[Illustration: A hanging book rack]
_The Design._--It is designed to plan a light but strong book rack, to
be fastened to the wall of a chamber. Since it is intended to occupy
the space that might be given to pictures it is properly as simple in
construction as a picture frame, depending upon good proportions and
symmetry to give a pleasing effect. The straight lines of the design,
which is illustrated above, meet these requirements and also harmonize
with the general form and outline of books. Both shelves may be used
for books, if desired, but the design permits them to be confined to
the lower shelf, reserving the upper one as a suitable place for a bit
of pottery or two, or some other choice bit of bric-à-brac. The mortise
and tenon joints give the essential stiffness and strength without
requiring the use of heavy stock.
_Materials and Tools._--Since strength with lightness is an essential
feature to realize in the working out of this design, soft woods should
be avoided. Ash is probably the strongest of the light woods in common
use. Oak is much stronger but heavy and hard to work. White wood is
comparatively light and very strong. Gum wood is classified with ash
excepting that it is closer grained. Since this book rack is to be used
in a chamber in which the wood trim is in enamelled white and most of
the furniture of a mahogany finish, it will be equally appropriate to
make it of white wood, to be finished in enamelled white, or of bay
wood as a basis for mahogany finish. It was decided to adopt the latter
course.
The stock requirements for carrying out this design are as follows: 2
back posts, 1-1/4 inch × 1-1/4 inch × 24 inches; 2 front posts, 1-1/4
inch × 1-1/4 × 18 inches; 2 centre uprights, 5/8 × 1 × 18 inches; 1
back rail, 5/8 × 1-1/4 × 37 inches; 1 end rail, 1 × 1-1/4 × 44 inches;
and 2 shelves, 7/8 × 7 by 37 inches.
[Illustration: Construction details and dimensions for hanging book
rack (front)]
The tools needed are much like those required in the previous
problem--_i. e._, the same planes, saws, bitstock, squares, and the
gauge; but there will be needed a 3/8-inch bit, 3/8-inch and 3/4-inch
chisels, a knife rule, a rabbet plane, a mitre box, and a mallet.
_Construction._--The details of construction required are as follows:
Dressing the stock pieces, cutting the posts to length, cutting the
points on the posts, rabbeting the cross rails and cutting them to
length, cutting the mortise and tenons, halving on the end rails,
cutting and fitting the shelves, cutting, fitting, and fastening the
back rail, arranging the clamps and other appliances for gluing up, and
cleaning off the glue after hardening.
[Illustration: Construction details and dimensions for hanging book
rack (end)]
[Illustration: How the tenon is applied to the rail]
The stock pieces should be first "dressed" down to the drawing
dimensions. This means that they should be planed and sand-papered
preparatory to laying out the cutting dimensions. The front and back
posts should be cut to length in the mitre box, care being taken to
allow an extra 1/2 inch for the pointed ends at the top and bottom.
These pointed ends are cut in the mitre box by raising one end of the
post and sawing to lines squared around the post 1/4 inch from the
other end. The angle of the cut is made uniform by resting the raised
end of the post on a block lightly nailed on the inside of the mitre
box, thus giving the same elevation for all the posts. The 1-inch by
1-1/4-inch piece for rails is rabbeted out, using the plane designed
for that purpose, and afterward cut to length as called for. The blind
mortises should be made not more than 7/8 of an inch deep, and the
tenons 1/16 of an inch shorter in order not to strike the bottom of the
mortise. One of these rails should be accurately laid out with knife
lines and the rest marked from this as a pattern. The drawing shows the
location of the tenon with reference to the part of the rail on which
the shelf rests. This is the most convenient position for cutting the
tenon and it also gives greater strength. The centre uprights should
be halved on after the end rails are in position, being cut for this
purpose as illustrated in the drawing. They may be allowed to stand out
1/8 of an inch beyond the face of the end rail, and in making the joint
an equal amount of stock is to be taken from the rail and from the
upright. The shelves are then easily cut to length and the ends fitted
with the block plane and dropped into place, being lightly glued and
nailed with brads from the under side of the rabbet. Finally the top
back rail should be halved in, being left to the last in order that the
more important fitting of the shelves may be more easily accomplished.
[Illustration: How the centre uprights are halved on]
In gluing up the mortise and tenon joints care must be exercised to
set clamps out ready for use before the glue is applied so that the
parts may be promptly drawn up in position. After gluing they should be
allowed to remain about ten hours in order that the glue may properly
harden before the clamps are taken off. All the extra glue squeezed out
of the joints in clamping must be scraped off with a chisel, after the
glue has hardened a little; and any remaining spots of glue must be
carefully removed with fine sand-paper so as not to leave anything to
interfere with the filling and finishing.