The Best Woods
: THE BEST WOODS FOR THE BEGINNERThe prime wood, and the one with which most boys are familiar, is white pine. It has an even texture throughout, is generally straight grained, and is soft and easily worked. White pine is a wood requiring a very sharp tool. It is, therefore, the best material for the beginner, as it will at the outset teach him the important lesson of keeping the tools in a good, sharp condition.
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Soft Wood
As, presumably, most of your first work will be done with pine, poplar, or other light-colored material, and, as many people prefer the furniture to be dark in color, you should be prepared to accommodate them. ... Soft Woods
It is also well for the novice to do his initial work with a soft wood, because in joining the parts together inaccuracies may be easily corrected. If, for instance, in mortising and tenoning, the edge of the mortised member is not true, or, rather,... Spirals
There is no more difficult figure to make with a bow or a circle pen than a spiral. In Fig. 150 a horizontal and a vertical line (A, B), respectively, are drawn, and at their intersection a small circle (C) is formed. This now provides for four cent... Staining Contrasting Woods
Then, again, do not stain a piece of furniture so that one part represents a cheap, soft wood, and the other part a dark or costly wood. Imagine, for instance, a cabinet with the stiles, rails and mullions of mahogany, and the panels of pine or popl... Stains As Imitations
It will be well to remember one thing as to stains. Never attempt to stain anything unless that stain is intended to produce an imitation of some real wood. There are stains made up which, when applied, do not imitate any known wood. This is bad t... Steps In Cutting Mortises
Examine Fig. 208, which, for convenience, gives six successive steps in making the mortise. The marks <em>a</em>, <em>b</em> designate the limits, or the length, of the mortise. The chisel (C) is not started at the marking line (A), but at least an ... Straight-faced Moldings
Now let us carry the principle still further, and, instead of using various type of moldings, we will employ nothing but straight strips of wood. This treatment will soon indicate to you that the true mechanic or artisan is he who can take advantage... Technical Designations
As all geometrical lines have designations, I have incorporated such figures as will be most serviceable to the boy, each figure being accompanied by its proper definition. <div> <table summary="Fig 146/147" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing=... The "odd Job" Tool
A most useful special tool, which combines in its make-up a level, plumb try-square, miter-square, bevel, scratch awl, depth gage, marking gage, miter gage, beam compass, and a one-foot rule. To the boy who wishes to economize in the purchase of too... The Angle Of Filing
By angle is meant the cutting position of the file. In Fig. 12, the lines B represent the file disposed at an angle of 12 degrees, not more, for a rip saw. For a cross-cut the angle of the file may be less. ... The Apophyges (pronounced Apof-i-ges)
Fig. 190 is also called the <em>scape</em>, and is a concaved type of molding, being a hollowed curvature used on columns where its form causes a merging of the shaft with the fillet. <div> <table summary="Fig 189/192" border="0" cellpadding="0" ... The Astragal
Fig. 186 shows the ankle-bone molding, technically called the <em>Astragal</em>. This form is round, and properly placed produces a good effect, as it throws the darkest shadow of any form of molding. <div> <table summary="Fig 187/188" border="0"... The Basis Of Moldings
Suppose we take the base type of moldings, and see how simple they are and then, by using these forms, try to build up or ornament some article of furniture, as an example of their utility. ... The Bead And Rabbet
A more amplified form of work is available where the rabbet plane is used with the beader. These two planes together will, if properly used, offer a strong substitute for molding and molding effects. Fig. 219 has both sides first rabbeted, as at A... The Best Woods
The prime wood, and the one with which most boys are familiar, is white pine. It has an even texture throughout, is generally straight grained, and is soft and easily worked. White pine is a wood requiring a very sharp tool. It is, therefore, the be... The Bowstring Girder
Only one other form of bridge truss need be mentioned here, and that is the <em>bowstring</em> shown in Fig. 240. In this type the bow receives the entire compression thrust, and the chords act merely as suspending members. ... The Casement (fig 195)
In this we have a form of molding used almost exclusively at the base of structures, such as columns, porticoes and like work. <div> <img src="/images/fig195.jpg" alt="Fig. 195. Casement." title="" height="170" width="187" /> Fig. 195. Casement. </di... The Cavetto
Fig. 187 is the cavetto, or round type. Its proper use gives a delicate outline, but it is principally applied with some other form of molding. ... The Chinese Saw
This saw is designed to saw with an upward cut, and the illustration (Fig. 24) shows the handle jutting out below the tooth line, in order to cause the teeth to dig into the material as the handle is drawn upwardly. Reference is made to these featur... The Claw Hammer
This is the proper tool for driving nails and for drawing them out. Habits should be formed with the beginner, which will be of great service as the education proceeds. One of these habits is to persist in using the tool for the purpose for which ... The Commercial Instinct
It is not enough that the boy should learn to make things correctly, and as a matter of pastime and pleasure. The commercial instinct is, after all, the great incentive, and should be given due consideration. It would be impossible, in a book of thi... The Compass
The compass is one of the original carpenter's tools. The difference between <em>compass</em> and <em>dividers</em> is that compasses have adjustable pen or pencil points, whereas dividers are without adjustable points. Modern work has brought refine... The Cymatium
Fig. 191 is the cymatium (derived from the word cyme), meaning wave-like. This form must be in two curves, one inwardly and one outwardly. ... The Direction Of Light
Now, in drawing, we must observe another thing. Not only does the light always come from above, but it comes also from the left side. I show in Fig. 132 two squares, one within the other. All the lines are of the same thickness. Can you determine by... The Draw-knife
It is difficult for the apprentice to become accustomed to handle this useful tool. It is much more serviceable than a hatchet for trimming and paring work. In applying it to the wood always have the tool at an angle with the board, so as to make a ... The Drawer
The drawer (Fig. 41) shown in cross section, has its front (A) provided with an overlapping flange (B). It is not our object in this chapter to show how each particular article is made, but simply to point out the underlying principles, and to ill... The Drawer Supports
Take one of the side-facing boards (Fig. 37) and cut a rectangular opening in it. This opening should be 4 inches wide and 18 inches long, so placed that there is 1 inch of stock at the upper margin and 2 inches of stock at the lower margin of the b... The Easiest Working Woods
The same thing may be said, relatively, concerning cherry and walnut. While cherry has a beautiful finishing surface, the blending contrasts of colors are not so effective as in walnut. Oregon pine is extremely hard to work, owing to the same diffi...