This is a favourite problem in woodwork for boys, because the tabourette can be put to many uses. It may hold books or magazines, serve as a pedestal for a jardiniÈre, for vases of flowers, for smokers' sets, etc. Its forms are many, and the methods of finishing and decorating infinite.

The five styles shown in Figs. 177 and 178 are perhaps the most common ones, and they are arranged according to the difficulty of construction.

No. 1. Has a circular top supported by square legs, bound to a lower shelf.

No 2. Has an octagonal top supported by flat legs, which are held together by two strips halved together at the centre, and mortised through the legs. It is stronger than No. 1.

No 3. Is the familiar hexagonal form, with only three legs, made rigid by fastening to an hexagonal shelf.

No. 4. Is the standard square form in mission style, mortised together.No 5. One of the simplest in appearance, is the most difficult to construct, because of the six long joints mitred at 120 degrees, the well-known Moorish style.

As it is easily possible for any boy to make any of these tabourettes with ordinary tools and ordinary patience, they will be taken up in detail.

TABOURETTE NUMBER ONE

Stock.—Four pieces for the legs, 1¹/₂ inches square.

The height varies, usually being between fourteen and eighteen inches. It is purely a matter of proportion. Sixteen has been adopted in the drawing as a good average. The top, a circle thirteen inches in diameter, is cut from a piece thirteen inches square and ⁷/₈ inch thick. The shelf may be an exact duplicate of the top, but it appears much better, as shown in the drawing, as a square with corners cut off to fit against the legs. The method of getting this form is shown by dotted lines on the circular top.

The method of construction is very simple. The top piece being laid out, is cut close to the line with turning saw, and finished to line with chisel and spokeshave. The square openings for legs are sawed out and the wood removed with a chisel. All chisel work should be done on a bench hook or on a piece of scrap board, as a cutting block.

In preparing to assemble, lay the four legs side by side on the bench top or fasten in the vise. Make sure they are equal in length. Four and a half inches from one end draw a pencil line with try square across all four. Half an inch from the other end draw a similar line; this end is to be the top. These pencil lines are for locating the holes for the screws, so that they will all be on the same level. Bore a hole on each line with a bit or drill, large enough so that the body of a round-head blue screw either 2¹/₄ or 2¹/₂ inches long will just slide through.

Before assembling, bevel or round the top of each leg about ¹/₈ inch. Fasten the four legs to the top with the screws, slip the shelf into position, and make fast in the same manner. Stand the tabourette on a level surface, and if it needs levelling, proceed as explained in the making of saw horse.

TABOURETTE NUMBER TWO

Tabourette number two may be modified by designing legs with slight curves. Before cutting these, lay out the four mortises just as the centres for screw holes were located in previous model so that all four will be equally distant from the floor. Cut out mortises by boring several holes within the space to be cut and finish to line with chisel. These mortises should be laid out on both sides of the leg by squaring lines around the four sides.

The top needs no description, as it is just a plain octagon. The principal work in this model is on the cross pieces. They should be laid out carefully, side by side, to make sure that the distance across from shoulder to shoulder is exactly alike on both. The tenon may have two shoulders, as shown at b, or only one, as at a, but in either case the mortises cut in the legs must exactly fit the tenon. The halved joint in the centre must also be carefully fitted.

When all the parts are ready to assemble, drill two holes near the top of each leg for the round-head screws. Insert all the tenons into their mortises and fasten the legs to the top. A little glue may be used in the mortise and tenon joints and one brad should then be driven from the side or edge of each leg through the tenon. Sink the brad below the surface with nail set.

TABOURETTE NUMBER THREE

See chapter on mechanical drawing for laying out hexagon. This form will appear crude unless the legs are modified, and two or three suggestions for this are shown. The construction consists in fastening to the under side of the top piece a hexagon of ⁷/₈-inch pine eight inches in diameter, making sides four inches long. Every alternate side of this under piece should be made with a sloping edge to conform to the slant of the legs, of which there are only three. Drill or bore four holes in each leg, two ⁷/₁₆ inch from the upper edge, and two to hold the hexagonal shelf. The top edge of the legs should be bevelled with a block plane to fit snugly against the under side of the top. Three sides of the shelf—every alternate one—should be bevelled in the same way to fit against the inside of the legs.

When ready to assemble, fasten pine hexagon to the under side of the top with six 1¹/₄-inch screws.

Attach the legs to the three sloping edges of this under hexagon lightly with round-head screws. Leave the screw heads projecting about ¹/₄ inch until the shelf has been fastened in position, then drive them home with the screw-driver. This is one of the simplest of tabourettes to make, but it is open to criticism. The sloping legs give it a wide base so that it is less easily upset than the other forms; but the pressure from above tends to spread them and pull the structure apart. This tendency must be counteracted by a tie piece, which in this case is only a shelf held by screws, some of which are in end grain.

Of course any form may be criticised. The most beautiful of all, the Turkish or Moorish, on account of its overhanging top and small base, is the most easily upset, and in designing new forms all these points must be considered.

TABOURETTE NUMBER FOUR

This is an ideal example of the mission type taken from Mr. Fred D. Cranshaw's book, "Problems in Furniture Making." It calls for forty mortise and tenon joints, and as it is usually made in oak, it requires considerable time for laying out as well as for cutting.

Twenty-four of these joints can be dispensed with by panelling the sides in place of the lattice work. By hinging the top and putting in a bottom, the tabourette becomes a ladies' work box, a shoe box, etc.

In a project of this kind it is absolutely necessary to work systematically. Letter or number each part. Mark the legs a b c d, and proceed to work in pairs. After squaring up all the pieces, take side a b. Lay out the four joints on a and b which are to face each other, finish these ready for assembling, lay aside a, and lay out b c, etc. When you have finished all four sides around to the starting point, stand the four legs up in the position they are to occupy and check up the work to see if any mistake has been made. Treat the cross bars in the same way, marking the tenons a1, a2, b1, b2, etc. When you have gotten around the second time, assemble the whole thing and look again for errors.

Take apart and lay out mortises in cross pieces by pairs. Fasten 1 and 2 together in the vise with the edges which are to face each other up as shown in Fig. 177.

Square the lines across both pieces, remove from vise and gauge the horizontal edges of mortises with marking gauge.

To avoid confusion and for change of work, cut out these mortises before laying out the next set, and so for the third time work around to the starting point.

A fourth trip around, making and fitting the upright slats, and the tabourette is ready to assemble. By using liquid glue, which hardens slowly, the whole structure can be put together, fastened with large hand screws or clamps, and left over night to dry.

While the glue is setting, measure carefully for the top, to see if there is any variation from dimensions on drawing, and cut out the top piece. By this time, the amateur woodworker will have more respect for the mission style than ever, and will appreciate the difficulty of reaching simplicity.

The best method of securing the top is with small angle irons fastened to it and cross pieces on the inside. Invert the tabourette, after screwing the angles to the cross pieces, and with the top on the floor, drive home the last four screws.

No; it is not finished! There remains the polishing. See Chapter XLIX.

TABOURETTE NUMBER FIVE

This is so radically different in construction from the previous forms that it requires special consideration. Twelve edges must be planed to a 60-degree mitre throughout their entire length and the fit must be perfect. To accomplish this, first cut out two hexagons from ¹/₂-inch pine, 8 inches in diameter, and exactly alike. Construct a special shooting board, at least three inches longer than the legs. Plane a strip of white pine to the shape of a wedge whose angle is 30 degrees. Nail it to the top of shooting board, as shown in Fig. 178 at a. By laying the piece to be mitred on this, the edge can be planed to 60 degrees. Lay this on the two pine hexagons as shown at b, and with the knife make a mark at the angle a on both ends. Connect these two points by a sharp line drawn with a straight edge. Plane this edge on the shooting board to point a, giving angle a c. Tack this leg by brads to the two hexagons, at each extreme end, driving brads only partly in, so that they can be easily withdrawn. Fit the second leg to the first, and so on around to the starting point. Number or letter the legs, and the corresponding faces of the hexagons, so that they may be easily replaced.

Next take off the legs, lay out and cut the openings with the usual tools. These may be plain Gothic arches or simple modifications.

When the legs are finished, make the hexagonal top and prepare to assemble. Use the best glue. Fasten the first leg in its original position on the pine hexagons, using 1¹/₄-inch brads at the top, driving them all the way into the original holes. Put a coating of glue on one edge throughout its whole length, and rub the next leg up close into position. The brads in the lower hexagon must be driven in only part way, as they are to be removed again. Put all six legs into position in this manner. To bind the legs together while the glue is drying, heavy cord should be wound around them, using strips of wood to prevent marring the angles. Let the whole stand over night.

Next day, plane off any glue that may show, removing the two brads at the bottom, dressing down one side at a time until you have reached the last leg. The pine hexagon at the bottom may be taken out, if it doesn't fall out. Sand-paper the sides with No. 0 sand-paper, wrapped around a block.

The top only remains to be adjusted.

Drill six holes in the pine hexagon at the top, and pass six ³/₄ or ⁷/₈ inch screws through from the under side into the top piece by inverting, with top on the floor.

There is so much careful work on this tabourette that it is worthy of good material. Mahogany is very suitable, the light coloured bay wood being the cheapest variety; but of course other woods will do. In case bay wood is used, it can be given the appearance of old mahogany by first coating it with a wash of potassium bichromate. Polish.