Part 3

First see that all the mill marks are removed, using a smooth plane and steel scraper and sandpaper, then apply a coat of cathedral-oak water stain. When dry, sandpaper lightly, using No. 00 paper. Apply a second coat of stain, diluting it by the addition of an equal volume of water. This is to produce a stronger contrast. Sand this lightly and put on a very thin coat of shellac to bind the filler and to prevent the stain in the filler which follows from discoloring the high lights. Sand this lightly and put on a coat of paste filler according to the directions that will be found on the can. This filler should be colored in the following proportions: Light paste filler, 20 lb.; Van Dyke brown, 1 lb. After the filler has hardened, sand it lightly and put on a coat of orange shellac. Follow this with several coats of some good rubbing varnish. The first coats should be rubbed with haircloth or curled hair, and the last with powdered pumice stone and raw linseed or crude oil.

A LEATHER BACK ARM CHAIR

[Illustration: Arm Chair Complete]

[Illustration: Detail of the Arm Chair]

A mission arm chair of simple design and construction is shown in the accompanying illustration. This chair is suitable for any room of the house and can be made of wood to match other furniture. Quarter-sawed oak is the wood most generally used, and it is also very easy to obtain. The stock can be ordered from the mill, cut to length, squared and sanded. Following is a list of the material that will be needed:

2 front legs, 2 by 2 by 26-3/4 in. 2 back legs, 2 by 4 by 43 in. 2 arm rests, 1 by 4 by 26 in. 5 rails, 3/4 by 4 by 21-1/2 in. 5 rails, 3/4 by 2 by 2-1/2 in. . 2 back pieces, 3/4 by 2 by 16-1/2 in. 1 piece leather, 31 in, square. 1 piece burlap, 28 in, square. 2 pieces leather, 13 by 18 in. 2 pieces burlap, 13 by 18 in. 1 box 8 oz. tacks. 5-1/2 doz. ornamental nails.

Start with the front legs. Cut a tenon 1-1/4 in. square and 3/4 in, long on one end to fit the arm rests. The mortises for the side rails are cut 1/2 in. wide and 7/8 in, deep. The tenons on the rails are cut to fit these mortises, care being taken to get them all the same length between shoulders. The back legs are cut with an offset of 2 in. as shown in the detail drawing and also have mortises cut in them for the back crosspieces. The upright pieces in the back are fastened into the crosspieces by means of tenons and mortises, and should be in place when the crosspieces are fastened to the legs.

The arms are cut from the 1 by 4 by 26-in. pieces. Be careful to get them so they will pair. The outside edge can be either curved or straight as desired. The front ends of the arms are held in place by mortises which fit over the tenons on the ends of the front legs, while the back ends are held in place by round-headed screws as shown.

The chair is now ready to be glued. Be sure to get the parts together perfectly square, and when dry scrape off all surplus glue around the joints, for stain will not adhere to glue and a white spot will be the result of failing to remove it. Go over the parts carefully with fine sandpaper and remove all rough marks. Then apply the stain you wish to use. To make the seat, first fit boards in the bottom and nail them to the side rails as shown. Fill the space with hair or elastic cotton felt to about 3 in. above the edge of the rails. Bind this down tightly with a piece of burlap and tack the edges to the rails. Cut out the corners of the burlap so that it will fit about the posts. Put the leather on over this and tack the edges to the bottoms of the rails. Then finish with the ornamental nails as shown.

To finish the back, first tack a piece of burlap over the opening, then place a layer of hair or cotton felt on this about 1 in. thick. Stretch the leather over this and fasten with ornamental nails. The back side is finished in the same manner, except that the hair is omitted.

A WALL SHELF

Coarse-grained woods make up into furniture and take a more satisfactory finish than close-grained woods. For this reason chestnut or oak is suggested for this shelf. Chestnut has a beautiful grain and is soft and easily worked.

There will be needed the following pieces:

Sides, 2 pieces, 3/4 by 7-1/4 by 16-1/2 in., S-2-S. Lower shelf, 1 piece, 3/4 by 6-1/4 by 30-1/2 in., S-2-S. Upper shelf, 1 piece, 3/4 by 4-3/4 by 30-1/2 in., S-2-S. Lower back, 1 piece, 3/8 by 3-1/2 by 30-1/2 in., S-2-S. Upper back, 1 piece, 3/8 by 3 by 30-1/2 in., S-2-S.

In making out this stock bill the pieces have been specified 1/4 in. wider and 1/2 in, longer than the finished piece is to be to allow for squaring up. The thicknesses are specified mill-planed exact so that all that is necessary is to merely plane off the mill-marks from the two broad surfaces.

It is quite possible that one may have a particular space or a

## particular set of books to place in the shelf. In such a case the length

of the horizontals should be lengthened or shortened to meet the

## particular demands when ordering the lumber.

[Illustration: Complete Wall Shelf]

Begin work by squaring the horizontals to size. They are to be all of the same length. Next shape up the end pieces. The amount of slope for the front edges is indicated on the drawing. After all these pieces have been squared up and the mill-marks removed, the dadoes or grooves and gains may be laid out and cut.

Beginners are prone to underestimate the importance of getting all the mill-marks off before putting on any finish. When boards are planed at the mill the planing is done by means of two or four knives revolving above or below the board--sometimes both above and below at the same time. These knives leave the surfaces filled with little ridges and hollows across the grain. These hollows, though they are hardly visible to the eye on the unfinished surface, show up as ugly streaks upon the surface after it has had a finish of stain and filler applied.

The joints here used are typical and the beginner can readily find how they are to be made from any good book on wood-working.

[Illustration: Wall Shelf Detail]

There are several ways of fastening the parts. They may be fastened by means of round-head blued screws. They may be fastened with carriage screws. The one in the illustration was put together with ordinary wire nails and the heads of these covered with ornamental heads to represent old-fashioned hand-wrought nails.

It will be found easier to apply the finish of stain and filler before the parts are assembled. A suitable finish is obtained as follows: After the parts are thoroughly sanded, put on a coat of Filipino water stain, wiping it off with an old cloth before it has had time to soak into the wood very much. Allow this to dry. Then sand lightly, using No. 00 paper, after which fill the pores of the wood with a black paste filler--directions will be found on the can. Follow this, when hardened, with several coats of floor wax.

A PEDESTAL

The pedestal shown in the accompanying illustration is another piece of furniture that can be made in the mission style. It is very simple in design and construction, and can be made by anyone who has a few simple tools and a slight knowledge of their use. It is best to make it of quarter-sawed oak as this is the most easily procured wood and also looks the best when finished. If you order the material from the mill ready cut to length, squared and sanded, much hard labor will be saved. Following is a list of the material needed:

1 top, 3/4 by 12 by 12 in., S-1-S. 1 bottom, 3/4 by 12 by 12 in., S-1-S 8 pieces, 3/4 by 2 by 11 in. 2 sides, 3/4 by 5 by 26 in., S-1-S. 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.

[Illustration: 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.

[Illustration]

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, massive 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.

[Illustration: Detail of the Magazine Rack]

[Illustration: 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 assembled. Place all the parts in position, then pass 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 reassembled and your rack will be complete.

A HALL TREE

When making the hall tree as shown in the accompanying illustration 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.

[Illustration: 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, scrape 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.

[Illustration: 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.

[Illustration: 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 quantity 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 coarse 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.

[Illustration: WINDOW SEAT Fig. 1--The Rough Cedar Box Without the Covering]

A BURLAP-COVERED WINDOW SEAT

A portable window seat of neat appearance, which is designed to take the place of a cedar chest, is shown in the accompanying sketch. If care is taken to make the joints fit well, the box will be practically airtight and mothproof, providing a place in which to store extra bedding or furs. The following list of materials will be needed:

36 ft. 1-in. thick cedar boards for the box. 1 piece pine, 2 by 2 in. by 12 ft. long. 32 ft. of 1/4 by 2-in. oak strips. 54 ft. of 1/4 by 1-in. oak strips. 16 doz. R.H. 3/4-in, long brass screws. 1 piece green burlap, 24 by 48 in. 2 pieces green burlap, 20 by 44 in. 2 pieces green burlap, 20 by 20 in. 20 pieces red burlap, 3-1/4 in. square.

The box as shown in Fig. 1 is made first. Nail the sides and the bottom to the ends, being careful to get the box perfectly square. The corners can be dovetailed together if desired. The extra time it takes in making the dovetailed joints will greatly add to the durability of the box. The box can be made much stronger by nailing the sides and ends to posts 2 in. square placed on the inside. Cleats should also be placed on the inside, at the bottom, as shown. Fasten four blocks, 2 in. square, to the bottom for the box to rest upon. These can be attached with long screws run through from the bottom of the box.

[Illustration: Fig. 2--Design of the Covering Strip Put on Over the Burlap]

The green burlap is glued to the outside of the box. Be careful not to apply too much glue on the burlap, or it will soak through. This should be tried out on a scrap piece, and when the proper application of glue is ascertained, applied to one side of the burlap and stuck on the box. Place the cloth on so the weave will run in the same direction on all sides. The oak slats are cut and fit over the burlap as shown in Fig. 2. Care should be taken to make the mitered joints a tight fit. After the miters are all cut and the location of the squares, found, they are marked so that pieces of red burlap may be placed over the green before the slats are fastened permanently. The slats are put in place over the burlap and fastened with small brass screws.

Cover the top or lid with green burlap, allowing the edges to lap over the ends and sides and fasten under the side strips. This top can be stuffed with excelsior, if desired, and tacks with large heads driven in to hold it in place. The slats can be stained any color to suit the maker. They should be removed from the box when being stained so as not to spot or stain the burlap.

QUARTER-SAWED OAK SETTEE

The mission settee shown in the accompanying picture should be made of quarter-sawed white oak. The material needed will be as follows:

4 posts, 3-1/4 by 3-1/4 by 36-1/2 in., S-4-S. 4 end rails, 1-1/2 by 5 by 32 in., S-4-S. 12 end slats, 5/8 by 3-1/2 by 24 in., S-4-S. 1 front rail, 1-1/2 by 7 by 87 in., S-4-S. 1 lower back rail, 1-1/2 by 9 by 87 in., S-4-S. 1 upper back rail, 1-1/2 by 12 by 87 in., S-4-S. 2 cleats for seat frame, 1-1/2 by 2 by 82 in., S-4-S. 2 cleats for seat frame, 1-1/2 by 2 by 32 in., S-4-S.

[Illustration: Mission Settee Made of Quarter-Sawed Oak]

On account of the unusual width of the pieces that go into the makeup of this settee, it will be necessary to have the wood thoroughly seasoned before putting them together, otherwise shrinkage will cause them to crack open.

Begin work by making the ends of the settee first. Cut the posts to length, chamfering both top and bottoms somewhat so that they shall not splinter or cause injury to the hands. Next lay out and cut the mortises as shown on the drawing. With the posts finished, lay out the end rails, cutting the tenons and the mortises into which the ends of the slats are to be fitted.

It should be noted that the drawing calls for the "setting in" of the whole of the ends of the slats, there being no shoulders. This is much easier and gives just as satisfactory a result, provided the sides of the mortises are carefully cut.

Thoroughly scrape and sandpaper all these parts and then put the ends together. In addition to the glue it will be well to through pin each of the tenons and mortises. These pins may be put in flush and permanent on the ends of the settee. On the side rails, however, the pins are to be allowed to project so that they can be removed, and no glue is used in the joint.

While the glue of the ends is hardening, prepare the rails of front and back. Scrape and sandpaper these and when the clamps can be removed from the ends put the whole frame together. The ends of all projecting tenons are chamfered.