carpentry for beginners: things to make

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CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERS


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CARPENTRYFOR BEGINNERSTHINGS TO MAKE

BYJOHN D. ADAMSAuthor of "When Mother Lets Us

Carpenter," etc.

ILLUSTRATED WITHSKETCHES AND DIAGRAMS BY THE AUTHOR

NEW YORKMOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY1917


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Copyright. 1917, byMOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY

Published September, 1917

SEP 22 1917Cl.A47;^B4 2


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FOREWORDThere is no lack of textbooks telling the amateur

carpenter with mathematical exactness just how tomake a dovetail joint or a mortise and tenon con-nection. The beginner has no difficulty in findingample instruction as to the theory of carpentry, andmay read at great length precisely how to hold thehammer or manipulate a plane. With this phaseof the subject the present volume has no concern.It is not expected that those to whom the book isaddressed aim to become professional carpenters.The object of the volume is merely to present asclearly as possible an interesting and practical fieldto the young craftsman, and this is sufficient for thereason that if the work is made interesting he willsoon find out all he needs to know about tools, andif the results are of practical value he will not lackencouragement.By presenting a great variety of articles rangingfrom the simplest to those in the construction ofwhich some little assistance may be required, it ishoped that the book will be of interest to young andold, experienced and unexperienced alike.In the fore part will be found the more simple

iii


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iv FOREWORDarticles. As these are the pieces the young car-penter will attempt, the drawings have been pre-pared accordingly. Here the customary workingdrawings of the assembled article, with their nu-merous dimension lines, have been omitted. Eachpiece of wood, however, is delineated separately ona series of squares, which not only display thenecessary measurements, but show the relation ofthe various lines all at a glance. The idea of pro-portion is thus accentuated and in a way would beimpossible were the dimensional data displayednumerically instead of graphically.As the more elaborate articles are taken up, how-

ever, this method is not only impracticable onaccount of the number of pieces involved, but isunnecessary to the more advanced workers. Buteven here the text may appear too detailed to thosehaving training in woodworking, but the amateurwill do well to follow the instructions closely, as thesuccessful completion of a piece of furniture willlargely depend on the order of preparing thevarious parts.Many of the structural details involved are not,of course, such as would generally be practiced in afactory where all manner of woodworking machin-ery is at hand, but are planned so that the beginner,with ordinary tools in good condition, will encoun-ter as little difficulty as possible.


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FOREWORD VTO THE HOME CARPENTER

If there is one DON'T that should be impressedmore than any other on the mind of the amateurcarpenter it is DON'T HURRY. Before touch-ing a single piece of wood be sure you know exactlywhat is required and what you are going to do.Success in this sort of work lies in not starting untilyou have a clear and vivid mental picture of eachpart of the thing you are going to make and notstopping until you have made it look exactly likethat picture.Mark out the necessary lines with a sharp pencil,

and as you cut away the extra wood, forget allabout the other pieces, and work on the one in handjust as though everything depended on IT. Ifyou have an interest in what you are doing and willnot hurry or become impatient, there can only beone result and that will be delightfully surprising.One should remember that wood seldom comesfrom the mill exactly according to stated measure-

ments, so that it is always advisable to prepare theprincipal pieces first and then accurately fit theothers in place as the work proceeds.

DIMENSIONSAll figures refer to dimensions in inches, and the

conventional sign has accordingly been omitted.


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vi FOREWORDIn the squared diagrams each of the small squaresrepresents exactly one inch.

MATERIALThe most satisfactory wood for making the many

useful little articles described in the fore part of thisbook is soft pine. This wood is inexpensive, cutseasily and may be had quite free from knots.Often some suitable material may be had by takingapart grocery boxes, although these are frequentlyplaned smooth only on the outside. The best planis to go to the planing mill, where one can usuallyget quite a little stock of odds and ends at a verysmall cost. Among these there should be a fewsmall boards of assorted thicknesses, such as one-quarter, three-eighths and half inch stuff.For the larger pieces oak is the most desirable

and durable wood, particularly for furniture. Ma-hogany and walnut are beautiful woods, but areso expensive as to render their use prohibitive.Poplar is a wood that works easily and may oftenbe used to good advantage in the construction ofdrawers and other parts of furniture not usuallyexposed. Cedar also works easily and takes a finefinish, but is readily marred.

Before beginning the construction of the largerpieces the drawings and descriptions should be care-fully studied, and a list of the necessary pieces


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FOREWORD viiaccurately made out, so that they may all be orderedat once. This will result in securing a more uni-form stock, both as to grade and thickness.Always keep a good assortment of brads and

finishing nails on hand. Never use old bent nails.They are difficult to di^ive straight, and new onescost only a few cents a pound. Many a piece hasbeen spht by attempting to use a nail that is not theproper size.

Sandpaper in different degrees of fineness shouldalso be kept in stock.

TOOLSThe adjoining page shows the principal toolsrequired. For most of the simple pieces one can

get along quite well with only a hammer, saw and asharp knife. Do not under any circumstances buya box of cheap tools simply because there are a greatmany of them, for it is always much better tobuy good tools one at a time as one can affordthem.A good carborundum stone that cuts rapidly andan oil stone for finishing will later be found verynecessary, as it is impossible to do good work andmake reasonable progress with dull tools. As thework proceeds a bench having a carpenter's visewill be found a great convenience. Manual train-ing supply houses now furnish small benches that


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viii FOREWORDembody many useful features and take up but littleroom.A glue pot, with an outer water jacket to preventburning, while not necessary, simplifies the prepara-tion of glue, and a pair of wooden screw clampsare almost indispensable where a strong joint isdesired.


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TABLE OF CONTENTSCHAPTER PAGEForeword "i

To THE Home Carpenter vDimensions vMaterial viTools vii

I Staining and Finishing 1II Things for the Little Ones to Make .... 10

Swing Board 10Coat Hanger HSoap Holder . . . " 12Peck Measure l^*Tool Box 16The Bench Hook 18Candle Holder and Candle-sticks .... 19Candlesticks with Shades 23Match Box 27Tooth-Brush Rack 29Whisk Broom Holder 31Pipe Rack . 33Salt Box ^5Towel-Roller ^7Sleeve-Board 38Stationery Rack 40Bathroom Mirror 42Stationery Cabinet 44


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CONTENTSCHAPTER PAGE

Stationery Rack and Inkstand 45Book-Racks 47Putting Up a Shelf 51Flower Bracket . 54Footstool 56Blacking Stand 57Shoe-Brush Box 59Flower Stand 62Slipper Box 64Umbrella Stand 68Waste-Basket 70

III Furniture You Can Make 74Taboret 74Bench 76Study Table 78Desk with Book Shelves 81Plate-Rack 85Wall Shelves 86Clock-Case and Book-Rack 88Chest 90Suit-Case Stand 93Chair-Ladder 94Tip-Settle 97Library Table 100Hall-Rack 103costumer 104Telephone-Stand and Stool 107Library Table 110Armchair 114Dining Chair .117Music Stand 119Piano Bench 122


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CONTENTSCHAPTER PAGE

Music Cabinet 125Log Basket ' 128Newspaper Basket 129Book Stand 131Magazine Stand 133Sewing-Stand 135Dictionary-Stand 137Chess-and-Checker Table 139Table 14.1Dining Table 144Bedside Stand 146Bedroom Chairs 148Buffet Table 152Morris Chair 155Smoker's Cabinet ; . . . . 158Writing Desk 161Shaving Stand 165Armchair 168Dining Chair 169Taboret 170Book Rack 171Morris Chair 174Settee 178Porch Swing 181

IV White Enamel Furniture 185Bedroom Set, White Enamel 185Bedstead 189Dresser 192Wash-Stand 194Bedside-Stand 196Dressing-Table 198Dressing-Table Seat 200


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CONTENTSCHAPTER PAGEV Lamps for the Home 201Candle Sconce 202Porch or Hall Lantern 204Desk Lamp 207Wall Fixture 210Library Lamp 213

VI Rustic Furniture 218Garden Stand 218Rustic Bench 219Rustic Table 222

VII Flower Boxes 224Rustic Tub 224Hanging Fern Basket 225Geranium Box 226Wooden Jardinieres 227Window Boxes 230VIII Bird Houses 236Log Houses 237Woodpecker House 240Bluebird House 242House for Jenny Wren 244Nesting Shelves 245Nest Shelter 246Martins 247


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CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERS


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CARPENTRYFOR BEGINNERSCHAPTER 1

Staining and FinishingPine can be stained to closely match almost any

of the more expensive and harder woods of whichfurniture is generally made. The hardware storessupply color cards that show the effect of theirstains, which may be had in small cans and areeasily applied. There are three kinds of stains sold

water, acid, and oil stain. Always use the latter,which may be applied with a brush or a rag, rub-bing it well in and finally wiping off with a drycloth all that has not soaked in. Always try thestain on a small block before using.

After the piece has thoroughly dried, which willtake several hours, go over the surface very lightlywith fine sandpaper, and then apply a coat of rub-bing wax, which also comes in small cans and isabout as thick as shoe polish. Rub this in evenly

1


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2 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSall over, rubbing with the grain and real hard forseveral minutes.This simple process results in a very practicalfinish, which may easily be restored when scratchedby rewaxing.The foregoing answers very well for the more

simple pieces, but with pieces of furniture that areto be used daily for years a more elaborate treat-ment is necessary.While accurate building is, of course, the essen-

tial requirement, an otherwise successful articlemay be quite ruined by being poorly finished. Apiece well constructed, substantially built, the grainof the wood accurately matched, the parts soundlyfitted together and the general line of the articleartistic, needs to be properly finished to make it atruly successful piece of work.

Before beginning the finishing of a new piece offurniture one of the most important points con-tributing to success is to have the wood in good con-dition, thoroughly dry and as smooth as it is possi-ble to make it by the use of fine sandpaper. An-other feature that contributes greatly to satis-factory results is rubbing, long and steady; in fact,the more rubbing the furniture gets, the more beau-tiful will be the texture and gloss of the wood, nomatter what variety of finish it may receive. Broadsurfaces, of course, show the effect of rubbing more


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STAINING AND FINISHING 3than the small parts and the tendency usually is toput a great deal of time on them, but in really goodwork every part of a piece should have a smooth,satiny texture.

Briefly stated, the method of treating a new pieceof furniture involves three operationsnamely,staining, filling and finishing. The stain, or wooddye, as it is sometimes called, is applied first andgives the wood the desired shade or color. Whenthe stain is well dried a coat of filler is applied tofill up the pores of the wood, after which thefinishing preparation of wax or varnish is put on,one or more coats being used, each carefullyrubbed.

Although this has been essentially the method ofwood finishing for many years, great progress hasrecently been made in developing a wide variety ofcolor effects and finishing products that give adurable and elastic, semi-glossy surface. Almostevery one is familiar with the exquisite results thatmay be obtained on such woods as mahogany andoak, but few realize the attractive effects that canbe obtained with such inexpensive woods as pine,cypress and chestnut.

Staining,It will be understood, of course, thatan application of stain is only to be made where itis desired to alter the shade or color of the wood.Several of the darker woods look very well when


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4 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSfinished natural, and ash and white maple are some-times kept purposely light.In selecting a stain consult the actual woodsamples usually supplied by manufacturers to thestores handhng their products. If the stain has tobe ordered by mail, send for the color-plates show-ing the actual effect on the wood before ordering.Carefully note whether the color effect selected wasobtained on hard or soft wood, because the softerthe wood, the more stain it will absorb, and the morestain it takes, the darker the resultant shade. This,however, may be easily remedied by thinning thestain with alcohol, gasolene or turpentine, asrequired by the directions on the can. The latter isnecessary if it is an oil stain, which variety is themost easily applied for the reason that it dries moreslowly. In any case it is safer when working witha new product to experiment with a block of theactual wood or on the under side of the article to befinished. Be sure that all drops of glue have beenremoved and that the surface is smooth and with-out greasy finger-marks. Handle the brush in anorderly manner, and do not paint a part simplybecause it happens to be near the brush.

If, for instance, you are staining the square legof a table, start at the top of one side and completethat side before starting another, taking due carenot to carry the brush so full as to cause the stain


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STAINING AND FINISHING 5to trickle around the edges onto the new wood.The best brush for handling thin stains is thatknown as the fitch-brush. In such woods asOregon pine or redwood, the grain may be greatlyintensified by wiping off the surplus stain with asoft cloth before it has had time to soak into themore resinous portions of the wood.When the stain has thoroughly dried, which willtake from eighteen to twenty-four hours, it will be

found that the wood feels rough and that the stainhas raised the grain. This is soon remedied, how-ever, by rubbing lightly with OO sandpaper,which, if held in the hand without a block, will givea smoother surface than ever. If, after wiping offthe dust with a soft rag, it is found that more con-trast or a darker shade is desired, apply a secondcoat of the stain.

Filling.Wood fillers are made in two formspaste and liquid. The former is used principallyfor open-grained woods such as chestnut, oak andash, and the latter for soft woods such as whitewood,pine or cypress. The filler may be had in a varietyof colors resembling the different woods, and alsowithout any coloring matter, in which case it iscalled "natural" or "transparent" filler. The fillershould be about the consistency of flowing varnishand be applied with a brush, thoroughly rubbing itinto the pores of the wood. After five or ten


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6 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSminutes, when the gloss will have deadened, wipeoff the surplus with a soft rag and then allow thepiece to stand overnight. If the filler is found tobe quick-drying, then only a small section of thesurface should be covered at a time so that thesurplus may be wiped off readily. The filler isonly intended to fill the pores of the wood andshould be wiped off against the grain. With open-grained woods, such as oak and chestnut, the mostbeautiful effects may be obtained by using a lightfiller, which does not affect the general color, butmerely brings out the fine texture and flake of thewood.

Quite often the staining and filling can be donemore advantageously while the piece of furnitureis in sections. For example, a table before the finalassembling may consist of the top, the two completeends, and the foot-boardfour sections, all ofwhich can be stained and filled before puttingtogether, thus leaving only the finishing to be doneafter the table is finally set up. In chairs andother articles requiring upholstering most, if notall, of the finishing may be done before the leatheror other material is attached.

Finishing,The wood is now of the proper colorand presents a smooth and continuous surface,which must now be protected by means of the finish-ing coat. The most easily handled finishing mate-


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STAINING AND FINISHING 7rial is prepared wax, which is put up in varioussized cans and can be well applied with a soft cloth.The polishing may commence about fifteen minutesafter applying. It is usually done with a polishing-mitt, although a dry cloth will answer the purposequite as well. No particular care is necessary inputting on the wax, as any overlapping does notshow after polishing.

There are many excellent finishing preparationson the market having wax in composition, whichare sold under suggestive trade names. These areusually applied with a brush, and are put up invarious sized cans, upon which will be found anyspecial directions required in applying them.Should it be desired to secure a rather harder andmore impervious surface than that afforded by asingle application of wax, a coat of thin shellac maybe applied before waxing or applying the finishingcoat. Pure shellac varnishthat is, dry shellacdissolved in grain alcoholis very quick-dryingand is therefore a rather troublesome material toapply uniformly, particularly on a large surface.There are, however, many preparations marketedunder fancy names that serve the same purpose asshellac and can be much more easily applied.After this coat has thoroughly dried go over thesurface with the finest sandpaper obtainable beforeapplying the filler.


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8 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSThe high polishes so popular in the past were

secured by the use of varnish, which is a resinoussubstance incorporated with oils, turpentine, etc.After each coat the surface is thoroughly rubbedwith pulverized pumice-stone and linseed-oil. Thedull, wax-like finishes, however, are now meetinggeneral favor, deservedly so, for the reason that thesurface may be freshened up at any time by a fewminutes' application of the polishing-mitt.Fuming,One of the most popular finishes

among craftsmen is the rich nut-brown shadeknown as "fumed oak"a finish that will harmon-ize with almost any scheme of interior decoration.In producing the genuine finish, the white oak isplaced in air-tight receptacles containing pans ofammonia, the fumes from which enter the pores andeffect a chemical change in the tannic acid, whichis prominent in this wood. After a day or so thewood is discolored to a considerable depth and isready for the filling preparation.When the amateur goes to the paint-store to pur-chase the necessary supplies, he will be rathersurprised, if not positively confused, at the greatvariety of preparations bearing elaborate nameswith which he will be totally unacquainted. Butkeeping in mind the fact that these are only namesfor a filler, a varnish or a wax preparation, he will


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STAINING AND FINISHING 9not experience much difficulty in getting exactlywhat is wanted.

Puttying,No good carpenter ever uses verymuch putty, but when one is just starting there issure to be a crack or a seam, as well as some nailholes, that will require filling in. Always work upthe putty in the hand until it is soft and free fromlumps. Never attempt to apply it to new wood,because the wood will absorb the oil and the puttywill crumble out. See that the oil stain runs wellinto the places to be puttied and also work up alittle stain with the putty so that it will match thewood. Never apply the putty until the wood isperfectly dry.


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CHAPTER 2Things for the Little Ones to Make

MAKING A SWING BOARD"A swing board," you say, "that's easy. Who

doesn't know how to make a swing board?" Ofcourse it is easy, and because it is so it is a good

example to show that


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 11Next take the compasses and draw the circles forthe rope and the curve at each corner, placing

thepoint of the compasses exactly on the points markedwith the black dots in the drawing. Bore the twoholes for the rope and saw out the tapering pieceat each end so that the rope can just be forced intothe holes. Round off the corners, sandpaper theedges and you will have a board that will not catchand tear or fall off.

COAT HANGERA coat hanger is another simple thing to make

provided you go at it in the right way. A paperpattern should first be made, and for this we willneed a piece of smooth wrapping paper large

COAT HAN6ERenough for us to mark out three rows of one-inch squares, fifteen squares to the row. Tack thisdown and then tie a piece of string to a lead pencilin order to draw the two curves, which is a veryeasy matter when the other end of the string is tiedor looped around a tack. For the top curve the


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12 CARPENTRY FOR BEGlNkiJflS *string should be thirteen inches long and nineteenfor the lower. In order to place the curves prop-erly on the squares, keep shifting the tack until thetwo ends come out just right. We must now geta piece of wood about three quarters of an inchthick and fifteen inches long, and mark out thepattern on it. The hanger is then to be carefullysawn out with the keyhole saw, after which theedges should be planed smooth and rounded off andthe whole piece finally gone over with sandpaper.Next bore a small hole in the center at the top, andthen make a hook out of good stout wire, the end ofwhich should be pushed through the hole and bentover to keep it from coming out, after which a coatof thin shellac will complete the task.

SOAP HOLDERWe must now try our skill at making something


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 13consisting of more than one piece, and see howclosely the different parts may be fitted together.A good example to begin with is the soap holderillustrated. From the working drawing may belearned all the necessary sizes when it is remem-bered that each of the small squares represents ex-actly one inch. The wood should be about three-eighths of an inch thick. First saw out the back,neatly rounding the twoupper corners and boringtwo quarter-inch holes forhanging. Next preparethe front piece, and seethat it is exactly the samelength as the back. Bothpieces should be sand-papered smooth and flat onthe ends. Do not hold thesandpaper in the hand, butwrap it on a small flatblock, or you will surelyrub off too much on oneside and so spoil the out-line. The two ends arenow to be marked out,using a sharp pencil andthe square, and finishedaccurately to line, after


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14 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSwhich the four pieces may be nailed together, usingtwo or three small wire nails for each connection.The bottom is now to be sawn out just large enoughto fit inside. Bore a number of quarter-inch holesin this, as shown in the working drawing, and thennail in place.

Before using the holder it should be well oiled,and may also be painted with white oil paint togood advantage.

PECK MEASUREWhat boy or girl is there who, when sent to buy

a peck of apples, hasnot felt as thoughpeck measures weregetting smaller allthe time ? If you willread what followsand study the draw-ing, you will be ableto make an accuratemeasure of your own

and will then know exactly what you are getting.You will require some long strips measuringhalf an inch thick and about an inch and an eighthwide. There will be ten side pieces twelve incheslong, three bottom pieces eleven inches, eight endpieces eight inches, and four corner pieces six and


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 15three-quarter inches long. For sawing a lot ofsmall pieces like these, it is rather slow to markeach one out with the square, and so carpentersusually have what they call a miter box, which issimply three boards nailed or screwed together soas to form a trough about four inches wide andabout two feet long. Two pairs of saw cuts arethen made in the sidesone at right angles to thelength and the other at forty-five degrees, whichis the angle the pieces must be cut when we wantto make a picture frame.When you have a miter boxand wish to saw a piece offsquarely, it is only neces-sary to place it in the box,hold it tightly against one side and then work thesaw back and forth in the slits cut in the sides.

J THE


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16 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSto saw the slits for you in just the proper places.

After you have cut all the pieces of the crate tothe proper length, nail up each end complete asillustrated. Next set up the ends and connect themby nailing on the top and bottom strips of eachside, after which it takes but a few minutes to nailon the remaining pieces.

If you should attempt to make this crate outof strips not exactly the size given, some allowancemust be made in the length of the side pieces, as theinside dimensions must not be changed,

TOOL BOXIt may be a slat on the chicken coop is broken,perhaps a picket on the front fence is loose or

something is wrongwith the wireless out-fit on the top of thebarn but whateverit is you will find ita great convenienceto have a box with a

handle so that you can carry the necessary tools andnails to where they are needed to make repairs.

There are six pieces of wood in the box illus-trated, and you will get a clear idea of their sizesand shapes from the working drawing, in whicheach small square represents exactly one inch. The


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 17boards should be one-half inch thick, but if theyare a little thicker it will not matter, provided youproceed in the proper order.

First saw the side and end pieces off squarelyto the exact length. Nail these together and thenmeasure the size of the bottom, which should nextbe nailed on. The center piece is six inches wideand should now be cut just long enough to fit insnugly between the ends. Mark out the upperpart as shown in thedrawing, but beforecutting off the tri-angle at each of theupper corners, boretwo one-inch holesand cut out the woodin between them, soas to form the handle.Nail this piece inplace, exactly in thecenter, driving thenails in through theends and up throughthe bottom.

Sometimes theseboxes are divided upon one side with several thin cross partitions, so asto form a number of pockets for the different sizes


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18 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSof nails and screws that are generally used. If sucha box is desired, one of the sides must be left offuntil the small partitions are securely fastened inplace by nailing in through the center board.A box for holding knives and forks in the kitchenmay be made in the same way as the plain toolbox, except that it is not so large and the wood isthinner.

THE BENCH HOOKIn sawing small pieces such as the side boards

of the tool box just described, it is often more con-venient to saw them on the work-bench instead ofholding them on a box with the knee. To do thisone must have

what is calleda bench hook.The way it isused is clear-ly illustrated,but its full ad-vantage can-not be appre-

ciated until it is tried. It consists of a small boardabout four inches wide and eight inches long witha little cross-strip nailed squarely across each endone on top and one below. The lower one catchesthe edge of the bench and tbe top one keeps the

VJHATXME: BENGM

HOOK 15 FOR-


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 19board being sawn from slipping back. When oneattempts to hold a piece of wood on the bench whileit is being sawn, it will almost always shift backand forth with the saw, because there is nothing topush against, but with the bench hook one can leanslightly forward and very easily hold the woodsteadily against the back piece of the hook.

CANDLE HOLDER AND CANDLE-STICKSOur little problems thus far have largely been a

matter of getting ready. We must now get rightdown to business and make something just asneatly as we can, so that when it is stained andrubbed it will look goodenough to stand on the side-board. Let us try the littlecandle holder.

First get a hard lead pen-cil and make it quite sharp.Carefully mark out the baseboard on a smooth piece ofwood, making the cornersexactly true by means ofthe square. Saw this outand then make the edgessmooth by means of a piece of sandpaper wrappedon a small flat block. (Never use the sand-paper without the block if you want the edges


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20 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSto be flat and the corners sharp.) Hold itflat and rub back and forth without rocking fromside to side, otherwise you will spoil the outline.If you have no vise to hold the wood in place, braceit against some projection to aid you in holding itsteady. The square center block is next in order

h24H^".IT

1 i


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 21diagonal lines from corner to corner. Before cut-ting this piece out it would be best to bore thecentral hole for the candle, because the larger thepiece of wood the less apt is it to split. This alsoapplies to the hole in the small piece that forms thehandle. The top and handle may be fastened onwith some small brads, but a neater job will resultif we use a little glue instead of the nails. Paintthe top of the center block with glue and let thisthoroughly dry. Then apply another coat and alsocoat the under side of the top block, which shouldthen be put in place and some heavy weights placedon it overnight. The handlemay then be fitted in andfastened in the same way.The candle-stick is made

in a similar manner. Thebase consists of a smallblock on top of a larger onewith a very small block onthe bottom at each corner.The long center piece

should first be smoothedup perfectly square, afterwhich the corners shouldbe cut away as indicatedin the drawing, and ahole the size of a candle


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22 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSbored in the center of the top to depth of aboutthree-quarters of an inch. These pieces may allbe nailed together without any of the nails show-

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ing, but the small top block should be glued on aswe did before. As you sand-paper the edges of thedifferent pieces smooth, test them often with thesquare to make sure that you are not rubbing oneside down more than another. This applies par-


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 23ticularly to the bottom end of the long center piece,which must stand perfectly straight.The pieces should be stained to match the fur-

niture of the room where they are to be used andrubbed with wax, as previously described.We now present a pair of candlesticks of more

elaborate construction and intended to be providedwith ornamental shades, which may be had in manyattractive forms at the department stores at a veryreasonable cost. Those who wish to make theirown shades from cardboard and colored papers will


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24 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSfind instructions for laying them out at the conclu-sion of this subject.The construction of the candlestick at the left

should start with the base, which, after having beentrimmed up perfectly square and sharp on theedges, is to receive a square mortise in the center tohold the lower end of the post. Then cut the postto length and tenon it to match the base, after whichaccurately mark off the fluting in the sides with asharp pencil. A sharp gouge will be necessary inworking on these half-round grooves. Work fromboth ends toward the middle, and slowly. Nowbuild out the top by the addition of four smallpieces, which are fitted together at the corners withmiter joints. Attach with glue, and clamp firmlyuntil dry. The four small foot blocks, and theblock on top of the base are now in order. Inmaking the latter be careful not to split it whilemortising. Now attach these five pieces with glueand small wire nails. The hole in the top of thepost for the candle is now in order, after which thepost may be fitted into the base and made securewith glue and a couple of nails driven in frombelow.

In constructing the base of the candlestick at theright some little care will be necessary in workingthe base block into the pyramid form. Firstsquare it up accurately and then draw all the neces-


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 25sary guide lines, after which take a fine saw andremove two sides opposite to one another. Finishthese down to line before starting the other twosides.

Mortise a square hole in the center and finish

with sandpaper. Prepare the center post as in theprevious case except that the sides are left plain.Make ready the four curved brackets, and in finish-ing their edges work up all four together so as toavoid rounding. Now fit together the whole, andafter marking off the position of the brackets on


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26 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSthe post and base, set up permanently with glue.Clamp tightly until the glue sets.To lay out conical shade: Given the top andbottom diameters and the height, make a paper

pattern: on a largesheet of paper drawout the shade andthen continue theslanting side lines upto an intersectionwith this point as acenter draw a largeand a small circle asshown, after which itonly remains to stepoff a distance alongthe larger arc equalto the circumference

of the bottom of the shade. This may be donemathematically, graphically, or simply by rollingup the pattern until the proper diameter is secured.In the construction of the square tapering shadeuse a cardboard frame and fill in the four panelswith either plain or figured tissue. To make acardboard frame first lay out a pattern of one of thesides, and cut it out so that it can be marked off onthe cardboard. Repeat this operation four times,using rather thin, tough cardboard. The first and


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 27last sections may be joined by passe-partout tape,after which the top is filled in with a square piecehaving a round hole in the center just large enoughto fit over the shade holder.

MATCH BOXA match box, a place to strike a light, and acalendar all in onea practical and interestingproblem for any boy or girl carpenter. One canalways find a neat calendar pad, which is easilypasted in place, anda piece of emery-cloth or sandpapermakes the finest sortof a place to scratcha light. Either maybe renewed as often

1


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28 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSset on the points marked with the black dots onthe drawing, draw the necessary curves. Nextjoin these up with pencil and ruler, and then care-fully proceed to saw away the unnecessary wood.Do not saw quite down to the pencil marks, as asmall margin must be left for trimming the edgessmooth with knife and sandpaper. Apply the try-square every now and then to make sure you arenot cutting the edges off on the slant. If you canfind some round article of a size that will just fit


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 29together and to the back board, and then fit in thebottom.

If a calendar is not desired, the size of the backmay be cut down a little as shown in the secondmatch box, but the lower part will be the same inboth.The wood should be stained, waxed and well-

rubbed. The emery-cloth or sandpaper for strik-ing the light may be pasted on or tacked in placewith brass-headed nails. Cut the piece squarelyand round the corners slightly. Do not use a goodpair of scissors or your best knife for cuttingemery- or sandpaper, as it will take the edge off.TOOTH-BRUSH RACKTooth-brushes look

so much alike that it isreally very necessary tohave a separate placefor each brush, and asit is not sanitary tohave the damp bristlesrubbing around onsome dusty surface, weshould either hang thebrushes up or standthem on end. As mostbrushes have no holes

1


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30 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSin the end, the best plan is to make the httle rackillustrated, which makes a very neat addition to thebathroom when it is white enameled. This enamelcomes in small cans and is applied with a brush justlike paint. While one coat will do, a much nicer


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 31the holes in a piece several inches too long and thencutting off the ends to the proper length. Assoon as the point of the bit comes through, turnthe wood over and bore from the other side, so asnot to make any splinters. Sandpaper the insidesand edges of the holes perfectly smooth. In thebottom piece three hollow spots must be gougedout to keep the lower ends of the brushes fromslipping around. Set the points of the compassesone-half inch apart and mark the corners forrounding. Attach the top and bottom pieces to theback by nailing in from behind, and after theenameling is done place a screw eye in the top forhanging.

WHISK BROOM HOLDERThe little whisk broom holder which we are now

going to construct makes a veryneat and practical present. Wefeel quite sure that any boy or girlwho presents this to his or hermotherafter it is all stained andwaxed, with a neat little calendarpad in placeis pretty sure to berepaid with some nice new tools.The back and sides should be

one-half inch thick and the front piece one-quarterinch thick. From the drawing it will be noted that


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32 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSthe back board is five by nine. Square up the endsand mark out the outhne very lightly with a sharppencil, remembering that it is not necessary to coverthe entire board with squares as in the draw-ing. Use the compasses to get the proper curves,and when these are sawn out with the fret saw,


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 33all night. Bore a hole near the top so that it maybe hung up and then stain and rub with wax, afterwhich paste on the calendar pad.

PIPE RACKIn the making of this pipe rack there is room

for the young carpenter to exercise considerableingenuity, particularly in arranging the decorationin the center. Ifa nice shiny pic-ture tile can befound, the woodshould be hol-lowed out and thetile set in, or, if itis not too thick, itmay be held onthe outside bymeans of smallstrips fastenedaround like aframe. If a tilecannot be found,a picture printedon card or heavy paper will answer, but this mustnot be put on until after the staining and waxing isdone. When the time comes, use a little glue andpile on heavy books to keep it from wrinkling.


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34 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSThe wood should be three-quarters of an inch

thick. The pattern may be marked out directlyon the board or upon a smooth flat sheet of paper.

After studying thedrawing it will benoted that the out-line is controlled byparts of circles drawnfrom the five centerpoints indicated bythe black dots.When these circlesare drawn, no diffi-culty will be found incompleting the out-line with pencil andruler. As the com-passes will not belarge enough todraw the top curve,drive in a pin at the

point A and use a piece of string looped aroundthe pencil. Saw away the extra wood, cuttingalmost to the hne, then trim with the knife andplane, finishing with sandpaper on a block. Inorder to get the edge flat all the way round, testit every little while with the square, otherwise youare sure to spoil the outline.


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 35The pattern for the shelf piece may be readily

sketched out on paper if three rows of one-inchsquares are first drawn. The pencil and string willagain be found useful in di^awing the long curve.Bore the holes before trimming the edges off, andas soon as the point of the bit is felt comingthrough, take it out and bore from the other side, soas not to tear off splinters. Sandpaper the insidesand the edges of the holes smooth and thenfasten the shelf in place with nails driven in frombehind.The three large rings may be used for more pipes

or else for neckties. If the rings cannot be foundaround the house, the harness store can supplythem, and also the small strips of leather to attachthem, all of which should be done after staining andwaxing. SALT BOX

It is always advisable to stand well with the cook,and one sure way of accomplishing this is to makethe neat little salt box illustrated, and hang it up inthe kitchen at the most convenient point.The wood should be about three-eighths of an

inch thick and cut according to the working draw-ing, in which each small square represents exactlyone inch. First make the back and then the sides.Fasten these together by nailing from behind.ISText fit in the front and then the bottom, which


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36 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSgoes clear inside of the other pieces. When theseare all nailed up, the lid should be fitted so as to

lift up and down easily withoutbinding or leaving gaping seamsat the sides. After rounding theback edge of the lid, set it inplace and very carefully drive ina small nail through each side atthe top corner into the lid so as toserve as a hinge. The place for

these nails is indicated by the black spot on the pat-tern for the side, but do not drive the nails clear in


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 3Tuntil you have tried the hd to see that it raises upproperly, and have also applied the necessary finish.This box may be white enameled or shellackedover the natural wood without staining.

TOWEL-ROLLERDo not start to make a towel-roller until you

have found a piece of round wood, such as a cur-tain pole, suitable for the roller. All the old paintand varnish shouldbe removed and thesurface sandpaperedfresh and clean. Theback piece should beabout a half inchthick and twenty inches long, although this meas-urement may have to be changed a little if thetoweling is of some special width. The shape ofthe end blocks is clearly shown in the drawing. Ahole about a half or three-quarters of an inch indiameter is to be bored in the center half-way

through, after whichthe wood extendingfrom the hole to thetop of the block is tobe cut away, so thatthe roller may beslipped in. Saw off


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38 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSthe lower front corner of each block and attachby driving nails in through the back. The ends ofthe roller are now to be worked down evenly allthe way round, so that it will run freely betweenthe end blocks.The finish may be white enamel or shellac var-

nish on the natural wood, depending on the wood-work in the room where it is to be used.

SLEEVE-BOARDIroning shirtwaists and pressing suits is hard

work at best, and, as every girl and boy wishes tohave their clothes look neat, the least that the youngcarpenter can do is to get out the tools and make a

neat little sleeve-board so that every conveniencemay be at hand.Before starting the actual construction, consult

with mother or sister and see whether the thirty-inch board shown in the drawing would be themost convenieifl size. Should some slight changebe found necessary in the top, it is not likely thatthe lower part need be changed, but even should


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 39one wish to change it all around, no difficulty willbe found as the small squares

indicate the properproportions.The top and bottom pieces are two one-inch

boards, which measure seven-eighths after beingplaned at the mill. Be sure that the pieces selectedhave no knots, or the resin will come out with theheat. Draw a five-inch circle at one end of the

top

30


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40 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERScorners, so that they will not catch whatever isbeing pressed. Fasten this piece in place by driv-ing nails in through the bottom, and then nail onthe top. In order to have these pieces properlycentered, mark out the position of the center pieceon both the top and bottom. All corners should bewell rounded and sandpapered smooth.

STATIONERY RACKA stationery rack is something that may be madein a very short time, but if it is made as it should

be, with the outlinesharp and true andthe seams all closelyfitted, it will requirea lot of care and at-tention.The size will de-

pend somewhat onthe size of the sta-tionery one uses, but

any slight change in the width and height need notaffect the depth from front to back or the curvedoutline.

On the end pieces mark out some one-inchsquares, using the steel square to see that they aretrue. Set the points of the compasses exactly oneinch apart and then with the pointed end on each


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 41of the four center points marked by the black dotsin the working drawing, draw four quarter circles,and you will immediately have the proper shapefor the ends. Before sawing these out with thefret saw, cut out a strip along the front of eachend board just wide enough to let the front pieceset in. Place thetwo ends togetherand sandpaper theedges flat andsmooth. For thecurves wrap thesand paper aroundsomething round,such as a can abouttwo inches in diame-ter. The front andback pieces are plainboards, sawn off per-fectly square on theends. If you haveany trouble in keep-ing the edges frombecoming roundedwhile sandpaperingthem, nail the frontand back to the ends so that they will project be-yond just a trifle, and then after the bottom is fitted


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42 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSin you may sandpaper them off exactly even withthe end boards. The center board now remains tobe closely fitted in place, but before nailing this in, itand the rest of the rack should be stained the desiredshade and rubbed with wax, as it would be veryinconvenie^jt to g^t at tRe.in^ijle after the^ijenterpiece is in *j)fece.J The neads of "Hlie small ^braSsused in the construction should be well set into thewood and puttied over.

If you happen to have some large clamps andgood glue, the front piece may be put on withoutnails. If you try this have everything ready beforeputting on the glue.BATHROOM MIRRORA combination of

a towel-roller and amirror is now pre-sented. Before pro-ceeding with it, firstprocure the mirroritself. While the di-mensions given arequite usual, yet thereis no absolute stand-ard among the mak-

ers. It would also be well to give some considera-tion to the towel supply and the required width.


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 43after which it is a very simple matter to determinethe remaining dimensions of this convenient article.The first object will be to make the rectangularframe with mortise connections, and then corner

out the back edges around the opening to hold theglass. The vertical pieces, it will be noted, extenddownward to hold the shelf-brackets, which maynow be made ready. If a roller-towel is to be used,one bracket must have a hole clear through, so thatthe roller may be withdrawn. It then remains onlyto make the shelf and assemble the parts. Glue themortises; fasten the other pieces with screws frombehind, and glue.


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44 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSPCS.2212

Mill Billdimensions% X SM X 20%x 31/4x16% X 3% X 22

^ %3\i:X 5STATIONERY CABINET

The little stationery-cabinet would delight a smallsister or brother of school age, and be very useful

to many an older per-son. For any onewho has no desk itwould be most con-venient, as a neat lit-tle stationery-cabinetpractically trans-forms a table intoa desk. Ink, pens,pencils, stamps, wax,

and the seal may all be placed in the little drawer,and two sizes of stationery, envelopes, and corres-pondence may all be disposed of in the space above.Before adopting the dimensions given, considerthem carefully in relation to your own special re-quirements, and any changes desired should beworked out full size on a sheet of paper. Thenagain, the thickness of the wood is subject to greatvariation, and may be reduced quite a little if thehome carpenter feels competent to handle it.


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 45Those who can plane narrow slots across the twoend boards to hold the ends of the top, bottom, andshelves, may make all connections merely with glueothers will have to supplement the glue with some


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46 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSboy or girl may make for a few cents. Besides thewood, all that is needed is a small glass ink pot,such as is used in school desks.There are but five pieces of wood and these are

only one-quarter of an inch thick. First mark outthe sides very carefully. Make the curves with

the compasses and then cut the wood exactly toline. The upright pieces are set into slots cut inthe sides, so be sure that these slots are just largeenough to make a tight fit. After the two sidesare cut to line, place them together, sandpaperthe edges flat and smooth, and hollow out theplaces for the pen and pencil. The two uprightpieces require no attention aside from having theirends made smooth and the corners rounded. Thelast of the five pieces is for the ink pot, and should


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 47have a hole bored or sawn in the center just largeenough to hold itfirmly. Fasten eachside to this piece withtwo nails and thenset the uprights inplace, applying a lit-tle glue in the slotsalready cut in theside pieces. Beforeallowing these to set,however, be sure thatthe sides are perfectly parallel and stand straight.It now only remains to find something round fora cover for the ink pot. If a suitable cover can-not be found, simply cut out a neat disc of thinwood and fasten a small loiob on top in the center.

It will often be found more convenient to stainand wax the different pieces after they are all per-fectly fitted, but before nailing them together.When the article is completed all finger marksshould then be removed by going over the surfaceagain with the waxy rag.

BOOK-RACKSWhile we are furnishing up our desk it would be

well to consider the question of a book-rack for it.The rack illustrated is large enough to hold all of


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48 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSyour study books or

gjl may be used to holdthe current booksbeing read by therest of the family.The end boards

should be three-quar-ters of an inch thickand carefully marked

out, as shown in the working drawing. If the sharppoint of the compasses is placed exactly at thecenter points indicated by the black dots, no diffi-culty will be found in getting the curves. Theonly trouble will be in cutting the edge of theboard exactly true with your lines. Do not sawtoo close, and when trimming off, frequentlytest with the try-square, or you will be almostsure to cut away too much on one side. Whenboth ends are finally worked down to line,place them back to back, with penciled sides out,and sandpaper the edges until they are exactlyalike.The two side boards should be about five-eighths

of an inch thick and require only to be sawn offperfectly square on the ends and exactly the samelength. Mark the places where these go on theend pieces and then nail the whole together. If youhappen to know how to use dowel pins, the pieces


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO IMAKE 49


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50 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSthat is, each piece is reduced to one-half its thick-ness at the point of crossing, little more need be saidas to the construction.

First cut the several pieces to the proper lengthsand then point up the ends, taking due care that all

CZ3/de V/cw T

_^jJLJ7z

ndV/ew

b g ^^-^ sBOOI


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 51each end, putting the pieces together with glue andclamping tightly. Finally connect the two endswith the side pieces. The four feet should each becovered with felt.

Mill BillPCS.


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52 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSthe top screws are to be put, stands out from thewall, set the brackets a little forward on the shelfboard so that the back edge will naturally hangagainst the wall and you will find this sort of ashelf very safe and steady.A much more interesting task, however, is to

make the small clock bracket illustrated. The lay-ing out of the sides is in itself an interestinglesson in curves. By examining the working draw-ing we find the back is eight by ten inches. Geta smooth flat board not less than one-half inchthick and lightly mark out the one-inch squareswith a sharp pencil. Examine the drawing againand you will notice that there are two side curves,a top curve and one for the bottom. Each curvehas its own center, the position of which is clearlyindicated in the drawing by a black dot. Place


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 53the sharp point of the compasses on each of thesedots and spread the pencil point until it touchesthe outside line at the top, bottom or side of theboard, as the case may be. With these curvesdrawn, the rest of theoutline may be finishedin a few minutes.The curve of the small

piece under the shelfboard is not part of a cir-cle and must be sketchedin freehand after thesmall squares are drawnas a guide. The shelfboard requires no specialattention after the endsare made perfectlysmooth and square, ex-cept to have its cornersrounded. Fasten thisto the back board bymeans of nails driven infrom behind, and thenattach the bracket piecein the same manner,after which drive in twonails down through the shelf.The bracket may be hung upon the wall by a nail


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54 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSin the center, or better still, by one at each corner.In this case the holes should be about a quarter ofan inch in diameter, and in order to hide the headsof the two nails set in the wall, shape up two three-quarter inch squares of wood about one-quarter ofan inch thick, and then whittle them to a dull point,as illustrated. By gluing one of these on at each ofthe upper corners, the supporting nails will be com-pletely hidden.

FLOWER BRACKETThe department stores

nowadays sell so many beau-tiful brass and potteryflower jars at a very lowprice that there is no excusefor any house not having alovely hanging fern, pro-vided there is a young car-penter at hand to make anicely stained and waxedbracket from which to sus-pend it. From our draw-ing it will be noted that asuitable bracket is not hardto make, as only three piecesof wood are used.The back board is four by


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 55nine inches and should be about one-half inch thick.Three separate curves enter into the form of the topline, but these may be very quickly drawn with thecompasses if you make sure they are centered ex-actly on the points marked with the black dots in theworking drawing. Saw away the extra materialwith the fret saw, and finish the edges smooth withplane and sandpaper. Plane up a strip longenough to make the two pieces that project out,sawing off the one perfectly square and the otherat forty-five degrees, which is the angle made byfolding a square of paper in two from oppositecorners. Fasten the upper one in place by nailingin through the backand then nail on theslanting brace, whichoperation will re-quire a little care inorder to keep frombending the top pieceout of place.This bracket will be

found large enoughfor almost any or-dinary flower jar.Sometimes, however,long, narrow, point-ed jars are used, in

(^l A -


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56 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSwhich case a more slender bracket would be appro-priate. When a change, such as this, appearsdesirable, always mark out the lines of the newpiece full size on a sheet of paper in order to be surethat it will look well.

FOOTSTOOLA footstool is always a handy article to havearound, and one with a place for the hand, so thatit may be readily carried about, is especially useful

in the kitchen. Haven'tyou noticed how the cooklikes to hold the pan inher lap when shelling peasor cleaning strawberries ?and how often the shelf

in the pantry is just a few inches too high! Ourdrawing shows how to make a footstool out of fivepieces only.The material should be seven-eighths of an inch

thick, which is the thickness of one-inch boardsafter the mill gets through planing them. Firsttrim off the ends perfectly square and then sawout the feet with the fret or keyhole saw. Sawout each of the upper corners just enough to allowthe side pieces to fit in evenly with the edges. Theside pieces are now to be marked out in accordancewith the drawing and their edges worked down


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 57smoothly and square with the sides, after whichonly the top remains. Saw the ends of this pieceoff squarely, round the corners, and then with theplane round off the top edge all the way around.To form the opening for the hand, bore two holes

and saw out the wood in between, after which theedges should be worked smooth with sandpaper.Nailthe sides to the two ends, and then fasten onthe top. This may be done by nailing in throughthe top, or more neatly by screws put in fromunderneath from the inside at an angle.

BLACKING STANDBlacking one's shoes is no trouble at all when by

merely lifting a lid you can find everything right


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58 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSat handbrushes, pohsh and allincluding ablock to keep your foot from slipping. This is

exactly what the black-ing stand illustratedprovides.The working draw-

ing clearly shows themethod of laying outthe end boards. Theseand all of the otherpieces are made of inchlumber after it hasbeen dressed smooth.

On the center hne of each end mark a pointfive inches from the bottom, and, with the sharppoint of the compasses placed there draw a six-inch circle, after which draw a line from eachside of this circle down to a point on the bot-tom hne an inch and a half from the outsidecorner. Saw out the piece in between, using theregular saw on the straight part and the keyholesaw on the curves. Finish the edges smooth andsaw out a strip at each side near the top so that theside pieces will fit in. The other pieces are of thesizes noted in the drawing and require nothingfurther than trimming up true and square withsmooth flat ends.In putting together, first nail the sides to the


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 59ends, and then fit in the bottom, naihng it in placethrough the sides and ends. Next nail on one-halfof the top, and thenhinge the other half toit, after which it onlyrequires the addition ofthe foot block to com-plete the stand readyfor staining.The most desirable

hinges for this purposeare the kind know asbutt hinges. A pair ofthese will be necessary,and the width shouldbe about equal to thethickness of the topboards. In order thatthere will not be aspace between the two halves of the top, the woodshould be cut away, so as to let the hinges fit ineven.

SHOE-BRUSH BOXSometimes there is no convenient place to keep

a blacking box, in which case the best we can dois to make a shoe-brush box and hang it on thewall. The back space will hold a pair of brushes.

2SIDE.5 6x162T0P PCS 14-9BOTTOM I0i-I4i


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60 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSand the smaller one in front is for the polish, the

daubing brush and pohsh-ing rag. The constructionis not difficult, and whenthe box is stained a darkbrown or painted black itpresents a neat appear-ance.The two side piecesshould be about a half inchthick, and the back, frontand center piece aboutthree-eighths. To get apattern for the sides, mark

"^ .V out four ro^^ of ;x)ri


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 61accurately drawn. Always use a sharp pencil, anddo not bear down hard. When the outline is com-plete saw it out with thefret saw, after which theedges are to be trimmedand sandpapered. Thetwo sides should be exactlythe same when placed to-gether.The back board is next

in order, and should bemarked and cut out in thesame way as the sides.Bore a quarter-inch holenear the top in the exactcenter for hanging, afterwhich prepare the frontboard, which requires nofurther attention after theends are trimmed offsmooth and square. Besure that this piece is ex-actly as long as the back iswide.The putting together

may now begin. Nailthrough the back into the sides, and then nail on


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62 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSthe front, after which the bottom should be cut sothat it will fit snugly inside. Nail this in place, andthen fit in the center piece, which is fastened inplace by nailing in through the sides.

FLOWER STANDThere is nothing that adds so much to the ap-

pearance of an indoor plant as to place the pot orjar in which it is growing on an attractive stand.

The stand illustrated isvery suitable for this,and may also, of course,be used for other pur-poses.The constructionshould commence withthe side pieces, whichare one-half inch thick.These are all identical,except that two of thefour are one inch nar-

rower, so that when the other two are nailed tothem the stand will be exactly as wide on one sideas another.On a smooth sheet of paper proceed to mark outthe outline in accordance with the working draw-


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 63ing, taking particular care to shape the feet prop-erly. Place the sharp point of the compasses onthe small dots, and draw the necessary circles. Ifthese do not cut the small squares exactly as shown,it means that you haven't got the proper centerpoints. In forming the large opening, first drawthe seven-inch circle, and then the two smallercurves near the top, after which a piece of stringwill be necessary for the side curves. The radiusof these will beexactly seventeeninches, and the cen-ters are on the samecross line as the cen-ter of the seven-inch circle. Simplyrun this line out toeach side, and drivein a tack at theproper point. Whenthe outline is com-plete, cut out with asharp knife or verysmall pair of scis-sors, and then placeit on each of the FLOWERSTANDfour side pieces, which should then be marked out


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64 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSwith a sharp pencil. Saw out the large opening,and shape up the feet, all ver}^ carefully, so as notto tear off any splinters and thus spoil the outline.Trim off the edges, and smooth with sandpaper,after which the four sides may be nailed together.A bottom board is now in order, and should bemade perfectly square and just large enough to fitsnugly inside. The top board, you will note, is tobe large enough to project an inch and a half all theway round, and requires no further attention afterthe ends are worked down with sandpaper on ablock until they are smooth and flat. On the underside of this nail a square piece just large enough tofit inside, after which the top may be put in positionand fastened down by nailing in through the foursides into this under piece.

Stain as desired, and carefully putty all nailholes, after which a good rubbing with wax willcomplete the piece.

SLIPPER BOXThe slipper box illustrated is really a box with

a door in front, the top being padded so as to makea comfortable leg rest or temporary seat. Whenfather or uncle sits down in the evening in the bigchair, his slippers are right at hand, and also a com-fortable place to put his feet. At first glance this


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 65piece of furniture will appear rather hard to make,but when you learn how to go about it, it is quitesimple. Perhapsyou may have to geta little assistancewhen it comes topadding the top, butthere surely will beno trouble in that.

All of the piecesshould be one-inchdressed lumber.Choose pieces thathave a pretty grain and are free from knots. Startwith the two ends. Plane up the edges so that thetwo boards are exactly the proper width, and thenlightly mark off the necessary squares with a sharppencil, using the steel square to keep the lines paral-lel. Place the sharp point of the compasses on theblack dots shown in the working drawing, and drawthe necessary curves. The top curve, however, can-not be drawn with the compasses as it is too large.The center point for this is exactly in the middle ofthe board at the bottom, and the best way is to drivein a tack at this point and use a string. The differ-ent curves must now be joined up with pencil andruler, and when the outline is satisfactorily com-pleted, the sawing out should begin. Saw very


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66 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERScarefully so as not totear off any splinters,and then take theplane and knife andtrim down to line.Test the edges^ fre-quently, or you willbe sure to trim offmore toward one sidethan toward theother. When thetwo are finallyshaped up, placethem together, andsandpaper the edgessmooth with apiece of sandpaper

wrapped on a block. For the curves, wrap thepaper on a round piece of wood.The top, bottom and back boards are all plainpieces of exactly the same lengthall sixteen incheslong. The top piece is the same width as the ends,while the bottom is an inch and a half narrower.The width of the back piece is ten and a quarterinches. Before attempting to put together, pre-pare four square strips, one inch wide and seveninches long. Mark out on the ends exactly where

1


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 67the top and bottom pieces come, and then fasten onthese strips to the inside surfaces of the end boards,all as illustrated in the skeleton view. When thestrips are securelyfastened in place, itis a very simple mat-ter to fasten the topand bottom piecesto them. In all thiswe may use glueand nails, althougha carpenter wouldprobably use screws.Do not fasten any piece in place until you havefitted them aU together to make sure that every-thmg is all right. The back is next to be put inposition, and should be just wide enough to fitsnugly in between the top and bottom pieces with-out leaving any seams. It is then fastened in placeby nailing in through the top and bottom. Thefront is the same as the back, except that it is justenough smaller all the way round to permit of itbemg used as a door. This is to be attached withtwo hinges at the bottom, and if strap hinges ofbrass or copper can be obtained at some arts-and-crafts store, they should be used, but if not, simplyget the best looking hinges you can at the hardware


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68 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSstore. A small knob or cupboard catch to matchthe hinges should also be purchased and placed inthe center near the top of the door.The staining and waxing are now in order, after

which the top is to be upholstered. Go to thefurniture store and get sufficient upholsteringmaterial to tightly pad the top. Pile this on evenlyand draw a piece of cotton or canvas over it, tack-ing it in place after stretching evenly. With thetape, measure the correct size for the final topcovering of imitation leather, allowing enough forturning the edges under. This and about threedozen fancy tacks will complete the job. Tack theleather along one edge of the top board first andthen along the other, after which fasten the ends.Be sure the tacks are evenly spaced.

UMBRELLA STANDAs soon as one decides to make an umbrella

stand he should be on the outlook for a shallowround pan about six inches in diameter, to place inthe bottom to catch the drippings from the wet um-brellas. While a tin pan may be made to answerby enameling it, a brass or copper one will look bet-ter and be more durable.The construction should begin with the two sideboards, which should be smooth, free from knots,and about three-eighths of an inch thick. First


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 69plane the edges off until each piece is exactly eightinches wide, and then mark out the outline in ac-cordance with the workingdrawing, in which eachsquare represents onesquare inch. It will be un-derstood, of course, that itis not necessary to coverthe entire board withsquares, although enoughshould be drawn at eachend to enable one to readilylocate all necessary points.Use the compasses to getthe curves, and be sure thatthe three square openingsare all exactly the samesize. Saw these out neatlywith the fret saw, which should also be used forthe circular opening near the top. The long, nar-row slot may be worked out with the knife, althoughsawing will be the safer way. See that all edgesand corners are finished sharp and true, and thenshape up the top and the two feet at the bottom.A square board for the bottom is next in order,and a large hole should be sawn in the center ofthis to let the drip pan set in. The two cross-pieces at the top remain to be prepared and should


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70 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSbe exactly as long as


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 71can make for the home. There are six pieces inthe basket illustrated, which are laced togethernear the top with strips of white leather, which isalso used to fasten on thetwo large rings that serve ashandles.The six side pieces should

be from one-quarter tothree-eighths of an inchthick. Square them up allexactly the same size, andthen use the compasses todraw the half circle at thebottom of each piece andthe quarter circle at each ofthe upper corners. Do notmark one board from another, but use the com-passes on each one separately. Six quarter-inchholes must now be bored in each piece as in-dicated, due care being taken not to tear off anysplinters.The marking out of the bottom is very simple.On a large piece of smooth paper draw a straight

line AC exactly twelve inches long Place thepoint of the compasses at A and draw a half circlethrough the center point B. Then place the com-passes at C and draw another half circle throughB, after which place the point at B and draw a


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72 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSfull circle through A andC. Join up the pointswhere the circles cut eachother and you will have a]3erfect six-sided figure,which, by the way, is calleda hexagon. Rememberyou do not have to changethe compasses once afterthey are properly set.Saw out the bottom ac-

cordingly, and test theedges with the square, inorder to make sure that thesides will stand straightwhen they are fastened on.Stain all of the pieces thecolor desired and finishwith a thin coat of shellac,

which should be well rubbed with wax when diyall as previously described. Each side piece isnow to be fastened onto the bottom board with twoscrews or nails, the positions of which should first bemeasured and marked out, so as to have them evenlyspaced. When the sides are attached, lace thepieces together at the top, tying the knots inside.Go to the furniture store and get a dozen nails with


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FOR LITTLE ONES TO MAKE 73large fancy heads and drive them in just to one sideof the other nails, so as to cover them up and alsoserve as a decoration.


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CHAPTER 3Furniture You Can Make

TABORETWe are now going to make something that willrequire all our attention. We must remember allthe mistakes we have made in our carpentry expe-

rience up to date and becareful to avoid themfrom now on, becausethis and the bench andtable that follow arefull-sized pieces of fur-niture.In the present case itwill be necessary to

find a smooth flat boardtwelve inches wide fromwhich to cut the top.Get a smooth sheet ofpaper and draw a per-fect twelve-inch square.Mark two points on

each side exactly three and one-half inches from the74


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76 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSexactly as long as the top is wide. Each of thesepieces must be cut down one-half at the center, sothat they will cross one another just as though theywere made from one piece of wood. As soon asthese are fitted nicely and tested with the square,the putting together may commence. Mark theedges of the top to show exactly where the legsshould be fastened, and then nail on the legs, afterwhich the cross-braces should be nailed in place.In order to add a little ornament and at the sametime cover up the nail heads, some small roundblocks should be glued on, or else nails with largebrass or copper heads, such as upholsterers use,should be driven in just to one side of the ordinarynails.

Stain the desired color, shellac and rub with waxall as previously described.BENCH

In making this bench our object ought to beto make something good enough to use indoorsperhaps in the workshop or maybe in the atticwhere the wireless outfit is.While the drawing shows the foot rail fastened

in with a key and tenon, it should be understoodthat this may be omitted if desired, in which casethe rail will be held in place by two nails driveninto it through each end board.


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FURNITURE YOU CAN MAKE 77

Ij||r""''''''\__B

31 JOIAg,


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78 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSjoin them up with pencil and ruler, and the outlineis finished. Saw out the little side curves with thefret saw and those at the bottom with the key-holesaw. Wrap a piece of sandpaper around some-thing round and finish each curve smoothly. Nextsaw off the ends of the top squarely, and cut thet|^!^^si^ pieces the same length, sawing off thelower cctrners as shown. Nail the top to these, care-fully placing them just far enough apart so thatthe ends will fit in snugly between. The ends willnow be fastened by nailing down through the topand in through the side pieces, after which it onlyremains to place the foot rail.

STUDY TABLEEvery boy and girl should have a place in the

house that they may call their own. Each oneshould have a table where they may keep their writ-ing materials and books and read or study whenthey wish to. The present design for a table isone that any careful young carpenter may makewithout any great difficulty. It is, in fact, a com-bination table and book case. The top is madefrom three or more boards held together by stripsnailed across the under side, and, in order to hidethe cracks and at the same time provide a durableworking surface, the top is covered with imitationleather, fastened on with fancy nails. The legs are


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FURNITURE YOU CAN MAKE 79plain boards and are nailed to the cross-stripsunderneath. The shelves are simply nailed inplace and the heads of the nails are afterwardscovered by gluing on some small round blocks.

So you see all the difficult features in table makingare eliminated.

All of the material is one-inch dressed lumber.First make the top, and be sure that the cross-piecesare not only square on the ends, but are put on sothat the legs will come just right when they are fas-tened in place. The four legs are next to be sawnsquarely to the exact length and planed smooth onthe edges. Shape up the lower ends with the fret


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80 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERScome.saw, and mark the places where the shelves will

The four shelf boards are now to be sawn tothe same length and exactlyas long as the cross boardspreviously nailed under-neath the top. In puttingtogether, first nail the twolegs and two shelves of eachend together. Place the top

upside down on the floor, and then nail on the legs.It now remains to fasten on the foot board, for whichscrews should be used, so as not to loosen any of thenails already driven in. Should the table now befound the least bit shaky, brace it by nailing andgluing in some small blocks under the top, andshelves on the inner side of the legs, as shown in

the drawing. If it is desired to have the top lookheavier, nail on strips on the under side all theway around and exactly even with the edge. Afterthe table is stained and waxed, cover the top


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FURNITURE YOU CAN MAKE 81smoothly with some sheets of paper and then puton the imitation leather. Bring the edges cleararound underneath and fasten them with ordinarytacks on the under side. Put in a tack only everyfoot or so until the leather is stretched evenly.When it is finally tacked all the way around, put inthe fancy nails around the outer edge. Be sure tohave them exactly in line and evenly spaced.

DESK WITH BOOK SHELVES

This combination desk and book rack is anotherpiece of furniture that is especially well adapted to


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82 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSthe needs of the student. It can readily accom-modate a library of two hundred books, and at thesame time affords all the advantages of a smallwriting desk. The construction is unusuallysimple.

All the lumber except the back boards is one inchthick. All connections may be made with wirefinishing nails, the heads of which are carefully anddeeply set, and then puttied over. (It might bewell to remark that putty will not adhere to newwood unless the place to be puttied is firstoiled.) The construction should start with the twoten-inch end boards, each one of which should havea little block glued on at the forward bottom cornerso as to provide sufficient material to form theslightly projecting feet. Take due care to have alledges perfectly flat, and square with the sides.The amateur will often find it much easier toproduce a flat edge when two boards are tempo-rarily joined and worked up together. When theseare ready, accurately mark off the position of theshelves. Next proceed with the two boards thatform the sides of the desk cabinet, and work themup in a similar manner excepting that these pieceshave no projecting feet. The two long top boardsare next in order and should be gotten out exactlythe same length and trimmed perfectly square.The upper one is a half inch wider than the one


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84 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSbelow it as the backing does not extend up that far.Next get out the eight shorter shelves, and thenproceed with the putting together. Build up thetwo sets of shelves separately and then connectthem with the two long top boards. The exactlength of the desk board can now be determined.To secure this in position fasten one inch strips tothe sides of the two vertical boards, and then screwthe desk board to these with screws set in fromunderneath. A two and a half inch strip shouldthen be placed underneath to support the over-hanging portion. The back boards should be ofabout half inch stuff and may be attached with wirenails. Any desired arrangement of shelves orpigeon holes for stationery can be placed inside.Each door should be of but one piece and attachedwith long strap hinges of suitable finish.


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FURNITURE YOU CAN MAKE 85PLATE-RACK

In judging a plate-rack, the imagination shouldalways supply a few pretty plates and hang somehalf-dozen dainty cups on the small brass hooks onthe under side of the narrow shelf. The present

design is quite small, and is intended to accommo-date about a score of pieces with which you feelparticularly intimate.The back consists of but one piece, relieved

around the edges with a few simple curves, which,however, on account of their simplicity, must beworked out true to hne and square on their edges.This also applies to the three openings, which willfirst be roughed out with the scroll-saw. The shelfwill then be made and supplied with a small squarestrip on top along the front edge, to keep the con-tents from slipping off. As soon as the twobrackets are ready, the whole may be put together,


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86 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERS9v^^jtM^'Z8.PLATE RACK

using screws set in from behind, and glue, then add-ing the guard-rail.


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The construction is so simple that httle need besaid in this regard. The ends and shelves shouldfirst be made and connected, after which the backWALL SHELVES

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88 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSshould be nailed in place. The connections of theupper two shelves may be made by means of smallblocks glued and nailed in the corners of the twocompartments. Use glue on all joints.The portions of the back that extend above the

top and below the bottom shelf, should be made ofstrips thick enough to hide completely the end woodof the main portion of the back. The doors arenext made ready, and may be of single pieces, orthey may be arranged to contain a small panel inthe center.

Mill BillPCS.


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of both the top and bottom pieces will have to benotched out to fit in the backing. (See end view.)Fit the two ends and shelves together, then nail onbacking, after which place the intermediate shelf.Work up curved strips at top and bottom fromheavier material than backing and secure in placewith nails set in from behind. The two verticalpieces that form the sides of the clock-case arenow in order, after which the face should befitted.


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90 CARPENTRY FOR BEGINNERSGL0CK-GA5E &DOOK !V\CK^

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FURNITURE YOU CAN MAKE 91size, it would be well before proceeding with theconstruction to consult personal requirements andmake any necessary alterations. The interior maybe provided with a tray, as in a trunk, divided intoas many compartments as desired.The greatest difficulty in constructing a chest of

this sort is in gluing up boards for the wide top andsides. If wide pieces of lumber can be obtained, byslightly modifying the dimensions of the chest so asto make use of them, a great d

carpentry for beginners: things to make

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