Carpentry for Beginners

Things to Make

By John D. Adams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carpentry For Beginners

Things to Make

By John D. Adams

 

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK, YARD AND COMPANY, 1917

 

 

Foreword

There is no lack of textbooks telling the amateur carpenter with mathematical exactness just how to make a dovetail joint or a mortise and tenon connection. The beginner has no difficulty in finding ample instruction as to the theory of carpentry, and may read at great length precisely how to hold the hammer or manipulate a plane. With this phase I of the subject the present volume have no concern. It is not expected that those to whom the book is addressed aim to become professional carpenters. The object of the volume is merely to present as clearly as possible an interesting and practical field to the young craftsman, and this is sufficient for the reason that if the work is made interesting he will soon find out all he needs to know about tools, and if the results are of practical value he will not lack encouragement.

By presenting a great variety of articles ranging from the simplest to those in the construction of which some little assistance may be required, it is hoped that the book will be of interest to young and old, experienced and inexperienced alike.

In the fore part will be found the more simple articles. As these are the pieces the young carpenter will attempt, the drawings have been prepared accordingly. Here the customary working drawings of the assembled article, with their numerous dimension lines, have been omitted. Each piece of wood, however, is delineated separately on a series of squares, which not only display the necessary measurements, but show the relation of the various lines all at a glance. The idea of proportion is thus accentuated and in a way would be impossible were the dimensional data displayed numerically instead of graphically.

As the more elaborate articles are taken up, however, this method is not only impracticable on account of the number of pieces involved, but is unnecessary to the more advanced workers. But even here the text may appear to detailed to those having training in woodworking, but the amateur will do well to follow the instructions closely, as the successful completion a piece of furniture will largely depend on the order of preparing the various parts.

Many of the structural details involved are not, of course, such as would generally be practiced in a factory where all manner of woodworking machinery is at hand, but are planned so that the beginner, with ordinary tools in good condition, will encounter as little difficulty as possible.

TO THE HOME CARPENTER

If there is one don't that should be impressed more than any other on the mind of the amateur carpenter it is don't hurry. Before touching a single piece of wood is sure you know exactly what is required and what you are going to do. Success in this sort of work lies in not starting until you have a clear and vivid mental picture of each part of the thing you are going to make and not stopping until you have made it look exactly like that picture.

Mark out the necessary lines with a sharp pencil, and as you cut away the extra wood, forget all about the other pieces, and work on the one in hand just as though everything depended on IT. If you have an interest in what you are doing and will not hurry or become impatient, there can only be one result and that will be delightfully surprising. One should remember that wood seldom comes from the mill exactly according to stated measurements, so that it is always advisable to prepare the principal pieces first and then accurately fit the others in place as the work proceeds.

DIMENSIONS

All figures refer to dimensions in inches, and the conventional sign has accordingly been omitted. In the squared diagrams each of the small squares represents exactly one inch.

MATERIAL

The most satisfactory wood for making the many useful little articles described in the fore part of this book is soft pine. This wood is inexpensive, cuts easily and may be had quite free from knots. Often some suitable material may be had by taking apart grocery boxes, although these are frequently planed smooth only on the outside. The best plan is to go to the planing mill, where one can usually get quite a little stock of odds and ends at a very small cost. Among these there should be a few small boards of assorted thicknesses, such as one quarter, three-eighths and half inch stuff.

For the larger pieces oak is the most desirable and durable wood, particularly for furniture. Mahogany and walnut are beautiful woods, but are so expensive as to render their use prohibitive. Poplar is a wood that works easily and may often be used to good advantage in the construction of drawers and other parts of furniture not usually exposed. Cedar also works easily and takes a fine finish, but is readily marred. Before beginning the construction of the larger pieces the drawings and descriptions should be carefully studied, and a list of the necessary pieces accurately made out, so that they may all be ordered at once. This will result in securing a more uniform stock, both as to grade and thickness.

Always keep a good assortment of brads and finishing nails on hand. Never use old bent nails. They are difficult to drive straight, and new ones cost only a few cents a pound. Many a piece has been split by attempting to use a nail that is not the proper size. Sandpaper in different degrees of fineness should also be kept in stock.

TOOLS

The adjoining page shows the principal tools required. For most of the simple pieces one can get along quite well with only a hammer, saw and a sharp knife. Do not under any circumstances buy box of cheap tools simply because there are a great many of them, for it is always much better to buy good tools one at a time as one can afford them,

A good carborundum stone that cuts rapidly and ran oil stone for finishing will later be found very necessary, as it is impossible to do good work and make reasonable progress with dull tools. As the work proceeds a bench having a carpenter's vise will be found a great convenience. Manual training supply houses now furnish small benches that embody many useful features and take up but little room. A glue pot, with an outer water jacket to prevent burning, while not necessary, simplifies the preparation of glue, and a pair of wooden screw clamps are almost indispensable where a strong joint is desired.

Chapter 1. Staining And Finishing

Pine can be stained to closely match almost any of the more expensive and harder woods of which furniture is generally made. The hardware stores supply color cards that show the effect of their stains, which may be had in small cans and are easily applied. There are three kinds of stains sold water, acid, and oil stain. Always use the latter, which may be applied with a brush or a rag, rubbing it well in and finally wiping off with a dry cloth all that has not soaked in. Always try the stain on a small block before using.

After the piece has thoroughly dried, which will take several hours, go over the surface very lightly with fine sandpaper, and then apply a coat of rubbing wax, which also comes in small cans and is about as thick as shoe polish. Rub this in evenly all over, rubbing with the grain and real hard for several minutes.

This simple process results in a very practical finish, which may easily be restored when scratched by rewaxing.

The foregoing answers very well for the more simple pieces, but with pieces of furniture that are to be used daily for years a more elaborate treatment is necessary.

While accurate building is, of course, the essential requirement, an otherwise successful article may be quite ruined by being poorly finished. A piece well constructed, substantially built, the grain of the wood accurately matched, the parts soundly fitted together and the general line of the article artistic, needs to be properly finished to make it a truly successful piece of work.

Before beginning the finishing of a new piece of furniture one of the most important points contributing to success is to have the wood in good condition, thoroughly dry and as smooth as it is possible to make it by the use of fine sandpaper. Another feature that contributes greatly to satisfactory results is rubbing, long and steady; in fact, the more rubbing the furniture gets, the more beautiful will be the texture and gloss of the wood, no matter what variety of finish it may receive. Broad surfaces, of course, show the effect of rubbing more than the small parts and the tendency usually is to put a great deal of time on them, but in really good work every part of a piece should have a smooth, satiny texture.

Briefly stated, the method of treating a new piece of furniture involves three operations - namely, staining, filling and finishing. The stain, or wood dye, as it is sometimes called, is applied first and gives the wood the desired shade or color. When the stain is well dried a coat of filler is applied to fill up the pores of the wood, after which the finishing preparation of wax or varnish is put on, one or more coats being used, each carefully rubbed.

Although this has been essentially the method of wood finishing for many years, great progress has recently been made in developing a wide variety of color effects and finishing products that give a durable and elastic, semi-glossy surface. Almost every one is familiar with the exquisite results that may be obtained on such woods as mahogany and oak, but few realize the attractive effects that can be obtained with such inexpensive woods as pine, cypress and chestnut.

Staining

It will be understood, of course, that an application of stain is only to be made where it is desired to alter the shade or color of the wood. Several of the darker woods look very well when finished natural, and ash and white maple are sometimes kept purposely light.

In selecting a stain consult the actual wood samples usually supplied by manufacturers to the stores handling their products. If the stain has to be ordered by mail, send for the color-plates showing the actual effect on the wood before ordering. Carefully note whether the color effect selected was obtained on hard or soft wood, because the softer the wood, the more stain it will absorb, and the more stain it takes, the darker the resultant shade. This, however, may be easily remedied by thinning the stain with alcohol, gasolene or turpentine, as required by the directions on the can. The latter is necessary if it is an oil stain, which variety is the most easily applied for the reason that it dries more slowly. In any case it is safer when working with a new product to experiment with a block of the actual wood or on the under side of the article to be finished. Be sure that all drops of glue have been removed and that the surface is smooth and without greasy finger-marks. Handle the brush in an orderly manner, and do not paint a part simply because it happens to be near the brush.

If, for instance, you are staining the square leg of a table, start at the top of one side and complete that side before starting another, taking due care not to carry the brush so full as to cause the stain to trickle around the edges onto the new wood. The best brush for handling thin stains is that known as the fitch-brush. In such woods as Oregon pine or redwood, the grain may be greatly intensified by wiping off the surplus stain with a soft cloth before it has had time to soak into the more resinous portions of the wood.

When the stain has thoroughly dried, which will take from eighteen to twenty-four hours, it will be found that the wood feels rough and that the stain has raised the grain. This is soon remedied, however, by rubbing lightly with 00 sandpaper, which, if held in the hand without a block, will give a smoother surface than ever. If, after wiping off the dust with a soft rag, it is found that more contrast or a darker shade is desired, apply a second coat of the stain.

Filling

Wood fillers are made in two forms - paste and liquid. The former is used principally for open-grained woods such as chestnut, oak and ash, and the latter for soft woods such as whitewood, pine or cypress. The filler may be had in a variety of colors resembling the different woods, and also without any coloring matter, in which case it is called "natural" or "transparent" filler. The filler should be about the consistency of flowing varnish and be applied with a brush, thoroughly rubbing it into the pores of the wood. After five or ten minutes, when the gloss will have deadened, wipe off the surplus with a soft rag and then allow the piece to stand overnight. If the filler is found to be quick-drying, then only a small section of the surface should be covered at a time so that the surplus may be wiped off readily. The filler is only intended to fill the pores of the wood and should be wiped off against the grain. With open-grained woods, such as oak and chestnut, the most beautiful effects may be obtained by using a light filler, which does not affect the general color, but merely brings out the fine texture and flake of the wood.

Quite often the staining and filling can be done more advantageously while the piece of furniture is in sections. For example, a table before the final assembling may consist of the top, the two complete ends, and the foot-board - four sections, all of which can be stained and filled before putting together, thus leaving only the finishing to be done after the table is finally set up. In chairs and other articles requiring upholstering most, if not all, of the finishing may be done before the leather or other material is attached.

Finishing

The wood is now of the proper color and presents a smooth and continuous surface, which must now be protected by means of the finishing coat. The most easily handled finishing material is prepared wax, which is put up in various sized cans and can be well applied with a soft cloth. The polishing may commence about fifteen minutes after applying. It is usually done with a polishing-mitt, although a dry cloth will answer the purpose quite as well No particular care is necessary in putting on the wax, as any overlapping does not show after polishing.

There are many excellent finishing preparations on the market having wax in composition, which are sold under suggestive trade names. These are usually applied with a brush, and are put up in various sized cans, upon which will be found any special directions required in applying them.

Should it be desired to secure a rather harder and more impervious surface than that afforded by a single application of wax, a coat of thin shellac may be applied before waxing or applying the finishing coat. Pure shellac varnish - that is, dry shellac dissolved in grain alcohol - is very quick-drying and is therefore a rather troublesome material to apply uniformly, particularly on a large surface. There are, however, many preparations marketed under fancy names that serve the same purpose as shellac and can be much more easily applied. After this coat has thoroughly dried go over the surface with the finest sandpaper obtainable before applying the filler.

The high polishes so popular in the past were secured by the use of varnish, which is a resinous substance incorporated with oils, turpentine, etc. After each coat the surface is thoroughly rubbed with pulverized pumice-stone and linseed-oil. The dull, wax-like finishes, however, are now meeting general favor, deservedly so, for the reason that the surface may be freshened up at any time by a few minutes' application of the polishing-mitt.

Fuming

One of the most popular finishes among craftsmen is the rich nut-brown shade known as "fumed oak" - a finish that will harmonize with almost any scheme of interior decoration. In producing the genuine finish, the white oak is placed in air-tight receptacles containing pans of ammonia, the fumes from which enter the pores and effect a chemical change in the tannic acid, which is prominent in this wood. After a day or so the wood is discolored to a considerable depth and is ready for the filling preparation.

When the amateur goes to the paint-store to purchase the necessary supplies, he will be rather surprised, if not positively confused, at the great variety of preparations bearing elaborate names with which he will be totally unacquainted. But keeping in mind the fact that these are only names for a filler, a varnish or a wax preparation, he will not experience much difficulty in getting exactly what is wanted.

Puttying

No good carpenter ever uses very much putty, but when one is just starting there is sure to be a crack or a seam, as well as some nail holes, that will require filling in. Always work up the putty in the hand until it is soft and free from lumps. Never attempt to apply it to new wood, because the wood will absorb the oil and the putty will crumble out. See that the oil stain runs well into the places to be puttied and also work up a little stain with the putty so that it will match the wood. Never apply the putty until the wood is perfectly dry.

Chapter 2. Things For The Little Ones To Make. How To Make A Swing Board

"A swing board," you say, "that's easy. Who doesn't know how to make a swing board?" Of course it is easy, and because it is so it is a good example to show that even in the making of the simplest things there is a right way and a wrong way. The usual way is to cut a V-shaped nick in each end, and, every time any one jumps off, the board falls into the trampled dust below. Here is the right way:

Get a board about six inches wide and as long as the ropes are apart at the top of the swing. Square off the ends with the saw and then draw some one-inch squares as shown in the drawing.

Next take the compasses and draw the circles for the rope and the curve at each corner, placing the point of the compasses exactly on the points marked with the black dots in the drawing. Bore the two holes for the rope and saw out the tapering piece at each end so that the rope can just be forced into the holes. Round off the corners, sandpaper the edges and you will have a board that will not catch and tear or fall off.

How To Make A Coat Hanger

A coat hanger is another simple thing to make - provided you go at it in the right way. A paper pattern should first be made, and for this we will need a piece of smooth wrapping paper large enough for us to mark out three rows of one-inch squares, fifteen squares to the row. Tack this down and then tie a piece of string to a lead pencil in order to draw the two curves, which is a very easy matter when the other end of the string is tied or looped around a tack. For the top curve the string should be thirteen inches long and nineteen for the lower. In order to place the curves properly on the squares, keep shifting the tack until the two ends come out just right. We must now get a piece of wood about three quarters of an inch thick and fifteen inches long, and mark out the pattern on it. The hanger is then to be carefully sawn out with the keyhole saw, after which the edges should be planed smooth and rounded off and the whole piece finally gone over with sandpaper. Next bore a small hole in the center at the top, and then make a hook out of good stout wire, the end of which should be pushed through the hole and bent over to keep it from coming out, after which a coat of thin shellac will complete the task.

How To Make A Soap Holder

We must now try our skill at making something consisting of more than one piece, and see how closely the different parts may be fitted together. A good example to begin with is the soap holder illustrated. From the working drawing may be learned all the necessary sizes when it is remembered that each of the small squares represents exactly one inch. The wood should be about three-eighths of an inch thick. First saw out the back, neatly rounding the two upper corners and boring two quarter-inch holes for hanging. Next prepare the front piece, and see that it is exactly the same length as the back. Both pieces should be sandpapered smooth and flat on the ends. Do not hold the sandpaper in the hand, but wrap it on a small flat block, or you will surely rub off too much on one side and so spoil the outline. The two ends are now to be marked out, using a sharp pencil and the square, and finished accurately to line, after which the four pieces may be nailed together, using two or three small wire nails for each connection. The bottom is now to be sawn out just large enough to fit inside- Bore a number of quarter-inch holes in this, as shown in the working drawing, and then nail in place.

Before using the holder it should be well oiled, and may also be painted with white oil paint to good advantage.

How To Make A Peck Measure

What boy or girl is there who, when sent to buy a peck of apples, has not felt as though peck measures were getting smaller all the time? If you will read what follows and study the drawing, you will be able to make an accurate measure of your own and will then know exactly what you are getting.

You will require some long strips measuring half an inch thick and about an inch and an eighth wide. There will be ten side pieces twelve inches long, three bottom pieces eleven inches, eight end pieces eight inches, and four corner pieces six and three-quarter inches long. For sawing a lot of small pieces like these, it is rather slow to mark each one out with the square, and so carpenters usually have what they call a miter box, which is simply three boards nailed or screwed together so as to form a trough about four inches wide and about two feet long. Two pairs of saw cuts are then made in the sides - one at right angles to the length and the other at forty-five degrees, which is the angle the pieces must be cut when we want to make a picture frame. When you have a miter box and wish to saw a piece off squarely, it is only necessary to place it in the box, hold it tightly against one side and then work the saw back and forth in the slits cut in the sides.

This is a very handy device, and if you make one, take it to the nearest carpenter and he will be glad to saw the slits for you in just the proper places.

After you have cut all the pieces of the crate to the proper length, nail up each end complete as illustrated. Next set up the ends and connect them by nailing on the top and bottom strips of each side, after which it takes but a few minutes to nail on the remaining pieces.

If you should attempt to make this crate out of strips not exactly the size given, some allowance must be made in the length of the side pieces, as the inside dimensions must not be changed.

How To Make A Tool Box

It may be a slat on the chicken coop is broken, perhaps a picket on the front fence is loose or something is wrong with the wireless outfit on the top of the barn - but whatever it is you will find it a great convenience to have a box with a handle so that you can carry the necessary tools and nails to where they are needed to make repairs.

There are six pieces of wood in the box illustrated, and you will get a clear idea of their sizes and shapes from the working drawing, in which each small square represents exactly one inch. The boards should be one-half inch thick, but if they are a little thicker it will not matter, provided you proceed in the proper order.

First saw the side and end pieces off squarely to the exact length. Nail these together and then measure the size of the bottom, which should next be nailed on. The center piece is six inches wide and should now be cut just long enough to fit in snugly between the ends. Mark out the upper part as shown in the drawing, but before cutting off the triangle at each of the upper corners, bore two one-inch holes and cut out the wood in between them, so as to form the handle. Nail this piece in place, exactly in the center, driving the nails in through the ends and up through the bottom.

Sometimes these boxes are divided up on one side with several thin cross partitions, so as to form a number of pockets for the different sizes of nails and screws that are generally used. If such a box is desired, one of the sides must be left off until the small partitions are securely fastened in place by nailing in through the center board.

A box for holding knives and forks in the kitchen may be made in the same way as the plain tool box, except that it is not

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 11.05.2014
ISBN: 978-3-7368-1033-4

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