Thin sheets of various metals may be used to great advantage in the decoration of household furniture, either serving as artistic edgings, or representing strengthening straps, hinges, etc. When finished off with heavy wrought-iron or bellows nails, the effect is both striking and pleasing. The art is not a difficult one to acquire, and the hints and suggestions that follow should enable any smart boy to pick it up in a comparatively short time.
A Metal-bound Box
As a receptacle for photographs, picture-cards, and the other small trifles that accumulate in a library or living-room, a box such as shown in Fig. 1 will be found most useful.
Obtain some smooth pieces of wood, not more than three-eighths or half an inch thick, and construct a box eighteen inches long, ten wide, and eight inches deep, including top, bottom, and sides. These parts are to be glued and nailed together so as to form an enclosed box. Use a good liquid glue and slim steel-wire nails to make the joints. When the glue is dry, cut the box through all around the sides, one and a half inches down from the top. The lid, or cover, is thereby cut loose, and it will match the body of the box much more accurately than if made separately and fitted.
Plane and sand-paper the rough edges left by the saw, and attach the lid to the back edge of the box with hinges. The outside of the box may be stained or painted any desirable color, and when dry it will be ready to receive the metal decorations.
Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3.
From a tinsmith obtain a few sheets of thin stove-pipe iron of good quality, or a strip of thin sheet-lead; then, with a stout pair of shears, cut some strips about one and a quarter inches wide to bind the edges of the box. A strip is bent over so as to lap on both sides of a corner. A metal band five-eighths of an inch wide will show on each side and also on top. The metal is to be fastened on with brass oval-headed upholsterers’ tacks, and the heads may be from a quarter to half an inch in diameter.
It will not be possible, perhaps, to drive these tacks through the metal strips unless a hole is first punched. These small holes may be made with a sharp-pointed awl at regular distances apart. This should be done before the strip is laid on the wood, so as not to subject the box joints to any more strain than necessary.
To bind an edge, tack a strip of the metal along one side, bend it around the first corner, and so on along each side until the two sides are brought together, where a nail-head will almost hide the joint. At each corner cut a V out of the strip, as shown in Fig. 2. The metal, when fastened to one edge, will appear as shown at the right side of Fig. 3.
When the nails have been securely fastened in, bend down the standing edge of metal so that it will lie flat on the other side of the corner. This may be done by beating it down with a light wooden mallet. Drive nails along the strip corresponding in position to those first fixed, and the edge will appear as shown at the left side of Fig. 3.
Where the angle, or V, was cut out of the strip at the corners, the metal will come together and form a good mitre. In the middle of this joint drive a nail, the head of which will partially hide the line of juncture.
From the sheet iron or lead cut a few irregular strips of suitable length, and fasten them to the box to represent hinge or binding straps. The hasp and eye-plate may be made in the same manner.
The box should be lined with Canton flannel, velour, leather, or any good lining material. A band of webbing, or a chain, arranged on the inside will prevent the cover from falling back too far.
A Wood-holder
In a room where space cannot be spared for a large wood-box, a wood-holder similar to the one shown in Fig. 4 is a useful piece of furniture.
This holder is twelve to fifteen inches square, fifteen inches high at the front, and twenty inches high at the back, with the sides cut down, as shown in the drawing.
The wood is three-quarters or seven-eighths of an inch thick, and planed on both sides and edges. Any of the hard woods may be employed to good advantage in making the box part, but if it is to be painted rather than left in the natural finish, the wood-work may be of pine or white-wood to save expense.
The metal binding is done in a similar fashion to that of the box in Fig. 1, and if iron is used for the straps they should be coated with black paint. The strips should be two inches in width, and when bent around the edges and corners one inch of metal must show on each side.
A Plant-box
For large, growing plants, palms, and imitation trees, an attractive plant-box is shown in Fig. 5.
It can be made almost any size to meet the requirements of the plant that is to live in it; but for general use it should measure twelve inches square at the bottom, eighteen at the top, and from twelve to fourteen inches high.
The metal binding should be three-quarters or an inch wide on each side; it need not be carried over the top edge unless desired.
On two sides of the box ring-handles are to be fastened. These will be made by a blacksmith at a small cost, and should be from two and a half inches to four inches in diameter, according to the size of the box.
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.
Brass, lead, or black iron binding will look well on this box, and with large-headed nails the effect will be bold and pleasing.
Four balls about two inches in diameter are to be turned and screwed fast under the corners to serve as feet. To give a good purchase on the bottom of the box, it would be well to flatten part of the surface on each ball. One long screw will be sufficient to anchor each foot firmly if driven through from the inside of the box into the ball. A little glue between the joint will add greatly in making the union strong.
A Table-lamp
The design for a table-lamp is shown in Fig. 8.
Any boy who is handy with tools can put this lamp together from wood, burlap, sheet-lead, wire, some oval-headed upholsterers’ tacks, four claw-feet, and a lamp-fount.
Fig. 8.
From boards about half an inch in thickness make a box seven inches square at the top, ten at the bottom, and twelve inches high. In the top of the box a round hole is cut to receive the lamp-fount. Five inches in diameter will be about right for the hole, since that is the measurement of the standard oil-pot. A flange, or rim, all around the upper edge of the fount will prevent it from falling through the hole. If the burner has a central draught it will be necessary to bore some large holes through the bottom of the box to admit air for the under draught.
With burlap, bagging, or canvas cover the entire outside of the box, the material being fastened to the wood with glue and small, flat-headed tacks at the edges. The glue must be spread evenly over the wood by means of a rag pad, or, still better, a small photographic squeegee roller may be employed. The covering material can be painted any good shade, and when the paint is dry the box will be ready for the decorations and trimmings.
From sheet-lead, or iron, cut some strips one inch and a quarter wide, and bind the corners and edges of the box, allowing about five-eighths of an inch to show on each side. Fasten these strips on the edges of the box with large, oval-headed upholsterers’ tacks, driven along each side at even distances apart, as shown in the illustration.
On a piece of smooth brown paper draw the outline of one side of the box, and then sketch in the design for the metal torch and wreath. Over this pattern it will be a comparatively easy matter to cut and fit each of the separate parts of the design. These parts are to be of thin iron or lead, but for the stems to the laurel wreath use pieces of iron wire, and fasten them on with small staples. The staples may be made from pins with the heads cut off.
The pieces of metal forming these side designs are to be fastened to the wood with oval-headed carpet tacks, and enough of them must be driven in each piece to hold it firmly in place. When all the metal-work has been applied, purchase at a hardware store four claw-feet, and screw one fast under each corner of the box. They will be of brass, but when painted black they will appear as if made of iron.
All the metal parts of the lamp must be blacked to present a good appearance. To make a good black finishing paint obtain at a paint store a can of ivory black ground in oil. Thin it to the consistency of rich milk with Japan dryer and spirits of turpentine mixed together, one part of the former to two parts of the latter. Place them together in a bottle and thoroughly mix them by shaking the bottle vigorously. A small quantity only should be thinned at a time and as required, since it works better when freshly mixed, and does not have the gummy appearance that an old mixture presents. Two or three successive coats laid on with a soft camel’s-hair brush will be sufficient to cover the iron well and give it a good surface. When using the black take care not to smear it on the box, as it would produce an untidy and messy appearance.
With the addition of a pretty canopy shade, that can be arranged on a wire frame, the effect will be most decorative and pleasing.
A Hanging-lamp
For the dining-room or library, a hanging-lamp, such as shown in Fig. 9, is both ornamental and useful.
The box that holds the lamp is eight inches square at the top, five and a half inches at the bottom, and five inches deep. It is covered with burlap or other suitable material, or may be left plain or painted.
A hole is cut in the top of the box to receive the fount, and if it is a central-draught burner a large opening must be made in the bottom of the box, with a perforated metal cap arranged to fit over it.
From the top of the four corners, iron scrolls, that a blacksmith can make, project four inches beyond the wood, and to these the suspension-chains are fastened. The chains are made of one-inch iron harness-rings and links three inches long, formed of narrow strips of stove-pipe or box strap-iron less than a quarter of an inch in width, and shaped as shown in Fig. 10.
From the under side, and fastened at each corner of the box, hang four small chains. They are united at the centre a few inches below the under side of the box, and are finished off with a drop formed of metal lilies. In order to form these flowers, cut from sheet-iron the petals, as patterned in Fig. 11. Three different sizes should be drawn on a sheet of iron with a piece of chalk or white crayon, after which they may be cut out with a pair of shears and bent into form with the fingers. They are to be hung together one below the other by means of small wires, fastened to the centre of each flower through holes punched with a sharp-pointed awl.
A large paper or silk shade may be arranged on a wire frame to slip over the chains, and to hold it in place it should be fastened to some of the links with wire.
A Hanging-plant Box
Fig. 9. Fig. 10. Fig. 11. Fig. 12.
For vines, small plants, or pretty blade grasses a design for a hanging-plant box is shown in Fig. 12.
This is not a very large affair, and it is made of thin wood not more than three-eighths or half an inch in thickness. The box part measures eight inches square at the top, six at the bottom, and ten inches high.
The inside of the box is to be treated to several coats of paint or asphaltum varnish to protect the wood, and the outside may be given two coats of paint. The corners are then to be bound with metal strips, and the design on each of the four sides worked out with hobnails painted black.
It is difficult to carry out such a design on four sides of a box unless a pattern is used. To obtain the most accurate results it would be best to draw the design with pencil on a smooth piece of paper, then make four tracings of it on tissue-paper. The tracing should then be fastened to the wood with pins and the tacks driven in, following the lines of the design.
When the tacks have been driven in part way, tear off the paper, and with a flat-iron held against the inside of the box to drive against, hammer the nails in so that the heads will lie snugly against the surface of the wood.
Each side is to be treated in the same manner, so that the four sides will be alike. If the hobnails cannot be had at a hardware store, or from a shoemaker, oval-headed upholsterers’ tacks may be used. Paint them black before they are driven into the wood.
At the top of the box, in the four corners, eyes are to be made fast, into which the ends of the suspending chains can be caught. Four chains, made from thin strips of metal and small harness-rings, are to be fastened in place, as shown in the drawing.