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Home labor saving devices

Chapter 9: CHAPTER II
By Rhea C. Scott
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About This Book

This manual collects practical designs, plans, and step-by-step instructions for inexpensive, home-made tools and furnishings intended to reduce domestic labor in rural households. Organized by room and purpose—kitchen, dining room, porch, miscellaneous, poultry, and dairy—the text provides diagrams and construction notes for items such as vegetable paring tables, strainers, dish drainers, iceless refrigerators, poultry houses, butter- and cheese-making equipment, and simple water and cleaning systems. It emphasizes adaptable demonstration methods for use in country schools and farms and includes an appendix on basic woodworking, suggested tools, and further reading.

CHAPTER II

DINING-ROOM CONVENIENCES


ROLLER TRAY WAGON

An efficient and convenient table placed on casters and wheels and comprising a china closet, drawer for silverware, serving table, and roller tray all in one. This device is invaluable to the housekeeper who does her own work. It saves her many steps in the preparation and the serving of her meals. While she is entertaining at a luncheon, it takes the place of a maid, since the refreshments can be prepared, arranged on the wagon, and rolled out at the appointed time. The prices of a tea wagon made in wicker or some expensive wood are very high, but one like the following illustration can be made at a nominal cost, or it can be made of dry goods boxes for even less.

Materials:

  • 26’ white pine.
  • 1 piece of jack chain No. 14, 18” long, to support top.
  • 1 pair 1½” (butt) hinges to hold top.
  • 12 No. 5 screws, ¾”, to fasten hinges.
  • ½ lb. 5-penny box nails.
  • 2 brass hand bolts to fasten on drawer.
  • 8 No. 10 screws, 2½”, to fasten legs to bottom shelf.
  • 2 furniture casters to put on legs.
  • 2 swivel or baby carriage wheels.

Dimensions:

  • Top: 1 piece 1” thick × 16½” wide × 26½” long.
  • Sides: 2 pieces 1” thick × 5” wide × 33½” long, for front and back of body.
  • Ends: 2 pieces 1” thick × 5” wide × 13” long, for top of frame.
  • Handles: 2 pieces 1” thick × 1” wide × 15” long.
  • Bottom: 1 piece 1” thick × 13” wide × 24½” long.
  • Legs: 4 pieces 1½” thick × 1½” wide × 32” long.
  • Ends: 2 pieces 1” thick × 3½” wide × 12” long, allowing 1” on each end for tenon.
  • Drawer: 1 piece 1” thick × 1½” wide × 23½” long, for foundation of drawer.
  • Cleats: 2 pieces 1” thick × 1” wide × 14” long, to support the drawer.
  • 1 piece 1” thick × 2½” wide × 23½” long, to be used as front to drawer.
  • 1 piece ½” thick × 2½” wide × 23½” long, to be used as back of drawer.
  • 2 pieces ½” thick × 2½” wide × 13½” long, to be used as side of drawer.
  • 1 piece ½” thick × 15” wide × 23½” long, to be used as bottom of drawer.
  • 1 piece ½” thick × 2½” wide × 3½” long, to be used as partition in drawer.
  • Shelf: 1 piece 1” thick × 15” wide × 26½” long, to be used as bottom of shelf.
  • Braces: 2 pieces 1” thick × 1½” wide × 12” long, to support ends of shelf.
  • Brackets: 2 pieces 1” thick × 8” wide × 8” long, to be used as a support for wheel.

Roller tray wagon, including compartment for china and a drawer for silver and linen

Directions:

Take the 2 sides (1” × 5” × 33½”) and round each end in the shape of a half circle, boring a 1” hole in each end of side piece to hold handles (1” × 1” × 15”). Fit bottom on inside of box and nail it. Mortise 3½” from the top of the legs to fit cross pieces, 1” × 3½” × 12”. Make a ¼” mortise on the legs 9” from the bottom for the support of the bottom shelf. Measure 2½” from the top of the leg to put tenon for the front drawer support. Construct the opposite end of the table in the same way. The upper top of table, showing the lid and handle, should be fastened to top after the table is made. In making the frame for the drawer, 2½” deep × 13½” wide × 23½” long, nail the front and back to the sides. Then nail the bottom of the drawer to the inside of this frame with one partition nailed crosswise the center of the drawer. Place handles on the front of the drawer about 3” from each end. Screw on the 2 pieces placed 9” from bottom of the leg, with 2½” No. 10 screws. Cut the bottom shelf out 1½” at each corner, fit to the legs, and screw. This shelf must be stationary. Brackets, 1” × 8” × 8”, are screwed on at one end of the shelf to be used as supports to which the wheels are fastened. The drawer may be used for silverware and to keep the linen. The side used for silverware should be lined with felt or outing. The table should be well dressed by sandpapering, staining, and polishing it. Do not varnish it because this does not make so attractive a table as the mission stain.