Mission Furniture Volume II Part 8

This beautiful piece of mission furniture can be made at a very moderate cost by anyone who has a slight knowledge of tools. Considerable labor can be saved by ordering the material from the mill ready cut to size, dressed and sanded. Quarter-sawed oak is the best wood to use and it is comparatively easy to obtain. Plain-sawed oak looks well, but is more liable to warp than the quarter-sawed and this is quite an element in pieces as wide as the ones used. For the complete bookcase the following material will be needed:

1 top, 3/4 by 15 by 31-1/4 in., hard wood, S-1-S.

1 top back board, 3/4 by 4 by 30-1/4 in., hard wood, S-1-S.

2 sides, 3/4 by 14 by 50 in., hard wood, S-1-S.

1 bottom, 3/4 by 14 by 28-3/4 in., hard wood, S-1-S.

1 bottom rail, 3/4 by 4 by 28-3/4 in., hard wood, S-1-S.

1 center piece, 3/4 by 2 by 45-3/4 in., hard wood, S-2-S.

4 door sides, 3/4 by 1-1/2 by 45-1/4 in., hard wood, S-2-S.

4 door ends, 3/4 by 1-1/2 by 14 in., hard wood, S-2-S.

4 pieces door lattice, 1/2 by 1/2 by 12-1/2 in., hard wood.

4 pieces door lattice, 1/2 by 1/2 by 7 in., hard wood.

2 bottom cleats, 1-1/4 by 1-1/4 by 13 in., soft wood.

2 top cleats, 1 by 1 by 12-1/2 in., soft wood.

3 shelves, 1/2 by 12 by 28-1/2 in., soft wood.

12 pieces backing, 3/8 by 4 by 29-3/4 in., soft wood.

4 hinges.

2 door handles.

Begin with the sides by cutting them so they will pair up all right. The front edges are rounded while the back edges are rabbeted on the inside as deep as the backing to be used. The bottoms are cut as shown in the sketch. Holes about 1/2 in. deep should be bored on the inside at the proper places for the wooden pegs which hold up the shelves.

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

[Ill.u.s.tration: Details of Bookcase]

The top and bottom boards should have the front edges rounded and sanded the same as the sides. The top board is sanded on one side only and care should be taken to get the best side up.

Now cut and fit the top back board. This is fastened to the top by means of screws. Screw two cleats to each of the sides as shown and by running screws through these into the top and bottom boards the frame is completed.

The backing which can be made of some cheap lumber is now put on. Next put in the center upright piece between the doors by means of a tenon and mortise at the top and nail at the bottom. The front edge should be rounded and the edge and sides sanded. Cut and fit the bottom rail as shown. It is fastened to the frame by means of cleats on the back side.

The doors are put together by means of a tenon and mortise. They should be rabbeted for the lattice work and the gla.s.s. This lattice work can be omitted and leaded gla.s.s put in its place which is very becoming to this kind of work.

When the case is completed it must be carefully gone over with sandpaper before any finish is applied.

A mission stain is suitable for work of this kind, but it can also be finished in "golden oak" which is done in the following manner: First put on a golden oak stain and after it has dried for about 2 hours, apply the filler. Let this dry about 10 minutes then rub off with an old rag. Then go over the case again with some very fine sandpaper and after seeing that all parts are free from dust and dirt the varnish can be applied. Three coats of varnish will give a beautiful glossy finish.

A LAMP STAND

A mission table lamp stand for those who use electric lights is shown in the accompanying ill.u.s.tration. It is suitable for either the office or the home and is very simple in design and construction. The stock should be quarter-sawed oak and it can be ordered from the mill ready cut to length, squared and sanded. The following pieces will be needed:

1 post, 1-1/2 in. sq. by 23 in.

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

1 block, 3/4 in. thick by 6 in. square.

1 block, 1 in. thick by 9 in. square.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Details of Lamp Stand]

Square up the base blocks and fasten them together with screws as shown in the detail sketch. A mortise, 1 in. square, is cut in the center of the blocks for the center post.. Lead weights, covered with felt, should be attached to the bottom, as shown. The post has a tenon cut on one end to fit the base, and a mortise cut in the other for the arm.

Holes are bored in the arm from the ends for the wires. They can be plugged after the wires are in place. A hole is also bored in the top of the center post to connect with the holes in the arm for the lead wire.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Electric Lamp Stand Complete]

It is best to glue the joints together, although this is not necessary if the joints are a tight fit. Sandpaper the parts thoroughly, then stain to match the other furniture.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Extension Dining Table Complete]

AN EXTENSION DINING TABLE

The accompanying sketch and photograph show a simple design of an extension dining table of the mission style. It is very easy to construct and can be built at home by anyone who is at all handy with tools. It should be made of quarter-sawed oak, which can be secured at the mill ready cut to length, squared and sanded. Order the following pieces:

2 top pieces, 1 by 23 by 46 in.

2 extra leaves, 1 by 12 by 46 in.

2 rails, 3/4 by 3 by 44 in.

4 rails, 3/4 by 3 by 22 in.

2 pieces for posts, 3/4 by 8 by 24 in.

2 pieces for posts, 3/4 by 6 by 24 in.

4 pieces for feet, 3 by 3 by 14 in.

4 pieces for feet, 3 by 3 by 5 in.

4 pieces for feet, 1 by 4 by 4 in.

4 pieces moulding, 1 by 1 by 10 in.

1 piece, 1 by 12 by 27 in., birchwood.

2 brackets, 3/4 by 3 by 32 in., birchwood.

2 pieces for slide, 1-3/4 by 3 by 36 in., birchwood.

4 pieces for slide, 1 by 3 by 36 in., birchwood.

12 pieces for slide, 3/4 by 1-1/2 by 36 in., birchwood.

The feet can be made first by squaring up one end of each and beveling the other as shown in the drawing. The short pieces are fastened to the long ones by means of long screws and glue. The four square pieces should be nailed to the outer ends and holes bored in them for the casters. Prepare the pieces for the posts, and before nailing them together fasten the feet to them with long screws. Be careful to get them on square, else the table will not set level when complete. Now nail and glue the pieces forming the table together and fasten the moulding at the bottom. This moulding should have mitered corners as shown in the bottom view. Also fasten the rest piece to the top of the post, using long screws and glue.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Details of Dining Table]

The slides can be made next. The pieces are made and fastened together with screws as shown in the enlarged detail view. This slide, if made with care, is a good one. The center piece should be firmly fastened to the post rest with long screws. The screws that fasten into the top should be inserted from below through counter-bored holes as shown.

Miter the rails at the corners and glue them to the top. Blocks can be used on the inside if desired, which will make a much stronger construction. Screw the two brackets to the top as shown. These help to support the table when it is extended.

When complete the table should be carefully gone over with fine sandpaper, and all glue and rough spots removed. Apply stain of the desired color. This can be any one of the many mission stains supplied by the trade for this purpose.

AN OAK-BOUND CEDAR CHEST