The top horizontals have grooves cut on either side to allow the posts to "set in." This is to give the frame more rigidity. The lower horizontals or stretchers are to be tenoned through the posts and keyed. That the keys may be alike in size, a good plan is to make them first, then make the mortises in the stretchers to correspond. Work the keys to the proper thickness, unless they were ordered so, then to length and joint one edge straight and square. Next lay off across the key the lines A and B of the drawing so that A shall measure 1/2 in. and B 3/8 in. Draw a sloping line through these points and work this edge of the key to size and shape. Round the top of the key as shown. Then mortise, in the tenon, for the key can then be laid out to 1/2 in. for the top opening and 3/8 in. for the bottom.
The most satisfactory finish for mission designs, and the easiest to apply, is wax. It is an old finish that was superseded by varnish. Our ancestors used to make wax polish by "cutting" beeswax with turpentine. Cut up the beeswax and add to it about one-third its volume of turpentine. Heat to the boiling point in a double boiler. Or, melt a quantity of beeswax and to this add an equal volume of turpentine. Care must be taken that the turpentine shall not catch fire.
Rapid drying and hardening waxes can be purchased now-a-days. They require a smooth surface and a thin application for a successful result. Too much wax upon a rough surface will produce very ugly, white, chalk-like spottings as the wax dries. These are especially noticeable upon dark finishes. Waxes colored black overcome this, but are not necessary if the ordinary wax is properly applied. 1—Stain the wood, if a very dark finish is desired. 2—If the wood is coarse grained, put on one or two coats of paste filler and rub it off carefully, that a smooth surface may be prepared. Allow the stain 12 hours in which to dry, also each coat of filler. 3—With a soft cloth apply as thin a coating of wax as can be and still cover the wood. Wax is in paste form. 4—Allow this to stand five or ten minutes, then rub briskly with a soft dry cloth to polish. 5—Let stand 24 hours, then apply another coat.
A portable window seat of neat appearance, which is designed to take the place of a cedar chest, is shown in the accompanying sketch. If care is taken to make the joints fit well, the box will be practically airtight and mothproof, providing a place in which to store extra bedding or furs. The following list of materials will be needed:
The box as shown in Fig. 1 is made first. Nail the sides and the bottom to the ends, being careful to get the box perfectly square. The corners can be dovetailed together if desired. The extra time it takes in making the dovetailed joints will greatly add to the durability of the box. The box can be made much stronger by nailing the sides and ends to posts 2 in. square placed on the inside. Cleats should also be placed on the inside, at the bottom, as shown. Fasten four blocks, 2 in. square, to the bottom for the box to rest upon. These can be attached with long screws run through from the bottom of the box.
The green burlap is glued to the outside of the box. Be careful not to apply too much glue on the burlap, or it will soak through. This should be tried out on a scrap piece, and when the proper application of glue is ascertained, applied to one side of the burlap and stuck on the box. Place the cloth on so the weave will run in the same direction on all sides. The oak slats are cut and fit over the burlap as shown in Fig. 2. Care should be taken to make the mitered joints a tight fit. After the miters are all cut and the location of the squares, found, they are marked so that pieces of red burlap may be placed over the green before the slats are fastened permanently. The slats are put in place over the burlap and fastened with small brass screws.
Cover the top or lid with green burlap, allowing the edges to lap over the ends and sides and fasten under the side strips. This top can be stuffed with excelsior, if desired, and tacks with large heads driven in to hold it in place. The slats can be stained any color to suit the maker. They should be removed from the box when being stained so as not to spot or stain the burlap.
The mission settee shown in the accompanying picture should be made of quarter-sawed white oak. The material needed will be as follows:
On account of the unusual width of the pieces that go into the makeup of this settee, it will be necessary to have the wood thoroughly seasoned before putting them together, otherwise shrinkage will cause them to crack open.
Begin work by making the ends of the settee first. Cut the posts to length, chamfering both top and bottoms somewhat so that they shall not splinter or cause injury to the hands. Next lay out and cut the mortises as shown on the drawing. With the posts finished, lay out the end rails, cutting the tenons and the mortises into which the ends of the slats are to be fitted.
It should be noted that the drawing calls for the "setting in" of the whole of the ends of the slats, there being no shoulders. This is much easier and gives just as satisfactory a result, provided the sides of the mortises are carefully cut.
Thoroughly scrape and sandpaper all these parts and then put the ends together. In addition to the glue it will be well to through pin each of the tenons and mortises. These pins may be put in flush and permanent on the ends of the settee. On the side rails, however, the pins are to be allowed to project so that they can be removed, and no glue is used in the joint.
While the glue of the ends is hardening, prepare the rails of front and back. Scrape and sandpaper these and when the clamps can be removed from the ends put the whole frame together. The ends of all projecting tenons are chamfered.
The illustration shows a loose leather cushion. There is quite a variety of materials out of which such a cushion can be made. The best, of course, is leather. In the highest class of furniture where loose cushions are used, the seat base is formed by solidly mortising a frame together on which is woven a heavy cane seating. This in turn is fastened to the inside of the piece of furniture, and the cushions when placed upon it make a very comfortable seat. The stock bill for this settee calls for such a frame. Wood slats may be substituted if desired.
This piece of furniture will look well if finished in weathered oak. See that all glue is removed from the surface, and that the wood is clean and smooth, and apply a coat of weathered oak oil stain. Sandpaper this lightly with No. 00 paper when the stain has thoroughly dried, and put on a coat of lackluster or an equivalent.
In selecting or making up mission furniture for the home, a screen is necessary sometimes to add to the appearance of a room. The screen shown in the accompanying illustration consists of a few parts which are easily put together. The stock can be bought of any planing mill planed, sanded and cut to the proper lengths. The cloth, which should be of dark color, can be purchased at a dry goods store. The following list of material will be needed.
Cut or plow a groove 1/4 in. wide and 1/4 in. deep in the center of one surface on each of the 3/4-in. rails. Cut out the ends with a compass saw. The five holes are bored with a 1-in. bit. The edges of these panels are inserted in the grooves of the 3/4-in. rails, using plenty of good glue.
When the glue has dried for at least 24 hours the screen frame can be put together. Holes for the screws should be bored through the posts where the 3/4-in. rails are joined and a screw turned into the end grain of each rail.
Scrape off all the surplus glue and sandpaper all the parts well. When this is done the finish can be applied. Any one of the mission stains can be used and finished with wax and polished.
The cloth is cut to length, a hem sewed on each end and one 1/2-in. rail put through each hem. Place the top rail in position and screw it fast. Stretch the cloth tight and fasten the lower 1/2-in. rail with screws at the bottom. Each section of the screen is finished in the same way.
The hinges are attached about 4 in. from each end of the posts in the same manner as hanging a door.
The sections can be made up in various ways to suit the builder. Instead of using cloth, heavy paste-board, or board made up to take the place of plaster on walls of dwellings, may be substituted, thus forming a ground that will take paint and bronze decorations. A piece of this material can be easily cut to fit the opening in each section.
The accompanying sketch shows a bookrack designed strictly along mission lines. Enough stock may be found among the scrap, as no piece is over 1 in, in width or thickness. If stock is not on hand, secure the following, cut to exact lengths:
Arrange the pieces as they are to be in the finished rack and number both parts of each joint. There will be twelve lap joints, and great care must be taken to mark them accurately and to cut to exactly half the depth of each piece.
First fit the posts and rails of the ends. To mark the width of each notch, lay the piece which is to fit into the notch upon it and thus get the exact size. Knife lines must be used for the width and light gauge lines for the depth of each notch.
Next lay out and cut joints between the stretchers and ends.
In each end there are four slats which should be mortised into the rails 1/4 in. Glue the pieces in place and clamp them with handscrews.
A rubber-headed tack in the bottom of each post will prevent the marring of the surface upon which the rack is to rest.
Mission, weathered or fumed-oak stain will look well. A waxed finish should be used. Before applying the wax, it is well to use a very thin coat of shellac as a foundation. Let this coat stand for a few hours and allow an interval of at least an hour between applying the coats of wax.
Should the rack wind a little, it may be remedied by cutting off part of two diagonally opposite racks.
This extension table should be made of some hard wood, preferably white oak. It will be a difficult matter to secure legs of the sizes indicated in solid pieces of clear stock. It will be possible, however, to secure them veneered upon white-pine cores. If the veneering is properly done these will serve the purpose very well, the lighter weight, due to the white-pine core, being an advantage. The circular facing is best made by first sawing a segment of the circle of the size wanted and then veneering the outer surface of this. Order the following stock:
There are various ways of arranging the slides to work one with the other. Several patented devices are on the market that permit a ready adjustment with but little effort and are used extensively by commercial manufacturers. The amateur will do well to secure a set before he undertakes to work these slides to shape.
Prepare the legs by cutting them to length. Lay out and work the mortises. The ends of the facings are to be tenoned and housed into the posts. Prepare the rails by cutting the tenons and shaping the lower edges as shown in the drawing. Prepare the top. After this, assemble this much of the frame, using plenty of clamps and good hot glue.
Next get the under frame and the slides ready and attach them as shown. There will be needed plenty of glue blocks for reinforcing the facing where it is fastened to the top, etc.
For a finish, apply a filler colored, as desired. Upon this, after it has hardened and been sanded with No. 00 paper, apply a coat of shellac. Upon the shellac apply successively several coats of some good rubbing varnish. Rub the first coats with haircloth and the final coat with pulverized pumice and crude or linseed oil.
If an effect is wanted that will contrast, stain the wood first with a water stain. Sand this lightly when dry, then apply a second coat of stain diluted one-half with water. Again sand and then apply a thin coat of shellac. Sand this lightly, and apply the filler and the varnish as described above.
This armchair will look well if made of plain-sawed oak. Quarter-sawed oak might be used, or black walnut if desired. The stock bill specifies the various parts mill-planed to size as far as possible. If some amateur craftsman should prefer to do his own surfacing, thereby saving somewhat on the expense, he should add 1/4 in. to the width of each piece, providing the stock is mill-planed to thickness. It is hardly profitable to get stock entirely in the rough if the work is to be done by hand. The following is the stock bill:
The design shown is for a chair in which the width of front and back is the same. Also the back leg parallels the front below the seat. In commercial practice the backs are usually made somewhat narrower than the fronts and the back leg is slanted somewhat below the seat as well as above. As this construction necessitates sloping shoulders on all tenons it complicates the problem when the work is not done by machinery. The ambitious amateur may readily get the proportion of slant by measuring common chairs. For mission effects the chair looks well with front and back the same width.
Prepare the front posts first and then the rear. The rear posts are to be cut from the single piece of stock specified. By proper planning both pieces may be gotten out without trouble. Lay off and cut the mortises.
Saw the rails to length and lay out and cut the tenons. The back rails are to have mortises in their edges to receive the ends of the slats. Instead of tenoning these slats make mortises large enough to receive the whole end—in other words, house the ends.
Shape the two arms, then glue up the back and then the front of the chair. After the glue has set sufficiently, assemble the remainder of the parts.
Thoroughly scrape and sandpaper the parts and then apply the finish.
For a seat, either a leather cushion may be placed upon slats or the bottom may be upholstered in the usual manner, using webbing on heavy canvas, and then felt or hair with a top of canvas and leather; the whole being firmly fastened with tacks and the leather with ornamental nails.
All the stock for this bench should be of 7/8-in. oak, excepting the slats, which may be of a cheaper wood. The following list of lumber will be required to build it:
Start the work by first cutting the two pieces of 7/8 by 5-1/2 by 25-in. material diagonally 1 in. from each corner, thus making the legs. The edges are planed square and the ends should be rounded a little so that there will be no splinters projecting. The legs are mortised 1 in. deep for the side rails. The tenon ends are cut on the rails, care being taken to get the right angle and a good fit. These can now be fastened together, using hot glue on the entire surface of the joint.
While these are drying the ends can be made as shown in the plan. The 3 by 4-in. holes are cut at equal distances apart. Be sure that each end is perfectly square, then glue and dowel the 2-in. strips at each end. The ends are then glued and nailed to the sides, using finishing nails, which are set and the holes filled with colored putty.
The cleats are now fastened, extra care being taken when fastening them over the joints where the legs receive the side rails, as this will help to strengthen the joints. The slats rest on these cleats and are placed at equal distances apart.
The bench is now finished, but before applying the stain, see that all parts are free from glue and are well sandpapered.
The leather cushion should be the loose kind and of a shade to harmonize with the finish.
This convenient and useful table will be much appreciated by any woman. It has two drawers for sewing material, and two drop leaves to spread the work upon.
The following list of material will be needed for its construction. The sizes given are exact, so if the stock cannot be bought at a mill ready planed and squared, a slight allowance must be made for this.
Have the surfaces of the legs exactly square with each other. The ends must be square with all surfaces, but need not be planed smooth as neither will be seen in the finished table.
Arrange the rails in position. The two rails in each side and back are placed with the 2-in. surface out, while the three in the front have the 2-in. surface up for the drawers to slide upon. Mark the tenons, 1 in, by 3/8 in., with a knife and gauge lines on each end of the rails for the sides and back. Mark the tenons, 3/4 in. by 7/8 in., as shown in the sketch, on each end of front rails. Cut all the tenons with a backsaw and smooth them with a chisel.
Carefully mark the mortises in the legs, taking measurements for each mortise from the tenon which is to go into it. Fit together all rails and legs without glue to detect any errors.
See that the panels for sides and back are squared up true and the surfaces smooth. Mark the grooves for the panels in the side and back rails and legs. Cut the grooves with a chisel or plow plane to a depth of 1/4 in.
Glue up the joints and clamp the two table sides first. While the glue is setting, square up and smooth the top and two leaves perfectly.
Now glue up the whole table, having set in the front and back rails and panel. The drawer slides, two on each side, should next be put in. A nail through them and into each leg will hold them, as there is only the weight of the drawers resting on them. Fasten the top with screws through the rails from the under side. The leaves are attached with two 2-in. butt hinges which must be set in flush with the under surface to prevent a crack showing between the table top and leaf when the latter is raised. The small bracket hinged to the panel supports the open leaf.
The drawers are now made. Allow the side to lap over the front 1/2 in. as shown in sketch and fasten it with nails. The bottom should be let into the sides and front 1/4 in., but must not be nailed to them, because this would cause the drawer to stick, when the bottom expands.
Metal rings or wooden knobs will do well for the drawer pulls.
Stain to any desired shade and finish with a wax if a dull gloss is wanted, or with one coat of shellac and two coats of varnish for a highly polished surface.
A companion piece to the chair with arms and the sideboard is the side chair illustrated herewith. It should be made of the same kind of wood and finished to correspond with the armchair. Order the following stock list:
Square up the front posts to length. From the single piece specified cut out the back posts, giving them the amount of slant indicated in the drawing. Set these four posts upright in the positions they are to occupy relative to one another in the finished piece, and mark off, as with penciled circles, the approximate locations of mortises. After this, lay them on the bench side by side, even the lower ends and locate accurately the ends of the mortises. Gauge their sides.
Saw the rails to length and lay out the shoulder lines and the cheeks of the tenons and cut them. Plan to house the ends of the slats in the back rails.
While the drawing shows a chair in which the front and back are of equal width, the amateur may make the back narrower if he so desires. A measurement of a common chair will give the proportions.
Place the front and the back in the clamps and after the glue has had time to harden, assemble the remaining parts. Thoroughly scrape and sandpaper all the parts, carefully removing any surplus glue. Wood finish will not "take hold" where any glue has been allowed to remain.
The seat may be given the same treatment as suggested for the armchair. This should not be done, however, until the finish has been applied.
A simple finish is obtained by the application of a coat of paste filler of a soft brown color, if oak has been used. Apply and clean this off in the manner directed by the manufacturers and after it has had 24 hours in which to harden, sand it lightly with No. 00 paper. Over this apply a thin coat of shellac. Allow this to harden, then sandpaper lightly with fine paper. Upon the shellac apply several coats of some good rubbing wax. Follow the directions that are to be found upon the cans, being careful not to apply too much at a time. If too much wax is applied, it stays in the small pores of the wood and produces an ugly chalk-like appearance.
The piano bench shown is best made of black walnut or oak and should be finished in the natural color for walnut, but stained some rich brown for oak.
The following pieces will be needed:
The keys can be secured from the waste that will be cut off from the other parts.
Square up the top in the usual manner to the size indicated in the working drawing. In a similar manner square up the stretcher to width and length.
There will be no need to square the ends of the rails as they are to be cut off on a slant. Square up the sides or edges and then lay off and cut the slanting ends, smoothing them with the plane. Lay off and work the shape on their under edges.
The ends are best laid off by means of a template or pattern for which a piece of rather heavy paper will do. Lay off the main dimensions on a center line. Sketch in the curve of the edge after the slant has been laid out. Lay out the form at the bottom, then fold the paper along the center line and trace the other half. With this pattern lay off the outline upon the wood. For convenience in laying out the grooves for the rails and the mortise for the tenon on the stretcher, it is well to work a face edge upon each leg and allow this to remain until these joints have been made and the parts fitted. The shape at the bottom of the leg is merely suggestive and may be modified as desired.
Lay out and work the tenons on the stretcher. Then lay out and work the grooves upon the rails. Each side of each rail is grooved 1/8 in, to allow the leg to be recessed. This is done to give the bench the bracing that is needed to make it stand firmly. Work the grooves in the legs and the mortises for the rails.
It should be noted that the mortise for the key in the stretcher must be laid out before the shoulders and cheeks of the tenon on which the mortise is made are cut off. Otherwise there would be no place to put the gauge in marking the sides of the mortise for the key.
Thoroughly scrape all the parts and then assemble them. No glue is needed. The rails are held in place by dowel pins, the heads of which are allowed to project slightly and rounded so as to give an ornamental effect. The top is attached by means of small angle irons or by means of blocks and screws fastened to the corners made by top and rails.
The screen shown in the accompanying illustration is made of burlap and plain-sawed oak. The stock list follows:
The two base pieces may be shaped first. The drawing shows the form and the dimensions. Make use of a face edge in laying out the mortises in the base pieces for the uprights, before these face edges are removed to make the slanting sides.
Work the verticals to length, laying out and cutting the tenons at the bottoms, and shaping the tops as shown.
Lay out and shape the three horizontals as shown, working the tenons upon the ends of each and the mortises in the lower two for the tenons of the middle vertical.
For the braces, secure a face edge on each piece and square one end of each to that. Lay off the curve free-hand upon one block and cut it out. Use this block as a pattern or template to lay off the others.
Thoroughly scrape and sandpaper all the parts, then assemble them, using clamps and good hot glue. Take care to see that there is no warp in the frame as it lies in the clamps. After the glue on the frame has hardened, remove the clamps and attach the base blocks and the braces. The braces are secured by means of round-head screws.
Remove the surplus glue and then apply a finish as desired.
For the paneling, frames will be needed about which to fasten the burlap. These may be made of 1/2-in, soft wood and the following pieces will be necessary:
Make these frames enough smaller than the openings they are to occupy to allow for burlap and tacks. These frames are held in place by putting fixed nails in the top of each frame before the burlap is attached. Holes are bored in the rails to correspond to them. The lower edges of the frames are held in place by nails inserted up through the rails upon which the frames rest.
The accompanying sketch shows the details of a card table that can be folded up and carried about or stored away when not in use. We would advise making two tables at the same time, as the material for both can be purchased nearly as cheaply as for one. The material necessary for making one table is given in the following list:
Begin by squaring up the four legs making them all 24-3/4 in. long and 1 in. square. Also square up the crosspieces marked B in the detail drawing. These should be 5 in. long and should have 1/4-in. holes about 1 in. deep drilled in both ends of each for the 1/4-in. oak swivel pins. Measure back 1-1/2 in. from one end of each and bore a 9/16-in. hole, 7/8 in. deep as shown. Now cut a tenon on one end of each leg, 3/4 in. long, that will fit tightly in this 9/16-in. hole. Round the corners of the piece B at the top as shown at C. Fasten the two pieces together with glue and brads, being careful to get them square with each other. After the glue is set bore a 3/16-in. hole in the center of the leg, 7 in. from the edge of the crosspiece, for the brace rod. Bevel the corners as shown. Sandpaper them smooth, then stain and polish.
Lay the two pieces marked D and E in the sketch on a level surface with the 7/8-in. edge up, place the cardboard on top and tack it fast to the pieces, using 6-oz. tacks. Place the center piece in and tack it fast also. Fasten the ends to the other pieces with brads. The four pieces of electric wire moulding should each measure exactly 27-1/2 in. long, or the same length as the center piece. Fit a piece of wood about 4 in. long in the groove at each end of the moulding, plane down and fasten with brads. Next take the thin batten or covering strip that comes with the moulding and bore a 1/2-in. hole in the center, 6 in, from one end, and a 1/4-in. hole, 8-3/16 in. from the other end. With a gouge cut a slot 1/4 in. wide from one hole to the other in the center as shown in the section A-A. Sandpaper this slot smooth and then fasten the batten to the moulding with small brads driven in about 2 in. apart. At a point 3/4 in. from each end and in the center drill 1/4-in. holes through the moulding at the small ends of the slots. These are for the ends of the brace rods to spring into, to lock the legs when they are open. Tack the two pieces of moulding marked F and J on the remaining edges of the cardboard with the slots facing in and the large holes of the slots at opposite sides, then place the other two pieces (G and H) 5 in. inside of these, or just the length of the cross ends of the legs, with the slots facing the first two placed (F and J) and tack fast with 4-oz. tacks. Use brads at the ends and be careful that they do not enter the 1/4-in. holes. This part of the table can now be stained or painted the same as the legs. The 3/8-in. side pieces can also be stained at this time.
The ends of the brass rods can be bent in a vise. One end should be 1 in. long and should be square with the stock. Measure 11-1/4 in. center to center and bend in opposite direction, leaving this end at a slight angle out from square. Just at this bend raise a burr with a sharp chisel to keep the washer on. Now place five of the copper washers on the 1-in. end and batter the end of the rod so they will not slip off. They should be loose so that they will roll and slip on the brace. Slip a washer on the other end and put the end of the rod through the 3/16-in. hole in the leg from the short end side, place another washer on the rod, saw off and rivet down the end.