FITTING UP A BOY’S ROOM
When once a boy realizes what may be done in the way of fitting up his
den or room, he is sure to take an interest in the subject. A certain
amount of manual skill and artistic feeling are, of course, desirable,
but these qualities may be cultivated, and to a much greater extent than
one would at first be willing to believe.
The color schemes, designs, and general suggestions in artistic
handicraft that may be carried out in fitting up a boy’s room are almost
without limit; but the following ideas are all practical, and the
illustrations and explanations should enable the young craftsman to get
satisfactory results at the minimum of labor and expense.
In the selection of woods from which to build furniture, the natural
product of the locality in which the boy lives must be taken into
consideration. Some States grow pine, white-wood (cottonwood), poplar,
or cypress, while in others spruce, hemlock, maple, and fir will be
found easier to obtain. In the Far West, gumwood, redwood, cedar, and
cypress form the staple supply. The cost of the wood is a matter to be
considered, and often the more artistic result may be secured by using an
inexpensive wood, since the beautiful grain of the finer varieties can
only be brought out by the skilled and experienced workman. Many woods
have an open and broad grain that, if carefully filled and varnished
over, will give a very pleasing effect. Chestnut, butternut, quartered
oak, and ash have this quality, and all of them are adapted to furniture
construction and room trimmings. For chairs and other furniture, spruce,
apple-wood, and cypress will give good results; and all of them have a
pretty grain when stained and varnished. Ash is harder, and makes good,
solid furniture. If not found too difficult to work, it will prove a very
satisfactory and serviceable wood for chairs, tables, benches, and other
pieces of furniture that are subjected to hard usage.
In the construction of the various pieces of furniture illustrated,
the simple rules of carpentry are to be followed, and only the lap,
mortise-and-tenon, and tongue-and-groove joints are employed. These
joints must be well made, however, so that perfect unions will result,
for every piece of furniture will rack in time if not properly braced.
For this reason only the plain joints are advocated for the young
workman; and nothing has been said about the dowel, key, and other
joints that are frequently employed by cabinet-makers in the general
construction of furniture. These latter require much more care and
accurate fitting, and for the open and exposed joint the simple forms are
far better.
A Plain Chair
Of all the pieces of furniture in the house, chairs are the ones most
used, and, as they are subjected to hard usage, they should be well
constructed and the joints carefully made.
In the plain chair shown in Fig. 1 the front legs are sixteen inches
high, the back supports are thirty-four inches high, and all of them are
one and three-quarter inches square. All the side-rails and the four
that support the seat are two inches wide and three-quarters of an inch
in thickness, so that the laps cut in the corner-posts (Fig. 2, A and
B) will correspond in width and depth. The cross-cuts are made with a
fine saw, and the wood removed with a broad firmer-chisel, taking care,
however, not to cut deeper than three-quarters of an inch when removing
the wood. Use a mallet to help the chisel, but do not seek to take out
too much at one time; better try three or four times, and take a moderate
bite each time, than run the risk of having a large chunk come out and
bring with it some of the wood that should be left for the rail-end to
lap against.
The rail at the front is eight inches above the floor, and those at the
sides are four inches. At the back the distance is ten inches from the
floor to the under side of the cross-rail. Take care to make the saw-cuts
inside the two-inch mark, so that the rails will fit snugly into the
corner-posts without any play. There is nothing so annoying in a chair as
to have it loose-jointed and rickety.
A wooden seat sixteen inches square, with the rear corners cut out to fit
around the back posts, is nailed or screwed fast to the top edges of the
upper rails all around; and for the back a twelve-by-sixteen-inch piece
is cut and screwed fast in the laps cut at the upper ends of the back
posts, as shown in Fig. 2 B.
To make a comfortable back and seat, cover the wood with curled hair from
an old mattress, or some cotton and dried moss; then tack unbleached
muslin over it to hold it in place. For the final covering use burlap,
denim, cretonne, or other stout fabric, that can be had at a dry-goods
store for fifteen or twenty-five cents a yard. Draw it down and turn it
under all around the edges of the back and seat, fastening with small
tacks driven at regular distances apart.
Large, oval-headed upholsterers’ tacks painted black will appear to good
advantage if driven about two inches apart along the edge of the goods.
If they cannot be had, or are too expensive, a very good substitute may
be made from sheet-lead or an old piece of lead pipe split open and
beaten out flat.
From the sheet of lead cut disks three-quarters of an inch round with
a cold-chisel, on the upturned face of an old flat-iron. With a small
hammer beat the edges to resemble a hand-wrought nail-head, similar to
those you may have seen in an old hand-bellows in a blacksmith-shop.
These are to be painted black, and applied to the wood with slim,
steel-wire nails, the heads of which will be invisible if they are driven
well into the lead. The heads of the screws that fasten the lap-joints
can be hidden with these mock nail-heads, as shown in the drawing.
A good black paint for the metal parts of furniture is made by adding
dry lamp-black to some brass lacquer or shellac, so it will have the
consistency of cream. It is then applied with a soft-hair brush to the
surface of the metal, on which it will dry quickly. It often requires two
or three days for oil paint to dry on metals, and it lasts no longer
than the lacquer or shellac coating. Several small nails driven around
the edge of the mock nail-heads will hold them in place, and to all
appearances they will look like the large-headed, wrought bellows-nails.
[Illustration: FIG. 1. FIG. 2. FIG. 3. FIG. 4. FIG. 5.]
An Odd Chair
For studying or reading, the chair shown in Fig. 3 will be found a useful
piece of furniture.
The wood is three-quarters or seven-eighths of an inch in thickness,
planed on both sides, and may be finally stained and varnished or
painted. The front posts are fourteen inches high and four inches wide,
while the back ones are thirty-four inches high, three inches wide at the
top, and eight inches wide at the bottom. The side-rails are twenty-eight
inches long, three inches wide at the front, and six inches across the
widest place near the rear. The side-rails are fastened outside the rear
uprights and inside the front posts, as shown at Fig. 3. At the back,
near the foot, the chair is held together with a plate of wood six inches
wide and eighteen inches long, screwed fast to the lower edge of the high
posts, as shown in Fig. 4.
The top of the rear uprights are bound together with a piece of two-inch
curtain-pole, with a saw-cut in the end to the shoulder, as shown in Fig.
5. After it is in place, glue-covered wedges are driven into the saw-cuts
to make a key, and so hold the joint securely. Between the front ends of
the side-rails a similar piece is placed; or a two-inch square piece of
wood, with the front top edge rounded off, may be substituted.
The seat and back is composed of one piece of leather, fabric, or even
carpet, caught to the front and top cross-pieces, and adjusted so as to
form a comfortable support to the body.
This chair can be made with a shifting back by rounding off the lower
ends of the back uprights and attaching them to the side-rails with bolts
and washers, one bolt to a side. With two or three corresponding holes
in the side-rail and upright, pegs can be fitted into them, or a rod
passed through from side to side of the chair, in fashion similar to the
well-known Morris chair. The pegs must be stout, or the rod substantially
heavy, since the leverage is great and would snap off light pegs or bend
a thin rod.
A Morris Chair
One of the most comfortable pieces of furniture in a boy’s room is a
Morris chair, and if properly constructed it should last almost for a
lifetime.
Fig. 6 gives a good idea for a solid affair that can be made twenty
inches wide and twenty inches deep from outside to outside of
corner-posts. The posts are two inches square and twenty-three inches
high, and in the front and back ones laps are cut to receive three-inch
rails, with the upper edges sixteen inches above the floor. At the lower
part of the sides, five inches above the floor, two-inch rails are let
into the posts. From these side-rails to the under side of the arms four
flat balustrades are mounted and held in position to the lower rails with
screws and glue. At the upper end they are mortised into the under side
of the arms for half an inch. Two more rails are let into the posts at
the inside and on a line with the rails, at front and back, that support
the seat and to which the leather is to be attached.
A frame twenty-two inches high is made for the back and covered with
leather stretched tight and nailed all around the edges with large,
oval-headed upholsterers’ tacks. The back is hinged to the rear rail
of the chair, and held in position with a cross-rod, which in turn is
supported by wooden pins driven into the end of the arms, as shown in the
illustration. The arms are wedge-shaped, five inches broad at the front
and two inches at the rear, where the ends are rounded. They are held to
the tops of the corner-posts with long, slim screws, the heads of which
are covered with the imitation nail-heads described in the making of the
plain chair (Fig. 1).
[Illustration: FIG. 6. FIG. 7. FIG. 8.]
A Settle
For the side of a room, where there is space to accommodate it, a settle
is a comfortable piece of furniture, and Fig. 7 gives some good lines
that can easily be followed.
The back of this settle is forty-two inches long and thirty-two inches
high. The seat is sixteen inches above the floor and eighteen inches
deep. The front plates are each six inches wide, twenty-five inches high,
and seven-eighths of an inch thick. They are attached to the front and
side rails of the settle with stout screws and glue, and a line of screws
is driven through the front plate and into the edge of the one it laps
against, as shown at Fig. 8, which is one end of the settle frame.
The leather forming the seat is drawn over the front and back rails
(which are each six inches wide), and is nailed to the wood, as shown in
the illustration. The leather is applied to the back in the same manner,
and, to hold the edges down, glue may be used.
A chair may be constructed in similar fashion with the same height and
depth dimensions, but twenty-four inches wide over all, the side-plates
under the arms being four inches wide.
A Box-desk
In the illustration of a box-desk (Fig. 9) an idea is shown that the
young craftsman can easily work out.
Obtain a box twenty-four inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twelve
inches deep. It should be made of planed boards. At the joints drive in
a few screws to make them more secure. Cut two pieces of wood thirty-six
inches long, four inches wide, and seven-eighths of an inch thick, and
attach them to the rear edges of the box when it is stood on end,
allowing the lower ends to extend down four inches below the bottom of
the box. These will form the back feet. For the front ones, cut two
pieces of wood fourteen inches long and six inches wide, rounding off one
end, and cutting the bottom out three inches, thus allowing the remaining
wood to be three inches wide, as shown at Fig. 10. These are fastened to
the lower edges of the box at the sides with screws and glue.
[Illustration: FIG. 9. FIG. 10. FIG. 11. FIG. 12.]
Two shelves, ten inches wide, and as long as the inside width of the box,
are to be cut and fastened six inches apart, leaving a ten or twelve
inch space at the bottom for high books, or a place to put the feet when
sitting at the desk. A top twenty-two inches wide and eighteen inches
deep is made fast to the top of the box, and if a slant is desired the
back of the top board may be propped up for an inch or two with a strip
of wood. On the ends of the side-rails that project above the desk-top
a ledge six inches wide may be made fast for ink-bottles, pencils, and
other accessories. Attached to the upper edges of the box brackets of
wood may be arranged to support the projecting edge of the desk-top.
Stain and varnish, or paint, will add the finishing touch to this
box-desk.
A Writing-table
Two boxes, a drawer, and a broad top can be easily transformed into the
writing-table shown in Fig. 11. If well put together and decorated with
artistic hinge-straps and escutcheons, the boxes are entirely hidden from
sight.
Two boxes, each twenty-two inches long, fifteen inches deep, and ten
inches wide (outside measure), are placed on end and made fast under a
broad top forty-five inches long and eighteen inches wide. Three inches
of the top will project beyond the boxes at the ends and front. This
will leave a space nineteen inches wide between the boxes. At the bottom
a ledge eight or ten inches wide must be made fast to the bottom of the
boxes, on which to rest the feet when writing at the table. This ledge
will also serve as a brace, and help to hold together the bottoms of the
boxes.
Legs six inches high are cut from wood seven-eighths of an inch thick,
and fastened under the four corners at the front of the boxes. At the
back, the foot-piece is a board ten inches wide, screwed fast to the
lower rear ends of the boxes, so that six inches of it will project down
to the floor to correspond with the legs in height. A shallow drawer is
made to fit between the boxes, and a slide on runners is attached with
screws near the top.
Doors ten inches wide and twenty-two inches high are hinged to the outer
sides of the boxes, and from sheet-lead the hinge-plates or straps and
the escutcheons are cut with a light cold-chisel and mallet, as shown at
Fig. 12, A and B. (For other designs, see Chapter VII., on Decorative
Hardware.) The front hinge-plates are eight inches long and four inches
wide across the scrolls, and the shorter ends are four inches in length.
The flat edges that butt against the hinges must be made to correspond
with the hinges in width, but they are no part of the hinges proper,
being purely for effect. This hardware is coated with the black metal
finish. It is then fixed in place with large-headed nails or with
steel-wire nails.
A top board, with half-circular supports, can be made and attached to the
rear of the desk-top if thought desirable.
A Whatnot
For trinkets, books, and the general assortment of odds and ends that a
boy is sure to possess, the whatnot shown in Fig. 13 will be found useful.
It is fifty-four inches high, twenty wide, and twelve inches deep. The
cap projects two inches beyond the sides and front. The side-boards are
cut up at the bottom, the angle of the coves being ten inches above the
floor. Near the top a corresponding effect is obtained by cutting out
pieces of wood in the form of shields. The side-ledges are thirty-six
inches above the floor, twelve inches long, and seven wide. They are
supported by two brackets at each side, five inches wide at the top and
six inches deep, cut as shown in the illustration, and made fast with
glue and screws.
[Illustration: FIG. 13. FIG. 14. FIG. 15.]
The ledge over the drawers is forty inches above the floor, and each
drawer is five inches deep. The lower ledge or shelf is twelve inches
above the floor, and the front edge is cut in with a compass-saw.
All the wood-work is of stock seven-eighths of an inch thick, and the
edges of the shelves are butted against the side-boards, through which
screws are passed, the real heads being afterwards covered with the mock
nail-heads. The usual stain and varnish will treat the wood nicely and
lend a good finish to this useful bit of furniture.
A Treasure-chest
For stamps, coins, minerals, and other valuable possessions, the
treasure-chest shown in Fig. 14 is just the thing.
To give the chest an appearance of strength and security, the doors
should be made of wood one and a quarter inches thick, while the legs and
feet should be of one-and-a-half inch stock. The box is thirty inches
long, eighteen inches high, and twelve inches deep (inside measure), and
the top projects an inch and a half over the ends and front when the
doors are closed. The legs are twenty-eight inches high and twelve inches
wide. At the lower ends feet are cut from wood the same thickness as the
legs, and made fast to them with screws. A cross-rail six inches wide and
cut in at the under edge is mortised and tenoned into the legs twelve
inches above the floor; while across the top of the legs a board twelve
inches wide is securely fastened, and braced at the back with a four-inch
rail, to prevent this base from racking with the weight of the chest.
Shelves and divisions are arranged, according to requirement, within the
chest. To close it, two doors are swung on stout hinges, against which
lead hasps are mounted to lend an appearance of strength. These are cut
from stout sheet-lead, and applied with large-headed upholsterers’ nails
painted black. The front hasp-ends should be ten inches long and the
return ends five inches in length. Over the key-hole a long hasp may
be placed, with a corresponding one on the other door to complete the
decorative effect.
Studying-table and Stool
For service and comfort when studying or writing, two useful pieces of
furniture are shown in Fig. 15.
The top of the table is twenty-four inches wide and forty-two inches
long. It can be made from three or four boards of pine or white-wood
glued together at the edges and battened at the under side. The front
legs should be twenty-seven inches high and two and a half inches square.
The rear legs are thirty-nine inches high, and where the table-top
joins them laps are cut out on two sides for a depth of one inch, and a
corresponding notch is cut from the corner of the ledge so as to fit into
the lap. The lower rail at the back is six inches wide, and the lower
side-rails are four inches wide. The shelf attached to the top of the
rear posts is seven inches wide and forty-two inches long. It need not be
more than seven-eighths of an inch in thickness, and the front ends of it
may be supported with short bracket sticks which rest on the table-top
close to the rear posts.
At both the front and back brace-strips are let into the legs and the
edge of the table, as shown in Fig. 15; these pieces are eighteen inches
long and bevelled at both ends.
To accurately cut the laps in the legs and table-top, lay a strip across
in the proper place, and mark the lines with a pencil; then with a saw
cut slowly and accurately on this line to the proper depth. With a chisel
cut the wood away and let in the brace-strips, when they can be securely
fastened with glue and screws. At both ends shelves may be attached to
the posts and the braces, as shown in the illustration. These will make
good book-ledges or convenient places for pencil and pen boxes, extra
pads, and school trappings. Books may rest on the table under the top
shelf. To prevent their falling off at the back, a rail two inches wide
is attached to the rear posts and supported at the middle by a short
upright block which also acts, as a brace to the middle of the top shelf.
The stool is eighteen inches high, sixteen inches long, and fourteen
inches wide. The corner-posts are two inches square, and the rails are
two inches wide and three-quarters of an inch thick. At the sides the
top-rails support the seat, which is a piece of cowhide attached with
nails and glue, over which imitation nail-heads are made fast. The lower
rails, at front and back, are three inches above the floor, and the lower
side-rails are eight inches above the floor. Stain and thin shellac will
finish this wood-work nicely.