Mission Furniture Volume I Part 5

The detail showing the pigeon holes gives sizes for 30 openings 3 by 4 in., two book stalls at the ends, 3 in. wide, and two small drawers.

This frame is built up as shown from the 3/8-in. soft wood, and fastened in the back part of the top with small brads.

HOW TO MAKE A ROMAN CHAIR

In making this roman chair, as well as other articles of mission furniture, the materials can be ordered from the mill with much of the hard work completed. Order the stock to make this chair as follows:

4 posts, 1-7/8 by 1-7/8 by 30 in.

2 top rails, 7/8 by 2-3/4 by 20 in.

2 bottom rails, 7/8 by 2-1/4 by 20 in.

2 rails, 7/8 by 4 by 16 in.

2 side rails, 7/8 by 4 by 28 in.

1 stretcher, 7/8 by 3 by 30 in.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Roman Chair]

Have all these pieces mill planed on the four sides straight and square, also have them sandpapered on the four sides of each. Plain sawed white or red oak finishes nicely and is easily obtained. The sizes are specified exact as to thickness and width, but the lengths are longer than is needed. This is to allow for cutting and fitting.

Begin by squaring one end of each post; measure the length 28 in. and, placing all of them side by side, square a line across the four, saw, then plane these ends square. The top and bottom side rails are treated in a similar manner, their length being 19-1/8 in. each. These pieces extend right through the posts projecting 5/8 in. beyond the surface.

The mortises in the posts must be cut smoothly and of exact size. Wood pins fasten these rails and posts together. The other rails have tenons 1/2 by 3 in. shouldered on the two edges and one side. The mortise in the post is placed central. On the ends of the chair the shouldered side is turned in (see photograph), while on the front and back they are turned out. Miter the ends of these tenons. These tenons are to be glued and clamped--the ends of the chair being put together first. When this is dry the sides are clamped. The stretcher should have its ends shouldered on the two edges so as to make a 2-1/2-in. tenon. Allow the tenons to extend 1-1/8 in. beyond the cross rail and cut mortises in these tenons for the keys.

All projecting tenons, as well as the tops and bottoms of the posts, should be chamfered about 1/8 in. For the seat, screw cleats to the insides of the rails and place a platform of thin boards so that its top surface is 1/2 in. below the top of the rails.

A cushion can be made, as shown in the photograph, by lacing with leather thongs two pieces of Spanish leather cut to proper length and width. When nearly laced fill with any of the common upholsterer's fillings.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Details of Parts of Chair]

For a brown stain, dissolve by boiling in 4 oz. of water, extract of logwood the size of a walnut. Apply hot and repeat until the desired color is obtained. Stains can be bought ready prepared, however, and are quite satisfactory. Finish by applying several coats of wax.

HOW TO MAKE A SETTEE

This handsome piece of mission furniture is designed to be made up in three different pieces as desired, the only changes necessary being in the length of the one front and the two back rails. The settee can be made into a three-cushion length by adding the length of another cushion to the dimensions of the one front and two back rails. A companion piece chair can be made by using suitable length rails to admit only one cushion. The following stock list of materials ordered mill-planed and sandpapered will be sufficient to make up the settee as ill.u.s.trated. Oak is the most suitable wood which can be finished in either mission or a dark golden oak.

3 rails 1 by 4 by 52-1/4 in.

4 end rails 1 by 4 by 24-1/4 in.

4 posts 2-1/4 in. square by 34-1/2 in.

13 slats 1/2 by 5 by 21-1/4 in.

2 cleats 1 in. square by 51 in.

All the rails are mortised into the posts for a depth of 5/8 in., also the slats are mortised 5/8 in. into the rails. The material list gives the exact dimensions for the rails and slats as they will not need to be squared for entering the mortises, provided you are careful to get all lengths cut to dimensions. When cutting the mortises take care to get them square and clean. The posts have 1/2 in. extra added for squaring up and cutting the corners sloping on the top ends.

The joints are all put together with glue. Nails can be driven into the posts intersecting the tenons of the rails on the inside, as they will not show and will help to make the settee more solid.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Complete Two-Cushion Settee]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Details of a Mission Settee]

The cushions can be made with or without springs as desired. If made without springs, 15 slats must be provided in the material list 1/2 in.

thick, 2 in. wide and 24 in. long to be placed on the cleats fastened to the inside of each bottom rail. The two cleats are fastened one on each inside of the front and back rails with screws. The location as to height of these cleats will depend upon the kind of cushions used. The parts necessary to make the cushions with springs are as follows:

4 pieces 1 by 2-1/2 by 26 in.

8 pieces 1 by 2-1/2 by 24 in.

4 pieces 1 by 2-1/2 by 22 in.

32 8-in. springs.

2 pieces leather about 29 by 31 in.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Details of the Cushion]

An open box is made from two 26-in. and two 22-in. pieces, and across the bottom are mortised and set in four 24-in. pieces to form slats on which to set the springs. The tops of the springs are tied or anch.o.r.ed with stout cords running in both directions and fastened to the inside of the pieces forming the open box. These should be tied in such manner as to hold each spring so it cannot slip over and come in contact with another spring.

Roan or pebbled leather are very popular for cushions for this style of furniture. The leather is drawn over the springs and tacked to the outside of the open box frame. When complete the cushions are set in loose on the cleats, which should, in this case, be placed about 1 in.

from the top of the rails.

HOW TO MAKE A PYROGRAPHER'S TABLE

[Ill.u.s.tration: Convenient Pyrographer's Table]

Any pyrographer will appreciate the construction of the table and cabinet as ill.u.s.trated. Anyone doing burnt wood work will know the annoyance of building up a steady support for the arm to the level of the article on which the work is to be done. The size of this table may be made to suit the surroundings and the s.p.a.ce of the builder. Figure 1 shows the table with a slot cut in the side support in which to place the thumb screw of the bracket as shown on top of the table. It will be noticed, Fig. 2, that while both drawer and cabinet are available for storing the apparatus, they are not in the way of the operator while sitting at his work; the drawer overhangs the knees and the cabinet is far enough back not to interfere with sitting up close to the work. The bracket shelf slides in the slot at the side of the table, and is fastened to any height by the thumb screw There is also a smaller slide bracket on the shelf to clamp irregular objects to the side of the table. The thumb screws, hinges and drawer pulls can be purchased from any hardware store. When the table is not in use for pyrography it can be used for a writing table or a round top provided and attached on which to play games. When used for this purpose the bracket, as well as the pyrographic outfit, is stowed away in the cabinet as shown in Fig.

3.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Storage for Apparatus]

MISSION STAINS

What is mission oak stain? There are many on the market, with hardly two alike in tone. The true mission oak stain may be said to show a dull gray, the flakes showing a reddish tint, while the grain of the wood will be almost a dead black. To produce such a stain take 1 lb. of drop black in oil and 1/2 oz, of rose pink in oil, adding a gill of best j.a.pan drier, thinning with three half-pints of turpentine. This will make about 1 qt. of stain. Use these proportions for a larger quant.i.ty of stain. Strain it through cheese cloth. j.a.pan colors will give a quicker drying stain than that made with oil colors, and in this case omit the j.a.pan and add a little varnish to bind it.

One of the most popular of all the fancy oaks has been that known as Flemish, and this in spite of its very somber color, says Wood Craft.

There are several ways of producing Flemish finish; you can fill the wood with a paste filler strained with raw umber, and when dry apply a stain of transparent flat raw umber, and for the darker shades of finish use drop black with the umber. Varnish and rub down.

According to a foreign technical journal, French workmen mahoganize various kinds of woods by the following method: The surface of the wood to be stained is made perfectly smooth. Then it is given a coating of dilute nitric acid which is rubbed well into the wood fiber. Then it is stained with a mixture made by dissolving 1-1/2 oz. of dragon's blood in a pint of alcohol, this solution being filtered, and then there is added to it one-third of its weight of sodium carbonate. Apply this mixture with a brush, and repeat the coats at intervals until the surface has the appearance of polished mahogany. In case the l.u.s.ter should fail it may be restored by rubbing with a little raw linseed oil. The description of the process is meager, and hence he who would try it will have to experiment a little.

A good cheap mission effect for oak is to mix together equal parts of boiled linseed oil and good asphaltum varnish, and apply this to the wood with a brush; in a minute or so you may rub off surplus with a rag, and when dry give a coat of varnish. A gallon of this stain will cover about 600 sq. ft.