posts. The wood panel back of them gives ample strength.

It is a good plan not to groove the panel upon which the figures are placed, and which becomes the face of the clock. It is better to fit this piece in and fasten metal or wood buttons on the back side so that it can be readily taken off to get at the clock movement from the front.

Make the doors, tenoning the rails into the stiles and grooving both to receive the mullioned framework of 3/16-in. stuff.

Put the whole frame together, using good hot glue for the joints. When the glue has dried sufficiently to allow the clamps to be taken off, fit the doors and hinge them. Butterfly surface hinges look well and are the easiest to apply.

Thoroughly scrape all the surplus glue off and sandpaper the parts preparatory to applying the finish.

To finish, apply one coat of mission oak water stain. When dry, sandpaper lightly, using No. 00 paper. Apply a second coat, diluted with an equal amount of water. Sand this lightly and put on a very thin coat of shellac to keep the filler color, which follows, from discoloring the high lights. When the shellac has had time to harden, sand lightly and put on a coat of paste filler. Use light filler, colored with umber and Venetian red in the proportion of 12 oz, of umber, and 4 oz. of red to 20 lb. of filler. The directions for applying the filler will be found on the can labels. On the hardened filler apply a thin coat of shellac. Sand the shellac lightly and put on several coats of some good floor wax, polishing well according to the directions on the can. This is what is known as a mission oak finish and is quite popular for this type of furniture design.

The metal figures for the dial come with the clock movement. Some of the movements come already set in boxes of wood so that all one needs to do is to shape the projecting ends of the wood containing boxes and fasten them to the frame with screws from the back. A clock with dial figures, eight-day movement, striking the hours and half hours, with cathedral gong can be bought for $4, possibly less.

A ROCKING CHAIR

In furniture construction such as this, nothing is gained by trying to plane up the stock out of the rough. This is mere drudgery and can be more cheaply and easily done at the planing mill by machinery. There will be plenty to do to cut and fit all the different parts. Order the pieces mill-planed and sandpapered to the sizes specified below.

Plain sawed red oak takes a mission finish nicely and is appropriate. Some people like quartered white oak better, however. The cost is about the same.

The stock for the chair is as follows: Widths and thicknesses are specified exact except for the rear posts and the rockers; but to the lengths enough surplus stock has been added to allow for squaring the ends.

Rocking Chair Complete

Details of Rocking Chair

Begin work on the posts first. The front posts should have one end of each squared, after which they can be cut to the exact length. The rear posts, according to the stock bill, are specified for the exact thickness. By exercising forethought, both may be got from the piece ordered. The tops and bottoms of the posts should have their edges slightly chamfered to prevent their slivering.

The shape of the arm is a little out of the ordinary, but the drawing indicates quite clearly how it is cut. The arm is fastened to the posts by means of dowels and glue after the other parts of the chair have been put together.

Now prepare the curved parts of the back. These parts are worked to size, after which they are thoroughly steamed and bent in the forms described on another page. These forms should have a surface curve whose radius is 22 in. While the parts are drying out, go ahead with the cutting of the mortises and tenons of post and rail.

Inasmuch as the width of the front of the chair exceeds that of the back by 2 in., allowance must be made for slant either in the tenons of the side rails or in the mortises. This will necessitate the use of the bevel in laying off the shoulders of the tenons.

The slats for the bottom are made long enough so that their ends may be "let into" the front and back rails, a 3/4-in. groove being plowed to receive them.

Assemble the back, then the front; and when the glue on them has dried, put the side rails in place, then the arms. The chair should now be scraped and sandpapered preparatory to applying the finish.

The cushion shown in the picture is made of Spanish roan skin leather and is filled with elastic felt. Such cushions can be purchased at the upholsterer's or they can be made by the craftsman himself. Frequently the two parts of the cushion are laced together by means of leather thongs.

A CURVED BACK ARM CHAIR

The arm chair, the picture and drawing of which is given herewith is a companion piece to the rocker described on another page.

With the exception of the back-legs the stock bill which follows gives the thicknesses and widths exact. To the length, however, enough has been added to allow squaring up the ends.

Plain sawed white or red oak will be suitable for a design such as this.

Begin work by squaring up the ends of the front posts and shaping the rear ones Chamfer the ends of the tops and bottoms slightly so that they shall not splinter through usage. Next lay out the mortises and tenons.

The curved horizontals for the back should now be prepared and steamed as described on another page. The curved form to which the steamed piece is to be clamped to give shape to it should be curved slightly more than is wanted in the piece, as the piece when released will tend to straighten a little.

The arms of the chair may be shaped while these pieces are drying on the forms. The rails of the front and back may be tenoned, too. It should be noted that the front of the chair is wider than the back. This will necessitate care in mortising and tenoning the side rails so as to get good fits for the shoulders The bevel square will be needed in laying out the shoulders of the tenons.

Arm Chair Having Bent-Wood Back

Details of Curved Back Arm Chair

Assemble the back, then the front. When the glue has hardened on these parts so that the clamps may be removed, put in the side rails or horizontals and again adjust the clamps. The arms are to be fastened to the posts with dowels and glue.

The seat, it will be seen from the drawing, is to be a loose leather cushion to rest upon slats. These seat slats may be fastened to cleats which have been previously fastened to the inside of the front and back seat rails or they may be "let in" to these rails by grooving their inner surfaces before the rails have been put in place. The latter method is more workmanlike, but more difficult.

A cushion such as is shown can be purchased ready made up, or it may be made by the amateur by lacing together two pieces of Spanish leather cut to size and punched along the edges so as to allow a lacing of leather thong. It may be filled with hair or elastic felt such as upholsterers use.

Probably the simplest finish that can be used is weathered oak. Put on a coat of weather oak oil stain, sandpaper lightly when dry and then put on a very thin coat of shellac. Sand this lightly and follow with two or more coats of floor wax put on in very thin coatings and polished well.

A PLATE RACK

The plate rack shown in the accompanying illustration is designed for use in a room furnished in mission style. The dimensions may be changed to suit the wall space. The parts are held together entirely by keys. The bar across the front is for keeping the plates from falling out, but this may be left out if the plates are allowed to lean against the wall.

The following list of material will be needed, and, if the builder does not care to do the rough work, the stock can be ordered planed, sanded and cut to the exact size of the dimensions given.

Lay out and cut the mortises on the end pieces for the tenons of the shelf, also the tenons on the top ends and the diamond shaped openings. In laying these out, work from the back edge of the pieces. Cut the tenons on the ends of the shelf to fit the mortises in the end pieces, numbering each one so the parts can be put together with the tenons in the proper mortises. Mark out and cut the mortises in the top to receive the tenons on the end pieces.

Parts Held Together by Keys

In laying out the mortises for the keys allow a little extra on the side toward the shoulder so the ends and tops may be drawn up tightly when the keys are driven in the mortises. All the mortises and diamond shaped openings should be marked and cut with a chisel from both sides of the board.

If the bar is used, it may be attached with a flat side or edge out as shown.

Details of Plate Rack

Finish the pieces separately with any weathered or fumed oak stain. When thoroughly dry, apply a very thin coat of shellac. Finish with two coats of wax. The rack can be attached to the wall by two mirror plates fastened on the back edges of the end pieces.

TOOL FOR MARKING DOWEL HOLES

On some work it is quite difficult to locate the exact point for a dowel, but with the tool illustrated placed between the joint to be made and the parts gently pressed together you have the exact point for the dowel in each piece. The tool is made from a piece of sheet steel about 1/2 in. square with a pin having a point on both ends driven in the center, as shown in Fig. 1. The tool is placed between the pieces that are to be joined, as shown in Fig. 2. The small pin will mark the point for the bit in both pieces exactly opposite.

Marking Bore Holes for Dowels

A MAGAZINE TABLE

This little magazine table will be found a very useful piece of furniture for the den or library. Its small size permits it to be set anywhere in a room without being in the way. Quarter-sawed oak should be used in its construction, and the following pieces will be needed:

4 legs, 2 by 2 by 29 in., S-4-S. 4 end slats, 1/2 by 2 by 10 in., S-4-S. 1 shelf, 1 by 16 by 30 in., S-1-S. 1 top board, 1 by 18 by 36 in., S-1-S.

If you are convenient to a planing mill you can secure these pieces ready cut to length, squared and sanded. This will save you considerable labor.

The four legs are finished on all sides and chamfered at the bottom to prevent the corners from splitting. The mortises for the shelf should be cut 9 in. from the top of each leg, as shown in the sketch. Care should be taken to make these a perfect fit.

Table Complete

The shelf should be finished on the top side and the four edges, and the corners cut out to fit the mortises in the table legs. An enlarged view of this joint is shown in the sketch.

The top board may have to be made of two 9-in. boards, dove-tailed and glued together. It should be finished on the top side and the edges. The edges can be beveled if desired. The board is fastened to the legs by means of screws through four small brass angles. These angles can be made or they can be purchased at any hardware store.

Details of Magazine Table

The top board and the shelf should be mortised at each end for the 1/2 by 2-in. slats. These slats should be finished on all sides.

The table is now ready to be assembled and glued together. The glue should dry at least 24 hours before the clamps are removed.

After the glue is dry, carefully go over the entire table with fine sandpaper and remove all surplus glue and rough spots. It can now be finished in any one of the mission stains which are supplied by the trade for this purpose.

A WASTE PAPER BASKET

A waste paper basket of pleasing design, and very easy to construct, is shown in the accompanying sketch. Quarter-sawed oak is the best wood to use, and it is also the easiest to obtain. The following pieces will be needed:

A WASTE PAPER BASKET

If the pieces are ordered from the mill cut to length, squared and sanded, much labor will be saved. First bevel the ends of the corner posts and the slats, as shown, and finish them with sandpaper. Bore the holes in the posts and the railing for the dowel pins. These pins should be about 3/8 in. in diameter and 3/4 in. long. When this is done the parts can be glued together and laid aside to dry. The four blocks 1 in. square are for the feet. Bore holes through these blocks and the corners of the bottom board for the large screws to go through. Fasten them together by running the screws through the blocks, and the board into the ends of the corner posts as shown in the sketch. The 1/4-in. slats can now be fastened on with the small round-headed screws. They should be evenly spaced on the four sides. This completes the basket except for the finish. This can be any one of the many finishes supplied by the trade for this purpose.

DETAILS OF WASTE PAPER BASKET

AN OAK WRITING DESK

For the writing desk shown in the accompanying picture the following stock will be needed. The thicknesses of all the pieces are specified. On the legs the widths, too, are specified. Quarter-sawed white oak is the best wood to use, and it should be well seasoned and clear of shakes and other imperfections.

STOCK BILL

INTERIOR

DRAWERS

PIGEON HOLES

DRAWERS IN PIGEON HOLES

Detail of Writing Desk

Begin work by cutting the posts to length and shape. Having done this, lay out the tenons on the lower rails so as to have the required distances between the shoulders, and then cut them. Now cut the parts to be worked into the frames that support the drawer and bottom of the case, and glue them properly. While this is drying, the other parts of the case may be laid out and shaped. It is intended that the sides of the case shall splice on the edge of the bottom of the pigeon hole case. In this manner the side shelves will cover the joint on either end. The back may be made up into one solid piece. Make the side pieces of the case long enough to be housed into the posts about 3/8 in. at each end.

Writing Desk Complete

The shelves at the ends of the desk should be fastened after the frame is put together and before the bottom of the case for the pigeon holes is fitted and fastened. In so doing the shelves may be fastened from the inside of the case. The angles of the braces are 30-60 deg. It will be noted that the edges of the lid are rabbeted. Another way is to have the lid large enough to fit entirely over the sides of the case and change the slope to correspond.

The drawers may be made next. The fronts should be of oak, but the other parts of yellow poplar. An examination of an ordinary drawer will show the manner of construction.

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:

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.

Couch Complete

The next step will be to fit in the slanting side pieces at the head of the couch. These must be let into the long posts 1/2 in. and held also by a dowel in the side rail. In order to get these pieces into place, the mortise in the long post must be made 1/2 in. longer than the tenon on the sloping side piece so the tenon may be first pushed into the mortise and then the side clamped down on the rail over the dowel. The whole couch should fit together perfectly before gluing any of the parts.

Glue the end parts together first. Hot glue will hold best if the room and lumber are warm; if these cannot be had, use cold glue. After the ends have set for at least 24 hours, glue in place the side rails and slanting head pieces. Screw in place the corner braces. Be sure when making these braces to have the grain running diagonally across the corner, or the brace will be weak, also, be sure the sides are square with the ends; this may be determined by measuring the diagonals to find if they are equal.

If it is decided to use frames for the cushions, then the following material will be necessary:

This material may be of pine or poplar. These pieces are made into two frames as shown in the drawing and held together with long screws or nails. Fasten with glue and screw short blocks on the inside of the couch rails for holding the two frames in place. Tack pieces of cheap burlap across the frame and cover with ordinary black cambric. This will give a strong, springy rest for the cushions.

Should slats be used instead of frames for holding the cushions, then the following list of material should be substituted for the frame material list:

Details of Mission Couch

The materials listed may be of soft wood the same as for the frame. The cleats are fastened to the inside of the rails of the couch with screws, so the top edge will be 2 in. lower than the top edge of the rails. The slats are spaced evenly on these cleats.

After the glue is all set, remove the clamps and scrape off any glue that may be on the wood. If this glue is not removed it will keep the stain from entering the wood, which will show up when finished in white spots.

This couch may be stained in any of the shades of brown or dark to harmonize with its lines of construction. A water stain will penetrate the wood best and after this is applied and thoroughly dried the surface should be well sanded to remove the roughness of the raised grain. Apply one coat of thin shellac and when this is dry, put on two coats of wax.

In making up the cushions, use either hair or elastic felt for the filling.

ELECTRIC SHADE FOR THE DINING ROOM

The dining shade shown is constructed of wood and glass. There will be needed the following:

Begin work by shaping the ends of the longest pieces as shown in the drawing. All the angles are 45 deg. Next lay out the cross-lap joints at the corners so that two sets of horizontal frames shall be formed 23 by 23 in. Cut four pieces to a length of 3 in. each. Also shape up the "false" extensions of these pieces which are to be fastened below the lower frame at the corners. Since these are to be cut from the pieces just specified, the easiest way is to shape the end of each to the required angle and then crosscut. Rabbet these pieces sufficient to allow the art glass to set in on the back sides and be fastened—about 1/4 in. will do—and put them together with glue and brads.

Details of Shade

Now make the top square in a similar manner, except the rabbets. In this top square is to be fitted the 3/4-in. board which is to hold the lights and to which the chains are to be fastened.

The sloping sides are next to be made. The sides are to be built up separately, the corners being lapped and glued after rabbeting the under arrises sufficient to let the glass in. The four sides are mitered together at their edges and reinforced by covering the joint with copper.

These sides are next mitered to the top and bottom frames and made fast on the under sides with copper strips, glue being used on the edges of the wood.

The shade shown had a mottled glass in which greens predominated. The sizes and shapes of these pieces of glass would better be determined after the woodwork is finished.

Electric Shade Complete

One manner of fastening the chains is clearly shown in the photograph. Such a combination will call for an extra piece of oak, 3/4 by 3-1/4 by 3-1/4 in. finished stock.

A good finish for this shade is obtained as follows: Put on a coat of silver gray water stain. When this has dried, sand lightly with No. 00 sandpaper and apply a coat of golden oak oil stain. Allow this to dry after wiping the surplus off with a cloth. Put on a coat of black paste filler and allow to harden over night. When dry, sand lightly and put on a coat of very thin shellac. Sand this lightly when hard and put on a coat of wax. This is a very dark finish relieved by high lights of lighter brown and is known as Antwerp oak.

HOW TO BEND WOOD

The process for making bent wood for furniture parts is the same as for any other kind of bent-wood work. The pieces should be made close to the size, with only enough material left on them for "cleaning up" after the bending has been done. The pieces used for the bent work should be good, clean, "live" lumber. Lumber dried on the stump will not bend.

A box must be made in which to steam the pieces of wood to be bent. A design of a steaming box is shown in the illustration. Such a box is made by nailing four boards together into a square or rectangular form, the boards having a length sufficient to take in the length of the furniture parts to be bent. Both ends of the finished box are squared up and closed with a board cut to the size, using felt or gunny sack in the joint to make it as tight as possible. These ends can be nailed on, but it is best to hold them with a bar of metal set against each one. Nailing the ends a few times would spoil the box for further use in steaming.

STEAMING BOX

HOSE ATTACHED TO TEAKETTLE.

FORM BLOCKS

A good teakettle will serve the purpose for a steam generator. A hose is attached to the spout of the teakettle, as shown in the illustration, and to the steaming box in a like manner. The steaming box should be provided with a short piece of gas pipe turned into a hole bored into one of the sides used for the top on which to attach the hose. A small hole should be bored into one side of one end of the steaming box, and this end should be arranged a trifle lower than the other end. The hole will permit the water of condensation to escape. Steam should not escape from the box when a charge of wood is being softened. Steam which escapes from the box in the form of vapor has done no work whatever, and is just so much waste of fuel. In order to give up its heat to the wood, the steam must condense and come away from the box as water. Therefore, in steaming a charge of pieces in the box, never crowd the teakettle so hard that the steam escapes around the heads of the box or through any other joints. The steam should be supplied to the box just as fast as it condenses, and no faster. When the pieces are placed in the box they should be so arranged that the steam can find ready access to all sides of each piece.

The curve or bend of the piece to be made must be marked out on a wide board or on the floor. Nail down several blocks of wood or pieces cut out like brackets on the board or floor against the drawing, as shown in the illustration. The wood is sprung between these blocks or forms after it has been softened by steam. When taking the steamed pieces from the box do not lose any time in securing them to the forms. Do not take out more than one piece at a time, as it must be bent to the forms immediately after taking it from the hot steam. The time of the steaming will vary with the size of the pieces. Small strips may be steamed in 15 or 20 minutes, while large ones may require several hours to become soft enough to bend. The pieces must be left in the forms until they are thoroughly dry.

A SMOKING STAND

When making the smoking stand shown in the accompanying photograph, use quarter-sawed oak, if possible, as this wood is the most suitable for finishing in the different mission stains. This little piece of furniture is very attractive, easy to construct, and is an article that a smoker would appreciate.

If the stock is purchased finished and sandpapered, it will save much of the hard work. The material needed is as follows:

The legs can be made first. Cut four pieces off the 12-in. board, each exactly 25 in. long, and lay each one out with a pair of compasses as shown in the detail drawing at Fig. 1. With a circle or keyhole saw cut out the piece, then shave out the saw marks and sandpaper smooth.

Smoking Stand Details

Finished Smoking Stand

Next take the 8-in. board and make the shelves. Set a bevel protractor at a 45-deg. angle, lay out the pieces as shown in Fig. 5, and cut them out with a saw. Eight pieces are cut out as shown in Fig. 4. These pieces can be cut out of the scraps left from cutting the legs and shelves. Cut them so that the grain runs the long way. Place two of these braces on the bench with the beveled ends toward each other, but with a piece of 7/8-in. stock between them, and the other two beveled ends resting against a straightedge. Fasten them to the bench with a couple of nails, leaving the heads sticking up so that you can pull them later with a claw hammer. Remove the straightedge and slide the piece that is between the braces along until it projects 4 or 5 in. from the side formed by the straightedge. Then place two more braces in the corners formed by this piece, put two 7/8-in. pieces between the two braces that are fastened, and the two that are loose, so that each brace will be in its proper place. Fasten the last two the same as the first pair. Then remove all the pieces from between the braces and place the tops of the legs in their stead. These should be fastened to the braces with 1-in. screws of small diameter, put in at an angle. Bore a hole in straight for about 1/4-in. with a 1/4-in. bit for each screw, and then run a gimlet at an angle into the leg. After you have the legs fastened to the first set of braces, measure up from the bench 10 in. and put in another set, being careful to get them all the same distance from the bench, as the inner corners of the shelves rest on these braces. Now pull out the nails and set the stand on its feet.

Next put in the shelves. Place the inner corner of one on one of the braces, and fasten it there with a screw put through the brace from the bottom. Now fasten a clamp on each leg at the ends of the shelf in such a manner as to form a support on the top side of the shelf. Then put four screws through the shelf from the bottom into the legs. Repeat the operation on each shelf, being careful to get them all the same height. Four pieces like Fig. 3 should now be made. These pieces will have to be fitted in place as they should slant outward so that it will be easy to put articles through the holes. The holes should be about 5/8-in. diameter.

The top can be made by cutting off two pieces from the 10-in. board, each 20 in. long, and fastening them together with dowels. Smooth the ends and be sure that the boards match evenly. It makes a better job to glue the top together, in addition to the dowels, and, if you do this, it would be better to make the top first. Then it will have time to dry before you are ready to use it. In putting on the top, care should be taken to get each of the corners an equal distance from the legs. Then a screw may be put up through each one of the braces and two or three through each leg into the top. Now smooth all rough and uneven places with fine sandpaper and apply the finish. Secure some metal matchsafes and scratchers, fasten on as shown in the photograph, and the stand is complete.

A CHINA CLOSET

This beautiful piece of mission furniture can be made by anyone who has a few good tools and knows how to use them. The cost is very moderate and if you are convenient to a mill a great amount of labor can be saved by ordering the pieces ready cut to length, squared, and sanded. Quarter-sawed oak should be used and the material needed will be as follows:

First be sure the posts are perfectly square and of equal length. Either chamfer or round the upper ends as desired. The mortises can be laid out and cut, or they can be left until the tenons are all made and then marked and cut directly from each tenon.

The top and bottom boards should have the corners cut to clear the posts as shown in the drawing. The top board should be finished on both sides and the bottom one on the upper side only and be sure to get the best side up.

Details of China Closet

Cut the tenons on the front boards back 1/4 in. from the face as shown in the end view. The boards should be finished on the outside sides and edges. The end pieces are fitted and finished in a similar manner except that the inside edge is rabbeted for the glass as shown. The side pieces are also rabbeted for the glass and the posts have grooves 1/2 in. deep cut in them to hold these side pieces. They are glued in place and this can be done after the frame is put together.

China Closet Complete

The two shelves are finished on both sides and the front edges. The doors are fitted in the usual manner by a tenon and mortise joint at the ends. They are rabbeted on the inside for the glass and are finished on all sides.

Before gluing any of the parts together, see that they all fit and go together perfectly square. The posts, side, and front pieces should be glued and assembled, then the top and bottom boards put in place to hold the frame square when the clamps are put on. Leave dry for about 24 hours, then scrape all the surplus glue from about the joints as the finish will not take when there is any glue. Fasten the top and bottom boards to the frame by means of screws through cleats as shown in the drawing. The backing is put on and finished on the front side. A mirror can be put in the back without much trouble, if it is desired. The shelves should be put in place and held at the back by screws through the backing and at the front by two small blocks on the posts as shown.

After the closet is all assembled it should be thoroughly gone over with fine sandpaper before any finish is applied. It can be finished in any one of the many mission stains which are supplied by the trade for this purpose.

A LEATHER-COVERED FOOTSTOOL

The illustration shows a very handy footstool in mission style. The following list of materials will be needed:

The posts are the only parts made of quarter-sawed oak, the other parts, being covered with leather, can be made of any kind of soft wood. Chamfer the top end of each post, and taper the lower ends as shown in detail. When this is done the mortises can be cut for the sides as shown in the post detail. When cutting the mortises and tenons take care to make them fit perfectly, as there is nothing to brace the legs at the bottom. The strength of the stool depends upon the joints. Make the surface of the posts smooth by first using No. 1 sandpaper, then finishing with No. 00.

Footstool Leather Covered

The parts are now assembled. First clamp the ends together, using plenty of glue on the joints, and drive some small nails on the inside of the posts through the tenon ends. When the glue has set, the remaining sides can be put together the same as the ends. Fit the bottom on the inside about 1 in. from the top. This can be made fast by driving nails through the sides and ends of the board. The finishing is done by putting on the mission stain as the directions state on the can, then wax the surface to get a dull gloss.

Details of Footstool

The leather is now put on. Notch out the corners to fit around the posts, but do not cut the ends off. Lap them under the cover. Before nailing on the cover fix the hair evenly over the top, about 6 in. deep. Draw the leather over the hair and fasten the edges with the 8-oz. tacks. The ornamental nails are driven in last, as shown in the drawing, to make a good appearance.

ARTS-CRAFTS MANTEL CLOCK

The clock shown in the illustration was designed especially for rooms furnished in mission style. The clock, however, may be made of mahogany or other wood to match the furniture in any room where it is to be placed. If the mission effect is desired, an oxidized or copper sash should be used. Movements can be bought at the salesroom of a clock company. A movement should be selected that is wide enough from the front to the back to allow the clock case to be made sufficiently deep for standing without being easily upset.

Mantel Clock with Wood and Copper Front