Home Training in Cabinet Work

In the brief sketch we have already given of furniture making in this country we made the statement that one of the chief elements of interest in Craftsman furniture is the fact that its construction is so simple and direct and so clearly revealed that any one possessing even a rudimentary knowledge of tools and of drawing and some natural skill of hand could easily make for himself many pieces of furniture in this style. Believing this thoroughly, and also realizing fully the interest that cabinetwork holds for most people and the means it affords of developing the constructive and creative faculties, we have given in The Craftsman a number of designs solely for the benefit of home workers. For a year or two we published, in connection with these designs, full working drawings and also mill bills for the necessary lumber; but we were forced to abandon that on account of lack of space and to give only the drawings showing the finished pieces, for which the working drawings and mill bills were easily obtainable upon application.

We illustrate here a number of these designs, most of which are for pieces that are fairly easy to make and that have a definite use as household furnishings. While the designs of course show the exact models of the pieces they represent, we intend them to have also a suggestive value and to stimulate thought and experiment along the lines of designing and making plain substantial furniture. It has been proven beyond question that the most powerful stimulus to well-defi n e d constructive thought is found in the direction of the mind to some form of creative work. Therefore if a man or a boy has any apt i t u d e along these lines, it is a foregone conclusion that he made many pieces after given models before he begins to think for himself and to make or modify designs to meet his own demands and to afford an opportunity for working out his own problems. Furthermore, as his experience grows, he will naturally discover new ways of doing things that may be better for him to follow than any of the stereotyped rules. We approve thoroughly of the freedom of spirit that leads to such experimenting, for, although we originated the Craftsman furniture, it is just such interest and work on the part of other people that will ultimately develop it into a national style. One warning, however, we would like to give to all amateur workers: that is, that one’s own whims must no more be followed than the whims of other people. We will find plenty of interest and occupation in making things that are actually needed and plenty of exercise for all our creative power in designing them to fulfil as adequately as possible the purpose for which they are intended. So long as this is done there is no danger of the work degenerating into a fad; instead, it is likely not only to give much pleasure and profit to individuals, but to grow until the whole nation once more reaps the benefit that comes from the intelligent exercise of the creative powers in some interesting form of handicraft.

Every one knows the relief to brain workers and to professional men that is found in this kind of work. It not only affords a wholesome change of occupation but brings into play a different set of faculties and so proves both restful and stimulating. A professional or business man who can find relief from his regular work in some such pursuit, which he takes up as a recreation, does better work in his own vocation because he is a healthier and better balanced man and his interest in his home grows more vivid and personal with every article of furniture that he makes with his own hands and according to his own ideas.

As for the means of education afforded by this kind of work, we have no better proof than is shown by the widespread belief in the efficacy of manual training in our public schools, although to a practical craftsman there would seem to be plenty of room for improvement, both as to methods of teaching and the quality of workmanship that is required from the students. Where manual training is taken up purely on account of the mental development it affords, there is a tendency to make it entirely academic. The teachers for the most part rely almost wholly upon theory and have very little practical knowledge of the thing they teach. The result is that a boy is encouraged to “express his own individuality” in designing and making the thing that appeals to him instead of being taught sound principles of design and construction and so guided by a competent worker that all his own work is based upon these principles and is thoroughly done. If the work is merely regarded as play, the theoretical attitude toward the expression of individuality is all right; but if it is regarded as a preparation for the serious business of later life, the result shows that it unfits the student for real work in just such measure as he shows an aptitude for play work.

The introduction of the Craftsman style has practically revolutionized manual training in our public schools, because it has placed at the disposal of the teachers designs of such simplicity and clearness of construction that the work of teaching has been made much easier and the field of manual training has been greatly broadened. Before the introduction of Craftsman furniture, manual training in the schools rested chiefly upon sloyd, which was confined to the making of small articles entirely for the sake of the mental development afforded by the intelligent use of the hands. Now, however, the students of manual training are learning to make furniture after such models as we show here and the very necessary element of usefulness is added to the things they make. The only difficulty is that the craft itself is not well enough understood by the teachers to be imparted to the students in such a way that they derive any permanent benefit from it. The teaching is, as we have said, largely theoretical and the object of the whole training is mental development along general lines rather than the moral development that comes from learning to do useful work thoroughly and well. As cabinetwork is handled in the manual training departments of the schools, it is distinctly a side issue, and exhibitions of the work to which public attention is frequently invited show ambitious pieces of furniture that are wrongly proportioned, badly put together and finished in a slovenly way, thus producing exactly the opposite effect upon the pupil from what is intended. If the State or municipal authorities would see to it that manual training in the form of wood-working of all kinds, and especially the making of furniture, were placed under the charge of thoroughly skilled craftsmen who understood and were able to teach all the principles of construction, the moral and educational effect of such work would be almost incalculable.

In order to make the training of any real value, it is absolutely necessary that the student begin simultaneously with mechanical drawing and the application of its principles to his work as he goes along. If he began with simple models to which could be applied the elementary lessons in mechanical drawing, the laying out of plans, the reading of detail drawings and the like, and would also afford a chance to demonstrate lessons in the use of the square, the level, the saw and the plane;—a good foundation would be laid not only for the understanding of right principles of construction but for the accurate use of tools. A boy trained in this way would be able in future years to put his knowledge to almost any use that was needed. Instead of this the students endeavor to make something that is interesting and that shows well at home or in an exhibition. In fact, the situation now is very much as it would be if a student of music were to take two or three lessons in the rudiments and then endeavor to play a more or less elaborate composition. There is no question as to the benefit that boys, and girls too, derive from being taught to work with their hands; but it is better not to teach them at all than to give them the wrong teaching. No one expects a schoolboy or an amateur worker of any age to make elaborate furniture that would equal similar pieces made by a trained cabinetmaker. But if the student be taught to make small and simple things and to make each one so that it would pass muster anywhere, he learns from the start the fundamental principles of design and proportion and so comes naturally to understand what is meant by thorough workmanship.

There is no objection to any worker, however inexperienced, attempting to express his own. individuality, but the natural thing would be for him to express it in more or less primitive forms of construction that are, so far as they go, correct, instead of attempting something that, when it is finished, is all wrong because the student has not understood what he was about. Unquestionably there are certain principles and rules as to design, proportion and form that are as fundamental in their nature as are the tables of addition, subtraction, division and multiplication, with relation to mathematics, or as the alphabet is as a basis to literature, but they are not yet formulated for general use. The trained worker learns these things by experience and comes to have a sort of sixth sense with regard to their application, but this takes strong direct thinking, keen observation and the power of initiative that is possessed only by the very exceptional and highly skilled workman.

Nevertheless it surely is as easy to begin work in the right way as in the wrong way. It would be better if all our teaching of manual training were based upon some text book carefully compiled by a master workman and kept within certain well defined limits. After the student had thoroughly learned all that lay within these limits and was grounded in the principles of design and construction as carefully as he would be grounded in mathematics or classical literature, he might safely be trusted to produce something that would express his own individuality, for then, if ever, he would have developed an individuality that was worth while. And this principle applies as well to amateur workers of all kinds as it does to the students in the public schools, for it is the basis of all work that is worthy to endure.

One great advantage of taking up cabinetmaking at home as well as in the schools, is that it could be made not only a means of amusement or mental development to the individual, but could be expanded into a home or neighborhood handicraft that might be carried on in connection with small farming, upon a basis that would insure a reasonable financial success. Handicrafts, as practiced by individual arts and crafts workers in the studio, do not afford a sufficient living to craft workers as a class, but that is largely because these very principles of sound construction and thorough workmanship are not always observed or even comprehended, so that it is difficult for the individual worker to produce anything that has a definite and permanent commercial value. This kind of furniture, on the contrary, has a very well defined and thoroughly established commercial value, as our own experience has proven; and yet it is so simple in design and construction that it can be made at home or on the farm during the idle months of winter or by a group of workers in a village,—in fact under almost any conditions where it would seem advantageous to do such work, especially under the guidance of a competent cabinetmaker.

Whether regarded as one of the forms of a profitable handicraft that might be depended upon as a means of support,—or at least of adding to the income obtained from a small farm,—or whether regarded merely as a means of recreation for a busy man during his leisure hours at home, cabinetmaking is likely to prove a most interesting pursuit. One distinct advantage is that furniture made in this way, if well done, would be better than any that could possibly be made in a factory, because the work would naturally be more carefully done. Also the interest that attaches to the right use of wood could be developed to a much greater degree than is possible where the work is done on a large scale, because judgment and discrimination could be applied to the selection of lumber that is without any special market value according to commercial standards, but that has in it certain flaws and irregularities that make it far more interesting than the costlier lumber necessary for purely commercial work. This one item would be a great advantage as lumber grows scarcer and harder to obtain. Also, the furniture itself would have much more individual interest because of this very feature, for then it would be possible to select certain pieces of wood for special uses and to develop to the utmost all the natural qualities of color and grain that might prove interesting when rightly used and in the right place. It is by these very methods and under similar conditions that the Japanese have gained such world-wide fame as discriminating users of very simple and inexpensive woods. A Japanese regards a piece of wood as he might a picture and his one idea is to do something with it that will show it to the very best advantage, as well as gain from it the utmost measure of usefulness.

Among the cabinet woods native to this country and easily obtained are white oak, brown ash, rock elm, birch, beech and maple. Chestnut, cypress, pine, redwood and gumwood, while all excellent for interior trim, are not hard enough to give satisfactory results when used for the making of furniture. Of those first mentioned, white oak is unquestionably the best for cabinetmaking and, indeed, it is a wood as well suited to the Craftsman style of furniture as the Spanish mahogany was to the French, English and Colonial furniture of the eighteenth century. Spanish mahogany is very rare now and the modern mahogany, or baywood, is very little harder than whitewood and so cannot be considered particularly desirable as a cabinet wood. The old mahogany was a hard, close-grained, fine-textured wood that lent itself naturally to the slender lines, graceful curves and delicate modeling of the eighteenth century styles. In addition to this the wood itself was so treated as to ripen to the utmost the quality of rich and mellow coloring, which was one of its distinctive characteristics. The boards were kept for months, and some of them for years, in the courtyards of the cabinet shops, where sun and rain could give them the mellowness of age. Then the finished pieces were treated with linseed oil and again put out into the sunshine to oxidize, this process being repeated until the wood gained just the required depth of color and perfection of finish. The slowness of this process and the care and skill required to produce the results that were aimed at makes fine mahogany furniture almost an impossibility today, except to the craftsman who may be able to afford selected pieces of this rare and almost extinct wood, and who has sufficient leisure and love of the work to treat it according to the methods of the old cabinetmakers. Even then it is not suitable for the plain massive furniture that we show here as models for home workers. The severely plain structural forms that we are considering now demand a wood of strong fiber and markings, rich in color, and possessing a sturdy friendly quality that seems to invite use and wear. The strong straight lines and plain surfaces of the furniture follow and emphasize the grain and growth of the wood, drawing attention to instead of destroying the natural character that belonged to the growing tree. As the use of oak would naturally demand a form that is strong and primitive, the harmony that exists between the form and construction of the furniture and the wood of which it is made is complete and satisfying.

We will then assume that oak is the wood that would naturally be selected by the home cabinetmaker and for large surfaces such as table-tops and large panels, quarter-sawn oak is deemed preferable to plain-sawn, as the first method, which makes the cut parallel with the medullary rays that form the peculiar wavy lines seen in quarter-sawn oak, not only brings out all the natural beauty of the markings, but makes the wood structurally stronger, finer in grain and less liable to check and warp than when it is straight-sawn. Care should then be taken to see that the wood is thoroughly dried, otherwise the best work might easily be ruined by the checking, warping, or splitting of the lumber. Quarter-sawn oak is the hardest of all woods to dry and requires the longest time, so that it would hardly be advisable for the amateur cabinetmaker to attempt to use other than selected kiln-dried wood that is ready for the saw and plane.

The work of construction must all be done before the wood is given its final finish; but in this connection we will outline briefly the best method of finishing oak, as the sturdy wooden quality of the furniture depends entirely upon the ability of the worker to treat the wood so that there is little evidence of an applied finish. Oak should be ripened as the old mahogany was ripened by oil and sunshine, and this can be done only by a process that, without altering or disguising the nature of the wood, gives it the appearance of having been mellowed by age and use. This process is merely fuming with ammonia, which has a certain affinity with the tannic acid that exists in the wood, and it is the only one known to us that acts upon the glossy hard rays as well as the softer parts of the wood, coloring all together in an even tone so that the figure is marked only by its difference in texture. This result is not so good when stains are used instead of fuming, as staining leaves the soft part of the wood dark and the markings light and prominent.

The fuming is not an especially difficult process, but it requires a good deal of care, for the piece must be put into an air-tight box or closet, on the floor of which has been placed shallow dishes containing aqua ammonia (26 per cent). The length of time required to fume oak to a good color depends largely upon the tightness of the compartment, but as a rule forty-eight hours is enough. When fuming is not practicable, as in the case of a piece too large for any available compartment or one that is built into the room, a fairly good result may be obtained by applying the strong ammonia directly to the wood with a sponge or brush. In either case the wood must be in its natural condition when treated, as any previous application of oil or stain would keep the ammonia from taking effect. After the wood so treated is thoroughly dry from the first application it should be sandpapered carefully with fine sandpaper, then a second coat of ammonia applied, followed by a second careful sandpapering.

Some pieces fume much darker than others, according to the amount of tannin left free to attract the ammonia after the wood has been kiln-dried. Where any sap wood has been left on, that part will be found unaffected by the fumes. There is apt also to be a slight difference in tone when the piece is not all made from the same log, because some trees contain more tannic acid than others. To meet these conditions it is necessary to make a “touch-up” to even the color. This is done by mixing a brown aniline dye (that will dissolve in alcohol) with German lacquer, commonly known as “banana liquid.” The mixture may be thinned with wood alcohol to the right consistency before using. In touching up the lighter portions of the wood the stain may be smoothly blended with the darker tint of the perfectly fumed parts, by rubbing along the line where they join with a piece of soft dry cheese-cloth, closely following the brush. If the stain should dry too fast and the color is left uneven, dampen the cloth very slightly with alcohol.

After fuming, sandpapering touching up a piece of furniture, apply a coat of lacquer, made of one-third white shellac and two-thirds German lacquer. If the fuming process has resulted in a shade dark enough to be satisfactory, this lacquer may be applied clear; if not, it may be darkened by the addition of a small quantity of the stain used in touching up. Care must be taken, however, to carry on the color so lightly that it will not grow muddy under the brush of an inexperienced worker. The danger of this makes it often more advisable to apply two coats of lacquer, each containing a very little color. If this is done, sandpaper each coat with very fine sandpaper after it is thoroughly dried and then apply one or more coats of prepared floor wax. These directions, if carefully followed, should give the same effects that characterize the Craftsman furniture.

Sometimes a home cabinetworker does not find it practicable or desirable to fume the oak. In such a case there are a number of good stains on the market that could be used on oak as well as on other woods.

Oak and chestnut alone are susceptible to the action of ammonia fumes, but in other ways the oak, chestnut, ash and elm come into one class as regards treatment, for the reason that they all have a strong, well-defined grain and are so alike in nature that they are affected in much the same way by the same method of finishing. For any one of these woods a water stain should never be used, as it raises the grain to such an extent that in sandpapering to make it smooth again, the color is sanded off with the grain, leaving an unevenly stained and very unpleasant surface. The most satisfactory method we know, especially for workers who have had but little experience, is to use a small amount of color carried on in very thin shellac. If the commercial cut shellac is used it should be reduced with alcohol in the proportion of one part of shellac to three of alcohol. This is because shellac, as it is ordinarily-cut for commercial purposes, is mixed in the proportion of four pounds to a gallon of alcohol, so that in order to make it thin enough it is necessary to add sufficient alcohol to obtain a mixture of one pound of shellac to a gallon of alcohol. If the worker does his own cutting he will naturally use the proportion last mentioned, one pound of shellac to a gallon of alcohol. When the piece is ready for the final finish, apply a coat of thin shellac, adding a little color if necessary; sandpaper carefully and then apply one or more coats of liquid wax. These directions are entirely for the use of home workers. The method we use in the Craftsman Workshops differs in many ways, for we naturally have much greater facilities for obtaining any desired effect than would be possible with the equipment of a home worker.

For lighter pieces of furniture suitable for a bedroom or a woman’s sitting room, where dainty effects are desirable, we find maple the most satisfactory, in both color and texture, of our native woods, for the reason that it is hard enough to be used for all kinds of furniture. Gumwood is equally beautiful, but is not hard enough for chairs. For built-in furniture, however, and for tables, dressers and the like, gumwood is one of the most beautiful woods we have, as it takes on a soft, satin-like texture with variable color effects not unlike those seen in the finest Circassian walnut. We find that the best effect in both maple and gumwood is obtained by treating the wood with a solution of iron-rust made by throwing iron filings or any small pieces of iron into acid vinegar or a weak solution of acetic acid. After forty-eight hours the solution is drained off and diluted with water until the desired color is obtained. The wood is merely brushed over with this solution,—wetting it thoroughly,—and left to dry. This is a process that requires much experimenting with small pieces of wood before attempting to treat the furniture, as the color does not show until the application is completely dry. By this treatment maple is given a beautiful tone of pale silvery gray and the gumwood takes on a soft pale grayish brown, both of which colors harmonize admirably with dull blue, old rose, straw color, or any of the more delicate shades so often used in furnishing a bedroom or a woman’s sitting room.

As to the actual construction of the pieces shown here, it is in most cases very simple. By a careful study of the different models it will be noted that the only attempt at decoration lies in the emphasizing of the actual structural features, such as posts, panels, tenons with or without the key, the dovetail joint and the key as it is used to strengthen and emphasize the joining of two boards. For the rest, the beauty of each piece depends wholly upon the care with which the wood is selected, the proportions and workmanship of the piece, and the attention that is given to the delicate details of construction and to the finish of the wood.

In Figures i and 2 we illustrate two of the simplest models we have ever offered for the use of home cabinetworkers. They are two designs for small tabourets and were selected to illustrate the first article on home training in April, 1905. Therefore from the point of view of their precedence in the series, no less than their fitness as models for the beginner, they have been chosen to head the illustrations for this article. In the case of both of them the construction shows for itself. The tenons of the legs are visible through the top of the table, where they are firmly wedged and then planed flush with the top. This not only strengthens the table very considerably, but the difference in the grain of the wood gives the effect of four small square inlays in each table top. Also it is well to note that, in cutting the mortises for the stretchers of the square tabouret, there is half an inch difference in the heights of the two stretchers. A dowel pin three-eighths of an inch in diameter runs all the way through the legs and holds firm the tenons of the stretchers, making it practically impossible for the table to rack apart. These pins are planed off flush with the sides of the legs.

Figures 3 and 6 illustrate companion pieces, the first being a hall bench and the second a piano bench. Both are simple to a degree, yet the proportions are so contrived that the effect of each is individual and decorative. The outward slope of the solid end pieces gives an appearance of great strength that does full justice to the real strength of both benches. The severity of these end pieces is rather lightened by the curved opening at the bottom and by the openings at the top, meant in each case for convenience in moving the bench. These openings, with the slight projections of the tenons at the ends, form the only decoration. In the case of the hall bench, a shallow box takes the place of the curved brace that appears under the seat in the piano bench. This box can be used to hold all sorts of things that ordinarily accumulate in the hall and the hinged seat lifts like a lid over it. The bench can be made in any desired length to fit any wall space without interfering with its construction or proportions.

Figure 4 shows a small open bookcase that is intended for the use of children. All housewives know that one of the greatest difficulties in keeping a tidy nursery often arises because there is no place where children can easily put things away themselves. Closet doors are hard to open and the shelves too high to be of use, while shelves and brackets are usually purposely out of reach and the nursery table is apt to be full. This little bookcase is planned especially to meet just such a nursery problem. There are no figure twenty.—combination table and encyclopedia bookcase, doors and the shelves are broad and low enough to be within the reach of very little children. The shelves are not adjustable but are put in stoutly with tenon and key so that they are never out of place and never need attention.

Figure 5 shows a small table that would prove a convenient piece of furniture in a household where either chess or checkers happens to be a favorite game. The legs are slightly tapering, sloped outward and are made firm with bracket supports so that the usual cross supports below, which would interfere with the comfort of the players sitting at the table, are not needed. The rails under the top are tenoned to the legs. In a case like this, where two or more rails meet with the ends opposite each other, short tenons must be used with two dowel pins in each one to hold it in place. These pins are placed near the edge of the table legs so that they may not interfere with the tenoning of the side rails. It is a good plan to dowel the bracket supports first to the legs and then to the top of the table, in addition to the glue which holds them in place. The small drawer is made in the regular way, being hung from the top instead of running on a center guide as do most of the wider drawers in Craftsman furniture. The checks on the table top may be burned into the wood or a dye or stain may be used for the dark checks.

Figure 7 shows a small portable cabinet that may be placed on the top of any writing table. It is provided with little compartments which are protected by doors with flat key locks and with a shelf and pigeon-holes for papers and books. The piece is perfectly plain except for the slight decorative touch given by the dovetailing at the end, but if the wood is well chosen and the cabinet carefully finished, it will be found an attractive as well as a convenient bit of furniture.

Figure 8 illustrates a child’s desk, the making of which would be an especially pleasant piece of work for the home craftsman, because there is no article of miniature furniture which affords the children so much delight as a desk where they can work like grown-up folks and have pads and pencils never to be loaned or lost. This little desk is so simple that the small members of the family might even help to make it and so gain some understanding of the pleasure of making their own belongings. The construction has the same general features that have already been described and the only touch of decoration is the projection of the two back posts above the small upper shelf.

Figure 9 suggests a useful and desirable present for a bride, for it is a cedar-lined chest intended for the storing of linen and clothing,—just the same sort of chest as the (German maidens use for storing away the linen they weave during their girlhood. In making the chest the legs are first built up, then the front and back fastened in; the ends and bottom are put in at the same time, fitting in grooves. The top is simply made, with two panels divided by a broad stile which affords support for the iron strap-hinge that extends down the side to be fastened with hasp and padlock. The inside of the chest is lined with cedar boards, so desirable for their pleasant aromatic odor and for their moth—preventing properties. This lining should be put in after the chest is made. The iron work can be made by any blacksmith from the drawing, or even made at home if the amateur cabinetworker also possesses a forge.

Figure 10 shows a book cabinet which would be convenient in a workroom, where it might stand near the desk or table of the worker and provide a place for the few books of reference that are in constant use, as well as for papers, drawings and so forth, that might otherwise be mislaid or scattered in confusion about the room. The cabinet is easy to make and is very satisfying in line and proportion. The shelf that covers half the top offers room for a small paper rack or any of the many things that have to be within reach and yet not in the way.

Figure II gives a model for a bookcase having two drawers below for papers or magazines and three adjustable shelves that can be moved to any height simply by changing the position of the pegs that support the shelves. If the books are small, an additional shelf might be put in if required. The frame of the bookcase is left plain, the smooth face of the sides being broken only by the slightly projecting tenons at the top and bottom. The edges of these tenons are chamfered off and carefully sandpapered so that they have a smooth rounded look. Inside the ends of the bookcase holes about half an inch in diameter are bored about halfway through the thickness of the plank, affording places for the pegs that hold the adjustable shelves.

Figure 12 shows a small table primarily chosen for use in a bedroom, to stand near the bed and hold a lamp or candle and one or two books, but it is convenient in any place where a small stand is needed. The top of the back is to be doweled in place with three half-inch dowel pins and the top itself is fastened to the sides by table fasteners placed under a wide overhang. The drawers should be dovetailed together at the corners and all edges slightly softened by careful sandpapering.

Figure 13. The round table shown here embodies in its construction the same general features as the large square library table shown in Figure 17, only modified to such a degree that the effect is light rather than massive. The braces, top and bottom, are crossed and the four legs are wide and flat, with openings following the lines of the outside. The tenons, which have a bold projection and are fastened with wooden keys, are used as a distinctively decorative fea-

Figure 14 gives a very good idea of a desk which looks hard to make but is not so difficult as might appear at the first glance. The lid can be made first, then the sides and shelves carefully fitted and a quarter-inch iron pin inserted between the sides and the lid so that all are fastened together at once. Then the back is put in and is held in place by small blued oval—headed screws. After this the letter and blotter rack may be sprung into place and, with a little button at the top under which is a leather washer, the desk is complete except for the basket, which should be woven of willow withes to fit the shelf. Figure 15 shows a simple desk or writing table for the library or living room. The two little upper drawers with the letter file between give a very convenient arrangement for stowing away letters, writing paper, etc. This is a piece which might easily be made crude and heavy, by just a little awkwardness in getting the right proportions and lack of skill in the use of tools; but if carefully made and well finished it possesses a sturdy attractiveness that is very interesting.

Figure 16. This design for a library table should not be attempted until experience in woodwork has taught the worker how to use his tools and materials well. Everything depends upon care both in construction and finishing and especial attention should be given toward maintaining in their integrity all the lines and proportions, as these details have everything to do with making or marring the design. The end pieces, while massive in effect, are relieved from over-heaviness by the use of slats and the shaping of the broad strips on the outside. The top of the table is fastened firmly with table irons so that it is quite solid. Where the shelf tenons come through the end pieces there is a projection of three-sixteenths of an inch and the edges are chamfered off to give a smooth rounded effect. The tenon itself should be wedged and glued so that it cannot be pulled out. The dovetailing on the drawer may need a little practice before it is successfully executed, but if it is well done it will be a satisfactory evidence of the cleverness of the worker.

Figure 17 shows a large library table that is practically a companion piece to the round table illustrated in Figure 13. In this case, however, the natural massiveness of the construction is emphasized rather than modified, although the severity of the solid ends is softened by the curved lines and open spaces which serve to take away all appearance of clumsiness. The projecting tenons and keys form a suitable structural decoration and add to the strength of the piece. A strong brace just beneath the top keeps the ends firm while the lower shelf acts as another brace.

Figure 18. The lines and proportions of this small sideboard make it an unusually satisfying piece for the home worker to try his skill on because, if it is well made, it is a piece of furniture that would add much to the beauty of a dining room. The construction, though on a larger scale and in some ways more complicated than in any of the preceding pieces, is no more difficult and no trouble will be found in putting it together. The back is to be screwed into place and is put on last. The top can be doweled on or fastened with table irons. The latter will be safer if there is any doubt as to the thorough seasoning of the wood, as the irons will admit of a slight shrinkage or swelling without cracking the wood. All the edges should be slightly softened with sandpaper just before the finish is applied.

Figure 19. This plate rack is meant to be hung by chains, cords, or heavy picture wire just above the sideboard, although it also serves as a stein rack for a den. The construction speaks for itself and is so simple that nothing need be said about it except that the brackets are fastened with screws from the back. If chains are used to hang it from the rail above, it would be better to have fairly heavy. Plain round link chains can be bought ready made, together with the hooks, or they can be made to order by any blacksmith.

Figure 20 shows a combination table and encyclopedia bookcase designed especially for the student who wishes to have his reference books near at hand. It is meant to hold a complete set of books, with additional space for a dictionary. The plans are so simple that they can be understood and applied by a beginner in cabinetwork and the usefulness of the piece is such as to make it one of the most interesting models we have ever designed for the use of home workers.

Figures 21 and 22 show two most convenient little pieces for a library table. The first is a small letter file with four compartments for note paper, envelopes and letters, making it very useful for the home bookkeeper. The second is a small revolving book rack, made in the form of a swastika, which revolves upon a flat round stand that raises it about an inch from the table. It is meant to hold small books that are needed for constant reference. Both these pieces show to the best advantage the decorative use of the dovetail as a joint This bit of structural decoration is a favorite with us because we consider the hand-made dovetail to be one of the most interesting structural features used in joinery, as well as the strongest joint. This, of course, applies only to pieces where the strength of the structure depends upon the strength of the corner, for it is purely a corner joint. For example, in the case of this little book-rack the use of the dovetail is almost inevitable, for without it the corners would not only be less perfectly joined as regards strength, but the piece would lose its greatest claim to structural interest.

Figure 23 shows a combination bookcase and cupboard with an open shelf in the middle for such books as are most used. The sides have small-paned glass doors and are shelved for books; the central cupboard with the wooden doors is meant to hold papers, magazines and the like.

Figures 24 and 25 show two hall clocks, of the type usually known as the “grandfather’s clock.” Given a moderate skill in the handling of tools, the home worker can easily make a clock that will prove a quaint and satisfactory bit of furnishing and will have all the charm of an individual piece of handicraft made for the place it is to fill. Oak is the most appropriate wood for the cases of both these clocks, and the construction is very simple. The face may be made of wood with the figures burned in, or of a twelve-inch plate of brass with figures of copper. If the latter is used, holes should be drilled in the plate to receive the pins which rivet on the figures. These pins are simply bent over after the figures are in place. In both cases the door at the back should have a silk panel in it so that the sound may easily pass through.

Figure 26 shows a child’s high-chair designed in the typical Craftsman style. In building this chair put everything together except the arms and when the glue is dry the arm dowels are v fitted and the back place. Then by pressure the front will spring into its proper position. All the dowels should be well glued. Care should be used in the joining of the seat rails and it should also be noted that three-eighths of an inch is cut from the bottom of the back post after the chair is put together. This makes a little slant back to the seat and gives a comfortable position to the sitter. The back slats of the chair are slightly curved—a thing that can be done by thoroughly wetting or steaming the wood and pressing it into shape and then allowing it to dry. The arms of the adjustable tray are cut from a single piece of wood and the back ends are splined by sawing straight in to a point beyond the curve and inserting in the opening made by the saw a piece of wood cut with the grain and well glued. This device gives strength to a point that otherwise would be very weak.

Figure 27 shows a screen which is very easy to make, yet most decorative, owing to the proportion of the leaves, the curving of the top and the use of keys to hold together the broad V-jointed boards of the lower part.

The upper part may be of silk, leather, or any material that is preferred.

Figures 2 S and 29 show a rustic bench and table meant’ for a log cabin or mountain camp.

The legs cf the bench are made of small logs which are hewn or planed at four angles, leaving the round surface and the wane, so that the piece has in it some of the irregularity of the trunk of the growing tree. The top of the bench is made of a split log planed only at the upper side, the under side being stripped of its bark and left in the natural shape. The horses for the table are made in the same way as the legs of the bench. The table top is in two pieces, the wide thick planks of which it is made being finished as carefully as for any well-made table. These table boards are locked together underneath so that there is no danger of their parting when in use and they can easily be taken apart when it is necessary to move or set aside the table. The great convenience of this table is that it can be taken to pieces and used anywhere, indoors or out.

Figures 30, 31, 32 and 33 show some substantial pieces of rustic furniture designed for country or camp life or for outdoor use. The first is a swinging seat for the veranda or lawn; the second, a bedstead for use in a log cabin or camp; the third is a rustic chair and the fourth a rustic couch for outdoor use. The value of this rustic furniture is not wholly that it is durable and capable of weathering sun and rain alike, but that it makes a special appeal to the amateur carpenter, as its rough exterior hides defects in joining and there is not the special need of well seasoned and carefully prepared lumber that is so essential to the success of the finer pieces.