A BOY'S WORKSHOP Boy with Box-kite and Boy at Work-bench. Carpenter work should be encouraged in a boy from the time he first becomes interested in it, for besides being something with which to keep him busy, the experience gained by its practice will be useful to him all his life, no matter what branch of industry he may follow later on. When a boy has learned the proper care and use of tools, and is able to turn out neatly executed work, he will find the occupation a profitable one, there being an unlimited number of things he can make in his shop. Doll-houses for girl relatives, toys for brothers and cousins, and articles for the household, such as are described in following chapters, are a few of the many things he can construct. Many of these are salable articles, besides being suitable for birthday and Christmas gifts, and should bring a neat sum of money to the young carpenter. A knowledge of carpenter work also develops in a boy a handiness for devising and putting together articles and apparatus for his own use. A boy should really have a shop where he can keep his tools and unfinished work with no danger of them being disturbed, and where he need not be afraid of littering the floor with shavings or of making too much noise. Fig. 1.—End View of Work-bench. The Workshop may be fitted up by the boy himself, and a suitable place can probably be found in the basement, barn, or woodshed. Here a corner large enough to contain a work-bench, carpenter's horses, and tool-cabinets, besides plenty of room to work in, should be partitioned off, and a window that will admit a good supply of light made in one side of the room, if one has not already been provided. A Solid Work-bench, six feet long, thirty inches wide, and thirty-two inches high, should be constructed beneath the window. It is a good idea to build this on to the wall if possible, as it is easier to make a solid bench by doing so, and the firmer it is, the better. First cut a two-by-four four feet long, and spike it to the wall below the window, twenty-eight inches above the floor. Then saw two pieces of two-by-four, twenty-eight inches long, for the legs, and two pieces, thirty inches long, for crosspieces. Spike the crosspieces on to the legs and on to the piece nailed to the wall, as shown in Fig. 1. Cut three ten-inch planks, six feet long, and spike them to the crosspieces so that they project twelve inches over the ends, but are flush with the framework in front. Then cut a ten-inch board, six feet long, for an apron, and, after cutting the ends as shown in Fig. 4, nail it across the front of the bench. For fifty cents a fifteen-inch iron or wooden bench-screw, similar to those in Figs. 2 and 3, can be purchased at a hardware store, and the rest of The Vise is simple to make. Figures 1, 4, and 5 show the details for this. Fig. 2.—Iron Bench-screw.
Fig. 3.—Wooden Bench-screw. Take a board thirty inches long by six inches wide for the jaw, and bore a hole a little larger than the screw, six inches from one end. Bore another hole the same size through the apron and table-leg, six inches below the bench-top (see A in Figs. 4 and 5). The portion of the iron screw marked B in Fig. 2 should be set into the hole bored in the bench-leg and screwed at E (Fig. 1), while the portion D is to be screwed to the jaw. If a wooden screw is used, the portion C in the drawing (Fig. 3) is nailed to the inside of the bench-leg. Figs. 4-5. Details of Bench-vise. In order to guide the bottom of the jaw, an arrangement similar to F in Fig. 5 should be made. Make a mortise two inches long by one inch wide near the bottom of the bench-leg and cut a strip of wood fifteen inches long to fit loosely in it. Then shut the vise and mark upon the inside of the jaw the place where the mortise comes in the leg. Nail one end of the fifteen-inch strip to the jaw at this point, being careful to get it in such a position that the other end will slide into the mortise. Bore several holes in the strip and cut a peg to fit in them. The jaw can now be kept parallel with the side of the bench by adjusting the peg, which is very necessary in order to have the vise grip a piece of work squarely. When you have a long board to work upon, it cannot be held steady by the vise alone. One end should be placed in the vise and the other rested upon a peg stuck in a hole bored in the side of the bench. For boards of different lengths, several holes should be bored, as shown in the illustration of the finished bench (see frontispiece), and a movable peg cut to fit in them. A Bench-stop of some sort fastened to the top of the bench will be found useful to push work against while planing it, when it is not convenient to use the vise. Figures 6, 7, and 8 show the forms of stops most commonly used by carpenters. Of these the metal stop shown in Fig. 6 is the most satisfactory, as it can be adjusted to different heights. It costs but little and is easily put in place. A mortise is made in the top of the bench to receive the lower portion of the stop, and the plate A is set flush with the bench-top and held in place with screws driven into the holes in the corners. The centre of this plate (B) is detached from the rest and mounted upon a small post, which can be adjusted to the desired height by giving the screw at C a few turns with the screw-driver. The teeth in the edge of B help to hold the work in position. Figs. 6-8.
Some Forms of Bench-stops. One of the simplest forms of stops is shown in Fig. 7. It consists of two screws placed in the top of the bench, which can be raised or lowered with the screw-driver to the height you desire. The stop shown in Fig. 8 is made out of a block of wood with a "bird's mouth" cut in one side. It should be nailed to one end of the bench in such a position that the end of the work can be placed in the "bird's mouth." While most of your work will be done on the bench, and a good portion of sawing done with the wood in the vise, large pieces, especially long boards, are generally sawn while placed across horses.
Two Carpenter's Horses will be required. A good scheme for these is shown in Fig. 9. The top is made out of a piece of two-by-four with bevelled mortises cut in two sides of each end as in Fig. 10. These mortises are made to receive the legs, and the angle of the bevel will of course determine the angle at which the legs will spread. Cut the legs out of four-inch boards, and bevel the lower ends to make them set solidly upon the floor. Nail the legs firmly in place and brace them with two boards cut and fitted in place, as in the illustration. When the pieces have been nailed together, plane off the tops of the legs to make them flush with the top of the horse, and trim the lower ends if they require it until the horse is solid. Boring, paring, and nailing on the bench will soon make the surface uneven, unless something is placed beneath the work during such operations. You should therefore make and use A Bench-hook, such as shown in Fig. 11. A good size is ten by twelve inches, but it may be made larger or smaller if desired. Nail a strip along one edge of the under face and another strip along the opposite edge of the upper face. The latter strip should have three kerfs cut in it as shown in the drawing, one at right angles and the other two at forty-five degrees. These may be laid off with a try-square, as shown in Figs. 38 and 39 (Chapter II), or with the bevel, as shown in Fig. 42. Be careful to keep the saw on the line and in a perfectly perpendicular position in making these kerfs. The upper strip on the bench-hook serves the purpose of a stop, and the kerfs make it possible to use the bench-hook for mitring with the back-saw. Further description of the uses of this handy article will be found in the following chapter. You will need A Mitre-box for cutting mitres in large work, and this may be made as shown in Fig. 12. Cut two pieces of seven-eighths inch maple, or other hard wood, twenty inches long by six inches wide, and one piece twenty inches long by four inches wide. Nail the six-inch pieces to the edges of the four-inch piece as shown in the drawing, after which you are ready to cut the mitres. These should be laid out similar to those on the bench-hook, by means of the mitred try-square or the bevel. With the blade of the try-square or bevel extending across the top edges of the side-pieces, mark off forty-five degree lines at A and B, and a ninety degree line at C, after which square the lines down both inner and outer face of the side-pieces. When the lines have been accurately drawn, it is a simple matter to make the kerfs, if you have had any practice in sawing and can keep to a line. No matter how skilful a carpenter is with his tools, he generally depends upon his mitre-box in making mitres, for not only accuracy is obtained by its use, but time is also saved. In using one be careful not to let the saw cut into the sides of the kerfs, or the box will soon be rendered useless for making accurate mitres. Before putting the finish upon a piece of work, the wood should be thoroughly sand-papered. In many cases certain portions cannot be reached by the hand, and so A Sand-paper Block similar to Fig. 13 should be made. Cut a block of wood five inches long, two and one-half inches wide, and seven-eighths of an inch thick. Then place it in the vise, and bevel one end and round the other as shown in the drawing. An inch and one-half from each end cut "rabbets" one inch wide across the block, and make two blocks to fit them. When this has been done, cut a strip of sand-paper two and one-half inches wide and stretch it around the block, holding it in place by driving the small blocks into the rabbets. You will find this sand-paper block very handy, as some portion of it can be got into almost every corner you will ever have occasion to sand-paper. The paper may be quickly replaced with a fresh piece when worn out. Fig. 13.—Sand-paper Block. A Strop for putting keen edges on tools may be made out of a block of wood, with a piece of shoe-leather, or section of an old razor-strop, glued to one side of it. A Plumb, similar to Fig. 14, is a handy article to have for outdoor work, such as erecting posts in perpendicular positions. You will have need of it in putting up such buildings as the back-yard club-house, the log-cabin, and the erection of apparatus for the outdoor gymnasium, the construction of which will be found in following chapters. It consists of a stick, the sides of which have been planed up true and parallel, with a notch in one end and a cord with a weight attached fastened to the other end. The notch should be cut in the exact centre of the end of the stick, and the nail placed in the other end directly in line with the centre of the notch. An iron nut, or some such weight, should be attached to the lower end of the cord. By placing this stick at the side of an object, you can determine whether or not it is plumb by the position of the string, which should hang in the centre of the notch when the object is plumb. The length of the stick may be made to suit the size of the work it is to be used upon. Four or five feet is a good length for ordinary outside work. In purchasing Tools for your workshop it is not advisable to buy them in chests, for they are almost always made of cheap material, and poor tools are of no use to the boy who intends to do good work. It is a much better plan to buy a few tools at a time, getting a good quality of steel, and to gradually increase your outfit as your money permits. Then if you really want a chest you can make it yourself. A hatchet, hammer, saw, plane, chisel, jack-knife, bit and bit-stock, screw-driver, and square are the principal tools you will require, and need be all you have to start out with. Others may be got as you have need of them, and may be selected from the following list, which includes probably all the tools a boy would ever have occasion to use. LIST OF TOOLS FROM WHICH TO MAKE YOUR SELECTIONS 1 14-inch Jack-plane.
1 18-inch Fore-plane.
1 9-inch Smoothing-plane.
1 22-inch Rip-saw.
1 20-inch Cross-cut saw.
1 12-inch Back-saw.
1 12-inch Compass-saw.
1 Gig- or Bracket-saw.
1 Ratchet Brace.
5 Auger-bits, ¼-inch, ?-inch, ½-inch, ¾-inch, and 1-inch.
1 Expansive-bit.
Several Gimlet Bits.
1 Screw-driver Bit.
1 Countersink.
1 Brad-awl.
2 Hand Gimlets.
1 Automatic-drill.
4 Chisels, ¼-inch, ½-inch, ¾-inch, and 1-inch.
2 Gouges, ?-inch and ¾-inch.
1 Draw-knife.
1 Jack-knife.
1 Hatchet.
1 Hammer.
1 Tack Hammer.
1 Mallet.
2 Nail-sets (large and small).
1 Hand Screw-driver.
1 Wood Rasp.
1 Metal File.
1 Pair Cutting Nippers.
1 Pair Pincers.
1 Grind-stone.
1 Oil-stone and oil-can.
1 Strop.
1 2-foot Folding Rule.
1 Large Steel Square.
1 7-inch Try-square.
1 Bevel.
1 Marking-gauge.
1 Compass. The proper care and handling of these tools is fully described and illustrated in the following chapter. These directions should be carefully read before you attempt to use the tools, especially the edge tools. A Cabinet will be found much better for an outfit of tools than a tool-chest, as it can be more easily got at than a chest, where it is necessary to lift several trays before you can reach a tool which has been put in the bottom. Fig. 15.—Tool-cabinet. The cabinet shown in Fig. 15 is made out of a box about three feet long, two feet wide, and nine inches deep. Make a door from the box-cover, fastening the boards together by means of two battens placed at the top and bottom (see illustration). Nail a cleat on each side of the cabinet six inches from the bottom, and make a shelf to fit upon them. Racks for Bits and Chisels should be made similar to Fig. 16, and fastened side by side to the inside of the cabinet. Cut a strip of wood about the size of the battens, and make two slots in it, one for the end of the saw to fit in and the other for the blade of the try-square (see Fig. 15). This strip is fastened to the cabinet door a few inches above the bottom batten. Fig. 16.—Bit and Chisel Racks. Hang up the other tools on brass hooks. After completing the cabinet, paint it inside and out, and fasten either a hook or lock to the door. When this cabinet becomes too small for your increase in tools, you can keep those you use the most in it, and make Another Cabinet for the special and less used tools. Either screw the cabinets to the wall or support them upon brackets. Racks may be made for any tools you wish to hang on the wall. A piece of grooved siding nailed above the bench will do nicely for the large square. When you do outside work you will want something in which to carry such tools as will be required to complete the job. Fig. 17.—A Carpenter's Carrying-box. A Carpenter's Carrying-box should be made. Such a box is shown in Fig. 17. The box should be about twenty-seven inches long to accommodate the saws, and it would be well to make the width eight inches and the height sixteen inches. First prepare the end-pieces, making them six by sixteen inches and rounding the tops with the compass-saw, as shown in the illustration. Then cut a board twenty-five inches long by six inches wide for the bottom and nail the end-pieces to the ends of it. Make the side-pieces twenty-seven by eight inches, and nail them to the end-pieces and to the edges of the bottom board. The handle consists of a broom-stick fitted into holes bored near the tops of the end-pieces. This box should be used for tools only, and not have nails, screws, and bolts mixed up with them, for these supplies should be kept in a special Nail-box, with compartments for the different sizes of nails, screws, hooks, screw-eyes, hinges, etc. One of the best kinds of boxes for this purpose is a knife-box such as can be bought for ten or fifteen cents. This is divided in two and has a handle attached (see Fig. 18). The two compartments should be sub-divided into smaller boxes, either with pieces of cigar-boxes, or with pieces of tin bent at the ends and fastened to the sides of the box, as shown in the illustration. Supplies of nails, brads, etc., should be kept in cans and cigar-boxes of different sizes, and it is a good idea to letter these receptacles that you may be able to put your hands upon what you want without having to hunt for it. Shelves will be handy to keep paint-cans and these boxes on. Workshop Clothes.—Old clothes should be worn in the shop, as carpenter work is rather hard upon them, especially the trousers. Better than these is a pair of overalls and perhaps a jumper. They are easy to work in and wear better than anything else. A Few Hooks should be placed on the wall for hats and coats, and for your working clothes, if you change them in the shop before and after work. To prevent your tools from being carried off, and your work from being disturbed, it is advisable to have a lock upon the door and keep your shop locked up when you are away. To avoid danger of fire, keep combustible articles, such as oily waste and rags, in covered tin cans, and do not allow shavings and rubbish to accumulate.
CHAPTER II THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS Boy at Grind-stone and Boy with Bit-stock. Before using a tool be sure you understand the proper handling of it, for there is probably nothing more easily injured than an edge tool in a sharpened condition. An inexperienced person is very apt to dull or nick a tool by striking its edge against nails or by using it for purposes other than what it was made for. For this reason a carpenter is very apt to refuse a boy, or any amateur for that matter, the use of his tools, and he is right in doing so. Just imagine the amount of work it makes for him to put the tools in shape after they have been returned in all sorts of conditions. A little rubbing on the oil-stone, with an occasional grinding, is all his tools require when he is using them, but to remove nicks made by his young friends wastes too much of his valuable time. A good rule to observe, boys, is never to lend tools to any of your friends, for though they may be as careful in handling them as you are, the chances are they will not be. You had better be a little "grouchy" in this respect, than to have tools which are unfit to do good work with. The following directions, together with the illustrations, should make the handling of your tools perfectly clear, and you will find among these a number of hints as to the care of tools that should be carefully adhered to in order that you may keep them in good condition. Fig. 19.—Teeth of Cross-cut Saw. Saws.—A boy can get along with two saws, a cross-cut saw for general use and a compass-saw for finer work, such as circular sawing, and cutting thin wood where a large saw would be too coarse and apt to split the work. But you will often have need of a rip-saw, back-saw, and bracket-saw. They were therefore included in the list of tools on page 14, and you can add them to your outfit as your money permits. The Cross-cut Saw is, of course, intended for cutting across the grain, while the rip-saw is for cutting with the grain, or ripping. The former saw can be used for rip-sawing, but the operation is much slower, and when you have much of it to do, as in ripping a six-foot board, for instance, you will find the work tedious. The Rip-saw is not fit for cross-cutting, as it leaves the cut fibres in a very rough condition. The difference in these two saws lies in the shape of their teeth. This can be seen by picking them up and examining their cutting edges. You will find the teeth are bent out of line, the first to the right side and the next to the left. This is known as the "set" of the teeth, and the quality of your work will depend largely upon the care with which the teeth have been sharpened and set. At first you may confuse these two saws, but if you will notice that the teeth of the cross-cut saw come to sharp points and are bevelled on the sides, while those of the rip-saw are not sharpened on the sides, and instead of being pointed on the ends are chisel-shaped (see Figs. 19 and 20), you will have little trouble in distinguishing them. Fig. 20.—Teeth of Rip Saw. Sawing.—Small pieces may be sawn while held in the vise, but, as a rule, large work is placed across a couple of horses. It is generally the most convenient way. Grasp the saw in the right hand, and take the position shown in Fig. 21, with the left knee upon the work to hold it in place, and the left hand at the edge of the board. The thumb should be pressed against the saw-blade to guide it until the cut has been well started, as shown in Fig. 22. Without the aid of the thumb the saw is liable to slip off the mark and make an ugly cut in the wood. First use a few short strokes until the saw has started to cut. Then use a long, steady stroke, putting all of the pressure upon the down stroke. Be careful to keep the saw to the line and in a perpendicular position, so that the cut will be square on all sides. If it starts to run away from the line, a slight twist of the blade will return it. Figs. 21-22.—Position for Sawing. When a board has been sawn nearly in two, remove the weight of your knee from it, and hold the board with the left hand to prevent it from splitting off. Fig. 23.—Position for using the Back-saw. Fig. 23 shows the correct position for using The Back-saw, which is intended for more delicate work than the larger saw, such as can be sawn on the bench-hook or in the mitre-box. It makes a finer cut, its teeth being smaller and more closely set. The blades of The Compass-and Gig-saws are small and narrow, the former being used for circular cutting, as the name would imply, while the latter is employed in cutting very thin wood and in making delicate curves. The blades of these saws, especially the latter, are easily broken, and must be handled with care. The teeth are arranged so as to cut with and against the grain. The slot made by removing the fibre of the wood in sawing is known as A Kerf. The term is used a good deal in carpenter work, so it is well to know its meaning. The carpenter of to-day is generally supplied with all manner of planes,—rabbeting-planes, beading-planes, circular-planes, ploughs, etc.,—besides the more commonly used jack-plane, fore-plane, and smoothing-plane. Each of these planes has a special form of work to do, but ordinarily a boy will have occasion to use but the last three named, and many get along with but a jack- and a smoothing-plane. The Jack-plane is the plane you will first need to remove the rough surface of undressed lumber, and also to reduce quickly the thickness of wood. The cutting edge of the blade is ground so as to gouge the wood, removing thick shavings, but leaving ridges and hollows which must afterward be removed by a fore-plane or smoothing-plane. There is one trouble in using the smoothing-plane for this operation, however, and that lies in the danger of it following the hollows formed by the jack-plane, making a smooth but uneven surface. The Fore-plane, on the other hand, has a long enough stock to prevent the blade from cutting the lower portions until the high portions have been removed. Although a fore-plane can be used alone for smoothing large work, it is more convenient to finish up with The Smoothing-plane. The Stanley iron plane, shown in Fig. 24, is a great improvement over the old-style wooden ones, and is the most popular plane used to-day. It is more easily handled, as its iron is quickly put in place and adjusted. The illustration gives the names of the various parts. The cap (B) is screwed to the plane-iron (A), and both are held in the stock (F) by means of the clamp on the end of the wedge (C). The thumb-screw (D) regulates the degrees of fineness of the plane-iron, while the lever (E), which moves from side to side, straightens the position of the iron. The base of the stock is known as the sole, or face. Fig. 24.—Stanley Iron Plane. A. Plane-iron.
B. Plane-iron Cap.
C. Wedge or Clamp.
D. Adjusting Screw.
E. Adjusting Lever.
F. Stock. The Bailey plane is somewhat similar to the Stanley, the upper portion being of iron with screw adjustment, but the base being of wood. Its cost is much less than that of the entire iron plane, and you will probably find it as satisfactory if you do not care to spend the additional amount for the Stanley plane. For Planing, take the position shown in Fig. 25, with the left foot a little in advance of the right, the right hand grasping the handle of the plane and the left holding the knob on the fore part of the stock. Use a long, steady sweep, and bear with equal pressure from the beginning of a stroke to the end, to avoid the hollows that are so easily made by taking shavings of different thicknesses. Do not drag the plane-iron over the work in returning it for another stroke, as it will dull its edge. You will often come across wood with a crooked grain, which runs diagonally through the piece, terminating at the surface. There is a right way and a wrong way in planing this, just as there are two ways of stroking a cat's back, one smoothing the surface, while the other roughens it. When you find a piece of wood with this kind of uncertain grain, you will probably have to change the direction of your planing a number of times before finishing the surface, in order to plane with the grain. Fig. 25.—Take this Position for Planing. In planing end-wood, you will have trouble in preventing the corners of the piece from splitting off unless it is placed in the vise in front of another block of wood, the planing being done toward the block. Or one corner may be chamfered with the chisel, as shown in Fig. 29. Testing Work.—It is necessary to test work frequently while planing, in order to locate the high places and avoid taking off too much on the low places. This may be done by squinting one eye and holding the board on a level with the other eye, so that you can look down the length of it as in sighting a gun. The uneven places show up very plainly in this way. Work is also tested by means of the try-square. Place the handle of the square against the edge of the work with the blade of the square extending across the planed surface, and move it the length of the board. Any irregularities in the surface will show themselves as the blade passes over them. In planing up a block of wood, plane up one side and, after proving it to be true, use it for the "tried edge," testing the other sides with the handle of the square pressed against its surface. There are a number of forms of Chisels, but the only two classes you will probably ever be in need of are the firmer-and framing-chisels. The former are intended for hand use only, while the latter are used for heavier work, such as mortising, where it becomes necessary to use the mallet. In Using a Firmer-chisel, the work should be placed in the vise or be otherwise held in position, that both hands may be kept upon the tool, the right hand grasping the upper end of the handle and doing the pushing, while the left hand holds the lower part of the handle and acts as a guide in working it. Paring with the chisel consists in trimming a piece of wood to a given line. It is an operation very often resorted to in finishing the end of a piece of work instead of planing, and in trimming up a curved edge such as is shown in Fig. 26. Here the line AB represents the line of the finished end of a piece of work. The board is first placed in a vise and the wood removed to about one-quarter inch of AB with a compass-saw, following the curve of the line as nearly as possible. Then lay the piece upon the bench-hook (Fig. 11, Chap. I), and pare to the line with the chisel, as shown in Fig. 26. The chisel is often used to pare down the surface of a piece of work to a given line, as shown in Fig. 27. The Framing-chisel should be held in the left hand, and the blows dealt upon the handle with the mallet in the right hand. In handling the framing-chisel the bevel of the blade should be toward the work, which is just the opposite from that shown in Figs. 26 and 27. Unless this is done the chisel will not cut down squarely but will cut in under, as it cannot be guided as easily as the firmer-chisel can, with both hands to hold it. Chamfering and Bevelling are somewhat similar operations. They consist in cutting the edges of a piece of wood, as shown in Figs. 28 and 29. The corner of a block of wood is very often chamfered, when planing end-wood, to prevent the wood from splintering. It can only be done, of course, before the adjoining side has been planed up, that a square corner can be obtained again when the work is finished. The Gouge is a chisel with a curved section, its use being for cutting grooves and curvatures in a piece of work where the chisel cannot be employed. A Draw-knife is very handy for quickly reducing the size of material and in rounding sticks. The blade is drawn toward you instead of being pushed as in the case of a plane or chisel. Boring.—Probably the only trouble you will have with the bit and bit-stock will be in holding the brace in a perfectly vertical position so as to bore a straight hole. The centre of the hole should first be located upon the work. Then, after selecting the right size of bit and securing it in the clutches of the bit-stock, grasp the handle of the stock with the right hand and place the left hand on the top knob. Set the point of the bit against the work and bore steadily until the point appears upon the opposite side. The bit should then be withdrawn and the rest of the hole bored from the other side. This prevents the fibre around the hole from splintering off, as it is likely to do when a hole is bored all the way through from one side. To bore a hole in a piece of work held in the vise, clamp a waste piece of wood in the vise with it, and bore straight through the work into the waste piece. When boring hard wood or using large bits increased pressure is necessary to operate the brace and at the same time steady the bit. This can be obtained by allowing the chest to bear upon the top knob. Holes two inches or more in diameter do not require a bit that size, for smaller holes can be bored and these trimmed to the required opening with a chisel or with the keyhole-saw. Whatever style of bit-stock you buy, get one with a fair length of arm, as a good leverage cannot be obtained with a short one. An Automatic-drill is a handy tool to have in the shop, although not a necessity. You have probably seen carpenters use it in drilling holes in hard wood, before driving in finishing nails or screws. It beats the awl and gimlet for speed, and is a tool which can be used in places where neither of these could be operated. The handle of the tool contains a number of sizes of drills. This tool must be used with care, as the drills snap off very easily when the tool is handled roughly or twisted from side to side while boring a hole. The Hatchet is an indispensable tool, for it can be used for a good deal of your rough work, such as splitting and paring. It requires practice to handle one successfully, however. A misplaced blow will sometimes ruin your work, either by cutting into it or striking grain which runs off into the portion to be finished. With straight grained wood it is not so difficult to pare to a line with the hatchet. The wood should be removed to within less than an eighth of an inch of the line, as the work must be dressed up afterward with the plane. It is well to have A Hammer with a fairly heavy head for large work, and a lighter one with which to drive small nails. Fig. 30.—Withdrawing Nails.
Driving Nails.—The nail should first be held in position with the thumb and first two fingers, and given a few light raps with the hammer to start it. Then remove the fingers, and drive the nail home with steady blows, being careful to hit the head squarely so it will not bend. Although a bent nail can be driven home with the proper stroke, it is generally easier and quicker to withdraw it and either hammer it out straight or use another. A pair of pincers are handy for Withdrawing Nails, especially nails whose heads are too small to be gripped with a claw hammer; but for removing large nails a stronger leverage is necessary. This can be obtained as shown in Fig. 30. The head of the nail is gripped in the claw of the hammer and a block of wood placed beneath the head. The handle of the hammer is then pulled toward you, as shown in the illustration. The block, besides increasing the leverage, prevents the hammer-head from injuring the surface of your work, and makes it possible to withdraw the nail in a fairly straight condition.
Toe-nailing consists in driving nails diagonally into a piece of wood. It is used in fastening the ends of uprights, as shown in Fig. 31, where the nails cannot be driven in any other way, and also where there is danger of a board springing. You will often find it convenient to use this form of nailing when the nails are too long to be driven straight into the work. Blind-nailing is a form of toe-nailing used on tongue and grooved boards in which the heads of the nails are concealed below the surface, as shown in Fig. 32.Clinching.—When nails come through a piece of wood their ends should be clinched. This is done by having some one hold a hard surface, such as the head or blade of a hatchet, against the under side of the work, or by laying the hatchet down and resting the work upon it, while you drive the nail. The point of the nail will bend over when it strikes the hard surface and sink into the wood. This is the best method to use in fastening boards together with battens, in rough work, as the clinched nails act as rivets, preventing any possibility of the boards pulling apart. Do not drive the head of a nail into a finished surface with the hammer, as you are likely to mar the wood in doing so. Leave this—the "setting" of the nails—until the piece of work has been put together. Then go over it and drive the heads below the surface with The Nail-set, holding the tool as shown in Fig. 33. The holes made by the heads should be filled up with putty before the finish is put upon the wood. Before driving nails into hard wood, holes should be made with the brad-awl or drill, to prevent them from splitting the wood, and to make it easier to drive them in without bending. The holes should be a trifle smaller than the nails. Always drill a hole before driving a nail into thin wood or near the edge of a piece. A nail can be driven more easily if its point is rubbed over a piece of soap. This is something you should remember to do when nailing hard wood. Nails.—Iron, galvanized-iron, wire, and copper nails are manufactured, but of these the wire nail is the most commonly used for all kinds of work, it being more easily handled, not so liable to snap off, and there being less danger of splitting your work with it than with the iron nails. You will notice the iron nails have two smooth sides and two rough ones. In using these it is necessary to drive them with the smooth sides parallel with the grain, otherwise they are sure to split the work. Nails are classified according to their shape and gauge. The only kinds you will probably ever have occasion to use are the Common, or nail for all ordinary work; the Finishing-nail, with the small head used on finish work; and the Brad, or small-sized finishing-nail. You can buy these by calling for the length you require, but it is more businesslike to use the standard terms by which all carpenters know them. The following table gives these terms, together with the length in inches:— 2-Penny Nails (1 inch long).
3 " " (1¼ inches long).
4 " " (1½ " " ).
5 " " (1¾ " " ).
6 " " (2 " " ).
7 " " (2¼ " " ).
8 " " (2½ " " ).
9 " " (2¾ " " ).
10 " " (3 " " ).
12 " " (3¼ " " ).
16 " " (3½ " " ).
20 " " (4 " " ).
30 " " (4½ " " ).
40 " " (5 " " ).
50 " " (5½ " " ).
60 " " (6 " " ). All nails longer than three and a half inches (20d to 60d inclusive) are known as spikes. It is desirable to have A Screw-driver which will set in the clutches of your bit-stock, besides the ordinary kind, for it is more quickly operated, and screws can be driven in hard wood easier on account of the greater amount of leverage you get with it. Holes should be drilled in hard wood before driving screws into it. Screws are made with round and flat heads. The round-headed screw is a finishing screw, and its head is left exposed on the surface of the wood; but the flat-headed screw should be countersunk, that is, sunk below the surface. To do this you must drill a hole before driving in the screw with The Countersink, which is a drill made to fit in the bit-stock, and bores a hole the shape and depth of the screw-head. Sharpening Tools Be sure you understand the process of sharpening tools before you undertake to use the oil-and grind-stones. All tools are not sharpened alike, and you will need to know the different ways in order to get their cutting edges the right shape to serve their different purposes. Grinding is the most difficult part of the work, and most boys have trouble with it. One fault lies in using the grind-stone too frequently, grinding the edge of a tool when it requires only a little rubbing upon the oil-stone to put it in shape, and thus wearing down the tool unnecessarily. Again, by not keeping the stone sufficiently wet, the heat produced by the friction takes the temper out of the steel, making it soft and useless until retempered. If you have a stone with a crank arrangement, it will be necessary to have some one turn it while you control the tool. The stone should be turned toward the grinder and the tools held upward so the stone grinds against the edge instead of from it. Move the tools sideways across the stone so as to wear it down evenly and help prevent the formation of ridges in the stone, which are very easily produced. Fig. 34.—Grinding the Chisel. Figure 34 shows the position to take in grinding Chisels. Hold the handle of the tool in the right hand and rest the palm of the left hand upon its blade. Then lower the edge upon the stone until the bevel strikes it flatly, and bear down upon the blade with your left hand. Continue the grinding until the bright line of the dull edge has disappeared and an invisible edge has been obtained. Stop when this point is reached or the edge will become feathery and break off, necessitating regrinding. Grind upon the bevelled edge only, and hold the tool in the same relative position, to prevent the bevel from becoming rounded. The angle of the bevel should be about twenty-five degrees. To keep this angle the same, it is desirable to have a rest, consisting of a board nailed to the frame of the stone, upon which to support the handle of the chisel. Gouges and Draw-knives are ground similarly, the former being rocked from side to side, in order to grind the curved bevel uniformly. Plane-irons are held with both hands, as shown in Fig. 35, and ground the same, except that the corners of the smoothing-and fore-plane irons are slightly rounded, while the edge of the jack-plane iron is a little higher at the corners than in the centre, to give it the qualities for removing thick shavings. It is more difficult to keep the line between the bevel and upper part of the iron straight than in grinding chisels, on account of the wider blade. Fig. 35.—Grinding the Plane-iron.
Knives and Hatchets are ground upon both sides of the blade. Of course, the edge of a tool is left in a very rough condition by the grind-stone, and must be rubbed up on an oil-stone before it is fit to cut with. There are many makes of whetstones, many good ones and many worthless ones. Above all things, don't buy a cheap one, for it will be impossible to obtain keen edges upon it. One of the best stones upon the market is The Washita Oil-stone, a Kansas stone of medium hardness, free from grit and lumps, and of good quality through and through.
In rubbing up a plane-iron, grasp the end between the thumb and fingers of the right hand and place the palm of the left hand across the iron to bring the necessary pressure upon it (see Fig. 36). Instead of holding the blade on the stone at the angle of the bevel, tip it to an angle of about thirty-five degrees, or ten degrees more than that of the bevel. With it held in this position, rub it back and forth upon the stone with a rotary motion, making a second narrow bevel along the edge of the tool (see Fig. 37). Be careful to keep the blade in the same position, to prevent the bevels from becoming rounded. By exerting a steady upward pressure against the end of the tool with the right hand, and an equal downward pressure in the centre of the blade with the left hand, this is easily accomplished. The rough edge which appears on the back of the blade is removed by rubbing the flat side of the iron over the stone a few times. Care must be taken to keep the iron perfectly flat or a bevel will be formed. A Strop, consisting of a piece of leather fastened to a block of wood as described in the foregoing chapter, should be used after the oil-stone, to put a fine edge upon the tool. The tool is stropped in the same way as a razor is done. Saws require sharpening but once in a great while if proper care is taken of them. When they do become dull, or need to be set, it is advisable for you to pay an experienced person to do the work rather than attempt it yourself. Laying out Work A two-foot carpenter's folding-rule should generally be used in laying off measurements and a sharp-pointed pencil or brad-awl to locate the points. To connect the points it is necessary to have a straight-edge—a steel framing-square (Fig. 42) for large boards and a small try-square (Fig. 38) for smaller pieces—and a pencil or knife. A pencil may be used in connecting points upon rough work, but for greater accuracy a knife should be used, as it makes a thinner and cleaner-cut line. In making knife lines, the square must be held very firmly, to prevent it from slipping and allowing the knife to run out of its course. To draw lines across a board at right angles to one edge (which should be the straight or "tried edge" of the board) with the steel-square, place one arm of the square parallel with the tried edge and mark along the other arm. To perform the same operation with the try-square, place the handle against the tried edge, as shown in Fig. 38. Oftentimes it becomes necessary to draw a line parallel to the tried edge. This may be done roughly with the rule and pencil, as shown in Fig. 40. Grasp the rule in the left hand, with the first finger touching the tried edge of the board, and hold the pencil point against the end of the rule with the right hand. Keeping this position, with a steady hold on the rule and pencil, move your hands along the board. The result will be a line parallel to the tried edge. At first you may have trouble in making a straight line, but with practice you will be able to hold the rule and pencil steadily. Fig. 40.—Gauging with Rule and Pencil. For particular work, where it is necessary to get a perfectly straight and parallel line, A Marking-gauge should be used. This is nothing more than the above principles combined in a tool. It consists of a graduated shaft, or rule, with a small needle or spur in one end, which slides through a mortise made in a block of wood known as the head. Fig. 41.—Using the Marking-gauge. To operate the gauge, set the adjustable head at the required division on the shaft, and then grasp the head and shaft with the fingers of the right hand, as shown in Fig. 41. Place the outer face of the head against the tried edge of your work, and then, pressing the spur into the wood, move the gauge along the board, at the same time keeping the face of the head firmly against the edge of the board. The gauge is much more convenient than the other method of drawing parallel lines, for you can repeat the measurement as often as you wish, having once adjusted the head, without having to lay it off again. A Try-square with a mitred handle costs but little more than the ordinary make, and is much handier, inasmuch as it can be employed in making mitres, by placing the bevelled end against the side of the work instead of the straight side (see Figs. 38 and 39). The Bevel is in reality a try-square which can be adjusted to any desired angle. To set it at an angle of forty-five degrees, place it on the steel-square, as shown in Fig. 42, with the handle against the inner edge of one arm of the square and the blade resting on both arms. Move the blade until it strikes equal distances on the arms (this is shown at four inches in the drawing) and tighten the screw while it is in this position. Other angles may be drawn out upon a piece of wood and the bevel adjusted to them so these angles can be laid off upon other pieces. You will find the bevel handy for reproducing angles. However, if you are supplied with a mitred try-square you can easily dispense with it for ordinary work. There will be times when you wish To Divide a Board into a number of equal parts, which may be found to be fractions of an inch that cannot be easily laid off with the rule in the ordinary way. It can be accomplished with a pair of compasses, but until you become practised in their use, it will take some little time in setting them, dividing, resetting, and redividing, until the exact divisor is obtained. A much quicker method is that performed with the rule, as shown in Fig. 43. Suppose you wish to divide a board four and three-quarters inches long into five equal parts. Place your rule across the board, as shown in the illustration, one end at one edge and the "five-inch" division at the opposite edge. Mark off the five divisions and then square the lines across the board at these points with the try-square. This will give you the required five equal parts. Fig. 43.—Dividing a Board Equally. In the same way longer boards may be divided up by using two-and three-inch divisions on the rule instead of one-inch, and smaller pieces by using half-and quarter-inch divisions.
CHAPTER III THE BOY ABOUT THE HOUSE Boy with Carrying-box, Mother in Kitchen. There are generally repairs of some kind to be made about the house—such as mending screens, renewing window-ropes, repairing wooden walks, patching fences, etc.—which a boy can do, besides many ingenious articles for the house which he can make in his workshop. Ideas for labor-saving devices which cannot be bought upon the market present themselves now and then, and if there is a boy in the neighborhood to carry them out, the housekeeper will be only too glad to pay him for doing the work. For general jobbing you will require a carpenter's carrying-box (Fig. 17, Chap. I) in which to carry your tools, and a nail-box (Fig. 18) for nails, screws, hinges, and such hardware as you will need upon the job. With these you will have a complete outfit. Fig. 44.—The Hinge Window Lock. A few suggestions as to what you can do and what you can make are described and illustrated in this chapter, and should give you plenty of material to work upon when you open up your carpenter-shop. Besides these ideas, you will find most of the articles in the following chapter suitable for the house and pieces of furniture for which it will be easy to secure orders. The Hinge-lock, in Fig. 44, is one of the most serviceable window-locks that can be had, for it can be so placed as to allow the window to be opened a few inches for ventilation, and at the same time prevent further opening. The hinge is screwed to the upper sash-frame several inches above the centre sash-bar, according to the distance the window is to be opened (see illustration). It will be seen that when the hinge is opened, as in the drawing, neither sash can be opened past the hinge; but when the hinge is folded flat it will not interfere with the opening of either sash. This lock would probably be more extensively used if people knew how simple and satisfactory it is. As the hinges cost but a few cents a pair, and are put on very quickly, a boy should realize a fair sum of money in a short time supplying these locks. A Clothes-line Reel, such as shown in Fig. 45, is an article no housekeeper should be without. Its use does away with twisted, tangled, and knotted clothes-lines. As they require but little material, and the cost of that amounts to almost nothing, the manufacture of these time-saving devices, for the neighbors, should prove profitable. Fig. 45.—A Clothes-line Reel. The reel consists of two strips of wood sixteen inches long by three inches wide for the sides, and two pieces of broom-handles sixteen inches long for the horizontal rods (see Fig. 45). Five inches from each end of the side-pieces, bore a hole the size of the broom-handle. With the pieces thus prepared it is a simple matter to fit them together, as in the illustration, placing the broom-handles in the holes bored for them, and fastening them so the side-pieces are nine inches apart and a handle five inches long projects on either side. It is probably needless to say that the ends of the broom-sticks are held in the hands when operating the reel. Fig. 46.—Broom and Dust-pan Rack. A Broom and Dust-pan Rack is a handy article for the kitchen or broom-closet, and can be made as shown in Fig. 46. A rack to hold a large and small broom, dust-pan, and brush, should measure three feet long, three inches wide, and be made out of a seven-eighths-inch board. Bevel the edges and place four brass hooks in the front, as shown in the drawing, from which to hang the broom, dust-pan, etc. Brooms should always be dampened and put away, handle down, according to the advice of an old broom-maker, who claims that by so doing the straws are kept from becoming brittle and the broom lasts much longer. The brooms should therefore have screw-eyes placed in the handle, just above the tin binding, to hang upon the hooks, as shown in the illustration. The rack should be screwed to the wall. Fly-papers and poisons are deadly enemies to the house-fly, but none are as effectual or as quick acting as The Fly-killer, shown in Fig. 47. This simple device consists of a piece of screen-wire, about four by five inches, stuck into a slot made in the end of a stick, and fastened in place with tacks driven through the end of the handle and clinched upon the under side. If possible, cut the wire with a selvage along the front edge, and trim the roughness from the other edges to prevent scratching. The fly-killer is hung up by a screw-eye placed in the end of the handle. With the fly-killer a person can strike at a fly with almost a certainty of killing it. As the screen-wire is not easily seen by the fly, and the mesh allows the air to pass through, there is nothing to alarm him. These little things are quickly made, and when you show your customer how effective they are, you will find no trouble in disposing of them. An Ash-sifter that is dust-proof and very satisfactory is shown in Fig. 48. It is made out of a packing-case about three feet long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-four inches deep. Set the box upon two-by-four stilts in the shed or yard (braced as shown in the illustration), in such a position that the bottom of the box will be on a level with the top of the alley ash-box. Then cut an opening through the shed wall and end of the box, as shown at AB, for the removal of ashes. Two strips are nailed to the sides of the box (seven inches below the top) for tracks for the sifter to run upon, and below this, at C, a board slide is placed to dump the ashes, which shake through the sifter, out of the opening in the end of the box into the ash-box. Nail one half of the cover to the top of the box and hinge the other half to it. Make the sifter eighteen inches square by six inches deep, using six-inch boards for the frame and one-third or one-half inch wire-mesh for the bottom (see Fig. 49) Fasten four trunk-casters, such as are shown in Fig. 50, to the bottom of the frame, and fit a broom-stick in one side for a handle. A slot must be cut in the end of the box for the handle to fit in. A Bread-board may be made out of a seven-eighths inch maple board about ten by eighteen inches, with the surface planed perfectly smooth and the edges bevelled or rounded. A hole should be bored near one edge, so it may be hung up in the pantry. The dining-room is not complete without A Plate-rack for the display of pretty pieces of china. Figures 51 and 52 show the details for the construction of a rack of three shelves, and in size three feet long and two feet ten inches high. Although the design is very simple in outline, it is such as will make a pleasing piece of furniture when neatly carried out. Prepare the two side-pieces the shape and size shown in Fig. 52, and cut the shelves two feet ten inches long by the widths given in the drawing (Fig. 52). One groove should be made in shelf A and two in shelves B and C, for the edges of plates to stand in. These grooves are cut with a chisel, and should be made V-shaped as shown. Narrow strips of wood may be nailed along the shelves as substitutes for the grooves if you wish, but the work required to plane up the strips will amount to about as much, and they do not present as neat an appearance. Having cut out the shelves and side-pieces, you are ready to put the rack together. For this purpose you should use finishing-nails so their heads will not make very large holes in the surface of the wood. Fasten the bottom shelf (C) between the side-pieces seven inches above the bottom, the middle shelf (B) ten inches above that, and the top shelf (A) nine inches above the middle shelf. The inner edges of the shelves should be fastened flush with the edges of the sides. In the bottom shelf place a row of brass hooks for cups to hang upon. It is necessary to fasten three strips two inches wide between the sides in the back of the rack (as shown in the drawing) for the tops of the plates to rest against. Two holes should be bored in the top strip, by which to hang the rack on nails or hooks fastened in the wall. After completing the carpenter-work, finish the rack with a stain which will harmonize with the color scheme of the room in which it is to hang.
CHAPTER IV SUGGESTIONS FOR A BOY'S ROOM Boy Reading, Boy Writing. It is far better for a boy to spend his evenings in the house than out upon the street. He need not be without his friends there, for if he has an attractive room, with books to read, games to play, and puzzles to solve, the boys of the neighborhood will soon find it out and be only too glad to have a chance to visit him, knowing they will be sure of finding plenty of things to interest them. The simpler the furnishings of a boy's room are the better. Plain and substantial furniture which will stand perhaps a little rougher usage than that in other rooms of the house, and handy places for storing away his traps, are what are needed. The room should be his den where he can keep what he pleases, and arrange the fittings to suit his individual tastes. Shelves for his books and magazines, a cabinet for various collections, boxes for miscellaneous articles, and a desk at which he can study and keep his accounts, are a few of the things the room should contain. These pieces can easily be constructed in the workshop, by following the directions given in this chapter. On the opposite page is shown a scheme for a boy's room suggestive of his sports, games, and handicraft, and while everything is simple and inexpensive in the furnishings, it makes a room that will strike the fancy of the average boy. Nothing appears more attractive than A Cosey-corner, such as shown in the illustration, and it is a simple matter to fit one up. A home-made couch, box, or seat of some sort should be constructed to set in the corner, a shelf fastened to one wall a foot or more above it, and several shelves hung on the adjoining wall, as shown in the drawing. Purchase several yards of a dark shade of green denim, and enclose the corner with three strips (see illustration). The upper strip is stretched across the corner at the ceiling, and the other two attached to its ends and allowed to hang to the floor. It is a good idea to make also a dado of the same material within the corner from the baseboard to the under side of the shelves. Pennants representative of the various colleges can be made out of cheese-cloth, and a string of these hung across the corner at the ceiling will produce a pretty effect. The walls of the room may be brightened with Small Posters, which it is an easy matter to obtain nowadays, and small pictures mounted upon colored mats and fastened behind glass by means of passe-partout paper are always attractive. Treatment of a Boy's Room.
Picture-frames can be made out of narrow moulding, the corners of which have been mitred in the mitre-box to make them join neatly. A frame which has proven satisfactory for small posters and pictures not requiring glass is one made out of common laths. The ends of the laths are not mitred as is usually the case in making frames, but are fastened together with what is known as a "butt-joint"; that is, the ends of each piece are set against the ends of the adjoining pieces. The simplest way of fastening them together is by means of small strips of wood nailed across the corners on the back of the frame. Although this frame might be expected to have a clumsy appearance, it has not, and when thoroughly sand-papered and finished with a dull green stain is very pretty. The Writing-desk shown in Fig. 53 is constructed out of a box, and makes a pretty piece of furniture when completed. Procure a box as free from defects as possible, and with fairly wide boards, so there will be but few cracks. The cover should be in not more than two pieces, as it forms the drop-front of the desk, and it would be difficult to fasten more together. The boards must be fastened with "dowels" and cleats on the edges, as shown in Fig. 54, as cleats upon the inside of the drop would be in the way. Dowelling consists in boring holes along the edge of each board and fitting pegs in them. Of course the holes must be bored in exactly the same relative positions in each piece so that the end and sides of the boards will be flush with each other when the pegs have been put in place. To get the holes correctly bored, place the boards together in the vise with two edges flush and uppermost, and square lines six inches apart across the edges, after which locate the centres of the holes on these lines. Be careful to bore the holes straight, and make them a little longer than the pegs. Cut the pegs out of hard wood and make them large enough to fit tightly in the holes. The pegs as well as the two edges of the boards should be smeared with glue before being put together. Then, after driving in the dowels, clamp the pieces together and lay them aside until the glue has thoroughly dried. In order to make a neat joint between the two boards, it is very necessary to have the two edges planed perfectly true and square. While the boards of the drop-front are drying, you can prepare the inside of the box. A boy's desk should be supplied with plenty of pigeon-holes and drawers. They are as necessary as pockets are in his clothes. Split-up cigar-boxes may be used for these divisions, and, by making the upper ones of the right size, cigar-boxes may be fitted in them for drawers. The paper should be removed from the boxes as described in Chapter VIII. Fasten small silk-spools to the front of the drawers for knobs. When the dowelled pieces have dried, nail a small moulding around the two end edges and one side edge, mitring the ends so as to fit together as shown at A (Fig. 54). The drop-front should be hinged to the box with two hinges placed on the inside, as shown in Fig. 53, and brass chains attached to screw-eyes screwed into it and the inside of the box. For the top of the box, purchase a moulding a little larger than that used around the edges of the drop-front and mitre it at the corners, as shown in the illustration. Before putting any finish upon the desk, sand-paper the wood, set the nails with a nail-set, and fill all holes and cracks with putty. A couple of coats of white enamel applied to the outside will produce a very pretty effect, and the inside may be finished with linseed oil, which makes a beautiful finish for the cigar-boxes. The desk should be supported on two iron brackets (enamelled to match the desk), screwed to the wall and under side of the desk. In Fig. 55 will be found Another Style of Desk, which, though not as simple to make, may be preferred to the first design. Fig. 55.—Another Style of Desk. Cut two boards fifteen inches long by twelve inches wide for the sides, and taper each from twelve inches at one end to eight inches at the other end. Cut a board twelve by thirty inches for the bottom and another eight by thirty for the top, and nail them to the end pieces, after which saw the boards for the back and drop-front. Dowel and glue the drop-front boards together, nail a moulding around three edges, and hinge the piece to the desk, as in the case of the other design. Partition off the inside of the desk as shown in the illustration, and nail a moulding around the top. Finish the wood in the manner described for the other desk. Fig. 56.—Ink-stand and Pen-tray. An Ink-stand and Pen-tray, suitable for your desk, can be made out of a cigar-box, as shown in Fig. 56. Slope the edges with your jack-knife and cut several notches in them for pens and pencils to fit in. The wood should then be sand-papered and oiled. A Couch for the cosey-corner of your room can be made out of two boxes about three feet long, two feet wide, and eighteen inches deep. Remove one side of each box and nail the covers on, after which place the two boxes end to end and fasten them together with strips nailed across them at A, B, and C (Fig. 57). An incline about eighteen inches long should be fastened to one end, as shown in the (drawing. The inside of the boxes may be partitioned off and used for storing away magazines and pamphlets. For the covering of the couch procure several yards of cretonne, some cotton batting or an old quilt to pad the top, a box of upholstering-tacks, and several dozen brass-headed tacks. After spreading the padding over the couch, cut a piece of cretonne large enough to cover it and tack it to the edge of the boxes, using the upholstering-tacks for the purpose. Make a valance of the same material, gathering the cretonne so as to form a heading at the top, and tack it around the box. Then place the brass tacks along the top of the valance about two inches apart. If a couch is too large for your room you can make A Window-seat, such as is shown in Fig. 58. Cut the arms the shape shown in the illustration and fasten them to the ends of the box. Batten the boards forming the box-cover on the under side. Then tack cretonne on to the cover, arms, and outside of the box, placing padding underneath the cretonne to make it soft, and line the inside of the box with some dainty colored goods. When this has been done, hinge the cover to the box with large fancy brass hinges. The appearance of the seat will be greatly improved by placing brass tacks along the edges of the arms and seat, about two inches apart. The inside of the box will make a handy receptacle for clothes and linen. Fig. 59.—A Curio-cabinet. For those interested in making collections of stamps, coins, stones, insects, etc., A Curio-cabinet, similar to Fig. 59, will make it possible to keep all specimens arranged in order, each set of curios occupying a shelf by itself. Such a cabinet should be made of bass or whitewood, as these can generally be obtained in greater widths, are cheaper, and less defective than other material. If you make your cabinet five feet high, two feet wide (inside measurement), and twelve inches deep, purchase twelve-inch boards, as these make it possible to have the sides in one piece and the back in two, a great advantage, as there will then be but one crack, and that up through the centre of the back. After cutting the side-pieces the correct length, finish their edges as in the drawing. Then cut nine boards two feet long for the shelves, which are to be placed six inches apart. Commencing at the top of each side-piece, lay off the thickness of a shelf, which will be about seven-eighths of an inch, and square the lines across the boards; then lay off the next shelf six inches below, and so on down to the bottom. Cut along these lines to a depth of three-eighths of an inch with a saw, and remove the wood between with a chisel. When all the grooves have been cut, slip the shelves into them one by one, and nail them to the side-pieces. After fastening the shelves, cut the two twelve-inch boards for the back and nail them in place. While it is customary to put sash-doors on cabinets, this will be too difficult a job for you to attempt. A very pretty and inexpensive door may be made as in the illustration. Make a frame out of two-inch strips to fit the opening, and stretch some green denim over it, tacking it to the inside of the frame. The ends of the strips forming the frame should be mitred and either nailed together or fastened with dowels and glue, as described in the construction of the desk (see Fig. 54). Hinge the frame to the cabinet. To finish the cabinet, rub it down with sand-paper, set the nails with a nail-set, and putty up all holes, after which stain the wood green, a shade darker than the denim panel in the front. Although the shelves may be simply stained, they will be much nicer for holding curios if covered with felt. It might be well to suggest that you number each curio, and make a catalogue of these, together with the names and any data you have concerning them. The catalogue may be hung on a hook upon the inside of the door, where it can always be found. Fig. 60.—Spool Book-shelves. A pretty set of Book-shelves to hang upon the wall can be made with three boards twenty-four inches long by eight inches wide, four dozen spools all of the same size, and two pieces of rope about four feet long and small enough to fit in the holes of the spools. By saving the empty spools from your mother's work-basket, and having your friends save their spools for you, it will not be very long until you have the required number. Spools upon which number thirty-six cotton thread comes are of the best length. Bore holes in the four corners of each board. Then, beginning with the board which is to form the bottom shelf, pass the ropes down through the holes on one side, across under the shelf, and up through the holes on the opposite side. String six spools on each rope and put the ropes through the holes in the next shelf; then string six more spools on each rope and run the ropes through the next or top shelf. Tie the ropes together about a foot above the top shelf, fringing the ends to form tassels. Figure 60 shows the shelves completed. A Blacking-case made similar to Fig. 61 is a handy article for a boy to have in his room. As the friction from a rag rubbed over the shoe produces a finer polish than a brush when polishing paste is used, the box is provided with an arrangement by which a rag can be rubbed over the shoe without much effort (see illustration). Fig. 61.—A Blacking-case. Procure a box about the size of a soap or cracker-box, and fasten a board in it for a foot-rest, as shown at A in the drawing. On each side of this place a piece of a broom-handle a little shorter than the inside width of the box, and pivot them at the ends with wire nails driven through the sides of the box, as shown in the illustration. Gimlet holes should be made in the sides of the box so the nails will fit loosely in them. Procure a strip of canton-flannel twenty-four inches long by six inches wide, and, after sewing two brass rings to each end, pass the cloth under the rollers and over the foot-rest, as shown in the illustration. The lower part of the box will hold your boxes of blacking and the brushes. To have access to this, a board should be removed from the side of the box and hinged as at B and C in the illustration. Place a button-catch just above it to keep it shut. Fasten together the boards forming the box-cover with battens, and hinge them to the end of the box. The outside of the case will be improved greatly if covered with denim. After applying the paste to the shoe, the foot should be slipped under the cloth which passes over the foot-rest. Two fingers of each hand should then be placed in the rings and the cloth pulled back and forth over the rollers until the shoe is polished. A Towel-rack, such as is shown in Fig. 62, is made in four pieces,—a board about eighteen inches long for the back, two arms six inches long, and a piece of broom-handle eighteen inches long. After cutting out the arms the shape shown in Fig. 63, bore a hole large enough for a broom-handle to fit in each. Bevel the edges of the eighteen-inch board, and then nail it to the arms, driving the nails through this piece into the arms. Fit the piece of broom-handle into the holes bored for them, and trim off the ends so that about one inch projects beyond the face of each arm. Sand-paper the wood, and either paint or varnish it. Attach screw-eyes to the top of the back board and hang the rack by these to hooks placed in the wall.
CHAPTER V HOW TO MAKE A DOLL-HOUSE Boy Presenting Doll-house to his Sisters.
The average store doll-house is made of thin wood, which is full of defects and likely to warp, besides being put together in such a flimsy manner as to soon fall apart. The majority of these are imported houses, designed and planned in foreign styles, the exteriors being covered with clumsy ornament and gaudily painted, while the interiors are very poorly planned and proportioned. Americanized doll-houses are seldom seen in the market, and the few there are will generally be found very expensive. There is probably nothing more interesting for a boy to make than a doll-house. It is like building your own house on a small scale, the details and proportions having to be just as carefully worked out to make a good-appearing house. Try the construction of a house for one of your girl relatives and see how much she will appreciate it. Then having completed one and learned the many little tricks there are in doing this work, you will find it quicker and easier to turn out others to sell. Neatly made houses are always salable, and it should be an easy matter for you to make arrangements with a toy dealer in your town, to place some of your work in his store to sell on commission. The doll-house designed and detailed in this chapter is easily constructed and The Materials Required do not amount to very much. Boards ten inches wide and one-half inch thick are preferable for the general construction, with a few four-inch boards one inch thick for the base and a few other details. Basswood probably will be found the easiest wood to work with, as it is soft, straight-grained, and free from knots. Packing-cases may be used to advantage when they are of the right size, but they are generally made of a cheap grade of pine, full of knots and other defects that make it difficult to do a good job. Cigar-boxes make the nicest material for the interior finish, and a number of all sizes should be procured for this purpose. Prepare the boxes for use as described in Chapter VIII. Fourpenny nails should be purchased for the rough carpenter work, and brads and glue for attaching finishing-strips and all light wood. Paints and other material are specified as required. As shown on the plans (Figs. 65, 66, and 67), the house described in this chapter is of three floors, containing nine rooms, and is in size, thirty inches wide, twenty inches deep, and three feet high. Figs. 65-70.—Plans of Doll-house and Patterns for the Partitions. The Base, or false basement, should be made first. It [Pg 73]
[Pg 74]consists of two four-by-one inch boards thirty inches long and two twenty inches long, with the ends mitred and fastened together in the form of a frame. Upon this Lay the First Floor, allowing but one-half inch of the boards to bear on the frame on all sides. Then lay off the first-floor plan (Fig. 65) upon this floor with a pencil and square, locating the partitions by means of the dimensions given on the plan. Make the Partitions A, B, and C, the shape and size shown in Fig. 68, and nail them to the places marked out for them on the floor. The Stairs from first to second floors (Fig. 71) should now be constructed as described later under the head of "Stairways," as it would be difficult to set them in place after the walls are up. Make the Front and Rear Walls twenty-nine inches wide and twenty inches high, and nail them to the edges of the floor. The outside surface of the walls should now be in line with the base. Leave the cutting of the windows until the rest of the house has been put together. The walls may be prevented from spreading by means of temporary braces nailed across the tops. Lay the Second Floor, cutting a three by ten inch stair opening in the place indicated on the plan (Fig. 66), and fasten the boards to the front and rear walls. Draw upon this the second-floor plan, and Cut Out Partitions D, E, F, and G, as shown in Fig. 69. Fig. 71.—Details of Inside Stairs.
After nailing these partitions to the places marked out for them, and building in the stairs, Lay the Third Floor (Fig. 67), cutting a three by seven inch stair opening, and fastening the boards in place as you did those of the second floor. Stairways.—While each stairway should be built before the floor above is laid, in order that the work can more easily be done, they have been left for description here, that they might be spoken of in a general way. In Figs. 71, 72, 73, 74, and 75 will be found complete details for these. The first things to prepare are The Stair Stringers, or supports for the steps (treads and risers). Cut from a piece of cardboard what is known as The Pitch-board, the pattern by which to lay out the steps (Fig. 73). Then draw a line lengthwise upon a thin strip of wood (AB in Fig. 72), and lay off the pitch-board on this as shown in Fig. 72—sixteen times for the first to second story stairs and fifteen times for the second to third story stairs. Draw the line DE parallel to AB, and the lines CD and EF as shown. Then cut out the stringer along the lines CDEF, being careful in doing so not to split off the corners. Prepare two stringers for each flight of stairs. The Treads and Risers should be cut as shown in Fig. 74, and the Newel-posts and Hand-rails as shown in Fig. 75. Make a small groove in the bottom of the hand-rail as shown in the drawing. Toothpicks are of just the right size for Figs. 72-75.—Details of Inside Stairs. The Balusters.—As brads are likely to split the thin cigar-box wood, the staircases should be put together with glue. First fasten the stringers in place, cutting a slot in the edge of the floors for the tops to set in, as shown in Fig. 71. Then glue on the treads and risers, and cut the bottom of the newel-post to fit over the second step. The lower end of the toothpick balusters are set into slits cut with a knife in the treads, and the upper ends fit in the groove cut in the hand-rail. The Balustrades around the stair openings on the second and third floors are made in the same way (see Fig. 71). As finished floors are to be laid in the halls, as described later, it will be well at this point to fasten a strip from a cigar-box around the stair openings, upon which to fasten the newels and in which to stick the ends of the balusters. Fig. 76.—The Front Steps. The drawings give every detail and measurement necessary for the making of these stairs, and everything will work out correctly if the directions are closely followed. Fig. 64. A Colonial Doll-House. The Front Steps are made as shown in Fig. 76. Cut out two balustrades the shape and size shown in the drawing. Then prepare two stringers of five steps, cutting them exactly the same as for the other stairs, and glue them to the inner faces of the balustrades. The treads and risers are the same as for the other stairs, except that they are four inches in length. Cut the top platform two and one-half inches wide. The Rear Steps may be built similar to the front, or may be made simpler by leaving off the risers and balustrade. The Ends of the House should measure twenty inches square. Fasten the boards together with battens at top and bottom, and hinge them to the rear wall (see plans and Fig. 64). Small hooks on the ends of the house will make it possible to fasten them shut. Fig. 77.—Make Gable-ends like This. The roof is what is known as The Gambrel or Octagonal Roof, and consists of two eight and two nine inch boards thirty-four inches long. Before fastening these in place, it will be necessary to make The Gable-ends, which are cut out as shown in Fig. 77. Make the partition between the nursery and ball-room (H) in the same way, with a door cut in it, as shown in Fig. 70. [Pg 79]
[Pg 80] Fasten the partition and gable-ends in place, after which nail the roof boards B and C (Fig. 70) to the top, allowing them to project over each gable. The lower boards A and D should be hinged to these, so they may be raised to get at the upper story. The edges of the boards must be bevelled in order to make perfect joints. When the work has proceeded thus far, cut The Door and Window Openings in the places indicated upon the plans and Fig. 64, first boring holes in the four corners of each window and door space; and then connecting them with a compass-saw. With the exception of the front and rear door, and the windows in the basement and gable-ends, make all openings three by five inches, and two inches above the floor. The casement window openings in the gable-ends are to be four by five inches and extend to the floor. Cut three-by-seven-inch openings for the doors, and make the basement window openings two by three inches. Figs. 78, 79, 80, 81, and 82 show the construction of Figs. 78-82.—Details of Dormer Windows. The Dormer Windows. These are made from cigar-boxes. For the three dormers, you will require six pieces the shape of A for the sides, three of B for the gable-ends, and six of C for the roof (see Figs. 80, 81, and 82). With the different parts cut out, it is a simple matter to fasten them together on the roof, by means of glue and small brads. The glass is bound to the ends of the side-pieces at D and E with strips of [Pg 81]
[Pg 82]linen, as shown in Figs. 78 and 79, and the gable-end sets on the top edge. The dormers should be placed directly over the lower windows and in line with the front wall (see Fig. 79). Old four-by-five camera plates may be used for The Window Glass, by cutting them down to the required dimensions—three by five inches for the first and second stories, and two by three inches for the dormer and basement windows. Four-by-five plates are the right size for the casement windows. As the basement is to represent stone, there will be no finish around the openings, and the glass will have to be held in place with cigar-box strips on the inside and putty on the outside, as shown in Figs. 83 and 84. The glass should be fastened in the first and second story windows by means of putty and strips of cigar-boxes (see Figs. 85, 86, and 87). We will make the inside and outside trim the same to simplify matters; so cut two sets of strips for each window, making them the shape and size shown in Figs. 85 and 87. Fasten the outside strips in place first, then slip the ends of the glass into the centre of the wall and nail on the inside strips. Fill in the spaces between the glass and strips with putty to hold the glass firmly in place. The Casement Windows (Fig. 88) are made similarly, with the addition of a quarter of an inch strip of a cigar-box glued up the centre of the glass, to give the appearance of double windows hinged to swing in. Figs. 83-91.—Details of Windows.
Narrow strips of paper glued to the glass, as shown in Figs. 78, 83, 85, and 88, will produce the effect of Divided Glass and upper and lower sash. The Door Trim (Figs. 89, 90, and 91) is put in place the same as the window trim, but instead of placing the door in the centre of the wall, it should be set flush with the inside trim (see K, L, and M in plan, Fig. 90), and is hinged by means of a linen strip glued to the edge of the door M and strip L. The door-jambs are cased with strips I and J. The rear door may be made simpler than this by using a plain strip for a cap. Make the Door out of a piece of cigar-box. The drawings give all the necessary measurements for door and window strips, and you will find it a simple matter to cut them out with a sharp knife. After putting the trim upon all of the windows and the doors, cut a number of strips of wood an eighth of an inch thick and half an inch wide for Outside Trimmings, and nail them to each corner of the house, around the edges of each gable-end, and around the top of the basement. Purchase some narrow moulding for the cornice and nail it to the edges of the roof boards, being careful to make neat mitres at the corners. The house can more easily be moved about if mounted upon Casters. To put these on, cut four pieces of two-by-four about three inches long, fasten a caster to each, and nail one block inside each corner of the foundation frame. Fig. 92.—Construction of Chimneys. The exterior of the house is now complete with the exception of The Chimneys. These should be made up of four pieces, two of which should have bird's-mouth cuts made in the end, as shown in Fig. 92, to make the chimney fit over the top ridge of the roof. The side edges of the pieces should be mitred and fitted together. Nail a strip of wood, half an inch wide, around the tops of the chimneys for caps. You will find it easier to Paint the Chimneys before fastening them to the roof. Make the brickwork red and the caps white, and with a small brush and ruler stripe off the mortar joints. When the paint has thoroughly dried, nail the chimneys on to the ridge of the roof in line with the front windows (see illustration of completed house). You will want A Mantel and Fire-place in the living-room of the house, and it had better be built in at this point. Figure 93 shows about the simplest form of mantel you can make, and one that presents a very neat appearance. It is made out of cigar-box strips painted to represent brick, with stone hearth and mantel-shelf. It measures seven inches wide, four and five-eighths inches from the base to the top of the shelf, and has a fire-place opening four inches wide and two and one-half inches high. Fig. 93.—The Living-room Mantel. Figure 94 shows the patterns for the cutting of the various pieces required to make up the mantel. A, the front piece, has an opening cut in it for the fire-place, as shown in the drawing. Cut two strips similar to B for the ends of the mantel, one the size of C for the back of the fire-place, two of D for the sides of the fire-place, and one of E for the mantel-shelf. These pieces, with the exception of E, should be painted red, and striped off, when dry, with white paint to represent brick. It will be much easier to do the painting before fastening the pieces in their proper places. First divide the length and breadth of the pieces into about the number of spaces shown in Fig. 93 with a lead pencil. Then with a small brush, and straight-edge for a guide, trace over the pencil lines with white lead. Be careful in striping the brick to get the courses the same upon each piece so they will correspond when the pieces are put together. Fig. 94.—Construction of Mantel. The Hearth is made out of a strip seven inches long by two inches wide. Upon this the mantel should be put together with the pieces prepared. Figure 93 shows the location of each piece, and with the aid of glue and some small brads it will be a simple matter to complete the mantel. The edges of the strips had best be mitred to make neat joints. Paint the hearth and mantel-shelf white. The mantel should be fastened to the centre of partition B in the living-room (see plan, Fig. 65). Andirons should, of course, accompany the fire-place. These may be made as shown in Fig. 95. They consist of two pieces of cigar-boxes cut the shape of A and B (A an inch and one-half by an inch and one-quarter, and B an inch and one-half long), with the end of B glued in a slot cut in the lower part of A. The feet and the top of A and the foot of B are small brass-headed upholstering-tacks driven into the wood, which give the andirons a trim appearance. Paint the strips black. Set the andirons upon the hearth with the ends projecting into the fire-place, and pile several nicely shaped twigs upon them for logs. The Interior Woodwork remains to be put on. Cigar-boxes make excellent imitation hardwood floors, for the halls, the ball-room, and nursery. Select as large pieces as possible, and fit them on the floors with close joints. Nail them down with small brads. Make the door casings from the same material, cutting the strips the shape and size of those used for the outside doors (Fig. 89). It is not advisable to hang inside doors, as they are easily broken off, and seldom work satisfactorily. A chair-rail should be made in the dining-room of quarter-inch strips fastened to the walls three inches above the floor. Make baseboards in each room out of three-quarter inch strips, and picture mouldings out of strips an eighth of an inch wide. After completing the carpenter work of the house Set all Nail-heads with your nail-set, putty these holes and all others resulting from cracks and defects, and sand-paper the rough surfaces. If the woodwork is to be finished in its natural color, by varnishing or oiling its surface, color the putty to match the wood. Paint the House a cream color, with white trimmings and a green roof, using yellow-ochre and white lead (mixed) for the walls; white lead for the trimmings, balustrade of front steps, chimney-caps, and striping of brickwork; dark olive green for the roof, and treads and risers of the front steps; and lamp-black for striping the stonework of the basement. The painting of the chimneys and fire-place has been described. Paint the front door on both sides with white enamel or white lead, with the exception of a panel in the centre, which should be oiled as shown in Fig. 89. This will give the appearance of a white enamelled door with a mahogany panel set in it. Fig. 96. Another Style of Doll-House.
Fig. 97. Interior View of Doll-House.
CHAPTER VI ANOTHER DOLL-HOUSE AND A STABLE Boys Making Doll-house. Photographs of another style of doll-house are shown in Figs. 96 and 97. This house was built by the author for a little relative some ten years ago, and is still in perfect condition, as the photographs show. Packing-cases were used for its construction, with cut-up cigar-boxes for window-casings, door-jambs, finished floors, etc., and small mouldings for the outside trimmings. The inside arrangement and the general construction of the house is so nearly like the design in the preceding chapter, that most of the details and the mode of construction may be followed in building it. If boxes are used, the dimensions will have to be figured out to suit, unless the boxes are pulled apart and the boards cut to the sizes shown in the illustrations of this chapter. The Floor Plans, which will be found in Figs. 98, 99, and 100, give the sizes of the rooms, and the patterns for the making of The Partitions are shown in Figs. 101 and 102. In cutting out the second-floor partitions (Fig. 102), mitre one edge of E and F to allow for the bedroom door opening, shown upon the plan, and mitre the edges of G to fit between them above the door. The mitring is shown in the drawings (Fig. 102). Besides cutting a stair opening in the second floor, make an opening three by five inches in the second and third floors for The Elevator-shaft. Care must be taken to have these openings exactly over one another. Make the opening in the second floor six by eight inches in the place indicated upon the plan. This will allow for the elevator shaft and stairway. No stairway has been built to the third story, as the elevator serves the purpose, and one would take up too much of the ball-room space. The Side Walls should measure nineteen inches wide by twenty-four inches high, and the other two walls thirty inches wide by twenty-four inches high. That portion of The Rear Wall enclosing the kitchen and bath-room is hinged to open (see Fig. 98), and The Front Wall is made in two sections, each hinged to a strip of wood an inch and one-half wide nailed to the two edges of the house, as shown in Fig. 96. The Windows are four by five inches, so four-by-five camera plates can be used for the glass. Figs. 98-102.—Plans of Doll-house and Patterns for Partitions. The Roof had best be made in two sections, each measuring twenty-eight inches long by twenty-four inches wide. Fasten the boards together with battens on the under side and, after mitring the upper edge of each, [Pg 93]
[Pg 94]nail them to the house so that the ridge is fifteen inches above the third floor. Then nail a board nineteen inches long by ten inches wide in the peak of the roof (D in Fig. 104), and a narrow strip three inches from each side wall (K and L in Fig. 100). These cut off the triangular shape of the ball-room and give it a better appearance. The Chimney is made the same as those for the other house, with the exception of the cap, which is built up of strips of cigar-boxes to represent corbelled brick (see Fig. 103). These strips should be three-sixteenths of an inch wide, and fastened in place by means of small brads. An Elevator is something which is found in but few doll-houses. It was built in this house, thinking it might please the young mistress, and proved such a success that the scheme has been worked out carefully in Figs. 104, 105, 106, 107, and 108, that you may include it in the house you build. The cutting of the elevator-shaft has already been described. For material, procure two small pulleys, such [Pg 95]
[Pg 96]as are shown in Fig. 106, four feet of brass chain, six feet of No. 12 wire, half a dozen double-pointed tacks or very small screw-eyes, a short piece of lead pipe, and a cigar-box. Make The Car out of the cigar-box, cutting it down to two and one-quarter inches wide, three and three-quarters inches deep, and seven inches high (see Fig. 107). Place two of the double-pointed tacks or screw-eyes in each side of the car for the guide-wires to run through and another in the centre of the top from which to attach the brass chain. The Guide-wires are made of very heavy wire that will not easily bend. Cut two of a length to reach from the first floor to the ball-room ceiling, and after running them through the tacks in the sides of the car, stick their ends into small holes bored at E, F, G, and H (Fig. 104). The upper holes should be bored through the ball-room ceiling, while the lower ones need be bored but part way through the first floor. Care must be taken to have these holes in the correct position, so the elevator will run up and down upon the wires without striking the sides of the shaft. The easiest way of fastening the wires in place is to run the upper ends through the holes, until the lower ends can be set into their sockets, and then drive two double-pointed tacks over the top of each wire, as shown at E and F in Fig. 104. Figs. 104-108.—Details of the Elevator. Now run the elevator up to the top of the shaft, and mark upon the ceiling where the screw-eye in the top of the car strikes. At this point bore a hole through the ceiling and two inches back of it bore another hole, through which to run the weight-chain. When this has been done, cut a short block of wood to fit the peak of the roof and Screw the Pulleys to it two inches apart (Fig. 105). Fit the block in the peak of the roof, centring the front pulley over the top of the car as nearly as possible, and drive a couple of nails through the roof boards into it to hold it in place temporarily. Then Attach the Chain to the tack in the top of the car, slip a piece of lead pipe about an inch long over the chain, allowing it to set on the top of the car to make the latter heavier (Fig. 107), and run the chain up through the first hole in the ceiling, over the pulleys, and down through the second hole. To the end of the chain attach a piece of lead pipe for The Elevator-weight (see Fig. 108).—This should be just heavy enough to make a perfect balance between it and the car, which can be obtained by whittling off the end of the pipe until the weight of the two is the same. Make the chain of sufficient length so the weight will rest upon the first floor when the car is at the third floor. You can now tell whether or not the pulleys are in the right positions. When they have been adjusted properly, nail the block firmly in place. The Gable-ends.—The front gable-end consists of four pieces (A, B, C, and D, in Fig. 109), the dimensions for the cutting of which are given in the illustration. After preparing these, nail A, B, and C in their proper positions in the gable of the roof, and trim the edges of D, if they need be, to fit between. To prevent the movable section from pushing in too far, it will be necessary to nail a narrow strip of wood to the roof and third floor just inside of it. The rear gable is made in one piece, and is fastened in place permanently. Fig. 109.—The Front Gable-end. The movable gable and all hinged portions should have Spring-catches with which to shut up and lock the house (see the illustrations). Figs. 110-113.—Details of Stairs. The Stairway is shown in Fig. 104, and the details for its construction will be found in Figs. 110, 111, 112, 113. This stairway is made in two parts, with a platform between. Cut a block of wood the shape and size shown in Fig. 110 for the platform, with notches at A and B for the tops of the lower stringers to fit in. Then Prepare Two Stringers of thirteen risers similar to Fig. 111 and two stringers of five risers similar to Fig. 112, laying them off as described in the preceding chapter by means of a pitch-board similar to Fig. 113. After cutting out these pieces, fasten the tops of the lower stringers in the notches A and B in the platform, and nail the platform in its proper position in the corner of the hall. When this has been done, nail the bottoms of the upper stringers (E in Fig. 112) to the sides of the platform at C and D, and set the tops in notches cut in the edge of the second floor. The Treads and Risers are made the same as in Fig. 74 (Chap. V), except that the depth of the risers is increased to five-eighths of an inch. Cut another platform from a cigar-box to fit over the rough one. Build a Balustrade up the side of the stairs and around the elevator enclosures, using the scheme shown in Chapter V (Figs. 71 and 75). All Other Details not mentioned here will be the same as described in Chapter V, including the painting and finishing of the house. How to make the Stable
Fig. 114.—Exterior of Stable. The stable shown in Figs. 114 and 115, and in the background of Fig. 96, will go nicely with the house described in this or the preceding chapter. Its construction is very simple. The dimensions are twenty-four inches wide, twelve inches deep, and twenty-two inches high, and the barn contains five stalls on the ground floor and a hay-loft above. Fig. 115.—Interior of Stable. To build the stable according to the drawings, a box ten by twelve by twenty-four inches should be procured for The First Story.—If you have a box of different proportions it will be a simple matter to make such alterations in the details as it will require. The Roof is made in two sections, each fifteen by eighteen inches, and is fastened to the top of the box so that the peak is twenty-two inches above the bottom. The Gable-end is made in four pieces, as shown in Fig. 116, A, B, and C, to be nailed in place, and D to be movable as in the case of the doll-house. Make a three-by-five-inch window in the centre of D, and fasten the glass in place with strips cut as described in Chapter V. Strips should be nailed to the roof just inside of the movable section to prevent the latter from setting in too far, and a spring catch fastened to C and D as shown, to hold the movable section in place. Fig. 116.—Front Gable-end. Figure 117 gives the patterns and measurements for The Stall Partitions, four of which should be cut out and fastened to the floor of the stable four inches apart, or so they will divide the inside width into five equal stalls. Fig. 117.—Stall Partitions.
The Feed-troughs are made out of two strips of cigar-boxes fitted between the stalls, as shown in Figs. 115 and 117, and are fastened in place by means of brads and glue. Above the stalls cut Small Windows an inch and one-half square in the rear wall. These are the ventilating windows for the stalls, and may be left open. Fig. 118.—Ladder to Hay-loft. Figure 118 shows the construction of A Ladder to the hay-loft. This is made out of two sticks twelve inches long, with strips of cigar-boxes two inches long glued to them half an inch apart, as shown in the drawing. Cut away a section of the hay-loft floor two inches square and stick the end of the ladder up through the opening, fastening the uprights to the edge of the floor (see Fig. 118). A stick about three inches long, with a very small pulley attached near the end, should be fastened in the peak of the roof for a Feed-hoist (see Fig. 114). The first story has A Drop-front, as shown in Figs. 114 and 115. This is made from the box-cover. Fasten the boards together with battens placed upon the inside, and hinge it to the bottom of the stable. Nail two cleats to the under side of the floor (see Fig. 114) to lift it off the ground, just enough to allow the front to drop without springing its hinges. When the front is down it forms an incline upon which to run the horses into the stable. For this reason it is not advisable to cut an opening in it, but merely Represent a Stable Door on the outside (see Fig. 114). This is done with paint and a fine brush. First paint a green panel in the centre of the front, and then mark off a couple of panels within this space with black paint, and stripe them diagonally to represent beaded-boards. With strips of wood half an inch wide make A Simple Trim around the door, the sides of the stable, and around the gable, as shown in the illustration. When the carpenter work has been finished, Paint the Inside of the stable white, and the outside the same colors as used for the doll-houses (see description on page 90, Chap. V).
CHAPTER VII FURNISHING THE DOLL-HOUSE Boy Presenting Doll-house to his Sisters. With the carpenter work of a doll-house completed, the finishing of the inside,—wall papering and painting,—and the selection of furniture for the various rooms, remain to be done. This requires as much care as the building of the house, and while any boy can do the work, the help of a sister will perhaps simplify matters and give to the rooms a daintier appearance. The Walls and Ceiling of the kitchen and bath-room should be painted with white lead or white enamel. For the other rooms select paper having a small design, such as is to be found on most ceiling papers. If you have ever watched the paper-hanger at work, you have noticed he puts on the ceiling first, allowing the paper to run down the walls a little way all around instead of trimming it off. Then he hangs the wall paper, and if there is no border to cover the joints of the ceiling and wall papers he carries the wall paper up to the ceiling. Use flour paste to stick on the paper, and a cloth or photograph-print roller to smooth out the wrinkles. The dining-room should have a wainscot of dark paper below the chair-rail, and a paper with little or no figure upon it above. All Hardwood Floors, the stairs, door and window casings, baseboards, and picture mouldings should be varnished thoroughly or given several coats of boiled linseed-oil. All floors, with the exception of the kitchen, bath-room, and hardwood floors, should be fitted with Carpets.—If you do not happen to have suitable scraps on hand, they can be procured at almost any furnishing store where they make up carpets. Select pieces with as small patterns as possible. The floors of the bath=room and kitchen should be covered with oilcloth. Rugs for the hardwood floors may be made out of scraps of carpet. Window-shades may be made for each window out of linen, and tacked to the top casing so that the bottom of the curtain reaches just above the centre of the opening. Each window should also have Lace Curtains made out of scraps of lace. They should either be tacked above the windows or hung upon poles made out of No. 12 wire, cut in lengths to fit the windows. Screw small brass hooks into the top window-casings for the poles to hang upon. Handsome Portieres for the doorways can be made with beads and with the small hollow straws sold for use in kindergartens. For the Bead Portieres, cut threads as long as the height of the door and string the beads upon them, alternating the colors in such a way as to produce patterns. Then tie the strings together to a piece of wire the width of the doorway, and fasten the wire in the opening. The Straw Portieres are made similarly. From magazine illustrations you can select Suitable Pictures for each room, but if you are handy with brush and pencil you may prefer to make the pictures yourself. These may be mounted upon cardboard and have their edges bound with passe-partout paper to give the effect of frames, or frames may be cut out of cardboard and pasted to them. Hang the pictures to the picture moulding with thread. A Cosey-corner may be fitted up in the ball-room by fastening a strip of a cigar-box in one corner an inch and one-half above the floor for the seat, and hanging draperies on each side of it. Pillows may be made for it out of scraps of silk stuffed with cotton. A doll-house properly proportioned in every detail, including the selection of its furniture, is pleasing to look at, and is to be desired much more than some of the specimens to be found in the stores. These very often have parlor chairs larger than the mantel, beds that either fill two-thirds of the bedroom space or are so small they are hidden from view by the chairs, and other furniture accordingly, all having been selected without any thought as to size or fitness. Care must be taken, in buying the furniture, to have the pieces suitable to the rooms. It will no doubt require more time than to purchase the first sets you come across, but when you have completed the selections, the result will be a much better appearing doll-house. By carefully searching the toy-shops you are almost certain of finding what you want for the various rooms, as about everything imaginable in furniture has been manufactured. Porcelain bath-tubs, wash-basins with real faucets and running water, gilt furniture, chandeliers, and such articles are tempting to buy. But it is rather expensive to fit up a house in this way, for, though each piece may not amount to very much, they count up very quickly. The suggestions for the making of cigar-box furniture in the following chapter, and the cork furniture in Chapter XXVIII, should give you plenty of material for furniture and save you the expense of buying this part of the furnishings for your house.
CHAPTER VIII DOLL-FURNITURE The metal furniture which you can buy is very pretty when it is new, but this new appearance does not last long after it has come into a youngster's possession, for the pieces are very slender and delicate, and thus easily broken. Wooden furniture is the most durable kind, and plain and simple pieces will generally outlast the fancy ones. The designs illustrated in this chapter make very substantial pieces, as there are no spindle legs or fancy arms to break off. They follow the lines of the mission furniture, that simple style used in the early American mission schools, and which is to-day being extensively made in handsome pieces for the furnishings of modern homes. You will find the Miniature Mission Furniture, illustrated and described in this chapter, simple to make and something which is easy to sell, for there is nothing like it at present upon the market. Cigar-boxes furnish the nicest material for making this furniture, and the various parts can be cut to the right shape and size with A Gig-or Scroll-saw. Procure small brads and glue with which to fasten the pieces together. To prepare the Cigar-boxes for use, place them in a tub of boiling water and let them remain there until the paper labels readily pull off. Do not use a knife in removing the paper, as it is liable to roughen the wood. The paper will come off by allowing it to soak long enough. When the boxes are clean, set them in the sun to dry, after binding the covers to the backs to prevent them from warping. Pull the boxes apart when they are thoroughly dry, and throw out such pieces as have printing upon them, for these would spoil the appearance of the furniture if used. Figs. 119-126.—Patterns for Furniture. In order to simplify the matter of cutting the parts that make the furniture, the curved pieces have been drawn out carefully on page 111, so they can be laid off upon the strips of cigar-boxes without any trouble, by the process of Enlarging by Squares.—These drawings are shown one-quarter of their full size (half their width and half their height). To enlarge them procure a piece of cardboard nine by thirteen inches, or a little larger than twice the size of the drawing each way, and divide it into squares just twice the size of those on page 111. That will make sixteen squares in the width of the cardboard and twenty-four in the length, each half an inch[Pg 111]
[Pg 112] square. In order to get the squares spaced equally, it is best to lay off the points first with a ruler along the top, bottom, and two sides of the sheet of cardboard, and then connect the points with the ruler and a sharp lead-pencil. Then number the squares as in the illustration, using the figures along the sides and letters across the top and bottom of the sheet. With the sheet of cardboard thus prepared it is a simple matter to Reproduce the Drawings of Figs. 119 to 126 by locating the points of the curves and corners of the pieces, as shown in the illustrations, in corresponding positions in the squares on your cardboard sheet. The curves may be drawn in by eye, after locating them with reference to their surrounding squares, but the surest way of enlarging them accurately is by laying off the points where the curve strikes each horizontal and vertical line in the illustration, upon the enlarged drawing. These points can then be connected with a curved line. Figs 127-128.—Chairs. Make all of the lines heavy so they can be distinguished from your guide lines, and after carefully going over the drawing, comparing it with that on page 111 to see that no mistake has been made in locating the points in enlarging, cut the various pieces apart. These give you The Patterns with which to mark out the pieces on the wood. We will first note the construction of The Chairs shown in Figs. 127 and 128. These are four and one-half inches high, two inches wide, and an inch and one-half deep. Cut the back for the chair in Fig. 127 four and three-eighths inches high and an inch and three-quarters wide, the sides by the pattern in Fig. 119, and the seat an inch and one-quarter by an inch and three-quarters. With the pieces cut out, fasten them together with brads and glue, placing the seat between the arms and back so that it is an inch and one-half above the base. Cut the back for the other chair (Fig. 128) four and one-half inches high by two inches wide, the seat an inch and a quarter by an inch and three-quarters, and the sides an inch and three-eighths wide by two and one-half high. To get the curve in the bottom edge of the side-pieces, use the pattern in Fig. 119. The Settee (Fig. 129) should have its sides cut by the pattern of Fig. 120. Make the back-piece three and three-quarters inches wide and three and one-quarter inches high, and the seat three and three-quarters inches by an inch and one-half. Fasten the seat against the back an inch and one-half above the base. Tables for the living-room, dining-room, bedroom, ball-room, and nursery of a doll-house may be patterned after the designs of Figs. 130 and 131. These should be two and one-half inches high to be of proper proportion for the chairs. The pieces necessary to make Fig. 130 are a top two inches square, two sides an inch and one-half wide by two and one-half inches high, and a shelf an inch and one-quarter square. Fasten the pieces together as in the illustration, placing the shelf between the side-pieces an inch from the bottom. Fig. 131.—Another Design. The other design (Fig. 131) will do nicely for A Dining-room Table, or table for the centre of the living-room. The top of this should be five inches long and three inches wide. Cut the side-pieces by the pattern in Fig. 121 and, after fastening them to the under side of the table-top four inches apart, brace them with a strip three and three-quarters inches long by half an inch wide, as shown in Fig. 131. A Side-board similar to Fig. 132 should be made for the dining-room. The pattern for the side pieces is shown in Fig. 122. After sawing these out, cut a piece seven inches long by three inches wide for the back and fasten the side-pieces to the edges of it. The location of the shelves can be obtained best by referring to Fig. 132 and the pattern in Fig. 122. Cut the bottom shelf (A in Fig. 132) three inches long by an inch and one-quarter wide and fasten it to the side-pieces half an inch above the base (line 24 on pattern, Fig. 122). Make shelf B three by one inches and place it at line 22. C should be three and three-quarters inches long by an inch and one-half wide, with a small notch cut near each end with your knife, to make it fit over the side-pieces (see illustration). Cut shelf D three inches long by half an inch wide, fastening it in place at line No. 17, E three inches long by seven-sixteenths of an inch wide, fastening it at line No. 15, and F three inches long by three-eighths of an inch wide, fastening it at line No. 13. The top shelf (G) is three and three-quarters inches long and half an inch wide and is fastened to the tops of the side-pieces as shown in the drawing. The lower portion of the side-board is enclosed with two doors two inches high by an inch and one-half wide. Small pieces of cloth may be used for hinges, but it is better to use pins, running them through the shelf above and below (A and C, Fig. 132) into the doors. Stick the pins near the edge of the doors and see that they are straight, so the doors will open easily. A small mirror attached to the back between shelves C and D will complete this piece of furniture. A Mirror in a frame should be made for the living-room of the doll-house. A neat and suitable design for one of these will be seen in Fig. 133. For its construction cut two sides by means of the pattern in Fig. 123, a piece five inches long by three inches wide for the back, and a strip three inches long by three-eighths of an inch wide for a shelf. Fasten the sides to the edges of the back-piece, and the shelf between the sides about three-quarters of an inch above the base. Now procure a mirror such as you can buy in a toy-shop for five or ten cents (or a piece of a broken mirror cut down to the right size will do very nicely), and attach it to the centre of the back. The Grandfather's Clock (Fig. 134) makes an effective piece of furniture for the hall or living-room, and is easily made. Figure 124 shows the pattern for the front of this clock. The back is made the same, with the omission of the square opening cut in the front frame for the clock-face. Cut a block of wood two by two by three-quarters inches to fit between the frames at the top. After nailing the pieces together, procure a face from a toy watch, and fasten it in the opening made for it in the front frame. A button suspended by means of a piece of thread from a tack placed in the bottom of the block forms the pendulum. Fig. 134.
A Grandfather's Clock. It will be unnecessary to give any suggestions for Kitchen Furniture, such as chairs and tables, for these can also be made out of cigar-box wood along the same schemes illustrated in this chapter, with perhaps a few modifications which will make them simpler. Now for the making of some pieces of bedroom furniture. You will find in Figs. 135 and 136 two designs that are easily carried out, one or both of which may be used for The Beds of a doll-house. To make Fig. 135, cut the head and foot by means of the pattern in Fig. 125, and cut the two sides by means of the pattern in Fig. 126. After preparing these pieces and fastening them together as shown in the illustration (Fig. 135), cut a few strips a quarter of an inch wide for slats and fasten them between the sides of the bed. It is advisable to fasten these in place to prevent them from being lost.
Fig. 136.—Another Design. The side-pieces for the other bed (Fig. 136) are cut out with the same pattern (Fig. 126). Make the head-and foot-pieces three by four and one-half inches, cutting a piece two by an inch and one-quarter out of the top of each as shown in the drawing (Fig. 136), and using the pattern of the other bed for cutting the curve in the bottom edge. Nail the pieces together in their proper places, after which cut some slats and fasten them in the bottom. The Dresser (Fig. 137) is made somewhat similar to the side-board. Cut the sides by the same pattern (Fig. 122) and fasten them to the edges of the back-piece, which should be six and one-half inches high by three inches wide. Cut shelf A three by one and one-quarter inches, B and C three by one and one-eighth, D three by one and three-sixteenths, and E and F one-half by one and one-quarter inches. Fasten shelf A between the sides at line No. 24 (see Fig. 122), B at line No. 23, C at line No. 22, D at line No. 21, and notch the ends of E and F to fit over the side-pieces at line No. 20. Drawers to fit the lower shelves of the dresser may be made out of small strips of cigar-boxes or pieces of cardboard, glued together. A small mirror fastened in the position shown in the drawing will complete the work upon this piece of furniture. A Wash-stand can be made for the bath-room and each of the bedrooms similar to Fig. 138. The sides for this should be five inches high by an inch and one-quarter wide, and the shelves one by three inches. Fasten the lower shelf three-quarters of an inch above the base, and the top shelf at a height of two and one-half inches. When the stand has been put together, fit a round stick, about an eighth of an inch in diameter, in holes made in the sides with a (see illustration). This forms the towel-rack. Hang a small drapery over the lower portion of the stand. Finishing.—When the pieces of furniture have been completed, they should be rubbed down with emery-paper to remove the rough edges, and also any rough places that may have been caused by soaking the boxes in water. Then give the wood several coats of linseed oil. This makes a beautiful finish for this kind of wood. If desired, the bedroom furniture may be painted with white enamel. The little hearts may be painted upon the pieces as shown in the illustration, with a small brush and red paint, or may be cut out of red paper and glued to the wood. Other Cigar-box Furniture
Fig. 139.—A Doll's Folding-bed. In Figs. 139 and 142 will be found some pieces of furniture that are simpler to make than that just described, and although they may not be so pretty, they present a very good appearance when neatly made. The author constructed many pieces of this furniture when a boy, and found them suitable as presents, besides being something that was always easy to sell. The cost of making a set amounts to but a few cents, cigar-boxes being the principal material. They are also very quickly made, as the boxes require but little cutting. For the construction of A Folding-bed, such as is shown in Figs. 139 and 140, select two cigar-boxes, one of which will fit inside the other. The smaller box should be a little shorter than the inside opening of the larger box. After removing the paper from each, place the smaller box inside the larger one, as shown in Fig. 139, so that the bottom of the inner box is flush with the edge of the outer box. Then drive a brad through both boxes on each side, about three-quarters of an inch from the end as shown at A (Fig. 139). These brads should run through the outer box into the bottom of the inner box, and should be driven in carefully so as not to split the wood. The inner box should now fold down as shown in Fig. 140, moving upon the brad pivots. Purchase a five or ten cent mirror and fasten it to the front of the bed, after which cut two wooden feet similar to Fig. 141 and glue the pegs on the ends of these in gimlet holes made above the mirror. Finish the wood the same as described for the other cigar-box furniture. Fig. 142.—Dresser completed. The Dresser shown in Fig. 142 is made out of a box the same size as the larger one used for the folding-bed. Saw the sides of the box in half, crosswise, and remove the upper half and the end-piece. Then nail the end across the tops of the remaining halves of the sides. When this has been done, divide up the lower portion of the box into compartments as shown in the drawing (Fig. 143). This should have a small drapery hung over it. The upper portion of the dresser should have a mirror attached to it, and some lace draped over the top and sides will add greatly to its appearance.
Fig. 143.—A Doll's Dresser. All you will have to do in making A Wardrobe will be to fasten some small hooks inside of a cigar-box, attach the cover with a strip of linen—the same way it was attached before you soaked it off—and hang a mirror on the front. These pieces of furniture were designed for separate sets, and would not do for doll-houses the size of those in the preceding chapters, unless the boxes were cut down to smaller proportions.
CHAPTER IX A BOY'S PRINTING-SHOP Boys working at the Presses. Since the manufacture of printing-presses in small sizes, printing has become so popular among boys that it is now hard to find a neighborhood in which there is not a press. Printing is one of the best methods of mastering spelling and punctuation, and is thus a great help to a boy in his studies, besides being a pleasant occupation at which he can earn money. If you cannot afford a large press, be satisfied with a small one for the time being at least. Get to work, learn to print neatly and accurately, and when your friends find your work is of good quality, they will gladly patronize you. Your profits should soon net you enough with which to buy a larger press and increase your equipment. After securing a press, it will be necessary to find a place in which to keep and use it, where there will be a good light to work by and where things are not likely to be disturbed. If you have a workshop, you may be able to make room in it for your outfit. Fig. 144.—A Boy's Printing-shop.
When the author became the proud owner of a machine, he found it convenient to keep it in his room with his type-cases and material beneath the press-stand. But in the course of several years the printing-shop required more space than the room afforded, and a new office had to be secured. This was found in the woodshed, where a corner was partitioned off, a double sashed window placed in the wall, and the interior fitted up with a case-rack, imposing-table, stock-stand, and all the necessities for an enlargement of business. Figure 144 shows the arrangement of our shop a few years later, when it again became necessary to increase our floor space by adding a "mezzanine" story above, extending to the roof of the shed. This half-story was reached by means of a ladder, as shown in the drawing. The principal equipment of a boy's shop should consist of a number of cases in which to keep the fonts of type; a rack in which these cases can be kept and at which the typesetting can be done; a work-bench, one end of which may be used for an imposing-table and the other for the press to stand upon; and two cabinets, one for stock and the other for ink, tools, and general supplies. The other materials required are: a composing-stick, composing-rule, pair of tweezers, galley, leads, rules, furniture, mitre-box, imposing-stone, quoins, shooting-stick, mallet, planer, hand-roller, and gauge-pins, besides a can of ink, an oil-can, a bottle of machine-oil for washing rollers, benzine for cleaning type, and a good supply of rags. Small presses are usually accompanied by a few fonts of type, which are sufficient for printing small business-cards, etc., but are of so few letters as to make an ordinary job of printing impossible. With an increase of capital, Type should be the first addition to your outfit. In making selections bear in mind the amount of money you have to spend, and buy only styles which will go together nicely and which can be used for the greatest variety of work. If possible, secure the advice of a printer in purchasing, as by his experience he can tell what you will most require better than you. You can probably obtain a specimen type-book from the type foundry in your city from which to make your selections. Type-cases divided into small compartments for the various letters and characters, which can be bought for seventy-five cents or a dollar, provide the only satisfactory means of keeping fonts. It is advisable to spend the money for these neatly made boxes rather than attempt to make them, for the work will amount to more than what you can buy them for. Figures 145 and 146 show the upper and lower news-cases with the systems of "laying" generally employed in printing establishments. It will be seen that by this method the principal letters are grouped in the central portions of the case where they are easily reached, while the less important letters are scattered around the sides. The central boxes of the lower case are also[Pg 129]
[Pg 130] made larger than the others, "e" being allotted the largest box as it is used more than any other letter in the alphabet. Figs. 145-146.—Scheme for Laying Cases. As the lettering of the spaces and quads in Fig. 145 may be confusing to the beginner, it is perhaps well to explain that these are based upon the "m" quads which present a square end, the "2m" and "3m" quads being two and three "m" quads in width, and an "n" quad one-half an "m." Likewise spaces are known by the fraction they represent of an "m" quad, viz. "3m," "4m," "5m," and "8m" (more commonly known as hair-space). Fig. 147.—The Yankee Job-case. The upper and lower cases provide for about every character included in a complete font of type. For smaller fonts you will find the Yankee job-case very convenient, the letters being arranged the same in the lower portion, and the capitals being placed in the upper boxes (see Fig. 147). Fig. 148.—A Type-case Rack. It will be unnecessary to have A Rack for the Type-cases until you have added several styles of type to your outfit. Then you will find a rack such as is shown in Fig. 148 one of the best methods of keeping the type away from the dust and at the same time in an accessible place. This rack should be four feet in height, the width of a type-case, and twenty-eight inches deep, which is large enough for twelve cases. It is best made out of four-inch boards. Cut the uprights A and E three feet six inches long, and B and F four feet long. The top-pieces C and G should be cut similar to Fig. 149. First lay out these pieces on four-inch boards, using the dimensions given on the drawing and being careful to get both pieces the same. Having properly marked the pieces, they remain to be cut out with the rip and cross-cut saws. Cut the bottom-pieces D and H twenty-eight inches long, and prepare twenty-two inch-strips of the same length for cleats. One of the most particular points to be looked after in making a rack of this kind is the attaching of the cleats, for unless they are perfectly horizontal and those on one side are on a level with those on the other side, the cases will not slide in satisfactorily and will be continually causing trouble. Plenty of space should also be left between the cleats to prevent the cases from sticking by the cleats swelling or warping. In order to get the cleats in the right position, the heights should be laid off on the uprights as shown in Fig. 150 and lines squared across them. You will then have the same heights on each upright. Having prepared the pieces above described, we are ready to put them together. Lay uprights A and B upon the ground, twenty inches apart, and with the lower ends on a line with one another. Then fasten board D to them as shown in Fig. 151, the upper edge being even with the first divisions on the upright. Drive but one nail in each end of D until the other end of the frame is fastened together. Strip C should be placed as shown in Fig. 151, so that the upper edge of one end is even with the top of upright A, and the upper edge of the other end three inches above the top of upright B. This gives the proper pitch to the top of the rack. Then, after measuring the distance between uprights A and B to see that it is no more or less than twenty inches, nail C firmly to them, after which drive several more nails into the ends of D. When this has been done, fasten the cleats in place, so that the top of each is even with the line squared across the uprights. This completes the frame. The opposite frame is made similarly. When both frames have been made, they should be fastened together by means of the crosspieces shown in Fig. 148. Measure the width of your cases, which varies somewhat with different makes, and set the frames about half an inch farther apart than this width. Then cut the boards I, J, K, and L the correct length and nail them to the places shown upon the drawing. Strips M and N should be fitted between C and G to help support the top. The top of the rack is made to hold two cases at a time, the lower case on the front part and the upper case back of it. Cases should be kept out of the dust as much as possible, as dirt accumulates in the boxes very quickly, and is hard to clean out. It is therefore a good plan to tack cloth or heavy wrapping-paper to the back, sides, and below the top of the rack, and provide a curtain to hang over the front when the cases are not in use. When the boxes do become dirty, the dust should be removed by means of a pair of bellows. Fig. 152.—How to Hold the Composing-stick. In composing, or setting type, A Composing-stick is necessary. This should be held in the left hand, as shown in Fig. 152, while the right hand picks up the type one by one and drops them into the stick, where the left thumb shoves them into place. It will be seen by looking at the illustration that the type are set upside down and read from left to right. This may seem awkward at first, but with practice you will soon become accustomed to reading the letters in this position. A Composing-rule, similar to Fig. 153, should be cut out of a piece of brass rule. In typesetting, the rule is first placed in the stick, and the type then placed against it. Fig. 153.—A Composing-rule. When a line has been set and there still remains a space too small for another word, it is necessary to either place wider spaces between the words to fill out the line, or reduce the space sufficiently to make it possible to add the word. This operation, which is known as Justifying, should be performed after each line has been set. Then place a lead against the type, lift out the composing-rule from behind the first line, and place it in front of the lead preparatory to setting a new line. Fig. 154.—A Home-made Galley. After composing a stick full of type, it should be emptied into A Galley. Figure 154 shows a galley made of half-inch stuff. Cut the pieces as shown, and fasten them together so the bottom-piece is tilted sufficient to keep the lines from "Pieing"—or falling out of line—without tying them together. Emptying a stick may prove difficult at first, but if the lines have been properly justified and are gripped at the ends with the thumb and first finger of each hand, there is but little danger of making pie. The beginner will, however, doubtless pie his type a number of times, until by experience he learns the proper handling of it. Proofs are struck while the type is in the galley, by running an ink-roller over the matter, then placing a damp sheet of paper on the type and running a dry hand-roller over the paper. The print thus obtained is known as the "first proof." It should be fully corrected by means of proof-reader's marks, which can be found in the appendix of any dictionary, after which the corrections should be made in the type and a second proof struck off. When the matter has been fully corrected, it should be placed upon The Imposing-stone—a piece of marble or other flat stone set upon the work table. After properly leading the type, The Chase—an iron frame cast to hold the type for printing—should be placed over it. The space between the type and chase should then be filled out with Fig. 155.—Locking-up a Form. Furniture.—Metal furniture consists of hollow metal blocks of various sizes, while wooden furniture comes in strips of different widths, which may be cut up into the lengths required. Use a mitre-box similar to the one described in Chapter I in cutting the wooden furniture. Locking-up a Form.—The type is locked-up by means of iron wedges known as "quoins." There are two forms of these, those driven together by means of a "shooting-stick" and mallet, as shown in Fig. 155, and those locked by means of an iron key, such as is shown in Fig. 156. The latter kind is probably the most commonly used to-day. Before locking the form, the type should be levelled with a planer, which is nothing more than a block of hardwood with a smooth, even surface. The planer should be set upon the type and given a few light raps on the top with the hammer, until the face of the type is even. Then lock the form securely, being careful to have as equal pressure as possible on all sides, to prevent the type from springing. The form is then ready for the press. Fig. 156.—Key and Quoins. Distribution consists in replacing the types in their respective boxes after the form has been printed, and is no longer desired. The matter should first be thoroughly washed, then unlocked. The distributer lifts out several lines of the type, holding them in his left hand, with the nicks uppermost and the letters facing him. One or more words are picked from the top line with the right hand, and each letter is dropped into its box, after which several more words are picked up and similarly distributed. A few pointers in regard to presswork may be helpful to the beginner. The Tympan, or metal bed upon which the paper to be printed is placed, should be padded well with paper to make a firm impression, the number of sheets required depending upon the character of the form. These sheets are held in place by means of the iron clamps which slip over the ends of the tympan (see Fig. 160). The first print struck off probably will be imperfect, that is, some portions will be lighter than others, due to uneven impression. This is overcome by what is known as Overlaying the form. Make several impressions, including one on the top tympan-sheet. Then cut out the light portions of a print and paste them directly over the corresponding printing on the tympan-sheet (see Fig. 160). Thin tissue-paper will be found good for building up portions requiring but little increase in pressure. Underlaying consists in pasting strips of paper to the back of type or cuts which print unevenly, to make the low portions higher. When the form prints satisfactorily, you must prepare the marginal lines before running off the job. The margins can easily be marked off upon the tympan-sheet, as you have the impression upon it for a guide (see Fig. 160). When this has been done, Fig. 157.—Two Forms of Gauge-pins. Gauge-pins of some sort should be stuck into the tympan-sheet along the marginal lines as guides for placing the paper in the press for printing. Two forms of these pins, which can be bought for twenty-five or thirty cents a pair, are shown in Fig. 157. These pins must be so placed that there will be no danger of them mashing the type. Figs. 158-161.—Home-made Gauges. There are several forms of home-made gauges which may be used, three of which are shown in Figs. 158, 159, and 161. The first (Fig. 158) consists of an ordinary pin bent into the shape shown. The second (Fig. 159) is made out of a strip of cardboard scored and bent as in the drawing. It must be pasted in place and held in position until dry, to prevent it from slipping (see Fig. 160). The third form of home-made gauge-pin consists of a quad (Fig. 161), or thin piece of furniture, pasted to the tympan-sheet. In Inking the Press be careful to spread the ink evenly over the disk, and apply just enough to make a clear, clean copy. Too much ink will clog the type and produce a smeared print. Ink should not be left upon the form after the latter has been removed from the press, but should be washed off immediately with benzine. The disk and rollers should also be washed after use, as the ink will not be good when hard and will become dirty. The Life of a Roller is greatly increased by using machine-oil rather than benzine for washing it. Benzine is too drying for the composition of a roller (which is glue and molasses) and takes the elasticity out of it, causing it to crack. Keep the rollers in a cool place in the summer and not in too cold a place in the winter, for extremes in temperature also affect the composition. Neatness is absolutely necessary in printing, and to secure this you must keep your hands clean so as not to finger-mark your prints. Care must be taken in throwing off printed sheets to see that they do not fall upon freshly printed ones if these are wet enough to mark them. Materials should be put away in their proper places after use. Do not throw type, leads, and furniture carelessly about, as they are likely to be lost or broken by doing so. Cigar-boxes make handy receptacles for pied type, until you have an opportunity to sort out and distribute it. These are useful also for keeping leads, furniture, and rules in, and a cabinet similar to that described in Chapter I (Fig. 15), or the curio-cabinet described in Chapter IV (Fig. 59), should be made to hold them. The young printer should see to it that Proofs and Scraps of Paper are thrown into a waste basket and not scattered about, as they accumulate rapidly, and not only make a shop look very untidy, but increase the danger of fire. Oily Rags should be kept in a covered tin can, for they are liable to ignite spontaneously when exposed to the air; and of course oils, gasoline, and benzine should be handled away from fire and corked up after use.
CHAPTER X AMATEUR JOURNALISM Boy Journalists. Amateur journalism is by no means a new pastime, but probably at no time in its long history has it been thought as much of as at present. It would be a difficult matter to even roughly estimate the number of papers which have been issued in the amateur world. Mr. Edwin Hadley Smith of New York City has the largest collection now in existence. This at present consists of 22,600 amateur papers, 500 amateur books, 800 photographs of amateur journalists, 800 professional clippings, and 2,500 miscellaneous printed relics dating as far back as 1845. The collection, which is the result of many years' work, is sorted and catalogued, and will soon be placed in one of our large libraries, where the public may inspect the work that has been turned out by amateurs for the past half century. A Group of Amateur Papers. It is said Benjamin Franklin published an amateur paper in 1723, when a lad of seventeen years; and in tracing the history of amateur journalism down to the present time, a person would be surprised to find what a large number of the most successful statesmen, writers, and scientific men this country has had were amateur journalists in their younger days. There are at present in the neighborhood of two hundred amateur papers published in the United States. A few of these papers, representative of amateurs from all parts of the country, have been grouped together and reproduced opposite page 142, and several others are shown in Figs. 162, 163, 164, 165, and 166. It is to be regretted that lack of space forbids a larger display of these papers, many of which are quite unique and reflect credit upon their publishers. Fig. 162.—A School Paper.
32 pages. Size 2-¼" × 2-¾". During the centennial at Philadelphia in 1876, the National Amateur Press Association was formed for the purpose of spreading amateur journalism and bringing amateurs into closer relations with one another. The United Amateur Press Association was formed in 1897, and, while it is a younger organization than the National Amateur Press Association, has a large membership of amateurs. [Pg 143]
[Pg 144] Every boy aspirant to the field of journalism should join one of these associations as soon as he has the proper credential—a copy of his own paper, or an original article of his published in an amateur paper. By becoming a member and getting acquainted with other amateurs through exchange of papers, a boy is greatly benefited. He has a chance to see what other amateurs are doing, finds out through the other papers what the members think of his work, and learns through these friendly criticisms wherein he can improve his publication. He also has a chance to enter his writings for the prizes awarded annually by the associations for the best poems, sketches, essays, histories, and editorials. A great number of the members of these two associations are interested in smaller organizations, among which are the Interstate Association—consisting of the members of the East—and the Western. Again, a large number of amateurs have formed state organizations, and in large cities, where there are enough members to do so, local clubs have been formed. The city clubs hold frequent meetings, at which it is customary for the members to take part in literary programmes. The state and other organizations generally hold semi-annual meetings, and the National Amateur Press Association and the United Amateur Press Association meet annually in some city chosen the preceding year, and at this convention elect their officers, make awards of prizes for the year, and have a general good time. The boy who is owner of a printing-press is almost certain to get the publishing fever and commence the publishing of a small paper. If his press is too small for such an undertaking, it will of course be necessary for him to do such job printing as he can get to do until he has earned sufficient money to buy a larger press and such materials as he will need in publishing a paper. Fig. 163.—Another School Paper. But it is not always the boy who has had a taste of printing who becomes interested in amateur journalism. There are few boys nowadays who pass through their school life without devoting some of their time to this interesting and instructive work. A paper started by one boy is generally followed by several more, and in this way the number of amateur papers sent out in a town very rapidly increases. Nothing daunts the ambitious boy. If he has not a press, and there are no prospects of him earning one for some time, he will not allow this to interfere with his plans. It only means he must devise some other way of printing. Many boys have already proven that a press is not an absolute necessity, by issuing papers printed with rubber type, written by pen and on typewriters, and printed by the mimeograph and such duplicating machines. These are all more or less tiresome operations, but ways in which the boy determined to publish a paper may start. A few examples of papers printed by these methods are shown in Figs. 162, 163, and 164. It might be interesting to know a little something about how these papers were run. The one shown in Fig. 162 was lettered by hand, and while only one copy of an issue was made, and that passed about in the school at which the publishers attended, there was a good deal of work required to get it up. The paper shown in Fig. 163 is also a school paper, published at the Lake High School, Chicago. The copy for this was first written off on a wax sheet by means of a typewriter, and this sheet placed on the cylinder of a machine known as a "neostyle," the cylinder then being revolved and the papers printed from the wax sheet. Fig. 164.—Printed with Rubber Type. The paper shown in Fig. 164 was the writer's first attempt in the publishing line, and was indeed a sorry specimen of typography. A box of rubber type, a four line holder, and ink-pad constituted the printing outfit. The paper was a twelve-paged two-column affair, requiring six impressions of four lines each to the column. The column ruling was done with a pen, and, after printing the copies, each had to be gone over and retouched with pen and ink. It was a long and tedious job, and so wearing upon the type that they were practically useless by the time the second issue had been printed. But by this time the publishers became owners of a press with which they were able to turn out more satisfactory work. The first thing for a boy to consider is The Character of his paper—whether it shall contain news of the athletic field, the school, or the neighborhood, entirely, or be devoted to amateur journalism entirely, or be made up of a little of each. The schoolroom presents so much of interest to those in and out of it, that papers managed and edited by several pupils, with the articles written by the different classes, are generally successful. Athletic news is always interesting to boys, and to have at least a portion of your paper given up to this subject might be a good plan. The paper shown in Fig. 165 is an example of a small paper, the size of the sheet being three by four and one-half inches. It was published a few years ago by six boys living in Lexington, Kentucky. The staff, the oldest of whom was but ten years of age, consisted of the editor-in-chief, who attended to the general management, editing, and printing of the paper, and five other boys, known as the associate editors, who gathered the news and did the hustling. This paper contained mostly neighborhood news, and had a large local circulation. The paper shown in Fig. 166 consists of twelve pages printed upon a press with a form capacity four by six inches, and is given up entirely to the publication of original stories and poems. Some boys who do not own presses have the printing done by professionals, but simply to edit a paper gives them but half the pleasure and experience derived from executing all the work themselves,—editing, printing, binding, mailing, etc. In Naming a paper be sure to select a suitable title for it, a name with a meaning, such as will denote the character of the publication, being desirable. The Frequency of Publication will depend largely upon the size of sheet, number of pages, the amount of time that can be devoted to the work, and the facilities for printing. Whether weekly, monthly, semi-monthly—twice a month, bi-monthly—once in two months, or quarterly, try to place each issue in the hands of subscribers as nearly on time as possible. The Size of Page will depend largely upon your press. However, a small sheet is most desirable for an amateur paper. The first page should be headed with the name of the paper set up in rather large type. You will find A Stereotyped Heading cheaper to buy than a font of large type, and easier to handle on account of its being in a solid block. Below the heading should appear the volume number, date, and number of issue, on one line, followed by the title of the article and body of type. The Choice of Type may be made by examining the sheets shown opposite page 142 and in Figs. 165 and 166, many of which are good specimens of typography. These should also help you to formulate your ideas as to the style of your paper. The second page should be headed with the page number and name of paper—or title of story—in small caps, this line to be separated from the body of type by means of a pica brass rule. Great care should be used in publishing a paper to have the proof thoroughly corrected before the form is printed, for typographical errors spoil the appearance of the paper and are always disgusting to the reader. Also see to it that the marginal lines correspond on each sheet, and try to get uniform impressions throughout the paper. A Cover is desirable for a small paper, as it adds to its appearance and size. If you have one, set it up in somewhat the same style as those shown opposite page 142. The cover sheets should be cut a little larger than the inside sheets, so they will cover the latter when they are bound together. With the printing of an issue completed, the sheets are ready for Binding.—They may be fastened together by means of wire staples, paste, or thread. Figure 167 shows a scheme of stitching much employed in printing-offices and which is simple for an amateur to do. The sheets are first folded inside one another, as in the drawing. Then, starting at A with a needle and thread, run the needle through the sheets; carry the thread underneath the sheets from A to B, from B to C above, from C to A beneath, and up through the sheets at A. Then tie the two ends of D and E in a hard knot, with the portion of the thread marked F between them. The cover may be bound with the rest of the sheets, or pasted to them after the sheets have been stitched. Few amateurs bother with Advertisements, probably because it is hard to find merchants who have confidence in results from magazines with small circulations; but with cheap rates you should be able to secure enough ads. to more than defray the expenses of publishing a paper. Before soliciting these, cut a sheet of paper the size of a page and divide it into small spaces with a pencil and ruler, making what is known as The Advertisers' Dummy.—Show this to your prospective advertisers and let them pick out the space they wish, charging so much per inch, the rate varying according to the position the ad. will occupy. With at least four regular issues a year, and not less than fifty per cent of the circulation paid subscriptions, you will be able to enter your paper in the post-office of your city as Second-class Matter, which makes it possible for you to mail your papers to out-of-town subscribers at the rate of one cent per pound. To secure these privileges write to the third assistant postmaster-general of your city for an entry blank, together with full particulars concerning second-class matter. Return the application with a copy of your paper; and when it has been passed upon, the postmaster will issue you a certificate entitling you to these rates and authorizing you to print upon your paper "Entered at the post-office at (name of town) as second-class matter."
CHAPTER XI A BOY'S DARK-ROOM A Boy Photographing his Dog. There is no reason why an industrious boy cannot do a profitable business with a camera, when he has learned to operate it successfully, does careful and neat work, and charges a reasonable price for his pictures. The many monthly photographic competitions in the magazines should be a great help in showing where his faults lie, and when he has overcome these he should be able to make considerable money from the cash prizes offered. An amateur should master as much of the work as possible. One of the most interesting parts is missed if you pay a professional to develop your plates, and you never know where your faults have been made in taking the pictures, by not seeing the manner in which the image appears on the negative during the development. Even though you spoil one or two plates in your first attempts at developing, your results on the whole will probably be as good as those obtained by a professional, who is very often careless with amateurs' work. No discussion of photography has been included in this book, as a complete treatise would be too lengthy, and a condensed description impractical. There are a number of excellent publications which describe the subject in detail, making it so clear that a boy cannot help but understand the principles with a little study. Few of these books, however, dwell upon the equipment of the dark-room, and none give a fellow any ideas for the making of his apparatus, generally an important item to a boy. The Necessary Equipment for a dark-room is not large, about all you require besides your chemicals being a ruby lantern, printing frame, three trays,—one for developing, another for fixing, and a third for toning,—a two-inch camel's-hair brush for dusting plates, a drying-rack, glass graduate, funnel, set of scales, bottles for solutions, and a cabinet in which to keep your apparatus and supplies. A Dark-room is not a necessity, although it is a great convenience, especially if you are doing much work. With the shades pulled down, you will find that your bedroom serves the purpose very well in the evening, and many boys do their work in this way. Fig. 168. A Handy Dark-Room.
Fig. 172. A Washing Box and Drying Rack. Figure 168 illustrates how developing is carried on in a bedroom of an old-style house, where the wash-stands are set in recesses in the wall. Here a shelf made up of several boards fastened together with battens is set upon the marble slabs around the basin. In this shelf an opening four by six inches is made as shown in Fig. 170, the edges of the opening being rabbeted to receive a five-by-seven camera plate. This arrangement is very complete, for the developing is performed on the shelf, the fixing on the stand below, and the washing in the basin, while light from the lantern is projected through the glass in the shelf, making it light underneath. This scheme can be used for any wash-stand, by nailing the shelf to two pieces of board twelve inches long by the width of the shelf, these pieces being set firmly upon the wash-stand. Some boys use The Bath-room for their dark-room, darkening the window and shutting out any rays of light that may come through the key-hole and cracks about the door. This works splendidly, there being running water at hand and the tub in which to wash the negatives. The work-table is made out of several boards battened together, and should be set across the edges of the tub. Figure 169 shows Another Scheme—a dark-room fitted up in a closet, or by partitioning off a corner of the attic or cellar. In the latter case the inside of the partition should be covered with black paper or cloth to prevent light from entering cracks in the boards. The room should be provided with A Work-table about three feet high. This should be built against the wall and strongly braced, as shown in the sketch (Fig. 169). Fasten a shelf to the wall about nine inches below the table, and under this make a rack with three divisions in it for trays. The rack should be fastened to the braces, as shown in the drawing. Running Water is a great convenience in a dark-room, as it saves the bother of having to carry water in pails, or transferring your plates to a tub or wash-basin for the final bath after development. If it is impossible to locate your dark-room where it will be supplied with running water, the best scheme is A Water-tank with hose attachment. This is shown in Fig. 169. To carry it out, procure from your grocer a "half-barrel," such as is used for the shipment of salt mackerel, etc., and, after thoroughly cleaning it, bore a hole in the side about two inches from the bottom. Buy at a drug-store several feet of rubber tubing, a rubber stopper with a hole cut in the centre, two pinch-stops, a six-inch piece of glass tubing bent at right angles, and a small glass funnel. Slip one end of the bent piece of glass tubing into the rubber stopper, and stick the latter in the hole made in the barrel. Then slip a short piece of the rubber tubing over the glass tubing, and place one of the pinch-stops on it to be used in regulating the supply of water from the tank (see Fig. 171). Set the barrel on one end of the table, and run the rubber tubing through a hole cut for it in the work-table. It is advisable to filter the water used from the barrel, that you may be sure it is free from dirt, so an arrangement similar to that shown in Fig. 171 should be fastened below the work-table. It consists of a glass funnel set in a hole bored in a block of wood (see A in Fig. 171), which is suspended from the bottom of the work-table by means of a stick (B), one end of which is nailed to block A and the other end to the work-table. Keep a piece of filter-paper in the funnel. The rubber tubing should be cut just long enough to reach the funnel, and the bottom of this filter should come within an inch or two of the sink, which will be set in the shelf below. You will find an iron drip-pan about as cheap A Sink as can be had, considering that one twelve by seventeen inches will cost you just fifty cents—twenty-five cents for the pan and an equal amount to pay a tinsmith for soldering a three-eighths inch pipe in a hole cut in the bottom for a drain. Either fasten the sink on the shelf, boring a hole for the pipe to fit in, or set it in an opening cut in the shelf, as shown in the drawing, supporting it by the rim around its top. Slip a piece of rubber tubing over the lower end of the drain pipe and to this attach the second pinch-stop as a regulator for emptying the sink (see Fig. 169). As the water supply would be insufficient to wash the plates thoroughly after taking them from the hypo bath, it should be used for rinsing only, and A Washing-box, after the scheme of Fig. 172, made to hold the negatives while washing them. This box will stand on the shelf beside the sink until you are through developing. The rack is made up of strips of wood fastened together with wire brads. Figure 173 clearly shows its construction. Strips A, B, C, and D should be placed three and three-quarters inches apart for four-by-five plates, and kerfs should be cut in their edges as shown. A and D are mounted upon short stilts, and B and C are nailed to the uprights supporting the handle. The plates rest upon strips nailed across the bottom pieces. Fig. 173.—A Washing-rack. This tray was made to hold two dozen plates, but may be made smaller if you wish. The box should be just large enough for the tray to fit in. Fill all the cracks and joints with white-lead and give the box several coats of paint to make it perfectly water tight. Then make a hole in the side near the bottom to let the water out, and procure a cork to fit it (Fig. 174). Fig. 174.—The Washing-box. Before developing, cork up the washing-box, fill it with water, and set it in one end of the sink where the plates can be set in it after being taken from the fixing bath. When you are through developing, place the box and plates in the wash-basin or the bath-tub; remove the cork from the box and allow the water to run in at the top and out through the hole near the bottom. When the negatives have been thoroughly washed, the tray can be removed from the washing-box and used as A Drying-rack. Another scheme for a drying-rack easily made is shown in Fig. 175. For the construction, two pieces of wood twelve inches long by four inches wide will be needed (A and B in Fig. 175), also two blocks (C and D) four inches square. Mitre one edge of A and B, and cut a right-angled bird's-mouth in C and D to receive A and B. With the pieces prepared, fasten them together as in the illustration. Then procure some corrugated straw-board, such as is used for packing glass-ware, etc., cut two pieces four by twelve inches, and tack them to A and B in such a way that the corrugations on one strip coincide with those on the other. For a simple rack this cannot be surpassed. Fig. 175.—A Negative-rack. For chemicals, supplies, and apparatus, make A Cabinet similar to the one described for tools in Chapter I, or the curio-cabinet in Chapter V. This makes it possible to keep everything in order and in places where they can easily be reached. Such a cabinet is shown on the wall in Fig. 169. The best scheme for a dark-room Ruby-light is shown in Fig. 169. This is practicable, however, only when you build the dark-room itself and can cut a window in the partition. It makes it possible to have your source of light outside of the room, and does away with the heat caused by having a lamp within, where you are working. First, cut a ten-by-twelve-inch window opening in the partition on a level with the top of the work-table. Then make a frame a little larger than this opening and either set a piece of ruby or orange glass in it, or paste a sheet of ruby or orange paper over it. Build a track above and below the opening for the frame to slide in, doing the work neatly, so there will be no possibility of light leaking through. The light, which may be a candle or lamp, should stand upon a shelf supported upon a bracket outside of the window. It is convenient to have the window slide, as it enables you to open it and have white light to work by when a ruby light is not necessary. This window furnishes light for developing, which will be done upon the table, but none for the shelf below, where the sink is located and where the fixing tray should be kept (that there will be no danger of getting hypo into the developer). In order to have light for this shelf, you had better follow the scheme shown in Fig. 170. Cut an opening four by six inches in the work-table directly in front of the window, and make a half-inch rabbet around its upper edge to receive a five-by-seven camera plate (see Fig. 170). Fig. 176.—A Home-made Dark-room Lantern. If it is not possible to have outside light for the dark room, A Home-made Lantern, such as is illustrated in Fig. 176, will be found very satisfactory. It is made out of a wooden box about ten by ten by twelve inches. Cut two openings six inches square in two sides of the box and cover one with one sheet and the other with two sheets of orange or red paper, spreading paste over the entire surface of the paper to make it stretch tightly over the openings as it dries. The orange and red wrappers of some makes of printing papers and developing powders can be used for the covering of these openings. For a chimney, procure a long slender baking-powder can, remove the cover and bottom, and insert it in a hole cut for it in the top of the box. Then an arrangement must be made, as shown in Fig. 176, to prevent light from emitting from the top of the can. This consists of a tomato-can placed over the baking-powder can, bottom side up, with its edge fastened in kerfs cut in the ends of four wooden stilts (see illustration). Drive the stilts firmly into holes bored for them in the top of the box. The edge of the tomato-can should now be about an inch and one-half above the box, and its bottom an inch or more above the baking-powder can. Below the chimney attach a wooden stilt to the bottom of the lantern, and tack a can cover to the top of it, as shown in the drawing. This forms a cup holder for the candle, which not only catches the drippings, but also makes the lantern fire-proof should the candle burn down to the end before you notice it. Bore a number of holes in the bottom of the box, and nail two strips to the under side, as shown. The lamp is now completed with the exception of the door, which should be made in three pieces, with the edges cut and bevelled as shown in Figs. 176 and 177. Nail strips A and C to the back of the box, and slip B between them. A screw-eye near the bottom of B will serve as a lift in opening the lantern. As the edges of the strips are cut on a slant and bevelled, a joint which cannot possibly leak light is obtained when B is slipped into place. All cracks in the box should be carefully filled with white lead. In offering this lamp to his boy readers, the writer knows they will find it most satisfactory and a solution to the problem of making a perfect dark-lantern. The air admitted through the holes in the bottom of the box carries the heat and smoke straight into the chimney, and out through the space between the tin cans, making it impossible for the flame to ignite the wood. If you use A Plate-lifter you will find an old tooth-brush handle tapered at the end by means of a file one of the best that can be had. It is well to have some scheme for Classifying and Preserving Negatives.—To keep them in their original boxes is not a good idea, as there is always danger of scratching them and no satisfactory way of keeping track of their description, date of exposure, etc. Manila Envelopes, with a printed form to be filled out, on the outside, are invaluable holders, as they not only make it possible to file away negatives in alphabetical order, but preserve them from dust, scratches, etc. Fig. 178.—A Negative-case. The four-by-five size can be bought for about twenty-five cents a hundred from a dealer in photograph supplies; but you can get them much cheaper by going to a paper house and asking for their four-by-five coin-cut manila envelope, which sells in half-thousand lots at about one dollar per thousand. If the quantity is more than you will need, you can probably dispose of a portion of them to your boy friends. With a printing-press or rubber type, the following form should be printed upon the outside, with a rule or space to the right in which to place the descriptions:— NO.
DESCRIPTION
DATE
REMARKS A Wooden Case to hold the envelopes is desirable, and such a one may be made similar to Fig. 178. For four-by-five negatives the inside of the box should measure twelve inches long, five and one-quarter inches wide, and three inches deep. It will hold about six dozen negatives. Very light wood, about three-eighths of an inch thick, should be used for the construction of this case. Cut two pieces twelve and three-quarters by three and three-eighths inches for the sides, two pieces six by three and three-eighths for the ends, and one piece twelve by five and one-quarter for the bottom. In cutting the side-and end-pieces, mitre the edges of each so they will make neat corners. The mitre-box should be used for this purpose. Nail the pieces together with small finishing nails, after which fasten the bottom-piece between them, driving the nails through the side-pieces into it. The cover is made of a board twelve and three-quarters inches long by six inches wide, with a rim made of four inch-and-one-quarter strips nailed around its edge, as shown in the illustration. Two of the strips should be twelve and three-quarters inches long, and the other two six inches long. Their ends should be mitred and fitted together as the sides of the box were done, and the top should be nailed to their top edges. This cover fits over the plates, which project an inch above the sides. Hinge it to the back of the box, and attach a hook to the front. If you do not keep your plates in envelopes, the sides of the box should be lined with corrugated straw-board to separate them. This may be tacked or glued to the wood. By rubbing down the outside with emery-paper, oiling, shellacking, or varnishing the wood, a very pretty case will be obtained. You will find it a simple matter to pick out a negative by having them filed in the order of their exposure, and catalogued alphabetically in a note-book.
CHAPTER XII A WINTER ENTERPRISE Boys with Snow Shovel and Broom Boys who keep their eyes open for opportunities to make money are not long in finding that the coming of snow means money in their pockets if they are willing to do a little hustling. A number of years ago a few boys undertook the job of keeping the walks of their neighborhood free from snow, and constructed A Snow Plough with which to do their work. The plough proved so satisfactory that others were made, and before long every boy in the neighborhood had enlisted in the company. By several boys joining forces in this way, and making contracts with property owners to keep their walks and steps free from snow, a good deal of ground can be covered in a short space of time, and a neat sum of money realized during the season. The work can be done before and after school, and be so divided that while several are ploughing the walks the others are cleaning the steps. A plough such as is illustrated in Fig. 179 is made in two sections, four feet long by two feet wide. After battening the boards together at A and B, as shown in the drawing, fasten the sections in place, with two ends together and the other two ends two feet apart. Nail them firmly together at the angle and brace them at the open end with strips, as shown at C and D in the illustration. The bottom edge of the plough should be covered with tin, to prevent it from wearing or becoming broken. Bore a hole an inch in diameter in each section at E, and fasten a broom-handle in them from which to attach the rope tugs. This being done the plough is ready for use. A Scraper is about the best appliance that can be had for cleaning snow from the steps, especially when the snow has turned to slush. For the making of one of these, prepare a seven-eighths inch board sixteen inches long by four inches wide. Bevel the lower edge and nail a two inch strip below the top, as at A in Fig. 180. Bore a hole through both thicknesses of wood at B and fit a broom-handle in it, bracing the handle with a piece of wire run from a small hole bored in the handle at C to the ends of the scraper. Figure 181 shows a scheme for A Snow Shovel that is easy to make, and one which will stand a good deal of wear. For this, secure two barrel staves, cut them in two, and plane up the curved edges until they are straight. Then taking three of these pieces, lay them side by side and nail a two-by-two inch strip across the top edges, as shown at A, to bind them together. The bevelled ends of the staves should be placed at the lower end of the shovel and bound in place by a strip of galvanized iron bent over the edges and tacked to the staves (see B in drawing). Another iron strip should be nailed across the staves at C, to fasten them more securely together. Clinch the nails upon the under side of the shovel and drive their ends well into the wood. Procure a broom-stick for the handle and place it in a bevelled slot cut at D (Fig. 182), fastening down the end with iron pipe-straps, as shown in Fig. 181. With the addition of brooms to the plough, scrapers, and shovels, your outfit will be complete and ready for business.
Two Boys with Fishing Pole.
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