Mission Furniture Volume III Part 6

2 sides, 3/4 by 3-1/2 by 26 in.

1 piece, 3/4 by 6 by 6 in.

4 blocks, 1 in. square.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Completed Pedestal]

Having the boards for the post cut to the proper length and square, nail them together as shown in the detail drawing. Use finishing nails, then set the heads and fill the holes with putty. Next, nail the 3/4 by 6-in.

piece on one end of the post leaving the edges projecting even on all sides. Pick out the best board for the top. On the under side and 1/2.

in. in from the edges, nail four of the 3/4 by 2 by 11-in. pieces which have been previously mitered as shown in the plan view. Now fasten this top to the post by nailing through the projecting edge of the top piece into the top board. Be careful to get this top on square with the post and exactly in center.

The bottom board is made in the same manner as the top board and is nailed to the lower end of the post as shown. Four 1-in. square blocks should be fastened to the bottom for the pedestal to rest on.

When complete, sandpaper smooth and apply any one of the many mission stains that are supplied by the trade for this purpose.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

After staining the wood, the surface can be given a polished or dull finish, as desired. Mission furniture requires a dull finish, and this may be obtained by applying a coat of wax, well rubbed on the wood.

MAGAZINE RACK

The accompanying cut shows a magazine rack that will find favor with many amateur wood-workers on account of its simplicity in design and its rich, ma.s.sive appearance when properly finished. It is so constructed that each piece may be polished, stained and finished before it is finally put together. Quarter-sawed oak is the best wood to use.

Plain-sawed oak looks well, but it is more liable to warp than quarter-sawed and this is quite an element in pieces as wide as the ones here used. Following is a list of the material needed:

4 posts, 2 by 2 by 40 in., S-4-S.

5 shelves, 1 by 14 by 24 in., S-2-S.

20 F.H. screws, 2 in. long.

Considerable labor can be saved if the material be ordered from the mill ready cut to length, squared and sanded. The corner posts should be made first. The most convenient and accurate method of laying out the mortises is to square one end of each post and lay them on the bench flat, with the squared ends even with each other; then clamp them securely and lay out the mortises on one side across all four pieces at once; then loosen the clamp and project the marks to the other side with a try-square. Now saw along these marks, making each cut just deep enough to bring the mortises diagonally across the piece from one corner to the opposite corner as shown in the detail sketch. Be careful not to get the mortises wider than the shelves are thick. Bevel the tops of the posts as shown.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Detail of the Magazine Rack]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Magazine Rack Complete]

See that the ends of the shelves are square and smooth, then set a scratch gauge so that the scriber is just 2 in. from the face of the block and mark this distance off each way from the corner of the shelves. Saw these corners diagonally across as shown, being careful not to saw off too much.

The parts can now be a.s.sembled. Place all the parts in position, then pa.s.s a rope around each end and twist it up tightly with a small stick.

If this is properly done, you can now pick up the rack and handle it in any way you wish. The screws can now be put in the corners. You can use flat-head screws and plug the holes, or you can use round-head blue screws and let the heads project. After the screws are all in, dress off all unevenness where the shelves are mortised into the posts, then mark each shelf and post so that you can put it together again after the parts are finished. Take the rack apart and transfer the marks to some part of the mortises and shelves that will not be covered with the finish you intend to put on. Apply the finish you wish to use and when the parts are thoroughly dry they can be rea.s.sembled and your rack will be complete.

A HALL TREE

When making the hall tree as shown in the accompanying ill.u.s.tration use quarter-sawed oak if possible, as this wood is the most suitable for finishing in the different mission stains. This is a very useful and attractive piece of mission furniture and is also very easy to construct. The stock can be purchased ready cut to length, mill-planed and sandpapered on four sides as given in the following list:

1 post, 2 by 2 by 59 in.

4 posts, 2 by 2 by 10 in.

8 braces, 7/8 by 2 by 7-1/2 in.

4 arms, 7/8 by 2 by 5-3/4 in.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Detail and Finished View of Hall Tree]

First square up all the posts and bevel them at the tops as shown. Then cut the mortises making them 1/2 in. wide and 7/8 in. deep. Cut the tenons on the braces to fit these mortises. Be careful to get the distance between the shoulders of the braces all of the same length. A good way to do this is to place them all side by side on a flat surface with the ends square and lay them all out at once. The top arms can be made in the same manner. The tenons should fit good and tight in all the posts.

The parts can now be glued and clamped together. When they are dry, sc.r.a.pe all the surplus glue from about the joints and go over the whole with fine sandpaper, removing all rough spots. Apply the finish you like best or the one that will match your other furniture. Purchase a few hooks at a hardware store and fasten in the upper arms as shown, and the hall tree is complete.

A TABLE FOR THE DEN

The table shown in the accompanying sketch is especially appropriate for the den; it might be used in any other part of the house as well. It may be built of plain-sawed red oak, or of quarter-sawed white oak. The wood should be thoroughly seasoned and devoid of imperfections.

Order the material as follows:

1 top piece, 3/4 in. thick by 36 in. square, S-2-S.

4 legs, 2-1/2 in. square by 30 in. long, S-4-S.

2 upper horizontals, 1-1/8 by 2 by 36 in., S-4-S.

2 lower horizontals, 3/4 by 2-1/2 by 35 in., S-4-S.

4 keys, 1/2 by 1 by 5 in., S-2-S.

Lay out and cut the circular top first. Next cut the four legs to length. To get the slopes for the ends of the legs and the shoulders of the tenons, lay out a full-sized drawing in pencil and lay the bevel along these lines, adjusting the parts to the lines.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Table Completed]

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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Detail of a Den Table]

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 quant.i.ty 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 coa.r.s.e 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WINDOW SEAT Fig. 1--The Rough Cedar Box Without the Covering]

A BURLAP-COVERED WINDOW SEAT