Mission Furniture Volume III Part 2

1 shelf part.i.tion, 3/4 by 10 by 19 in., S-4-S.

2 drawer fronts, 3/4 by 7 by 17 in., S-4-S.

1 drawer front, 3/4 by 8 by 17 in., S-4-S.

1 part.i.tion (several pieces), 3/4 by 19-1/2 by 57-3/4 in., S-4-S.

4 door uprights, 3/4 by 2-1/2 by 57 in., S-4-S.

2 top rails, 3/4 by 3-1/2 by 14-1/2 in., S-4-S.

2 middle rails, 3/4 by 6 by 14-1/2 in., S-4-S.

2 lower rails, 3/4 by 4-1/2 by 14-1/2 in., S-4-S.

4 center uprights, 3/4 by 2-1/2 by 23 in., S-4-S.

8 panels, 3/8 by 6 by 22-1/2 in., S-4-S.

4 pieces, 3/8 by 4-3/4 by 19 in., soft wood.

2 pieces, 3/8 by 8 by 19 in., soft wood.

2 pieces, 3/8 by 4-1/4 by 8 in., soft wood.

4 pieces, 1/2 by 7 by 19 in., soft wood.

3 pieces, 1/2 by 16-1/2 by 19 in., soft wood.

2 pieces, 1/2 by 6-1/2 by 16-1/2 in., soft wood.

2 pieces, 1/2 by 8 by 19 in., soft wood.

1 piece, 1/2 by 7-1/2 by 16-1/2 in., soft wood.

1 back (several pieces), 3/8 by 36 by 58 in., S-2-S.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Wardrobe Complete]

First be sure the posts are perfectly square and of equal length. The upper ends can be chamfered or rounded if desired. The two front posts are alike, as are the back ones. The mortises should be laid out in each pair of posts and then cut with a sharp chisel, or they can be left until the tenons are all made, and then marked and cut from each tenon.

Grooves should be cut on one side of all the posts to take the end panels.

The front and lower back rails are plain except for the tenons at each end, but the end rails and the center uprights should have grooves cut for the panels the same as the posts. The top back rail serves as a top back board and should have the corners rounded as shown in the detail drawing.

The frame can now be a.s.sembled. Glue should be used on all the joints as it makes them much stiffer. Be careful to get the frame together perfectly square, or it will be hard to fit the doors and the shelves.

The top and bottom boards should have the corners cut to clear the posts. The closet is divided into two compartments by a part.i.tion. This can be made of plain boards or panels similar to those in the ends, as desired. Place the shelves in position as shown. They are held in place by means of cleats and screws. The one shelf has a part.i.tion in its center with a door on one side and two small drawers on the other.

Drawers should be fitted to three of the other compartments. They are made in the usual manner except that the front boards should be cut out at the top for a handhold as shown.

The doors are fitted by a tenon and mortise joint at the ends. They have a centerpiece and panels to match the ends of the closet. Suitable hinges and a catch should be supplied. These can be purchased at any hardware store.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Detail of the Wardrobe]

The backing is put on in the usual manner. It should be finished on the front side.

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

A FINISH

An appropriate finish is obtained as follows: First thoroughly sc.r.a.pe and sandpaper the various parts, then apply a coat of brown Flemish water stain. Allow this to dry well, then sand it lightly with No. 00 sandpaper to lay the grain. Again apply the Flemish stain, but this time have it weakened by the addition of an equal amount of water. When dry, sand again as on the first coat. Upon the second coat of stain apply a thin coat of sh.e.l.lac. This is to protect the high lights from the stain in the filler which is to follow. Sand lightly, then apply a paste filler of a sufficiently dark shade to make a dark field for the brown Flemish. Clean off the surplus and polish in the usual manner.

Upon the filler, after it has hardened overnight, apply a coat of orange sh.e.l.lac. Successively apply several coats of some good rubbing varnish.

Polish the first coats with haircloth or curled hair, and the last with pulverized pumice stone, mixed with raw linseed or crude oil.

AN OAK TABLE

The accompanying ill.u.s.tration shows another style of a mission table.

The stock for this table if ordered as follows and sanded will require only the work of making the joints and putting them together:

4 posts, 2 in, square 30-5/8 in., S-4-S.

4 upper rails, 7/8 by 6-1/2 by 22-1/2 in., S-2-S.

2 lower rails, 7/8 by 3 by 22-1/2 in., S-2-S.

2 top pieces, 7/8 by 12-1/2 by 24-1/2 in., S-2-S.

6 slats, 3/8 by 3-1/2 by 15-1/2 in., S-2-S.

1 stretcher, 7/8 by 8-1/2 by 21-1/2 in., S-2-S.

This table may be made with mortise and tenon joints or with dowels as desired. If dowels are used, the upper and lower rails should be made 2 in. shorter than shown in the drawing.

Be sure to get the pieces for the posts with their surfaces square to each other and their ends sawed square off. This will simplify the a.s.sembling a great deal. Make the posts exactly the same length, 30-1/2 in., and chamfer a 3/8-in, bevel on their tops.

Square up the four upper rails, 6 by 22 in., marking the working face and edge to work from when laying out the tenons later. Square up the two lower rails, 2-1/2 by 22 in. These must be exactly the same length as the upper rails. The two ends of the table having the slats should be glued up first. Lay out the tenons on the upper and lower rails for these two ends and be sure to work from the marked face and edges, using a knife line. Cut the tenons, and, by placing them against the posts in the exact position they are to occupy, mark the places for the mortises.

These joints should be numbered so that each mortise may be cut to fit its own tenon.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Detail of Construction Finished Table]

Square up the slats, 3 by 15-1/8 in., and cut mortises in the upper and lower rails 1/4 in. deep to let them in. The number of these slats, their size and s.p.a.cing may be arranged to suit one's own idea. Put the posts, upper and lower rails, and slats together without glue first to determine if the parts fit properly, and then glue and clamp them together. Hot glue will hold best, if the room and lumber are warm; if not, it is best to use ordinary liquid glue. While the glue on these two ends of the table is setting, the other upper rails, top, and stretcher may be finished.

The top will have to be made of two or three pieces joined together with dowels and glue. If possible, use only two boards and be sure the grain in both pieces runs the same way when they are put together.

After the ends which were glued have set at least 24 hours, the clamps may be taken off and the other two upper rails tenoned and mortised in place. The stretcher may be held with two 3/8-in. dowels in each end, or with two round-head screws put through the lower rails. When gluing up the whole table, be sure the sides are square to each other. The top may now be squared up 24 by 24 in. and the corners cut out for the top of the posts. The top may be fastened as shown at A and B in the drawing, or by cleats screwed to the inside of the upper rails and top.

Before staining, be sure that all surplus glue is sc.r.a.ped off and the surfaces sanded clean. A weathered or fumed oak stain is suitable for this table. A good weathered oak stain may be made by mixing a little drop black ground in oil with turpentine and a little linseed oil. Put this stain on with a brush and allow to stand until it begins to flatten or dull, then rub off across the grain with a rag or piece of cotton waste. When thoroughly dry, apply one coat of very thin sh.e.l.lac.

After this has dried, finish with two coats of wax. The sh.e.l.lac prevents the turpentine in the wax from rubbing out the stain. To get a good wax finish the work should dry until it will not show finger marks, before rubbing.

BOOK TROUGH

[Ill.u.s.tration: Detail of Book Trough]

A very cheap but attractive book trough is shown in the accompanying photograph. This piece of mission furniture will be found useful in the home or office and can be made by anyone who has a slight knowledge of tools. The material should be either oak or chestnut, which can be secured from the planing mill dressed and sandpapered ready to cut the tenons and mortises. The stock needed will be as follows:

2 ends, 7/8 in. by 10 in. by 31 in., S-2-S.

1 shelf, 7/8 in. by 10 in. by 35 in., S-1-S.

2 trough pieces, 7/8 in. by 4 in. by 35 in., S-2-S.

8 keys, 5/8 in. by 5/8 in. by 3 in.