Mission Furniture Volume III Part 9

All the stock for this bench should be of 7/8-in. oak, excepting the slats, which may be of a cheaper wood. The following list of lumber will be required to build it:

4 slats, 7/8 by 4 by 17 in., cheap wood.

2 cleats, 7/8 by 1 by 26 in., cheap wood.

4 end rails, 7/8 by 2 by 16-1/4 in., oak, S-2-S.

2 ends, 7/8 by 16 by 16-1/4 in., oak, S-2-S.

2 sides, 7/8 by 4 by 25 in., oak, S-2-S.

2 pieces, 7/8 by 5-1/2 by 25 in., oak, S-2-S.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Detail of the Hall Bench]

Start the work by first cutting the two pieces of 7/8 by 5-1/2 by 25-in.

material diagonally 1 in. from each corner, thus making the legs. The edges are planed square and the ends should be rounded a little so that there will be no splinters projecting. The legs are mortised 1 in. deep for the side rails. The tenon ends are cut on the rails, care being taken to get the right angle and a good fit. These can now be fastened together, using hot glue on the entire surface of the joint.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bench Made of Plain Oak]

While these are drying the ends can be made as shown in the plan. The 3 by 4-in. holes are cut at equal distances apart. Be sure that each end is perfectly square, then glue and dowel the 2-in. strips at each end.

The ends are then glued and nailed to the sides, using finishing nails, which are set and the holes filled with colored putty.

The cleats are now fastened, extra care being taken when fastening them over the joints where the legs receive the side rails, as this will help to strengthen the joints. The slats rest on these cleats and are placed at equal distances apart.

The bench is now finished, but before applying the stain, see that all parts are free from glue and are well sandpapered.

The leather cushion should be the loose kind and of a shade to harmonize with the finish.

A SEWING TABLE

This convenient and useful table will be much appreciated by any woman.

It has two drawers for sewing material, and two drop leaves to spread the work upon.

The following list of material will be needed for its construction. The sizes given are exact, so if the stock cannot be bought at a mill ready planed and squared, a slight allowance must be made for this.

4 posts, 1-1/4 by 1-1/4 by 27 in., S-4-S.

9 rails, 7/8 by 2 by 14-1/2 in., S-2-S.

1 top, 7/8 by 18 by 18 in., S-2-S.

2 leaves, 7/8 by 10 by 18 in., S-2-S.

2 drawer fronts, 3/4 by 5 by 13-1/2 in., S-2-S.

4 drawer sides, 3/8 by 5 by 13 in., S-2-S.

2 drawer backs, 3/8 by 4-1/8 by 13 in., S-2-S.

2 drawer bottoms, 3/8 by 12-3/4 by 13 in., S-2-S.

4 drawer slides, 7/8 by 2 by 13 in., S-2-S.

3 panels, 3/8 by 9-3/8 by 14 in., S-2-S.

2 brackets, 7/8 by 3 by 4 in., S-2-S.

Have the surfaces of the legs exactly square with each other. The ends must be square with all surfaces, but need not be planed smooth as neither will be seen in the finished table.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Sewing Table in Plain Oak]

Arrange the rails in position. The two rails in each side and back are placed with the 2-in. surface out, while the three in the front have the 2-in. surface up for the drawers to slide upon. Mark the tenons, 1 in, by 3/8 in., with a knife and gauge lines on each end of the rails for the sides and back. Mark the tenons, 3/4 in. by 7/8 in., as shown in the sketch, on each end of front rails. Cut all the tenons with a backsaw and smooth them with a chisel.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Detail of the Sewing Table]

Carefully mark the mortises in the legs, taking measurements for each mortise from the tenon which is to go into it. Fit together all rails and legs without glue to detect any errors.

See that the panels for sides and back are squared up true and the surfaces smooth. Mark the grooves for the panels in the side and back rails and legs. Cut the grooves with a chisel or plow plane to a depth of 1/4 in.

Glue up the joints and clamp the two table sides first. While the glue is setting, square up and smooth the top and two leaves perfectly.

Now glue up the whole table, having set in the front and back rails and panel. The drawer slides, two on each side, should next be put in. A nail through them and into each leg will hold them, as there is only the weight of the drawers resting on them. Fasten the top with screws through the rails from the under side. The leaves are attached with two 2-in. b.u.t.t hinges which must be set in flush with the under surface to prevent a crack showing between the table top and leaf when the latter is raised. The small bracket hinged to the panel supports the open leaf.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Construction of the Drawer]

The drawers are now made. Allow the side to lap over the front 1/2 in.

as shown in sketch and fasten it with nails. The bottom should be let into the sides and front 1/4 in., but must not be nailed to them, because this would cause the drawer to stick, when the bottom expands.

Metal rings or wooden k.n.o.bs will do well for the drawer pulls.

Stain to any desired shade and finish with a wax if a dull gloss is wanted, or with one coat of sh.e.l.lac and two coats of varnish for a highly polished surface.

A SIDE CHAIR

A companion piece to the chair with arms and the sideboard is the side chair ill.u.s.trated herewith. It should be made of the same kind of wood and finished to correspond with the armchair. Order the following stock list:

2 front posts, 1-1/2 by 1-1/2 by 18-1/2 in., S-4-S.

1 piece for back posts, 1-1/2 by 5-1/2 by 38-1/2 in., S-2-S.

4 seat rails, 1 by 2 by 17 in., S-4-S.

4 lower side rails, 5/8 by 1-1/4 by 17 in., S-4-S.

2 lower front and back rails, 5/8 by 2-1/2 by 17 in., S-4-S.

1 back rail, 3/4 by 2-1/4 by 17 in., S-4-S.

1 back rail, 3/4 by 2 by 17 in., S-4-S.

1 slat, 3/8 by 3 by 13-1/2 in., S-4-S.

2 slats, 3/8 by 1-1/2 by 13-1/2 in., S-4-S.

Square up the front posts to length. From the single piece specified cut out the back posts, giving them the amount of slant indicated in the drawing. Set these four posts upright in the positions they are to occupy relative to one another in the finished piece, and mark off, as with penciled circles, the approximate locations of mortises. After this, lay them on the bench side by side, even the lower ends and locate accurately the ends of the mortises. Gauge their sides.

Saw the rails to length and lay out the shoulder lines and the cheeks of the tenons and cut them. Plan to house the ends of the slats in the back rails.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Side Chair of Dining-Room Set]

While the drawing shows a chair in which the front and back are of equal width, the amateur may make the back narrower if he so desires. A measurement of a common chair will give the proportions.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Detail of the Side Chair]