The boys thought it was about time to pay some attention to the wants
of the family, who had been clamouring for weeks to have this article
or that for the kitchen, dining room, and in fact for every part of the
house.
Ralph was a wise teacher, however. He knew that the cause of ninety out
of every hundred failures was due to the young mechanic's trying some
problem too far advanced.
It seems strange that people cannot learn this lesson. We have seen
hundreds of boys led along, say in carving, from one simple lesson to
another, until at the end of five or six carefully graded exercises,
these boys could carve beautifully any design given them.
On the other hand, we have seen boys start in on their own hook,
without any direction from older people, and ruining everything they
tried, simply because they wanted to do the most difficult thing first,
before they had developed any skill.
Ralph was determined that his boy should be an expert and successful
user of tools, so he paid no attention to the clamours of the family,
and allowed Harry to make only those things which were within his power
to do well. Each time a piece of work was finished, and inspected by
the family, the universal chorus was something like this:
"Well, if he can make such a fine bird house, I don't see why he can't
make half a dozen picture frames for these water colors," or, "If he
can make such a fine pen tray, I don't see why he can't make a new
stool for the piano!"
In vain Ralph explained that these things could be made in due time,
that a picture frame required much more skill than a bird house, etc.
Their household articles commenced with a bread board for the kitchen.
(Fig. 141). This gave Harry his first experience in planing a broad
surface. He used jack and smoothing planes for the working face, and
squared the rest of the board as he had smaller pieces. This required
some time. The wood about the semi-circular top was removed with saw
and chisel, the board held for the chiselling flat on the bench hook.
After getting this curve as true as possible with the chisel, it was
finished with a sand-paper block. A 1/2-inch hole was bored at the
centre of the semi-circle to hang it up by, and the two lower corners
were rounded with chisel and sand-paper. No sand-paper was used on the
flat surface, as Ralph explained this was a board for cutting bread,
and the grit from the sand-paper would become more or less embedded in
the wood, and it would spoil the bread knife. Sand-paper is made of
ground quartz, and it soon dulls the edge of a cutting tool.
[Illustration: Fig. 141. The bread board]
The knife and fork box (Fig. 142) brought new problems. The list of
material was:
1 pc. 11-1/2 × 3-1/4 x 1/2 2 pcs. 7 × 1-1/2 × 1/2
2 pcs. 14 × 1-1/2 × 1/2 1 pc. 12 × 6-1/2 × 1/4
It was made of white wood, and, after being assembled, was stained a
rich brown by receiving two coats of bichromate of potash. This is a
chemical, which may be bought at a paint or drug store in the form of
crystals. These are dissolved in water, until the solution looks like
pink lemonade. It can be applied with a brush, but each coat must be
allowed to dry completely before the whole is sand-papered smooth with
No. 0 sand-paper. A deeper brown can be obtained by adding one or two
extra coats of stain.
[Illustration: Fig. 142. Method of using hand screws in the
construction of a knife box]
The middle partition containing the handle was made first. The drawing
was laid out on the wood after it had been squared up, and two holes 1
inch in diameter were bored out at _a a_. The wood between was taken
out with a key-hole saw, and finished to the line with chisel and
knife. A turning saw can be used to advantage on this handle, but it
is not absolutely necessary. Spaces _b b_ were removed in the same
way, but a knife was used in the concave part of the curve. If it is
handy, a small spokeshave can be employed on the whole upper line of
this handle.
Anything in the nature of a handle should be rounded to fit the hand.
Edges _c c_ were therefore rounded with the knife, and finished with
coarse, followed by fine, sand-paper.
The two sides were laid out together as in the nail box, and the groove
cut with back saw and 1/8-inch chisel.
The end pieces were made in a similar manner, and the bottom piece
squared to 1/16-inch of finished size. The assembling consisted of
first gluing together the sides and ends. Two hand screws were used to
hold them. This was Harry's first attempt at using hand screws, and
Ralph showed him the importance of keeping the jaws parallel.
The box remained in the hand screws over night, and the next day it was
found to be securely fastened. The most convenient kind of glue for
boys is the liquid sold in cans. It is always ready for use, and very
handy where only a moderate quantity is needed.
Dry glue in the form of flakes, or granulated, must be soaked over
night, and then heated in a pot having a double bottom with water in
the lower part.
It should be put on hot with a brush or a small flat stick. The best
glue is none too good, yet a good quality has wonderful holding power
and should last indefinitely.
After removing the hand screws, the unfinished box was placed in the
vise, tested with the edge of the plane, and made perfectly true, top
and bottom.
The 1/4-inch bottom piece was now put on with one-inch brads, the sides
and ends made square, the handle partition slipped into the grooves,
and fastened with two brads at each end.
[Illustration: Fig. 143. Tool box]
This knife box was so satisfactory that our young carpenters resolved
to have a large one for tools. Whenever they had a job to do in the
house, they were constantly running out to the shop for something, so
that a tool box became a necessity.
The construction was similar to the knife box; but this was larger and
heavier, and the dado joints at the ends were replaced by a butt joint
fastened with flat-head screws. (Fig. 143). The bottom and partition
were also put on with screws, on account of the weight to be carried.
[Illustration: Fig. 144. Another tool box]
These tool boxes are frequently made in the shape shown in Fig. 144,
with sloping sides and ends called the hopper joint; but aside from the
tool practice it affords, it is doubtful if the shape has advantage
enough over the other form to warrant the extra time it takes. Man is
an imitative creature, however, and what one carpenter has, the others
copy.
The principal features about this useful article should be size and
strength, especially in the handle, which should be of about 5/8 or 3/4
inch stock.